Part one of training...talking about it.

There are reams of articles out there about triathlons. How to train. How to pace yourself. What to eat, when to sleep, how to evacuate and keep going.

None of them touch on the most important part. How to brag about it, yet not sound like a complete douchebag.

People act impressed when I casually slip into the conversation that I am competing in my fifth tri this summer. Some of them actually are. I’ve learned there are three different classes of people who I can discuss it with. I’ll mention one today.

Other triathletes, and to a lesser extent, marathoners, and their family support groups. They either get Team Angry, or are angry.

Either way, we can schmooze for hours.

“Hey, don’t you love starting the swim in the last wave?” “I swam right over that fat guy at the first turn!”

“My transition would’a been 1:15 at the Middleboro race. but my wetsuit got stuck”

“Oh god, that second hill at Timberman went on forever…I passed 8 people on the way down though”


"Yeah, my kid, niece, and nephew all do it too. They are studs"






“I’ve seen the Hoyt’s 12 times now, they are everywhere!”

“A buddy of mine is doing Placid this year!”

“Oh, you run Boston? That’s cool. My little sister is afraid of the water too.”



“Wanna see my scar? Yeah, my time sucked that year, but I finished.”



"I've run one in 29 different states so far. Someday...Hawaii"




I've seen this on the back of a lot of SUV's with bike racks






If you aren’t in the club, or very close to someone in the club, these conversations are torture. Which is why I usually have them in private areas, like at the soccer games, at Cub Scout jamborees, and in crowded elevators. Just to get the second group going. The looks we get from the others is worth it all.

Wannabes.