WAYNE"S WORDS
January 21, 2005
Topic: What I Wanted To Say At The Banquet But Forgot

Last Sunday was the SBRSTL Banquet at Orlando Gardens.
There was good food, free booze, the opportunity to see friends you haven't seen and been able to talk to since the summer, a great video of all the local races and great prizes, let me repeat that, GREAT PRIZES!
If you weren't there, yours truly won a $425 Ironman Stealth Wetsuit. A big thanks goes to Curtis Brooks for drawing my name out of the paper bag.
As I came up to get my wetsuit, SBRSTL wanted me to say a few words. I felt like a deer caught in the headlights. I mumbled a few words and got the hell off the stage as quickly as I could.
Hey, put me in front of 700 little kids and I'm OK, but a few words in front of adults and I freeze up.
Anyway, I thought about what I wanted to say the other night, so this might not be as good as saying it in front of everyone, but, at least I can let you know what I was thinking.

I wanted to tell everyone about racing triathlons for 16 years and being successful and enjoying the training and racing and how in my 17th year, a visit to my doctor's office changed my life forever. May 2002 I had to have triple bypass surgery.
I wanted to tell everyone how my buddies John Conners and Steve Ryan were with me in the hospital when I found out I needed the surgery and how Steve drove me to St Luke's at 5:30 the morning of my surgery.
I wanted to tell everyone how great it was to have so many friends, who I've met doing triathlons and swimming, come to see me after the surgery.
I wanted to let people know that the guys you train with and race against were some of the first people to be there for me when I needed help.
I wanted to tell everyone how much I appreciated them not treating me any different after my recovery.
I tried to quit doing triathlons in 2003, but John talked me into doing South County. I was back into the loop. I saw old friends again. I was racing again.
And the good part was people treated me the exactly the same as before.
I wanted to tell everyone how doing triathlons gets into your blood after a few years.
I had every excuse not to train and race anymore, but doing triathlons becomes part of who you are. In a way it defines you, it structures your day, your week, your year and probably the rest of your life.
It becomes an addiction, be it a positive one, something that you need in your life.
I wanted to thank all of you who asked how I was doing and said it was good to see me racing again.
I wanted to thank all of you that have come up to me and told me how much they enjoy these articles.
I wanted to thank Matt for ALL he does for this website and for his tireless effort in getting the banquet together.
Next time I see Corky at Ghisallo, I'll thank him for the wetsuit.
That's what I wanted to say.
Maybe it's better to write about this stuff, because I'm not sure that I could have gotten through all this without some emotions coming to the surface.
I think if I had a few more beers, maybe, just maybe I could have gotten up there and said all this.
Maybe next year!!

Until Next Time,
Train Smart, Live Right

Wayne
whuckshold@yahoo.com