Tri Like a Girl!

I'll spare you the training update because there's not a lot to update and hey, let's tell jokes instead!

I looked up funny triathlete jokes of the You Know You're A Triathlete When variety to share. Some did not apply, for example, YKYAT when cars follow you too closely and you accuse them of drafting. I know what drafting is but have yet to learn to do it (I'm kind of irrationally worried that the other person and I will both fall off our bikes the first time I try it) and I don't have a car... Others did, however, like YKYAT when you hoard safety pins (yes! I mean, you have to because they don't always come in the race packets!), when you don't know which race t-shirt to wear to training, when you come to work with goggle marks around your eyes, etc.

But I discovered something surprising about my new leisure time activity of 2013. Can you spot the problem in these examples of tri humor? For example: YKYAT When you have more running shirts than your wife has clothes or YKYAT when your legs are smoother than your girlfriend's. Yes, a lot of these little tri jokes assumed the triathlete in question was a man! In all fairness, many were also non-gender specific but absolutely NONE of them assumed the triathlete was a woman.

Interpid researcher and procrastinator (I have this work project I'm avoiding...) that I am, I looked up some figures and according to USA Triathlon, national governing body for Amerian triathlons, 38% of tri participants were women in 2011, up from 27% in 2000. USA Triathlon credits the creation of women-only triathlons for some of the increase in female participation over the past decade. I wasn't brave enough to look up the figures in France because I assume they're way worse. Since I know more about running in La France, I can tell you that pretty much only men run here, I'm always struck by how few women seem to participate in races, and I'm sure it's similar for triathlons. Of the regulars on my own team in France, we run to higher male participation (and to be honest, this was part of why I joined!) but have a good number of women, too, especially in this year's group and we have a record number of new members right now.

So good news, things are improving, but I must add that I recently learned the term 'to get chicked'-- when a guy is passed by a women, he is said to 'get chicked.' While I find this tri slang word pretty eye roll-inducing, I also think ladies of the tri world should be on a mission to chick as many tri dudes as possible, especially the ones who seem like they would actually use this expression.

So all the single (or non-single) ladies, seriously, check out your local tri team for 2013 and make that lady percentage grow by another 10% or more in 10 years! Even if you don't get anyone's phone number, you WILL get an endorphin rush, you'll end up looking super hot and you'll be outnumbered by super fit men with lots of endurance, speed and strength who may or may not care about 'getting chicked...' And when you start training, take back the triathlon humor! Think of your own YKYAT When gender stereotypes but in reverse! Like, YKYAT when you have more running shorts than your boyfriend has useless iPhone apps, ha!