There are times when I don't get the butterflies before a race. But it often means that it's not a key race for me, or that I don't have a challenging goal for it. Other times it just means there is more going on in my life and the race just isn't such a priority. But other races.... oh yeah! Crazy butterflies :)

Oh, and at first, as I got confident in finishing the distances, and hadn't yet moved to other goals and targets for myself, it was harder to get that same crazy excitement, but sometimes easier to enjoy each moment.

Yes the novelty runs out. It is natural and it happens - you just process things without the trepidation of novelty. I used to be unable to sleep the night before a race. Now, I can sleep soundly. I couldn't eat. now I don't have a nervous stomach. I used to dry heave before a race, now I don't. I would overpack and have doubts about what equipment I would need. Now I know what to expect. I don't know that I would call that "letting the fire go out"... it's a bit like saying that a relationship's fire goes out after the first handful of dates. I think it matures and changes. I personally find that liberating because you have the lessons of experience to base goals and build upon and make changes that fit you.

Losing interest in a sport however, that's different, but it happens. I've tried sports that I later went on to abandon because I just didn't enjoy it that much. Tennis, golf, basketball, football... I never got the hang of those sports.

Everyone has their own attachment and feelings about things. Some people are more naturally emotional than others. I'm not that emotional but I do get anxious. I for one, am glad the anxiety portion of the novelty has worn off.

gfd, that's an awesome goal- to run with your daughter. I started taking my kids to local 5k's and letting them do the kids' k, and I just can't wait to train with them to do the runs with them

Fire burn out? What is this of which you speak?

Not in my experience, at least. I started doing triathlons in 1986 at the age of 20. I have competed in tris every one of the 22 years since then (excepting the two summers I was pregnant with each of my kids) and I still love it, maybe even more than I did at the start. I still get nervous before each and every race, because I'm always hoping to do my best. I still get butterflies at the start, still cry when I hear the national anthem, still look at the sun coming up over the lake, river, or ocean with joy that I have the ability to be there doing this. When I look at my race photos, I'm always smiling.

Now I get to see my kids get excited about training and racing too. I get to bike with them or run with them or take them swimming and share the joys of these sports. That gets me even more fired up, for sure.

Still on fire!

I love taking my daughters to kids races. I am hoping the healthy lifestyle rubs off on them.

My first 5k I had butterflies, the same for my first marathon, first tri and first ironman, etc..
I still enjoy doing the events but things change after you accomplish a goal.
I won't get as worked up and anxious before an event since I know how to plan and I also know how to handle it when plans don't work.

Fire going out? That's why there's Trifuel!

I haven't really been nervous before any race yet. I can always sleep. On race morning, I get all kinds of excited. Standing in the transition area, getting my gear together I can feel the adrenaline coming. Standing at the water's edge with the sun barely up, waiting for the horn... I love it. :-)

I've always been a fan of sunrise, though. It just makes me happy.

New flame for me so I hope not! I do get bored once I meet a goal unless I have another. Trick is to up the ante I believe.

I hope not. I have a 4 month old daughter. I want to still being doing this when she is a teenager so I can embarrass her in front of her friends when I am in a tri-suit.

We have a gas stove in the house. When I put the kettle on for tea, which I will do here about 4 o'clock, I turn the knob and the flame erupts and heats the water... If I crank it up I get hot water fast...if I leave it low, it takes longer, but I still get hot water.
Kylie hates it when I get all "...back in the Day" ;) but when I started running in 1970 I had a great flame...I wasn't very good (some would say I'm still not!) but I kept at it and I raced and ran big mileage weeks...I started biking not long after as a way to get to and from X-C practice because my folks wouldn't drive me. (single speed Schwinn) I was on a swim team in the summer and climbed rocks when I could.
I still have a flame for all those things (well...except swimming. I only do that because it gets me to the bike and run). When I was married the first time and we adopted a child the flame was on low but still there for some years. When that life ended, the flame became more intense again. My running and biking flame is on high right now and my climbing flame on low. (it's hard to find "Type B" climbing partners at my age.) Of course none of these flames burns as bright as the one I carry for my Mary Lou.
I think that's life. The flames we feed burn at different intensities at different times in life. High is good. but low is good too...just so long that the flame still burns.

i just signed three of my kids up for a kid's tri in August. I think the perfect response to eye rolling is a race number! Get 'em while their young ; )

my boy did his first tri and cyclocross races last year at age 3...big smiles and satisfaction, although the best part of any races for him are shotbloks in transition...(he's got nutrition down!)

I would, too - except the pina colada flavor - ug! Then again I don't often like good pina coladas... ;)

I always enjoy back in the day stories and Anton's are always worth it.

You already do those..."Back when I was in the Marines" things! ;)

This is an interesting thread, seeing that three of my ultra buddies (guys who've run 10+ ultramarathons) are considering hanging up their running shoes due to ongoing injury.

My conclusion is this: If you decide to live a healthy lifestyle and incorporate endurance training and racing, and do them MODERATELY and SMARTLY with REASONABLE GOALS, then I think you can participate forever.

On the other hand, if you decide to start competing with other people and OVERTRAIN, HAMMER and OVERWHELM you body, your fire is certain to go out.

I remember this mostly from Blade Runner-

'The Light That Burns Twice As Bright, Burns For Half As Long'

I don't buy that for an instant. I come from a long line of bright and long burners. My grandma was still playing piano at an old folks home when she was almost 90, and then driving home to her own house, stopping at the YMCA for her Tai Chi class on the way home. My mom at 67 just got my son into kayaking!

I dunno, man, have you seen those old folks in Chinatown doing Tai Chi early in the morning? That's endurance right there (could just be that I have no patience to move that slow!)

The fire doesn't have to go out unless you chose to give up and put it out. It may burn low embers at time, but the hot coals are there to ignite into flame with the right breath of air. Fire is ageless. Emerson wrote, "society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of its members." I am 65 and have been told in many ways to pack up my gear, douse my fire and go take it easy. I have been told to act my age. But, as it has been said, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?"

My wife still laughs at me this time of the year, getting excited over the year's schedule....She says every year, "You are such a child." What a great compliment; my fire is not hid "under a bushel but put on a candlestick on a hill" perhaps to inspire, ignite others.

As George Bernard Shaw wrote: "Life is no brief candle to me; it is a sort of splendid torch which I’ve got a hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”

I have only been training for triathlons for about 2 years but I hope to be doing them for the rest of my life so I am trying very hard to avoid burnout. I have some people frequently ask me when I am going to do an Ironman or a marathon. I usually tell them that I probably wont do one for at least 3 or 4 more years. A lot of people don't understand why I am not moving up in distance very fast. I don't really feel like explaining my reasoning so I don't. My basic plan is to stick with mostly Olympic and sprint distance at least until I am finished with college. Then move on to longer distance. I want to start seriously getting into Ironman in my late 20's because then I will have several years of experience before I reach my Ironman "prime". After that maybe move on to some ultra running and just do what ever distance triathlons that I want. All of this is tentative of course. Hopefully when I am 90 I will still be out doing triathlons and be the crazy old man that runs every morning.