The definition of a triathlete...

I've come to enjoy biking and have always enjoyed running. I've never enjoyed swimming. I don't know what it is about swimming, as much as I've done it, I can't find the secret to enjoy it.

Well that's not exactly true. The only time I like swimming is after a night of partying. There is nothing better than the cool relaxing water and time flies when you have "mushy brain".

With all that said, if I don't swim, I don't feel like a triathlete. Swimming "completes" me, as gay as that sounds.

Yesterday, I felt like a triathlete again. I hit the YMCA and before I got started ran into John Fortin and Hugh Ryder. They were finishing up as I was getting started. It was great seeing them both again.

I remember first meeting John and Hugh at the YMCA last year. Man have they changed, especially John. Hugh's always been in great shape, when I met John he was softer. Now John is in amazing shape, not an ounce of fat on him. He turned back the hands of time, I wished I had his tight mid-section.

When I originally met John, he told me he was signed up to do Ironman Wisconsin. It was his first Ironman and he just started doing triathlons. One "sprint", I think. John was new to swimming altogether and was going to tackle and Ironman. Now that's a real Ironman.

I remember him telling me he wanted to do a sub 12 hour Ironman. I thought it was an aggressive time and said to myself, "Bryan, don't burst his bubble, he'll find out during the race that his expectations might be a little high for his first race". I've seen it time and time again with other people.

It's impossible to accurately predict your Ironman finish time until you have one under your belt. I've seen awesome short distance triathletes blow up at Ironman distance events and I've seen slower short course triathletes do well at Iron Distance races. Myself, I'm the later group.

John is always smiling and happy. Last year I went for my first ride with him and it didn't take me long to figure out that beneath that fantastic and never ending smile is a FIERCE competitor. It was one of those, "Don't mistake friendliness for weakness", this guy is a warrior.

I've been watching and reading John's progress from the sidelines. Every time I see him he looks fitter and younger. After seeing him yesterday, I don't believe he can get any fitter without looking sick. He's got the body of a 20 year old now and he's also peeling out 1:35 per 100 meters no problem. It was a far cry from last year's "could barely swim".

I thought John had high and positive energy when I met him, I don't know how, but it's even higher now. I don't believe it can get any higher or positive. I can't even imagine what that would even look like.

Getting back to the first time I met John, I kind of "blew off" his Ironman time prediction as unbridled enthusiasm. Now I'm not so sure. I now think that if there was anyone who could qualify for Kona in there first race, it would be John. I don't want to jinx him or put more pressure on him by saying that, but I believe it to be true.

He's in the 40 - 44 age group so the odds are against him, ESPECIALLY as a first timer, but I'm 100% confident that if John wanted to qualify for Kona at some point, he could do it. I've always thought I was driven, John's just as much, if not more. John and Hugh's race is only one month away, I can hardly wait to be tracking them online.

It sure feels good to get back to training again. Even though it's only 18 days since IMLP, I feel fat, especially around my "tummy". I could see it. I looked at myself at the YMCA in the mirror as I was walking to the pool and got disgusted. Thank you Mr. Kegerator. With resolve I vowed to get rid of it soon. Then I saw John and he gave me a vision of what to shoot for and motivation to do it.

This weeks training has been going well. It's been hot outside and I love training in the heat. I don't know what it is but I'm really enjoying training with no goal pressure. The only pressure I have on myself is to keep healthy and injury free. No matter what, I'm starting and finishing Kona, I'd just prefer it not be with an injury.

Today I entered my Kona Qualifying number online and I'm OFFICIALLY registered. I then went down to get the families passports renewed. They expire every 5 years and our is due to expire in September. Getting the passports renewed is stressful. It is not a simple process.

We had three different forms that had to be filled in, we needed Guarantors, we needed birth certificates, signatures and there is so many places on the form you can miss or fill in wrong. Then there's the line ups and waits at the passport office. Not to mention the $300 expense.

There was a little drama when the woman reviewing our applications was concerned about the blue cast on the backgrounds of a couple photos. I was envisioning having to get them re-shot and then have to return and go through the entire process again. In the end it was okay and we had everything we needed in place and should get our new passports in a couple weeks.

Reid was bugging me yesterday, he wanted me to replace the battery in the bike speedometer. It died. I did and am glad to report that since the triathlon he's biked a couple of times. I can tell he likes riding and especially when he can see how high he can the speedometer up to.

Tempo Run - 56:25 / 11.23 km / 5:00 avg km pace