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There have been some great replies on this thread, particularly from tsi, that have made me reconsider whether I could possibly think of myself as an athlete, albeit not a very good one!
I suppose that what stops me thinking of myself as a real athlete are the aches and pains I get in most of my joints in the mornings, but then I realise that most of these have come about as a result of accidents/injuries from the various sports over the years, and I wonder what I would have been like if I had never competed in sports - definitely not better off. The aches and pains vanish when I'm riding. So I'll just content myself with saying that I used to be quite athletic, but am definitely not an athlete as that implies, to me, a level of ability and/or dedication that I never had. |
Originally Posted by Gerryattrick
(Post 17566783)
The aches and pains vanish when I'm riding.
Oh, and you don't stop being an athlete due to injury, so you can still wear that hat. Heal fast! |
I resemble several of the stories posted here. My hand-eye and large muscle physical coordination has always been lousy, and I missed most of the normal child development milestones, such as crawling and walking, by many months. My early elementary school teachers became very concerned about me because I could not sort how to skip or to jump rope. I did learn to play piano pretty well and to type pretty fast and accurately, so at least some of my motor wiring seemed to work. :)
I became a chubby, low-activity preteen who could excel on the chess board or in academic classes, but I was always the last one picked on any sports team. Since I was not good at sports, I developed no interest in them. What completely changed my life was finally being able to balance a bicycle at age 12 (don't laugh). To my parents' complete surprise and delight, I asked them to buy an old Schwinn 2-speed middleweight from one of my classmates, and I began to ride to friends' houses, to nearby stores, or just out for fun. I had finally found MY sport. Six months later I requested and received a low-end Bianchi road bike for Christmas, and I started getting into mechanical work. By the time I started at University, I was a fairly dedicated recreational and transportation cyclist, and I was well on the way to reconfiguring my physique. The two physical high points of my life came the year I turned 22. I completed a 12:18 double century, and the father of one of my boyhood friends came into the bike shop where I worked and finally figured out who I was, after not recognizing me at all -- "oh ... you were that little ROUND kid." Bicycling is still my favorite sport, although I do enjoy walking, jogging, and hiking, as well, and I lift weights to preserve what little upper body strength and bulk I have. Bicycling has also literally saved my life, because I am certain I would be diabetic or a heart attack victim by now if I had kept up my inactive childhood lifestyle. |
No, I'm not an athlete; that just sounds too serious and competitive to me. I just ride for fun and any heath benefits may be a result of that fun.
Yes, I ride lots of double centuries and ride thousands of feet of climbing in the mountains but since it isn't competitive, I don't consider it athletic. Rick / OCRR |
Originally Posted by tsl
(Post 17564188)
Why yes, I do work in a library. Why do you ask? :rolleyes:
I grew up as the proverbial 98-pound weakling. I remain so—well let's make that 170-pound weakling. I still have little stick man arms and the grip strength of an eight-year-old girl. As uncoordinated and gawky as I was weak, I was always the last one picked for teams, and the first one out in things like dodgeball. My aversion to sports grew as I got older. I skipped gym through most of high-school and had to attend summer school to make up gym in order to graduate. Off the bike, I remain gawky and uncoordinated, frequently crashing myself into doorways and furniture. I have pliers in the kitchen to open the ketchup bottle. I brought that background to cycling, along with the damage from 35 years of smoking, 29 years of drug and alcohol abuse, one bum knee, and an arrythmia. Some of you may recall the story of my first bike ride. I rode my shiny new hybrid home from the LBS. I had to stop and rest for five minutes halfway home. I required a two-hour nap once I got there. The distance? 0.67 miles at -1% grade. Yes, two-thirds of a mile (a smidge over a kilometer) ever so slightly downhill. I was exhausted. For a long time I couldn't apply the term “athlete” to myself because of both that and the contestant aspect of the term. Although I used the terms “work-out” and “training” to describe “cycling strictly for the purpose of improving my physical strength and stamina”. I worked hard to become a better cyclist. Harder than I'd ever worked towards anything in my life. (Mainly because of the joy cycling gave—gives—to me.) I worked on strength for climbing hills, stamina so I didn't have to stop and rest every mile, then two, then five, or ten. And I worked on staying on the damned thing, upright, not wobbling and weaving. Most of you know the next part of the story. Twenty-eight months after buying that first bike, I took a 2½ day train ride to Denver, to ride the Front Range with a bunch of people I'd met online. My first mountain was Mt. Evans. http://www.brucew.com/images/bikefor...lake-start.jpg http://www.brucew.com/images/bikefor...s-crop-960.jpg The entire continent is downhill from there. And yet, I couldn't apply “athlete” to myself. It didn't feel right. I'm not a jock. I don't do teams. I still haven't seen the inside of a gym in decades. I throw like a girl. It wasn't until three years later—three years ago now—that I tried out and found it comfortable. I'd long avoided the Highlander Cycle Tour, billed as the Toughest Century in the East for its 11,000 feet of climbing on punchy, Finger Lakes hills. (27% anyone?) On my first entry—where I'd given myself permission to take one of the many cuts—I aced it. Here I am still looking fresh at the 75-mile rest stop. (And yes, that is a middle-aged paunch and man boobs inside the jersey.) http://www.brucew.com/images/rides/2...lander-800.jpg That's when I decided that, yes, maybe I am an athlete. A very rare kind as well. An endurance athlete. Except for a brief spell on Medicaid during rehab 15 years ago, I haven't had any sort of medical insurance since 1991 or 2. Then Obamacare came along. It really strains my budget—I'm going to have to move to a cheaper apartment to continue paying for it—but I'm signed up. As long I have to pay for the thing, I use it. I quickly learned from the horrified expressions of nurses, that a 43 BPM heart rate sitting in the doctor's office is a tad unusual. Since every visit begins with a stethoscope and BP cuff, I begin every visit by reminding them, “Endurance athlete”. Even so, they usually say something like "Jeepers" afterwards. This time of year when my miles are below 40 a week and my average speeds are in the single digits, it's hard to remember that I'm an athlete. Especially when everyone just thinks I'm a crazy person for riding a bike in single digit temps with all the snow. But I'm now a racer. Even if it's 4½ miles to work in the snow at 9 MPH average, I'm racing against the Grim Reaper—a contest I know I'll ultimately lose. But compared to those poor bastards trapped in their cars and heated leather seats, I know that I'm likely to make it quite a bit longer than them. Certainly much longer than I would have, had I stayed the course and skipped cycling. So there you have the final piece. Competition. Since I "train in an exercise or contest involving physical agility, stamina, or strength" I meet all the criteria of the dictionary definition. Aren't you glad you asked? ;) The most important muscle any athlete ever uses in any endeavor is their heart., both physical and emotional. You my friend have a huge one. You are an athlete. Congratulations, and thanks for sharing. |
tsl is someone I look up to, he is a solid, responsible rider and will always happily share his experience with anyone that asks, here. If he replies in a thread with some advice I read carefully and if it applies to my riding, I take it to heart. Agree 100% with road1bike's above reply.
Bill |
To my way of thinking an athlete is determined by the approach they take to their sport. You don't have to be a winner of the genetic lottery and possess the innate physiology to be an elite athlete but you must be willing to do the work to make the most of the ability you do have. I guess you could say it's the difference between exercising and training. Set a realistic but challenging goal and shoot for it.
Personally I was an adult onset athlete. I played the usual sports as a kid but I wasn't particularly talented. I drifted away from sports and with them a healthy lifestyle. When I turned thirty I knew something had to change as I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I quit smoking and drinking and started running. At first for fitness but when my GF at the time dragged me to a 5K I was hooked. Joined a running club and began to train for races. Not really gifted but I trained hard and was a solid upper middle of the pack runner at best. Won an occasional age group award. A big goal for me was to qualify for the Boston Marathon and it took me a few attempts to do it. I took it a step further and got certified as a running coach and a personal trainer because I enjoy training and working with like minded folks. The athletes I admired and enjoyed working with the most were not the most talented but the most dedicated. My kind of people. I got into riding seriously late in the game. I always rode but mostly it was when I was rehabbing from a running injury. That was until I had achillies surgery and fractured a hip. A hip replacement ended my running days. I had to do something so I brought a road bike and sort of applied the same structure to cycling as I did to running, ie intervals, tempo rides and a weekly long ride. I no longer compete but I still train just because I enjoy pushing myself and just riding around aimlessly bores me. I've had a couple of other issues to deal with, cardiac ablation and shoulder surgery, but so far I'm still able to train hard enough to scratch my itch. I still enjoy getting into an impromptu throwdown with a couple of riding buds or a new friend on the road. I don't really know if I qualify as an athlete anymore but I'm just incredibly grateful to be able to swing a leg over the bike and get out there and work. |
Originally Posted by John E
(Post 17567543)
Bicycling has also literally saved my life, because I am certain I would be diabetic or a heart attack victim by now if I had kept up my inactive childhood lifestyle.
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Originally Posted by khutch
(Post 17563900)
To me an athlete is a person who engages in some physical activity either to compete or to maintain/improve their health or simply for the love of it. It is possible to do all three at once, of course! Skill and ability have nothing to do with whether or not one is an athlete although they do determine how successful you will be should you choose to compete. When I was young I was competitive though not highly successful. As I aged I kept up my physical activity by running for its health benefits. And then one day I became wise through rediscovering bicycling and now I ride both for health and for love of the thing. To some extent I compete against myself and once in a while against that person on the trail ahead of me, but mostly I have laid aside competition. I'd rather stop and help someone fix a flat or slow down and let a struggling rider draft me than compete.
I agree with what khutch so eloquently stated, I played hockey most of my life. Now that I am getting older I have gotten back into cycling. I happily ride every day. Not sure if that makes me an athlete or not, but I know its good stress relief and the exercise make me feel good. |
I was always fairly athletic but never accomplished much in my youth. I experienced an abusive family life and anger got me involved in rebellious activities including smoking and drinking. I experienced lots of emotional issues later in life including anxiety. Then I rediscovered sports including first running and then cycling. I also dabbed in triathlons where I turned my weak leg, swimming, into my strongest.
Now it's mostly cycling for all the physical as well as mental outcomes But I do condider myself an athlete for several reasons. One is I've got lots of awards, trophies, and loads of shirts and race results. More importantly it's something I've done most of my life and I probably get in more time on the bike during the year than Eddy Merck or Greg LeMond. |
A person who is very good at several sports or who excels at single sport is an athlete.
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Yesterday I saw the cardiologist and he thinks I'm one.
4 months of needless worry and about a $1,200 lightening of the wallet to find out I have an "athletes heart". Long story. Not the cardiologist's fault. |
I recall that in 2008 as I was undergoing treatment for stage 3 throat cancer, my doctors considered me to be an athlete and attributed my ability to withstand very aggressive treatment to that status.
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Originally Posted by BigAura
(Post 17572075)
A person who is very good at several sports or who excels at single sport is an athlete.
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Originally Posted by Blanchje
(Post 17572755)
A person who works to maximize their potential at any sport is an athlete. Volunteer for Special Olympics sometime. By our definition those kids might not excel at a sport but they sure as heck are athletes.
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Originally Posted by BigAura
(Post 17572075)
A person who is very good at several sports or who excels at single sport is an athlete.
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Originally Posted by BigAura
(Post 17572075)
A person who is very good at several sports or who excels at single sport is an athlete.
Originally Posted by bruce19
(Post 17572897)
I don't think you have to be "very good" at several sports or excel at a single sport to be an athlete. I think it has something to do with a commitment to consistent activity within the realm of sport. It's not the level of accomplishment but the pursuit that gets you there. In my mind sport would not include things like chess or online gaming.
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To me, an Athlete is someone who consistently, and regularly, participates in athletic activity specifically with the intent to get better and to push themselves. Someone who power-walks at the park 3 times a week probably isn't an Athlete. Someone who runs and cycles 3 times a week with a goal to get a little faster or ride/run a little farther might be an athlete. To me it's sort of like "photographer" or "artist". Lots of folks in those categories like to tell other people that they aren't "that". But unless you put the "pro" in front of it, if it's something that you do regularly, strive to improve at, and take seriously; then I think you can call yourself "That".
Interestingly though, I give that definition, and I fit that definition, but I don't call myself an "Athlete". Sometimes folks define it as competing. And I guess that makes sense, too. You're an athlete if you take your skills, abilities, and training; and compete with others using those skills and ability and training. I think if an athlete only defines someone who is really good, or is professional, et al, then it eliminates the need for all of the qualifiers. "Competitive athlete", "Professional athlete", etc. Surely if we're separating those people, then there must be another class of plain old "Athlete"? |
This is starting to remind me of a poem by D.H. Lawrence:
What Is He? A man, of course. -Yes, but what does he do? He lives and is a man. -Oh quite! but he must work. He must have a job of some sort. Why? -Because obviously he's not one of the leisured classes. I don't know. He has lots of leisure. And he makes quite beautiful chairs. -There you are then! He's a cabinet maker. No, no! -Anyhow, a carpenter and joiner. Not at all. -But you said so. What did I say? -That he made chairs, and was a joiner and carpenter. I said he made chairs, but I did not say he was a carpenter. -All right then, he's just an amateur? Perhaps! Would you say a thrush was a professional flautist, or just an amateur? -I'd say it was just a bird. And I say he is just a man. -All right! You always did quibble. |
I used to be an athlete, now just my foot is.
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I certainly don't think of myself as one, though at 40 I realized that I was the jock of the family and the only sibling to own a baseball, bat, glove, basketball, football or soccer ball. Even then, bicycling was my top activity. I tended to do day tours, not racing
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This boils down to physicality as a modus vivendi.
1. Do you train, "just because"? 2. Do you crave the experience of high physical exertion? 2a Are you grumpy when you don't get it? 3. Does physical exertion bubble towards the top of your priority stack? 3a. Tell me this, folks...do you occasionally delay sex to get out for a spin? 4. Do you quietly react with surprise when you arrive at the top of a long staircase totally recovered while your younger colleagues are winded? 5. Are your colleagues baffled that you would purposely seek high heart rates just for the "fun" of it? 5a. Do you understand the Third of the "Three Types of Fun*"? 6. OK, truth...come clean here ragazzi...are you addicted to endorphins? Athleticism=High Physicality * - Three Types Of Fun ? Duct Tape Then Beer |
I think the term athlete depends on the definition one has or uses, and as this thread suggests, can vary somewhat with the eye of the beholder. Except as applied to people on formal sports teams engaged in organized competition (and not always then), it can lead to debates that for me aren't very productive.
It's a conclusion, and as it has positive, if not praiseworthy, connotations, I would not use it to refer to myself. I would prefer to say I'm a cyclist, or a hiker, or whatever; and that I enjoy outdoor sports and try to stay in shape. Others may use the term differently than I do, and that's OK. |
Originally Posted by RomansFiveEight
(Post 17572976)
To me, an Athlete is someone who consistently, and regularly, participates in athletic activity specifically with the intent to get better and to push themselves. Someone who power-walks at the park 3 times a week probably isn't an Athlete. Someone who runs and cycles 3 times a week with a goal to get a little faster or ride/run a little farther might be an athlete. To me it's sort of like "photographer" or "artist". Lots of folks in those categories like to tell other people that they aren't "that". But unless you put the "pro" in front of it, if it's something that you do regularly, strive to improve at, and take seriously; then I think you can call yourself "That".
Sometimes folks define it as competing. And I guess that makes sense, too. You're an athlete if you take your skills, abilities, and training; and compete with others using those skills and ability and training. I think if an athlete only defines someone who is really good, or is professional, et al, then it eliminates the need for all of the qualifiers. "Competitive athlete", "Professional athlete", etc. Surely if we're separating those people, then there must be another class of plain old "Athlete"? |
Interesting responses. Guess the word Athlete is self-defined. For me, I am defined as an athlete so I might as well accept.
It was in spin class that the Master Degree level trainer who was teaching class admonished me like this: "...you are an athlete. Act like it". She wanted me to do all the things that a professional would do for health and happiness. She was right for me and I suspect for a lot others. |
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