Race Day 5 Post 1

Punchy – yep, that’s right. Let’s say it again. PUNCHY! That is the way people are feeling around here right now. Lack of sleep – same ole thing everyday. Same faces to look at. Good thing for showers and being able to clean up – that helps.

Alan w/Stephen Johnson - chillin and gettin a tan before he heads back to Canada where it was a reported 21 below. Ouch

As for keeping people motivated – there are a few tricks crews have resorted to. The English Canadians will harass and call the racers cute names, or a few nights ago they were doing the can-can and Rockette style dancing when racers would come by our area (guess we can call it the Pit). Alan from the English Canadians called out to Neil Kapoor and Dave Clamp “watch out, there is a skinny white boy chasing you”, referring to Stephen Johnson.

Michael Gaertner has gotten a reputation for one that does not smile when he races. The can-can group could not get him to smile. So today they had Josh, who is crewing for Eileen, help with their scheme. Earlier he had help moon (actually he dropped his running pants but he had gym shorts on but the initial shock was still there) a couple racers, him standing in the middle of the road. So we did the show to Michael. We got a smile as you can see from the picture.


Food – we can chat about that again. Two ladies working two shifts. Twelve on twelve off it seems like. Always something to eat. At breakfast, always pancakes and some kind of eggs. Usually scrambled, usually with something in it like ham or hamburger. This morning it was plain scrambled eggs and they were also doing fried eggs for people as well (you can always special order things to). There has been porridge (not like what we eat in the states or what my wife and I had in England on our trip couple weeks ago – this porridge had more milk in it and a little sugar – it is quite good). Sometimes there are things left over from the night before. Some spaghetti, refried beans. Uhh – my mind is forgetting. Lack of sleep. Plenty of coffee, hot chocolate. Sometimes there is rice pudding. I have gotten addicted to it. Especially when they put raisins in it. Will chat about lunch and supper in another post.

Sally - support crew for Dave Clamp and Quintuple athlete Michelle Santilhano getting some food




Helmut has come over a couple of times wanting to bet with me about possible outcomes on the Quintuple. This time is wants to bet 50.00 bucks that Elke will overtake Wayne. And then there is the slight chance she will overtake Michelle before the finish get here. Speaking of finish – Andreas has 5 laps left. He is still walking and Helmut tried to get him to start jogging to finish and his words are – “it doesn’t matter”. Helmut says but this is a race and you are able to run regardless and Andreas just comes back with it doesn’t matter. Think the length and the heat and sleep – at this point it doesn’t matter if he runs the last five laps or walks them, he is still the winner. But the other race is on regarding Elke catching up to Wayne and maybe Michelle. She is looking good – she is actually running. Making up four minutes on Michelle each lap.

I will post this now so I get something up along with a few pics of what is going on. TJ wants to interview me soon so will get with him – prior to Andreas finishing soon.

Also follow along on Triathlete Magazine website as T.J. Murphy, the Editor who is here covering the event, writes his stuff as well: he gets paid for his. http://www.triathletemag.com/site3.aspx