Athletic Intruders: Ethnographic Research on Women, Culture, and Exercise

2. Just “Tri” and “Du” It: The Variable Impact of Female Involvement in the Triathlon/Duathlon Sport Culture

INTRODUCTION Since the late 1970s there has been a significant increase in the number of women participating in athletic activities. The focus of this chapter is on the process by which women become involved in fitness activities, specifically multi-sport participation in triathlons (swim/bike/run events) and duathlons (run/bike events) and the correspondent variable impact that said involvement has upon their lives. While there are a number of common patterns in both the process by which women begin engaging in athletic pursuits and the impact that doing so has on their lives, there are also noteworthy differences in the level, extent, and impact of such participation . In the past I have explored aspects of the socialization process for becoming a triathlete (Granskog 1991) as well as the impact of participation on the lives of selected older women who completed the Hawaiian ultra-distance triathlon (Granskog 1992). The focus of this research was on the commonalities of the athletic experience for such C H A P T E R T W O ‫ﱰﱯ‬ Just “Tri” and “Du” It: The Variable Impact of Female Involvement in the Triathlon/Duathlon Sport Culture JANE GRANSKOG 27 women, with particular attention being placed upon the personal empowerment they attained as a result of their participation. Now I shall focus on the variable nature of this participation and its impact based on an examination of the lives of four selected women who vary in age (from their late twenties to their early fifties at the starting point of this investigation), triathlon experience and capability, and correspondent involvement in the sport culture. Each case will be examined in terms of how each woman has dealt with key issues in her life over an eight-year span (1988 to 1996) and how participation in the triathlete lifestyle has impacted the manner in which those issues were handled. It is argued that the variable nature of participation can be defined in terms of three interactive factors: the degree and type of involvement in the sport culture, specifically as measured by the number and type of races one enters and completes; the nature and strength of one’s athletic support network as reflected in the characteristics of one’s training partners and familial response to participation; and the life stage one is in (twenties, thirties, forties, and beyond) and the impact that this, along with the other factors, has upon one’s definition of self—and, more specifically, on one’s gender role identity and the salience of one’s sport identity. Within the context of these three factors, the degree of involvement and impact of participation also depends on the ebb and flow of one’s life—one’s ongoing assessment of current and future priorities, which, in turn, involves the dynamics of interaction with significant others and perceptions of one’s physical and emotional state of well being at a given point in time. In a number of respects the narratives of the four individuals presented herein are unique. They do not represent the average story of women who decide to incorporate an exercise regimen into their lives and then do so. While they vary in terms of their age, personal background , age at the onset of their athletic participation, and level of competitive performance, they also share a number of characteristics. They all began participating in triathlons between 1983 and 1985. They all come from, and are currently members of, the middle class. Most importantly , they have all taken their level of participation in the multi-sport culture of triathlons to the ultimate level—they have all participated in ultra-distance endurance triathlons and have qualified for and completed the Hawaiian Ironman World Championship Triathlon. They all share a common identity as Ironwomen triathletes. The description and analysis presented herein are based upon my participation and involvement in triathlon and duathlon activities since 1984. As a result of my participation, I have been able to conduct a number of informal interviews with participants at varying levels—from first-timers to professionals—as well as with race directors, organizers, 28 JANE GRANSKOG and volunteers in different parts of the country. Although most of the events I have participated in have been in California, I have raced in ten other states in the Midwest, Southwest, and West from Illinois to Hawaii as well. I have also gathered field notes based on my observations and informal discussions...