Gary Jackson: Fire When Ready Pottery
A Chicago potter’s somewhat slanted view of clay & play
Categories: friends, special events

FLASHBACK : A YEAR AFTER
So here we go… better late than never, right???

IRONMAN 2017   :   My Second Full IRONMAN.
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So my IRONMAN adventure this time began with a drive down to Louisville with my best biking buddy & IRONMAN Sherpa Chris!!! She came with me last time, and I sherpa’d her IRONMAN Madison 2017… and now she’s coming back for my second time!!!

As we’re driving down through Indiana towards Louisville, we start to see these billboards. We’re chatting, driving, singing… and we keep seeing these billboards for Louisville Mega Cavern. Now I’ve never been in a cave, or a cavern… never been spelunking! Never really thought about it. But these billboards kept mentioning ZIP-LINING!!!…. and even better… UNDERGROUND ZIP-LINING!!!

Chris suddenly hopped on her phone, and before I knew it… we had reservations to go zip-lining that evening!!! Maybe NOT the best idea when I’m supposed to be relaxing & preparing for Sunday’s race. But I didn’t care… I’m in!!!

So we got to Louisville, checked in to the hotel and went out for some dinner before zip-lining. Luckily, the concierge had some great suggestions for food. We ate FAR too much food… ordering a bunch thinking we were going to take some leftovers back to the hotel. Well, we were “carbo-loading” and we finished everything!!!

And then we changed clothes per their suggestion to long pants & closed-toed shoes.
And then we drove over to the Louisville Mega Caverns.

A little disconcerting when you see signs like this along the way…

So then we head over to Louisville Mega Caverns. We parked the car and entered through a tunnel in the side of the hill. Walked through a hallway that look far too much like we were entering the Dharma Initiative. We checked in, signed our lives away with their Waiver.. and then got suited up!!! UNDERGROUND!!!

We got some basic training… they gathered us up for the tour…
venturing further down underground… and then the LIGHTS WENT OUT!!!

And then the ZIPPING began!!!

The first line was easy. Getting you accustomed to the flight. And then each one got cooler & cooler… with ropes, suspension bridges & theatrical lighting to make the place even cooler!!!

And then we finally ended again on terra firma. Another great adventure for me & Chris. I love traveling with her… she’s always up for ANYTHING!!!…. and conveniently, so am I.

So, thanks to our amazing tour guides, and all of their bad jokes (which I LOVE)…. we made it through the course without injury. They kept telling us to lift our legs, be careful not to bang your feet, don’t twist your ankles, don’t bang a leg… all things that would NOT have been good for my upcoming race on Sunday! Oh well… we made it… and we had a AMAZING ADVENTURE UNDERGROUND!!!

 

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