Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving Day has passed (except for the leftovers) and I am once again reminded what a truly excellent, thoughtful, thankful holiday this is. Thanksgiving provides the opportunity for each of us to reflect, consider, ponder, and give deep and truthful thanks for everything that life and the Good Lord have sent our way.

Thanksgiving is the calm before the storm; the few precious hours before commerce, advertising, and spending beyond our means (if we are not careful and buy into the idea that more stuff makes for more quality times) take hold and push many to rise up in the middle of the cold, dark night and stake their places in the queues in front of the strip malls, shopping malls, and standalone big box stores. There they will frantically mob the front doors with their steaming credit cards waving in the air, demanding that they be first in line for flat screen teevees, the latest, and the bestest toys and a plethora of other must have stuff (like my new Zipp wheels).

Thanksgiving Day, however, is different. For that one day we are together as friends and family, as we revel in the simple joys of friendship, fellowship, companionship and family ties. And while it is true that most of our gatherings will never meet the lofty goals that are set in holiday television specials, they are real, often loud and lusty and never to be forgotten. Families get together in big and small gatherings and quietly pray, loudly cheer football games, angrily debate local, national and international politics, play board or computer games, eat lovingly prepared meals, and just engage in quiet, thoughtful conversation.

Thanksgiving Day brings good food and great times. It provides us with memories that will last a lifetime. I can still remember previous Thanksgiving Days from decades ago when I was a small child.

I hope this most recent Thanksgiving Day was a good one for you and yours, and gave you those special moments that family memories are built upon.

Thank you for visiting.

Off the Turkey

With Thanksgiving Day approaching I was talking with a good friend and we were remembering a story we read last year in the local newspaper.

It seems that this nice couple had at least a couple of children and one child was a 6 or 7 year old, first or second grade girl. The teacher had given her class a project to color a turkey.

Now this turkey had several predominant tail feathers and as a part of the class project the students were instructed to write the name of people they cared about on each of the turkey’s tail feathers. The young girl designated a separate tail feather for each of her parents, her siblings and her dog.

When she brought her magnificent picture home the entire family gathered to admire her work. They then installed the picture in a place of honor on the refrigerator door so others could admire the young girl’s work.

A couple of days later the young child had gotten into a bit of mischief and her mother spent some time admonishing her. The little girl felt strongly that she had been wronged and after the talking too, she pushed out her bottom lip and marched down to the refrigerator door where she ripped off the tail feather with her mother’s name.

Then, still angry and pouting, she turned around and exclaimed to her mother, “You’re off the turkey!”

With Thanksgiving Day coming up soon, I sincerely hope each of you are happy, healthy and blessed and in no danger of being taken off the turkey!

Thank you for visiting.

The Road Goes Ever On

Every step of the way we walk the line
Your days are numbered, so are mine.
Bob Dylan

Coach Scott of the Team Blaze triathlon club often reminds each of us to enjoy the journey.

For me, the journey really involves life. Each of us has only one ticket on this ride, and if we don’t do our very best to make the most of it, we will have truly squandered our moment and our opportunity. For me this means that I am a continual work in progress to become the best human I can be. And I will admit that I falter and often am less than satisfied with my progress.

However, I will continue to try. And this effort bleeds over into triathlon training, family, friends, community and God. Like some, I am definitely my own worst critic, and this fault can cause some of my days to be less than terrific. I do always harbor the hope that tomorrow will be a better day, and I will be a better person.

Triathlon provides a sense of grounding for me. I love training – as much if not more than racing. I have always had the ability to set and achieve long term goals, and success in triathlon, no matter how one measures it, is a long term, if not a life time goal of slowly, like water wearing down rocks, getting stronger, faster and fitter, without going over the edge which can result in burnout and perhaps injury.

As the late Dr. George Sheehan used to say, each of us is an experiment of one, and our success, both in life and in triathlon, is best measured against ourselves, rather than others.

In order to truly enjoy the journey, I recommend we set goals that our just out of our current reach, and cheer when we achieve them, and then, after a short reflection, head out once more towards new goals.

Never forget that we are constantly burning daylight in this short life on this great rock, but do stop and periodically eat the chocolate, truly inhale the experience, capture the moment and smell the roses.

Thanks for visiting and reading.

The Real Heroes

As I work my way through my soft life, wondering if I can get my training in, my blog readings done, and the thousand other issues that make up the minutia of my days, I can easily loose track of the bigger picture.

There are many, many good people putting their lives at risk in war for each and every one of us. With today commemorating Veteran’s Day, I will do my best to promise to never forget. I trust that you will do the same.

Please take a moment to remember those who came before and gave their all from our own country, those who are still walking the line for us in locations throughout the world, and to ponder a hero from one of America’s long time allies on this special, solemn day.

You can read his amazing story here.


Thank you for reading.

Test Week

This is the first week of a 20 week off season training plan which will then be followed by specific IM CDA 2010 training. This first week involves testing so that I can establish my benchmarks and training zones; both on the bike and on the run.

On Monday I did my bike test. These tests are tough and one is better off not thinking a great deal about them, but instead, just setting a time and getting it done. There is nothing pretty about these tests and the bike version is no exception.

My bike test called for a warm up and then 2 x 20 minute intervals at a pace as hard and fast as I can accomplish and maintain. In between the intervals I have a two minute recovery session.

Since this was my first test on the trainer I was a bit unsure on what to expect, except that I knew the sweat would be pouring off me and I would probably be close to falling off the bike by the time I finished. The test confirmed my thoughts and I definitely got my money’s worth.

Today I was scheduled for a 5k run test so I headed to a local high school track this afternoon. The football team was hard at work when I arrived but the track was empty and waiting.

After a 15 minute warm up I began my 3.1 mile test. Once again the goal is to go as hard and steady as possible and I gave it my best. By the time I finished I was sucking air and the sweat was flying off me in the cool, fall afternoon.

Shortly after finishing my test I continued on for a warm down lap. Around this time a couple of junior high looking boys caught up with me and pretended, while wearing their large back packs, that they were having a difficult time keeping up with my survival jog.

I suspect my face was glowing red as the sweat streamed off it, and steam rose from my shoulders and balding head. I must have looked ancient and feeble to these young boys. I did my best to banter with them as I slowly jogged along the track. As we parted ways I said that I hoped that they would be out here on the track in 45 years. They laughed, and with bodies overwhelmingly full of energy, headed off, continuing to engage in the jokes and pranks of a couple of carefree young boys with a full life ahead of them.

It was a good day and has been a productive week.

Thank you for visiting.

South for the Winter

The temps have dropped below freezing in the early mornings and seem to be only warming to the 40s during the day. This change can only mean one thing – it is time to head south for the winter.

Unfortunately, while I would really enjoy embarking on a winter visit to Tucson, AZ, at this point in my life this trip only involves my bike. And the trip is very short – today I moved my bike onto the trainer down in my basement.



I also solidified the semi-permanence of this visit by installing my trusty trainer tire. For those who reside in year round warmer climates, the trainer tire is used to save wear and tear on one’s normal bike tire. It also lasts for several years and does not generate the often troublesome bike tire dust that can coat much of the surrounding areas.

By moving to the bike trainer for the winter my training changes as well. For the next few months my bike rides will be a bit shorter, but much more intense. These next months give me the opportunity to work on my bike strength and speed and by performing this training in the basement with fans and music blasting, there will be a much smaller chance of anyone hearing me moan and whimper as I work through the often agonizing interval sessions.

Thank you for visiting.

A Brand New YMCA

My fair community recently opened its third brand new YMCA. The downtown Y was opened earlier this year and the north side operation just opened. Each is a large, fully staffed and equipped, magnificent facility.

I have been swimming at the downtown Y since it opened and sometimes it is a bit challenging to find lane space in the afternoon. The pool is only four lanes wide and I try to get in the water a bit early before the really fast people show up. And even then there are a lot of people enjoying the pools – from the oldsters exercising in the warmer therapeutic pool, to the ankle biters laughing and screaming in the wading pool to the numbers of lap swimmers in the bigger pool.

However, with the opening of the new north side Y, I have been swimming in its six lane pool in the afternoon. And I must admit that the sparsely attended pool is a bit lonely. Forgive me for my thoughts but I do miss the lean, hard bodied people flying by me in adjacent lanes.

And I sometimes wonder as I swim down the lane by myself if the lifeguard can notice when I pass gas as I head down and back. I do eat a lot of roughage, and as you probably know, roughage keeps you regular, and also tends to produce its fair share of gas.

So I plug along, working on my technique, wearing my Aqua Sphere swim goggles with their advertised 180-degree visibility for naught in an empty pool, passing gas and counting my laps.

I hope things pick up soon at the north side Y or I will need to head back downtown.

Thank you for visiting.