The Fraternity of Pain.

There are those who see triathlon as a rather solitary sport. Actually, some Ironman athletes are seen as spending way too much time alone, to the point of being over-reclused. I think there is a focus that is required of the Ironman athlete that lends itself to this perception. But I think that a lot of that also comes from a misconception that we're out there, by ourself, for hours upon hours upon hours, week after week, just exercising with no social or human contact.

When I sit on my trainer and bike away for 90 minutes while watching a hockey game on t.v. or something, I start to see the point. It does resemble a hermit-mode mentality. During the summer, I can think of a few instances where I was training alone, and sometimes that solitude was refreshing. Teaching a running clinic, combined with my group training, left 1-2 workouts per week where I was really on my own.

I sometimes head down to the local tri shop, Speed Theory, to pick up a new piece of equipment, and spend 2 hours talking with Jeremy, or one of the staff guys, about the sport, our races, other things, etc. Yesterday I headed to Speed Theory for a bike fit and spent an hour chatting with a couple of guys who I did Ironman with in 2006... Reclusive? Sometimes I wish... It's a very small community and we all know each other's business. But it is a community of folks who really represent different cross-sections of the sport, different goals and purposes, different lifestyles, etc. I sometimes am chatting with a student at UBC, or a 55 year old, and we're having the same conversation...

It's quite fun to meet different people, through Ironman, and be part of this community that supports each other, but also has a little "envy" going on that makes you want to go back and work a little harder. You see the guy at the end of a cold weather bike ride, getting into the store to get warm, and lament whether or not you should have done your bike workout on the trainer, or sucked it up and gone outside (personally, I'm more biased towards the trainer as I like that time to myself too).

And going to Ironman in Penticton, I can't go 1 block without running into someone I know or have met, and I think that's just awesome. It truly is one of my favourite weekends of the year for that reason.

So, solitude? Hermit-mode? A little, but it's all part of being in a community of people who want to be this way.

But then I get stuck in a triathlon store, chatting with 4-5 people, for an hour, and I think how can that be considered reclusive? Maybe it's just that we don't spend as much time with people outside the sport anymore...

I think that's what creates a little bit of the loneliness feeling. I definitely feel that I don't spend as much time with my non-triathlon friends as I once did, and I think there is a little neglect on my part. Every weekend is about "what training do I need to do this weekend?" rather than taking a trip to the States, or going out to a club, or something that I would do with some friends that has nothing to do with triathlon. I went skiing on Friday (snowboarding) with my brother, and it was awesome. I went up to Whistler twice last year, but the year before I don't know if I went up once. I quite enjoyed going up there. And I have a few more ski days planned just to keep things light. However, with school, and work, and training, every second will count for me, and so I have a sense I'll be doubly focused in the spring towards getting my base training in so that I can have a successful summer.

In analyzing my upcoming year, I think that the Ironman training will have a benefit of giving me a timeline and a goal to shoot for that is a little different from my school. I have been told I'll have some night classes, which has me a little worried about scheduling... However, I think it's a matter of will rather than a matter of time.

I repeat my mantra, "Keep things simple, keep plans simple." Stay as local as possible as often as possible, as travel time just eats away at time.

And finding my social outlets in my activity. Our "fraternity of pain..."