Just Your Average Obsessive-Compulsive Guy…

I’m not special. But I don’t quit. In 2008 a completed an Ironman race with a stress fracture in my foot. And of course I always tell my clients that it’s important to know when to say when. Had I been my coach, I would have been very angry at me for not pulling out. I think I’m beginning to understand now why my old coach, Gus, used to get so angry with me.

In 2002, I participated in one of my favorite races, The Santa Cruz Sentinel, Olympic Distance triathlon. I love this race because the swim is in the Pacific Ocean; you can see the ocean from most of the course, and it’s in late September and every so often it lands on my birthday. And it used to be the last race of the season, the last chance to get that racing fix.

2002 was a freak year. Surf was not just up, it was way up—reported to be 12 foot swells. As you can see from the picture, there were a lot of people who ran down to the water’s edge and stopped. When you were standing at the base of a wave, about to be crushed by it, the curl was over six feet above your head. It was reported that over 100 competitors refused to enter the water and another 100 or so got slammed or sucked under on the way in and withdrew. Nobody went to the hospital, but more than 15% of the entrants said “no mas.”

To me, this was awesome. I couldn’t wait to catch a wave coming in. I figured (correctly, as it turned out) that these huge waves were my chance for an over 50 personal best. So it was a glass at least half full in my eyes, while over 250 people looked at the same situation and said. “hell no.”

I feel that way about my writings and my coaching. I think there are a lot of people who could have written Fit Trim a & Immortal, but they didn’t. There are a lot of good trainers and coaches who could have helped my clients to the extent that I did, but I was there for the opportunity. And when I see an opportunity, I’ll grind away until I’m satisfied with the outcome.