"The Irish don't know what they want and are prepared to fight to the death to get it” - Sidney Littlewood
“Leprechauns, castles, good luck and laughter.Lullabies, dreams and love ever after. Poems and songs with pipes and drums. A thousand welcomes when anyone comes... That's the Irish for you!” (boy does that sum me up!)
“Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat” - Alex Levin
“Ninety percent I'll spend on good times, women and Irish Whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste.” (Hah! I love it!)
I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no "brief candle" for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.
G.B. Shaw
"A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart."
Jonathan Swift
For your sweet sake, I will ignore
Every girl who takes my eye,
if it's possible, I implore
You do the same for me. (Oh God, I love it!)
It's a good thing to be able to take up your money in your hand and to think no more of it when it slips away from you than you would of a trout that would slip back into the stream.
Lady Augusta Gregory
Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.C.S. Lewis
Father O'Malley was going through the post one day. Drawing a single sheet of paper from an envelope, he found written on it just one word: "FOOL." The next Sunday at Mass, he announced, "I have known many people who have written letters and forgot to sign their names. But this week I received a letter from someone who signed his name and forgot to write a letter."
We can't win at home, we can't win away. As general manager, I just can't figure out where else to play.
Jock Brown - Celtic General Manager.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Mile 16
It's been a while since I've posted, been incredibly busy, and a lot has happened. Here's the short version:
Raced Vineman 70.3 and drank lots of wine (more later)
Raced...errr...completed Escape from Federal Way (though, interesting enough, I can't figure out what we ever escaped from - except in my case, perhaps I escaped having a good finish time) (more later)
Made good progress on Bonney Lake build...woo hoo
Been on several interviews for management positions...all good (more later)
Have 3 properties for rent...teeth are chattering
swam 1 and a half hours straight with Rodey
But it was today that I ran 20 miles, well almost 20. And it was at mile 16 that a profound realization struck (it happens more often than not with me).
It was at mile 16, with fatigue cutting up from my legs, through my stomach to grasp my heart and squeeze what little passion I had left for pushing myself out of it - it was at mile 16, with a thirst I've rarely felt wrenching my insides and leaving a chalky feel in my mouth - it was at mile 16, with a desire to stop and walk, or stop all together swelling up inside of me like a title wave, daring me to keep going and begging me to stop - it was at mile 16 that I realized - mile 16 is where the real training happens.
And so it was, that while fatigue was taking hold of, and breaking my spirit, and my very foundation was crumbling beneath me, that I reached just a little bit deeper and willed my legs to keep moving.
And that's really the point isn't it? In life, just as in racing, we are faced with incredible difficulty, overwhelming fatigue, an incredible desire to just stop pushing and walk a little; it's at mile 16 that we learn what we're made of. It's at mile 16, when we come face to face with our own limits, our own weakness, and the deepest, truest forms of our real emotions that we learn who we truly are at this moment, perhaps glimpse what we know we can be, and make the decision to accept one or pursue the other.
And that's just mile 16.
VINEMAN...BABEEEEEY!
Well, if there is anything to be said for my half-ironman race at the Vineman in Sonoma County, it would probably be this: There is a lot of delicious wine in Sonoma County.
Other highlights would probably include these:
Swimming in a relatively narrow river makes for an excellent time siting. No troubles there, my friend. Are you next to the bank, or at least looking at it and it's at the right angle? Well you're good to go then. It was a 42 minute swim for me, which is fine, not great, but I will get there.
The Pro athletes are...amazing. And what a cool experience to see them in person. Michellie Jones was there! Craig Alexander was there! Chris Lieto, Luke Bell, Samantha Mglone, I mean commmmeee on! It was very cool. They swim like a bunch of piranhas, just absolutely attacking the water, totally amazing.
You should have a spare tire or fix it junk for your tubular racing tires. That's right...that would be me that did not have any way to fix my tire. Which leads me to...
Racing 30 miles of a half ironman bike course on a flat tire sucks. I mean suuuuuuccckks. But, here is the cool part; my attitude was amazing, and my taper was superb, because I still completed the entire race in just 5:56, which is only about 50 minutes slower than a good time for me. I mean, I was really pushing on the bike, and I took a lot of risks, almost crashing many times when my flat front tire would slide out from under the bike...scary.
Running 13 miles in 93 degree plus heat, after biking on a flat tire, is very hard. It took me 2 hours. Not too good, and the run course you ask? Oh, just as miserably hilly as the bike course. Such a hard race!!!
Next up? The 'escape' from alcatraz olympic race... 6 days after killing myself in the Vineman...annnnnd...with no rest days between, because we drove home from the Vineman the same day (though it took over a day to get home), and then I began doing physical labor on the bonney lake house. So I was toasted, completely.
Here's the craziest part about this race, besides my being wasted and going very slowly; in the swim, only about 50 yards into it, I accidently hit some guys shoulder trying to pursue Rodey (by the way, it was a mass start through a 10 foot wide start chute, complete, utter chaos, people climbling all over each other, literally). So this guy, this lunatic, reaches over to me, grabs my wetsuit at the shoulder and rips it completely off. ANd I said, what the hell dude? And he says, get this, "you pulled on me first". Can you believe that? What a maniac!
If anyone reading this does triathlons, or is about to do your first, read this: If anyone punches, kicks, pulls, grabs, squeezes, climbs over, crawls under, or indian burns you - it is unintentional and not a reason to be upset, and especially, not a reason to conciously, physically retaliate against said person. If you do that, you are an idiot and should not be racing in a triathlon.
That being said, the race was well organized, very tough, even if I hadn't been completely worn out and pissed off about swimming my entire 1500 yards with my wetsuit completely unzipped. By the way, the swim took me about as long as my 1.2 mile half ironman swim the week before!
Well, I'm about spent with typing. Job wise? Well, I've had some incredible interviews, and I'm just waiting to hear back from some people to see what they are willing to offer me pay/benefits wise, and I have a couple of second interviews scheduled. The most exciting opportunity at this point is a second interview with a DM from Performance Bike. If that goes well, they will likely offer me the position managing the Tacoma location, and that would be very cool - I've wanted to manage a bike store for a while, it's the perfect fit for me, to be around cycling all of the time and be able to get other people excited about it when they come it. We'll see though, I'm only at the second interview with them
Have a great day/night/week or whatever, and stay positive, life is only as good as you make it and allow it to be. Remember, you're alive now and that won't always be the case, enjoy it while it lasts and don't sweat the petty stuff (or pet the sweaty stuff as my old friend micah would always say)!
Mike
Raced Vineman 70.3 and drank lots of wine (more later)
Raced...errr...completed Escape from Federal Way (though, interesting enough, I can't figure out what we ever escaped from - except in my case, perhaps I escaped having a good finish time) (more later)
Made good progress on Bonney Lake build...woo hoo
Been on several interviews for management positions...all good (more later)
Have 3 properties for rent...teeth are chattering
swam 1 and a half hours straight with Rodey
But it was today that I ran 20 miles, well almost 20. And it was at mile 16 that a profound realization struck (it happens more often than not with me).
It was at mile 16, with fatigue cutting up from my legs, through my stomach to grasp my heart and squeeze what little passion I had left for pushing myself out of it - it was at mile 16, with a thirst I've rarely felt wrenching my insides and leaving a chalky feel in my mouth - it was at mile 16, with a desire to stop and walk, or stop all together swelling up inside of me like a title wave, daring me to keep going and begging me to stop - it was at mile 16 that I realized - mile 16 is where the real training happens.
And so it was, that while fatigue was taking hold of, and breaking my spirit, and my very foundation was crumbling beneath me, that I reached just a little bit deeper and willed my legs to keep moving.
And that's really the point isn't it? In life, just as in racing, we are faced with incredible difficulty, overwhelming fatigue, an incredible desire to just stop pushing and walk a little; it's at mile 16 that we learn what we're made of. It's at mile 16, when we come face to face with our own limits, our own weakness, and the deepest, truest forms of our real emotions that we learn who we truly are at this moment, perhaps glimpse what we know we can be, and make the decision to accept one or pursue the other.
And that's just mile 16.
VINEMAN...BABEEEEEY!
Well, if there is anything to be said for my half-ironman race at the Vineman in Sonoma County, it would probably be this: There is a lot of delicious wine in Sonoma County.
Other highlights would probably include these:
Swimming in a relatively narrow river makes for an excellent time siting. No troubles there, my friend. Are you next to the bank, or at least looking at it and it's at the right angle? Well you're good to go then. It was a 42 minute swim for me, which is fine, not great, but I will get there.
The Pro athletes are...amazing. And what a cool experience to see them in person. Michellie Jones was there! Craig Alexander was there! Chris Lieto, Luke Bell, Samantha Mglone, I mean commmmeee on! It was very cool. They swim like a bunch of piranhas, just absolutely attacking the water, totally amazing.
You should have a spare tire or fix it junk for your tubular racing tires. That's right...that would be me that did not have any way to fix my tire. Which leads me to...
Racing 30 miles of a half ironman bike course on a flat tire sucks. I mean suuuuuuccckks. But, here is the cool part; my attitude was amazing, and my taper was superb, because I still completed the entire race in just 5:56, which is only about 50 minutes slower than a good time for me. I mean, I was really pushing on the bike, and I took a lot of risks, almost crashing many times when my flat front tire would slide out from under the bike...scary.
Running 13 miles in 93 degree plus heat, after biking on a flat tire, is very hard. It took me 2 hours. Not too good, and the run course you ask? Oh, just as miserably hilly as the bike course. Such a hard race!!!
Next up? The 'escape' from alcatraz olympic race... 6 days after killing myself in the Vineman...annnnnd...with no rest days between, because we drove home from the Vineman the same day (though it took over a day to get home), and then I began doing physical labor on the bonney lake house. So I was toasted, completely.
Here's the craziest part about this race, besides my being wasted and going very slowly; in the swim, only about 50 yards into it, I accidently hit some guys shoulder trying to pursue Rodey (by the way, it was a mass start through a 10 foot wide start chute, complete, utter chaos, people climbling all over each other, literally). So this guy, this lunatic, reaches over to me, grabs my wetsuit at the shoulder and rips it completely off. ANd I said, what the hell dude? And he says, get this, "you pulled on me first". Can you believe that? What a maniac!
If anyone reading this does triathlons, or is about to do your first, read this: If anyone punches, kicks, pulls, grabs, squeezes, climbs over, crawls under, or indian burns you - it is unintentional and not a reason to be upset, and especially, not a reason to conciously, physically retaliate against said person. If you do that, you are an idiot and should not be racing in a triathlon.
That being said, the race was well organized, very tough, even if I hadn't been completely worn out and pissed off about swimming my entire 1500 yards with my wetsuit completely unzipped. By the way, the swim took me about as long as my 1.2 mile half ironman swim the week before!
Well, I'm about spent with typing. Job wise? Well, I've had some incredible interviews, and I'm just waiting to hear back from some people to see what they are willing to offer me pay/benefits wise, and I have a couple of second interviews scheduled. The most exciting opportunity at this point is a second interview with a DM from Performance Bike. If that goes well, they will likely offer me the position managing the Tacoma location, and that would be very cool - I've wanted to manage a bike store for a while, it's the perfect fit for me, to be around cycling all of the time and be able to get other people excited about it when they come it. We'll see though, I'm only at the second interview with them
Have a great day/night/week or whatever, and stay positive, life is only as good as you make it and allow it to be. Remember, you're alive now and that won't always be the case, enjoy it while it lasts and don't sweat the petty stuff (or pet the sweaty stuff as my old friend micah would always say)!
Mike
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