I don't think my family really thinks about it. My wife does, but it's just a passing interest ... similar to my interest in her accounting supervisor position. "Oh really, that's nice ... Zzzzzzzz".

My folks may take more interest come ironman-distance race day ... but I am not expecting it. Really, I don't expect anyone else to take interest or offer support ... it's not their hobby.

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As for roadies and group rides. I ride a bike (duh). I don't understand why groups of riders seem to do very little to "prevent pissing off drivers", and then complain when drivers voice their non-supportive opinions. Why don't groups of riders ride single file so a car can pass them without having to go into the other lane? I don't understand. It seems like many rdiers that I see when driving or hear of on the internet don't realy do much to dissipate the hostile attitudes towards cyclist. Like I've said before, I've been a smart-aleck my whole life, but even I am smart enough to realize that even the toughest bike gets beat up by the wimpiest car.

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-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --

Triathlon brought my family back together.

My parents, my sister and I had not been together in 12 years until i did IMUSA this year. I bit the bullet and bought everyone plane tickets and hotel rooms and we cried and hugged when the race was over, thanking god that we were all alive to be able move forward.

My fiance has been a godsend. After long training bricks i come home and she makes me lunch and massages my legs and then kicks me out of the house so that i get my butt in the pool. She also contacted all my friends and had them make posters for IMUSA that she plastered all over our hotel room while i was at the athletes meeting. i would not have been able to start the race, let alone finish, if not for her.

My family is not so supportive. When they were in town last year, I brought them to a race (a small, local sprint) so they could see what I was so interested in.

My brother weighs well over 300 lbs and does not do any sort of exercise. However, he feels the need to constantly criticize my run times and at the race he watched my do, he said that the swim was too short to be the distance it was advertised to be

After the race, my mom said "Why aren't you smiling? Everyone else looks so happy!". I had gone all out during the race (and got hardware!) and tripped during the run and was bleeding quite a bit from my knee, hip and palms, so I was kind of tired. And bleeding.

My dad continually lectures me/offers advise that I should give up running and triathlons because I am very prone to running injuries.

If this is "support", I don't need it. I now follow a don't offer information and answer their tri-related questions with only yes or no answers policy.

My dad loves it. He gets up at the crack of dawn and goes to races when he can, and usually drags someone else with him i.e. uncles girlfriend etc. He even went to Boston with me. At my last Oly this summer I was coming in at 12th place overall, he yelled "give it one more kick" and I finished 10th (best yet). I think my excessive training inspires the rest of my family too, everyone tries to stay in better shape now. I figure, I work my ass off so they decide they can do some too.

My wife thinks it's great, gives me aims and motivates me. She has no interest in joining me training or racing. She runs a little, swims a lot and did the TI course with me. We scuba dive most weekends until the monsoon season, and she plays field hockey every week, and battles with her weight. She likes hiking and kayaking which we do when we can, I just have to slow down to her speed, which is somewhat slower than mine.

My mum is an ex international and world class athlete, now long retired, but stays active, rides her horses etc. She's always been very supportive of my sporting ambitions, not unsurprisingly, even if she thinks some of my sports are crazy. haven't spoken to my father in years, but he was a very keen cricketer, though not particularly fit due to smoking and drinking too much.

Brother in law came out for a 10k run when he visited recently, he's a keen sportsman, runs, plays football, skis.

Most of the family still think I'm nuts because my primary sports before triathlon were mountaineering and skydiving (both hard to do in Borneo). Triathlon seems pretty sane to them, but not many know I'm going to do an ironman yet, official entry to the 2006 IMNZ won't be until april.

J.