Peter Reid - Ironman World Champion

WRITERGUY'S JOURNALS

October 10, 2005: Busy day. We started out by hitting the pool this morning at 6:15. We each had a lane for the first 30 minutes then had to share one. Pete’s looking good in the water. I know this because I can bilateral breath and so I as able to catch sightings of him as he torpedoed past me every few hundred “yards.”

I wish he hadn’t told me the pool was in yards not meters. I was thinking I was a bit of a stud out there.

My friend Trev Williams rolled in on his bike as we were leaving. He had a pineapple on his head. Once he had that off Pete and I went over and said hi. Pete congratulated him on his fine showing at IMC (Trev was first age grouper there this year). By the look on Trev’s face I’d say Peter took at least thirty minutes off Trev’s time this Saturday.

After breakfast and some relaxing to a live net feed of CBC we headed out to do a shoot with NBC. That went smoothly except for the fact that Pete was laughing and horsing around with the guys. I’m not certain he’s taking this thing very seriously. This is confirmed later in the day when he asks me to go for a run with him. Always willing to take a hit for the team I head out. They were the worst thirteen minutes of my life. Pete politely said he wanted to do a few ten minute pick-ups and I waved him off. I believe I avoided a coronary by mere seconds.

There was also a photo shoot for Team Tri Dubai. In and out in minutes. Pete is relieved. I guess these things tend to stretch out.

Said hi to Heather Fuhr. I hope she wins.

Said hi to Cam Brown. I hope he comes second.

From there it was off to a massage then an awesome dinner at some fish place that I’ve promised not to divulge the location of. Not one person recognized him there. I am given further evidence of Pete’s casual attitude this year. It’s happy hour and I order a fish bowl sized beer – then it happens - “I’ll have one too.” He makes his a Lite, but still! What the hell is going on? I don’t ask him about his drinking problem.

He starts telling me about this episode of the Dave Chappelle show he saw and he’s laughing at the memory of it. Who is this guy sitting across from me?

There is no doubt this year we’re looking at a different Peter Reid. I don’t quite know what to make of it. As our waitress walks off Peter watches her swish away. I can take no more and bust him – “You were checking that girl out!”

“I was.”

He confessed it just like that! Now I know Pete’s been single for a while but this is no time to be admiring attractive young women! He should be mildly over trained and anxious as hell about this coming Saturday! THERE SHOULD BE NO LIBIDO!!

I fear for my friend.

On a lighter note, I stopped at Ross Dress for Less and picked up a lovely pair of Calvin Kleins – just in case I decide to do the underwear run.

Tomorrow it’s an early swim at the pier and then an autograph session for Reebok. I know he’s hoping no one will come. I don’t think he’ll get his wish.