Have you ever had another significant sport in your life before running/tri?

I get the feeling that a lot of people here have found tri after bad experiences with sport and very non sporting backgrounds.

Which I think is great, my journey is different to that I've competed in a lot of sports at a fairly good level. Started as a gymnast, then went on to be ok at hockey, trampolining, rock climbing, ski-ing... and some more.

But I'm not really talking about performance in a sport, more the lifestyle of a sport. I remember when I was playing hockey, that consumed the whole weekend playing and then partying. Each sport for me has had a subculture and it's interesting to compare them.

If you come from a non sporting background, how intimidating or not do you find sport and the people involved and social side?

Bet I could down a pint faster than you. 4 seconds.

Golf, still love and hate it. Came to Tri because I just got so frustrated with not playing to my expectations. Both incredibly time consuming sports. Wonder what that says about me 

Crux wrote (see)

Golf, still love and hate it. Came to Tri because I just got so frustrated with not playing to my expectations. Both incredibly time consuming sports. Wonder what that says about me 

You secretely detest your loved ones??

Well, as you asked, and in the interests of cultivating a little controversy, I think many sports people are base primate mentality at best, obsessed with chest beating at anything they can, invariably to the detriment of their fellow man, for whom they have little compassion or respect. It's survival of the fittest and anyone not up to the physical mark is treated with derision and contempt.

Ergo, drinking pint boots after rugby matches at my old college. Great till someone died. Bright thinking lads.

Having said which, my one regret in life is that I didn't "find" sport before 43 years old.

Socially, whilst I enjoy a post ride cheeseburger and a chat, party time is not my thang. Neither are team games and comparing your dicks in the shower afterwards.

Again, having said which, the cameraderie in an event such as Southwater tri, where you each do your own tri, but for a team, is orsum and am proud to be a part of it.

So, having probably pissed off the few people that DO tolerate me from time to time, I'll sit back and dodge the rotten eggs! 

kittenkat wrote (see)

Crux wrote (see)

Golf, still love and hate it. Came to Tri because I just got so frustrated with not playing to my expectations. Both incredibly time consuming sports. Wonder what that says about me 

You secretely detest your loved ones??

lol, it must be very deeply repressed if I do because it was not what sprung in to my mind  Say rather quite an obsessive adictive personality.

Cycling, running and now swimming and xc skiing and possibly tri- all individual sports where you can spend a lot of time on your own potentially.  Also work on my own.  You could say I'm a loner but then it could just be the bad breath b o and flatulence.  Hard to call.

Didn't really do much 'real sport' before. I have flown gliders since 1995 and instructed since 2000. Started running in 2010. Took this year off from flying to concentrate on Outlaw.

Had a break from running and played baseball at a pretty high level for a few years and then returned to running and then learned to swim, the rest is blah, blah, blah

Canoed a lot in my teens, paddled for Wales (home international ... we came 4th), then did the usual 'play a bit of squash and join the gym then not go and waste membership' to get fit stuff all the way through 20s and 30s.  Seriously got into running last year, tri this year.  And now I'm 43 and in many ways wish I'd discovered this years ago.  Although another part of me thinks if I had, I might not have stuck to it.

Ex golf pro and now trying to find something else that can annoy me long term.

Took part in my first "competitive" race aged 8 and grew up running, dabbled in orienteering in my teens/early 20s, switched to distance running and didn't start tri until 20 years ago.

Rugby/weightlifting and any other sport I could have a go at. I'm deffo one of dustboys primal mentalists, chest beating most certainly and proud of it Treating those not as fast or as strong as me with derision MOST CERTAINLY NOT. Thats why I became a coach at both.

Having read about all these people that have been doing sport most of their lives, I feel I should weigh in for the 'other side' that up until a few years ago did no sport whatsoever.  Nothing at school, other than forced PE etc, nothing for the next 20 years....but had a fairly active job that kept me occupied.

Then I did an 8 week residential course for work, in a 5 star hotel, and started running to ensure I didn't eat myself to death.  Couple of years later I did the VLM for charity, which was amazing, and havn't really looked back.  Lots of marathons later, I turned to tri about a year ago (bought a bike etc) and did IMUK last month.

So, do I feel intimidated by the really sporty types at events?  Actually, I feel really flattered to be part of it...in a race there's always masses of amazing athletes ahead of me, but theres also a few behind, so I'm OK with that.  But a someone said earlier, I just wish I'd discovered sport about 20 years ago. 

I think if we can give any 'life lessons' to todays children, it's that education is really important, but the self-belief & confidence that comes with training and succeeding at something is also up there with being a 'rounded' person.

In 1994 I started running then thought triathlon was a good idea, that lasted about 2 months, then I started Tae Kwon Do and ended with 5 National titles and 3rd place in the 1998 World Champs.

Hockey, - was England U18 and development squad for u21...just fell out of love with it and took up rugby when 22.....until the same happend with that at 29 and i started running/cycling.