# So when do I get to consider myself an athlete? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 22, 2004, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443 "2004-02-22T01:29:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/1 "2004-02-22T01:29:12Z")
What is the definition of athlete? I am now regularly swimming over a mile 3 days a week. I do it with only one 2-3 minute rest at the halfway point, and I finish in 50 minutes. That’s 50 laps, which is 1 mile + 6 laps, since 44 laps is a mile in the Y’s pool. I now have a resting heart rate of 62. Do I qualify? ---
**Author:** ![Omnipresent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@Omnipresent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omnipresent)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/2 "2004-02-22T01:52:39Z")
Sure. You’re just not a Proffesional Athlete. The same way that I’m a musician. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/3 "2004-02-22T03:37:08Z")
Anyone who participates in sports is an athlete. But when you start getting medals or money for it, then you’re an ATHLETE. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/4 "2004-02-22T03:45:19Z")
Similar to what’s been posted already, my take is that you are an athelete when that is primarily what you do. (Paid or unpaid.) Even stars of the high school/college football team are called “student athletes” (no matter how much of a joke that is). ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/5 "2004-02-22T05:05:21Z")
Reminds me of the comic strip I once saw entiled "Zen Golf’. One fat golfer says to another, " It is a sport. Therefore, we are atheletes!" ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/6 "2004-02-22T05:10:56Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > What is the definition of athlete? > > I am now regularly swimming over a mile 3 days a week. I do it with only one 2-3 minute rest at the halfway point, and I finish in 50 minutes. That’s 50 laps, which is 1 mile + 6 laps, since 44 laps is a mile in the Y’s pool. > > I now have a resting heart rate of 62. > > Do I qualify? Yup. If you can perform an athletic task better than 80% of your peer group, then you are an athlete. I’d guess that 50% of Americans couldn’t do 5 laps. But I’ll bet you throw like a girl. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/7 "2004-02-22T11:27:45Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > What is the definition of athlete? > > I am now regularly swimming over a mile 3 days a week. I do it with only one 2-3 minute rest at the halfway point, and I finish in 50 minutes. That’s 50 laps, which is 1 mile + 6 laps, since 44 laps is a mile in the Y’s pool. I hate to break it to you but that’s not actually particularly good. I do half that in half the time - breaststroke - and I am in no wise fit, as those who have attended Londopes can attest. Where I swim - a hospital - there are people who halve my time. The important thing, though, is that we are exercising. Keep it up! ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/8 "2004-02-22T20:08:57Z")
You’re an athlete when other people call you an athlete. And most people won’t call you an athlete until you compete. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/9 "2004-02-22T20:22:25Z")
> [@qts](#): > > I hate to break it to you but that’s not actually particularly good. I do half that in half the time - breaststroke - and I am in no wise fit, as those who have attended Londopes can attest. Where I swim - a hospital - there are people who halve my time. > > The important thing, though, is that we are exercising. Keep it up! It’s not particular good it’s not partciularly bad, infact 50 mins for that disatnce is almost exactly the time I had to swim in order to acheive a gold ‘life-savers’ award (at the time the silver award was the award needed to become a lifeguard) when I was 13 or so. That said this was after doing other excersises for about 60 mins before including a grueling 20 minutes of treading water, also the first 10 or so laps where done fully clothed and you had to do 10 surface dives during the swim. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/10 "2004-02-22T22:52:13Z")
> [@qts](#): > > I hate to break it to you but that’s not actually particularly good. I do half that in half the time - breaststroke - and I am in no wise fit, as those who have attended Londopes can attest. Where I swim - a hospital - there are people who halve my time. > > The important thing, though, is that we are exercising. Keep it up! Now here’s the kicker: I’m a 45 year old woman and I weigh 300 pounds. Now how am I doing? ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/11 "2004-02-22T23:11:19Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > Now here’s the kicker: > > I’m a 45 year old woman and I weigh 300 pounds. > > Now how am I doing? Damn, that’s awesome. Keep doing that and you won’t weigh three hundred pounds for long. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![collinsc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f6c823/32.png) [@collinsc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/collinsc)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/12 "2004-02-23T00:01:09Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > Now here’s the kicker: > > I’m a 45 year old woman and I weigh 300 pounds. > > Now how am I doing? Now? Now you’re doing great. But you’re not an athlete. **ultrafilter** offered that you’re an athlete when people call you one, and I think he is right on. Forgive me if this is insulting, but at 300 pounds, no one will call you athletic. Soon enough, though, you most certainly will be. Keep it up! ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/13 "2004-02-23T01:46:02Z")
> [@collinsc](#): > > Forgive me if this is insulting, but at 300 pounds, no one will call you athletic. Soon enough, though, you most certainly will be. Keep it up! That would be my point. What if I get to doing 50 laps in 25 minutes, and I have a resting heartrate of 55, but I still weigh 300 pounds? Or 275? Are you saying that the mere presence of large amounts of adipose tissue automatically precludes being athletic? Then let me enlighten you. Collinsc, meet[Dave Alexander, Fat Triathlete](http://www.beezodogsplace.com/Pages/Articles/FitandFat/FitandFat.html). His BMI is 40, which is solidly obese. Yet he: > [@](#): > > Finished 276 triathlons in 37 countries in 17 years. > > - Swam 9.6 miles, cycled 448 miles, ran 104.8 miles in a recent super-triathlon in eastern Hungary. His time, he says with perfect recall, was 85 hours, 46 minutes, 38 seconds. That’s an average of 16 triathlons per year. Sounds like a fat athlete to me. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/14 "2004-02-23T03:20:47Z")
Good on you, Stoid and keep it up. Whether or not your workouts cause weightloss, they are bound to be benefitting you. RE: Dave Alexander the fat triathelete. How the hell does he do that? How does he keep weight on when he’s burning that many calories. Also, he must have iron knees. ---
**Author:** ![collinsc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f6c823/32.png) [@collinsc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/collinsc)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/15 "2004-02-23T03:50:22Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > That’s an average of 16 triathlons per year. > > Sounds like a fat athlete to me. > [@Dr. Craig M. Phelps](#): > > “Dave is one in a million,” says Dr. Craig M. Phelps, Alexander’s doctor for 15 years. > > “And I say that statistically,” Phelps adds. “I haven’t known of anyone his size who can do the swimming, the running, the cycling at the ultra-distances Dave competes at.” This guy is some incredible kind of anomaly doing all that work and staying that fat. > [@Stoid](#): > > That would be my point. What if I get to doing 50 laps in 25 minutes, and I have a resting heartrate of 55, but I still weigh 300 pounds? Or 275? Are you saying that the mere presence of large amounts of adipose tissue automatically precludes being athletic? Oh, wait, I get it, strawman. You said you swim “over a mile, 3 days a week”. Come back and ask me if you’re athletic when you can keep up with Mr. Alexander. Good for David Alexander, I am really impressed that he can do what he does. I wonder, though, what would he be capable of if he wasnt disgustingly obese? ---
**Author:** ![SlowMindThinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/16 "2004-02-23T04:21:14Z")
> [@qts](#): > > I hate to break it to you but that’s not actually particularly good. I do half that in half the time - breaststroke - and I am in no wise fit, as those who have attended Londopes can attest. Where I swim - a hospital - there are people who halve my time. > > The important thing, though, is that we are exercising. Keep it up! I think you must be confused, qts. She is claiming to swim over 1.1 miles in 50 minutes. You claim to be swimming about twice as fast, or 2.2 miles in 50 minutes. That would be over 2.6 miles per hour - breaststroke. And then, there are the others who swim twice as fast - that is 5.2 miles per hour! That is a slow jog, and I don’t believe anyone can swim that fast for any distance, if at all. I could look up competitive 1650 times, but I think I’ll BS first. We have friends with an overweight girl on our swim team. She breaks 7 minutes fairly comfortably for a 500 yard swim. Swimming happens to be one of those things that overweight people can do. They’re still athletes. ---
**Author:** ![collinsc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f6c823/32.png) [@collinsc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/collinsc)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/17 "2004-02-23T04:40:35Z")
> [@SlowMindThinking](#): > > Swimming happens to be one of those things that overweight people can do. They’re still athletes. Fat floats. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/18 "2004-02-23T05:44:56Z")
> [@SlowMindThinking](#): > > We have friends with an overweight girl on our swim team. She breaks 7 minutes fairly comfortably for a 500 yard swim. Swimming happens to be one of those things that overweight people can do. They’re still athletes. Evidently! I found some times: [http://www.nycswim.org/tempresults/P2P2003.htm](http://www.nycswim.org/tempresults/P2P2003.htm) My time beats 93 out of 144 (casually) competitive marathon swimmers, including the 3rd place finisher in the 30-39 yar old females age group and all three of the top finishers in my own age group of 40-49, two of whom are younger than me and almost certainly all of whom weigh a great deal less. A huge number of the people I am faster than are younger than me. I imagine swimming in open water has an impact on the time, but it’s hard to say whether it is positive or negative, you’d have to know what the current is doing. I’ve often thought that I could improve my time considerably if I didn’t have to deal with the turns, and swim straight on til morning, so to speak. But given the responses everyone has offered for what makes an athlete, it looks like I qualify! As for you, collinsc, I refer you first to the GQ [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=241192) I started on this topic, regarding the fact that fat is buoyant. The physics of my advantages and disadvantages were something I was wondering about. And the rest of what I have to say to you is in this [pit thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=4571550#post4571550) ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/19 "2004-02-23T05:57:55Z")
> [@AugestWest](#): > > RE: Dave Alexander the fat triathelete. How the hell does he do that? How does he keep weight on when he’s burning that many calories. I think he is an outstanding example of something that not only fat people, but obesity researchers have been saying for years: it just ain’t as simple as it looks, folks. Some people are just overwhelmingly predisposed to fatness, no matter what they do. It’s pretty obvious Alexander is in that group. It is starting to be acknowledged more widely that it is indeed possible to be both fit and fat, and that for some people, what it takes to become and remain thin is so difficult that it’s not reasonable to try. But those same people shouldn’t just give up and live on Doritos, they should focus on eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise, and stop worrying about the numbers on the scale. I was going to launch into some citing and major discussion, but that’s really a completely different thread I’ll get around to one day. But all of this to say…my workout completely turned around when I stopped being invested in how it was affecting my weight and started caring about how it made me feel and what effect it was having on my internal health. (And did I get my affect/effect right?) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2004, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443/20 "2004-02-23T06:25:43Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > I imagine swimming in open water has an impact on the time, but it’s hard to say whether it is positive or negative, you’d have to know what the current is doing. Pretty routinely marathon open water times are ludicrously fast when compared to pool swimming. For instance Susie Maroney swam [112 miles](http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9705/12/australian.swimmer/) from Cuba to Florida in 24 hours. I don’t know why they never seem to be slower, unless they always swim with the prevailing current and never against it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-when-do-i-get-to-consider-myself-an-athlete/230443.md?page=2)