The Hungry Hungry Writer

This month’s issue of Inside Triathlon listed the 117 must-do races for 2008. As I skimmed through the pages of each race I caught two that really made my mouth water and my stomach ache.

Okay, how can I describe the feeling of just thinking about doing an Ironman Triathlon event? For those who don’t know what that is, it’s a 2.4 mile swim followed by a 112 mile bike ride and to finish it off, a 26.2 mile run – which is a full marathon run.

I fantasies of someday doing this race distance. I think about it and the next thing I know, butterflies are in my stomach. I get nervous, my hands sweat, my heart beats harder and my knees feel weak. It’s way off in the future and I will dream about it till the day I’m actually standing there in a wetsuit, waiting for the horn to blow! Whew. I get so nervous just thinking about the atmosphere.

Well, I was going through ‘lesser’ events – like Olympic distance events - and I came across two races that I wish I planned on doing but am too late to sign up for.

Just reading about them made my mouth water, it got my juices goin’ and made me want to slip on my shoes for a 10 mile run. I envisioned being there, riding my bike, crossing the finish line and enjoying the festivities. The thing that made these so appealing is the location: both are in Hawaii! One in May and one in July.

Hmmm… maybe I can do the July one.

I desperately want to do one or both of these Triathlons. If not this year, for sure in 2009!

The Honolulu Triathlon is held the weekend of May 17-18. Distance: 1.5km Swim, 40km Bike, 10km Run. The Tinman Triathlon, also in Honolulu, is on July 20. Distance: 750m Swim, 40km Bike, 10km Run.

The Tinman is shorter as far as the swim is concerned, but both are in Hawaii which makes it such a must do Triathlon to me. If I’m not in Kona doing an Ironman, why not do an Olympic distance race in Honolulu, right?

I reread the description and dreamed of swimming in those calm warm waters and riding along the highways in Hawaii. Then I get to the post-race festivities description where it says, “Spend the evening savoring some mai tais and live slack-key gutar” and “hit the Finish Festival for live music, ripe bananas and tankloads of Jamba Juice.” and I get extremely excited.

Usually my post-race festivities mean getting changed in the back of my mini van and go home for a nap. Wouldn’t it be great to finish a race, enjoy the day at a festival, and still have some days in Hawaii to lay out, swim and eat good food? It’d be so cool to be there for a 10 day vacation with my family, my sister and her family, mom, and dad to fund the week, and cross the finish line to their cheers. Holy crap I’m so excited just thinking about it! I should just sign up for it and tell Donna to book the hotel!

I’m doing one of those in 2009 for sure! I mean it. If I can do the July 20 Tinman this year I’m sure going to do it but I believe we have other vacation plans that do not include a Triathlon event.

So I’m less than 2 weeks away from my first Tri of the year. I’m not ready as of today. Jake said, “You can probably do it right now.” And I thought, yes, but it would be torturous. I just need a couple more training runs of 6 miles or more, maybe two more 10 mile bike rides, and at least one solid 5K run 10K bike BRick workout and I’ll be ready.

I have to signup for a couple more this week before they get sold out! I already missed the New York Triathlon due to a sell out, so I better get off my butt, train, and commit to more events! I just get so nervous doing so.

When I signed up for the Redlands Triathlon (Feb 10) and the Pasadena Triathlon (Mar I got the same nervous feeling I get thinking about a full blown Ironman event. I began to sweat, I was nervous, and I was starting to have cold feet even before I clicked on “submit” on my online application form.

It happens every time I signup for a Triathlon no matter what the distance.

I’m nervous just thinking about it right now.

I shouldn’t be. It’s ‘just a sprint’ I tell myself.

A 5K run, a 10 mile Bike and a 100 Yard swim is nothing, right? That’s like an hour out of my day. It’ll take longer driving to Redlands than it will for me to cross the finish line right?

Hey… I’ll be in a new age grouping this year! The 40-44 age group! I should rock this age group. Those guys are old!

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Here’s a list of events I’m thinking of doing. I’m signed up for the first two, but want to do at least a Tri a month. I’m moving up to Olympic Distance this year too so it’s going to be a great year!

9th Annual Redlands Triathlon/Duathlon & 5K Run/Walk
Channel: Triathlon
Type: Event, 5K
City: Redlands
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sun, February 10, 2008

Pasadena Triathlon
Channel: Triathlon
Type: Event, 5K
City: Pasadena
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sat, March 08, 2008

Kring & Chung Newport Beach Triathlon
Channel: Triathlon, Running
Type: Event, Sprint
City: Newport Beach
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sun, April 20, 2008

Los Angeles Triathlon Championship Series #1
Channel: Triathlon
Type: Event, Olympic
City: San Dimas
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sun, April 27, 2008

Encinitas Sprint Triathlon
Channel: Triathlon
Type: Event, Sprint, Other
City: Encinitas
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sun, May 18, 2008

Los Angeles Triathlon Championship Series #2
Channel: Triathlon
Type: Event, Olympic
City: San Dimas
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sun, May 18, 2008

Redondo Beach Triathlon 2008
Channel: Triathlon
Type: Event, Sprint, Other
City: Redondo Beach
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sun, June 08, 2008

Tri for Real Olympic Distance Triathlon Series
Channel: Triathlon
Type: Event, Olympic
City: Sacramento
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sun, June 08, 2008

Los Angeles Triathlon Championship Series #3
Channel: Triathlon
Type: Event, Olympic
City: San Dimas
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sun, June 08, 2008

San Bernardino Sunset Rotary’s 22nd Annual Tinman Triathlon …
Channel: Triathlon
Type: Event, 5K
City: San Bernardino
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sun, June 22, 2008

San Diego International Triathlon
Channel: Triathlon
Type: Event, Sprint, Olympic
City: San Diego
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sun, June 29, 2008

Tri for Real Olympic Distance Series
Channel: Triathlon
Type: Event, Olympic
City: Sacramento
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sun, July 13, 2008

Xterra Wetsuits Solana Beach Triathlon and Duathlon
Channel: Triathlon
Type: Event, Sprint
City: Solana Beach (San Diego County)
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sun, July 27, 2008

Imperial Beach Triathlon and Duathlon
Channel: Triathlon
Type: Event, Sprint
City: Imperial Beach (San Diego)
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sun, August 24, 2008

Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon
Channel: Triathlon, Running
Type: Event, 10K, Sprint, Olympic
City: Venice
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sun, September 07, 2008

The Granite Bay Triathlon
Channel: Triathlon
Type: Event, Sprint
City: Granite Bay
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sun, September 28, 2008

Imaging Healthcare Specialists Mission Bay Triathlon
Channel: Triathlon
Type: Event, Sprint
City: San Diego
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sun, October 05, 2008

The Golden State Triathlon
Channel: Triathlon
Type: Event, Sprint
City: Sacramento
State: California
Country: United States
Date: Sun, October 12, 2008

Hey, I’ve been writing for Tribune USA for a year now! I’m pretty faithful only missing those vacation weeks off and most of December due to it being the ‘busy time’ of year. Or is it supposed to be the ‘happiest time’ of the year? Hmmm… Both I guess.

I’ll be writing these weekly articles every week in 2008 and I also have several scripts I need to start, finish and sell. This year is going to be filled with more writing and more stories! It’s going to be awesome!

2007 was pretty damn good. I accomplished some new goals, left some old ones on the wayside, and made some more new ones for 2008. There just doesn’t seem to be enough days in the week and 2008 really needs a calendar adjustment. We actually get one more day this year – and I plan on making that day significant!

So what’s on tap for 2008? Okay, I’m back on the book of the month kick. I’ve been reading again but it slows down around April. That’s when I start a book, put it aside, start another, put it aside, and so on and so forth. This year I have to pick up those same books and finish them and finish a ton of new ones begging to be read.

Oh, and the family just got into Snowboarding and Skiing. We went to Mountain High on Christmas Eve and are now hooked. Jake used his Christmas money to buy himself a little snowboard and Donna convinced me to buy a Snowboard package instead of skis so there you have it. I’m now a snowboarder – and I’m addicted. If I could go every day I would! I have till March to get in a couple of trips to the mountain and hope to take advantage of it as much as possible. Donna and Bella took Ski lessons as it was their very first time and for first timers they did great! Bella was in a kids class for three hours and, as the teacher said as she leaned over to Donna, ‘was the best one in the class’. And Bella was not too hesitant to brag, “My daddy taught me how to pizza!” I’m a proud daddy!

Yeah, the 15 minutes I spent getting her on skis, walking down about 15 yards, and having her ski and ‘pizza’ down to me made her the top of the class. Funny huh?

It took Jake a couple of runs down the bunny slope to finally get the whole concept of snowboarding. Kids learn fast don’t they? By days end it was natural to him. Jessica tore down the mountain, ‘shredding,’ as they say, and stopping in a crash that would cause heads to turn… every time! It cracked me up. I skied on that day, but two weeks later I was snowboarding down with Jacob and loving it! 2008 will be the year for snowboarding! Donna is getting into it and once Bella reaches 40 pounds, she’ll have her own snowboard! Right now she’s a little skier and as cute as can be!

Oh, and there’s golf. Chip and I scheduled a tee time during what was supposed to be a storm. We were going to brave the
weather and do 18! We had our rain gear on, rain gloves, extra towels, warm jackets and walked into a tee time at Griffith Park’s Harding course. And did it rain like it did all day and the night before? Nope! We had a perfect day of golf with the sun breaking through the clouds a couple of times! From 1:30 to 5:00 we had an open course and no rain. Wow. Two hours after we wrapped it up, the rain came down in buckets. 2008 will be filled with more tee times, lower scores and fewer putts!

News flash! I have a month to prepare for the first Triathlon of the season. Yikes. I can’t miss this one. It’s the Redlands Triathlon. It was the first one I ever did, I ran it last year, and I can’t miss it this year. Last year I did it in the pouring rain. It was tough to ride my bike for 10 miles in the pouring, cold rain. There were a couple of crashes but I was fortunate to stay on the saddle despite the fact it was hard to see. Breathing was like putting your face up against the spray of a showerhead and taking deep breaths for thirty plus minutes! Try seeing through that too and that’s what the rain was like. My goal was to beat my 2006 time and I barely did that (by six minutes). I would have killed it but the rain was my downfall. This year I’m going to rock!

Did you watch the new American Gladiator? If you haven’t, give it a try. There’s nothing else to watch during the writer’s strike anyway. And don’t be surprised if someday in the future you see a 5 foot 5 inch, 150 pounder making his way through the Gladiators! Yeah, that would be me. Is it a new goal? Lets just say, don’t put it past me.

That being said, have a great New Year everybody!