Ironman vs. Triathlete...BIG DIFFERENCE

Last night was my brother's 50th birthday party (man, are we getting old) and I saw people at this party I haven't seen in years. My parents, not knowing any better, went around telling everyone I was an "ironman"...which I immediately corrected "Im a triathlete...Im not an Ironman....yet." I would say. They would ask "What's the difference?"

BIG DIFFERENCE!!

When you tell people you do triathlon, they immediately think the HAWAII Ironman..especially today since the coverage was on NBC. When you tell them that there are Ironman races all over the world, the typically response is :"Well...how long was YOURS?

The other responses I would get are: "I can't walk around the block without getting tired" or "How do you DO THAT??" "Why do you do that??" "How in the world did you ever get involved in such insanity??" "My idea of a marathon is drinking all the beer brands at the bar?? "Isn't that exhausting?"

Shall I go on?? Nahhh you get the picture.

I left the party last night and realized something for the first time in a very very very long time. What we do as triathletes and athletes in general is so foreign to the rest of the world. It is so much easier to just float through life sitting on the couch with the remote in your hand! It is CERTAINLY much easier to sit in front of the tube and WATCH the Ironman than make the commitment to BE one. I am so lucky to have the opportunity to achieve this goal.

Life is too damn short to sit on the couch....