Old School

I was on the phone late in the business day when I was handed a note. After a very quick review of the note, I told the person I was speaking with that I'd call him right back. The note was a forwarded message that said, I've got a 56 P2 Carbon that's gonna be here next week? My brain starts grinding gears with adrenaline roaring. I think to myself, "I thought the P2C's weren't coming until April???"

Cervelo is rolling out a new carbon bike that just made my heart go pitter-patter when I saw the pictures from the InterBike show in Las Vegas . I'm due for a new bike and I already decided on carbon. I've been going back and forth between the P3 Carbon and the new P2 Carbon. Deep in the back of my head I keep running future cash flow models to justify both; the P3 Carbon that will be set up for flat-fast courses. With a fit that would put me totally aggressive, I dream of my nose skimming the front tire as I blaze through in perfect aero form like Bjorn ( Anderson ). The P2C would be set up less aggressive and more for hilly courses like a Wisconsin , Lake Placid or Canada where significant time will be spent climbing and I would want to remain comfortable. The call was a moot point for the time being because I needed a 54 instead of a 56. Too bad, so sad.

But the call got my wheels turning again (mental wheels that is.). Anybody that knows me, knows that I'm a total equipment junkie. I love the toys, the gadgets, and the technology. I love it all and want all of the latest and greatest. Generally I justify the purchase by telling myself that it will make me faster. I continue with this logic by putting things in financial terms (being the finance guy that I am I guess I try to outsmart even myself???) I say to myself, "Think of all the time, effort and energy you spend pursuing the dream of making Kona. Won't spending X dollars be worth it? Think about it.what if you miss a slot by seconds and this new technology was shown in a wind tunnel to shave X amount of time off in a 40k time trial? Think how much time you will shave over 112 miles?

You laugh but it gets worse. Here are examples of how I convince myself with 'actual data.' (Because if something could be proved with actual data then I must act on it immediately - or I must be a fool). Does anybody recognize the name David Aitkenhead? David finished Ironman Lake Placid in 2004 in a very nice 10:24:08 in the men's 35 - 39 age division (my age division). Unfortunately for him Ali Azarbayejani finished in 10:24:01 and took the last Kona slot. Or how about Steven Bentley who finished Ironman Florida in 2005 in 9:44:22 in the men's 35-39 age division? Now I don't know about you, but I don't want to bust my ass and do a 9:44:22 only to have some guy named Kimo Seymour take the last slot in 9:44:14. I mean, this stuff really happens. Look it up!

At first I might be screaming, "HEY, SCREW YOU KIMO YOU ROTTEN PIECE OF CRAP!" But then I would be left to think, "See, if I would have gotten those race wheels that are 2 grams less and the aero helmet and the all carbon sole racing shoes, along with a lighter carbon bike with carbon cranks with the Zero-Gravity brakes Kimo would be a chump @ss bee-otch sitting home in October while I'm getting a suntan on the Queen K." To buy new gear or to not buy new gear is the question. It's an easy choice if you ask me.

Now you would think that with all of the latest and greatest technological improvements that Ironman records would continue to drop on the elite level. They didn't make carbon bikes years ago. They didn't know about glycemic index's, BioBuilde, HR monitors, PowerTaps, and aero helmets. Heck, I really thought if I researched long enough, I would be able to uncover a lost picture of Scott Tinley racing with a steel bucket turned upside down on his head for a helmet (but I didn't).

The very first Ironman triathlon was held on February 18, 1978 on a nice Hawaii day. I actually don't know what the weather was, but if an Ironman was going on then I automatically determined that it was a nice Hawaii day. But I digress. Fifteen guys start out, twelve finish. On January 14th, 1979, Tom Warren 'rips' an 11:15:56 to win. After that, it didn't take the guys very long to 'figure it out.' In 1980, Dave Scott wins with a 9:24:33. By 1984, Dave Scott breaks under the nine-hour barrier to win in 8:54:20. In 1986, Dave Scott wins for a fifth time with another course record of 8:28:37. 1989 featured the famous 'war' between Mark Allen and Dave Scott with Mark Allen beating Dave Scott by 58 seconds. Mark Allen's winning time that year was an astounding 8:09:15. Mark Allen would one-up himself with an 8:09:08 in 1992 and Luc Van Lierde stuns the world with an 8:04:08 in 1996.

So it took the fella's about 10 years to figure out that if you swim over ten miles, bike 300+ miles and run sixty to eighty miles each week, you seem to get pretty fast relative to Ironman specific racing. Although I'm very impressed that these guys did it without carbon bikes, heart rate monitors and PowerTaps, I think I'm more impressed that they didn't do it with PowerBars, PEARL iZUMi seamless padded cycling shorts, and ASSOS Chamois Crème. My @ss is way too precious to have succeeded back in the 90's.

I just took a break from writing long enough to check out the Cervelo website. They wrote that the P3 was a faster bike in the wind tunnel than the P2 and uses better quality carbon. I might need those few seconds in 2006 so I think I'll get the P3 first and see where the cash flow stands later in the year for the P2C???