by supportive, if you mean she lets me train and sign up/complete events...yes.

if you mean wait around at the race venue for 5-6 hours while I set up, race, wait for awards ceremony, bs around with my friends...no.

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Not everything is as it seems -Mr. Miyagi

My wife is very supportive thankfully

She used to wait around and we both agreed it’s better we get a hotel within walking distance

I wake early she sleeps in

I call her when I’m done and she picks me up and drives us home

Just the way I like it

I don’t really like the cheering the signs etc

If I could drive at night I would just want her to stay home if she wanted to

Sometimes my friend who also races, drives in the AM and it’s easier that way

My wife plays bridge, for hours at a time. I never go watch or cheer.
I swim, ride and run, sometimes for hours at a time, she feels the same way about that as I do about Bridge.

She is a champ!
The video says it all 😍

https://imgur.com/a/bB5aNPJ

I think it's an anomaly. It seems particularly cold and scummy to show no support, encouragement, or congratulatory effort for your SO completing an event, esp a 50k ultra.

My wife supports me. And I support her. In training and on race day. If she did a 50k ultra I'd be off the wall proud and supportive.

She picks me up at the hospital after every race I manage to severely dehydrate myself and doesn't have too big of an issue when me signing up again.

After a bike crash and trip to the hospital in an ambulance she asked which new bike was I getting.

When I suggest going on vacation, she asks which day is the race.

She goes to 75+% of my races.

I'd say she is pretty supportive.

My husband is great. He has gone to almost every race I have done in the last 20 years and hangs around waiting for me ( sprints to IM) . He got the racing bug a couple of years ago and I have returned the favor a few times. Now it's fun to race together. I couldn't imagine doing this without his support.

Mine is supportive as long as it doesn’t negatively impact her in any way ie. going to bed early, sleeping in, doing laundry daily or raising the humidity in the garage from cycling lol Oh and I best not come in from a hard session hangry lol

If the race is close she will come and cheer which is great and if she is busy she will support my training but if she has the weekend off I’ll get a stare down if I suggest training. I learned pretty quick that if we are on vacay I better not even think about packing my running shoes ha

Just moved to USA so I don’t have a work permit so lots of free time to train 20+hrs/week but TBH once I’m back working I fully expect I’ll have to scale back significantly and will likely drop to just running.

I think so.

I mean I've been doing this for a while now, so she's pretty immune to it. If I have a race at a cool or new place we haven't been to, the family will come, otherwise the novelty of seeing me finish has worn off. As far as hours away training, as long as I schedule it appropriately, don't miss much or any family functions, and make sure she has time for her workouts/activities, she's pretty supportive.

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Tough Times Don't Last, Tough People Do.

Seems to me you asked the wrong question. Instead, you should've asked "is your partner a cheerleader?"

My wife fully supports my crazy training and racing but rarely attends events and I'm ok with that. The races that she has attended were usually part of vacations.

Yes. Any scheduling conflicts, which are rare, we communicate and work out. It helps that I’m not one of those 20 hour training per week IM.

I’ve only asked her to come with me for my first IM which was a big deal. Other than that I don’t ask her to be at events because it’s boring for her.

Yes, the beauty of a partner that is also a triathlete.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

No. Not yet. Irun only when chased or short on time. Givem that I trained to do a 1/2 run for a fund raiser the wife put on. The others she did we had food and a sign ready at the end. She’s gotten me up at 5:30 on m/w/f for a year to do her workout camp thing.

In return, it took her three years of me doing stuff on the bike to finally go to a cross race because the kids wanted to go.

In that meantime, everything I did had pithy words directed at it that made you have regret for bothering to do it.

I’d get shit for wanting to ride early am on weekends to avoid heat, traffic, and be back for the family despite her early rises.

She has other redeeming qualities but being supportive in people’s hobbies isn’t one. Despite the fact I have never acted like that towards something she’s wanted to do.

I don’t need you to even be there, just freaking hush and let me do my thing since I supported you.

Sorry, but if we’re solid on all other marital topics, this is one with room for improvement.

Yes, my wife is always trying to get me to sign up for races. I am the one saying, "No, we need to save money". She loves getting up with me and running around trying to get pictures of me. I don't get it though. I have been to some of her races and it's just not exciting for me. If she ever did an Ironman I would prefer to go back and sleep. She prefers to stay out and enjoy the experience. She will stay up all night too. Once the kids are grown and I'm retired it might be a bit more fun for me.

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http://www.sfuelsgolonger.com

Luckily my wife was into triathlon before I was! Our bike trainers are side by side so the Sunday long rides are also good cheesy action movie times for us.

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Too old to go pro but doing it anyway
http://instagram.com/tgarvey4

my wife decided to volunteer instead of racing since there were not enough people to watch out bikes at the tri. She took pics and vids of everyone. Then we had post race breakfast together, and to finish off a massage at the end of the day (1st OA, i deserved it). No matter what. the post race food together matters. Meet to discuss your day. Food is a mutual hobby of everyone, we all need to eat.

I'm afraid I don't think it is an anomaly. I've never raced, but for 35 years I've been my wife's "Tri Mule" and loved every (sometimes awful) minute of it. I want her to only have to think about one thing and do one thing at races - PUT OUT THE WATTS! I'll take care of the driving, packing, hauling, supplying, set up, mechanicing and anything else I can think of to support her fantastic effort. I've stood there biting my nails, looking at my watch and worrying at 184 finish lines and wouldn't have missed the joy of even one of them.
But I'm sorry to say, we have seen so many athletes, particularly women, over the years with no support at all. My wife will loan me out at the drop of a helmet when she sees someone who needs help (with a courteous offer of assistance first, of course). Several times, over the years, she has been told, "You're so lucky. My husband says go ahead and do that stuff if you want to but don't expect me to be there."
Of course, there are huge number of very supportive partners (both genders) - but there are many people who have to go it alone and even deal with active resistance. It's something about the sport that "is what it is" but we have never understood it and just find it sad.

Considering she left me two weeks ago, I'd have to say no. She actually did walk out after fifteen years together, but I don't think it was the 8-10 hours a week. Oddly she was pretty supportive but it wasn't her thing. A few years ago she asked to go on a vacation. I suggested a race venue and she suggested a cruise. A week later I booked a cruise realizing that I was oblivious. I always ended group rides by noon and was aware of time for us. I talked with family about it tonight and they thought it was her not me. It helped because I would be gutted if my hobby caused a failed marriage. Still coping with the loss none the less.

My wife always encourages me before my races and always asks about my race and congratulates me when I return from a race. I don't ask her to attend many races, which I like to think is because I am supportive of her. :)

My wife is a seamstress, sewer, quilter extraordinaire. We are retired, and she spends all day in her shop sewing. I train all I want to, and race at will. We support and compliment each other constantly. She is also a photographer, and for several years, worked for the local race company, photographing races. But completely burned out on the the whole scene, and hasn't gone to a race, since quitting the photography gig. Our going joke is that she has 14 sewing machines, and I only have 3 bikes and 2 guitars, and I have some catching up to do.

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Athlinks / Strava

I honestly couldn't ask for a better wife. She is not a triathlete nor does she participate in any races I do (triathlon or run races) but she is there for me 100% of the time, even when I tell her that she doesn't need to be. She has no problems turning my races into short vacations and is offended when I say that I am doing a race by myself without her. She is there first thing in the morning at transition set up and there as long as I need post race for me to gather my thoughts or have a beer and just cool down. She helps me out if it need something on long training days and is there for me 100% of the time. I actually feel bad most times because she is there for me so much. She always asks how my training sessions are and will listen to me explain triathlon things that she doesn't really understand but still listens and tries to understand. Honestly my wife did not write this response. I just have the best wife ever.

I hope you showed this to her!
So then I guess you two wouldn't be the couple I enountered at IM where the racer threw their cycling shoes over the transition fence at (definitely not "to") their spouse and nearly beaned my friend :-)

Pretty much this. She will green light anything even when I explain the time commitment way in advance. As soon as it becomes real life she is less thrilled.

But does she cheer a special or hard-won achievement or pout in the car when you celebrate your finish? I would hope it's the former.