I Hope You Don't Think I'm Crazy, But I Do...

One of my favorite things about racing and training for Ironman distance races is that I can finish my race descritpion with

and then I run a marathon

It is at this point that many people give me that, you are insane look.  They can understand swimming for 2.4 miles, think a bike ride over 100 miles is crazy but to then run?

It is at this point that most triathletes start the delicate dance of trying to appear sane and yet not make our feat look too easy.

If someone starts to google local psychiatrists or addiction couselors I typically start sharing these points:

• Over 3000 other people are doing this race
• 80 year old nuns can do it.
• A bunch of biggest looser contestants have done it
• It is all about pacing and just a long day of exercise

No, if they swing too far and start relating to me by comparing it to there last 5K walk/run, I start trying to amp things up a bit more:

• Describe in detail the mass swim start using the "swim over" as many times as possible
• Talk about bloody nipples
•  Lead them to believe I need to train about 18 - 56 hours per week
• Talk about how winners pee themselves

So in the end, I don't want them to think I'm crazy, well maybe crazy but impressive crazy.

How do you keep things in balance?