We are involved in a life that passes understanding, and our highest business is our daily life. - John Cage

How do marvelous things and people and circumstances show up in our lives?  We really don't know, but they do.  Enjoy, contribute.

Woke up before the alarm today.  Got some antibiotics yesterday.  What a miracle those drugs are.  It will be over a week before I'm cured but already I feel better.

Tri group run tonight.  Think I'll go for a long bike ride tomorrow if my sit parts will tolerate it.  I love going for long bike rides.

I've kind of gotten into a funk lately.  Heard something on the radio yesterday to help people be happy, three things to do:

Think about what makes you happy today.  Think about what you're grateful for.  Stand up and smile.  Those three things.  I used to make a little list every day on my white board - Today's happiness.  I started that again yesterday.  All three good practices.  I need to convince myself again that the universe is plentiful, there is enough, and I have enough, or will get what I need.  Good things are happening and will happen.  I just have to open my eyes and look.  Enjoy, and live my life.  Could be time to ask someone out on a date.  Now that thought is really scarey.

Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self. - Cyril Connolly

Group ride tonight.

Still pretty sore - especially hamstrings.  And sunburn.  You would think that I would have learned about sunscreen by now.  Just forgot to do critical shoulders.  Thinking about the sore muscles, and which weight lifting exercises I can use to beef those areas up.

I think I'm too skinny.  But I've still got a gut.  But my gut is not where I think I'm too skinny.  So the answer must be in the weight room, and in sprints.  I've chosen the 1/2 to full plan to train for IMFL   It's got two days a week of strength training.  I'll try to honor that.  Think I'll develop my own weight routine though.  The only question is weights before, or after cardio.  I've seen it discussed a lot, and there seems to be no consensus.  Think I'll do after.

Physical Therapy this morning for shoulder.  He found the sore ligaments.  One stretch - sleeper's stretch, Rotator cuff exercise with resistance band 3x10 to start, and self massage to increase blood flow.  Weight lifting is ok as long as it doesn't hurt.

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. - Aristotle

Woke up early.  Feel pretty good today - love those endorphins.  Still very sore from head to toe and had a morning meeting so decided to make today another rest day.  Tomorrow group ride - maybe a short brick after.

I've been thinking about the race.  BSLT is really an international status race.  Lots of slots to Kona so the competition is strong.  It's cool to be out there with all those athletes of that caliber.  I ate dinner with Joe Umphenour who took third.  He's a very fast guy.  The second pro to cross the finish line.  First out of the water.  Set me to thinking about my goals, what I do and how I do.  In a way when you're talking with the winners they want to know why don't you want to win?  I think each athlete has to be realistic about what they can and cannot do.  There's genetics, age, and training time.  The guy I really want to beat, is myself yesterday.  That is a whole lot more realistic goal than for me to think I'll ever run a 4 hour 1/2 IM.  I do have time goals that could be out of my reach, but they might be doable.  And if I get there, I can set new ones.

One of the interesting things in visiting with the champs is that we do have a lot of the same experiences, perhaps at a different level, but they're the same.  We each can be taken out by a car.  Anyone can crash.  Each person has to figure out what training works for them, and what nutrition works, and we have the same trials.  Joe thought the wind coming back was pretty tough.  Was it tougher for him at 20mph ish or for me at 16 mph ish?  It does feel good to know that he's got to work for what he gets just like I have to work for what I get.

Tonight grocery store and see if I can finish unpacking.  My room looks like my suit cases exploded clothes and equipment all over the place.  Fridge is almost empty.

highlights:

learned about my body - 7% body fat - I'm carrying 11 lbs of fat.

Race was pretty good.  I enjoy the challenge, and enjoy doing the race in spite of the pain.  I suppose we subject ourselves to as much pain as we want.  There is nothing easy about a 1/2 ironman.

Swim was ok, sighting not nearly as good as at Oly.  need to get new goggles.  Water felt hot. - lots of contact.

Bike right out of transition is a huge hill, I have to work very hard to make it up the hill with my current gear set.  After that level of exertion it's hard to back off, especially with all the younger faster cyclists passing me.  Wind was very light on the first half of the ride, but picked up and was in our face at 25 mph for the last 10 miles or so.  Rough road / cracks just kind of beat you up.    Arms are sore today.  Think nutrition was pretty good.  Just did not feel very strong on this ride.

Run was tough for the first 1/4, good for the middle 1/2  with adjustments to nutrition, very hard for the last three miles.  Learned to take nutrition / hydration, and not trust that the stuff on the course will be palatable. 

Forgetting sunscreen on shoulders and neck is not a good thing.

Had dinner with the pro who took second.  Interesting conversation.  Perspective is an interesting thing.

I was just talking with my daughter and laughed.  Even my obliques are sore.

-massage today -

I think that everything from the tips of my toes to the ends of the hair on my head is sore.  I wonder how it will feel tomorrow?  Endorphins are great though.  enjoyed visiting with one of the girls who did the sprint though - she had a great time too.