Am I an Athlete?

[talyen]

Someone, L I think, asked if I identify as an athlete. I think I'm starting to. I do things that athletes do, although I haven't done them for long. I am starting to hang out with athletes, and I feel both comfortable and welcomed. I work hard at working my body, and taking care of it, so that it will perform for me. I am reading about improving my body and the things it can do.

Am I an athlete? Or do I have to wait until I've done more than the two fun 5Ks I've done? (one really shouldn't count: I'd been running 6 weeks in my whole life.) Do I have to actually compete in a duathlon or triathlon before I can say I'm an athlete? What if I run some 5K and 10Ks?

Does running 20+ miles a week, and riding 70+ miles a week, make me an athlete? What does?

Is it something inside me, or something that other people see?

Comments

[the-mad-elf.livejournal.com]

Does running 20+ miles a week, and riding 70+ miles a week, make me an athlete?

I think this makes you athletic. I've always thought the definition of being an athlete is being involved activities (usually organized but not necessarily for some kind of prize) that require to you to perform extensively in a physical fashion. The line gets a little blurry if you are being an athlete for your own sake. You could probably call yourself an athlete for doing all the running and biking you do even if you never compete/participate in an organized event, simply because you are competing only with yourself.

Re:

[cadmarrtizy.livejournal.com]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMzgVshG6CI

Re:

[osythkyvev.livejournal.com]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMzgVshG6CI