Sometimes I think my guardian angel throws things at me to prevent me from training. She wasn't around back when I was training for Ironman, maybe she was busy keeping me from getting killed by drivers on cell phones? And my angel is a she and she's hot. Brunette. Looks a lot like my wife. Today was a planned long bike but I passed out in my chair last night at 7:30pm trying to get ahead on schedules. Then my wife told me Oliver had his 2 year doctor checkup today and no way I'll miss my kid's life for training so now I'm totally behind. I get home and it's snowing. I like biking in the snow and cold but it was a blizzard and I needed to work. Good job hot-she-angel. Rest day it is.
I'm coaching 19 athletes right now and 9 of them are racing this weekend so I'm kind of a wreck as it is. 3 are racing Ironman and I get in a tizzy when my athletes race Ironman because it's still so close to my heart. I live through them and I feel their tension during race week which goes far beyond any race tension that I've experienced. It's not like Leadville where the gun goes off and you... jog... for a day. The swim start of an Ironman is something I miss the most, particularly Kona. Helicopters buzzing over head, chest to back treading water for 15:00 waiting for the canon, the canon fires and it's complete chaos with foaming water
and flying fists(yes, fists. In 2001 my first pro race at Kona I was introduced to high stakes Ironman when I snuggled up next to Lisa Bentley and she gave me a round house left hook that left me with a black eye and complete respect for 120 pound girl triathletes) then you swim hard. No lolly gagging, you click off sub 1:20 100's for 2.4 miles in open rough water. So ya, come Saturday I'll be a wreck sitting at my computer for 12 hours straight watching Ironman St George (Ironman coverage makes marathon coverage look like the Pony Express).
Have a great day Mike, John and Courtney!
9 comments:
Oooh good luck to your athletes. I hope they kick ass!!
Looking at that swim start picture gave me goosebumps. I love aggressive swim starts too.
Thanks coach! I'll leave the nerves to you, although I'm already giddy with the excitement of the race. I can't wait to get on the road tomorrow and just get to the race venue and chill (at least try to). St. George is one of the ultimate challenges, you've helped me do all the preparation, now I just need to go out and give it my best shot. I actually also enjoy the excitement and thrashing of the swim start (always prepared the laugh off the occasional fist to the head). Good luck to John and Courtney as well.
Mama- YOU are one of those girls that punches! I love that. I'll be a wreck when you kill it at CDA!
Mike- Ya, you're SO ready which makes it more stressful! I can't wait to watch your race and scream at the computer monitor on Saturday. I'll be sending all my energy to your legs on the run!
I know that angel. But weird - mine looks like my wife too.
You know, it sort of cracks me up about angels ... we have them as all nice and pretty and halos and kind and stuff. When ever they actually appear in the Bible - they ain't like that. They typically have firebrand swords, and people are scared shitless.
Just saying.
A 2.4-mile swim is loooong. I worked up to 1-mile swims when my leg was hurt one time, and that left me pretty worked! 100 'fly used to damn near kill me.
That picture is crazy. Like medal-seeking piranhas.
GZ- This is what my Angel looks like...
http://angels.in-pics.com/Boris-Vallejo/img,The-Collector-Boris-Vallejo.jpg/
Mt- 1 mile is solid too though! Swimming is ridiculously hard to do well. Not too many people can grasp how hard it is to swim just 25 meters in 15". But that's still slower than Hackett's world record pace for 1500 meters. Insane.
Speaking of rough race starts, I just read this post about Sara Tarkington having her shoulder knocked out of the socket by another swimmer. After a difficult spot she managed to yank it back into place, and finished 17th. Tough.
Not sure that's the sport for me ;)
Awesome. A dude probably would have quit... unless he was Martin Riggs.
i'm totally lining up right behind michelle with the hopes that she clears the water a little for me....this of course is after i tie a tow rope around her waist without her noticing. i have it all figured out how to cruise 1:20s for just under an hour.
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