My wife is wonderfully supportive. Sometimes, she even slows down while running so I can keep up with her. :D

In my extended family, views range from enthusiastic support to indifference to mild disapproval. Since I don't see those people every day, I just try to limit tri talk around those who aren't interested and not let training interfere too much with the bigger family events.

I don't think it's uncommon for families to not be on board 100% with your goals, especially if you are training & racing significant amounts of time. Lots of people will try to schedule their time so that there is minimal disruption of family life (like foregoing other hobbies, training very early in the morning, racing close to home and less frequently), which is a good idea if you can swing it. Basically, make sure you are balancing your life so that tri doesn't seem to be something that takes away from your attention to your family. Be up front with your loved ones about what you are doing and get their input to see what type of balance you can strike. Realize that striking a balance might mean delaying that ironman for a few seasons in favor of shorter stuff.

Some people, even people very close to you, just aren't going to be very interested in tri. That's valid--the sport isn't for everybody, and even spectating can be boring if you aren't into it. If you communicate to those people that you sincerely respect their view, even if you disagree with it, there's a better chance that they might respect your choices.

My wife is very supportive because she sees the positive benefits of triathlon for me outside of the sport. I'm generally happier and more relaxed when I'm working out regularly and I'm certainly in better shape to chase our 2 year old around.

My extended family situation is a little odd. Both of my parents are very supportive, in part because they are both active competitors as well. I'm doing a tri in June with my mother and my father is shooting to do well in his age group at the USAC champs this year. I race MTB's with my brother in Law a couple times a year as well.

I'm lucky that so many of the people around me are also outdoor/endurance sports types, as well. That certainly makes for a supportive environment. The people around that don't understand, are supportive, but have serious doubts about my intelligence and sanity when I describe some of the events I've raced.

But in the end it's most important that I have the support of my wife. And that takes communication, compromise and sacrifice on both our parts. The tris and dus I race are all within a hour or so of home, all sprint distance and spread well apart. I'm able to train 6-8 hours a week, mostly before anyone I know is even awake. And if something comes up I have to be an adult (it's tough sometimes) and skip a workout.

I'm not as fast as I could be, I can't even consider an Ironman right now as much as I desire to, and I've missed more workouts than I would have liked to. But I realize that tri isn't a priority above family and work, so it's OK. And I realize that tri isn;t a short term goal, it's a lifestyle. So I have plenty of time to make up for all the things I can't get to right now.

I have the support of my family, but they all live far away (no wife yet for me) and are too busy to be supportive in an active way. My mom (bless her heart) still basically thinks a marathon and a triathlon are the same. My friends are mildly supportive, but they mostly just think I'm nuts for doing this.

My tri friends (which includes my boy) are of course supportive. My non-tri-focused friends/family are also strong supporters. My brother and his family have made it to my big races. My mom and my dad and my stepmom are some of my biggest fans. And another biggest fan is my best friend -- sometimes it even inspires her to take up walking/jogging to get more fit. And she is awesome. :)