The post is rated Sprinters, Olympians and Ironman.

Love…what does it look like for you? If I were to observe you from a distance, how might I know that you love? Is love a verb or a noun at this particular time in your life? What do you love, whom you do love and how do you show it? How do those close to you know it?

Valentine’s Day is the universal day of love, but why can’t every day honor love to this extent? Seriously though, there is much to do with Valentine’s Day…restaurants are packed, florists are sold out and romantic plans are executed with the finest precision. It all seems a little dramatic to me.

Now, let’s apply this concept to our sport. You love to push your body to the limits. You run, you bike, you swim each day because you love the feeling being active gives you. You love the physical benefits that come with training, but is that all you love? I love to race, but I don’t always love to train. Sometimes we refer to the “necessary evils” as labors of love, but does that make sense in our relationships?

Are you confident that your spouse, kids, parents feel loved? Think about the amount of time you devote to your training, can you picture it? Have you ever thought about what your kids are doing while you are training? Believe me I understand the importance of training and probably do more than I should, so I’m certainly not trying to make you feel guilty. What I am asking however is, do you devote the same level of energy into loving your family that you do to your training?

Let me ask again…are you certain that your wife/husband feels loved to a greater extent than your swimming, biking or running?In my 6 years of marriage, I can say that I have not done as good a job in loving my wife as I know I could. There have been times when triathlon has received more of my love than she. I am absolutely, head-over-heels in love with my sport…no question. BUT, if it ever came to the point of making a choice, I would drop it like a bad habit and never look back.

I love you Marietta Parrish, more than triathlon; always and forever!