Day 45: What I Learned on the Gold Coast

Alright, I'm starting this blog entry way too late so not sure how clever it will be. I just got back from a nice dinner on my last night here on the Goldie. It was a very international dinner group with peeps representing Austria, Canada, the U.S.A, Australia, and Mexico. The local university here, Bond Uni, actively recruits from abroad, and I got a good lesson on Australian schooling. Taper is going well, I haven't missed a workout yet and today's bike ride felt strong. I popped out another 5500 meter swim today, and the focus was to try and find some speed. The closest to speed I found was a 1:15 100 pull and some 36 second 50's, not good. I'm resigned to the fact that I just don't have the speed to do a 54 minute ironman swim; but I've got the endurance to do a 57 minute swim and not be tired from the effort, which is actually OK for an ironman. I was conservative with my wifi data usage, and as a reward, I'm able to upload a video of my rides here on the Goldie. So here it is, my list of what I learned on the Gold Coast:
• If you're a yippie, you're going to want to stay in Burleigh Heads, and make sure you go to Helen's Bulk Foods, the Magic Apple, and the Vegetarian Cafe across the street from Helen's.
• The Goldie is a bit like Oakland in that the locals here often shout random and stupid sh!& at you while you are running and riding.
• The beaches are amazing here, and they make me realize Bondi Beach is totally overrated.
• The pools actually have chlorinated water and not salt water, which spared me from further chafing.
• It can go from sunshine to rain and back to sunshine within 5 minutes.
• The wind here is just as strong as Kona on its worst day.
• The Aussies are fun to train with but the Austrians are more faithful and reliable.
• There are lots of guys up here with small d!@$ who feel a need to compensate by driving fast and erratic.
• If you're lean and mean and running damn fast, the Aussies (men and women) will let you know how they feel about you with high fives and group hugs.
• If you need a major bike overhaul and cleaning, go to Gold Coast Triathlete shop.
• If you need some tri-gear advice or just want to talk shop, go to Shortis Cycle & Tri, owned by pro triathlete Jason Shortis.
• If you're a surfer, this is where you want to be.
• If you're a triathlete, this is where you want to be.
• The USA has boulevard, while Australia has parade.
• When I retire from triathlons, I'm going to become an Australian Surf Lifesaver competitor.