IM Story #3: With a Little Help

Dan took this pic! Check his stuff out at www.danielmweiss.com

Look at these fine folks. I really can't thank them enough for their support. I already mentioned my mom, but here's some fun facts about everyone else.

Monica and Dirk:

• Newlyweds
• Witnessed me running the wrong way out of transition
• Mon let me set up my bike trainer in her room so we could watch episodes of Girls
• Brought my bike back to the city from transition in New Jersey
• Rumor has it Dirk took a tri bike joyride on the way back from Jersey
• Designed sexy t-shirts with this on them:

Points if you can spot their nod to the sewage issues...

Jeremy and Giri:

• Two of the smartest people I know
• Along with Monica, tolerated my drying workout laundry in the living room
• Witnessed my grouchiest race moments in Riverside Park
• Kept me company for the final miles
• Took pictures at the end of the race and didn’t show me the bad ones

Vicky:

• Animal lover
• Hosted t-shirt making proceedings
• Sick on race day, still came all the way out to Jersey for transition
• Allowed use of her vehicle (named Tiger Shark) for transportation to one of my early races, the 2010 Mayflower Sprint

Anna:

• Badass psychiatrist
• Came all the way up from North Carolina; was at transition
• Within the first 24 hours of meeting, we realized we both ran and decided to go for a run, during which I sneakily had us running a minute faster per mile than either of us normally did
• Despite the above bullet point, we’re still friends!

Sunshine and Russ:

• Trained in Muay Thai kickassery
• At transition
• Along with Vicky, met me at the end of my 100 mile training ride to Montauk
• Nice enough to take me and my bike back home so I didn’t have to make it a 200 mile training ride to and from Montauk

Geri and Dan:

• First met them both at the 2011 Queens Half Marathon (Geri racing, Dan spectating) at the behest of our mutual friend Jared
• Over the 3-hour span of the race, Geri and I managed to talk about everything from chafing to relationships
• Geri accompanied me to the expo when I checked in for the race
• Geri and Dan both reassured (and partly terrified) me about things that could go wrong on the bike over dinner after the expo
• Dan took amazing race pictures including the one above

Here's Dan!

There’s also Jorge, who saw me at the top of Dyckman Hill (another one of my less cheerful moments) and whom I unfortunately missed at the finish; Michael, an accomplished triathlete who gave me all kinds of Ironman advice and saw me cross the finish line; Jared, whom you’ll hear about once or twice more. Also, just anyone who had to hear me gripe or talk too much about the race.

Many of these guys (Monica, Vicky, Sunshine, Anna, I'm looking at you) will be doing their first half marathon in 2013!