I was recently asked the following question: “What do you think the difference is between passion and obsession?  Are we passionate about our sport or obsessed?

Wow! Good question!  To us, it’s a fine line and yet to those looking into our world, there seems to be a definite separation between the two.  This can be a very sensitive subject and your view may differ greatly depending on whether or not you have caught the triathlon bug.  So before I venture down this road, allow me to remind you this is my 2 cents based on experience and not a clinical study. 

Let’s first try to understand the non-triathlete’s perspective.  Why do people think we’re obsessed?  Can you relate to any of the following?

• You have a problem spending $2.50 for a bottled water but will easily drop $250 for a Half Ironman Race entry
• You won’t walk around a mall but will complete a 10 mile run before the sun rises
• You don’t like getting your hair wet but hand you a swim cap and it’s on
• You see logic in placing your body between the pavement and your bike when you go down.  Hey, skin heels, right?
• Your work pants don’t match your dress shirt but your helmet matches your jersey and bike
• Seconds after a race you say never again.  Minutes after the same race you contemplate what you can do to go faster
• You call in sick to go work out
• You’re spouse says vacation and you Google the vacation spot for races
• You own more running shoes than your wife owns dress shoes.  Yikes!
• You buy another wetsuit and tell your spouse it’s your friend’s wetsuit…..and they do the same