5 things triathletes will never get tired of hearing
These aren't necessarily compliments, but they certainly feel like them
When you tell non-triathletes that you do triathlons, most of the time they’re impressed. Triathlon is such a foreign activity to those who are outside of the sport, and many people cannot fathom swimming, biking, and running for the fun of it. Because of this, these people will ask you a lot of questions or say some funny lines. Sometimes these lines and questions are annoying, but most of the time, they’re compliments (even if they’re not specifically meant to be). Here are five things triathletes are asked and told often that they’ll never get tired of hearing.
You’re crazy
When you tell some people about triathlon, this is their response. “You mean you exercise for fun?” To them, that’s the definition of insanity, and while this could be viewed as an insult, we like to think of it as a compliment of sorts. You’re doing something so difficult that this individual thinks you’ve lost your mind. Sure, not necessarily a kind compliment, but a compliment all the same.
You went how far?
When a non-triathlete asks about your training, they’ll often reply with something like this. They cannot believe you would swim so long, bike for hours, or run more than a few hundred metres. This is a really nice thing to hear, because you might feel like you’re slacking, but it’s a reminder that you’re actually working really hard.
You’re in really good shape
OK, this one is definitely a compliment, and it’s pretty flattering. Yes, we triathletes are in good shape, and it never hurts to be told so. Thanks for letting us know.
How do you get up so early?
We don’t do triathlon for the praise or admiration, but it certainly is nice to impress someone when you tell them how early you get up for morning workouts. This is another reminder that you’re a hardworking, disciplined person. Sometimes that can be easy to forget.
I couldn’t ever do that
The truth is, the person saying this line could do triathlon. They might not believe that to be true, but it is. However, it’s still fun to hear someone say something like this as they stand in awe of what they believe are your superhuman abilities to swim, bike, and run one after the other after the other.