defining ourselves
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kylie posted 1 year ago.
Oh I definitely agree... it's a hobby I choose, and yes, it's part of who I am.
Kylie Donia's Miles of Life --- Powered by MarkyV
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Tribro posted 1 year ago.
i'd agree as well. triathlon isn't the only thing that defines me, but leading this lifestyle certainly contributes to who I am and is part of my identity. But I think what others may be referencing, is that Triathlon alone doesn't define them. Without it, or when certain goals pass they are still complete with who they are. Just as a job doesn't define who you are, neither does a sport or it's accomplishments. It's a part of the whole....
anyway, favorite movie quote...
from Batman Begins:
It's not who I am underneath, but what I *do* that defines me.
Triathlon is one of things I do. So is creating stuff like Trifuel, reading books, running in the woods with my dog, taking pictures, etc.
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dr_rios_ec posted 1 year ago.
I agree with you guys.
Like Tribro numbered the other things he does. I am guy who loves endurance sports, tris, distance running, mountain climbing...I am doctor, I am a music fanatic.
But all of those really deafine who I am.
And tris/endurance sports, are a huge part of my identity , of my life...
I feel so proud that I chose this life style, and that I had influenced my loved ones to jump into it....
If someone asks me, what am I proudly tell all the things I do...
-Santiago
"Man!! Defeat is worse than dying, cause´you have to live with it" -My Dad
"It ain´t about how hard you can hit...it is how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward"-Rocky Balboa
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RV posted 1 year ago.
There are so many things that we do that defines us.
Tri's are part of the lifestyle, but more importantly - Tri's are FUN!
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
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Ironmom posted 1 year ago.
I think like TriBro said, what people mean when they say that is that triathlon doesn't completely define them. In response to something like an M-dot tattoo, I wouldn't get one because I don't have tattoos for all of the other things that are equally or more important to me. So in that sense, triathlon doesn't define me. It's an important part of my life, but so is being a mom, an environmentalist, an outdoorswoman, traveler, gardener, skydiver, musician, friend, writer, etc. etc.
I agree that the things we do in life are what is important - our actions, our words, our treatment of others. Triathlon to me is part of a whole, but it is just one piece of who I am.
Blue Skies, -Robin-
http://ironmom.blogspot.com/
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Anton posted 1 year ago.
We have all met people, being one demensional, who live for triathlon or Ironman, to the exclusion of so much else.
There was a time when triathlon was not part of my life. It is now...and there will be a time when it no longer will be.
What we do to help others and to improve the condition of the world we live in is what defines us. The qualities we exhibit when life hits hard are what define us.
Some have said that you cannot define your life until you reach it's end...when you can look back and know it's value...or worthlessness...or how you will be defined.
I contend our view of ourselves is too skewed to be able to define oneself...that, is better left to others.
Thanks for tuning in to another episode of "Meta-physical Sunday!" Sorry.
"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" - Vincent Van Gogh
My Blog: http://agingsuperhero.blogspot.com
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mdittfurth posted 1 year ago.
I believe the traits, characteristics which define us are already within, like a seed in the ground waiting for the right conditions to germinate. We either nurture, cultivate these traits or we let them stay at the same stage of growth. Triathlon is an expression of that nurture, an operationalizing what already is. The definition is already there ready to become dynamic. I would bet if there was no triathlons, most of you guys would do something else to express this definition. At 63 I can see a horizon for my triathlons. When one day I am organizing wheel chair races in the nursing home, some may say who is that crazy old man..."oh him, he's a triathlete"
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Leroy Bonkers posted 1 year ago.
Fun stuff! Metaphysics! So much better than regular Physics!
Wouldn't the thing that defines you be that piece without which you would not be you? What part of you could you absolutely not lose and still be who you are? Is that an action, a part of the brain, a cherished value? If you can't think of an answer does that mean that you are undefine-able? If you define yourself and then you change, is the definition flawed or are you now someone else!?!?
And by the way, I'm so gonna win that old person wheelchair race. Last one to craft time has to eat the macaroni art!
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mdittfurth posted 1 year ago.
My view: I believe we all have an ideal potential which we strive toward or not, which we will never completely achieve: ence, the pull toward growth, knowledge and improvement. Along the way as we move up the ladder to our greater self, we define ourselves on that step, move up or down that ladder and define ourselves again and again. Every definition is valid for that place and time but the ultimate definition of who we are is what we are striving to be.
In other words, like Sheehan said,
Success rests in having the courage, endurance and above all, the will to become the person you are, however peculiar that may be. Then you will be able to say, 'I have found my hero & he is me.'
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SusanMac posted 1 year ago.
This is all way too heavy for me ;-)
Love Sheehan! Haven't thought about him in a long time.
I much prefer triathlon defining a bigger part of me than work! (I even love my job. But, come on, triathlon's more fun!)
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Breifne7 posted 1 year ago.
Dwelling on your apogee or nadir diminishes the merit of all the things you are going to do. Focus instead on the personal qualities which got you there. It’s those qualities, and not your one-time accomplishment, which will see you through the rest of your life.
Breifne
Leadership through service.
i've read a number of posts on here on many different subjects, ie. IM tattoos, "living to make it to Kona", and what races we do, and for some reason many threads have said something like... "triathlon isn't what defines me", or " what we do doesn't define us"
i think these are very strange comments, because what we do does define us. I'm not writing this really as a triathlete because i am barely a triathlete compared to most of you, but as a fellow athlete in general.
No, triathlon is not the only thing that defines you, but only a narrow minded person i think would even accuse that.
However, training for, and competing in, and finishing, and winning, and doing your best, or not, does define you in a big way. someone who has made the commitment to do this crazy sport should be very happy for it to represent a part of them.
All of us know more about ourselves than the people around us would ever imagine, but the thoughts we have and the way we feel. The good things we think about doing for others, and races we dreamed about finishing will not be remembered. We are how we act.
I guess i'm saying that like it or not, triathlons do define you, so if you want your image to reflect your reality, make it happen. But, be proud to be defined as a triathlete.