Can I?

This Sunday is the Mooseman 70.3 race. And as I’ve said, I’m under strict orders to stop racing as soon as I feel the first twinge of pain/pulling in the tendon.

But Can I stop?

You should know that I am
Stubborn,
Hard-Headed,
Persistent, and
Highly Competitive.
Traits that do not lend themselves to accepting a DNF (Did Not Finish).

In four years of doing this triathlon thing I have one DNS (Did Not Start). This involved a trip to the emergency room and the passing of a kidney stone. Keep in mind though, I showed up to the race, set up transition, and went to the swim start hunched over in pain but determined to do the race.

I also have one DNF and again, it involves a trip to the emergency room.
I’ll spare you the details but in brief I woke up feeling like crap, tried to race, quit, went home, took temp (104), no luck in getting temp down so off to hospital, and diagnosed with the triple crown – pneumonia, bronchitis, and strep throat. Good Times!

So barring a kidney stone, threat of appendicitis, pneumonia, bronchitis, and strep throat I’m not sure I can pull myself from a race. Especially if it's just a little pain in the tendon.

I KNOW this race is a throw away and Ironman is the only one that matters.

I KNOW!!!!!

So if you see me on the course and I look anything like this:


Or this:


Please,
I’m begging you,
Close-fist punch to the side of my head and make me quit!