I only hang out with Triathletes :)

No, really. I usually have to explain that they all aren't as long and grueling as Hawaii. Most assume when I say I do them that I do that one. Not even close.... Yet ;)

A relative of mine commenting on the amount of hours I put into training in all seriousness asked - "Are you getting paid for this?"

One lady at work when I was saying my fantasy was to qualify for IM World Chapionships:

"You're not big and strong enough to be an ironman. All the ironmen I know are bigger." I guess she tought it's a bodybuilding thing. It should be pointed out that she's likely about 100lbs over weight and cahin smokes. I doubt she knows any body builders to begin with.

Speaking of odd comments from relatives...Two weeks ago, when I was explaining my Ironman training to my husband's step mom, I got a lecture about how women who exercise too much stop having their periods. This was just after she'd told me about the Kenyan's she saw on the PBS channel and how they run so much they look like stick men.

Hi ppl,

been awhile since i was last active in trifuel.

Yup i get similar comments from non-triatheletes. Like do u get paid..u r nuts....u need to socialize more and not spend time training...

Hahaha i even hv a colleague at work singing to me each time she sees me going for a run or ride in between my working hours..The song which she sings is "Lonely" by Akon. :D
Hahaha kinda cracks me up at times when she does that....

But i guess not everyone can understand why we triathletes do it! Well most impt is our loved ones know why we do it and we beleve in the reason why we want to do it.

So well. Train hard ppl..

P/S: Anyone in Trifuel going to do Iron Korea in August or IM WA Busselton in Dec?

Email me can? eng11116@yahoo.com.sg thinking of doing it and hopefully meet up with some fellow trifuel regulars.

AdriAN

There is another kind of reaction I get to my "war stories" sometimes... awe and inspiration... and then the people start asking me more and more about tris and start run or biking or swimming (or all three) a bit more themselves.

yup, people at work give me comments like, "you ride your motorcycle to work right? - no, my bicycle - oh my, how can you ride that long with out taking a break?"
" you want me to follow you with an umbrella? it's 100 degrees outside!!"
but as kyillee, i have got some great reactions from some folks. I know about 4-5 people who started riding a bike around town and a couple to actually commute short distances after hearing my stories and seen the change (I lost about 50-60 lbs since i started this lifestyle).

Yes, I too find that most people are a bit naive when it comes to understanding the world of triathlon. In a recent case, I was wearing my IMC finisher sweater at a bookstore just this past weekend and the storekeeper asked what I "finish" cause it says "FINISHER" on the back and the distances are written smaller, then told her that the sweater referred to IMC. She had no clue what it was. The first thing that she said was, "Oh, do you do that Hawaii Kona run race?" I started to explain, then the discussion opened up to include people in the store. They had no clue of the distance of IMs and other tris. After explaining it, their mouths were on the floor. It was funny how they acted.

As a newbie, who will not compete in a tri until an olympic distance event in July, who has been running marathons for the last few years I have noticed that , although negative comments are few, almost every one about how "crazy I am" and the "damage I am doing to my knees" comes from a person that does absolutely no exercize and has no real basis for their comments.

Most people react in a very positive way and a few of the people I work with have started running races and living a fitness lifestyle.

I have found that I use the negative comments for motivation and the positive comments usually lead to good conversations about running, swimming, or biking.

When I was home for spring break I told my old babysitter/good friend that I was training for an Ironman. Her response: "You seem way too small to do an ironman...I mean those guys are like 350lbs...but I can't wait to see you on ESPN lifting giant stone pillars!" Obviously she thought that the Ironman was the World Strongman Championships...

I also hate it when people spell triathlon "triathalon" or "triatholon"....just one of my pet peeves.

The most frequent comments I get are from my friends in my ROTC unit. They always give me a hard time because when they go out on weekend nights I'm usually tucked in my bed, getting ready for a morning workout. I also get the all-too-common "you're gonna go sterile" or "look at those sexy shaved legs" when I'm on the bike. They don't make too much fun of me, though, when I beat them by 1.5 minutes on the two-mile run!

I haven´t heard so many negative comments yet.... but a tiny thing that drives me mad is hearing people in the news or in the newspaper... say or wite

Triathlonist!!!
MAN Triathletes it is!!!! You fools! :confused:

I hear from my family that they are proud of me (for sticking with it) - sounds kinda like an insult!? :)

I get to where I dont volunteer the information anymore in social situations.. unless Im around people who just cycle or swim or run (then I push them to TRI all three :)

The real insult is when your wife is way faster and people that know us ask me, " so how did your wife's race go?" So what am I, dog crap? I had to drive my wife to the race, compete myself (admittedly slower) then drive her and her stinkin' awards home.

Rodney Dangerfield suffered!

People are mostly supportive of me, especially the family. Usually I hear comments like "I told my wife/husband about you" or "Ok, what did you do this weekend?" (usually because I'm a sore & walking funny). :rolleyes:

Last week, one of our new employees asked me (with a distasteful expression on her face) why I dress funny and wear that loud jacket (my cycling gear) and did I think it looked good. I said yes, because it kept me from getting hit by cars!!! That shut her up.

But my favorite comment this week was "I rode my bike this weekend and I made a vow to ride it everyday." from someone I've been encouraging to ride for a while. Now if I could just get him to wear a helmet. :(

My university friends dont understand why i want to go to bed at 9pm on friday so i can get up at 5am for my long ride. I find only triathletes understand the reason. so i dont try to explain i just say "you would not understand"
intersesting comments i have gotten

1. your nuts
2. you must love pain
3. my car costs less than your bike!
4. why would you want to do a swim and a bike before a run and why would you want to run anywhere?
5. i guess you dont have a girl friend.