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Triathlon - a partyOne of the things that struck me most about Ironman Lanzarote was the spirit of the race. No matter how strong, no matter if they were well trained or less prepared for the event, all the competitors were happy to be there. It didn't matter much if their personal performance was strong or not, everybody was having a good time, enjoying the trip (you don't need drugs for that). All that mattered in the end was whether you finished or not. The question which was asked after the race wasn't "Were you strong?" or "Did you win?". The first question wasn't even whether you qualified for Hawai. What everybody wanted to know was "Did you finish?". I stood at the finish line thirteen hours after the gun went of. Many still arrived (including my friend Stephen who accompanied my to Lanzarote). Lots of the guys who arrived (I would almost say one in two) were so exhausted, dehydrated, etc. that they had to be carried to the medical tent on a stretcher, but they finished ! What's more, all the competitors who passed the turning point, ready to run another lap, were laughing. All of them, without exception, were undoubtedly suffering, but they were laughing. They were enjoying the experience, the cheers of the crowd, the dancing and general help of the volunteers. They had a party ! |
