Reddit reviews Slow Fat Triathlete: Live Your Athletic Dreams in the Body You Have Now
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The book she linked to, Jayne Williams' Slow Fat Triathlete is interesting. It's funny how fat liberation activists will draw minute differences between levels of fatness when jockeying for oppression points (the fatter, the more oppressed), but when dealing with limitations on athletic ability all levels of fatness are the same. In other words, if someone as moderately overweight or "fat" as Jayne Williams can be a triathlete then anyone at any level of obesity can be. In this case, fat is fat with no distinctions to be made.
That sort of shifting standard is always evidence of low intellectual rigour or flat out intellectual dishonesty. I mean, maybe there's a way to address the seeming shift in standards but, if there is, fat liberation activists haven't cogently addressed it yet. And given that the shifting standards on whether fat is fat or different levels of fat matter are always self-serving I think this shifting standard is pretty obviously motivated by simple intellectual dishonesty.
ETA: The back matter of Williams' book suggests that she herself is less a fat activist and health-denier and more of a "No matter where you are in your life, it's constructive and healthy to get moving and have fun" motivational-style writer. For what it's worth.
> Any advice for a fellow chubby girl that so badly wants to participate in tris?
I'm a guy and was fairly large when I started triathlon (still large, but getting less so). The best advice I can give you is just go out and sign up for a local sprint and start training for it. You're not going to win that first one, so just focus on being able to finish it and have a good time. Slow is just fine.
Is there a race that's relatively flat? For example, here in the Portland, OR area, there are races out at Blue Lake and the course is so flat and calm - it's great for beginners who are less confident. Hagg Lake, on the other hand is really hilly - so it can be extra challenging when you're not in great shape and just getting started.
In my case, I had been a bike commuter (3 miles each way) and finally did a 5k. Steve, a friend of mine (and Ironman) said, "Zooby, you already bike, and now you run. You should do a triathlon.... anyone can do a triathlon!". After I finished my first sprint and it took more than 2 hours - he said, "time is irrelevant - you are a triathlete!"
I scoffed at the time, but I kept doing 5ks and then one weekend I went and swam* a half mile at the gym on Friday evening, then rode my bike 12 miles Saturday morning, then ran a 5k. I knew I could do the pieces so I signed up for a triathlon. Note: when I say "swam", my swimming was more of a dog-paddle and really slow. I'm still learning how to do a decent crawl stroke for the entire distance.
As for doing it at my weight... just train and do it carefully. "No Pain No Gain" is an idiot's creed. You really have to listen to your body, especially as an older and larger athlete. And you just can't let it bother you - you are what you are and it's not changing fast. Just turn out and do your thing. Everyone else there is doing their thing and nobody's going to give you a hard time for not being a 120 pound triathlon machine. Heck, I suspect a good portion of people at the event have had their own struggles with fitness and understand where you're coming from - if they notice at all, since most people are focused on their own race.
This book was really helpful and inspiring:
http://www.amazon.com/Slow-Fat-Triathlete-Athletic-Dreams/dp/1569244677
Here's a couple of books I'd recommend.
amazon
amazon
You might check out the Minneapolis area for a tri club. I'm certain there is a good one up there. Some clubs have New Triathlete programs that can be really good.