The Road to...Sorry, Just the Finish Line, Please - Part 1

Penticton is very pretty. Upon recently landing first in Vancouver and then Penticton, I've realized, especially after spending six months in Australia and prior to that, one year in New York, that there's an 'I'm home' feeling. Penticton isn't even in the right province but I have that feeling regardless. Canada is a great country and I'm reminded of that fact every time I leave. We've got some big problems but before I launch into a diatribe, I'll just say it's nice to be home.

As I think about what I've done to prepare to simply get to the finish line next Sunday, August 27th (forget doing well, achieving a personal best, securing a sponsorship, etc.), I am reminded that every participant has his or her own story in doing, at a minimum, the same thing.

As I was reflecting on this the other day, I thought I'd scan the Participant List available on the Ironman.ca website. Identified in the 'Occupation' column of that list were some typical ones - nurses, lawyers, teachers, exotic dancers, police officers, female body waxers, limnologists (not so typical that I didn't have to look this up), chimney sweeps, pastors, zoo keepers, bowling centre owners, food-colour consultants, cytogeneticists (I looked this up, too), pro-wrestlers, sheep farmers and shearers (Kiwis, of course), lipstick and underwear models, poets and firefighters (still my favourite category of all)). Some less than mainstream occupations were also identified - the dolphin flogger, urban lumber jack, mermaid, flamingo hearder, professional owl trainer, coffee master, corporate assassin, secret agent, bear wrestler, Jedi knight and (presumably) a nemesis Death Star Maintenance Manager. Oh, and I mustn't forget the All Round Good Guy and Devil May Care Flying Fool...who I happen to know is my Australian mate, Dan, to whom I passed information which led him to secure a registration spot in the coveted race. He is indeed a good guy and I'll be cheering him on (from behind) as he attempts to qualify for Kona.

How they all found the time to train I'll never know. I've at least been inspired to be a little more creative when filling out forms...