On the morning of Kona 2011, I just want to say it was a sad day when you announced you were done with the sport. Every Kona is exciting, but your races just seemed different. The UBER BIKERS were starting to appear, Wolfgang, Zack, Thomas, and it was when will Peter catch them with his focused look! Maybe Crowie is the modern day Peter Reid. Hopefully PowerBar brings you to NY for the marathon. You were GREAT FOR THE SPORT.
Dude, I agree! There is something about Peter’s calm, focused determination that was inspiring. Hard to pinpoint exactly, but the guy had a quiet intensity that I really admire.
here, here. I had the honour of meeting him in of all places Natchitoches, LA at a small race where he was there as a speaker. It was awesome. His only question to me was how the heck did I wind up there as he could tell by my accent I wasn’t a local. At least he knew I wasn’t a Yankee.
Peter was my roll model when I first began this sport. I remember listening to his online talks, but haveforgetten the title of the show now. Yea, I was saddened to see him go.
-eric
Wayne,
Well said.
Indeed, Peter Reid for his time was the most consistent and best Ironman Hawaii racer of them all. His trick, I believe, was that he could bike with the big guns on the bike, if he wanted to, but he chose not to, because he knew that 8/10 a race like IMH comes down to the run. So ride within your means and keep some gas in the tank for the run, because that’s key.
Fleck… On Peter first win, he rode away from the field with hello wheels and zack… He won it on the bike that year… And in his last time in kona… He rode away from the group again… He often choose to ride up front…
I would say, he was train to ride at the front of the race and run 2:48 off the bike… Always won with a 2:48… Not crazy fast but after a fast ride,it was enough to beat those still around him…
There’s a recent interview on competitorradio.com that’s worth a listen. Very interesting guy that Peter Reid.
.
x2 on the interview. Classy, funny, interesting guy.
Now he flys a Beaver for Harbour Air out of Vancouver on sightseeing and communing trips to Vancouver Island.
Reid like drama, this was a good one!
I couldn’t agree more !
Peter Reid personified the old adage of " Walks Quietly with a Big stick ". The guy just had a presence about him.
No smack talking…trained like a Monk…Old Skewl…pre-Facebook Ironman Champion !!!
His new life flying planes seems to make him just as happy, so to do something polar ( lol on the full pun ) opposite to his previous life and be as fulfilled speaks volumes of his character.
That said… I’m sure if he decided to lace up and train again…there’s no doubt in my mind he’d still put a hurt on. Age is just a number.
Craig Alexander is cut from the same bolt of cloth IMHO.
Met him a few years ago at the end of his win at the Philly Tri. All I wanted was a pic of him w/ my daughter. He ended up chatting with us for a while…to the point where I pretty much had to tell him that the TV reporters were waiting to interview him and to stop wasting his time with us.
I’ll always remember that.