A TRIATHLON POEM ...

I wrote this poem 9 years ago next month. It's inspired by the poem in "10 Things I Hate About You"

You o triathlon, 

builder of egos and breaker of hearts ... 

I hate it when you raise me up 

I hate it more when you tear me down. 

I hate it when you promise me glory 

Then throw me to the ground.

I hate your 5 a.m. wake up calls 

and swimming in the dark.

I hate your freezing cold olympic pools, 

and ocean swims with sharks. 

I hate it when it's time to ride 

and ride and ride some more. 

How your gale-force wind is always there,
that ain’t no Kona lore. 

I hate the way you make me run 

I hate it, but it’s cool. 

I hate the way you challenge me 

Like I'm back in school. 

I hate the fact we cannot draft 

Bike refs make sure of that. 

I hate those cards of yellow and red 

and that whole penalty tent format. 

I hate it when you make me laugh, 

even worse when you make me cry. 

But love that you made me an Ironman 

then branded me till I die.

I hate it when you’re not around 

after Kona’s race in the fall. 

But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you, 

not in swimming or biking 

not in running 

not even at all. 

*Inspired from “10 Things I Hate About You”