Wednesday, June 15, 2011

My brother is weird.

I have talked before about my brother Sunshine and how he is apt to be a bit of freak of nature and has a rather high threshold to pain.

I have posted these pictures before which, if you haven't spent much time around here, will put you into the picture as to the type of person he is.
This one above was taken at Temple Basin last century. The one below was taken in Puerto Rico last year.
Basically he's spent all his life trying to fly.

In light of all this I really shouldn't have been surprised to have received the following text last weekend.

He'd been competing in a race that involved a 30 kilometre bike, a 15 k run (which he reckoned would be two-three hours), an 18 k bike and a ten k kayak.

The conversation unfolded like this:

Me:'??? and ???'

Him: 'I fell over early in the run passing a guy going downhill and dislocated my shoulder (not my bung one - so I am evening things up!) Luckily a doctor was competing so he put it back in for me (ouch!) and I could carry on. Still came 3rd in the veteran men's but I was a bit pissed off because I was leading category by a long way before I crashed. But a good day and I will be back next year.'

Now, I just want to take a moment to consider his text.

He fell at the beginning of the 15 kilometre run and popped his shoulder. Now I haven't ever dislocated my shoulder but a quick Google search reveals, 'IT HURTS LIKE FUCK', 'You will be in a lot of pain. ... It will be loud','The pain from the dislocation is so horrible. When I dislocated my shoulder, I was wishing that my arm would just fall off.'

So bearing this in mind, Sunshine pops his shoulder, gets it popped back in, finishes the run, bikes 18 k and then - the killer - kayaks for ten kilometres.

Kayaks?

He's dislocated his shoulder and he kayaks?

There were no lives at risk, no last-planes to catch or no world-coming-to-an-end and he needed to get to his family.

The lengths that man goes to, to think he deserves a beer are just becoming ridiculous.



9 comments:

catherine said...

Sitting at my desk getting jelly legs just thinking about it ! Go Sunshine..ps thats what I call my 7 yr old son..cute :)

laughykate said...

Hiya Catherine. The name Sunshine evolved as a result of him spending his teens in a filthy mood. I remember, it was Christmas, walking into the dining room to have lunch and he was standing there with a face like thunder. I piped up with (think:annoying yappy, happy little sister), 'Hey Sunshine !'

Apparently our mother was sure he would have flattened me, if he could have got away with it.

Jo said...

Gah! I predict some evil arthritis in his future :(

I worry that finishing that race may have been... stupid.

Hope I'm wrong!

Anonymous said...

Very impressive, but remember you're the girl sibling.

Ask him has he ever had his legs waxed.

laughykate said...

He may Jo, but he'll still say it was worth it.

Tinman, I think I can confidently say that the only time he's ever had his legs waxed has been by the road!

injaynesworld said...

Adrenaline junkie -- ya think? I know that when adrenaline is pumping, you can't feel pain or, at least, it's greatly diminished.

Hey -- as long as he doesn't tweet his weiner to anyone, let the fellow have a good time.

;)

laughykate said...

Of course! And would that explain the time it took him three months to realise he'd broken his arm that he then needed to have rebroken ??

speccy said...

Hmm, what will I do tomorrow...

What about some cycling, running, enormous pain, see doctor, continuing enormous pain, more cycling and then, just because my shoulder is in excruciating agony, some kayaking?

Nah, that'll be no good- I might only come 3rd...

laughykate said...

Hiya Speccy, when you put it like that....how could you possibly resist?!