Don't you love it when you are somewhere with family and they start asking you questions about triathlons? I mean, much to many people's dismay (especially my wife,) I could talk triathlon ad nauseam. I have to be careful when I am around my colleagues and family, because I am sure none of them care as much about the sport as I do. I don't think anyone I know who is not involved in the sport could name one professional triathlete, let alone last years Kona champions Craig Alexander and Chrissie Wellington. Here are some of the questions—in no particular order—I receive to make me wince just a tiny bit, but I am more than enthusiastic to answer:
1) So, is an ironman, like a triathlon as well?
2) So, what order are the events in?
3) Okay, why is it you do this?
4) So, is it a full Ironman?
5) How long is the marathon, like ten miles?
6) Do people die doing this?
7) Is this over several days, or just one day?
8) Don't you get hungry after a couple of hours?
9) Have you done that one in Hawaii?
10) That must take you, like, eight hours?
Luckily, I have a movie—thanks to my friend Annette—that will help illustrate a normal conversation between triathlete and mortal:
Well, there you have it. Feel free to distribute to your friends, co-workers, enemies, etc.
Training Update: Exciting run day. I ran a short 10.4 miles and averaged exactly 7:30's. I don't know what the heck is going on. That is pretty fast for me. Maybe the training is paying off? Maybe it is the enormous amount of pasta I've eaten the past week, keeping those glycogen levels at Everest-like levels.
More soon. Train Smart!