16 Signs You’re A Triathlon Addict

Published June 25, 2014 04:49PM

Ironman and USA Triathlon Hall-of-Famer Bob Babbitt shares 16 signs that you’re possibly a little too addicted to swim/bike/run. Can you relate?

You know are a tri addict if:

1. You did Ironman Lake Placid in 2004, and 10 years later you’re still wearing your participant wristband.

2. When there is a fire, hurricane or tornado warning and you have to pack up only your most important keepsakes in case of evacuation, the first things you grab are your bike and your finisher’s medals.

3. When you put your brand-new racing wheels on your bike for the first time, you are so excited you actually start to cry.

4. You realize that you know the names, occupations and favorite post-workout coffee drinks of everyone in your lane at your Masters swim workout, but you don’t know the name of the guy who has been sitting in the cubicle next to you at work for the past five years.

5. A couple that you and your significant other used to hang out with all the time B.T. (“before triathlon”) emails you about putting together a wild weekend trip to Vegas, and your first thought is, “And miss my 100-mile bike ride and 20-mile run? Are you crazy?”

6. As you pump up the volume on your bike miles leading into a long-distance race, you realize that during the previous 30 days you have put more miles on your bike than on your car.

7. You have forgotten the date of your anniversary, but you can recite from memory every swim, bike and run split time from every race for the past 10 years.

8. You have never met any of these people personally, but in conversations with tri buddies you talk about Rinny, Crowie, T.O. and Macca like they have been family friends forever.

9. You set aside time each day to time yourself putting on and taking off your shoes.

10. Your kids are playing in a neighborhood soccer league and you’re the only parent on the sidelines riding a CompuTrainer during the game.

11. You ignore the first rule your parents taught you as a kid, which was to never talk to strangers. If you’re at the airport and you see a stranger with shaved legs or an Ironman luggage tag, that rule goes right out the window.

12. Rather than buy a new riding lawn mower, you buy one of those old-fashioned push mowers because you can now be the king of multitasking since you can mow the lawn and get in a great workout.

13. You pass up on purchasing that really hot Porsche roadster and buy the same minivan your parents owned that you grew up hating. Why? It’s not a minivan; it’s a mobile toy box and what could be better than having two bikes and all of your swim, bike and run gear with you at all times just in case an hour to train happens to become available?

14. You have the option of (A) going to a meeting with a client and possibly making a few thousand dollars or (B) going for a nice run on the beach during the middle of the day and making nothing. Somehow B always wins out.

15. You get a chance to compare your training log to Craig Alexander’s and realize you are doing twice the mileage of the guy who holds the Ironman World Championship course record.

16. You’re at the hospital, your wife is in labor and you are wondering if it’s OK to squeeze in a quick four-miler before becoming a daddy.