Did you guys watch the Kona Ironman Championship on Saturday? That was the most exciting ironman that I have ever seen. I was on the edge of my seat. You see, I am a big Macca fan. I tend to really like the LOUD spoken athletes. These guys that talk a big game and deliver (I am a Contador fan also – but we can leave that discussion for another day). Don’t get me wrong – Crowie is a great athlete and he really lets the results speak for themselves. But I think it is the people like Macca that make it interesting. Oh, he talks a game. But I love it.
I knew as the runners were sorting themselves out that people would start to blow up. It was a nail biter of a race this year. There was no forgone conclusion of who was going to win.
When Andreas Raelert pulled up next to Macca I thought the race was over. I know, even from my little racing corner, that you have to pass with authority. You cannot let them think that they have a chance – they will come with you if you let them. It was amazing to watch these guys run stride for stride with each other. Keep in mind that they had already competed for 137 or so miles.
The mental toughness of both competitors was so impressive. All the training, all of the sacrifice and it still comes down to who can tough it out. Man, it makes you want to go - there is just that little hurdle of qualifing.
This ironman stuff really is just a mental game.
