Race Photos and Polish Breakfast

I was going to start off the post with another map of where we are, but the internet here is too slow for me to get Motionbased.com to load. Maybe I’ll add it later if it stops raining. The town is kedzierzyn-kozle.


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There’s not much here, but it is nice to be in a quiet town with a huge hotel room (to myself).

Today I rear ended an Audi A6 that pulled in front of me then stopped. I would have been able to stop in time, but it’s rained a solid meter already today. The hotel says the internet doesn’t work well when it’s raining, and though in the US I would call that a lame excuse, I actually believe them here.

The breakfast here is a lot like the breakfast at the Hotel Helgoland where we stayed last week, only there’s no granola or yogurt bar, the meat bar is not quite “straight from the butcher” (if you catch my drift), and the egg tray has only sausages. There is cereal, but it’s a generic type that looks like a mix of cheerios and lucky charms. There’s some fresh fruit, but between my mother and myself we we cleared the entire serving tray. The juice bar has been replaced by (no joke) beer on tap. There are pint glasses and a tap handle where there would normally be some kind of juice or water. I wish somebody had introduced this idea to the Columbia U Dining Hall when I was there.

I was able to swim in a 25m indoor pool today (I really didn’t want to go to the course and swim in the rain, which, now that I type it, doesn’t sound like a very good excuse). I was the only; person at the pool. I actually think they may have opened the pool and asked a guard to stick around just for me. The entire building was empty except for the two of us, and some angry polish women (not sure if they were actually angry, but they were yelling stuff when I walked it). I’m actually feeling recovered, which is good because I’m running out of time to prepare for this weekend. Up to this week my conversations with coach mike have been, “Just focus on Germany, we’ll talk about Poland after that.” So, of course, now that I’m ready to talk about it I’ve had a rough time finding internet, and not much time to practice.

I think the key points are:
1) swim super fast
2) transition REALLY SUPER FAST
3) stay with everyone on the bike
4) run like hell.

Here are some pics from Hamburg:


That’s Javier. He pulled a “Ben Collins’ Special” and passed out at the finish.


Hey Dad, how about yelling, “hey Ben!” before I pass you, or maybe just cheering instead.


Here’s the bummer about wave starts: It never looks like you’re the winner.


Oh how I’ll miss the days of standing at the finish in my fancy pants with Jason and Tim, wishing one of us could remember my exact time so we’d know what to look for when the next age group comes across the line.


See? I’m smiling even when I don’t know the picture is being taken. I’m just a happy guy.

Check out some more pics from the pro photo guys at: ASI Photo.(I’m thinking there will be more pictures from the run in the lost and found section, since my number was flipped upside down. If anyone else who did the race spots me, let me know.)
Anyone want to buy me a CD? I would even print out and autograph one of the pictures for you 🙂

Published by Ben

Ben Collins Professional Triathlete

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7 Comments

  1. can I PLEASE have your autograph?!?! hehehe. Let’s hope he hit it with the rental and not the bike cause I think that would be less upsetting. I never really understood the concept of alcohol at breakfast but maybe that is just me.

  2. I was on my bike, but don’t worry, the bike’s fine (The audi may have a dent in his trunk that looks remarkably like a middle finger.)

  3. Seeing as how the bike is clearly ruined, you should probably pass it along to other aspiring, underprivileged athletes…

  4. I like the ASI photos, especially the bike ones, it really adds to your badassness, otherwise you just look sort of plain. Actually, maybe you should run with it as well–just a suggestion.

    Could you get me one in blue so it matches my helmet? Thanks.

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