Tri-ing to stay young!

SORRY! I was getting ready to post my most recent blog when I realized that I had not posted this one on my experiences Volunteering at Penticton:

Wow, what a rush. Watching competitors for the 2 days before the race; I don’t think that 50% were using the sidewalks. Most were so pumped that they seemed to float down the streets. I can’t wait until next year when I get to join their group!

I volunteered as a catcher. What a rush joining in the excitement with the finishers. As luck would have it, I caught the final finisher at 17h02m. The crowd was roaring, fireworks lighting the sky and one lone runner emerging out of the darkness. While I was excited for her, I was hoping that the final finishers would have been 2 competitors that I trained with this summer. They both dnf’d with less than 3 km left on their runs. You have to respect them, knowing that they would not finish but refusing to give up! That is truly the spirit of Ironman! I don’t know if I would have their courage. I hope that, after a years training, I will not be faced with that prospect.

On the down side of catching … Please stay clean!!! My catching partner warned me many people end up with infections. Well, I was one of them. I ended up with a nasty eye infection that took 2 weeks to clear which I in turn passed on to my good wife and our good friend in Kelowna who was hosting us. I wonder how many poor unsuspecting athletes I passed my condition on to? IMC does supply surgical gloves, which they suggest that you change regularly, but I believe that they should also be supplying germicides. When I volunteer next, I will be bringing my own plus I will be sneaking off to wash up on a more regular basis. I will definitely volunteer again!!!

By the way, my good friend Dave said that Penticton would be expensive. One look at all of those great bikes and I would have to have one. Well, He was right! I’m the guy proudly riding his new Blue Cervelo P2C around Victoria.