Accidental Triathlete (Manchester Evening News)

[MossCommuter]

Nice story:

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...clist-rossendale-triathlon-caught-up-11450726

I have only been cycling for a fortnight so my fitness levels are not great. I was hardly up for a triathlon but I got caught up exactly the moment they started. It felt like I couldn’t get off it, I ended up cycling about 18 miles.

Sorry if it's a double post, did a search... please move , etc, etc

 

[Crackle]

Not quite as good as the bloodhound that joined in the passing Marathon and got his own finishers medal but quite good.

 

[ColinJ]

Not quite as good as the bloodhound that joined in the passing Marathon and got his own finishers medal but quite good.

Pah, what about the 1,700 km run by stray dog Xiaosa!

 

[Crackle]

Pah, what about the 1,700 km run by stray dog Xiaosa!

it didn't get a medal though.

 

[fimm]

She didn't do a triathlon. She did the bike leg of a triathlon. Or to put it another way, she cycled 18 miles, 13 of which were in the company of some triathletes.

 

[JoshM]

She didn't do a triathlon. She did the bike leg of a triathlon. Or to put it another way, she cycled 18 miles, 13 of which were in the company of some triathletes.

That was what I thought. I'm sure it was a decent ride by her standard, which by her own admission aren't high, but it is essentially just an 18 mile cycle, covered partly in the company of those racing.

Does make me wonder how many times I could 'accidently' stumble on to tri/du courses and 'race' without paying the entrance fee.... In running circles this is hugely frowned upon, not so much in multi sport events??

 

[fimm]

Does make me wonder how many times I could 'accidently' stumble on to tri/du courses and 'race' without paying the entrance fee.... In running circles this is hugely frowned upon, not so much in multi sport events??

Well, as most small races take place on open roads, there's nothing to stop you (any more than there is anything to stop you riding on the same roads as a sportive/Time Trial/audax is taking place on...) however you would struggle to rack your bike without an entry!

 

[Tin Pot]

She didn't do a triathlon. She did the bike leg of a triathlon. Or to put it another way, she cycled 18 miles, 13 of which were in the company of some triathletes.

"400-metre swim in Marl Pits pool, a 21km bike route through Water and Loveclough and a 5km run"

Pah, call that a triathlon? That's a light training brick.

 

[JoshM]

Well, as most small races take place on open roads, there's nothing to stop you (any more than there is anything to stop you riding on the same roads as a sportive/Time Trial/audax is taking place on...) however you would struggle to rack your bike without an entry!

Hmm, good point well made! Perhaps that's what it is. Especially for the cycle elements, of course the roads are going to be open

 

[DaveReading]

From the article:

"the mum-of-three ended up riding almost 20 miles as she was swept along with 250 riders"

"Despite Alison riding a hybrid second hand bike - which she had haggled down to just £200 - and pedalling considerably slower than the triathletes"

That doesn't make sense, on any level.

 

[ColinJ]

From the article:

"the mum-of-three ended up riding almost 20 miles as she was swept along with 250 riders"

"Despite Alison riding a hybrid second hand bike - which she had haggled down to just £200 - and pedalling considerably slower than the triathletes"

That doesn't make sense, on any level.

But you are forgetting that cycling 'almost 20 miles' is a near-superhuman feat normally only undertaken by elite athletes ...!

 

[DaveReading]

But you are forgetting that cycling 'almost 20 miles' is a near-superhuman feat normally only undertaken by elite athletes ...!

And that the triathletes were kind enough to slow down enough to allow her to keep up with them for those 20 miles ...

 

[Paulus]

And that the triathletes were kind enough to slow down enough to allow her to keep up with them for those 20 miles ...

Of course they were

 

[fimm]

But you are forgetting that cycling 'almost 20 miles' is a near-superhuman feat normally only undertaken by elite athletes ...!

I know you are joking, but this is the attitude that I'm complaining about, that even a sprint triathlon is some EPIC feat of ENDURANCE, when it isn't. My personal opinion is that the marshals thought she was a competitor. A cheap hybrid bike would be totally normal for someone doing their first tri.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Probably a slow news day, so ace reporter Phil Space is once again called into action.