TAPERING TO APPARENT MADNESS

"Question the is that; Be to not or be to?"

Now you know I know Shakespeare forwards and backwards. Actually, I did study Ol' Will in college, although I can't remember much now.

Poor old Hamlet and his apparent madness. Questioning reality and his choices.

Hamlet's question: "To be or not to be?" -- come Sunday that will be the question on my mind. To be there or not. It'll be on my mind as 800 of us crazy athletes wade out into the warm Pacific Ocean before sunrise and wait for the start of the Lavaman Triathlon. It will be there as the butterflies build inside me and my nerves come alive, I'll be questioning my readiness, my swimming ability and my sanity.

800 people all with the same goal: To scratch, climb, claw, kick and oh yeah, swim, their way through 1,500 meters of shallow sea water teeming with fish, coral heads, sea turtles, buoys, kayaks, and an occasional shark or two, just to get to their bikes where order, camaraderie and fairness rule the day. But first, you have to survive the madness that is the swim.

They say if you have enough courage to step up to the starting line then you've already won. But you still have to survive the swim! So far this year I've gotten a black eye, kicked in the mouth, scratches on my legs and arms, bruises, been nearly drowned, and gotten a deep, bleeding cut on my neck all during the swim portion of races. But hey, that's what makes triathlon exciting, challenging and fun.

So during this week as I'm tapering down my training and beginning to question my fitness and ability, I'm going to resist the impulse to go out and run or bike for miles to prove to myself I am ready. I'll just stick with Hamlet and ask myself, "To be or not to be; that is the question?" and hopefully answer, "to be!" See you in the water.