I couldn't think of a title for this one... maybe "Me, Me, Me" would do? Yeah, it's crap. No title it is.

I'm in need of a break from the culture that often surrounds triathlon. From the gimmicks and gadgets that people swear by. From people who obsess about tracking all of their training (formerly myself, I will admit), and basically run their lives around training/races, etc.

Tell me this: should a hobby be so all consuming? We all work. In our free time, we should be destressing. It seems counter-productive to try and control our lives to a tee in order to do fit in ALL the training. And for what? An amateur race? We certainly do not make money doing these competitions. And they do not benefit a good cause either (another issue entirely).

I could be wrong here, but I don't think any good can come of taking ourselves too seriously.

The reason for this post was to delve in to some of the fallacious arguments that selfish people used to justify their obsession with triathlon (but equally applicable to other hobbies too!).

Now, the real reason for this post is because after a literal bump on the head I have come to the conclusion that I had a lot in common with some of these thought patterns. Hopefully I can put them behind me and find that elusive life balance that everyone obsesses over!

1. I am grumpy if I don't get to train. It's necessary for my happiness.

2. I will be miserable if I have to miss my training in order to attend such and such an event. How selfish of you to suggest that you want me to be miserable!

3. If I get up really early (4am!) and the training is done before everyone wakes, it's not interfering with anyone's life.

4. My child is 6 years old now. I've been there since day one, and it's time I do something for myself.

5. It's not selfish because it's your hobby and you need "you" time. (Excuse the fact that this training may add up to 10+ hours a week).

6. If you think triathlon training is selfish, consider golf! That's a whole day event. Training only takes up an hour or two a day. 

These were taken from online forums where people have defended the position that training for an ironman, for example, is not a selfish thing to do. I actually agree with that on paper. I believe it's totally individual. Something is only selfish if it something you do which has a negative impact on someone else. So, the short answer is: triathlon training can be selfish but it doesn't have to be.

Ok, now the fun part. Let's debunk. One by one.

1. Really? Even if training is necessary for your happiness, it doesn't mean you need 10+ hours of training. This is a classic example of a FALSE DILEMMA; it's not a matter of training 10+ hours or not training at all. Consider that a smaller amount of training would potentially bring you more happiness (delayed gratification).

2. This is an invalid counterattack in which the selfish person has spun the argument and is now accusing the other person of being selfish, without addressing the real issue. It's pretty bad if you counter a statement of "you're being selfish by wanting to skip X event in order to train" with "well, you're the selfish one, because you want me to be unhappy".

3. I'm not convinced that sleeping WAY less than the recommended amount of time per night will not in any way affect your mood, fatigue, etc. If I woke up at 4am to train, I probably wouldn't want to do the laundry later in the day if I didn't have to... Also, I'm pretty sure it's counterproductive to sacrifice sleep for training. No one actually recommends this... Not sure why I hear this happening so often. FACT: lack of sleep can actually kill you.

4. So is there some sort of timer that's gone off? You put in your allotted parenting time, and now it's time to take back the reins? Don't get me wrong. Parents need to stay sane. But not if it means neglecting your child. Emotional neglect is a thing too. Why did you have kids anyways? This is why the world is so fucked...

5. Everybody needs time to destress. Agreed. But does it need to follow a regimented schedule? This is another example of the false dilemma. You need to destress, but it's not a matter of 10+ hours, or not at all.

6. Fallacy of relative privation. It may be so, that golf can be a selfish activity. Does that mean that because golf is selfish, that triathlon training is not? Nope. I would actually argue the opposite, if it came to that. Training 1-2 hours a day for weeks on end is a LOT more time away from family, chores, etc. Plus the potential accompanying negative effects on mood from training fatigue...

Great! Now that's out of my system I can move on! I look forward to hearing more of these. They are pretty awful, aren't they?

I would like to conclude with the idea that our lives are stressful! When choosing your hobbies, choose wisely, spend wisely, and keep doing them because they are FUN, and they ENRICH your life. Not because they are addictive, and counter self-esteem issues.



Toodles,

Dein