I was reading Lance's new book Comback 2.0: Up Close and Personal. It's really just a big picture book but I did enjoy this caption.
For the slower members of the audience the part I like is that he'd like to do the IM World Championship someday.
A couple years ago I finally got over trying to tell everybody I met that I did Ironman. I am a shameless self promoter but heck, if they can't read my license plate I don't feel the need to bring people up to speed. Anyway back when I used to tell everyone I met that I did Ironman they would almost always ask, "Oh, that race in Hawaii?" The race in Kona was the first Ironman, it was started back in the 70's by a bunch of Navy Seal types that were trying to decide who were the fittest athletes. Nowadays Ironman, which is a trademarked name, and ironman length races are held in hundreds of places in many, many countries all over the world. All have different characteristics; Canada is hilly, Arizona is hot, Florida is flat and fast, etc. but they are all the same length. Kona is the most well known and the most mythic.
If you do very well, and by very well I mean finish within the top 3 - 5 of your age group you are allowed to race in Kona. There are also a very limited number of entrants that get in via a lottery and some who get in because of a personal story or compelling reason.
Not really something I've ever been interested in. I don't really feel like totally screwing up a vacation in Hawaii by killing myself for 13 hours.
We went to Maui on our honneymoon in 2000. We did one of those bike rides down the volcano. Go to http://www.bikemaui.com/ for more details but I said back then that what I would really like to do is ride up it. http://cycletothesun.net/.
Someday.
