June 7, 2002 late edition
| Bike | Run | Swim | Total | |
| Today | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total to Date | 956 | 117 | 13.5 | 1086.5 |
distances in km.
June 7 late edition
Let me share a couple of inspirational stories from the carb load dinner last night.
Mark Davis weighed 368 pounds 2 years ago. His dying father gave him an extra large shirt and told him to try it on. Mark tried to put the shirt on, but it wouldn’t fit. Mark said, “I can’t fit into the short dad, it’s too small”. His dad replied, “you will son – someday soon you will.”
Tomorrow morning, 184 pound Mark Davis will make his 3rd attempt to finish the Ironman triathlon in less than the 17-hour time limit. On stage, in front of 2000 fellow Ironman athletes, he admitted that during weak moments and low spots during his training and weight loss program, he would try the shirt on that his father had given him. It provided him with the motivation to achieve his lofty goal. Good luck tomorrow Mark!
Another story – 72 year old Len hopes going to finish his 30th Ironman triathlon!
The oldest competitor tomorrow: Norton Davey 83 years old!
And there was the story of a Mexican woman who kept her training a secret from her Husband who is competing tomorrow. In fact, she had signed up for Ironman Utah a few months ago under maiden name so her husband wouldn’t find out. He found last night when they announced to the audience that her birthday present to her husband was for her to join him in the Ironman tomorrow.
These are the kind of stories that are more than common place at an Ironman – some amazing, others less so, but all stories of unthinkably fantastic accomplishments to their tellers. To me, they have always served as motivators, and not necessarily for my athletic goals. These individual stories serve as proof to all of us that we can achieve anything if we are willing to put forth the effort and attitude.
The Ironman starts at 7:00 am sharp, Mountain Standard Time tomorrow, Saturday, June 8. If you are interested in following the progress of the 2000+ triathletes as they progress through the world longest picnic, tune into http://www.ironmanlive.com
I’ll be feeling a lot better 24 hours from now!
