Stories: Chicago Tri Club

Reader Survey Results

The survey results are in! Before listing the responses, I want to personally thank all three of you who took the time to respond. From my heart to yours, thanks.

1. Are you at work right now? If yes, for how long have you been poking around on the web? Has it been satisfying?

At the university that for some reason employs me and instructs me all at once. If you can call this work, I am here. Been on the web long enough to check my email and run out of the building, so yes, satisfying in a sadistic sort of way.
Yes. 15 minutes.
Not at work… A blessing, perhaps, since I got to ride and run today in the middle of the day.
Yes. I work out of my home. Well, actually I work inside my home. Well, actually, I call it work. I do not mindlessly surf the web. If I wanted to do something mindless, I would communicate with my daughter. (Hi, dad.)
Yes. 25 minutes. Not so much.
Yes. Today, only a few minutes. Fairly satisfying, as I am slightly hung over.
Yes, 10 minutes, not so far.
Yes. At least two hours. Yes, I learned about splatometers (http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/21358/story.htm).
Of course. Oh, off and on for about an jour. Yes, I caught up on the message boards, read Neil Steinberg’s and Tom Shales’s columns, and got updated on the Straight Dope.
Kind of; laid off ‘til Monday. For the second time in a year. Gosh, great luck, huh? Just got an email from Kristin telling me about your survey, so I am taking it.
Yes, I’m at work. Of course, I’m self-employed so my boss doesn’t get on my case too much. But I definitely spend too much time surfing the web and checking the Tri Club message boards. This is very satisfying because I go to the web to seek out new things, and this is new.
Yes. I only began poking around the web when I received this Spam-esque survey from the club. (I see.)

2. Are we genetically related?

Maybe?
Probably not.
Doubt it.
They tell me yes.
um… No.
Not that I’m aware of. I wish we were, though…
Yes
Don’t think so.
As someone with two anthropology degrees, of course we are.
Don’t think so.
Not that I know of. Highly unlikely beyond the normal “all humans share the basic genetic coding” type of thing.

3. Dad, is that you?

Don’t think I have the qualities of “dad.”
No.
Nope, definitely not.
HOW DID YOU KNOW?!?!?!?
No.
Sorry.
Not unless your mother was Mary Kay Letourneau. (She wasn’t, and isn’t.)
Nope.
I hope it’s ‘cause you can’t see me that you’re asking that.

4. Are you a triathlete? (If no, please skip to question 10.)

Ha ha ha ha—hold on, can’t type because of the laughing, which is more of a workout than I am used to… Sides hurt… (I think that’s a no.)
Yes.
Yes.
YES.
Not yet! My first race is July 13!
No.
I was in a Maine triathlon, but I only swam and ran, so I don’t count that.
Well, duh.
Yep, and a coach.
Yes.
YES.

5a. If yes, would you consider yourself to be a Type A personality?
5b. If so, do you think your answer to question 4 is related to your answer to question 5a?

Yes. Somewhat.
No.
No.
Not Type A at all.
Sometimes, though lately I’ve been a Type B on the couch.
I guess, what does this really mean? Ya.
A minus really. I used to think I was straight A until I started hanging out with so many A plus triathletes.
Yes. Yes.

6. How often do you talk to people about being a triathlete? Are there any social situations in which you always tell? Is being a triathlete important to your sense of self?

Yes. Yes. No. Having goals, working toward them, achieving them and setting new goals (PRs) is important to my sense of self. Right now it just happens to be being a triathlete.
Mostly to people who also train for triathlons and close friends… At least once daily. Being a triathlete (or being active in general) is important to my sense of self.
A lot during the summer, not as much during the winter. I don’t ALWAYS tell. Sometimes I try to avoid telling. I was once at a Cubs game after-party and was drinking water because I had a race in the morning. I was trying to tell people I had to wake up early. WHY? Because I have a race. WHAT KIND OF RACE? A triathlon. REALLY? NOT A REAL ONE! (i.e. an ironman) That pisses me off—that laypeople think ironmans are the real races, like sprints don’t count somehow. I guess it’s important to my sense of self. It provides a sense of accomplishment, and takes up so much time, that it has to be doesn’t it?
I generally talk to people about my goals and training on a daily basis or every other day. I am sure it is quite annoying. Right now, it is pretty important because it takes up most of my supposed free time and I enjoy the time to myself. I also have met a lot of great friends in training.
Not often. Most of my friends already know it, and I don’t like to talk to strangers since that incident in the forest preserve.
Probably everytime we are out, we (my boyfriend Russ and I) talk about training or something related. It is important to my sense of self, since all we do is work out, hang with friends that work out, and eat and sleep.
Looking at my life right now, it is hard to imagine it before triathlons. That’s a bit scary, but true. Five years ago, I was pretty out of shape, and enjoyed sleeping in and going to street festivals in the summer. Now, I enjoy getting up at 6 a.m. even on the weekends so I can get in a good long bike ride. Also, I have so many triathlete friends. Introducing yourself as a triathlete can make you seem really arrogant. I remember meeting someone at a party, before I did triathlons and someone told me that this other woman was a triathlete. I basically thought she was super-human. Now I know better. But I realize the power of the words.
Now that I'm president of the Tri Club it seems to come up all the time! And as a woman triathlete I have to say that vendors, bike mechanics etc, who initially brush me aside seem to take more notice once they understand the power I hold!
I discuss whenever anyone thinks I am a sensible person. After I tell, they no longer think that. My bos still thinks I am lying to him about swimming across the San Francisco Bay at the Escape. It’s more important for me to stay in shape to stay healthy, rather than improve my sense of self.

7. How do you go to the bathroom before the race? During the race?

Porta Potty. During the swim. So far I haven’t had to go during the transition, bike, or run.
Ummmm…. Port-a-potty. Don’t go during the race; sweat it all out.
The lovely port-o-potties. Never gone during a race, but I guess you could during transition time. I’m still trying to figure out how to stay hydrated and NOT have to go. And surprisingly, the urge to go does not make me run faster!
If you find out, let me know!
By taking advantage of the male ability to pee standing up. Porto-potty, or nearby tree. During the race, I will usually hit a porto-potty, though at the Disney marathon I did mark a lot of bushes. No, I do not pee in my wetsuit, and I refuse to follow the pro trick of peeing on the bike while standing on the pedals. Hence the “no drafting” rules…
The portopotties, in the water (at least I am honest!). Usually I have released myself before getting in and other than that, I don’t have to go during a race.
OFTEN before a race. I always bring Kleenex with me so I can go in the porta-potty many times. So far, even in a 1/2 ironman, I have never had to go during a race. By the way, you should talk to my husband. We recently went to a presentation by Robbie Ventura of the US postal team and he got the complete technique for on-the-bike peeing. He’s been practicing! Unfortunately, Robbie said it doesn’t work for us gals.
I always poop before a race. During my last race, I was attacked by a swarm of mosquitos while going pee on the bike segment. Picture this: I am standing next to the road with my back to the road, front of bike shorts hiked down enough to go pee, right hand occupied with “aiming issues,” left hand swatting at mosquitos, all the while shuffling feet back and forth to avoid them. All this was done while trying not to break my stream, lest I need to restart it. After all, I’m on the clock.
I hope you are noticing the various spellings of port-o-potty used by our club members! Creative!

8. If you could exchange one of the three events of the triathlon for some other activity, what would you do?

Swimming for rollerblading, rowing, rock climb, or rotating the tires on my car.
Kayaking instead of swimming.
Athletic: Eliptical Precor machine (for running). Non-athletic: speed talking (running off at the mouth)
Swimming for roller skating. NOT rollerblading, I’m talking roller-rink skating.
Strip trivia.
Volleyball.
I think they should issue everyone the same basic bike. I like the idea of it being a more pure competition. How fast you are through the water (preferably without a wetsuit), how fast on a bike, and how fast on your own feet across the land. It disappoints me that the longest leg can be so improved by money.
Power suntanning.

9. How many race t-shirts do you have? What do you do with them? Which race consistently has the best t-shirt?

Over 50. For the ones that suck or are really old, I cut them up into rags. There isn’t a race that I’ve done more than three times. I like finding new races.
At least 50, keep them all and wear them occasionally with jeans/shorts (not when working out, though). I like the long-sleeved shirts. Cross-Country Challenge has a nice shirt, Fleet Feet Women’s Festival is nice, too. Not sure about the tris yet as I’m doing my first one this weekend.
About 10. I found an ad that will make them into a quilt, so I’m saving them for that.
Lots of running races—maybe 35. No tri-shirts. My indoor tri shirt is my favorite so far.
Way, way, way too many. They hang silently in the closet. One of these days I am going to send them to be made into a quilt. Any race that has something other than a white shirt is best.
Can’t even count them, but I never wear them, since I sweat in the cotton shirts. They just sit in the closet. The only race I seem to do consistently is Chicago, but the shirt isn’t great. The best one was last year’s Tri-Shark and especially the water bottle.
I'm not going to my closet and counting. Last year I started cutting up the ones I never wear and using them to clean my bike, or any other situation I'd use a handkerchief. The only good race t-shirts are non-cotton ones, which is basically the Lakefront 10 (not a tri) and a few others. 2 years ago at Twin Lakes they gave away towels, which was a great idea, although half the competitors used them on race day which made finding their bike more difficult. Design-wise Memphis in May has a great t-shirt art and it's good enough that they give you a poster of similar artwork also.

10. If you are not a triathlete, but met one and started to make a little joke about how heh heh your triathlons consist of ___, ___, and ___, what would those three things be?

Triathlon in the sense of the race, or in the sense of “my little triathlon,” of which I can now talk about at snooty gatherings? Maybe both—a triathlon consists of masochists, the mentally disturbed, and the top .5% of the country who are not satisfied with ingesting too many fast food calories and sitting in the office all day. My little triathlon consists of good humor, a does of competition, and the ability to find a loophole into the fourth dimension, which turns the day into 30, rather than 24, hours.
Well, the lame-o comments I usually get are “I only run when being chased!” or “I’d rather sleep in on the weekends” or “Are you insane?” I think those couch potatoes would choose something like beer drinking, scarfing down hot dogs, and farting. Or maybe eating, drinking, and sleeping, since that is what they do every day.
Reenact true unsolved American murder mysteries from long ago, play fetch with my bulimic cat Grant and my anorexic cat Sherman, and ride horses non-competitively while checking the fit of my helmet frequently.
Best line I’ve heard about this (at said Cubs party): The next morning, the guy had to get out of bed and crawl to the couch, open beer, and watch the game.
My own best events are sleeping, resting, and watching television.
Digging a pond, swatting mosquitos, and catching frogs (for the pond and to control the mosquitos). (This is my mother.)
Eating, burping, and crapping.
Scratching my privates, burping, and farting.

Do we have a love connection here? It seems like these two are a match made in heaven!

Alix Weisfeld is a world-renowned triathlete who has won Ironmans on three continents--no, wait, that is someone else's life. She
enjoys baking, talking to her grandmother, and Latin declensions. You can contact her at alix@triathlete.com. No cranks, please.