This week I interviewed Chris McDonald, he is Australian so he doesnt really celebrate Turkey day (see below) but we can still like him. Chris won Ironman Louisville (the s is silent) in 2007, in 2008 he placed 2nd at Ironman Louisville and then won Ironman Wisconsin a week later. Chris is married to Canadian professional triathlete Marilyn MacDonald, who is currently racing bikes professionally.

LT: Have you ever run over a prairie dog while riding
your bike in boulder?
CM: Just once and i only caught the end of his tail and man did he yelp. I felt kind of bad

LT: When was the last time you went skinny dipping?
CM:To be completely honest I can say I have never been skinny dipping in 30 years .

LT: Your wife is a tiny powerhouse, when was the last
time she beat you up?
CM: She beats me up once a week on the bike but I think the last time she beat me up was about two weeks ago , when she wants to play fight I get kind of scared :-)

LT: What is the funniest thing you have ever put in a
Ironman special needs bag?
CM: Well I am real boring with this, nothing really funny, mostly nutrition and once I put a spare in my bike special needs. The funniest thing I have seen in a transition bag was this year when I vlountered at IMOZ and a guy had a full roll of TP and a packet of tim tams.

LT: What is the Australian equivalent of Thanksgiving?
CM: There is no real equivalent of Thanksgiving down under. We do have the queens birthday weekend, which is generally celebrated with a good party

LT: Do Aussies celebrate any holidays by eating huge turkeys?
CM: Funny, i do not think I have ever seen a whole turkey in the freezers in Australia. Aussies usually celebrate things with a BBQ and a whole lot of beer. The saying goes “A few quite beers and a bit of a bar B ”

LT: Have you ever been arrested? Feel free to
elaborate.
CM: Well I can say that this has happened a few times in my early twenties. I have been arrested twice and had to spend the night in the cell for drunken disorderly. They lock you up in cell at the police station until 7am the next morning. Let me tell you, that is a funny sight to see when they let you all out the next morning, a group of people that are either still a bit drunk or hung over to hell and you all stumble out into the light a 7 in the morning.

LT: Have you ever told a person working at the airport hat your bike is something other than a bike to avoid paying the extra fee?
CM: Heck yeah, I have said some things to some people at the airport. Lets just say I have a love hate relationship with the TSA

LT: If a movie was made about your life, who would you want to play the part of you?
CM: This a tough one… maybe Mayor Meeker… no really….. I think hugh jackman, he was just voted the sexiest man alive

This week I interviewed professional triathlete, Justin Daerr. JD started his triathlon career with a 12:55 Ironman in 2001, since then he has dropped a few minutes (and hours) to go 8:37 at Ironman Canada in 2008.

LT: Have you ever run over a prairie dog with your bike?

JD: No, but I hit a dog once on hwy 52. The dog and I both lived.

LT: What would it take for you to race an Ironman in a speedo?

JD: Go check out the photos from IMFL 2003. Apparently it doesn’t take much.

LT: Will you continue to shave your legs after you are retired from the sport?

JD: If I continue to ride: probably. If I don’t continue to ride: probably.

LT: I heard you occasionally sing on your long rides, what is your go to song when the going gets tough?

JD: I have been known to sing a tune or eight on long rides, especially if I ride with Denny. I can recall Denny and I going through a Tesla phase, but most recently I was seen singing NWA on the south boulder bike path while riding to the track. Marilyn McDonald can confirm.

LT: Would you rather have Marky V’s size 16 flipper feet (for super speedy swimming), or a pet squirrel?

JD: Pet squirrel.

LT: What is the silliest excuse/reason/conflict you have ever had for missing a workout?

JD: I couldn’t swim because Scott Carpenter pool was only open for dogs.

LT: Have you ever been arrested? Feel free to elaborate.

JD: No, but not because I didn’t try.

LT: You are known for having great hair, what is your secret?

JD: I take the advice of Pert Plus to rinse and repeat regularly.

After Boulder Peak this year, I had a conversation with my coach, Simon, that went something like this:

LT: I think my body needs a break, I am not doing well, I need some rest. Have you ever felt like that?
SL: Yes, sometimes you just have to get away from the sport for a little bit and take a break. What do you do when you arent training and racing?
LT: I unload trucks at work
SL: ooookay, anything else? When I need a break, I have a yacht that I like to sail. Do you have anything like that?
LT: Noooo, oh wait! Yes!!! I have a skateboard!!!

I dont think that is what he was implying. However, now that I have retired for the 2008 season, I decided it was time to check out other (legal) recreational activities. Denny bought me a longboard at the beginning of the summer that I practiced on for two weeks. But only in the dark. Because I suck. While riding my board in the dark I ate a curb. As I was laying half in the street and half on the sidewalk, I tried to picture telling said coach/Timex people/fellow Boulderinians that I got hurt while barefoot longboarding in the middle of the night…so I hung up the board for a few months.

Yesterday was my first day of longboarding practice. I was dragging my feet since I am still sick, and threatening to die at any minute. I dont think Denny cared, so longboarding it was. We rode in the daylight, and I was wearing shoes which put me way ahead of the last time I rolled. I am happy to report I didnt eat any curbs…mainly because I was riding in the middle of the street, but still…

Well, I have been benched for the season. At least I am going out on top after my victory at the Boulder Beer Mile, which despite popular belief, is not responsible for my poor health….at least I dont think so…

So, for the time being, I have returned to my true calling in life- asking cool people silly questions. Today’s victim was Mark Van Akkeren aka Marky V. Marky is a rookie pro in Boulder, Colorado. He is the fastest swimming man in the sport, having recently led Matt Reed and Simon Lessing out of the water at Boulder Peak. In 2007 he was the top swimmer in Kona, and continued to lead the age group race through the bike. Currently, Mark is gearing up for next weekend’s Ironman Canada. I feel a special closeness to Mark since I once lived in Nebraska, and he once spent, like, 10 minutes there.

LT:  Have you ever run over a prairie dog while riding your bike?

MV: Not yet ;)  They’re cute aaaand annoying, squeak squeak squeak

LT:  If you could repaint the bottom of the pool with something other than a black line, what would it be?

MV: Hmmmm a coral reef in 3D?  And then wear 3D goggles!  It would be just like Kona and all those laps would just quickly pass by. 

LT: How much would someone have to pay you to race in a speedo?

MV: Probably nothing… but a speedo doesn’t have much billboard space.  ;)

LT:  What is your best dance move?

MV: Staying in my seat!!! 

LT: When was the last time you went skinny dipping?

MV: 2006

LT: Are you related in any way to Chuckie V?

MV: Veylupek ≠ Van Akkeren… but we both like hiking!

LT:  Have you ever worn tinted goggles any where because you didnt have sunglasses?

MV: At summer swim meets growing up if I didn’t have my glasses I’d loosen up the straps and just wear the metallics.  :)

   So I woke up this morning, and I could hear, sorta, thank goodness. I spent the last 3 weeks posing as a blonde bobblehead- nod and smile, nod and smile. I don’t think I could have survived without hearing much longer because the only sign language I know is a one fingered invite for a butt-kicking.
   It all started nearly a month ago, at a bar, on my birthday. I had my party pants on, my hair was big, and I felt sick. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a “I just had 6 Coronas” sort of sick. So, I took my safe ride home at 10.45…lame. I called the people I was suppose to run long with the next day to tell them I couldn’t get out of bed, “and it is not because my birthday party was last night and I spent the night at the Rio where the margaritas are so big you could take a bath in them…honest!”
   On Monday I decided I didn’t want to be sick any more, so I went for a swim. After a grueling 50 meters I went back to my bed, where I was super busy. I had to alternate between sweating, freezing, blowing my nose and trying not to die. At 3 in the morning blood started dripping out of my ear, apparently I was better at sweating than trying not to die. I sent out a few text messages to my loved ones to let them know I was about to kick the bucket, but no one responded. Maybe they were sleeping. So I drove my carcass to the hospital.
   Apparently if your temperature gets in to the quadruple digit territory, your eardrum can rupture. Then, I am pretty sure my brains were gushing out…it was sick, like, cool sick, in a Discovery Channel sort of way. The next day my coach called to see if I had done any training, “yeah” I told him, “I did an hour of Dr. Phil and an hour of Oprah.” He told me not to eat any cookies until I was back training…real training, and watching Oprah doesnt count as excercise. Not a problem, the only thing I had eaten in the last three days was prescription pain killers, you know, the good stuff.
   By Friday I had decided that I wasn’t sick any more (for the second time that week) and I got back to business. The kind of business that earns a bobblehead a cookie. I have felt great ever since, and training has been going well…and then…this morning….I could hear! Sorta!