Do any of you NOT primarily identify yourself as a triathlete? (Page 3)

I'm primarily a cave-diver. This silly swim-bike-run thing just helps me keep active so I can avoid looking like the manatees too much.

Besides, random strangers are waaay more interested in hearing about diving (whether they want to or not!) than triathlon

Well, I've scanned your thread title several times and not actually READ the OP, until now... And I'm responding because you're really asking two very different questions (and I may be repeating something that some one else has already said -- I haven't read the other replies).

To answer whether I consider my primary SPORT as triathlon, the answer is a definite YES. Though it wouldn't have been too long ago that I would have said "cycling".

But to answer whether I "identify myself" as a triathlete... That's another matter entirely, and gets into just how much of my self-worth is tied into the sport. In another phase of my life, I was WAY out of balance mentally and emotionally, and almost my entire identity was toed up in sport (cycling, triathlon, or whatever it happened to be at the time). But I have a lot of aspects of my life that I could (and really should) identify more of myself with: husband, father, engineer...

If people ask. I say I'm an endurance runner. I do it because I have a history of diabetes and it trains the endocrine system. I have diabetes beat. Anybody in the medical industry says: "Well you sure chose the right sport. It sure as heck does!" 

 I also identify myself as an endurance runner or ultramarathoner. It is the lack of attitude. The love of others that shows in the sport. The big celebration of the last guy who manages to finish and nobody forgets that he made it. Or the second place guy who sees the first place guy took a wrong turn. Yells at him that he goofed and gives him first place back. It is the stopping if somebody goes down. You worry about people before an award. These are the type of things I identify myself with as a person. 

 I tell people my interest in tri's is in the training. Many endurance runners use tri's for cross training. They are an excellent game to play for cross training endurance. Also tri's allow nicer time during the winter. Indoor pool, indoor spin classes. Treadmill running is like the Bataan Death March. 

I call myself a cyclists. I do many more bike races than I do triathlons. I swim with a masters swim club at least 2 times a week and I run occassionally, when the mood strikes me or when I cannot get outside on my bike, but I bike at least 4 times per week.

Early on in my life, I was a sprinter, couldn't run more than a half mile in HS.  And now in  mid life, have learned/trained to go long and sprinting is not an option.

So I'm a Runner first that does marathons and if I'm talking to people that are in the know, I will say triathlete sometimes.

To the OP, I tell people that I enjoy "training for triathlons" because of the cross-training health benefits and because I happen to like all three sports.  I also enjoy golf, tennis and sailing, but finding the time to do each on a regular basis is difficult. 

I've participated in sports my entire life, but have never really considered myself to be an "athlete".   Sports are something I do, but there are a lot of other aspects of my life that probably do more to define me as a person.

Mark

I will always be a cyclist first and foremost in my heart.  But I don't train enough on the bike to call myself one anymore ........

I started my endurance "career" running in high school, and it is what I do the most and I probably compete in more pure running events each year than I do triathlons.  But I run to be a well rounded triathlete, and if I wasn't doing triathlons, I doubt I'd be running much.

I swim because it is necessary for triathlons, otherwise I definitely would not be swimming.

I probably do best at running stand alone stuff.  But I do not call myself a runner.

I'm a strong cyclist who also happens to be a decent runner and I can survive the swim well enough to put up solid numbers in the other two disciplines.  And I usually refer to myself as a triathlete now when people ask.  Especially when I know I can use it as an excuse to my running buddies as to why they always kick my azz!

I usually start the sentence with a "I've been doing ______ lately", like:

I've been training for a half marathon lately

I've been doing trail races lately

I've been doing triathlons lately

I've been playing lots of soccer lately

Somehow saying "I am a triathlete" makes me think that people are going to think I am Ironman caliber (don't know why I think that but I just do) and I am certainly not that hardcore (not while my kids are still little enough for them to actually want to hang out with me). But overall I think you can call yourself whatever you want if it makes you happy.