MICHAEL LOVATO | Professional Triathlete

For just a minute, think what it might be like to sign up for a 10K road race knowing you were going to have to run it with a long tube threaded up your nose,…

It’s almost so late that it’s irrelevant, but not quite. I figure I had better post a report prior to the next race, or it will be too late. Although I’m a big believer in the saying mas vale tarde que nunca!

Here are the videos from last weekend’s race.

With much sadness, Amanda and I departed from the Tucson International Airport yesterday, after spending five laughter-filled days at Casa Clam, nestled high in the foothills of Tucson’s West Side.

Our visit began at the end of last week, after we happily escaped the freezing cold of Boulder. Boarding the plane on Friday (after a treacherous and icy drive to DIA), the temperature gauge on our iPhones read a whopping ONE degree. Deplaning in Arizona, we were greeted by sunny and blue skies, and an invitation to change into short pants. There really was a written invitation at baggage claim, imploring us to take off our long pants. We obliged.

Why the Underpants Run? Why a report on the Underpants Run? Why not talk about the race first? Well, to me, the race really starts to place its pressure on folks ’round about Thursday of race week. It’s an impressive phenomenon, the Hawaii Ironman pressure cooker.

Different folks face, and therefore handle, the pressure in different ways. Some take a running leap-off-the-cliff start, by preparing, preparing, and over-preparing in the several weeks pre-race. They tackle more than they think their competitors are tackling, and they flog, flog, and flog themselves until they are injured or sick, and cannot even get to the line ready to rumble.