Tri Camp Wrapup
On the eve before today's official end of boot camp, and after doing a test swim in Lake Monona, some campers and I decided it was beer time at the Sheraton bar. We were joined by a few of the MultiSports guys, including Jimmy Riccitello (among the best triathletes of our time, great guy) and San Diego triathlete Jay Kederka. We commisserated, we laughed, and of course, we drank. I convinced Jay that the end of tri camp should be toasted, so in all my "tri lifestyle" glory, we both took a yeger shot.
Not so good for the head
Okay so that shot sounded good at the time, and it even tasted yummy. But I paid the price the following day. Rise and shine 6am. Push snooze. 6:15am. Snooze again. 6:30. SH*&^T!!
Get up, go downstairs! Look presentable, and pretend you feel great (I'm a good faker). Then we were off for our half marathon run. Not so good in the beginning. But it's strange what happens to your hangover after about an hour of cardio. The endorphins kick in, which overtake the head throbbing. That's my guess anyways.
Buh-Bye 
After finishing our run, which winded its way from the capitol through the University of Wisconsin campus along the lake and back, we headed back to the hotel to chow and have our final lecture about race rules. As luck would have it, Jimmy is this year's head referee for the Madison Ironman, so we got the inside skinny. Not really, but many questions were answered for us first timers. I should also add that the evening before, Paula gave a great lecture on the mental aspects of "Ironmanning." Very thought provoking. If anyone knows the struggles of Ironman racing, it's Paula, who has 25 wins, including 8 Kona wins under her belt. She's my hero.
We were all then given parting gifts. I got a big bottle of CarboPro, a Timex watch and some Ironman Arizona License Plate Covers. But the best part was this: I actually WON a free Xterra wetsuit. Way cool, way cool!
After finishing our run, which winded its way from the capitol through the University of Wisconsin campus along the lake and back, we headed back to the hotel to chow and have our final lecture about race rules. As luck would have it, Jimmy is this year's head referee for the Madison Ironman, so we got the inside skinny. Not really, but many questions were answered for us first timers. I should also add that the evening before, Paula gave a great lecture on the mental aspects of "Ironmanning." Very thought provoking. If anyone knows the struggles of Ironman racing, it's Paula, who has 25 wins, including 8 Kona wins under her belt. She's my hero.
We were all then given parting gifts. I got a big bottle of CarboPro, a Timex watch and some Ironman Arizona License Plate Covers. But the best part was this: I actually WON a free Xterra wetsuit. Way cool, way cool!
Jimmy and Paul helped take my bike apart. And as I learned this weekend, sometimes Jimmy can be just a plain ass. :)
Tooling Around Madison
I am so glad I gave myself an extra day before heading home to take in the town. I spent most of the day simply walking around the town square, walking into small shops and stopping in for coffee and a little New Yorker reading.
It was a picturesque day. Tons of locals were out for an outdoor art fair. Strolling along, I played observant tourist. Madison is truly midwest in many respects, but I was surprised to see the number of ethnic stores and restaurants, like Kabul, an Afghani Cuisine, or the Nepalese deli. I suspect like most towns, the immigrant communities always find their ways into cities where they can do business, regardless of cultural diversity. Not to mention the university probably draws students and professors from all over the world.
The bike path winding through town was swimming with cyclists, walker, runners and families. It was refreshing to see people enjoying the outdoors rather than malls.
The bike path winding through town was swimming with cyclists, walker, runners and families. It was refreshing to see people enjoying the outdoors rather than malls.
Sunset Ski Show
Walking back to my car this evening, there were droves of people parked lakefront. Apparently every Sunday night in the summer, the city's waterskiing team puts on a show. Yes, there is a team. And they were good. And the crowd loved them. More the reason Madison was voted one of the best places to
live.
live.
Date Night
Since this was my last evening in Madison, I went on a nice date with me. I found a great seafood restaurant call Sardine right on the water. I had wine, salad and an amazing trout. Not to mention I continued my New Yorker marathon reading (on to a glorifying piece on Barack Obama). This was the best date I've had in years.
And this was among the more enjoyable "alone trips" I've had in awhile. I'm glad I did it.
Cheers and happy training!
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."
Johann Wolfgang van Goethe
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