Truth

Tuesday, April 1, Seattle, WA
Out for Port McQuarrie, Ironman Australia the first RCV shoot of the 2008 season. After a quick stop at CT HQ, RG taxied me down I-5 for UA flight 683 to OZ. 14 hours in the air from SF. Painful, yes, but the flight wasn't full so I had two seats to attempt to get some rest. The food was not worthy of the name. Got in on time and headed up to Port, as the locals call it, checked into the motel and expo. Hooked up with Phil and Wendy Stanton, the OZ CT reps and we had a logistics chat with the race officials at a fabulous meet and greet dinner. This is a beautiful place and I am quite sure it will provide a stunning backdrop for Sundays race footage, despite the challenges of which I will detail later today. And there are lots of them.

On the flight over I had the pleasure to fly with the managing editor of Triathlete magazine, www.triathlete.com, TJ Murphy. A super nice guy and accomplished triathlete himself. He is doing Louisville and was inquiring as to that RCVs release date.

Here is some copy I scribbled on the bumpy connecting flight from Sydney to Port. I lifted the theme from the Deepak Chopra book I am reading, Buddha.

"At the onset and sometimes well into triathlon training, there is a question of fitness, an illusion of preparedness that can sabotage the athlete come race morning. This false bravado, thinking you're ready when you're not is like seeing yourself at the finish line when you still have work to do in the saddle. The reality manifests as heavy legs, an aching back an depleted electrolytes come the run. You have been cooked by the illusion. You are done. Start walking and start the excuse spin. Your race training and preparation was an illusion, the smokescreen hubris induced by endorphin flow announcing the engine finely tuned when in reality is was merely at idle. Please don't feel alone. Both 56 and 112 are daunting distances, constantly humbling even the strongest of competitors.

The RacerMate Real Course Videos turn illusion to truth. There is no escape from the reality of a 10% grade or five plus hours of steady wattage over 112 miles. The truth is that nothing short of race day will give you as accurate a dose of triathlon reality. Twenty four point eight, fifty-six or one hundred and twelve miles of real course video replaces illusion with truth. The truth about you. And sometimes the truth hurts. Do you want it today or on race day?

Real Course Video from CompuTrainer. Sometimes the truth isn't pretty.

"But it's always in color", he added gingerly, not wanting to diminsh the scope of the task at hand. "we're after quantum improvement. Focus, light, resolution, framing, dynamics, contrast, inspiration and motivation." That's all. No drama, mate.