How do you define "Triathlete"?

I usually read Cranky Runner's page daily and Yesterday's post ended with his coach giving him a cocky remark as he attempts a distance athlete's dream, training for the Boston Marathon ....His coach scoffed the idea of running Boston saying "you're no longer a runner you're a triathlete." Now realistically this got me thinking what exactly is a triathlete. Now in cases like Cranky and the Angry Runner's it is a runner who gets in an insane amount of cross training...hey I can think back to track when my coach encouraged cross training....I remember doing Y swim practices a couple hours after track let out, but then again at that time I was focused on becoming a pure swimmer, It was sophmore in high school that I realized my odds of going to the Olympics were about the same as a blizzard in Death Valley in July. It was also about this time I picked up a copy of Runner's World, ( to try to improve my form and look at the absurd times the Kenyans were pulling) the issue I picked up had an article on this 75 year old dude training for an Ironman, well it got into this whole spiel that Triathlon training is good for runners, and long story short I had the swim back round and the run back round so I hopped on the bike and voila instant triathlete....but enough about that....how does one define a triathlete, is it a multisport machine such as Jodi , Speedy Claire,or myself is it a runner who cross trains al a Cranky and Angry, is it a swimmer who just hops on the bike and throws on running shoes occasionally....the point is it doesn't matter ...so Cranky go and Bitch stomp Boston, and if you're training for the half I think you're training for you'll have plenty of time to recover in between I know I did the Nashville Marathon in late April and an Early July Half IM it actually helpped my running)..Boston's a big deal and don't let anyone talk you out of it....just think of you're swimming and cycling as cross training, just avoid breaststroke at all costs....not good for the knees...also a sprint or olympic tri before the Half IM will help...especially with the bike to run transition. Ok enough with this post I'm starting to get preachy....

The Guru
R.D.