Strum und Drang

Strum und Drang

GERMAN: Storm and stress. A late eighteenth century literary movement of which the most enduring is Goethe's Die Leiden des jungen Werthers. It emphasized energy over reason, the universal over the conventional and the primitive over the civilized. I passed by Goethe's former residence today on my walk thru town. Somehow this idea is very relevant to the spirit of triathlon. And the Germans (as we have known for a while) take all this very seriously.

Smoothed out almost all the details for tomorrow. There is a press bus departing from the media center at 0500. OK fine. I can wake at 0400 and walk there, schlepping all my gear. I meekly asked for an English speaking moto pilot (no-one understands or appreciates all that I have to do) and Manfred, the media director, just kinda smiled past me and said, "ja, ja, sure, just be on zee bus.". Danke. The challenge of me explaining all that we need to do to a non-English speaking pilot (at six on race morning) is the equivalent of Jesus explaining to the apostles that he was serious about the non coveting of neighboring wives thing. Some concepts, like commandments, just take a little more time to sink in.

EDITORS NOTE: And why is it dear dear readers, that there is no reverse commandment that tells the females among us to not covet thy neighbors husbands????? What about that???????

Maybe for the same reason that there was no lady apostle and JC was rappin to a totally male audience, and he, as well as they, kinda already understood, even 2,000 or so years ago, that this particular commandment is a MANS responsibility. Cause we can always just say no.

Goethe would. RIGHT.

LATE REPORT. Hey kids, it's 1911 on Saturday night in Frankfurt. The night before the European Championships, Ironman Germany. I still have lot's to do but I will make the 0400 wake up call from my iPhone.

Just wanted to pass along some notes form the first stage of the 2008 TdF, which I caught on a big screen from a bar near the train station. Seems that EVERY negative camera operation, from focus (0r the lack thereof) to composition, to contrast, to movement to framing, was on display. Yes, I know they do it live, but they also do it with cameras costing twenty times as much, the best mounts, riders, and support, and a budget that is, shall we say, otherworldly.

I am gonna say this only once, so if you care one iota listen up. I AM OUT HERE ON MY OWN, I HAVE ONE CAMERA. I ATE DINNER AT THE TRAIN STATION TONIGHT TO SAVE MONEY. I WON'T MEET MY MOTORCYCLE DRIVER TILL AN HOUR BEFORE THE RACE AND HE PROBABLY WON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM SAYING TO HIM. And yet the final footage of the events we have covered so far this year is every bit as good as the coverage of the Tour de France that I watched today.

I shoot therefore I am.