because it's very expensive and it consumes your whole life if you want to be good at it.

This times 1000000.

Recent tri retiree here, I left for the exact reasons above. I was so focused on not missing a workout that my social life suffered. Whenever I traveled, I was frantically trying to find a pool to use.

Now I am just enjoying training as I want, peppering in MTBing and dog walks as generally fitness gains.

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Alex Arman

Strava

Wondering why it does not having the holding power of some other activities


I think if you look at it are they doing any of the 3 sports anymore, you will find a lot of them in that boat. That is what I see anyway, and it moves around what folks do. And a lot of people just stop racing, but keep training, so all of those things I would consider still part of the lifestyle. People just dont go from doing triathlon for years to the couch, eating bon bons and Doritos, at least not here in CA...


And what other activity do you see having such holding power, bowling, darts, shooting pool??

I got out of it in 1989. I finally came back when I retired. Now I have the time, and more available funds.

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Athlinks / Strava

bingo. triathlon sucks as a hobby because you can't put it to the side and do other stuff.

I kinda feel like triathlon as a sport is a product that you have to do in order for it to be "counted". It just feels like everything in the industry is tied to actual doing the sport, and the lost genre is the "lifestyle" athlete who's just doing some odd swimming, some biking and some odd running when they can.

I see "runners" all the time who probaly haven't raced a run race in 30 years since their HS does, but they run 1/2/3 times a week and they get claimed as a "runner". Whereas I sorta feel like triathlon is also a "measured" sport. It's always about race participant numbers, it's always about X race numbers. It's as if the people who just swim/ride/run don't count anymore.

And I guess it's because half of those "runners" who I speak of probaly also did triathlon but now because they dont do triathlon they don't get counted as triathletes but get marked as a "runner"...same likely can be said for cyclists....Our bike store manager hasn't raced in a few years, he's probaly to the point he doesn't even mind that he isn't racing anymore, hell he hasn't swam or run in a few years now, but he sees himself as a triathlete even if all he does is "cycle".

So I kinda feel like we are such a corporate made up sport that your only a triathlete if you do the sport.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Suspect a big part of the triathlon base just doesn't really care for at least one of the disciplines. So after the bucket list items are checked and the novelty of tri wears off, it's tempting to just focus on the disciplines you were passionate about to start with. I competed actively in tri for ~4 years and loved it, but after awhile I realized I mainly just liked biking and running. Excited about getting back into tri at some point, but likely not until I have more free time (ie I feel like I have time to bike AND swim in any given day)

I read something recently that said if you run your Runner, if you swim you're a swimmer, if you bike you're a biker, but if you run, bike, and swim you are not a triathlete. Strangely that's a true perception.

would agree with this. i got to be a good swimmer, but i never really enjoyed it. just did it because i needed to be good at it. biking and running i actually enjoy, but duathlons are even worse than triathlons.

When I got into the sport in the late '90s I trained with a large group of single, female friends. As my friends starting having kids they left the sport and haven't returned. There are only a handful of people I know in my local community who have been consistently involved with the sport over the last 20 years. I think people go through different phases in life, and triathlon is part of just one of those phases for many people. I now train with a lot of people who are retired, so I guess for a number of people triathlon is either part of the early adulthood or retirement phase.

I am retiring this year after 7 years of racing. I am not FOP, but will finish anywhere from just off the podium up to 20th AG in WTC races (currently 35-39). I am quitting for a variety of reasons:

1) Wife and I both race and want reallocate our leisure dollar. We spent nearly $10K traveling to STG and Boulder Full this year. We would rather cycle and hike in Europe, etc.
2) We also want a family, and trying to fit SBR into that seems exhausting and unnecessary.
3) Lack of swimming improvement. We both would need a few extra minutes in the water to take the next step competitively, and despite various masters groups, lessons, training philosophies, we haven't seen much improvement in the last 3 years.
4) The lack of self-awareness in the triathlon culture has gotten old.

She has decided to try joining a local women's cycling team and do some team racing, and I am going to focus on running. I figure I can run and lift weights with more days off and in half the time that I could do 70.3 training.

I have one more race this month (Waco), so I am hopeful to go out on a high note and move on with life.

This nails it:

After 16 years of doing at least one race per year, I did not compete in a triathlon this year.
I still swim, bike and run, but I also hike, kayak, gravel ride, bike race (cyclocross/road), nordic ski, trail run, SUP.
I do less organized events and now do more "adventure" type activities on the weekends.
I just got tired of dedicating all my time to performing at triathlon.

Call me jaded about social media, but I think the reason people are doing less competitive events you don't have time to stop and post pics of the experience.

Agreed. I wonder about those who don't care as much about being good at it- what keeps them in the sport? To them maybe it is more about the lifestyle than the competition. For myself I enjoy the competition and that's probably my main motivation, but I also enjoy the atmosphere and the accomplishment of completing a race. Maybe the challenge is part of what keeps people hooked?

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"One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time."

1) It's too hard and time consuming to commit enough to it so that you can continue to progress in the sport over time. Heck, doing just one of them is hard enough - do 3, and the logistics alone will kill you, not even the training. Yet we diehards do it, but most of my friends look at my like I'm a freak for trying to juggle the 3.

2) Arthritis and injuries end a lot of running, and hence, triathlon careers, particularly M50+. I'm not quite there yet, but I'll actually be surprised if I can still race Olys at 50 given that I'm becoming gradually hobbled from joint arthritis in my 40s. Sucks, but it is what it is.

A couple of years ago my LBS was trying to put together a "racing team" and wanted both a Cycling and separate Tri team. One of the requirements they stipulated for membership was that you actually had to race. They didn't want people joining the team and only doing group rides. When they approached me to help build the Tri team and gave me that stipulation I almost laughed, and told them that wouldn't be any issue because nobody really "trains for triathlon" if they aren't planning to race.

There are plenty of people that just run, cycle or swim for fitness. But it's rare to find people that do all three just to stay in shape (and those guys are probably lurking on this very site).

There are plenty of people that just run, cycle or swim for fitness. But it's rare to find people that do all three just to stay in shape (and those guys are probably lurking on this very site).

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Yes and I'm guessing a portion of those single fitness sports are "triathletes" turned single sport fitness person. And so that was sorta my point is that the person who now doesnt race but rides 96%, runs 3% and swims 1% of his fitness time isn't an "triathlete" anymore; they are a "cyclist" or they are just a random fitness person. So it's why I said, it's like we are a sport that is marketed for the specific purposes of training for racing only triathlon only.....you aren't a "triathlete" anymore if you don't race and/or dont train as a triathlete, etc. It's a weird dynamic, I dont think that's the case for other endurance sports, as I'd say running is far more recreational/fitness based than "racing".

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

What is the duration in years of people participating in triathloning?

High school last three years for most people. Those going to college spent probably 4-6 years on average in undergrad. Is triathloning participation duration longer or shorter than these time periods?

Triathloning starts after high school or college for the majority of triathletes now probably but would be interesting to have more data based info. For soccer, baseball, football, basketball, and track athletes; probably just the opposite with the majority starting before schools ends and the majority dropping out after school ends.

An average triathlete probably stays in the sport longer than they do in the same work position or even employer. Probably a lot longer.

Factors of lifestyle changes, finances, families, injuries, health, interests, influences from others, goals of journeys or bucket list destinations, and more all play a role in duration of a hobby. As do these factors have on how long of a holding power working in the same position, living in the same location, staying with the same spouse/sigo, maintaining the same friends, and more.

Probably add in the willingness to flex over time with the sport. I'm a much different triathlete and person now, than when starting out a few years ago. Much like probably the majority of posters here too. Less flexible may choose to drop out than change for extended duration. Don't really know, but would think some marketers from races and suppliers would benefit greatly from the knowledge gained in a formal survey.

https://www.palmtreesahead.com/
https://www.palmtreesahead.com/tactical-learning

I found that my life has gotten a lot more balanced once I decided to stagger all of my tri races either in the april-june or the october-november timeframe. This allows me to do quality travels with the family in summer or around Xmas/NY without the hassle of having to find a pool/stationary bike/etc. Now I just bring some running gear and do a run when I can when we travel - and that does the trick. If I had a job that required constant travel, I'd probably not race.

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Next races on the schedule: none at the moment

Well yeah! I just looked at your Strava, 20+ hrs a week? Plus prep time, time on this site, time looking at your data, time researching the latest gear, looking at training plans whatever, Im guessing Tri is essentially a fulltime job for you! You must be young and single :-D

Expensive is all relative. I came to triathlon from sailboat racing. Anything done at a really high level becomes expensive. I have a friend that spent $40,000 on a wake boarding boat. I probably spend less than a lot of golfers.

I think after a few years you run into your limits and at that point you either enjoy the lifestyle and can accept that you won't be a world champion, or you walk away.

I've been in the sport for about 20 years and still enjoy it. I can accept that I'm never going to win a race or qualify for Kona. At this point I'm mostly racing against my former self and losing a lot.

lol, that's probably why I'm so down on triathlon at the moment. it felt like a full time job this year for sure, but I had a goal and managed to barely accomplish it last week (KQ). i felt immense pressure to get that done this year because i don't think i'll get another shot for a very long time. i am married and have 2 boys ages 6 & 8 who's own sporting activities are starting to dominate our lives. safe to say i will never train like that ever again.

I suspect a lot of people get into tri because they want to be able to say they finished an IM or a half. They do that, maybe a half then an IM, or whatever, but they never really develop much love for it. The only thing they ever trained was just the ability to finish one of those courses, they were never really racing.

If every tri I did was a 7 hour half or a 15 hour IM, I'm not sure I would ever be looking forward to another one. I know a handful of people who got into it with that goal, built up to a single Ironman, and never toed another start line, even if they enjoyed it, it was never going to be a lifetime or even years-long thing. Just like that dude in your office who ran that marathon a few years ago. He was all in, did it, then it was over.

Oh wow. Congrats and good luck!! Not sure how you're still married........I have a 7 and 9 yr old, I just started tri and the fresh young age of 48 (49 now) and with the 10+ hrs a week my wife wasn't always happy!

Thanks! Luckily my wife likes to run so she "gets it." but she's also probably more happy than i am that i qualified lol. Good luck with your tri journey!

I raced triathlons seriously in the 90's and 2000's. Since 2010 life got busier with kids, starting a couple businesses, etc so while I still run, bike and swim it is more exercise than training. I love all 3 sports so I don't see dropping any of them. in the 90's I would do over 20 tri's a year, for the past few years only one or two. I am doing a tri this weekend just to keep the 27 year streak of doing at least one tri per year alive :-)

Around my neck of the woods, it seems that the majority of triathletes are aged 50+, sometimes quite a bit ++.

Our local tri club has dwindled quite a bit the past few years, but the regulars who do show up are primarily in the 50-70+ age range.

I keep doing the club Sprint races because I can do so off very little/sporadic training, and still be reasonably good at it.

Have nearly zero desire to Go Long ever again - in large part because I'm not sure I could handle the training necessary anymore.
(he says, having done SOS each of the past 2 years, and likely again next year. I'm a glutton for punishment I guess...)

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float , hammer , and jog

How do you stay in the sport? Who knows, but I agree with everyone stating that it is "all-consuming"...

As such, I have the following ground rules:

1) Stay away from the full-distance IM.
2) Do only 1 "takes up the whole weekend with saturday bike check-in, sunday event" race
3) Do local saturday morning tris where you're done by 12-noon
4) Don't do more than 4 races any given year, space them out at least 1 month apart
5) Don't ever "skip" race distances..work up to each new step
6) Avoid really structured and rigid training plans
7) October is "do whatever you want month"

seems to have worked for me thus far - I am usually on the podiums / near OA podiums in local races, enough to make it fun!

what your goals are definitely factors in as well as what distances? I know many people who do sprints and maybe an Olympic or two and have plenty of time after training to do things. They're not shooting for FOP but doing it for fun. This year I only did a few sprints but did a bunch of gravel bike events as I had a heavy race year last year so needed a breather. up front expenses can be a lot but I've got my triathlon bike and aero wheels and I'm set. Sure, if you do nothing but IM branded events that's expensive but there are cheaper races out there.

well i'm not the most gifted athlete and i'm generally in the bottom 1/3 of the race field but i'm OK with that. For me, this sport is fun and its another way to stay healthy. I had cancer 8 years ago and fell into this sport after I recovered from all the surgeries and chemo. its also something that my kids notice. that said, its also something that if not careful could be the most selfish hobby one can have. I don't play golf (save the random outing with old friends) like some of my friends. they obsess about missing 10 foot putts, I obsess about getting a workout in before a train ride to work. they spend 4-5 hours a day on the weekend on the golf course, i'll bike or run half that. but for me to get better at this game, I need to have a lot more free time. it just doesn't work that way with a full time job with a long commute and family time on the weekends. Ironman was a family vacation and everyone understood. but I cannot dive into this sport the way some can.

I guess it depends what you want out of it. I wont get very good at it. I know my limitations. but I enjoy it and have met some good people along the way. and i'll gladly keep not spending a ton of money on gear that will only marginally help me. back to my golf analogy, my friends have questioned why I would spend $2000 or more to upgrade my bike. I'd say the same reason you get new clubs, you think they'll make you better. when they ask why i'd spend the money to enter a race, same as they would about getting on an expensive course. there's a lot of parallels.

As mentioned above, for most triathletes there's probably at least one of the three sports they dislike. So if they're not racing there's no reason to keep doing it. For me (and I'm guessing the majority) that would be swimming... and as you get older and the joints start aching I'm guessing running starts to go out the door as well.

As a relatively new triathlete (2 seasons) the thing that I hate the most by far is LOGISTICS! Planning for a race that you have to travel to is an absolute nightmare... I swear, the planning stresses me out more than the actual race! We live in downtown Toronto and don't own a car, so to get to any race it involves a car rental (but not just any car... a car big enough to load our TWO bikes), hotel rooms, etc. Then there's making sure you bring the 101 items on your checklist. Then there's worrying about conditions - lake temps, heat and humidity, wind, etc... so many things that can go wrong. Maintenance of the bike adds another layer of stress.. tire pressure, lubrication, assembly/disassembly. Then on top of all that, for a 70.3 or more you've gotta deal with nutrition! I never had to deal with any of this stuff as a marathoner - just show up and run.

These factors all contribute to very real barriers for the average Joe who's either new to the sport or has to balance family obligations. All of this, even before considering the other very prohibitive factor - cost.

Interesting Im one year into the sport, have done one tri, a 70.3 that we had to drive 5+ hrs to and found the actual weekend was great! And I really enjoy the training but the time commitment and I mean the REAL time commitment, all in, is what can be overwhelming at least if you dont have a background in the disciplines and want to do the longer distances. Forget about the $$$s, that's depressing. I feel like I spent a lot and that's considering I am still riding my 20 yr old steel bike

Funny, I'm in the exact same boat - 49, two kids 7 and 9.

My kids both do the splash and dash races and Ironkids runs.

I'm always under trained cos I work out at 8:30-9:00pm after the kids go to sleep. My wife gets frustrated sometimes and sometimes when the kids are ramped up I just skip my workout or adjust.

Being older and having this as a hobby I try to keep it in perspective and not put a burden on the family.

Sean, that was your first Kq? You rocked a 9:15, I would almost assume you’ve kq’d before. I was 5th in our age group, but I wouldn’t have taken the kona spot if you would’ve passed on it. I’ve been there once. And it was bloody expensive! Kona was a 1 time thing for me. Good luck in kona! And start saving money now for that trip!

I've been doing triathlons since 2004. However have had at least 4 or so years where I haven't raced due to injuries etc. I'm now married, and have my first kid on the way at age 40. I'm currently training for a marathon in 2.5 weeks time.

I have been thinking this was going to be my last season of tri (I live in New Zealand so it is moving into summer here), as my wife can get quite resentful of the training and I don't want to be one of those selfish triathletes who always puts themselves first. Was planning to do a half ironman in December, as wife is due in February. I'm going to make a call after my marathon as to how motivated I am as I keep going through stages of being motivated and unmotivated. Last season my two main races, a half and an ironman, were DNFs due to illness and now I seem to have gotten sick again right before my marathon, so it's quite frustrating and even a bit emotionally draining.

I find it quite stressful sometimes to balance everything, as I work in a pretty demanding job (family law and I could be in 10-15 days of hearing time over November and have a 4 day hearing starting Thursday), and I really enjoy spending time with my wife, but at the same time, I like the endorphin rush and the transformation you go through as you are preparing for an event.

I think after my first child is born, I might make an active decision to step away from triathlon for a while, as opposed to it being forced on me by injury. Might just decide to keep active through a mix of activities or do the local park run event. The training has also meant I don't surf anywhere near as much as I used to, as with travel that usually takes up half a day.

Even 10 hours of training a week is quite a big commitment for someone with a busy life. Just not sure triathlon is for me right now. And I just spent a shit load of money on buying a p5 last year only to not complete my two main races.

I find swimming on my lunch break helps me to focus on my work in the afternoon, plus it keeps headaches at bay (I get post concussion headaches if I have too much screen time), so that's something else I might continue to do sporadically.

Yeah it is about perspective. I loved the training and the event itself and I was ramping up for year 2 and then realized there's no way I can repeat what I did last year. As far as longevity in the sport, I do really enjoy it, I will try to continue at it but realize Ill always be a BOP'r and realize this is about fun and health and not getting priorities mixed up

Because Ironman highjacked the sport of triathlon. Triathlon can be a great long term, healthy lifestyle but not so much for IM obsession.

It’s a shame that anything less than a “70.3” is now only for beginners or pussys.

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Geoff from Indy
http://www.tlcendurance.com

Some people see it as a bucket list sport.
Some get pressured by the SO to cut back, not ride outside to get hit by a car and leave them to raise the kids, etc.
Some dump way too much time in and get burnt out.
Some switch jobs and lose the flex schedule.
Some get injured.

If you can find some sort of homeostasis to balance all that (not all at once, but over time) then you have some longevity.
I've switched jobs a few times and had hard work hours, and some flex hours.
Sometimes I was home based, sometimes office based.
You have to roll with the punches and that's not an ability a wide spectrum of people have.

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Ryan
http://www.SetThePaceTriathlon.com
http://www.TriathlonTrainingDaddy.com
I got plans - https://www.trainingpeaks.com/...dotcom#trainingplans

" I am doing a tri this weekend just to keep the 27 year streak of doing at least one tri per year alive :-) "
-----------------------------------
My 37 year streak is alive and well. Great lifestyle which I continue to love.

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

Yes, my first kq. Thanks! I'd only done one full IM previously a couple of years ago and wasn't fast enough then to even think about kona at the time. I'm planning on kona being a one time thing for me as well, victory lap so to speak.

You had a nice race as well, I was worried about you running me down when I got splits almost halfway through the run. What happened with you? I was cruising along until I started to get a cramp in my hamstring almost 20 miles in, then lost a lot of time the rest of the way as it kept cramping over and over again. Went from 2nd to 4th in the last 2 miles, ugh. Then got lucky with the rolldown. I guess that's just IM though.

I disagree, those are either bucket list or big opportunities to travel. my family loves ironman events. that said, i'll be focusing on local races that are smaller. something nice about being able to enjoy the race environment and get home in time for lunch.

The cost of racing is doing me in. But thankfully, my local tri club puts on 10 races a year for free that are timed with post race food. All for $75 a year. That's the only thing keeping me going. No stress of signing up early a year in advance to get a deal. If you are healthy, show up and race. If not, volunteer and cheer. It's the social aspect that matters

Same with our family. The Ironman's I've done have all been race/family vacations. Been to Europe the past few years to race and brought the kids (teenagers) It's really a great experience for them. They still talk about a restaurant they went to in Zurich for dinner.
Out of all the places we've been my wife's favorite is still Lake Placid. Which we never would have gone to, in the summer, if I wasn't racing.

I'm going on 23 years. Started with sprints, moved to oly, then 1/2 then full. I'm late 40's and still really like the long distance and plan to keep up with it as long as I can.

Although it is nice to jump into a sprint every so often and be home by 10am.

i'm 48, have 12&8 year old boys, with a litany of activities. long workouts during the weekend became a big challenge at home so no more full distance for a while. which is fine. i'm planning on having 2 x 70.3 to bookend my season around some local and smaller races. any opportunity I have to make a race work around family fun works out well too. my kids have done Ironkids and local kids tris. my boys are going to do a turkey trot with me this year again as well. that's more fun than a PR for me. I've done things like getting my run in at a little league game, despite my son being embarrassed about it, which is certainly less embarrassing than the drunken moms (especially the one that got thrown out of the game). unless you're a pro, its a hobby. to excel, it requires a lot of time and dedication which comes at the expense of family time.

we've been to Tremblant twice. everyone loves it. my kids want to go back. my wife would as well. but i'm at a point that i'd rather wait another 3-4 years for my kids to be 12/16 and go to Europe and do something like Barcelona, Nice, Zurich, etc. like you said, its an opportunity to give them an experience as well.

We first took the kids when they were 10 & 11. Raced in Zurich then went to London for a couple of days. Definitely a bit of challenge at that age. Not too much into sightseeing at that age. My 11 yr old said.. Another church. How many of these are we going to see, they all look the same.

Went to Copenhagen & Rome 2 years later, was like night and day. Much more enjoyable for them and us.

This past summer they were 15/16 and we were able to let them walk around by themselves a bit when we were in Frankfurt and Paris. Not to far from us but enough where we could be shopping in one store and they could be in another and didn't have to be constantly looking for them. Plus they appreciate the sights and culture more than when they were little. I think it's been a great experience for them.

I feel sorry for triathlon.

:(

Since I hail from a developing country, down here it's the $$$ that gets in the way of tri as a lifestyle, in my opinion. When I was a junior, my family wasn't well off, but I had the luck of being a Physical Education student at the time and could use the facilities at my school to train - oh, and no Cervelos or Canyons for me, a regular local brand would have to do the trick. Now factor in the nightmare of going to races (money and logistics-wise) and you had a recipe for disaster. Of course, none of this applied if you were one of the few lucky rich kids who did triathlon, but anyway, it was so hard financially that I stayed for 3 years in the sport and had to quit it for something more sustainable. No wonder the best athletes in Tri come from developed countries - the same applies to golf and any other "rich kid" sport.

Now I'm 15 years older and finally got well off enough to be able to return to triathlon. And I realised that once you're past Junior category in the sport, there's still another hurdle for it to become a sustainable lifestyle, the already mentioned Ironman™ fetish that seems to take hold of the sport. Some may deny it, but yes, it feels like sprints and olys are for n00bs or people who haven't grown a pair yet. You read a book on triathlon training (f.e. the excellent Triathlete Training Bible) and there's a palpable sensation that it doesn't dedicate the same attention to shorter distances as it does to longer ones. You watch videos from GTN or (ugh)Triathlon Taren and they gloss over shorter distances, since it is for beginners. And finally, you see that the media coverage of long distance events is absolutely disproportionate in relation to the number of participants, the accessibility to and sustainability of this kind of sport. I understand that the sport was born as a long distance one, but come on, it's time we admit that IM events are not and cannot become a minimally widespread lifestyle, or else triathlon might end up like modern pentathlon.

I did tris for some 15 yrs last one was in 2004. Price went very much up, I changed jobs that didn't allow me to train nearly as much, then family with 2 kids and last but not least, I simply lost motivation as there was noting else that attracted me to it. My social life was very good with triathletes and the club but the races lost appeal. Kona was good 45 min away for me, I have been to Boston and setting new PRs by a minute or two or half meant nothing to me. I run and ride now and then but just for fun of it, no timing, HR, wats etc. I still know few people from back in the days who are still racing, still chasing some elusive slots or PRs in a new age group. Nah, I have moved on. I didn't care about being good at it, however that is defined, just enjoyed the whole thing and improvement came on its own. I was FOP and MOP and it was all good and fun.

A 36-year streak for me. I've thought many times of returning solely to running, which I focused on before tris, but I figure I would burn myself out. I haven't done an IM in a decade and the number of tris I do each year is gradually declining, but I still love a long training day.

To celebrate Kona, which I last raced in 2000, my volume goal for this week is to total IM race distance, but swimming 6000 yards because the IM swim is too short. ;) A fun goal that doesn't require an entry fee, a super bike or travel expenses.

I have been at it for 7 years. I'm 28 and I just passed the bar. However, I'm really worrying right now about my future in this sport. It's something that has been a staple in my life for a long time, but I'm scared that to become a good attorney, I am going to have to sacrifice a lot of my training time early in my career.

I don't know if this is when I should continue or just drop it all.

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

I'm assuming you'll have a heavy load and or stressed. Getting out on the bike or hour lunch run a day or a weekly masters session could be the perfect remedy. I think that's the one thing to keep in mind. You don't have to do the sport only with a FOP viewpoint. You can simply use this sport as a total stress reliever, and if so as long as you change your goal/mindset you'll have a ton of fun with. It's when people like your situation stress over trying to do 2 things really well, and one suffers but they don't then change their viewpoint that they start hating it. But if your a person that cant just "enjoy" it, then yeah put the bike away for 10 years and come back at a later date.

So in your case, sacrifice training, but just change your viewpoint/goals and you'll have receive as much satisfaction as you did when you were all in. Because then you'll likely be a kick ass fit attorney that uses triathlon in the right prospective for your current career focus years.

ETA: Now of course that's hard as hell to do, it's sorta an "ego check" that I think some people simply don't want to handle. Going from FOP, train all you want to limited hours and thus limited results, that can be hard to handle for some people. But I also think it's a mindset of being process oriented versus results based.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Nope, I live in Brazil, and New Zealand is a developed country. ;)

Unless you have goal to become a pro, you need to enjoy the training sessions if you are seeking longevity in this sport. And I don't mean the training sessions where a coach is constantly driving you to go faster.

A useful question to ask yourself is - "Would I be swim/bike/running every week if there were no such sport as triathlon?" If the answer is yes, then you have a good chance of making this exercise regime part of your lifestyle regardless of whether there is a competition to aim for. And a lifestyle based around these three disciplines that you enjoy will lead to longevity in the sport and an almost permanent state of fitness.

Having said that, most people want to challenge themselves against others to gauge how they are going. This can help with motivation when the spirit is flagging and the prospect of missing a training session is inviting.

Lastly, the beauty of this sport is that persistence and consistency over the decades will pay off in spades.

I'm at year 33 myself doing triathlons and just can't see myself giving up the streak. Also as an Exercise Physiologist and health club owner, being overweight and lazy isn't being a good role model for my members so I have no choice but to keep going. Sad thing is that I've been through so many training groups of friends over the decades and I'm the only one left standing. A few years back I started mixing in Xterra races and really love going off road. Crashing however at age 57 isn't so fun at times and pretty much par for the course in mtb racing. Maybe the new Road-Optional races will take hold in the states because you have to keep things interesting.

Amen to that.

Train 1 hr/day and rotate through the three such that you have 7 S, 7 B, and 7 R every 3 weeks. Only race local/regional sprints and Oly, e.g. races within say a 4 hr drive.

Further, at the risk of quibbling over semantics, I really do not think "hobby" is the right word for triathlon. It is an endurance sport so let's just call it that. You are a full-fledged attorney now and as such should be quite good with words. A hobby is something like gardening, stamp collecting, woodworking, or restoring old cars or houses; none of these require you to get out of breath for more than a few seconds every once in a while. :)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

Been at it for 5 years here, and this rings pretty true with me. Though I don't really keep pushing harder to beat other people, or my friends, rather to see if I can one up myself, beat my previous times/races.

I do question and think about how how long I will do this for, but for now I genuinely enjoy it. If I was not training for a specific race, or trying to stay in tip top shape, I would still be doing all three disciplines, albeit slower and with much less focus/intensity.

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Tough Times Don't Last, Tough People Do.

My wife did an ironman last October. She trained really hard for it for 9 months, had a great race and experience - and has not been on her bike or near a pool in the 12 months since then - she's run a few times and goes to the gym a couple of times a week.

It just took too much out of her and she's turned off totally from triathlon now. It's a big commitment in terms of time and money - it took over her life for the best part of a year and she grew to resent it.

Last 30 september I raced the 70.3 Cascais, where 5 AG M65-69 and 5 AG M70-74 finished. I mean.. Triathlon is a sport of 40 years! The firsts old fashioned atheletes are arriving.

Main reasons that do people hang-down of competitive triathlon:
- triathlon races are every year more expensive and more and more crowded. So you have to really think about do a race, and you would do it only if you are fit enought to enjoy. Many people swich back from triathlon to other "one sport" (marathon, trails...) or more funnier (swim-run?)...
- when you start you cannot train a lot.. your "life" is not focused in training, you have not such endurance to train many hours... as far as your life is focused in triathlon and you can train more and more hours, many people do that.. and they will improve their performance at the same time... until a peak.. at this peak their performance is not going to increase so easy, they try to train more, to train harder.. normally too much than they can support (it increases the stress their life / family / work, it increases the injury rate, the probability of having an accident), the age also helps.. the older we are, the more time we need to recover... all that means... at some point if we cannot fin an equilibrated state of enjoy sport / time invested (not spent) in training / family / work / recovery ... we will end exhaust, tired, overtrained, injuried, unhappy, frustrated...

In my opinion, in one point we have to step back and decide not to race so much, not to train so much, to find the exact quantity of run, swim and ride we can enjoy, and in this point we will do sport as fun, and we would be finishers with 65 or 70 (if health allow us to do it). If not.. we will swich to other sport or couch-surfing.

I really dont think cost/money is the reason. Triathlon really is not that expensive for a person with a normal academic job, unless they absolutely WANT it to be (read must have a p5x etc). Sure some initial cost etc. but i really dont see that as the problem.

It is 100 % the time consumption! It works fine when you are just a couple and dont have kids, once you have kids, well, i cant seem to see how that would fit together (talking IM distance at least), untill the kids get older.Which is why I guess a lot of people 50+ are into tri, kids have moved out, need something new to use the time on.

Cost/money is one reason. When you are not able to be fit enough.. you are more restrictive to expend so many mony in a sport "only for remember that other are fitter than you, that you are every year worse..."

I don't think in this way, but I have seen many times, people that are tired to expend so many money for races that are every year more and more expensive, and more and more crowded.

One example, in Spain, Triathlon of Vitoria was a middle/full distance which cost between 200-350 EUR (depende on the distance), it was a crowded event, but for 2019 it will be Ironman branded... the price has been doubled! to 600 EUR, with more people. It is more atractive for international athletes of course, it is not all bad... but for many people it was a door closed, and they need to find an alternative. They could pay the price increase, but they simply don't want to pay the double for the same or less (since they don't value the M DOT).

It is complicated, but there are many other sports with same problem: for example Swimmers when they reach the finish of their competitive life and need to swich to "masters" many of them left the sport.... the thing with the triathlon is that is even more complicated and more expensive.

I've been doing tris for about 10 years now, several races every year but never super long. I know that for me, if I committed to a training schedule that is essentially a part-time job, I'd have no desire to do tris so I've always done shorter races.

Aside from being much more susceptible to injury now than I was 10 years ago - the novelty of it has gone. I loved the excitement of the swim not knowing what the conditions would be like - now I just go and do ocean swim races instead. I don't have a tri bike, wet suit or super gifted parents so I'll never be competitive. I don't mind that other people have gifted parents but I never liked the aspect of tri that gives racers an advantage if they have the $$$.

So during my "break" (1 year for now, I'll review again next year) I'm doing a lot of trail running which I'm loving, refocusing on ocean swims again (we are hopefully moving closer to the beach soon), and lots of vigorous sweaty yoga. I still do all three sports but do not have a race as the end goal. It's given me a lot of freedom to "listen" to my body and not stress out when it does break down... For me, the break was due to the injuries but also doing the same same all the time ... I don't think the break will be forever though.

9 years so far, 12 IM's and about 20 halfs.

It has taken over life, but it's taken over a life that had a big hole in it (wife left me, taking the 3 kids so only a part time parent) and it's stopped me doing things even more destructive instead.

I still love it but do feel the end is coming, perhaps 2-3 years. I qualify for KOna legacy this year so will get to the big dance one way or another in that sort of timescale and that, at this point, looks a good way to bow out.

Came into it from doing just running and a bit of vanity pushing weights down the gym; hated the swimming early on, especially open water. I'll leave the sport with a profound love of cycle time trialling (there's a superb Vets scene in the UK, guys racing competitively into their 60s, 70's - even 80s) and open water adventure type swimming so will be able to do those things for themselves not as part of 'getting fit for Ironman'.

It's been expensive, all consuming but rewarding. I hope I do stop at the right time though.

I think triathlon as something to be involved in, as a keen competitor, has become pretty horrible. I started in 2000 and in the UK even then it was a bunch of people having fun with the odd really quick guy or girl in there too. Now nobody seems to have 'fun' doing it. Everyone has a coach, a lot of people I know have their own facebook profile and then a 'first name-last name triathlete' profile too AND a website - seriously, why?

The idea of doing the sport, for fun, has gone - as I see it. It isn't that much fun for me tbh going and competing with egotistical, aggressive people who give you abuse on the bike for doing something they perceive to be wrong. I've done loads but in the last 3 years I have done 2...I don't find myself looking to enter more races either. Sadly.

I know very few people who I would consider to be "proper" triathletes over a long period. By "proper" I mean people who train consistently in all 3 disciplines, and enter multiple triathlons every year. And that's for the reasons above - it's expensive and time-consuming. The people I know who are like that are ones whose lives largely revolve around triathlon - they're either single or have partners/spouses who are also into endurance racing, they're active members of their tri club and they socialise with triathletes. They also either have jobs associated with sport and/or jobs which give them plenty of free time to train.

I know a lot more people who are more like me. People who stay generally pretty fit by doing some combination of swim, bike or run, but who dip in and out of actually racing triathlons. They might easily go a few years between triathlons if they're busy with young kids, work or other life stuff (I'm just back from a 9 year break in triathlons, though did a lot of biking/running in that time and quite a few duathlons as well as bike and run races).

Not sure there is much that triathlon can change to attract people in the second category to race more. Races are always going to be somewhat expensive given the need to accommodate all 3 disciplines, safety marshals, insurance, etc, as well as the need for a wetsuit and a tri bike if you're halfway serious. And it's always going to be pretty time-consuming training for 3 sports, unless you're lucky enough to have done so much swimming as a junior that you can just rock up and be top quartile in a triathlon swim with little to no training. Seems to me that duathlon should be the answer - eliminating the swim cuts down on the training time (and the leg that most triathletes seem to like the least), and also gives much more flexibility on race venues once you don't need a large body of water. But for whatever reasons duathlons just don't seem to attract people, the ones I've done have nearly all been poorly attended and are scraping by, there's no equivalent of the Ironman races that sell out in hours. Seems people would rather moan about how much they struggle with swimming than just enter an event that doesn't involve swimming!

I agree with you in terms of how few do train year-round, year after year.

That said, I'm one of those that does train year-round, and I def do not have my life revolve around triathlon, even if I'm putting up 10+hrs/wk of training. Plus, my spouse/child are pretty much unsupportive of my tri training ("you train more than anyone we know - probably too much!") and aren't into sports at all. I don't race a lot, but at least several times per year - although no IM for me.

I will add that if you're like me, who has completely unremarkable genetics/talent for the sport, just grinding away at it year after year at reasonable volume and intensity (I'll dip to 7-8hrs for the off season; a hour a day is pretty doable), you can get to the FOP (upper 15%) in most races just by dint of hard work. I suspect this is true for most endeavors. You'll still get crushed by the talented guys that work, but you'll def be in the upper group of when taking into consideration a typical field.

The main things I really like about tri that keep me at it year after year with a definite eye toward long-term participation:
- Nonimpact swimming & cycling gives the leg impact from running a break. Not an issue when I was <M35, but a real, def issue now that I'm M40+ with osteoarthritis (unfortunately). When my joints no longer support running (will def happen), I will go aquabike as long as my body permits.
- Variety is good - I like the upper and lower body emphasis
- Racing is fun!

Bingo. Life happens, priorities changes. Not at all unique to triathlon.

You probably already know the answer to this, but unless triathlon is going to pay the bills...

Also, at 28, you could take an 8 year break to establish yourself and your career (while still maybe running?), and come back at 36. 36! 36 isn't old.

objectively, triathlon competition at a high level is very expensive. you came from "sailboat racing," which presumably wasn't the Optimist category. That's "very, very" expensive. Relativity doesn't change objectivity.

I don't think anyone can argue against the "triathlon is expensive" thought (I agree with your first post about the time consuming nature and expense so that isn't directed at you). Are things more expensive? Of course. But the vast majority of hobbies cost less than a triathlete would have to spend to get a damn bike trainer. I see golf used a lot as something that is more expensive. But unless you are traveling to courses monthly, golf will still probably be less expensive to the majority of golfers. Obviously we have people in any sport that want to buy the newest thing which drives the cost up. But to be a hobby golfer you can get a set of clubs for under $600 then golf every weekend at a local club for like $60 and a cart (those figures are for around the Chicago area so maybe cheaper other places).

The other, bigger, issue I think is how time consuming it is to be competitive. I often wonder if I would be ok with being MOP in triathlon. And I am NOT knocking any MOPer out there but as competitive as I am I think I would stop racing triathlon and go strictly to running, which I have thought of doing, since I could still get better at running with less training hours. Hell, this last year for me was the worst racing year I have had and I was still training a lot. But having a 9 month old daughter I often wondered this year if I was being too selfish with my time even though I was doing most of my training outside of our time together.

I am lucky to have a supporting wife and family and the great thing about triathlon is we have traveled to a few places we might not have been to and hopefully will be able to race in Canada next summer. Also the thought of having to travel with a wetsuit, bike, clothes, and everything else sucks big time, even when just driving!

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Twitter - Instagram

This is the story for me too. I did tri's for about 3 years or so, did a bunch of shorter stuff and 2 halves. Never had any desire to do a full. Then I realized I didn't really like swimming, or more accurately, the training for it. So then I did mostly bike racing with a few marathons thrown in. Now I just bike race. I do road, MTB and CX. That said, I see the road racing fading over the next few years too. Interests change...

I keep track of how much I spend (using YNAB), but I dont have the courage to take a look at the reports.
I skip a lot of races because I can't process how much they are charging us.
Not to mention the ridiculous tax we pay if we want to buy bike parts here, the currency rate and the dangerous of being robbed and/or killed at the roads.
Geez, we are f***ed

I race to win or at least podium

But I compete in very non competitive caregories

Aquabike and used to do Clydesdale tri sprints

No age group so as I get older it is tougher to win

When I can’t win anymore I may give it up.

Hobbies of people I know that cost way more than I spend on triathlon. Competitive Salmon fishing, snowmobile racing, sprint car racing, private airplane, motocross, water skiing, equestrian competition, just keeping horses in general.

Any sport that requires traveling is going to rack up expense so it comes down to equipment. A bike is way cheaper than a bass or ski boat and I see a million of those around here.

Well, here in Brazil, if we practice any sport other than football (soccer), we are very f%@#ed indeed.
I avoid racing triathlons in states other than the one I live in, because the costs would be prohibitive. And even here, I mostly do open water and running events, since they are simpler to plan for.
The city I live in has a very nice bike path, so I use it in the early mornings to train in order to avoid the risks of cycling in traffic. Also, my city is very safe, so I really don't think about being robbed of my bike, I'm more worried of being hit by a motor vehicle.
The tax thing is a shame in general, but I really don't have the need to change bike parts or my sports watch very often. I'm in it for the fun, so I see no point in spending a boatload of money on those things.

Agreed. I have no desire to do an Ironman brand race or distance (they also do an oly race where I live) because of the crazy fees they charge and the over the top production of the event... some people love it, but I love smaller races and the community feel of them. I think if most people knew that triathlon didn't mean Ironman, there would be higher participation (and longevity) in the sport. I've been able to keep going through the years because I love the multi-disciplinary aspect of the training but also it doesn't interfere with my life, but at times when it did - I hated and resented it (and so did my loved ones).

as with all things in life - don't stress too much about the hypothetical until you actually start living it...I started an executive full-time MBA program (full 60 credits) last fall and thought I would really have to take a step back...1 year in, work is great, school is great, and i've trained more than ever...i cut out time wasters that I realized I didnt need. And you will too. Cheers to a great 2019 season

First tri in 1991. Still at it now. But I have had times where I took a few years off and trainined primarily for other sports like trail running or trekking. Still continued to train somewhat like a triathlete though no matter what. Returned to racing tris this year after not racing one for 7 years following a really bad IM. You know what? Racing tris is really really fun. Caught the bug again. Did Lavaman - super fun. After following IM Hawaii as a fan for years, biking on Queen Q and being on the big island for a race was a magical experience. I’ll never qualify for Kona, but I still love to follow it and it was totally fun to go play triathlon there. Qualified at Lavaman for age-group nationals. Went and did that race, which for someone with my abilities is as good as I am capable of. Totally cool championship event. It was fun to be around so many super fast talented athletes and avoid last place in my age group showing I belonged. Anyway - even if you step away from triathlon for a period of time, if you come back, you will catch the bug all over again. To quote Bob Babbitt, “Triathlon is the best sport there is.” It is. With that said, huge key I think is to avoid Ironman distance races. Great to do one or two (I did 4) to see if you can do it, but not sustainable as a lifestyle and I think too long to be healthy. And the race itself is pretty awful. But it is hard to avoid IM, because of all the marketing towards IM and desire to have a big accomplishment that IM can provide.

Man, you find inspiration in the most unsuspecting of places.

I've been worrying about giving it up for a month or so. Right now I have a very relaxed job clerking for three judges, but it allows me time to train 20+ hours a week (60 mile round--trip bike commutes are insane). But the anxiety about "giving it up" has recently crept in and started to affect my current build for a late-season race.

After all the comments I've seen here, I feel a ton better about it and "crossing the bridge" when I need to. Whether it's switching to a single sport for a while or just re-assessing my short term goals, I feel better. lol.

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

I did not do triathlons my first 3 years as a lawyer. Focused on learning how to be a lawyer. Worked a LOT of hours because everything took me two times as long. I would recommend you focus on being a lawyer at start of your career.

If someone is spending 20+ hrs a week in training, news flash - it's not a hobby, it's a part-time job. A part-time job that nobody is paying them to do. Hmm - not hard to see why people get sick of it.

I'm retired, and have all the time in the world. I train over 20 hours a week often. I have retired friends who spend more in beer and cigarettes, than I do on triathlons. I have a neighbor who races drag cars. I've never asked, but I'll bet he spends over 20 hours/week in his workshop, and I also bet he can blow as much $$$$ in one night at the track, as I do with tris in a year.That's their hobbies, tris are mine.

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Athlinks / Strava

Yeah, I guess I should have made it more obvious that was directed at the non-retired, still balancing work/home life crowd.

The biggest reason has already been talked about. It is the time. And you have to put in the time consistently without long breaks. And if you don't put in the time you suck. And sucking isn't all that fun.

My first race was in 2000. I've taken a couple different multi-year breaks because I don't like racing when I haven't done the training and won't be close to my best. If I am just going to go around the course I may as well do that on my own time and not pay to race. I also am not big into going golfing unless I have been to the range a few times

If I suck at fishing, I am still out on a boat for a day. If I do a century ride without training consistently I still get a nice day out for a ride with plenty of food and water stops. If i suck at tri's it hurts and is no fun.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

It's not the sucking that isn't fun....it's the mindset that you have that will either make it suck or not. You can have the time of your life on BOP effort and enjoy the hell out of it...you can also train for 20 hours be in your "best", miss your podium and think you suck. It's all about prospective and your mindset....if you only see this as fun and successful if you can race to your "best", then you'll always see it as sucking when you then can't perform/train at that level.

It's why I said to the soon to be lawyer...change your viewpoint on the sport and you'll gain a hell of a lot from just using triathlon as a stress relief gap sport during that "career focused" time in your life.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Just keep in mind that people don't take up triathlon after they retire from work. If you haven't been exercising for years while you are working, then the body will not handle the demands of triathlon after you turn 60.

Lengthy post ahead! TIA for reading!

My first triathlon was in 1985 and number 334 was 10 days ago. I've also raced another 104 duathlons and countless running races over the last 34 years. The sport has taken me to places I never would otherwise have seen...both literally and figuratively.

At 6'1" 185 lbs, Iwas a basketball and tennis player through my mid 20's, then discovered triathlon in the 1980's. I was one of those watching Wide World of Sports as Julie Moss crawled to the finish in Kona. I "swam" my first few races using the elementary backstroke and road on a heavy Schwinn LeTour 5 speed. The only cool thing I owned in those first few races were a pair of white Nike Air Edge's, with both a blue and red swoosh, that I had bought to use in the 1984 Chicago Marathon. Cool racing shoes but, I learned, maybe not for someone my size! I did eventually get better, and since the late 80's have steadily been able to make the AG podium in local races.

A few factors that have allowed me to keep at it:

-My wife and I do not have children, and because of that we have been able to use our time and resources on our respective hobbies...triathlon and equestrian riding...in a way I'm sure we wouldn't have had children been part of our lives. While I think we would have maintained a level of interest in our sports, our priorities would have been vastly different. Props to all of you balancing the work/kids/sport life.

-While I am now 62 and retired, the vast majority of these races were done while I was teaching for over 3 decades. The school calendar was definitely a help in my longevity in the sport, but there were also thousands of 5am workouts over the years...I found a way to make it work year-round.

-The last decade has been almost exclusively short course racing. I had finished a number of full and half Ironman races in the 90's and 2000's, but outside of a flyer I took at the swim-cancelled IMFL in 2014, my last full was at a cold IMWI in 2006. That has allowed me to shift most of my "distance" work from the run to the pool, and use a HIIT emphasis to keep a semblance of a top end, without beating myself up. I have dealt with the common calf strains, PF, and Achilles issues that are common at this age, but have stayed mainly injury free. I now weigh about 175-180, which I felt I needed to do to keep the pounding down and some level of performance up. Short course helps in keeping at the sport, and you can race more frequently. I HAVE been tempted to try and sneak in one more IM though, so I can have done one in my 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's!

I continue to like the training and the racing. There has always been something new to try, someplace new to see. You gain perspective on the sport and yourself and realize that it IS as much about the journey as the result. It's also been a heckuva lot of fun. My advice is to stick with it if you can!😊

What's funny about the above is, Alex "retires" from tri..but yet wins the OVERALL US Duathlon National Standard Championships in Greenville, even over the OA WORLD Triathlon Amateur Champion Olympic Distance --Todd Buckingham. Yeah, retired...just like Ozzy retired from touring. Leave no delusions in mind, Alex is only taking a breather--he's a stud!

36 years into it & still going...

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#swimmingmatters
Laugh hard. Run fast. Be kind.
The Doctor (#12)

If you could schedule some afternoon tri's I might be better equipped to just go around the course enjoying the day. :)

If I'm not trained, spending $100 to get up 4 hours before I want to on a Sunday morning is a hard sell. Me and mornings have a somewhat contentious relationship.

If someone likes that, more power to them. It is just hard to do triathlon on a casual basis.

But triathlon sn't unique, I also don't think people stay in other hobbies for their entire lives all that often. Most people do something for a while, then move on to other things, tri's, golf, fishing, wives, ... :)

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

Amen! I am, and will likely always be, BOP. Maybe BOMOP if I have an outstanding race. I have no natural aptitude towards athletic endeavours of any kind, and yet here I am heading into my 8th year of being an objectively terrible triathlete. It is a lifestyle that keeps me off the couch. Sure, I could just ride my bike and swim a bit, but the balance of the sport keeps me engaged and not bored. I love racing, because I love the atmosphere and the energy.

Someone questioned if they could carry on should they ever become MOP. I found that kind of sad, until I thought about it in context. I used to be a professional musician, and now play in a bunch of community groups. I don't play at the level I did when I was practising 20 hours a week but I'm still pretty good. These days I play for the same reasons as I tri - it's fun, I get a social life out of it. My husband is also a very good musician, but is starting to suffer from arthritis in his hands and is finding that he can no longer play at the level he would like to. For him, it's difficult to think around the idea that he might have to give up being the principal clarinet in the orchestra, and he would rather bow out of ensemble music altogether than be "relegated" to second or - heaven forbid! - third chair. I just like to play. It really is mindset that determines how an individual derives satisfaction - from the doing, or from the achieving.

So this discussion is more on triathlon's staying power I know, but a friendly reminder that thsi is a sport that skews to upper middle class people, so "expensive" is relative. I know when I tell a lot of my friends who are young professionals how much a road bike costs, and then how much a good road bike costs, and then how much other people will spend on their bikes, they're stunned. And I do think if someone does their first triathlon on their cheap bike and starts to want to be more serious, the idea of buying an expensive bike can be a barrier to continuing. So it can be a barrier to starting but also to doing more in the sport.

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Chasing PB Podcast Latest interview with Eli Hemming on Targeting a US MTR spot in Tokyo

Eh I've seen the actual opposite in terms of the cost barrier to entry. I see more hesitation in people starting up then in people liking it and upgrading, because when are upgrading they have mentally gone "all in" on the sacrifice and acceptance that the cost is what the cost is.

That's why for 1st timers I almost never ever sell them a tri bike. I sell them an decent road bike that can be used out on the greenway, riding with kids, riding with a group and oh yeah throw on aero bars and you suddenly have a "tri" bike. Only then do I suggest when they enjoy the sport and understand what they are getting into go to a tri bike.

So that's why I know USAT is late to the party, but they are now pushing for pool sprint triathlons as a big thing now. This is the perfect opportunity to get people in, swim 200-300yds (ironically most pools are shallow enough that they can "walk" as well), bike 10-12 miles that can be done on a wal mart huffy/beach cruiser, anything really and then usually a 2-3mi run. Those types of events are really for all comers, and imo a really really good environment for people to become "triathletes". That distance there is no real pressure or need to have fancy gear or even fear that you won't finish. Show up on anything and you'll be able to finish the race, as 10-12miles really is fairly accomplishable for almost any functional adult.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

My first Triathlon was in 1980, last one 2015 (Alcatraz). First IM 1988 at Canada, last IM Cozumel 2013. First open Marathon in 1976, last running event, a Half Marathon in May of 2015. First Ultra in '79, last one in '09. For me, retiring from competition was a function of injuries and overall lack of desire to go through what it takes to prepare for and then deal with race day logistics. I miss the fitness and the camaraderie, but don't miss the pressure to train and miss out on everything else in life. Now, I enjoy rides with no specific goal other than to get some exercise and enjoy the scenery, hikes to places I've never been, swims to enjoy the feel of the water. I hardly run anymore due to knee issues. Weight training to finally put some muscles in places I never had before. Etc. I think 40 years of racing and training probably cured me of needing to go back. Would I ever race again, maybe, but the spirit will have to move me to do so.

anyone know of BOP, MOP or FOP are more likely to continue with tris?

My first thought, and it could be completely wrong, is once a FOP - constant podium racer stops being able to be FOP They are more likely to stop. As well as a one and done bucket list BOP

As Chrissy Wellington basically said. Once you win on the world stage there is nothing like that in life again

I was one that said if I was to MOP I might not want to do triathlon anymore. But I was saying right now in my life. I was also saying that if the hours became too much to where my performance struggled and I got slower I would switch to running to still be competitive within myself because I would still be able to get faster running off less hours than triathlon. But in 5-10 years my mindset might change. I love the 3 sports in triathlon because it mentally breaks things up. But I also do not like not racing well/fast with the amount of training I am doing. I played soccer all through college and a little professionally.

I stopped playing soccer because I did not love just going out and kicking the ball around so I turned to triathlon. But now I love just kicking the ball around with the team I coach because I don't have high expectations anymore. I also suffer from the "if I am not good at it I don't like doing it" mindset. It sucks sometimes but also is good sometimes.

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Twitter - Instagram

I get the mentality of "I suck at this and therefore it's not fun", because that's exactly how I feel about both of my college courses this semester. I was whining the other day because I got a B+ in an exam, and I am generally an A student. But yet, I'm happy toddling along as a BOP triathlete. I stopped playing music for a living because it sucked the joy out of it for me. I can imagine that if I felt actual pressure to achieve real results in triathlon, I might find the joy sucked out of it, too.

I have a friend whose satisfaction in tri comes from the attainment of results. I used to feel bad that she was out driving hard and getting in more miles, and then we actually got to go out on a ride together. Seeing in the flesh what makes training enjoyable for her completely changed my outlook. I ride a bike because I like to see the countryside, feel the air, enjoy the experience. She likes to see numbers and tangible progress. It was a fascinating experience for me - and a healthy reminder that we are all driven by different things.

It’s so consuming. I’ve had a hard time sticking with it consistently. I usually go strong for a few years, then take a couple years off before really getting back into it.

I think time is a big factor for why people leave the sport, but I also think fatigue is a factor. After 10 years of triathlon, I've been on a break for two years (initiated by injuries) and other than having more time (and money) to do other things, I'm really enjoying not being so fatigued all the time.

I do miss it though, and may do some races next year although I think I'll stick with short course. Less training time, less fatigue, cheaper, lots of fun and I'll still have plenty of time to golf, which my girlfriend and I have gotten into this year. Part of what we've enjoyed so much about golf is that we can do it together. She bikes and runs, but our speeds are very different so it's challenging for us to do those together when I'm training.

I always feel my strengths are better suited for half distance and full distance but I still enjoy sprint distance and encourage people to do them especially beginners. Not nearly the time commitment for training, you can typically ride whatever bike you have and finish, your race day is finished while it's still early in the morning, and sprint triathlon are often run by some local RD so you're supporting local racing organizations.

This is the common theme I have heard from many the past 2 years.

"I am tired of being tired".

I could completely be guessing but it seems people race more IM's in a year now than ever, they race more long course races more frequently and thus are just all getting tired.

The logistics on top of the training time make this sport very hard if you work full-time and have a family.

I think as you said above, many will return to short course racing. Hopefully good options exits at all levels for these races to really stay alive, otherwise the sport will shrink because doing IM year in and year out is not sustainable.

It's amazing what a break will do for you. I as well have taken a break. Money spent on other great adventures, grown tremendously in my career and ironically feel the healthiest, strongest, and best I have felt in years.

I personally will always do triathlons. Some years more than others, I might veer away for a few years. But I do firmly believe the amount of IM's I do again in my life will be less than the amount I have done to date (4).

Yesterday watched an interview with Mark Allen

He did 15 IM distance races in 15 years I believe it was. He said people do too many long races and don’t take time off

That and never have an off season. He took 3 moths or so off each year


Not getting enough sleep. Said he slept 10 hours a night and took a nap as well

I think it holds extremely well - at least within my circle of athletes. Maybe I'm doing something right.

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Ruble Triathlon Coaching Average of 30 coached PR's per year
Florida Triathlon Camps Train in North Americas winter training destination
Ruble Racing Events Midwest Triathlon Racing
Ruble Timing Midwest Event Timing

Just want to address the actual title : ''''Longevity of Triathlon as a hobby/life style''''

As a hobby - I love riding my bike, I love going for a run, I enjoy swimming for relaxation.
As a lifestyle - I dont want to be a body builder, I dont want to do crossfit, I want to maintain my cardiovascular health, I want to be a good role model.

With the above noted, I believe Triathlon will forever be a part of my life. If not training for anything, i still try to do atleast one aspect of Tri on a daily basis. I'm not putting in 15 hour weeks, 52 weeks a year. They'll be weeks where i've trained less than 6. But as a hobby and lifestyle, its always going to be there in some degree.

This hits very close to home for me. I did IMFL last year (1st one -- last one) and I haven't been the same since. I didn't have the day I wanted but that's not even it. It was the countless hours of training and total consumption of my life, as well as my wife's. I could go through the misery of a IM race day again... but the training to get there. Nope. Never again.

This year I did 2 sprints and 2 Olys...was on the podium(3 AG/1 Masters) for all four... and... big deal. Originally I was going to do a 70.3 at the end of my season but said fuckit. Not worth it. Don't care.

RIght now, my motivation is very low... and has been since the IM (yes, a year). We'll see what next year holds but I am very close to throwing in the towel and taking a break. But I know I need to do something, even if it's not swimming, biking, or running (which is the sport I hate the most BTW and my run splits back this up)... I love food and beer to much.

It’s winter! Come summer you will be good to go again!

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2024: Bevoman, Galveston, Alcatraz, Marble Falls, Santa Cruz

Maybe. We'll see.

I am supposed to do the RNR Marathon in Arizona with a buddy in January, but I possibly have re-injured my foot and am in a holding pattern right now to see what it does. If the injury lingers, I am yanking the plug like I'm starting a mower. If it happens, it will be my first (and last) stand alone marathon. I don't even have lofty goals for it, just to break fours hours and I'd be happy.

The thing that is, I guess... concerning... is my low motivation for such a lengthy time.

Maybe you're right... maybe not. I'll definitely know by the time the new year rolls around.

I'll keep going as long as I'm able. Sure, it can be expensive (mostly around the initial outlay and setup), but my health really doesn't have a price tag. I train as motivation to stay healthy, not necessarily to place (though that happens sometimes!). I see it as a lifestyle, part of who I am now. Started in 2011, haven't looked back (and don't intend to). :)

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- John
"Have courage, and be kind."

Sounds like you now have the PERFECT reason to train a bit, plan workouts with your daughters. Don't worry if the pace or structure is not perfect for your fitness, just do it with them. I bet it is exactly the sort of thing they will greatly appreciate in the future.

Bonus - the faster they get, the faster you get to work out!

You bet guy! They are only 7 and 10 and enjoy swimming and biking and running. It's developing their sense of adventure.

I can run next to them as they bike and they have been in several running races now. This time of the year I used to glance at races for me, now I glance at races for them.

Not strange at all.

If you swim-bike-run then you are triathlete. Not if you do a bit of swimming, do a bit of biking and do a bit of running.

If you compete in triathlons, you're a triathlete.

Data point from me:

I did my first triathlon in 1985 as a 15 yr old. Raced competitively as a distance runner through high school. I’ve raced over 150 multisport races over the past 33 years with a few years of no races due to either injury, school, life circumstances. Have raced more duathlons than triathlons. Never done an IM.

I also ride and race Mtn bikes. Probably ride my Mtn bike more than any other bike.

Love downhill skiing
Been SUPing for a few years
Gravel ride on an old crossbike
Snowshoe

Enjoy swimming but the logistics make it more challenging. Pretty much don’t swim unless I have a race or a snorkeling vacation planned.

Had a bad broken leg 6 years ago which limits my running to a few short runs per week.

The biggest reasons I haven’t done a triathlon since 2015 are: race costs and the fact that my kids are competitive club sports athletes and I don’t have many free weekends.

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Formerly DrD

I'm having a rest from triathlon this season (southern hemisphere). I've not done any full distance events, just local sprints/oly's/70.3. I've been competing for 3-4 years and came from a cycling background, with a particular skill and enjoyment for TT's, which is what mainly lured me to triathlon. I'd always enjoyed running and was a good swimmer in high school. The predominate reason for the rest is I just hate swim training. There are only about 6-7 races a year in my state and I can longer justify spending so much time on something I don't enjoy. I guess it was also a bucket list type of hobby for me too. I've done it now, back to cycling :)

I'm 61 and a lifelong endurance sport junkie. Although I did a couple of triathlons in 1980, I was strictly a runner until 2006 when I shifted over to triathlon full time due to injuries and the need to reduce the amount of running time. But once you pass 50, the number of long course triathletes falls by half with each new 5 year age group. By sixty years old, 98% of all IM participants are younger than you. At this age, training is much, much harder -- especially running. I have watched a number of highly competitive athletes my age throw in the towel over the past several years as running injuries became too much for them. At that point, most end up cycling only, and getting their kicks riding centuries and gran fondos. I expect that will be my future too, but for now, I'm still enjoying the grind and hoping to hang onto long course triathlon as long as I can.

This is a good mindset. You enjoy the grind, but after that many years of grinding it almost feels like a job you want to retire from even though you enjoy it, love it.

I believe 20 years from now I will also tip the scales a little more to the enjoyment side.

Interesting thought. I did tri's for 15 years and thought I would do them late into my 60's. Injury after injury, and now some permanent damage kinda shelved it for me for good. A decade of those years was ironman training and it sucked away ever bit of my 30's. My only two trips to Europe were centered around races, which really made the trips a fraction of what they could of been. I think most people stay in triathlon far longer than most hobbies, but the people that I used to race with have all moved on to living a life that is much more rounded than what a dedicated tri life provides. Nobody half assed it. As evidenced by seeing some of the same names on here posting daily as they have been for 20 years, some are certainly in it for life.

Im single-ish and will probably never get married (don't see that in the cards for me)

but I do it for the fun. The three disciplines divide the monotony of one sport. It helps me with stress (stressful corporate job), and I thrive on the excitement of race week and traveling to races. I grew up traveling every weekend for sport events (bless my parents hearts haha). I love competing. The atmosphere. The energy.

I have been tired/burnt from work a few times and taken a month or so or even longer off but always come back. Plus it gives me an excuse to not fall back into my old college habits of partying/drinking - which is what many in my profession do to relieve stress (finance)

With a full time girlfriend/wife/family/other life commitments - ya - it is just too much.I have been there and done that and it was super difficult. Now I am just a selfish 30 year old do what I want A hole haha so Im all in for a while

You have good reasons to do it. Avoid the come party with us guilt crowd, and you can capitalize well on your 30s. You're being you and doing the right thing.

<- Previously a selfish 30 year old do what I want A hole - turned out fine.

I see lots of post about it being to expensive.

When I was a kid I raced RC cars and it was extremely expensive to the point people were stopping so they created cost controlled classes.

I wonder if such a division could work in tri?

Stock road bike (everyone must ride same brand and model)
Stock Tires
no aero wheels
no aero helmet

maybe this would be a cheaper alternative and make it more man on man instead of wallet vs wallet

Just a thought

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Yellowfin Endurance Coaching and Bike Fits
USAT Level 1, USAC Level 3

As soon as you pick Brand A, you've alienated Brands B to Z. And what if RD Joe chooses Brand B while RD Jane requires Brand M? That could get unwieldy very fast. Instead of picking a brand, you simply create an Eddie Merckx division which generally consists of the following rules:
NO AERO EQUIPMENT ALLOWED

• BIKE FRAME - no time trial frame, only standard road bike set-up
• AERO BARS - none allowed
• WHEELS - no rim depth greater than 36mm
• HANDLEBARS - standard road bars only
• HELMET - no aero helmet
• CLOTHING - no skinsuit

You don't even need to go that far. Just enforce road geometry - obviously drop bars - and no aero-bar extensions, period.

Triathletes are sometimes an odd bunch - power this and that, toughness, speed, but won't take that toughness and power and climb anything steeper than a highway overpass. If everyone were riding road bikes, you've got much more variety in terrain that you could host races on. You'd develop better all-around riders. Strength, flexibility, and cycling ability become a big equalizer when you take away the aero-bar extensions.

Of course, not every triathlete wants to sacrifice their rig and have to buy a road bike, so it would never happen - the manufacturers and the consumers already have too much invested in the tri bikes.

For me, it didn't stick for a four main reasons, in order of importance:

- Technical - Tri has been transformed into a giant science project. Is there anything we don't measure and count? <-- no fun.
- Alternatives - you can S/B/R without Triathlon, as well as x-country, ski, trail run, and a host of other local things. <-- more fun.
- Ironman takeover - it went from fun to a tweet / brand / corporate - from a sport to a business, overnight.
- Cost - it's easy to drop serious coin. You can't upgrade your bike, get a watch, or a new powermeter fast enough. TBI has you (us) figured out.

My last tri was in 2009; can't imagine doing another one (except relay maybe for charity). I'll invest time with friends riding or running, and the $$ in experience, travel, and destination events. Had some great years with tri, though; probably have 15 more good years to go do fun things - but as it sits now, tri probably won't be one of them.

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- I do all my own stunts

CrossFit games did it last year with one brand, it was successful.
We actually do have this stock class, in draft legal racing. Maybe DL tri needs to become more popular for non elite. Get rid of the DQ for being lapped rule.

Holy crap I just checked and the last time I logged into comment was in 2014...

When I think back to separating from the hobby I think it broke down to the following:

-Money, the sport/races and gear is expensive.
-Time, when compared to going to the gym now and getting a good workout in around 60 minutes I remember when 2 hours in a spin room was just the start of things sometimes.
-Community, which may be the hardest to stomach. When I think back to posts and friends that I had well racing and training they were great to have around and being on ST was and is still a good stop, just not as frequently. With many fandoms though it gets toxic quick.

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