Inconceivable!

"You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means." 

You're gonna do what? Why would you do that? Who's making you? How many days will it take? 112 miles on a motorbike?  You'll take a few weeks to recover, right?  How much are you being paid?  Wait, you're paying them? 

While some of my coworkers already knew that I was a triathlete the rest found out last week when I hung my wetsuit off my bike rack to dry it out.  Being that I work in a grown-up version of a boy's locker room, the comments about my aquaman suit began rolling in early and often:  I'll admit that the suit looked comical hanging there, dancing in the breeze; it reminded me of those inflatable dancing men used to draw attention to a store or car dealer. 

"So and so is peeing on your wetsuit," I was told, "wouldn't be the first time," I retorted. 

"Aren't you supposed to hide your costume and change in a phone booth?" "If your calling me a superhero, thanks."  

Once the excitement of my wetsuit died down the real questions about triathlon trickled in.  I am still somewhat of the new guy at work (I've been there for 7 months) and though it wasn't my intention I am glad my suit helped me share a little slice (seems like the whole pie lately) of my life with my coworkers.  Triathlon doesn't define me but there's no question it's a big part of my life and I'm proud of my training and what I've accomplished.

Any long-course triathlete (the pros are being paid, so they don't count) has heard some variation on the questions above.  There are no easy answers but the best one I've got is "why not?"  At first I began doing triathlons because I couldn't.  Now I do triathlons because I can. I race because others don't and many can't.  I TRI because it reminds me that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.  I train because it helps me relieve stress and stay healthy. I train because I'm disciplined and I'm disciplined because I train. I TRI because it gives me something to work towards and because I can always strive to improve.