Keeping it going, year after year?

I know how you feel. I did my first triathlon in 2003 as a new years resolution. I decided I liked biking, did some bike races the next year and didn't do another tri after 2005. But I've been bike racing every year. Each year I mix it up a little which helps. I added track racing maybe 7 years ago, cyclocross racing 2 years ago and mountain bike racing last year, so that keeps it interesting. Also, there are so many types of bike races, so that helps.

Each year, I think that maybe I am not going to race next year. This usually happens sometime around mid to late season as I get more tired and summer comes to an end and I think about all the winter riding again. Then late fall, I usually meet new teammates, put my race schedule together for next season, consider some bigger goals and get all amped up again.

99.9% of the people on this Earth are limited by one thing...TIME.  We often don't have enough time in the day to do everything we want to do, so we prioritize and do things that mean the most to us, or things that bring use the most happiness.  It doesn't have to be the same answer all the time, or every year.  It's perfectly normal for priorities to change as well as our interests.  Not everyone who attempts their first triathlon, or their first season of tris will come to the conclusion that it's a long term priority for them.  Nothing wrong with that...nor should it be a requirement to do a triathlon.

Again...we have a limited amount of time to do things.  There is no reason why we should devote all or most of our free time on one activity or hobby in life if you don't want to.  In the end, when we are on our death bed, we will look back and ask ourselves if we accomplished all that we wanted to do.  If you can more or less answer yes to that question, no matter what it is you did...then that's all that matters.

triathlon isn't a sport for me, it's a lifestyle choice.

You cannot stop exercising, but you can mix it up and find new goals.  Perhaps it's BQing, or if you like swimming, some 10Km ocean swims... or who knows, perhaps you'll take up mixed martial arts.  It doesn't matter what you do- only THAT you do.

Tri's are a heck of an experience- but they're far from the only one life has to offer.  Just keep moving.  Change it up to stay motivated.

I guess I'm one of the "that guy"s.

I did my first tri in '84, in college. Did a single race a year before going to Alaska for the summer to pay for the next college year. After graduating and getting a full-timer, I went into tri full-tilt. Did fairly well, and that was when the race calendar was just getting interesting. I could do a sprint (or two) almost every weekend from June to September, an Oly at least every other weekend, within just a few hour's drive. Fun times.

But after a while the time commitment got too much. I "backed off" to just do bike racing. That got to be just as much of a time commitment, with even more racing.

I took a few years off everything aerobic, doing a lot of weight training and going for the big lifts. That and the lifestyle I was leading otherwise wasn't sustainable, and I made a huge change to save my sanity.

Back in tri, at a more level-headed commitment, I stayed there until some foot injuries made running difficult to impossible.

Now I'm just riding, along with framebuilding, is a good fit for my personality and life as it stands now. I did a sprint tri relay with my wife lkct01234 and ericwjacobson just a few weeks ago. I did the swim (which I've basically done none in the last 3 years). I was doing okay until rounding the buoy at the half-way point, and then I had to give up a position to keep myself from completely exploding.

Anyway, yeah, some people just reach a point where there's nothing left to prove, and no longer feel the need to put themselves through the intensity to be competitive. I still enjoy a good hard ride, but I also know there are plenty of people who are faster than I am, and when they show up I have no problem letting them ride up the road.

I'm okay being "that guy".