How many of you..

[stacie]

I try to be careful here. Many of my friends I met at the Y or eventually got them to join. However, I've lost friends who were not successful. Recently, some really good friends started asking my husband and me about working out. I even got them a free membership for a while in hopes that they would enjoy it. They never went and we get far fewer invites to their house. When we do visit, they usually start giving us excuses why they aren't doing all the things they dream about. I was recently having a glass of wine at a bar with my husband when a friend I haven't seen in a while caught my eye. He came over to say hello and immediatly started explaining the weight he'd put on. I knew I wouldn't be seeing him again. My husband and I remind each other not to talk fitness when we head to non-fitness type people's parties. We've gone as far as to change out of run tshirts when walking over to get our son's at a neighbor's house. When a friend starts talking fitness to us who doesn't already exercise, my husband I always try to change the subject.

[LadyinWhite]

My friends all laugh and say look at their watches, ribbing me, saying Gee, 30 min before she worked her bike into the conversation! LOL.. it's so funny.

Now I do it just to bust their chops. I'll very overtly deliberately say "Why that's just like when I [insert bike story/comparison here]."

Everyone is just glad that I have something that means so much to me in my life.
I'm a lucky girl!

[DarcyInOregon]

I have very few bikey friends, so it is worse for me. I am what is referred to as a living widow, so I can't even talk bike stuff to my husband. I have one male friend who calls and he asks me what is new, and I launch into a description of every ride for the past seven days, and now he doesn't ask me what is new anymore. Or worse yet, the conversation veers towards something I did, and I always say, well I had to spend the day taking my husband to the doctors and so I couldn't get my ride in, instead of merely stating that I spent the day taking my husband to various doctor appointments and lab tests; it is always I did this or that and so I couldn't get my ride in, because that is what is really important to me, the lack of the ride, not what I did that prevented me from having the ride.

Darcy

[Minty]

I'm a piglet shaped person who commutes to work and does little rides on weekends. Like 9km each way for the work commute and maybe 40-50km on the weekend. This is such a tiny distance, and I know it is but I never get tired of how impressed non-riders are with my efforts, especially considering I don't exactly look athletic (big bums are great for downhill ballast!).

I think everyone I know knows my bike's name is Trevor and that his favourite bike shop used to be Cecil Walker Cycles (bianchi specialist), but now he prefers Brunswick St Cycles because he doesn't feel as self conscious about being the only non-bianchi in the workshop.

When I bought Trevor some new wheels for Christmas I bored everyone stiff with how exciting it would be to have blade spokes and some nice sturdy hubs.

Oh well - could be worse. All my colleagues talk about is Big Brother!

[Wahine]

Most of the time I play down my fitness endeavors with non-tri/bikey friends and family. But all of my friends know how important it is to me so they almost always ask how much I've been training, how long I've been riding...

Well once they ask, I let them have it but in a very brief way. Sort of like this:

Them - Did you train today?

Me - Yep

Them - What did you do?

Me - For which workout?

Them - Pardon?

Me - Which workout? I ran this morning and biked this afternoon.

Them - What?

Well you get the idea. And like Southernbelle, IFjane and Susan 126, I love the looks on their faces when I get to the part when they ask how far or how long. I am evil. Sometimes I think I do this so that when I'm 90 and in a nursing home if the nurse says "My are killing me," I can say in a crochety voice, "You don't know what sore feet are. When I was your age..."

But seriously, I never talk about my training beyond them asking me questions. It is an easy way to bore people to death.

[run it, ride it]

I have a horse, run, fence, practice taekwondo, sail, skateboard, work out, AND bike. Thankfully whoever I'm talking to finds at least ONE interesting, but sometimes it just goes over people's heads.

I was talking to a friend after class, when I mentioned I should drive home before it gets dark. Once he determined that I meant my BIKE:

"Don't you have a car?"
"I'm not wasting gas driving when there's a bike lane the whole way here!"
"Uh, can't you take the bus?"
"I don't do busses. Huh, mine's the only bike on the rack, today..."
"Yeah, that's because it's MINUS TWENTY!"

Now whenever I mention a bike he just shakes his head and walks off. This is a magician who sticks Q-tips in his nose for fun, calling ME crazy...

[crazycanuck]

Well..People at work know I bike 20km to work and think i'm a bit crazy. I can tell you many of my conversations are similar to Wahine's.

Them-So, how far did you bike yesterday? Did you swim today? Are you mtn biking on the weekend? How many km's have you done this week. etc etc..

Me-only 50km. Yep, swam today. Yep as per usual. only 170 so far.

Them

They know i've only ever called in sick twice-when i mistook a curb for a flat piece of ground & landed on me head and when i had stitches in my knee late 05..

They like me because i'm crazy


c

[Crankin]

This is getting to be a problem with 2 couples who are non-cycling friends. Couple #1 USED to be very active. Now they do nothing, no tennis for him, she plays doubles and complains about the running! She's on Crestor and tells me how she loves to eat ice cream every night. Brags about her brother in law's marathons, but doesn't really listen too well when she asks what I did that day. There are other issues here, but they have been friends for 16 years. Couple #2, are both overweight. She eats fine, but it's family history. She doesn't exercise and constantly says "I'm going to start." They have had other issues (no jobs) for a few years, but are back on track. They are wonderful friends, so I try not to bring it up. Didn't ask at all when we did our century or done other unusual rides.
Couple #3 are our cycling friends. We also go to theatre with them and dinner, etc, vacations, x country ski, hikes, snow shoe. We talk about sports stuff a lot, but also lots of other things. Naturally, we spend mfore time with these people. Wish we could find more friends like this, where we have the cycling interest, but also other things in common...

My dad doesn't even know half the stuff I do. When my mom was alive, she was very interested and supportive. Both kids like to hear of our adventures, though.

[missymaya]

Im guilty of this conversation piece (that and political science). My coworkers are mostly overweight, eat poorly, and most of them smoke, so when I mention what I do before and between work in the daytime and school in the evening, and what I do on my weekends, they look at me like I haven't 'lived' b/c I don't get trashed on weekends or smoke or eat the birthday cake (ok a little ice cream every once in a long while just to satisfy the taste buds!). This also applies to many of my pre-bike friends, and my fam, particular my sis. B/c I'm in school and work, cycling is practically the only thing extracurricular for me, so the conversation is either about poli sci or cycling (never work!)

[Batbike]

Biking is important to me, so I talk about it. Yet, I have learned (through blank stares, nervous responses, and sheer bafflement) to tone it down or avoid the subject all together with "those of less knowledge and understanding". Then again, there are those who have gotten use to it and know that 30 miles is a short ride; 100 miles is an accomplishment.

Most people who know me know "I ride a bike" for fun and exercise. I get asked questions (a lot) about overall fitness, bikes, and proper nutrition -- lots of times because people want to know and feel guilty they aren't doing anything. I am happy to give them web sites and other resources, but keep the subject VERY SHORT and explain that I am just a "middle-age woman who rides a bike and watches what I eat". I have found this relaxes people, frees them of their "guilt" and we can move on to other topics.

Now, with people who ride a bike -- what else is there to talk about?!! It is nice to have good friends who understand and are as obsessive as you ... makes life fun!!

[caligurl]

Guilty. But I think most non-bike people I talk to listen out of politeness not out of interest

what she said.....

[Bluetree]

Guilty here, too. Although I found that if you even mention the word "triathlon" to non-fitness people, they invaribly use the word "crazy" in their response.

I've been making a concentrated effort to see members of my tri club on a social level... we just can't seem to stop talking!

I'm a piglet shaped person

LOL! I like to think of myself as an Asian Gumby... looks thin from the side, stick-like arms, no chest, no hips, wide legs...

[IFjane]

LOL! I like to think of myself as an Asian Gumby... looks thin from the side, stick-like arms, no chest, no hips, wide legs...

As long as you aren't green all over it's ok, BT!

[caligurl]

Guilty here, too. Although I found that if you even mention the word "triathlon" to non-fitness people, they invaribly use the word "crazy" in their response.

"I" use the term crazy about triathlons!

[Bluetree]

"I" use the term crazy about triathlons!

You will be punished for that... hand over your Ruby... NOW!