A triathlete checking in from the ND floods

Triathlon Forum
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Well, I had been training consistantly all Winter and was really starting to pile on but, as is usually the case, life happens! My Coast Guard DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) got deployed last week. Now instead of swimming in a lovely pool, I have my dry suit on ready to do whatever on a moments notice, extra boyancy! It really is nasty up here, freaking cold! You people that live up north are some tough S.O.B.'s! I would be riding on the computrainer until June if I lived up here. Anywho, I have to inflate my ego a bit, I was interviewed by a fella from Fox News. For those of you that know me, I certainly like to ham it up whenever a camera is turned on me.

Fox News: “So petty officer Bloom, is this the type of operation that you are used to?”

Me: “Well Tom, this is definately a different kind of animal. I’m used to being in the sticky and icky stuff like a hurricane, where it is hotter than all get out! Now we are going to a flood that’s in an area with 20-30 degree temperatures, so this is definately different than normal”.

Fox News: “Are you prepared equipment wise for this type of environment?”

Me: “Of course! We have all sorts of cool toys that they give us Coast Guard guys”.

Fox News: “Like what?”

Me: “Have you ever seen The Guardian with Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher?”

Fox News: “Yes”

Me: “Well, we look like them”.

I can’t wait to get back and start training again but we’ll see how that goes. We are cautiously optimistic that the Fargo/Grand Forks area will avoid worst case scenario. We do have a snow storm coming our way shortly and we’ll see how that goes. Unfortunately, the river continues to rise the further north you go (the red river flows north into winnepeg) and some of the other rivers and small towns are still at a very high risk level.

Train on and have fun at the Spring races. I see that world cups are already underway… Does saying that Kristen Sweetland is hot make me a pervert, she’s like 19 right? Naw, that’s plenty old enough!

All the best,

Jeremy Bloom
United States Coast Guard
Marine Safety Unit Huntington, West Virgina

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Best of luck to you and everyone suffering through these floods. I heard a woman on the radio the other day who’s house is directly on the river in Fargo. She was surprisingly upbeat considering what she’s going through. I just hope everyone stays safe.

So, do you look like Ashton or Kevin?

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The local residents have been awesome. There are some really nice people up here and they have an amazing work ethic. People from all over the region have flocked to this particular area to volunteer and do anything they can. It has been inspiring to see people willing to help others in need. A total group effort for sure.

Oh, and I look like a handsome combination of Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher :stuck_out_tongue:

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LOL on your interview answers.

Stay safe.

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Very nice. Thanks for checking in and especially for all of the work you’re doing in ND. Phenomenal.

(No excuses for missing an open water swim workout, though . . . )

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Thanks for doing this, and best of luck!

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Cool. I went over there last Thursday and Friday and helped build levies. I did a rough calculation and think I moved around 600,000lbs of sand bags by hand. My entire body has been sore since then. Its awesome. I hate sandbags now.