Triathletes are Humble People...

Are triathletes humble people? I mean, as a group, are we humble? I think the majority of you will disagree with me, but regardless of what anyone says, I say we are, and here is why. How many times have you heard these conversations:

Man A: Did you run this morning?
Triathlete: Yes, but it was only 7 miles...


Man B: That is a nice looking bike
Triathlete: Yeah, but it is not fully carbon and only cost me about $3,000, you know bikes can go for up to 10 grand!

I only had 50 miles running this week, I only biked 1100 miles this year...Why do we do this? Why do we downplay what we do? Think back to the last conversation you had and I bet you have answer a question about your swim/bike/run and started that answer with a but... we all tend to start answers with I only...

Now I realized that to other triathletes, we want to measure up to them when we talk about training, and I know we are a prideful bunch of people, but there is nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. If I choose to get up at 5 AM and run my 10 miles, who cares what they think? They have the same opportunity to train that I do. I just choose to do it.

Now I am not saying that we need to think we are any better than others, or that we need to come off as cocky people. I am just saying that if asked about our training, we are proud to answer what we did. We will not downplay our miles or laps. We will not brag about it either, except on our blogs and training logs that obviously people choose to visit and read about. I mean, it is not like we make them come to our blogs to win prizes or gifts?  (wink wink).

So please, feel free to ask me about my morning run, or about my last swim, but please do not expect me to downplay it, and I would not expect anyone reading this to either.