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Dreaded Questions...

Friday, 22 April 2016 00:10

By Lisa Dolbear (ironman.com)

Oh, October. That wonderful time of the year when most triathletes begin the off season and take some time to rest and do something other than swim, bike or run. Chances are, your arms and legs aren’t the only things that are tired—if you’ve been on the multisport scene for any length of time, you’re also likely tired of hearing the peanut gallery chime in with some of these common questions and declarations. Here's how to respond. Just remember to be nice.

1. "All you ever do is work out, don't you have a life?"
Why yes, I do. Nothing makes me MORE alive than bringing back childhood through swimming, biking and running while enhancing them with the competitive spirit....

2. "I could do a tri, I just don't have the time."
News flash: We don't have the time either, but we've found a way to carve it out of our busy lives because that's what you do when you commit to something important to you. Thirty-five year old mother of two, part-time MBA student, community volunteer, fitness instructor and full-time marketing professional Darcy DiBiase is no stranger to busy schedules. She’s also no stranger to triathlon. "I learned how to own my world at 5:30 a.m., and use the time before everyone else’s day started to do things for myself," the three-time Iron Girl finisher says. "And time is only one of the resources I needed to be successful—I’ve also found the right people along the way to keep me motivated and committed to my goals."

3. "My cousin/sister/friend did an IRONMAN in an hour."

Using the term "IRONMAN" to describe any length of triathlon race is like using the term "PhD" to describe any level of education. A lot of time, preparation, sacrifice and passion goes into racing 140.6 miles and it's annoying to hear people boil it all down to the equivalent of a fun run. READ MORE