When Do You Become A Triathlete?

Is it when you complete your first sprint tri? Or is it when you've worn out 3rd pair of running shoes? Is it when you get your first pair of aero bars? Or is it when you get your first tri-suit? Is it when you train/run show much that you lose one or more toe nails? Is when the chlorine from the pool makes your tri shorts see through? Or is when you complete an ironman distance race? Is when you do an ocean swim and dolphins come up beside you? Is when you get a GPS watch and start training you pace, heart rate, and such? Is when you start blogging about you training and races or reading other peoples blogs about tri's? Or is when you've start listening to triathlon podcast?

This is one of the the questions I ask myself while I'm out there on the road. Every time I reach a new milestone or get a new gadget I think about when I just start out. In an old pair of new balances that were about 3 years old and completely worn out. and a cotton t-shirt. This was back when I couldn't run one mile.