Doing the Dance

Doing the Dance

Running down Alii Drive to the finish line has to be the highlight of some athletes' lives... it can also be a nightmare!

The Dance. C'mon, you know what the dance is, don't you?

 

You train for months on end to accomplish a goal we set ourselves for personal and athletic reasons, and then you get to dance across that Ironman finish line. But sometimes the dance ain't so pretty. I know I should be writing positively, but if you know me, then you'll appreciate a good laugh when you read this.

 

At Multisports.com, a coaching company in which I have been coached and now guide others, uses a term loosely . . .  "the dance of a thousand headless monkeys" (now why do I see John Duke in my mind yelling out at the top of his squeaky voice at some poor finisher?)  Its funny, I mean it is really funny. You see, for some athletes, you know what it feels like to not have good day, or to experience the bonk. For others, its all about forward progress.

 

Case in point:

 

Do you remember 1982? Thought not. Let me set it up for you.  Julie Moss passes another woman competitor to gain the lead on the run. The young lass from Cal Poly San Luis Obisbo has now seized the lead of the Ironman Triathlon World Championship, now all that stands between her and a victory is a port-a-potty (KIDDING). The young gal now extends her lead over Kathleen Macartney, a San Diego native looking for a win in the sports greatest prize, the Ironman.

 

Anyway, just when Julie hits Alii drive, now in darkness, thank goodness, she starts to get the wobbles, her legs heavy, her pace slows and eventually she hits the deck like a ton of bricks. Julie loses control of her body and finds it hard to go on. Now, I know athletes are a tough bunch, but just this one particular moment in the sport's young life was responsible for putting Ironman on the map, for very good reason. It is tough.

 

Julie picks herself up off the ground and continues, wiping off (well we wont go there), wiping off all doubt about not finishing and just getting to the line, then suddenly, down she goes again. It's agonizing - how much do you really want this Julie?

 

Julie struggles to her feet and starts to walk. She has 15 meters to run-walk-crawl, whatever (c'mon Julie, happy hour is about to end!), and she's passed, not that she knows it at this time, not that she cares. Kathleen McCartney makes the pass like Dave did to Mark one year, on the other side of the ABC-TV truck.

 

Julie crosses the line to finish second in a moment that defines guts, and most of all GLORY.

 

Now, I know I started out fairly tough here, but the early season goals we all set need true meaning, after all, you are going to train all year for a goal race, whether it be a North American Ironman or Down Under and European Ironmans. I want you all to know of some of the depths that athletes will delve into - it's quite remarkable.

 

Julie Moss revisited—1997. The famous crawl before you walk. Like Julie Moss in 82, Sian Welch was hanging onto 3^rd place before making the famed right hander onto Alii, still looking OK and making progress. Sian sees some friends just into Alii Drive and starts to get the wobblies, but she pulls herself together and starts to run with form again. However, 50 meters before the line, Sian falls to the ground a la Julie, and has a hard time getting up. Fernanda Keller runs by to collect third place (again!)

 

Now Wendy Ingraham is in the picture, she pulls up on Sian and offers encouragement, but as she offers it, she too falls to the ground. Now, I thought it may have been a sick joke, almost "in your face" stuff, but Wendy had lost it completely too.

 

I was standing behind the line with Wendy's other half and we were a little concerned to say the least. The girls were now just trying to hit the line. I was having flashbacks to the coverage of the '82 race, and it wasn't pretty. Just then Wendy got up and hung onto the fence. Sian then rose, then they both fell again. Wendy just then started to crawl and Sian followed suit. Wendy finished 4^th and Sian 5^th in what has been labeled the "Crawl of the Century."

 

It can happen to anyone, believe me. I had to laugh . . . at the awards, Sian was announced as 5^th place winner, she got to stage left, then fell to the ground and crawled to her position on stage, quite amusing as she saw the other side to it.

 

1995—PNF. Now the Queen of Kona needs no intro here, but let me say this... how could you not have your heart ripped out about this one.

 

That very corner again, the old HOT corner. Paula has a minute lead over Karen Smyers, it's less than a half mile to go, it's in the bag!

 

What did I just say? Its never over 'til it's over (I'll never say "Its never over 'til the fat lady sings" anymore cause I'm sick of getting slapped up side the head).

 

Paula was finding it a little rough. Going for a record 8^th title, she was just running out of steam. Her words were, "I reached deeper than I have ever gone, went to another side of myself and left part of it out there."  Man, those are some pretty heavy words. The respect the Ironman demands is to be regarded as top priority, whatever Ironman it is, Kona, or ?

 

I am writing this for laughs and giggles so don't take me too seriously. I'm sharing things that some of us are not very proud of, but have a laugh ourselves.

 

I have seen many age group athletes hunched over in pain, or fall to the ground or sprint their way to the line. I have witnessed tears streaming from my own face, embracing strangers I don't know with a giant bear-like hug in congratulations. I have seen Dick and Ricky Hoyt raise the roof on more than one occasion, and have been inspired by John Maclean eventually make the cut off and crush the finish line, in a wheelchair.

 

But I have never seen anything like this:

 

1997 again, Chris Legh, an Australian Journeyman, an Ironman winner, twice actually - California and Idaho. Chris was making his way down Alii Drive in 6^th place, suddenly things went way wrong. He stumbled, and instead of running in a forward motion, he began to traverse Alii Drive.

Chris poured everything into this day, which would have equaled his best finish. With 100 meters to go he lost control like Julie, but on this day would not progress any further. I'll leave it there because Chris got back up and won another Ironman.

 

The season is now upon us and our goals are inching ever so close. These stories I share with you are intended to motivate you, show you that "Anything is Possible" provided you want to come to the party, become a part of the family, and ultimately, do the dance.

 

See you at the races.

Greg

 

You may contact Greg Welch at greg@ironmanlive.com