So, Are You Training for Anything Right Now?

When I am perpetually training for something, it can sometimes be challenging for me when a well-intending, but non-triathlete asks me,
"So, are you training for anything right now?"
Even when I'm in the 4-6 week period called the "off season," where I don't do much of anything except let my body heal, recover, and prepare to rebuild, I am training for something. Granted that something may be several months away, but I am training. It just so happens that my training calls for sitting on my butt. However, that doesn't mean my thoughts are not consumed with what lies ahead. It does not mean I haven't started making preparations of one kind or another. By this time I've already established my possible schedule of events for the next season and I've changed it six times over the last three months. I've also ordered tires, tubes, ear plugs, goggles, and other items I'm going to need to get going on my quest. In addition, I've laid out my training plan for the year and have altered it repeatedly based on the many articles I've read in magazines, books I've scoured, the on-line resources I've tapped into, and the suggestions I've received from informed friends. Am I training for something? Yeah, I'm always training for something.
Of course this leaves me with the obvious next step, which is answering the question. I could simply say,
"No, not right now."
This answer is usually followed up with a response (given that we're heading into a Michigan winter) such as,
"Yeah, you probably can't really do anything right now anyway huh?"
At this point, depending on my mood, I either respond with,
"Right."
This is the simple answer that can quickly lead to the end of the conversation. However, sometimes I'll respond by saying,
"Well, actually, I'll start lifting weights, swimming, cycling, and running pretty soon."
Then the person usually comes back with something like,
"Oh, but you don't ride or run outside do you?"
Then I feel like I should explain that I generally do my cycling on an indoor trainer, that I do cycle outside if it's at least 30-something degrees, the roads are dry, and the wind isn't too much. In addition, I tell them that I run outside pretty much all the time regardless of the weather. This response can lead to all sorts of conversations that ofen begin with such thing as,
"Doesn't running in the cold freeze your lungs?"
Or,
"I don't know how you run in that stuff."
Or,
"Is that safe? It doesn't seem very safe to me."
Or,
"I could never do that."
There is nothing wrong with these responses, in fact, some people are genuinely curious about the way things work. If I'm in the right mood and the timing is right, I'm actually very happy to talk about it. When it's most challenging is when somebody brings this up in a passing conversation or in a situation that I know there won't be enough time to do the topic justice. If this happens though, I usually stick to, "No, not right now," and "Right," as my answers. I feel like I'm not telling the complete truth, but generally, that's enough for the inquisitive person anyway.
Who knows, maybe next time when a non-triathlete asks me,
"So, are you training for anything right now?"
I'll say,
"Yes, I'm on the road to Ironman Louisville."

Peace.