Some Pitfalls

I've noticed as I interact with triathletes that we tend to be just a tad bit of an obsessive bunch. If you ever want to know anything at all about fitness, just ask a triathlete and you'll get so much advice that you really never wanted to know in the first place. We tend to read lots of books, study different training methods, get really excited about the newest energy drink, and chat or read message boards on sites like Ontri.com or Active.com. We have even been known to call ourselves "Trigeeks".

So what could possibly be the downfall? We're so obsessive that we often forget that no one else really cares about triathlon. We tend to be so self-focused with our training that we forget that other hobbies are just as noble. Sometimes our training can become our little "god". We forget that there are other topics in life that are worth discussing.

I let this obsessiveness happen to me several times. I'm not proud of it. Now that I'm married, I have more responsibilities and it's a little harder to be so obsessed, but it can still happen. I get really pumped when anyone mentions swimming, biking, or running. So, one of the things I know that I must look out for is becoming so obsessed with training that I overlook all the people and relationships that are important to me.

I wonder how many other types of hobbies tend to have obsessive people...