I’m just a week away from my second half Ironman, this time in Tauranga.
I’ve found the figurative monkey suit at the back of the wardrobe and have been wearing it proudly over the last couple of month (my apologies to all of those people that I’ve struggled to make time for during that time as a consequence - including all of the readers of this blog).
I was sent this great Mark Watson quote. He was the announcer at the finish line in Rotorua when I finished my first half this time last year, about the 21km run that is the third/last leg of the race. It definitely rings true for me:
“The half marathon is 16km of hope followed by 5km of truth.”
Ask me again on the 6th of Jan and I’ll fill you in on my new version of the “truth”.
:-)
Jessep: You want answers?
Kaffee (Tom Cruise): I think I’m entitled to them.
Jessep: You want answers?
Kaffee: I want the truth!
Jessep: You can’t handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls. And those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives…You don’t want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall.
We use words like honor, code, loyalty…we use these words as the backbone to a life spent defending something. You use ‘em as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it! I’d rather you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you’re entitled to!
Kaffee: Did you order the code red?
Jessep: (quietly) I did the job you sent me to do.
Kaffee: Did you order the code red?
Jessep: You’re goddamn right I did!!
All the best with the Half Ironman Rowan. It’ll probably be a little more difficult than our Miramar Peninsula makeshift triathlon in the late 80s. Remember? Glad to see one of us kept up the endurance racing!
Man you’ll be finished by now… To think while I was lazing around today, you were pushing yourself to the limits, congratulations.