This is what he was referring to:
My initial reaction was "That sonnofagun." I have a hard time saying no to a challenge from Fish. Not that I am out to beat him or anything every time, especially when it comes to triathlons--it is more like I enjoy the camaraderie that suffering at the same time as Fish brings. Yeah, not that I have ever been to war--because I haven't and I am sure that I have no concept of how horrible it is--but I would say Fish would be a good guy to be in a foxhole with. I mean, Fish can complain and so forth, but not so much that it becomes annoying, and he isn't one of those Rah! Rah! Guys that make you want to punch them in the mouth to stop all of the positive outlook stuff that they spew. Nothing worse than riding with the Rah! Rah! Guy on a death march. I will take the complainer every time if I have a choice. Anyway, Fish is neither, but he is steady and well, dependable.
Also, it is my opinion that if you are lucky enough to get invited to a death march you should consider it sort of an honor. It means that someone thought enough of you to think you can make it and possibly be of benefit to the rest that are also engaged in what could be a difficult, long, yet possibly thrilling event. It means that they don't think you are going to talk a bunch of smack and then back out after everyone has committed (see posts under "DTP is an Idiot"). But it also may be that you are to be the joke that brings everyone else comic relief through your misery and ineptness. Hopefully, it is not the later.
Anyway, despite all of this I was a bit of a whiner. April is pretty early to do a half ironman distance race. Ugh. Long training rides in the rain was the first thing I thought of--I don't really like to do those much at all. Then an ocean swim strikes a bit of fear into me as well. I raised these issues and more trying to back Fish down; just to talk some sense into him. Maybe he just isn't thinking straight, after all he is nursing a broken clavicle and he has not been able to sleep much. But really I was a little pathetic.
On the other end there was mostly silence. No real counter arguments other than the initial obvious ones--my family is down there and kids can go to Disneyland. I again tried to say that it was silly to go down there so early, Boise is in June and that is closer to both of us. On Fish's end--just silence. Which is basically saying well if you don't wanna do it--so be it, I am not going to try to talk you into something like this if you don't wanna do it. This is really the worst sort of card to play on me. The lack of any response probably means that the discussion is over and the plan is still to do that race with or without me. Damn it. It is hard to negotiate if there is no one to negotiate with. I have no more cards to play--if I even had any--so I cave in and call the wife for permission to commit. Yes, I recommend that any husband do this, especially since training for a half ironman is a big commitment for the racing and non-racing spouse. She has to be willing to let me go on these long training runs and rides while she hangs with our kids during times when I could be around to help out. But for some reason she gave her blessing (sort of, I think it she said something like, "you are crazy" but since that is a statement of fact which does not carry a negative connotation regarding the endeavor itself, I can safely take her silence on the specific matter of the event as a form of acquiescence. If I then rely on her silence when she had a duty to speak, she has naturally induced conduct on my part if I rely on her silence in that instance. If this is the case, she is then estopped to take advantage of any act or omission so induced to my disadvantage later. Basically, she can't say "no" or get me to back out later if she wanted have said "no" but didn't. Hey, I am a lawyer and this is a well known rule in some areas of contract law--silence as acquiescence). I email Fish and let him know that I am a go it he is going to do it. Damn him, but if he is in and he doesn't mind my company during this whole miserable experience, I am in. Oceanside, CA here I come.
All I know is that there better be some sweet cyclocross in between now and then to make up for this triathlon stuff. And now more than ever I am committed to getting my weight down in the 180's by then.
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