What a loss...

From the Sidney Morning Hearld.

I really liked this guy. The Crocodile Hunter series was a fixture in my home for many years. He was able to bring common sense, adventure, family and conservation to the public in a way that was entertaining without being preachy. He has been imitated but never duplicated. I certainly hope that his legacy will continue and the good works he has developed in perserving and educating will continue.

Steve Irwin with his American wife Terri at his Australia Zoo in Beerwah, Queensland.
Photo: Russell McPhedran

David Williams and Lousia Hearn
September 4, 2006

Television personality and environmentalist Steve Irwin has died from a stingray wound while filming off north Queensland.

Friends believe he may have died instantly when struck by a stingray as he filmed a sequence for his eight-year-old daughter Bindi's new TV series.

Irwin's friend of 20 years, Ferre De Deyne said Irwin had been struck by the stingray while filming. "The stingray just happened to be swimming around and out of the blue whacked his tail at him," he said.

"It is absolutely tragic. I have dived so many times with stingrays and they are usually very placid things," he said.

Known worldwide as the Crocodile Hunter, 44-year-old Irwin was famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchcry "Crikey!"

'Non-survivable injuries'

Irwin had been filming a new documentary called Ocean's Deadliest with friend and manager John Stainton at Batt Reef, off Port Douglas about 11am.

"He came over the top of a stingray and the stingray's barb went up and went into his chest and put a hole into his heart," Mr Stainton said.

"It's likely that he possibly died instantly when the barb hit him, and I don't think that he ... felt any pain.

"He died doing what he loved best."

Irwin was pulled aboard his research vessel, Croc One, for a 30-minute dash to Low Isle, where a Queensland Rescue Helicopter had been summoned, his Australia Zoo said in a statement.

The crew of the Croc One performed constant CPR during the voyage to Low Isle, but medical staff pronounced him dead about noon.

"It became clear fairly soon that he had non-survivable injuries," said Dr Ed O'Loughlin, who treated Irwin at the scene.

"He had a penetrating injury to the left front of his chest.

"He had lost his pulse and wasn't breathing."

Dr O'Loughlin said it appeared Mr Irwin had suffered a "form of cardiac arrest" but a post-mortem examination would be conducted in Cairns.

Not one for deepness...

Okay I have tried the deep prose introspective stuff in the past and quite frankly I suck at it. Terrible. Its few and far between you will get me to examine my sensory and preceptual experience in any manner that is well thought out and has a point.

However I every now and then think of something that may resonant on this blog because well it resonants with me. Today I thought about granite. Yes the rock. Well the metaphysical rock that is inside all of us.

As we live our lives in a state of Common Man Syndrome, this granite remains unchanged. CMS as you remember is a conditioned state of physical, mental, emotional and financial atrophy; many times perpetuated by a group or herd mentality. Leading a lazy and uninspired life.

Its when we begin our individual quests for personal satisfaction and greatness where we generate the ability to wash away the baggage, the complacency, the victimization surrounding the granite inside us.

In terms of Ironman, as if I think of anything else nowadays, the muck around my granite has been removed as if a dry river bed is suddenly full from a flash flood, and with each workout the water pounds against my granite, bringing it to the surface. The closer I get to my race the more polished my granite is becoming from the volume and consitancy of my training.

I know that in the deep recesses of my mind when, 80 miles into my bike portion, Ironman has gone from novel and fun to 7 more hours of pain and suffering; it will be the granite that I have polished in the previous months that will keep me moving forward.

Everyone has this in them. Its the rock bottom. You stand on the corner of Quit St. and Excuse Lane. Your over your head. Its too much. I can't. I can't. Please someone understand. Tell me I can quit and I will.

Then you touch it. For the first time in your life you touch the granite that all the training has exposed completely and polished to a perfect shine. You see yourself in the reflection. You realize that you have an unbreakable desire in you to complete the task. To finish. The pain and blisters and cramping are still there but the granite is stronger. Unbending and unyeilding to anymore external influence and focused on the end, on its purpose for exposure.

In my case, God willing, to become an Ironman.

The touch, the feel...

Last night Mistress and I went out with some of my training partners and their wives. Wow. We're some pretty lucky guys. The wives had all done their hair, put on make up, wore nice outfits. Not the way we normally see our training partners spouses; ball caps, shorts, an old race t-shirt, standing on the side of the course cheering us on or sitting around at a pool party. We had a great time at dinner and then having a couple of cocktails at an irish pub after that.

It was part of my Training Contract with Mistress that I have neglected and I feel bad about. Regular outings, (read: date night). We are usually both so wiped or I am getting up so early that going out is second to ironman.

The other part of this weekend is that she got to sleep in this morning. An extra two hours makes a huge difference. That meant no morning training for me. Which is fine since we are getting some of the Hurricane John stuff. When its sunny here 350 days a year, I can afford to skip a morning workout when its raining. A far cry from my four hour runs in the rainy Pacific North West.

I was starting to see the stress fractures in the home with my training volume so decided to take today off of training. So I gave myself a personal challenge as important as any training goal. I want to go all day without wearing anything but cotton. Think about it. All my workout clothes and most of my daily work outfits are nylon or polyester of come kind; dri-fit shirts, running socks, nylon upper running shoes, not to mention tri tops and shorts.

No, today I am wearing my Goonies t-shirt, Old Navy khaki jeans and I pulled out my Chuck Taylor low tops (old school canvas and rubber baby!) BTW, I get more postive comments on my Goonies shirt than any other vintage or racing shirt I own. Its a classic.

It been so hot here that I don't wear blue jeans much between March and November. Wearing them last night was a treat. Normally I just wear khaki shorts or baggy running shorts. Putting on a pair last night and today is an affirmation that volume training works. I have lost close to twenty pounds this Ironman cycle.

2 PR's

Swam 2.4 miles open water this morning. Had a small PR in my time from the back buoy to the bridge and a big PR in my total swim time. 1hr 34min.

I know to some that is painfully slow. I admit that. But notwithstanding a manatee attack off the shores of Panama City on November 4th, I will cover the cut off time no problem.

A voice in the void.

Shelley, who I secretly, well not so secretly, wish would post more of her 'going out on the town' pictures because she is so fabulous, left me this great comment.

You have "enough" heart Comm...you will get through this, you will be passing by all of us twice, we will be yelling at you and you'll be yelling at us....it will be fun. No one goes it alone!!!

Coming from a five time, soon to be six time Ironmaiden finisher, I respect her perspective.

No one goes it alone.

And that reminded me that with all the things one must do in training, race days are different. I think of the hottest of hot days I run in the Sonoran Desert. One water bottle in my hand and two bottles in a dual water belt, 60-80 ounces in all. I won't have to carry any water at ironman, there is an aid station every mile.

I think of all the long rides I have done by myself. I think of all the solo two and three hour runs I have done, again by myself. At ironman it will be different. I will have a dozen of my closest friends I have never met passing me from one direction or another and cheering me, much like I will be doing with them.

I don't know what November 4th between the hour's of 7 am and midnight will bring for me. A long day, a short day, hopefully a day of completion and success. Who knows. But I will not be alone. I will never be far from a smile and 'Way to Go!" shouted across the street, not from faceless, nameless spectators but people I have been commited too for almost two years.

Every man and woman is a voice. And in that void of race day, when our focus becomes as myopic as just getting one step farther, I know now that I will be also watching the forward progress of all my friends. Their success, your success, becomes my success and I will crave the encouragement I can give and recieve.

Thanks Shelley.

Phew. That was hot.

The Machine and I decided to run a couple laps around the Ironman Arizona route, otherwise known as Tempe Town Lake. Its a normal run for me but it was good to have the company even though he is running about 30 seconds faster per mile.

We ran ten miles. The last two miles it felt like the temperature went from 'damn this is hot' to 'Holy Crap, who jacked up the heat another ten degrees."

When we got back to the cars, the temp. gauge read 119 degrees. Wow. I don't think I have run that far in that kind of heat in a long, long time. Luckily at Tempe Town Lake Beach Park, (what a mouthful) there is a couple thousand square feet water park for the kids to splash in. Its free. We walked over and sat under the waterfall for several minutes. Damn that felt good.

What a great day and a blessing to be able to run, heat notwithstanding.

A reader...

I wouldn't normally praise a perodical, but I must admit the newest Runners World magazine is perhaps the best issue I have read in years from them. Mr. Ultra-Marathon Man himself Dean Karnaze in on the cover. Personally I really dig this guy and there is a great interview about his 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states deal he starts this month. I really wish I could run with him when he is in Phoenix but not possible with my ironman taper.

What really pulled me in this issue is the Dean article, a article on the greatest advancements in running gear and technology in the last fifty years, the greatest shop list ever and what really pulled me was several editorials about runners practicing their hobby in extreme conditions; like many of us do, running in the winter, running in the hot, humid south, running in the dark. I wish they had done one on running in the desert heat and they kind of do but its not really. I thought about writing an article and sending it in to them.

Anyway, for those of you on a long weekend, you could pick no better magazine to read over the next three days.