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Should Triathletes Date Triathletes?

Monday, 23 February 2015 00:10

When dating a fellow triathlete, it pays to play by the rules.

By SUSAN LACKE (Triathlon.competitor.comt

Before I met my husband Neil, I had a very strict “No Triathlete” rule when it came to romance. My experience dating triathletes had ended poorly—in general, I found the men of the sport to be arrogant and selfish. Not my type.

But one day, I found myself explaining to a very lovely non-triathlete named Josh why I couldn’t accept his invitation for Sunday brunch (long run day). When he pointed out I had also turned down his invitation for dinner on Thursday night (masters swim) and had fallen asleep at the movies the weekend prior, it hit me:

I was peeing in the wrong dating pool.

My problem wasn’t just that the men of triathlon were arrogant and selfish—it’s that I couldn’t admit I was arrogant and selfish, too. If I was going to have any sort of romantic success, I needed a kindred spirit. Triathlon is a demanding mistress, and that’s hard for the average person to grasp. After all, hardly anyone wants to date someone who spends his mornings riding a bike and afternoons comatose except for occasional trips to the fridge for more cookie dough....

But in a relationship with a fellow triathlete, you can be comatose together, snuggled up on the couch with zero guilt. Sometimes, your beloved will even share the cookie dough with you (just kidding – our selfishness applies to snacks, too).

That doesn’t mean two selfish, arrogant triathletes will live happily ever after by default. In love, as in racing, it pays to play by the rules. Stay out of the penalty box with these guidelines for Triathlete Love: ...READ MORE