by Coach Steve

As we pursue excellence in triathlon events our behavior can become a bit obsessive, especially from the perspective of those who don't participate, but that's what passion for sport is all about. As obsessions go triathlon is not that bad, perhaps a little taxing to family and significant others, but no threat to society as a whole. Consider what we do from the perspective of those not 'addicted' and you should be able to see some humor in it.

"Those who hear not the music think the dancers mad." - Chinese Proverb

“The fans get up and they get out of town.
The arena is empty except for one man,
still driving and striving as fast as he can.
The sun has gone down and the moon has come up,
and long ago somebody left with the cup.
But he's driving, and striving, and hugging the turns,
and thinking of someone for whom he still burns.
No trophy, no flowers, no flashbulbs, no line,
he's haunted by something he cannot define…
In his mind he's still driving-still making the grade…” - "The Distance" by Cake from CD Fashion Nugget

Here are the symptoms:

• Just one more qualifier and you're sure you'll make it to Kona.
• Only one workout a day makes you feel guilty.
• You called in sick not because you're hung over but because the weather was bad over the weekend and you've got to get that long workout in.
• You lie to your friends and family about what you did over the weekend: "I relaxed!"
• You can accurately assess fitness level by volume of laundry.
• You know the exact weather prediction for any given day, when a storm is coming, what the wind speed is—and most important—from which direction it's blowing.
• Your bike(s), wheels, wetsuit, and other miscellaneous tri-gear are worth more than your car.
• A year of entry fees cost more than your car insurance.
• You never sleep-in on weekends.
• You used to eat candy bars and still do, but now they have names that include words like: Power, Balance, Zone, etc.
• Acronyms and numbers like HRM, AT, LT, ATP, OD, 140.6, 70.3 are familiar, and IM does not mean Instant Messenger!
• You know there's still a band aid at the bottom of lane 3.
• The phrases "Swim Meet this Weekend," and "Annual Maintenance Shutdown" stress you out.
• You forgot how to tie shoe laces.
• You know all the kilometer to mile conversions by heart.
• Spending another $1000 on your bike to shave a few seconds off your 40k time is well worth it.
• You plan your race season a year in advance and log on at midnight with your credit card ready.
• You used to make fun of people wearing Lycra, now you think it looks cool. :)
• You look forward to getting older (aging up = less competition)!