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Discussion: Am I crazy to try.........
Subject: Am I crazy to try......... By: DIANE L. Written on: 2006-06-20 16:20:20 Message: I turned 40 this year and I want to do a sprint tri. My husband said I was too old and should have maybe thought about trying this 20 years ago. So, I started swimming in March, I'm up to 10 miles on the bike and I wish I could run. I just want to train and say I did it. Is he right, I am crazy? Oh, yeah, I've never been in a race in my life...
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: alicia L. Written on: 2006-06-20 16:22:28 Message: You can do it! Go for it! I am 32 and just did my first one 2 weeks ago! Hey, worst case scenario, you have to walk the 3 miles at the end...so what? You set a goal and accomplished! I say, "Go for it!"
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Jonathan B. Written on: 2006-06-20 16:24:06 Message: Challenge yourself to do it and I'm sure you can. You aren't crazy.
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Diana S. Written on: 2006-06-20 16:27:50 Message: NOT CRAZY! Go for it! You are such an inspriation to all ages! Never give up...always think "you can"! Way to go!
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Glen N. Written on: 2006-06-20 16:30:38 Message: thats not old.At the Arizona Ironman in april two guys aged 75 and 77 completed the race. This sport has no age, you just get out there and do it. Way to go. You are going to love the sport.
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Elizabeth C. Written on: 2006-06-20 16:33:58 Message: 40 too old???? 40 is a great age to start. I'm 45 and just finished my first Sprint last week, can't wait to do more. I've got friends in their 60's who beat the socks off me in times. Never let age hold you back, I feel better and healthier now than in my 20's. GO FOR IT!!! P.S. Can I have a few words with your husband? Just kidding.
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Ronald F. Written on: 2006-06-20 16:34:28 Message: Just listen here young lady:-) It would be crazy to think that you could not do it! Just give yourself a lot of time to recover from your workouts and don't go fast until you can go long and easy. You have some advantages having not raced before. You can start out running swimming and biking with good form. Do easy workouts and read about how to run with better form while you recover. The same for the bike and swim. You are not "too old" until you are in the grave. Ron
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Jenny A. Written on: 2006-06-20 16:34:41 Message: Diane, I'm 43 years old, and just finished my first sprint triathlon last weekend -- so, if you're crazy, then I guess I am too!! I started training in January for my races this season. I plan on doing 2 or 3 more sprint races, and hopefully an Olympic distance race near the end of the season, and would like to shoot for a 1/2 ironman for next season. I'm not particlarly fast, but I am enjoying the training, enjoying being more physically fit, and I really enjoyed my first race last weekend. I don't think you're ever really "too old" to take on a challenge like this. You can definitely do it. Do you have a specific race you want to train for? My advice would be to pick a race (ether this year or next, depending on how much you think you can train - you don't want to push it too fast and risk hurting yourself) and start training. Build up your distance in each sport to at least the distance of your target race. Other than a couple of very small local 5 K running races many years ago, I have never run any races either. I'm a pathetically slow runner, but I'm doing okay on the swim and the bike, and I figure with more training, the running will improve over time. There are plenty of women racing in triathlons who are over 40 - so don't listen to your hubby on this one - you are NOT too old!!! Just my 2 cents..... Jenny
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Jael A. Written on: 2006-06-20 16:40:23 Message: Diane, Too old? What is that? That is not part of our vocabulary here at ontri.com. The oldest man to complete the Ironman Hawaii (which, by the way you have to qualify for...) was 80 years old. So, YOU ARE NOT TOO OLD! I agree with Ron: " you are not too old, until you are in the grave". To second what everyone else is saying...just listen to your body and give yourself enough time to train. Go at your own pace and Go for it! Have a blast! You will never be the same again, both inside and outside! I can guarantee you that! Sign up for a race so that you know you have a deadline. I would recommend you give yourself 13 weeks to train....from the date of the race. Keep us updated with how you are doing! Welcome to the world of Triathlons! Happy Training! Jael
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Andrew S. Written on: 2006-06-20 16:42:22 Message: Diane, you just walked into a big ole can of whoop ass on that question, I didn't do my first TRI until I was 41. Now I'm looking forward to when I can compete in an older age group and maybe place! Hell....look at Ron up the page 50 something and he just placed 2nd. With ALL due respect to your Husband, I suggest you challange him to start doing Tri's too! I wish I could run too. That's why it says in the rules you can RUN, WALK or CRAWL to propel yourself forward. Go girl Go A.
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Ronald F. Written on: 2006-06-20 17:03:25 Message: Andy, I was most pleased with 55 th of 1067 overall. I still want to compare myself with the younguns. Just for accuracy the USAT rules do NOT allow crawling anymore. Here is the rule. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Article VI Running Conduct 6.1 Permitted Conduct. A participant must run or walk the entire portion of the run course. Except for reasons of safety and when no advantage is gained, all runners shall follow and remain within the prescribed course. A participant who gains forward progress by crawling or otherwise violates this Section shall be disqualified.
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Andrew S. Written on: 2006-06-20 17:05:03 Message: that's awsome Ron! I'm sad about the rule change though.....not that I'm going to need it next year @ IMAZ
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Michelle R. Written on: 2006-06-20 17:06:38 Message: You can easily do a Sprint tri, really. If I did one, YOU can do one! Really!
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Patrick B. Written on: 2006-06-20 17:50:51 Message: Of course you are crazy, everyone who does these things is crazy, that's what makes it fun! As for being too old, unless you are pushing up daises you are not too old.
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Dan W. Written on: 2006-06-20 18:25:58 Message: Is there something you've really wanted to do or have? Tell your husband he'll be delivering it to you after you finish your first race. Plain and simple. Whatever his age, your husband may be too old, but you are not. You've heard from other triathletes older than you that got started after you...do they seem too old? No way! Age is just an excuse. You've decided to do something great for yourself, and sometimes people close to you get a little nervous or intimidated about that. Okay, I won't get on my soapbox, but as everyone else has said, GO FOR IT!
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Michelle B. Written on: 2006-06-20 19:09:08 Message: Too Old? No way. I did my first tri as a celebration of my 40th birthday - there is no better way to celebrate your life so far and the vitality with which you will tackle the next 40 years. Go for it. As for the husband - I suggest you sign him up for a nice quiet rest home, he's clearly ready for it.
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Ronald F. Written on: 2006-06-20 19:37:44 Message: Be nice Michelle:-) Sometimes the worst doubters become the greatest supporters. Diane's husband will be the most impressed of all when she does it. Of course if he is doen't come arround--- to the rest home he goes :-) Ron
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Andrew S. Written on: 2006-06-20 19:47:02 Message: Ron's right My wife just about feel over laughing when she heard I was entered in a Tri. She may not get up at 4 in the morning now either, but I have her support for training time and spending time with my friends in Tri as well. A.
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Jenny A. Written on: 2006-06-20 19:51:27 Message: P.S.... I just looked over the race results for the Sprint I did last weekend.... The first place female finisher was 41. Three of the top 10 female finishers were over 40 (one over 50), 4 others were in the 35 - 39 year old age bracket. Maybe this race wasn't typical, I don't know since it was my first, but you can see that we women over 40 can definitely Tri, and we can do quite well!
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Jack F. Written on: 2006-06-20 19:54:55 Message: Diane: Trying, sure beats waking up at age 80 and thinking--wonder if I could have??????? If you THINK you can...you CAN! Heck, I saw a guy who won the 1960 Olympic games come back at age 49. Interestingly, he nearly broke the world record! In a few words, "YOU CAN."
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Andy M. Written on: 2006-06-20 20:07:23 Message: Go for it Diane. You are never too old uless they are shoveling dirt in your face. Andy
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Kati M. Written on: 2006-06-20 20:15:05 Message: GO FOR IT! I'm a newbie myself....a bit younger, but new to the sport all the same. You can't let a little thing like age stop you. I can't even get my 25 year old sister to train with me!
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Brad H. Written on: 2006-06-20 20:53:42 Message: Hmm.... Option 1) Sit with negative influence, prematurely aged husband on couch watching Jeopardy. Option 2) Choose fit lifestyle, look good, feel good. Compete with ontri friends on sunny weekend at the beach. Inspire family and friends. Hmm... See you at the beach... Brad
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Brad H. Written on: 2006-06-20 21:13:05 Message: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Whitlock
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Stacie J. Written on: 2006-06-20 23:39:02 Message: You are definitely not crazy. Go for it!!! I have several friends who completed their first tri well past the age of 40. A couple were even in their late 50's. What a great birthday present to give yourself.
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Mike R. Written on: 2006-06-21 00:48:03 Message: Diane- You can do it!!! I did my first Tri at age 40. Best experience I ever had. You'll never forget your first race. You'll have the greatest feeling of accomplishment. Don't listen to your husband. Find a good training schedule, stick to it, and enjoy the race. Don't kill yourself. Take in the atmosphere. You'll meet more postive people the day of your race than you have met in your lifetime. The environment becomes addictive and I will guarentee that it will not be your last race. On another note- after training for a couple months, you will feel better than you ever have before and you will notice a big difference in your metabolism. You'll never be afraid of food again. You will be eating 6 times and day and still be hungry. Go for it!!!
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Elizabeth C. Written on: 2006-06-21 07:57:56 Message: Diane, I guess you get the picture.... get out there and tri
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: John P. Written on: 2006-06-21 08:27:49 Message: When I was about 45 I was running some and weight training, as Ii had done for years. Not too serious about the running. At the time Ii was a Police K-9 handler. Had to stay in shape for the job. And I worked at it. I was heavy , 225lbs with no gut. Well as that part of my career was coming to a close I started to run more consistently. Started to really enjoy it. When I was younger I was in too much of a hurry to enjoy running for any length of time. To bring this little tale to a close one Sunday Morning my family and I were on our way to Church. Low and behold I saw all these runners going by, I say to my dear wife, Oh look there is Sarah , Glens wife she is running in Marathon by the Sea, 26 miles I think. I am going to run that next year. My dear wife says "you old fool you cant run that far they are all a lot younger than you". I then replied oh yea, watch me. The next year I ran a half marathon and a full. Since, I have ran several halfs, nine full marathons, Boston twice, Birthday present for my fiftyeth. PB of 3hr 13min. I am preparing at the youthful age of 53 to do my first Tri, hopefully this summer. If not it will be next year. Oh yes I am now about 182 lbs. Save for a few set backs that a lot of young and old people get I am in great shape and look forward to retirement so I can Swim, Bike and Run. IF YOU DESIRE IT, GO AND GET IT, DONT LET ANYONE TELL YOU YOU ARE TOO OLD.!!!!!!!, It does not matter how slow or fast you do it. Step up to the start line, that is were the courage is.
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Tim O. Written on: 2006-06-21 09:14:12 Message: Diane, I just finished working with a bunch of ladies from 35-45 for their first TRI. I had to apologize for some of the husbands of these ladies as they had the same response from their husband that you got from yours. Guess what, all of them competed and finished!!!!! I didn't do my first Triathlon until I was 44. You can definitely do it and believe it or not you are more sane than you husband by not giving up on trying to improve yourself. Go out and have fun.
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: scott m. Written on: 2006-06-21 09:56:12 Message: diane, NO you're not crazy to want to do a tri! Others will try to limit what we're capable of doing. Many of us, myself included, only started doing triathlons in our late 30's -early 40's. The competition is great, but it's much more than that. challenging yourself to do something totally new, meeting hundreds of new people within the sport of tri, improving your overall fitness, and just think of all the fun shopping for new fitness toys. Being a natural runner myself, the bike shopping was and is totally cool. Go for it and enjoy every minute. God bless!
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Jay A. Written on: 2006-06-21 10:49:13 Message: Diane, age is not an excuse. I swim with a 69 year old guy who competes and wins medals in his age group at Master's events. The other week he came in second in his age group at the Chesapeak Challenge which is a 1 mile open water swim. Many of the people I tri train with are in their 50's and some started their tri careers a couple of years ago. Go for it!
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Carie M. Written on: 2006-06-21 13:20:41 Message: I just met a guy who raced in the 80-85 age range, and he has been doing this since he was a young 50... Don't listen to what other people say - do what your heart says... You've come to the right place too -- no where else will you find such an informative and upllifting group of people to help you on your journey. Just follow the training plan, and you will be amazed at how quickly you see this become a reality!! Keep us posted!
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: DIANE L. Written on: 2006-06-21 14:49:51 Message: Thanks.....you guys(and gals) make me smile. Thanks for all the encouraging comments...I'll keep you posted.
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Erik T. Written on: 2006-06-21 17:09:19 Message: 40 is too old!?!! Dang, I'm glad I got my first one under my belt at 39. Your husband is wrong, go prove it to him. e
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Jose G. Written on: 2006-06-21 17:30:10 Message: So, I see you hit a nerve with this post! For kick I checked the age of OnTri members listed on this site. You gonna let the 80-somethings show you up!
Subject: RE: Am I crazy to try......... By: Amy C. Written on: 2006-06-21 17:54:46 Message: Oh my gosh you opened pandoras box with this one!!! Take a look at some results from local races and I'll bet that the average age of the top ten women finishers is 40!!! I once remarked at a race about that and another competitor(over 40) said that us older gals have to be seriuos when we race and train because our time is spread thin among careers, family, etc. I think there is something to that, there's no way I could've been this disciplined at 25. SO...Go For It and welcome aboard!! NYMom
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