I signed up for, but never competed in (family emergency) in an 'ironman' race in 1980. It was put on by Robin Judkins who went on to run the Coast to Coast race here in NZ.

The IM race was skiing down a mountain in spring time. When the snow ran out strap your skis to your back and run to the river. At the river, jump in a kayak and paddle further than you thought you could :-)

I'd just finished a season of hiking and mountaineering, followed by a season teaching skiing. I was as' fit as a robbers dog'. Being 19, I thought that as soon as I could find a kayak, I'd be destined for greatness. :-)

While I didn't actually do the race, the IM thing stuck with me and 15 years later finally managed to finish my first (traditional) IM. Disappointingly, I was crap at it. Bugger

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TriDork

"Happiness is a myth. All you can hope for is to get laid once in a while, drunk once in a while and to eat chocolate every day"

Last year some SEALS swam the 11 mile length of Sebago Lake to raise money for Camp Sunshine. They're going to run out of ways to one-up themselves :-)

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD