Iron War by Matt Fitzgerald

Author:Matt Fitzgerald [Fitzgerald, Matt]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781937716080
Publisher: VeloPress
Published: 2011-11-15T05:00:00+00:00

WOLFGANG DITTRICH and Rob Mackle have made the turn and are now swimming back toward shore, still guided by the lead kayak. Their lead over Dave’s pack has ballooned to nearly two minutes. Dave is accustomed to losing no more than a few seconds to the swim leader. He’ll have something else to stoke his rage when he completes the swim and finds out how far behind he is—not that it matters as long as Mark is behind him.

On shore, Charlie Graves and Brian Hughes, who have been joined by Mike Rubano and Brian’s friend John Martin, watch the approaching disturbance of the water in a state of mild apprehension, as do Space and Toot, separately, and Sharon Allen, alone. It is said that you can’t win Ironman in the swim, but you can lose it. Mark Allen’s supporters will be able to relax just a bit when they see that he has not lost the race in the swim. Then they can begin to worry about broken derailleurs, nosebleeds, and flat tires on the bike.

Dave Scott’s circle looks on as a single group. Pat Feeney squints into the watery distance with particular purpose, looking for the Man’s distinctive stroke pattern and well able to spot it 100 yards out. This ability says as much about Dave’s freestyle technique as it does about Pat’s knowledge of Dave, who is a violent swimmer, and especially violent for such a good swimmer. Freestyle swimming is a technique-dependent discipline, and generally there is a strong correlation between gracefulness of movement and speed in the water. But Dave muscles through the sea, seeming to overcome inefficiency through sheer will. He whips his arm out to the side in the recovery phase of the stroke instead of coming over the top, and he slaps the surface of the water with his hand at the entry point of the stroke instead of piercing it with his fingertips, creating a splash that is visible at some distance.

Pat is not surprised to find that Dave’s ugly stroke is missing from the lead pair of swimmers now discernible in the distance. But he is momentarily troubled by the vastness of the gap between this pair and the splashing of the first chase pack, in which he trusts he will eventually spot Dave’s stroke. Then he remembers that all that really matters is Mark’s position relative to Dave.

The leaders raise their heads to check on their progress toward shore every four to eight strokes. At first the beach doesn’t seem to get any closer. But, almost imperceptibly, the big banyan tree in front of the King Kam grows taller, and mashed-together flecks of color on the pier separate into individual people. Then, suddenly, they hear Mike Plant’s voice drifting across the water, and the sound affects them as the ringing of the bell at the start of the last lap affects track runners. The lead kayaker peels off. Wolfgang begins a final surge. Rob swings out to the right and

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