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Douchebaggery & Farts in the Wind....

Friday, 25 January 2019 23:10

Ed. James Lange is a HOOT!

By James Lange (trstriathlon.com)

In October my esteemed colleague and veritable “real journalist” Kelly O’Mara published a thought provoking piece titled “Make the Best Amateur Triathletes Turn Pro.” As title implies, Kelly argues that the best amateurs should be forced to “go Pro” (this echoes a similar theory I have for the adult film industry, but I’ll save that for another time and place).

A logical extension of Kelly’s argument is that those at the tail end of the pro field should be forced to move back into the age group ranks, to “go unpro”. This concerns me greatly, because transitioning from a professional triathlete to an unprofessional triathlete is a complicated process. When an amateur turns pro there are a plethora of resources and people they can turn to, but when a pro turns amateur they are left to drift aimlessly, like a fart in the wind....

And it’s not just the shitty pro triathletes who have to unprofessionalize, as even the best pros are forced to retire at some point. For these top-tier pros the transition is even more jarring, which makes this article so timely: a little over a month removed from Kona, there are undoubtedly some legit Pros who are feeling broken down, disappointed, and down-right dejected after sub-par performances on the island.

Some likely had F races and are ready to say “fuck it” once and for all. Therefore, this article is also for these intrepid souls who have chased the dream, raked in hundreds of dollars in the process (and that’s not even counting handouts from mom and dad), but have now reached the point where they are ready to reintegrate into proper society.  READ MORE