24 hours. 1440 minutes. Into that non-negotiable time frame
I have to fit in time to sleep, eat, attend to various necessary bodily
functions, commute, work, spend time with family and friends, and train.
This brings up a number of issues. The past obviously
influences where we are in the present and where will go in the future. This
past is never neutral. Like everyone, I have made good and bad choices; seized
some opportunities and wasted others; and been both helped and hindered by my
own heredity and upbringing in myriad ways. I can use my past as a foundation
on which to build my future or let it be the quicksand in which I am forever
mired, keeping me from realizing whatever potential I may have. The choice is
mine either way. It is perhaps one of the few real expressions of free will
that I have- that any of us have.
The past two weeks have been an overwhelming mélange of
activities, obligations, and assorted time consuming stuff such that on any
given day it was a sheer impossibility to complete all the tasks for that day
in the allotted 24 hours. Of course, any carryover from one day just added to
the equally overwhelming demands of the next. I have resigned myself to the
fact that for the foreseeable future, I will never reach the end of a day with
everything on my to do list crossed off. Setting priorities will be critical.
One that was not high on the list the past 2 weeks was this blog. So, for what
it’s worth, here are some year end “random thoughts”.
Life is good. Despite all the things wrong with our world
and the seemingly unending litany of terrible news in the media, there is much
about life to love. I feel particularly blessed with a family that I love (and
that, despite all my faults, appears to love me), fulfilling work that I still
enjoy, good health, and more worldly goods than anyone has a need for, or right
to. I know there are many who cannot make such claims. My heart goes out to the
family of a friend who apparently felt otherwise a few weeks ago. While I can
imagine that level of despair, I cannot understand it. As long as there is
life, there is hope. 
What is especially wonderful about the Christmas season is
that where hope in this life ends, another hope begins, one that is all
encompassing, overarching, and limitless. If there is any message of Christmas,
this has to be it. This blog is not intended to be a Christian rant but
everyone has a world view that infuses every aspect of their life, drives every
decision, and colors their perspective. This is mine. I’ll try to rein it in
and keep it low key. Having said that, Merry Christmas to anyone who happens to read this. May this be a season of calm, peace, and, above all, hope.
Ironman training log:
Readers will notice a dearth of entries on my progress here.
Suffice it to say that any progress has been mental and not physical. My
motivation remains high but between the hectic office schedule, preparations
for the upcoming holiday, bad weather, and a nagging cold (my third this year;
what’s with that?), I have not swum (swam?), biked, or run in nearly 2 weeks.
Good thing that true loss of fitness takes 3 weeks or more of inactivity. To be
honest, and not making excuses, I have not felt any pressure to do too
much until after the first of the year. Still haven't gotten back to Cameron at Carmichael Training Systems about enlisting the services of a
triathlon coach versus using someone locally to help me train. That has to be done soon. While I am very
self motivated, I know that I will be pushed a little more if I have someone to
be accountable to. This is one of my mantras for people who want to make a real
change in their lives. My goals, according to priority as fairly
straightforward and, I hope, simple: make it to the starting line feeling
prepared, not get hurt, complete the triathlon, set a time goal. Oh, and a big
goal- have fun with the process.
This week’s summary:
Zip, zero, nada…………..I am trying to enjoy the enforced
inactivity and using it to motivate me for the new year.
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