Right now I'm having a very relaxed morning. I've watched stage 20 (Time trial Stage) of the Tour de France, checking out the timetrial machines. As luck would have it, Lance Armstrong is on Oprah today as well. It's an interesting story too, it's not just inspiring. It's interesting that after 7 Tour wins he is a very wealthy man, a mulit-multi millionaire, and he is now quitting professional cycling to spend more time being a dad.
Deep Desire
His own dad left his mother when he was very young, and left behind a very angry, and determined young man. It may be that that act of abandonment fuelled a very very deep desire to pursue powerful dreams of happiness and triumph.
Looking at Luke, his son, I see a child not unlike some of the terrors in my classes. Strongwilled, exuberant, hard to control. Under the right guidance, and in the right place, these traits can lead to prison, or greatness.
Before I get to the 'Hard Day', here's a little background which you may or may not care about.
In Junior School I was a very balanced kid. Top 5 year after year after year academically, especially loving Biology and English and of course Phys. Ed., and even though I was at least a year younger than almost everyone, I was one of the strongest runners (even though I did virtually no athletics training) and the fastest swimmer. They called me an 'attitude problem' in high school, and I didn't really take orders gracefully from anyone during that time. Not from my peers, who fast forwarded into adolescence, shaving, and gruff voices while I was still a little boy coming to terms with a lot of turmoil in my own private universe.
Biased
I remember matrics giving me their bags - we were expected to sometimes carry them to their classes - I remember throwing a bag down and telling the guy to stop being lazy and take it himself. The teachers seemed to love me up until high school, where they began to take the sides of my bullying peers, and I think, decided I was worthy of all that targetpractise, a softy, or a sulker or something. I remember one of the most common insults I got in school was being told I was 'ugly'. I do think it is also the job of teachers to engender values such as fairness, kindness, and respect...a way of treating people. As a result, I pretty much disliked most of my teachers in high school. They seemed to me biased and only able to focus on the most popular students, which I think now represents a lack of conscientiousness on their behalf.
Lose/Lose
It also has to be said that my class (both at school and at AAA) were rumored to be very clever classes, and so competition was fierce. Unfortunately, at school, our class also had a strange penchant for backstabbing, and oneupmanship. Some friends I had a year behind me told me that things were very different in other classes, where all the students basically got along with each other, and supported and eoncouraged each other. I often daydreamed of pulling out of school so I could slot in to a class behind mine. Every time I decided instead to just endure the process and get the business of school done. If I could have done it over, I'd have gone for a happier school experience, and probably a more successful one, even if that meant a year longer. Since I immediately did a year of military service (then mandatory) after finishing school, by the end of that year it was scrapped, so my effort at enduring a less than stellar school experience proved unnecessary, and I think, costly. Our class was about chopping the head off of anyone who got far enough of the rest of us to stick his neck out. It's a shame, because it seemed to me to be a lose/lose way of going through school. But obviously, when it was over, I was free to choose my destiny.
Desire for Events
And that unpleasant period obviously set the stage, in a way, for needing to make up for lost life, lost joy, lost performances. There is still a need to prove my mettle in a way that I think is way past the time most people lose their desire for competitive sport. I still feel a very strong desire to want to seriously pursue my best for events like South African Cycling Championships, The World Ironman Championships, South African Triathlon Championships, the South African Ironman and other less prestigious, but neverthless challenging events like the Argus, like the Two Oceans, and this event of last weekend, The 5th Korea Irontriangle Triathlon Championship.
The 5th Korea Irontriangle Triathlon Championship
I've done this race in 2003 and 2004, and in 2004 was tantalised by the possibilities after a brilliantly fast swim-cycle combination, (I was 2nd overall going into the run)but then slowed and frustrated by a very hot, difficult run. I struggled to stay cool on the run, and became increasingly thirsty and overheated. The picture in my profile (right, top of this page), where I am carrying two bottles of water, was taken at about 15km of the 21.1km run in 2004's race.
Amends
So I wanted to make amends this year. I really wanted to have a super run and have a top 5 finish.
None of that was to be when a double deal of illness unwound all of my Ironman training. I was supposed to come into Korea with this amazing platform of fitness prepaid in South Africa, so it felt like a slow motion horror movie when I got sick once, tried to get back on again and then got sick a second time. It's not easy to describe how demotivating this is, this rapid deconstruction of a painstakingly built up level of fitness. But it was wiped out, and I ended up registering for the race within a milieu of confusion and despair, to be quite honest.
Training
I managed, in the weeks running up to the race, to get in a few swims, and began to enjoy these. I also cycled 2 or 3 times to Imjingak, and was starting to enjoy that too. Because of the heat, I didn't go out running at all, and I decided to turn this period into the OFF SEASON, and so I just need to keep a basic level of fitness ticking over until September/October, which is when the cycling season gets into gear in South Africa.
Decision Time
But you know, standing at the door with my bike and my bag, I actually stopped and said to myself, "Do you really want to do this?" I faced my lack of preparation, I knew the whole race would be a vastly inferior version of the 2004 performance, and I really, really didn't want to be racing in the heat.
But there was also the love of the race, the adventure of that, compared to the dreariness of being at home watching TV or some movie or eating something with someone (as something to do!).
I got to Sungho just before 2pm on Saturday and met the guys. Just the trip there through the heat left me dewy and wet.
Fast Forward to the Race
Last year, while I was getting my gear ready, a truck drove through the transition area and drove over my goggles. The plastic is superstrong, and so there was only a slight break in one of the lenses. I was able to use them. This year I when I jumped into the reservoir and reached for my goggles, they'd quickly slipped off my head and I guess, floated down and out of reach.
If there is a triathlon swim anywhere in the world where you probably don't need goggles, it's Cheolwon's reservoir. It's a freshwater reservoir, and they only allow paddle boats on it. Water is calm and clear green.
Remembering how uncomfortable I was at Sokcho's swim, I did a decent warm up this time. My arms felt heavy and my lats ached. Not a good sign. I swam for a good few minutes, trying to get the painful cramps out of my arms, and after about 750m I felt more comfortable.
Given my fitness, I had a great swim. A small goup of about 10-15 broke off the front, and I headed up the rest of the pack. I also drafted in the water wake of a swimmer who was pacing me perfectly...for at least a third of the way. That's not something I usually do, but it worked for me here. I also have to say that I could sightswim perfectly without goggles, and since the water is so clean, my eyes didn't burn.
Last year we went off in waves, and I took a very wide route around the pack and buoys (effectively probably adding on a good 50-100m). This year, since we didn't go off in waves, and there was lots of open water ahead of us, we hugged the ropes. After a while I took the lead and the swimmer I'd been tailing, tailed me. We did one last swap after the last buoy, and he led me to the carpet that takes you up a steep path to the transition area.
Last year my swim time: 30:43. This year 35:00. My heart rate coming out was 170, which is another way of saying I was giving 100%. I had to pull on a length of rope to get up the very steep rocky embankment right on the waters edge.
Overall: not a bad swim given how little I trained.
(Note: Will post bike and run later today).
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