Friday, September 07, 2007

The Big Boy Challenge

I wasn't supposed to do the Koa Kai race this weekend. It's sixteen miles, iron, of the roughest stretch of the Duke race: from Kailua to Hawai`i Kai. I'm not that good. I didn't even consider asking - this one is for the big boys (hence the name). Maybe in a couple years, I thought. WYC wasn't even putting in an official crew - the experienced guys put their own crew list together & presented it to the coaches. So I was looking at a normal weekend, and glad for it, 'cause this race sounds beautiful.

It was just over an hour ago that I learned differently, that through a fluke of chance and karma I'm in the race.

So now it's 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... breathe ... don't panic. Which I'm not. I'm just spazzing out a bit while my pasta cooks. I I had known I would have been hydrating since Tuesday, carb loading all day, & sleeping at my place last night. And even then I would suffer.

Yeah I love this sport, but damn if it doesn't throw new challenges at me every couple weeks. I've met every one so far, though some barely. If the guys think I'm ready for this one, I'm ready. 'Cause the truth is, it's an honor they approached me when one of their crew pulled out at the last minute. It was a total fluke I was at the Club - I never go there on a Friday. But I did a 1-man Kewalo run, in record time (for me), and then was on my way to yoga when I saw Ramos tieing the boats to the trailer. I offered to help, figuring I'd do the yoga on my own.

Later, when the news came that Greg was out, I tiptoed away from the coaches to give them privacy. Back to my bike ... and I was almost out of there when I saw Ramos look over. It was butch up or make a run for it.

He asked if I could be in the crew, I fessed up that it scared me but that yeah I was free, and that was it: 6:30 am tomorrow was set. This is a big thing for them to ask me, it feels really good, and so it's simultaneously "wow" and "oh, shit."

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