…an unhealthy obsession. By this I mean when people become so obsessed with their training that it becomes almost psychopathic and effects their relationships with other people. I know of one young woman who made her family miserable at her own sister’s wedding by whining that she was missing a workout by attending. Another woman I’m aware of went away for a week with her husband (a non triathlete) and made him feel guilty the whole time because she was giving up a week’s worth of workouts to go on a family vacation. Fortunately they’re divorced now. And then we know a guy who runs sprints and wins his AG nearly every time. Nice guy when he wins but he lost once last year and was surley and misireable to be around. Went to lunch with our tri group and he wouldn’t talk to anyone and told another guy to F.O. for no reason. Just sat there sulking because he finished second.
This is a very minor portion of he tri population but I am sure some tri people do suffer from some sort of a personality disorder in which they take their training with a seriousness that is overly obsessive and out of reality with the rest of the their lives. Fortunately it’s rare. If all tri-geeks where like this I’m sure most of us would be looking for another hobby.
Any thoughts on this or has anyone else experienced or seen anything like this first hand.
You get one or two per tri-community. Thankfully, there are way more people that are positive about everything going on. They’re the best to train with.
I stand accused (and convicted?) although not as extreme as the examples you cite. Still the issue is on my mind just now.
Four years ago I won my age group in my first “biathlon” and that’s been the bar ever since. For the coming year I thought I had committed to designing my workouts for pure pleasure and fitness, and racing the same way, and generally ending the “slavery.” Then yesterday I see a du nearby that’s a worlds qualifier - ain’t it amazing how the mind takes off like that???
I’m still married, although my standard 9 PM bedtime before my 5 AM training comes up frequently. Obsessed? You tell me.
the thing is that the line between unhealthy obsession and focused pursuit of excellence is not always clear. I think it is clear that if you cant handle losing or disappointing results or if you vent frustration or anger on other people (or even if you harbor anger inside) then you have a problem. Look at the awesome way Gordo dealt with his crushing DNF in the ultramans. I cant even fathom the amount of work he put in for the race and yet the very next day he was able to step back and say “its just a race.” But i know that i choose triathlon because training and competing in the sport is an essential component of my life’s spiritual journey. The reason i do triathlons is the same reason I avoid “merely recreational sports” like softball or golf and fight the weakness to indulge in the sloth of tv, the gluttony of doritos and beer, and the lust of casual sex. Am I an elitist? You bet. But I make no apology for it even my life choices are viewed as “abnormal” by some. I take as my role models “abnormal” people like Mark Allen who IMO is right on the same page with Thomas Merton or Roger Joslin (author of Running the Spiritual Path). Of course, as someone mentioned in the link about SEX, my point of view could just be due to the fact that I need to get laid and/or get a sense of humor.
Race Your Self.