Many of you may have noticed that Patrick sports a full beard. In the sport of triathlon it is rare to see beards; in fact, it is my number one way of find Patrick in crowds of other athletes or in the mass of photos. This year Patrick's beard was a training beard for IMCHOO. It has lived on now as his Linus blanket for the purpose of racing, a comfort and reminder of his determination to complete this challenge.
To fully appreciate and respect the beard you have to see the growth and development over the past year.
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| January 2014 |
January started with a little fuzz already growing, but it was cold out. At this point IMCHOO was on the books to be fought in nine months. Patrick had proclaimed that he would officially grow a training beard.
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| February 2014 |
By February racing the beard was starting to fill out. I think this photo was taken after a trimming had occurred. By this point the beard acts as a protection from the cold, but can also cause some dry skin and therefore has to be conditioned regularly. especially if we are in the pool frequently.
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| March 2014 |
March meant more bike training and figuring out how to get the beard as aero as possible. Even 60 miles into a 100 mile ride the beard was looking good.
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| April 2014 |
April was about half way till IMCHOO. There were times that the beard had to be tamed. Once the mustache portion of the beard grows too long it causing problems in the swim and if the cheek portions are not kept under control it causes Patrick's goggles to be ill-fitting.
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| May 2014 |
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| July 2014 |
In May the beard begins to bleach some from the sun. It turns a little blonde this time of year. As you can see the lighting of the color does not change the thickness of the beard. While in winter the beard needs a little extra conditioning the spring changes nothing. Since the weather is getting hot it is necessary for good beard washing and upkeep.
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| June 2014 |
As summer approaches the beard can sometimes cause an increase in body heating; so it is important to train in to a summer beard and to stay hydrated.
As you can see in July the beard begins to come into its own. It is full and requires combing and proper post eating food checks in order for it to stay maintained.
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| August 2014 |
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| September 2014 |
The August beard can appear light and fluffy. But this still takes work. Patrick was debating int he summer about shaving his beard but it had come so far he just could not let it go at this point.
The September beard needed a little trim before IMCHOO; it was holding a bit too much water.
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| The IMCHOO Beard 2014 |
In September the IMCHO beard was final. It was fluffy, it was soft, it was full!!!! while IMCHOO did not go as Patrick had planned his beard did help him to stand out in the crowd of people making him easy for our friends and family to spot. The beard would continue on beyond IMCHOO since again it was a comfort at this point.
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| October 2014 |
The October beard is also known as the Lebowski. This year it double as a Thor beard too. The October beard closes out tri season and is a representation of a lot of hard work.
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| November 2014 |
Oh yes the November beard. This year the November beard was very much needed as we had a cold weather 13.1 in Kansas City. The beard helped to filter the cold air and keep Patrick's face a steady warm temperature.
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| December 2014 |
To close out the 2014 year there is the December beard. The December beard is a let it all loose kind of beard. Since water training was not high this December it was easy to let the beard just grow free.
Since this photo Patrick has trimmed up the beard as he prepares for the 2015 year of running. This year is sure to be epic and I expect that the phases of the beard will not disappoint.
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