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Pirate Race Team
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Monique, next year? www.keys100.com
It will be orsum. I'm in, and almost certainly going to win it. I have a secret plan.
Having posted my initial support of the idea on Facebook, having mulled it over I think I want to retract that (for what it's worth). My main reason is that if the association has the potential to put one person off joining the pirates, and doing the Ironman they didn't believe they could do, it's failed in its duty.
As has been expressed more (and less) eloquently already, the Pirates self identification has come from one of two fingers to those who say "you need to do a season of sprints, one of olympics and move up slowly - and you probably can't do it after all".
Having any link between a "Race Team" and the group is a binary thing. Either there's an identifiable link to PSOF or not. As much as I'd like to be part of a more focussed team with a personal view to Kona qualification, I don't think this is something that PSOF should be doing. Somebody else pointed out there are already HUNDREDS of clubs where if Kona is a sensible goal, you'll be more than welcome. Is it worth sacrificing the core integrity of the group to diversify its purpose?
So Gary lets see if i have got this right a group of like minded people from a larger group of peeps are going to get together call themselves a different name and have different kit if thats the case crack on and do it but do it off piste away from here likethe various other splinter groups on facebook then i wouldnt have a problem with it at all good luck Buccaneers Tri Club
So am I making money off COLT as well, or is COLT making money off the Pirates? You've lost me.
I never deliberately set out to make money from the Pirates, I'm really sorry people see it that way. I wrote a book about my triathlon journey, I happened to be a Pirate.
I'm actually quite upset by what's been said about me, maybe I'm just too naïve or stupid. But in true Pirate spirit I'll HTFU.
I'd add that I would only wish such a team well if it goes ahead. My initial view was, "I would love be part of a race team, but I don't want to leave the Pirates". This seemed ideal - but I think the greater good is served by PSOF sticking the course as a friendly, open way to bring people into the sport who would otherwise be too intimidated to start. And lets face it 99% of us on here love the sport - this ragtag bunch that covers front to back of the pack is (IMHO) one of the best grass roots movements I know of, in any sport.
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Personally I think you'd have come in for more criticism if you hadn't mentioned the Pirates in your book Holgs - as you've said they were kind of integral to the story!
Agreed.
Holgs: i havent read your book even though it sits on my bookshelf, but i dont see how you can be accused of making money out of the Pirates just because you wrote a book about your journey to becoming a IM whilst wearing pirate kit.
Sounds like a plan - although it won't be a real club, nor will there be any kit wow it's like 2004 all over again. Cougie - can you make us a CD, suppose it would be a spoitfy playlist now.
I think it would be a shame for us to lose them though. It wouldn't make any difference to me, my racing or my support if we had an 'A team'.
Having sponsored kit is something else though. The annonimity of the yellow snd black bones is a core thing. Whether you're a Kona contender or a firework finisher.... we all wear the same kit, get the same support, enjoy the same friendships. If it's PSOF then dont mess with the kit please. For me it symbolises us intruders, getecrashing Ironman races with a gutsy attitude, and probably not enough training but rocking up anyway! i wouldn't like to see it messed with.
But if some want or need a more focussed group or team that won't affect me. I do it for the fun.
And as for Holgs books, I'm totally in support.
1) It's his journey to Ironman. The book's about him. All the rest is incidental, unless he signed a PSOF contract when he joined?! To criticise that is to veer way too far into "taking it too seriously" in my opinion. Now if the book had been "The Pirate Ship of Fools guide to racing Ironman" maybe it would be a different story.
2) How many people have we had arrive on the forums having read them? He's given way more to the Pirates than he's taken away. But I don't suppose anyone will be putting him a cheque in the mail to pay him for services rendered boosting the brand image.
Well said Andy,
I'm intrigued, tell me more, obviously not on here we don't want anyone nicking the idea, doing it quicker and getting sponsorship for it
Andy Holgs , I don't see your book as cashing in, never occurred to me, for what it's worth. In true PIrate tradition my own ultra book is stuck on chapter two due to my sudden retirement on day 5 of the deca which was not how the story was meant to end. And of course the pirates are integral to my story it would not make any sense without, doesn't make a whole lot with to be fair.
WTF has Holgs book got to do with this and the statement that he made money off Pirates or COLT is damn right insulting he got off his arse and wrote a book about his experiences the fact that thry played a significant part in the story is neither here nor there. I am feeling very grumpy about this
Sounds like a terrible idea, quite like Candy's legal threat as best to kill it before it gathers momentum.
I can't really see why faster competitors have to be in a sub team in order to improve? Is there some reason why people can't share advice, motivation etc without setting themselves apart.
OK I'm not a pirate but it's an open forum and having read your threads from the beginning I always thought of your ethos as being as Barley describes.
Pops
The advice is shared and then lost...that's the aim of putting it somewhere - maybe it could go on the PSOF site instead?
I think you are missing the point - people ask advice and that interaction is valuable in itself - it isn't about building a library of knowledge. I mean we could all go and buy a couple of books on training and job done if that was the case. I can't stand it when people say things like try using the search function - of course every question has been asked before - so let's shut the forum then.
Can we just step back for a minute and look at the original post. Have people understood what GF was trying to propose, i've interpreted it one way, seems other have seen it from a different angle.
I think that the idea needs clearer definition, like the kit issue, in the OP no one mentioned kit and that has made up a large number of posts on here.
Ha ha monique, sent you a facebook email message. Just do it!
Folks, don't worry nothing is changing to PSOF - no one is trying to take over your kit, site, ethos, forums, arguements, arm warmers...
I'll go back in my hole and if anything happens with a group of people who already wear the pirate kit then so be it, if there's something it can give back then great but I'll keep the two separate.
Gary, You could always just start a go faster/ qualify for kona thread i would be interested in that as i appear to be stuck in a 11 /12 hour rut and would like some advice /guidance on hiw to break out of it
This. Especially #2. Holgs is probably one of the major pipeline contributors to the PSOF.
Ditto above
Thanks for the messages of support, appreciate it. I just wanted to give people the sense of what a brilliant thing the Pirates are - the support, advice, piss-taking etc...I got a lot from being a shipmate and I wanted to show that. I've made some fantastic friends ( as I'm sure most people that jump on board have ) and if my books attracted people to a) join the pirates or b) do a triathlon then that in my mind was a good thing.
People are entitled to think what they want about me or my books, that's fine.
I'd love to read your book Monique, please get round to finishing it sometime
Good luck Gary with your venture.
The kit stays the same ? It should do. I didn't see Joddly on the kona coverage - maybe because that kit just isn't pirate kit and it doesn't stand out as well as the proper kit.
Everyone gets the benefit of discounts and things ? Well that's no different to being in a bike club or something. Even my work gives me 10% off halfords. I cant see there's a reason to complain.
I don't get the separate name - either we are PSOF or we aren't.
And I don't see Holgs has made any money off the Pirates. Its not like anyone has bought his book specifically because he was a pirate. People bought the book because they were interested in the challenge. His challenge. His story. You'd have more of a claim if you said he made the money off the back of ironman. And if WTC haven't bothered - then neither can the pirates.
Max
Happy to contribute but I'd like something a bit more referenceable, where it wont get lost. Just my ideas...
Cougie - I think the name arguement has been lost..
Dear All. Regardless of quite a bit of heat I really liked this thread. In a very interesting way it shows that the Pirates at the same time are not what you think they are and at the same time exactly what you think.
Whoever thought that an ideal could remain true this long was a bit naive. I like naive though. All Pirates are not the same. I dont even think any of you believe that. The kit is there just to easily spot the individuals for support. It may have been a simple kit but the bright colour is perfect for that.
I do believe that PSOF is way bigger than the sum of its members, current or past. It was so even in its infancy, as any guild or association is. As it grows it becomes unstable. PSOF cannot run on its own. Currently, at a very core level, as whatever it is now, runs on free time from a very small number of people, which I believed are not thanked enough for this. I suppose PSOF could run on second hand kit for a time that with that many members selling their kit but without the Kit Fairy work and financial support, there would be no "corporate" kit.
There are a lot of strong feelings in the community towards things like the corporate kit. Anger at pink coloured tri kits. It is hard to have rules when there are no rules.
You are all individuals, there is no full compromise. Please let me add that Hope's and Barley's posts were beautiful. Amazing in their capability to see beyond their own vision. I picked them up from many others along the same lines because they were very compassionate (Hope) or consistent, tenacious and full of engagement/support (Barley).
I also support Fegan as I honestly believe his intention was never to derail (sink?) the Ship ethos. I also think he made a mistake when he pointed out the books but this was not personal against IronHolgs. It was the wrong thing to say but he used the fact to try and highlight that PSOF currently has marketed itself outside of the forum and the races due to the number of individuals associated and their occasional success. My heartt goes to Andy as he was personally hurt and that was unfair.
In a way, numbers and spotlight have had an effect on the IDEAL. That was to be expected. I also find it funny that at the end of the day, we all wanted to brag we went the distance, but some of us are unhappy that some do it much faster. We may choose to feel classified or not, a personal decision. Myself, I did Lanza in 16.04 toeing the line of undertraining. I feel inspired by late finishers but I am spurred on by the best. It asks me whether I can do more or not.
I've no issue with the speedy 2% clubbing together to get faster, what I worry about is that the leverage for any sponsorship is the access to the 'audience ' of the 98%.
I would do another IM but it wouldn't be fair to the spiders living on my race bike.
Fegan I can certainly see what you were trying to do, and the motivation behind it. In terms of creating a group of people wanting to go that one step further, I'm in, and agree that the forum may not always be the place most suitable for this. So many politics though which I can't be bothered to get involved in, so won't. But please keep me in the loop. Not bothered about free races, freebies as such, but being part of a small crowd wanting to push that little bit more, I'm all for that *goes back to quietly lurking*
I want to wear yellow, race hard, ask stupid questions, drink beer (though preferably not as much before the race, and cheers others. I will always be there at the finish line until 17 hours (or whatever cut off) whether I finish I'm 9 hours or 16!!!
These both go hand in hand, it was chatted about a few years ago putting a sub 10 thread on the forum, a bit like the sub 3 on the other side. this quickly got dismissed as the elite element surfaced and the normal laughing/joking/p*ss taking that make the posts so funny would not be relevant in a post like that, unfortunately, I can't remember a post that started out as serious made it past the first page without losing its original post or descending into farce and chaos.
And then the poster being told to p*ss off to the tripetalk forum if they wanted to be serious, you can't have it both ways.
For once I've found myself in complete agreement with Candy.