How SAD am I?

Years ago when IronPhil started his own triathlon adventures, I remember stifling yawns as he tried to talk to me about training methodology, bike components and other apparently important stuff. I was an uncomplicated runner at the time. The most technical thing I did was lace up my shoes, pin a number on my vest and just run as fast as my body would let me!
Now look at me - I could bore for Britain by talking triathlon even in my sleep. The bookshelf is groaning with endurance sport biographies, 220 mag and training manuals. I could guide you to a lifetime's worth of YouTube motivational viewing for turbo sessions. Every move I make is logged and timed ... but worst of all, I'm all tooled up! If it can be monitored or motivated - I've got the tools to do it.
An i-pod, to keep me running for hours; a waterproof MP3 player, to take the boredom out of 100+ lengths in the pool; finger computer, to count my lengths and other things that I can't figure out yet; bike computer - to let me know how far and how fast; Garmin - same info for when I'm running; I've even succumbed to the temptation of  a heart rate monitor,  which should arrive from eBay tomorrow. But most worrying of all, I've been ridiculously excited all week about a new app which I've downloaded on my phone to track my runs and rides. The thrill of downloading the data and analysing it when I get back is firmly placing me in the geek category! I'm worryingly SAD - Shockingly Addicted to Data. I can see how fast, how slow, how far I go; comparing myself to hundreds of other people I don't know and have never met - God if that's not sad then I don't know what is! The thing is, long distance triathlon training can be a lonely affair. I do like to train with others, but my schedule is not a very sociable beast, it's either too early, too late, too far, too fast or too slow, to fit in with others, so I'm often on my own for most of my 8 sessions a week - so I need toys to play with!
Unfortunately, technology is notoriously unreliable in the winter weather we're experiencing. I stupidly took my i-pod for an hour's run in hellish sleet and snow this week, I don't blame it for packing up on me - it's been sitting in rice ever since and I'm slowly giving up hope of a resurrection. My bike computer has also given up the ghost in foul cycling conditions.
But after a couple of tough weeks of  'training in treacle', so much so, that I abandoned my Garmin because I didn't like the run splits it was showing, I'm happy to report that while the weather is still doing its damnedest to break me, I've shed a weary skin and emerged stronger.  This week I've been back on track with fresher legs and better splits .... I'll never mock the motivating power of a bit of electronic tracking again!