So there I was, minding my own business, swimming leisurely laps in the little pool when Mountain Dave and Athena plunked in to the swim lanes next to me. They both patiently waited until I pushed off the wall and then shot out after me. After four laps they were still tracking me on either side. I started getting the feeling that I'd been marked. I kicked up the pace.
Athena cracked after a few more laps and took a lap off to recover. After that lap though she launched after me and tried to match the pace. She could match it for about four laps and then had to take a lap off. One down, one to go.
Meanwhile Mountain Dave, whose form was beginning to crack by now, continued tracking me. This continued for another 1K before I finally began to shake him loose. He's a persistent guy though and never gave up. I finished up my 2K straight set with him only a 1/2 lap back.
In between spinning and running I saw him in the locker room and commented on his vastly improved swimming form. He looked up, smiled, and in a frank voice said "My goal this year is to beat you." He's hired a trainer. He has a plan which he follows religiously. And his main goal this year is to beat me. How sweet is that?
Much to my surprise I seem to have become some sort of measure by which some judge themselves. At last year's Ironman Wisconsin a friend of mine crushed my finishing time from the previous year. Later he said the one thing that kept running through his head on that extremely difficult day was that he had to beat me. I find this quite surprising because it's not like I'm freaky-fast. It's not like I've ever finished higher than the top 25% in any race I've competed in.
And maybe that's why. Maybe I'm close enough that people want to close the gap. Kind of like in a road race or group ride where you see the lead group ahead. It inspires you to put your head down and work a little harder to latch on.
So bring it on. Chase me down, catch me, match me, and then blow me out of the water. If making me your target makes you better then come and get me. When you succeed I will be genuinely happy for you. And when you do pass me know that I in turn will be coming after you.
