On one of my email lists someone posted that she had "suffered the 'ultimate' in embarrassment" by coming "out of the water DFL" (dead ... last) in a triathlon.Heh. Been there, done that. Just this month, in fact! I had the slowest time in the water at Eagleman, and the slowest time overall. I've finished lots of running races in last place, too.
But it NEVER EVER EVER occurred to me to consider that last place finish at Eagleman a huge embarrassment. Quite the contrary - I finished! Didn't I persevere, when ~90 DNFs did not? Didn't I enter a tough event and come out and do my best on race day, when lots of people stayed home on the couch instead?
What would YOU consider the ultimate embarrassment in a triathlon?
- Finishing last?
- Not finishing?
- Losing your swimsuit somehow and having to come out of the water naked?
- Losing your bike in the racks?
- Losing bowel or bladder control?
- Getting your period unexpectedly?
- Puking on an official's shoes?
- Dropping out of the race when really you could have gone on if you used your head?
- Crashing the bike because of a dumb mistake?
- Getting caught drafting? (I don't do this intentionally)
- Getting caught cutting the course? (I would NEVER do this intentionally)
- Getting disqualified for bad sportsmanship?
- Getting yourself in bad enough shape to need an IV or even more medical treatment?
- Having to pull out because you got bitten on the butt by a seal?
- What else?
18 comments:
I love your site for how you can always put a smile on my face Nancy...there are so many things to embarrassed about, but being in a race and towing the line whether you finish or not is what it's all about!! If I had to choose one though, I would have to say "the bowel thing"...LOL
Thanks! These are the things I lie awake thinking about..... :)
I read stories about one of the first female Boston Marathon finishers that got her period all down her leg and still ran it in 2:xx. I was impressed and horrified at the same time.
Well in my case I would have to go with the period one...
I would agree with Shelly on both accounts. You shouldn't be embarrassed about the outcome of a race - no matter what it is, at least you tried. But if I had to choose, the bowel thing would be mine. I have had issues with it during the marathon portion of an IM, and I feel really bad when I want a massage after finishing, knowing the problems I had.
Having my bike shorts rip along the back seam knowing I have nothing else to wear in my transition bag. That would be pretty embarassing.
Ooh, I could tell the story of the guy Linae and I know who loses bowel control AND KEEPS GOING AND GOING AND GOING....
One of my pre-menopause symptoms is heavy periods: they start slowly but the second day is really heavy. A few months ago I had blood running down my legs after a 75 minute swim practice (and yes I know the trick of tucking in the string so it doesn't wick). I told the person at the desk at the recreation center where I swim and after looking confused for a minute he got me a mop.
So I was a little apprehensive when I got my period two days before my second triathlon. I decided I was not going to worry about it, that I wanted to do the best I could even if it meant finishing with blood running down my legs. As it turned out that wasn't as heavy a month as some have been and I didn't leak anything the chamois couldn't take care of. My tri shorts have a black chamois.
Man, I sure wouldn't want to start my period during a race...considering it would be my first one!
Seriously, Nancy, you have NOTHING to be embarrassed about. You FINISHED a half-ironman!!!!!!!
Tell someone who feels otherwise to BITE YOU!!! I, for one, am impressed with your guts and determination!
First: You rock if you finish. All that other stuff seems pretty embarrasing!
Hey! Just for all these "feminine moment comments" I invite all men in the alliance to come over to my blog and comment on E.D. Haha, really don't.
Nancy love this. Absolutely right, dfl over dnf every time. So let me be the first to answer these in order.
Never actually been DFL except in age group. Never not finished a race started though I should have stopped several times. Yep lost a swimsuit bottom. Yep lost my bike. bladder not bowel, though I have a funny story...good god no period,I have lost track of all the volunteers, coaches and officials I have puked on (its a sign of a good race, kinda like burping at the table I say), Never dropped out of a race but I think about every day up to it and every 10 seconds after the first five minutes, crashed yup, at least it wasn't my bike, draft? who me, never been caught doing that (caught being the action word), how can I cut the course if I am a midpacker then we would all be guilty, bad sportsmanship yes but not in endurance sports, guilty of heat injury, IVs and generally not using common sense in stopping or slowing down when I should-big mea culpa, Never bit by a seal but I am open to the experience.
Pem, I think I speak for all the men reading this when I say...oh, never mind...Now I have to thing about one more thing when I am in the pool...Crap!
LOL Big Cheese!
Nancy - nothing to sweat - finishing something like that is incredible no matter what anyone says, in fact, maybe even more incredible than finishing on time because it's just THAT much more endurance on the course. You rock - don't worry at all!
Did I sound worried!?? :-)
I think that triathlete needs to experience a DNF and realize that finishing is an accomplishment, at any point in the race pack!
I think I woud have to go with losing my bathing suit or any tri-clothing and being naked in some way ...
brings back awful memories of being 8, playing hide and seek at the bus stop in some bushes and wearing my cool wrap-around-skirt .. which was ON when I hid but NOT THERE when I rushed out because the bus was coming.
I NEVER did live that one down with the neighborhood kids...
It's a definite toss up between losing my swimsuit (highly unlikely) and getting my period unexpectedly (that's pretty unlikely, too, though leaking is a definite possibility and would definitely be embarrassing). I don't think I'd like losing bowel control, either. I doubt anyone would notice if I lost bladder control. How about going off course and getting lost? That would certainly be embarrassing...
The best thing about being, well, as old as I am, is that you're pretty much beyond being embarrased about anything. Whatever happens, happens. How important is it going to be in a year? 5 years? 20 years? Not very, that how important. What's important and memorable is all the training, the effort and the commitment.
Hell, I almost wore my helmet on the run last Saturday. Embarrasing? Probably, but the race's official stats don't say anything about helmet-wearing dorks.
Nothing embarassing about finishing a race! Like you said, you may have come in DFL, but at least you beat all those people that DNF'd!
Of the things on your list, I'd have to say it's a tie between losing your suit and coming out naked or losing control of your bowels! The cheating would be the ultimate worst, but I'd feel utterly ashamed of myself... not embarrassed.
Yup...the bowel thing would do it for me. Nothing worse, embarrassment-wise.
What's embarrassing about being last?
(better late than never)
:-)
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