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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [Chucifer] [ In reply to ]
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Chucifer wrote:
You are the asian overachiever my parents never had.

Well done!

So you were a A- student or a B+ student eh?

When you won the spelling bee did your dad complain that it should have been a "spelling a"?
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [PeteDin206] [ In reply to ]
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Slow twitch celebrity.

Well done.

http://www.athlinks.com/athletes/208730390
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [agreif] [ In reply to ]
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agreif wrote:
WX wrote:
After all, we are age-groupers - by definition people who do this sport as a hobby, likely ranking tris behind other priorities like family, jobs, etc, and therefore always unable to reach our "true potential". So in that light, having a singular focus on chasing goals is almost an artificially handicapped construct. You can always make decisions that will enable you to train longer and harder, but there is also the rest of life that should matter, and probably more.


Damn, in addition to putting his money where his mouth is athletically, he is humble in all this and sees the bigger picture. Hats off to you, sir. Talk about leading by example! I may just print that little nugget out for when the narcissism starts to grab too tightly. Awesome job! I'd like to reach your athletic level, but I think striving for your general attitude would be an even better accomplishment!

Well said!

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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [WX] [ In reply to ]
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I've been following this from the get go and raced TX too. All I have to say is you have some serious wang. Congrats.



__________________________________________________
I wake up in the morning and piss excellence. --Ricky Bobby
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [JimMoss] [ In reply to ]
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JimMoss wrote:
Hands down, best thread on ST I've seen in the 9 years I've been on this forum. Best of luck to you in October - Kona is your victory lap!

Easy now bro... Best ever is T3 hands down.
But this is good. Definitely good!!!!


.
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [WX] [ In reply to ]
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Seabiscuit named his son Xiao Wang

Internet User
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [GA_TRI_DAWG] [ In reply to ]
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GA_TRI_DAWG wrote:
Honor your wife by making a big dream of hers come true (after you're done with Kona ;-).

+1
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [Dark Mark] [ In reply to ]
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Way to go. We're watching you.
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [WX] [ In reply to ]
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WX wrote:
Apologies everyone for the delay. I decided to finally jot down some thoughts about this whole experience...


There's something about the days following an Ironman, or any significant personal achievement for that matter, that is bittersweet. For the months prior to the event, life had a strange, narcissistic purpose. After all, I was training for an Ironman! During the peak training weeks, I was too tired to think about anything else. During the taper period, I had nothing else to think about. But now that it is over, and since my legs hurt too much to move around much, I have had plenty of time to struggle with this concept of purpose. What did the 10 months of my life mean? And perhaps more importantly, what's next?

Let's take for granted that people who do Ironman races regularly are well above what is "recommended" for maintaining physical fitness. So why do we do this? There's a definite thrill in accomplishment, in achievement, in chasing an ever-rising bar. But therein lies the problem: there is always a higher bar. I went into this experience thinking that I have got one shot to meet this target, hopefully grab it, and then sail into the sunset. Yet, I found myself today looking up swim coaches and tri clubs in the Seattle area (where I'm moving in July) and thinking, "well, if over the next few years I could cut 5' off the swim, 2' off transition, 15' off the bike, 10' off the run, I could come close to breaking 9..." before slapping myself in the face.

After all, we are age-groupers - by definition people who do this sport as a hobby, likely ranking tris behind other priorities like family, jobs, etc, and therefore always unable to reach our "true potential". So in that light, having a singular focus on chasing goals is almost an artificially handicapped construct. You can always make decisions that will enable you to train longer and harder, but there is also the rest of life that should matter, and probably more. A semi-pro climber friend of mine wrote that the only way to overcome the depression that kicks in after finally conquering a route is to embrace the journey and not just the destination. I like that. There will always be faster people, higher benchmarks, and I need to learn how to be satisfied, not just in the moment after a milestone, but in the 99% of time I'm not racing. Swimming workouts should be satisfying. Biking should be satisfying. Running should be satisfying. And of course, crushing races will always be satisfying. All this is true, but there was one moment, in the finisher's chute, after finding out the 3rd place finisher was passing on his slot, that I felt such a surge of emotion, of elation, of joy, that made the whole journey... just perfect.

After much delay, here's my initial write-up for IMTX (linking to blog to avoid what could be the world's longest ST post): http://www.xiao-wang.com/...an-texas-race-report

As an epilogue, there are definitely some people who deserve thanks in this thread. In alphabetacle order:
  • Amgray13: great race again and thanks for helping me actually enjoy Saturday night.
  • AngusW: thanks for sharing your own journey. I hope to one day sniff the swim gains you were able to achieve!
  • Bryancd: thanks for your engagement, skepticism, advice, and encouragement all made an impact on me. Thank you for sticking with me on this journey and you were right - despite my lofty ambitions, I couldn't quite beat your best B+R time :)
  • Colinlaughery: thanks for being a supporter since the beginning. Great meeting you in person and we'll definitely grab a few drinks in Hawaii!
  • Desert dude: thanks for chiming in with your wealth of experience and knowledge
  • EricM40-44: thanks for the training advice, overall newbie race guidance, and the Eminem gif (P.S. what happens when you age up - do you change your username?)
  • Fleck: thanks for both your advice and wisdom. Enjoying the journey turned into watching every episode of Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, and House of Cards while on the trainer all winter
  • GA_TRI_DAWG: truly honored that you'd offer to help with Kona but I'll have to decline - buy me a beer if you're in Hawaii and donate the other $20 to charity :)
  • Hayley0: I think green coffee beans sound delicious.
  • HKoldtimer: thanks for sticking with me along this journey and all of your detailed advice. Good luck with your own race later this year!
  • Irontri: you really put effort into giving out advice to total strangers. And we in the total stranger community should really put effort into thanking you.
  • MDD1997: for actually starting a prediction thread and for your advice, encouragement, and words of support
  • Motoguy128: Also one of those who's been participating since the beginning. Thanks for your words of advice!
  • Racing Yoda: great meeting you in person and for paying attention to me on your own KQ race day!
  • Snackchair: thanks for the detailed assessment/analysis of Lobsterman and advice on cleat position - calf didn't cramp at IMTX! (everything else did though...)
  • Sylvan: thanks for announcing that there were to be 3 slots, for taking the video, for being awesome in general
  • Thread revival team (dooley34, ontheuptick, Joe Public): thanks for being interested and caring about my progress - that really meant a lot to me.
  • Race-day cheer crew (sciguy, tjbingha, lakercr, noofus, blueraider_mike, JimMoss, Furious D, PeteDin206, badgertri, afbadbrad, Staz, BCtriguy1, dreaming~big, IMPBAZ, others too many to name): it's remarkably touching how y'all were engaged in watching the race of someone you've never met. Thank you for just being awesome.
  • All the post finish supporters (way too many to name): every one of your notes means a lot to me
  • All the women who questioned my masculinity due to allowing my wife to tell me what to do... where were all of you 10 years ago? :)


No worries and congratulations my friend. You are no longer a stranger and many people will pick your brain for advice to KQ and just have a great race. See you on the big island in October. Let me know if you have any questions about Kona. Been there multiple times and flopped a bunch there too:)

______________________________________________________
Sub-9 IM. Navy SeaBee deep sea diver. Can Do!
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [JustDave] [ In reply to ]
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Here is the interview with XW.

http://www.slowtwitch.com/...ot_At_Kona_4368.html
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [Herbert] [ In reply to ]
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Epic. Thank you.
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [WX] [ In reply to ]
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WX wrote:
Let's take for granted that people who do Ironman races regularly are well above what is "recommended" for maintaining physical fitness. So why do we do this? There's a definite thrill in accomplishment, in achievement, in chasing an ever-rising bar. But therein lies the problem: there is always a higher bar. I went into this experience thinking that I have got one shot to meet this target, hopefully grab it, and then sail into the sunset. Yet, I found myself today looking up swim coaches and tri clubs in the Seattle area (where I'm moving in July) and thinking, "well, if over the next few years I could cut 5' off the swim, 2' off transition, 15' off the bike, 10' off the run, I could come close to breaking 9..." before slapping myself in the face.
Great words of wisdom. This story inspires me! Dude....you're a beast. Congrats. Your wife is awesome too (I assume from your first post cause I skipped the 20 pages lol....you got married?).
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [Herbert] [ In reply to ]
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Herbert wrote:
Here is the interview with XW.http://www.slowtwitch.com/...ot_At_Kona_4368.html[/quote[/url]]

Great interview.


XW see you in January for Disney Marathon weekend. Too bad you took the easy route with the Goofy Challenge. I'm running the Dopey Challenge ;-)
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [Herbert] [ In reply to ]
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Herbert wrote:
Here is the interview with XW.

http://www.slowtwitch.com/...ot_At_Kona_4368.html
Excellent. Thanks for posting it.

------------------------
Loud pawls save lives
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [WX] [ In reply to ]
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If you need a fast bike, let me know, happy to extend a Blue Triad SL to you.
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [Herbert] [ In reply to ]
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Herbert wrote:
Here is the interview with XW.

http://www.slowtwitch.com/...ot_At_Kona_4368.html

Herbert... This is really great! Thank you for doing this!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Training/Racing Log - http://www.earthdaykid.com/blog --- Old Training/Racing Log - http://colinlaughery.blogspot.com
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [sharad] [ In reply to ]
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sharad wrote:
If you need a fast bike, let me know, happy to extend a Blue Triad SL to you.

That's very top notch and classy of you!
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [sharad] [ In reply to ]
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sharad wrote:
If you need a fast bike, let me know, happy to extend a Blue Triad SL to you.

Oh wow - this is like the gift that keeps on giving! I sent you a PM and would be honored to ride a Triad SL in Hawaii. Let me know how we can make this work :)

Herbert - thanks for putting the effort into speaking with me. I hope to help others in this community for a long time to come.

X
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [sharad] [ In reply to ]
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sharad wrote:
If you need a fast bike, let me know, happy to extend a Blue Triad SL to you.

That's awesome. I think he needs a sweet looking matching race kit to go with it. Maybe a Slowtwitch/Blue Cycles combination? How about that?


TrainingBible Coaching
http://www.trainingbible.com
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [WX] [ In reply to ]
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I love my Triad SL. You will love yours too! The custom aerobars / spacers are some of the best.
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [WX] [ In reply to ]
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WX wrote:
Apologies everyone for the delay. I decided to finally jot down some thoughts about this whole experience...


There's something about the days following an Ironman, or any significant personal achievement for that matter, that is bittersweet. For the months prior to the event, life had a strange, narcissistic purpose. After all, I was training for an Ironman! During the peak training weeks, I was too tired to think about anything else. During the taper period, I had nothing else to think about. But now that it is over, and since my legs hurt too much to move around much, I have had plenty of time to struggle with this concept of purpose. What did the 10 months of my life mean? And perhaps more importantly, what's next?

Let's take for granted that people who do Ironman races regularly are well above what is "recommended" for maintaining physical fitness. So why do we do this? There's a definite thrill in accomplishment, in achievement, in chasing an ever-rising bar. But therein lies the problem: there is always a higher bar. I went into this experience thinking that I have got one shot to meet this target, hopefully grab it, and then sail into the sunset. Yet, I found myself today looking up swim coaches and tri clubs in the Seattle area (where I'm moving in July) and thinking, "well, if over the next few years I could cut 5' off the swim, 2' off transition, 15' off the bike, 10' off the run, I could come close to breaking 9..." before slapping myself in the face.

After all, we are age-groupers - by definition people who do this sport as a hobby, likely ranking tris behind other priorities like family, jobs, etc, and therefore always unable to reach our "true potential". So in that light, having a singular focus on chasing goals is almost an artificially handicapped construct. You can always make decisions that will enable you to train longer and harder, but there is also the rest of life that should matter, and probably more. A semi-pro climber friend of mine wrote that the only way to overcome the depression that kicks in after finally conquering a route is to embrace the journey and not just the destination. I like that. There will always be faster people, higher benchmarks, and I need to learn how to be satisfied, not just in the moment after a milestone, but in the 99% of time I'm not racing. Swimming workouts should be satisfying. Biking should be satisfying. Running should be satisfying. And of course, crushing races will always be satisfying. All this is true, but there was one moment, in the finisher's chute, after finding out the 3rd place finisher was passing on his slot, that I felt such a surge of emotion, of elation, of joy, that made the whole journey... just perfect.

After much delay, here's my initial write-up for IMTX (linking to blog to avoid what could be the world's longest ST post): http://www.xiao-wang.com/...an-texas-race-report

Wow you described the meaning of it all very well! Thank you read this with pleasure. And the emotion you felt finding out you reached Kona is something special. The roll down is not relevant, part of the system. You are a Kona Qualifier.....that's something!
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [Exige] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats WX! I am not a lurker but you brought them all out. I'll call you the "lurker whisperer". Good luck in Kona!
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [WX] [ In reply to ]
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get swim technique coaching early!
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [WX] [ In reply to ]
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Ok ok, enough with the celebration. Back to training!! You have one shot to a podium finish at Kon.... (slap to the face)

Kidding aside. I am just a regular tri guy and have no training advise to offer. That said, I can only offer you words of encouragement. Wishing you all the best, may it be a "PR" race or a "just enjoy the moment" race. You sir, exemplify the phrase "Finish what you start". Thanks for the inspiration.


PS
Ummm, with those "words of encouragement", I hope you can take an additional 10 mins off your finish time for a podi.... (another slap), never mind. Hey, congrats again.
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Re: One shot at Kona - here goes! [WX] [ In reply to ]
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Incredible accomplishment WX...

Most inspiring thread I've ever read...

Have you started back to training for Kona?
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