EN Athlete to Attempt Kona on a "Unicycle"
Ive been doing triathlons since the end of the last millennium, and this year will see my thirtieth attempt at the Ironman distance, including my sixth go-round in Hawaii. Things are getting a little stale, so I'm going to try something different to spice up my year.
As background, remember that as we age, we start getting more problems with balance, and that can lead to an increase in falls, which are quite risky to the elderly. Earlier this year, I experienced such an episode while skiing a beginner trail in Aspen. I ended up with an intra-cerebral bleed, and took a helicopter trip to Denver, where I stayed in the neuro ICU for several days. Back home, I talked with my doctor about how I could prevent more falls in the future. He is a triathlete himself (one of the best sprint triathletes in our area), so he understands the lifestyle. He knows about my trusty S&S coupled bike, so he suggested, "Why don't you break that thing in half and learn to ride it as a unicycle?"
I think he was kidding, but I took his advice to heart. For the past month, I have been getting out on the rear triangle, and am now able to go at least five miles on the hills around my home without difficulty. So I thought, "Why not do this in a race?"
This has set my goal for the year: complete the Ironman World Championships in Kona on this "unicycle". I think I can get thru the first two legs by the 5:30 PM cut-off, based on my early training. I will be unveiling the idea in competition in late September at the ITU short course World Championships in Chicago. If all goes well there, then it's on to the Big Island, and (hopefully) 15 more seconds of fame on the subsequent NBC broadcast.
The rules at Kona are as follows:
"No tandems, fixed-gear bikes, recumbents, fairings, or any add-on device designed exclusively to reduce resistance are allowed. Any new, unusual, or prototype equipment will be subject to a determination of legality by the event organizer and/or Head Referee." So I think I should be OK since this bike has been in the race a few times before. But just to be sure, I'm asking Dianna Bertsch and Jimmy Ricotello for the go-ahead.
Comments