RunningAHEAD - Topic: Define Athlete (page 4)

JLeonard

Just Happy to Run

posted: 4/22/2009 at 12:50 PM

Quote from girmann on 4/22/2009 at 12:46 PM:

Re Golf: Funny... I would consider Tiger Woods an Athlete. John Daly? Not so much. Maybe we could define "Athlete" as 12% or lower of body fat. (Not that I would pass that test...)

I would say Tiger Woods is an Athlete because of the exercising and dedication he has to that exercising... not be cause of golf itself.

Jason

2010 Goals
• M PR (Current: 6:27:00) • HM PR (Current: 2:13:14) • 5k under 25:00 • 10k under 59:00 • Weekly Milage of ~25 miles

Carl A

posted: 4/22/2009 at 1:24 PM

An athlete is a warrior.

Speed my steps along your path, according to your will.

Doug B

posted: 4/22/2009 at 1:35 PM

it is an interesting question and one that has no clear answer of course. Just because a guy is 325 pounds doesn't mean he isn't an athlete. If he can bench press 500 pounds and block other 325 pound guys then he must be an athlete despite having over 12% body fat. Just because a guy is 140 pounds doesn't mean he isn't an athlete. If he can run a 29:00 10k he must be an athlete despite not being able to bench press more than 140 pounds. I venture a guess that Albert Hainsworth cannot run a 10k in less than an hour. The top 3 finishers (put together) of the Boston marathon could never block Albert Hainsworth. They are all athletes.

Hasher Rick

On On

posted: 4/22/2009 at 5:40 PM

Just curious on this one: You train for your sport, you practice daily, you play offense and defense for the entire game. You could also smoke or drink the entire game. Is it a sport? Chess.

NJ Trail Series NJ Trail Series on Facebook NY NJ Runners Group @rickmcnulty

xor

posted: 4/22/2009 at 6:02 PM

Quote from Carl A on 4/22/2009 at 1:24 PM:

An athlete is a warrior.

Can. You. Dig. Ittttttt.

zoom-zoom

rectumdamnnearkilledem

posted: 4/22/2009 at 6:10 PM

Quote from girmann on 4/22/2009 at 12:46 PM:

Maybe we could define "Athlete" as 12% or lower of body fat. (Not that I would pass that test...)

Nor would any healthy woman...BF that low and I doubt a woman could run. She might start breaking some bones simply walking, though.

Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.

~ Sarah Kay

girmann

Giant Flaming Dork

posted: 4/22/2009 at 6:31 PM

Quote from zoom-zoom on 4/22/2009 at 6:10 PM:

Nor would any healthy woman...BF that low and I doubt a woman could run. She might start breaking some bones simply walking, though.

Okay, ya got me. I just threw that number 12% out at random. What is a healthy BF %age, anyway?

http://xkcd.com/621/

zoom-zoom

rectumdamnnearkilledem

posted: 4/22/2009 at 6:37 PM

Classification Women (% fat) Men (% fat) Essential Fat 10-12% 2-4% Athletes 14-20% 6-13% Fitness 21-24% 14-17% Acceptable 25-31% 18-25% Obese 32% plus 25% plus

Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.

~ Sarah Kay

AA717driver

posted: 4/25/2009 at 8:57 PM
modified: 4/25/2009 at 8:59 PM

So, if I run 25-30 miles per week but don't give a crap about entering a race, I'm not an athlete? Bull. I know tons of mountain bikers and only one who races. They're athletes. Being an "athlete" is like porn. I can't define it, but I know one when I see one. (Apologies to whatever Supreme Court Justice said that...) And, if some doughnut-swilling water-cooler jockey doesn't think I'm an athlete, screw 'em. Angry

TC

"I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead..." J. Buffett There are two rules in life: 1.) Don't sweat the small stuff 2.) It's ALL small stuff

Father Russia

On My Horse

posted: 4/26/2009 at 11:06 AM

Since Track & Field is known to most of the world as "Athletics" I don't know how you can say that a participant in athletics is not an athlete. Not that it matters. Words like these can be interpreted loosely enough that they can go either way, and it isn't like it makes a difference.

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies with in us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

mcrunner

posted: 4/27/2009 at 8:28 PM
modified: 4/27/2009 at 8:29 PM

I know what you mean this guy in one of my classes says that track isn't a sport because it is just running. He plays soccer and he saw us out running in the rain one day and was like, wow you guys do a real tough sport (this was during cross country).

Doug B

posted: 4/29/2009 at 4:44 PM
modified: 4/29/2009 at 4:44 PM

this man has won more major tournaments than 95% of the golfers on the tour.

ArlaHile

Queen of 3rd Place

posted: 4/30/2009 at 1:41 AM

Athlete is thought to have come from an archaic Greek word that means "prize" (athlos). In my mind, the prize can be "wow I'm faster today than I was last year"**. But I have low standards. And yes, I'm a boring academic. Arla **note that "faster" is not a suitable metric for all events, e.g., sex

Ex runner

Purdey

Self anointed title

posted: 4/30/2009 at 3:41 AM

Quote from AmoresPerros on 4/21/2009 at 8:39 PM:

surely ultramarathoners can smoke?

I stopped in the middle of a 50 mile race for a Marlboro Light. I am not an athlete.

AA717driver

posted: 4/30/2009 at 10:27 AM

At least you smoke "Lights". It's a process... Wink

TC

"I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead..." J. Buffett There are two rules in life: 1.) Don't sweat the small stuff 2.) It's ALL small stuff

Define Athlete (Read 916 times)