Gambling on Ironman?

Endurance sports are intriguing because the competition is typically with the individual.  Our competitors are the course and the clock.  But, whenever guys and girls toe the start line in any sport (even with friends), part of us wants to win.

That said, this is meant to be (at least for now) a light-hearted post about the guys I’m training with for Wisconsin and others who have taken a financial interest in our demise or success.  Our training is serious, but thankfully it’s usually laced with absurdity and nowhere is that more evident than our Crushing Iron Facebook page.

The other day, I gave posting clearance to our coach, Robbie Bruce, and he wasted no time stirring the pot.  Here is his first edition of “Coach Speak.”

Coach Speak:
This is my first weekly installment of “Coach Speak- A more in depth look at the Fab Five from the outside looking in.’ I will keep this first one simple with giving you an insight into how I see each of these merry men. Buckle Up. You are about to know your neighbor better.

Marcus, “Im already down 15lbs” Scriver- This will be Mark’s first full Ironman. But I have been assured he is not going just to complete it but he wants to compete. He also says he hates the other 4 guys, which I thought was weird. But whatever.

Jim “I’m more than just my hair” Schwan- Schwannie is the seasoned vet of the group. A blistering runner I am looking forward to seeing him own this race. Which he will.

Kevin “Im there one minute and gone the next” Gammon- I like to refer to Kevin as an “enigma riddle”.  Its hard to wrap my head around the atmospheric pressure that is Kevin. I do have this feeling that he is on a ninja mission to crush the other 4. Which I applaud obviously.

Daniel “Im so freaking happy all the time” Hudgins-I dont really care about his training right now. Im just glad he is injury free and finally cut his hair.

Mike ” The Darkhorse” Tarrolly- The Crushing Iron founder I believe.  I consider Mike a major Darkhorse among the Fab 5. With his athletic background in college and his overwhelming desire to sleep in. He is a threat. He told me so too one night at 3 Crow. I think.

Next weeks post will be about training. Possibly. – Coach RB

Coach has observed with a keen eye.  His post generated a lot of discussion and ultimately led to the following addition by Jeff Stokes, who can often be found knocking out 3-4,000 meters in the downtown YMCA pool in preparation for “Swimming with the Sharks” in the Alcatraz Classic.  Jeff swears he got this information from Vegas, and I have no reason to doubt his connection to the underworld.

This just in from the MGM GRAND Sports book!!! Opening odds for the Fab 5…. Currently Daniel Hudgins is a strong 3:1. What Vegas says ” this kid has it all … youth, heart, passion…plus the fact that vegetables make you fast…and with his current aerodynamic haircut strong headwinds down the finish could work in his favor”
Jim Schwan 4:1. What Vegas says ” this crafty veteran has experience and a mean stache on his side, some people say his power comes from his hair… He is not called the Silver Fox for nothing folks”…
Kevin Gammon 4:1 What Vegas is saying ” after a strong marathon finish after his struggle on the bike at IML, he is a force to be reckoned with… rumor has it he has tweaked a knee recently and Dr. James Andrews was seen at Nashville International yesterday ”
Mark Scrivner 5:1 What Vegas says ” this guy is a wild card and has kept a low profile in the tri world but his Running experience is a strong factor, plus the freakish fact that nobody has ever seen Mark and Batman together in public is worth noting”
Mike Tarrolly 5:1 What Vegas is saying ” don’t let his ‘ just happy to be here attitude fool you’ he is competitive…a recent investigation has revealed a large donation to the Live Strong Foundation, and multiple sources have noticed a lot of UPS Deliveries at Tarrolly Hills recently… this guy could be your winning Lotto ticket”…. More updates as the Season begins this spring!!!

Now, it should be noted that both Robbie and Jeff’s insights were heavily edited for punctuation and spelling, but at that crux of all this discussion and prognostication, is a brewing competition.  Who will be the first of the Fab Five to cross in Wisconsin.  Do they really care or is it all about racing our individual bests?  Time will tell and we’ll be watching Vegas closely to see if sports books are paying attention to how oversleeping is causing me to miss many of the workouts.