The Tao of the Tutu

The last weekend in Chicago is a holiday of sorts.

https://youtu.be/0X7RyGBq2E8?list=RD0X7RyGBq2E8

Not your traditional holiday, but a holiday nonetheless for endurance athletes near and far. What holiday is that you may ask? Well, the Chicago Triathlon of course.

Race morning finds athletes setting up their transition areas, filling up their hydration systems, pouring water down their wetsuit to prepare for the impending shock of jumping into Lake Michigan, chant mantras and then there is me.

On race morning, after being up for over 36+ hours, I don...A TUTU!!!! Yeah, I said it, I put on a damn tutu. Now why would a self respecting coach don a tutu on race morning? I have been doing this for over 4 years and there are many reasons, but let me give you the top 10, David Letterman style:

10. You have to coordinate your tutu to your entire ensemble. This is me before the start of the 2014 Chicago marathon preparing to coach/run/motivate/cheer on my athletes. Oh, I taught my Pilates Mat class dressed like this as well. Notice the pick leopard print compression socks and Pink (can we talk about this) Newton Gravity 3 running shoes.

9. How do I stand out among the sea of other coaches and spectators? A tutu
8. How to have fun cheering? Wear a tutu with your partners in crime:

7. "Hey Coach Joy! How are we going to find you?" Look for the tutu. Check this one out of me running the Rock n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon last year. Not an epic enough tutu though it was in my favorite color purple.

6. What goes with booty shorts while you are striving for that professional, comfortable look while working an event? A tutu
5. Your athlete or friend is nervous, wear a tutu to calm their nerves. Or if all else fails, just slap some sense into them.
4. If a random stranger needs reassurance, wear a tutu and then dance, crack jokes, sing.  They may thank you at the end of the race.
3. You are trying to find your supporters, tell them to find the girl in the coach's shirt and red tutu.

2. You have to have a confidence, balls or be a bad ass to wear a tutu.

And the best reason of them all to wear a tutu...
1. When your friends all wear a tutu to give you the most EPIC SURPRISE OF A LIFETIME.

So, don't worry. This story is to be continued on why you can't do Ironman Training alone...

Happy Training... and the Road To Cozumel continues.