10 Signs You�re Addicted To Triathlon

1. When you wear compression socks at work

Recovery is key right? Well that of course includes the hours you spend sitting down at your desk! So long as you're wearing long enough trousers you won't have to explain it all the time.

2. When you get caught public stretching

Waiting at the deli in the supermarket while a retiree takes her time ordering her crumbed ham and pork pies? What a perfect time to stretch your quads! I’m guilty of it and to be fair, it is ridiculous. Only other athletes will understand how important it is to time manage these things.

3. When family holidays turn into training camps

Your family can’t understand why you’re so adamant to holiday this summer in Mallorca or Lanzarote, perhaps we should try Fuertventura or Tenerife? Alps could be nice? You’ve got the hidden agenda though. Don’t tell them that the cost of all your bags alone ended up being more than the cost of an additional flight.

4. When you can’t relax till you’ve hit out a big session

Triathletes are addicted to training hard, every day. If you’ve got something on the plan you just can’t relax until you’ve got it out of the way. Us triathletes are nothing without that endorphin hit so best thing to do is kick us out the door to get it done.

5. When you are often seen in a finisher T-shirt

You put in all this hard work to get round these super hard and over priced races in exotic locations and you get a perfectly good T-shirt out of it. Of course you have to get your money’s worth and let everyone know about it by wearing it.

6. When you are having three showers a day

We must be the cleanest athletes out there. I practically live in the shower…Swim, shower, cycle, shower and run, shower. Sometimes I even have a shower first thing before training just to wake me up.

7. When you always drink from a sports bottle

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to notice that a person is part of the triathlon family is that they carry around a branded sports bottle wherever they go. A can of coke just won't do, it has to be your own drink you’ve made up with fuelling or recovery always in mind.

8. When you have unusual veins coming out of every limb

The more veins you can see popping up from under your skin the fitter you are it’s a fact. You’ve worked hard for them so be proud and show them off wherever you are, even around the supermarket.  

9. When you won’t ever stop the pursuit to become aero

Aerodynamics on the bike is a never ending process, we’re always on the lookout for the latest bit of free speed from disc wheels, to water bottles, helmets, shoe covers, skin suits. You name it, pursuit of aero never ends!

10. When you have an Ironman tattoo on your leg

This is when you know for sure that you’re addicted! If you’ve earned the right to call yourself an Ironman then you’ve got it bad, so you may as well proudly display your badge of honour and your addiction publicly.