Race Day 6 Post 1

First things first – the important stuff. Why we are all here.

Wayne finished third in a time of 111 hours and 40 minutes while Elke came in fourth with 112 hours and 26 minutes. That equates to
Andreas 4 days 7 hours 45 minutes
Michelle 4 days 12 hours 14 minutes
Wayne 4 days 15 hours 40 minutes
Elke 4 days 16 hours 26 minutes
Arthur has 97 laps done
Silvia has 73 laps done


Andreas Buscher with TJ Murphy of Triathlete Magazine










Michelle Santilhano










Wayne Kurtz





Erika Streicher and boyfreind Marcel Heinig congratulating her on finishing

I am in the kitchen where it is warm typing my updates and just generally staying warm. Using my powers of being part semi staff, I acquired a section of a table in the back of the kitchen, trying to stay out of the cooks way. In order to get Internet, I need to stand up and hold the laptop in the air, over the window counter where people are getting their food. The temps yesterday were 81F/27C but turned to windy and 47F/8C overnight and the high of today will be 55F/13C. Tomorrow will be high of 65F/18C but getting back up to mid 70’s/21C to 80/27C. they were calling for slight showers today, lets hope they stay on the other side of the mountains, we sure don’t need that.

Breakfast consisted of more porridge/oatmeal, scrambled eggs with the left over hot dogs from last night (midnight food), pancakes, rice pudding (they made it for us when I asked late last night – it is a hit around here), sliced potatoes and hard boiled eggs that were from last night as well as sopa’s (small corn tortillas) stuffed with a variety of cheese and meats. Things are recycled around here, what is left over from one meal with find it’s way in something else somewhere else.

Well I need to correct another wrong from a couple days ago. The black birds that entertain us during the day and at night are called Hurracas. I mistakenly called them a Grackle.

Over the late part of the night, Kari Martens of Sweeden got off the bike first and has 22 laps on the run done and Marcel Heinig of Germany is off the bike as well and has eight laps done. The rest sure wish they were off the bike – mainly because of the wind and cold, much harder riding in this stuff than running/slogging.

The Deca IRON athletes have to complete 938 bike laps while they complete 223 running laps. Round and round and round we go. We joke – you bike one way then run the other to unwind yourself.

The Stephen Johnson crew have made the following T-shirts to wear – once the weather get warmer. They read (in Spanish) left to right –
1) Go ahead, ask me about me feeling
2) I am the sunblock and lubricant masseuse
3) Mr Johnson would rather have a pap smear
4) Dave’s not hear man!
There is, of course, meanings within the group, about the meanings. This is also the group that was giving Stephen trivia questions during the swim – to keep his mind off swimming. He turned it around and was giving them questions as well and this has continued on the bike too.

Harn is still getting some therapy on his knee and hopefully will start riding later this afternoon. He was off for a while yesterday with ice and some therapy and tried again but had troubles. So he stayed off last night and this morning so we will see what happens. Long way to come and lots of money and training to have to quit now.

Lunch consists of left over porridge/oatmeal, rice, tortillas, a gravy looking mixture with beans and some vegetables, a steak and vegetable stir fried concoction. I have to mention the tortillas are all hand made here. I watched them making some yesterday. Some of them they use a rolling pin to make the sopa’s with, they others they have a press to make them super thin and grill them then we get them hot and put stuff in them and eat away. These ladies are great cooks and most things are done fresh.

Let me close out this segment – a kinda funny. It didn’t hurt him much as he only had two more laps to do. The Quintuples have 468 laps to do on the bike but the Deca’s have 938 laps to do (468 x 2 = 936) – for some reason that is the way it is. Anyway – Dave Clamp's son told him he was done at 936. a couple people mentioned he was done but he didn’t listen to them and Dave headed to the room, passing over the mat on the way which set off the next to last lap telephone ring (that is the signal you get to let you know last lap) and when he came back from the room his bike set off the last lap final time. He started on the run when people realized what happened so when he came back from that run he put on his bike shoes and helmet and did his proper two laps on the bike and he just ran past me with a smile on his face. It could have been worse, but it was only two laps, less than 10 minutes.

Our room, there are 4 sets of bunk beds. After the last guy gets here, we are full of stuff hanging around

Marcel and Elke's table full of race supplies, notice the non-alcoholic beer on the middle shelf, popular with athletes in that they get calories with no buzz.

Suraya Oliver of England

Mario Rodriquez of Mexico

Michael Gaertner of Germany