The training is now a habit.
Now that I have done marathons and an IM I don't see them or many things as impossible feats.
I think that anything can be accomplished with the right training, and preparation.
Hopefully I can pass that on to my girls. :D

I agree with that. Since doing my HIM last fall, I have influenced one friend to buy a road bike and at least 2 more to buy mountain bikes. Another one wants to do a HIM with me this year. I love it!

i'm more focused in life, both with work & at home. this "focus" is both time related (ie, training schedule) and as Scott posted accomplishing anything you set your mind too...

Turned into a baby my wife said:

1) eat every 2hrs, mostly liquids,
2) I sleep >8 and get cranky if I have less,
3) wear diaper pants all the time,
4) pee regularly,
4) spit and drool while workingout,
5) require new shoes every 2-3 mo.,
6) drink/eat food from a baby bottle (waterbottle),
7) eat liquids, whey (pablum) after/during workouts,
8) need naps/rests in afternoon if not get cranky,
9) get weighed every 2-3 days, and
10) have a limited vocab., one subject.

So, basically I have become a baby. :D

Triathlon is my prozac. The effect this sport has had on me is tremendous. I'm happy, more balanced, and driven to success in every aspect of my life. Dedicating myself to my goals, working my butt off, and surpassing what I thought I was capable of brings a lot of fulfillment, which carries over into the way I approach everything.

On a different note, after years of a difficult relationship with my father (an ex-cyclist), triathlon was the link that changed everything. Finally having some common ground opened the doors to understanding each other. In a sense, triathlon made me a better daughter.

Some things for better, some for worse.

Worse:
I'm less patient of stupidity -- especially when it gets in the way of my workout (ie work taking longer than it should, dumb drivers, etc)!

I've always been stubborn/a goal setter/not likely to quit/give up. In ways, tris have made this worse as the tri mentality enforces those. Sometimes it's better to move on, and with a tri mentality it can be hard to see the difference in moving on and quitting/giving up. It can also be bad when it comes to minor injuries and making them worse.

Better --
I'm more confident, and will stand up for what I need more than I used to. I like my body more (I'm a girl though so I still don't love it). I've become a positive "hey if she can swim/bike/run that far.... I totally can!" influence in the lives of friends. I also share my stories, and my passion is a bit infectuous.

I've taken a more focused look at nutrition and at regular sleeping (still working on the implementation part of those though ;)).

I also now have something for me. Yes, I have tri buddies, and non-tri buddies. But there is always my bike, or a pool, or my running shoes that will take the attention. I can be with them in a group, or alone, and even a bad workout has it's good parts. They don't care if I'm stressed or grumpy, and help me be in a better mood around those that do care. And they support all my odd habits and random desires (hey, that bike loop hurt... let's do it twice next week!). It's like a relationship where I don't need to change who I am, but do need to always strive to improve who I am -- it's awesome!

Not too much of a change...was running alot before I started doing tri.
I had lost some patience after some tough years but that has come back,although I can't say it's because of tri.
Tri has made it difficult to stay true to myself at times.
I'm and old hippie and sort of laid back. I got caught up in the "More is better and I'll go faster" thing for a very brief time. I self coach and keep it simple...rarely use an HRM and just tri to let things flow...I had to learn to avoid "Paralysis by Analysis"