I Hope You Don't Think I'm Crazy, But I Do...

One of my favorite things about racing and training for Ironman distance races is that I can finish my race descritpion with

and then I run a marathon

It is at this point that many people give me that, you are insane look.  They can understand swimming for 2.4 miles, think a bike ride over 100 miles is crazy but to then run?

It is at this point that most triathletes start the delicate dance of trying to appear sane and yet not make our feat look too easy.

If someone starts to google local psychiatrists or addiction couselors I typically start sharing these points:

• Over 3000 other people are doing this race
• 80 year old nuns can do it.
• A bunch of biggest looser contestants have done it
• It is all about pacing and just a long day of exercise

No, if they swing too far and start relating to me by comparing it to there last 5K walk/run, I start trying to amp things up a bit more:

• Describe in detail the mass swim start using the "swim over" as many times as possible
• Talk about bloody nipples
•  Lead them to believe I need to train about 18 - 56 hours per week
• Talk about how winners pee themselves

So in the end, I don't want them to think I'm crazy, well maybe crazy but impressive crazy.

How do you keep things in balance?

Most important 30 seconds for my training

I'm learning a certain 30 seconds of my day are one of the most crucial seconds for my training.  I am working on a name for this time period and would have it solved except I can't come up with a name with a cool sounding acroynm.  I really want it to have the letters S and T and Q. 

Those thirty seconds translate into a difference between 2500 yards of valuable swiming and no swiming.  This 1/2 minute of time is the difference between 1.5 hours on the bike and a big zero.

Okay...I'm sure you are just begging for the answer. 

Those thirty seconds are the first thirty after my alarm goes off.  It only takes me about 5 seconds to realize that it isn't a dream.  It takes another 5 seconds to find the chiming phone and turn it off.  Then I have about 10 seconds to decide whether there was some mistake with the alarm going off (is today my rest day?).  That leaves me with 10 seconds to either get out of bed or not.  If I get out of bed, then training happens.  If not, well I do get another 1.5 hours of guilty lazy regretful sleep. 

I don't remember ever feelin guilt, regret, and lazy if I get out of bed during the magical SQT timeframe.

Scam or opportunity

I've been on the internet researching an offer to sell a time share the non-profit I work owns.  It turns out that the offer is a scam.  Should have known from the start but getting the wire transfer directions sealed the deal for me.  No way I'm wiring $3,380 (USD) to pay a tax that doesn't exist.  Wish I had my time and trust back.

Kind of strange to be in a world in which non-profits are scammed.  You'd think certain groups would be spared based on the good they do.

I feel bad for fat people, there are so many people trying to scam them.  I think I would be pretty paranoid if I was constantly bombarded with so many fantastic "offers".

Good thing we triathletes aren't scammed.  Everyone knows that the middle of the pack athlete needs those race wheels, carbon water bottles, a pro-level wetsuit and trace minerals.  We could move from middle of pack to front of pack if we only...

Maybe I shouldn't write when I'm cynical.  I do think it's great to be as fast as we can be.  Training is hard work and we don't want our equipment or body to let us down and so I am willing to bite.  However, I don't want to be scammed into either wasting my money, time or body. 

So how do I tell the difference?