Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Boston Marathon
For those of you that were wondering, Kurt finished in 3:39:07. I talked to him last night and he said it hurt to go up and down steps. Still, he was in VERY good spirits. Congratulations, brother...
Monday, April 21, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
A Serenity Psalm for the 21st Century
Awake again in the tiny, mouse-feet morning hours
The roaring stillness of a deep morning fog surrounds our home
And the thunder of my heart is in my throat, my head
My brain kick starts, instantly
(There is no turnover here, though I'm certainly out of gas)
And the engine revs:
Client calls
Fax forms
Contract closures
Snapping turtle e-mails await; all hiss, but their bite can be worse
Mileage logs
Phone logs
Claims logs
A forest of logs, made from the corpses of former logs.
Turning off the engine is a Sisyphusian task
Futility at the beginning of each task
And again at the end
Endless errands
Dirty dishes in a burial mound at the kitchen sink, downstairs
The challenge of chores
The lists of lists
Birthing yet more lists.
Be still, a whisper, and know that I am God.
The melee in my head intensifies
The car needs an oil change,
tire change,
Inspection, and I need to
Pick up my daughter after school
Be still, and know that I am God.
Quieter still, the voice, but more insistent
Do I have a pressed shirt?
Chipped paint on the baseboard,
Echoes the decay of neglect of a
Life lived out of balance
Be still, and know that I am God.
I listen for You,
And everything shifts.
Be still, and know that I am God.
My heart slows
Be still, and know that I am.
My head quiets
Be still, and know.
My lists fade
Be still.
My worries are gone
Be.
I am.
The roaring stillness of a deep morning fog surrounds our home
And the thunder of my heart is in my throat, my head
My brain kick starts, instantly
(There is no turnover here, though I'm certainly out of gas)
And the engine revs:
Client calls
Fax forms
Contract closures
Snapping turtle e-mails await; all hiss, but their bite can be worse
Mileage logs
Phone logs
Claims logs
A forest of logs, made from the corpses of former logs.
Turning off the engine is a Sisyphusian task
Futility at the beginning of each task
And again at the end
Endless errands
Dirty dishes in a burial mound at the kitchen sink, downstairs
The challenge of chores
The lists of lists
Birthing yet more lists.
Be still, a whisper, and know that I am God.
The melee in my head intensifies
The car needs an oil change,
tire change,
Inspection, and I need to
Pick up my daughter after school
Be still, and know that I am God.
Quieter still, the voice, but more insistent
Do I have a pressed shirt?
Chipped paint on the baseboard,
Echoes the decay of neglect of a
Life lived out of balance
Be still, and know that I am God.
I listen for You,
And everything shifts.
Be still, and know that I am God.
My heart slows
Be still, and know that I am.
My head quiets
Be still, and know.
My lists fade
Be still.
My worries are gone
Be.
I am.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Presentation...
So this guy is giving a presentation to elementary school kids about triathlon and was wondering what he should consider. I gave him my top 10 ideas, but I'm not sure how many he'll use:
10. Demo "going" on the bike.
9. Have them crawl along the ground and pummel them with a stick so they can experience a swim start.
8. Bloody nipple shots are a must for the slideshow.
7. Throw a half-empty beer can at one of the kids and then say, "Hurts, huh?" You could also use a hairbrush in a pinch...
6. Have them practice tri-phrases like "On your left!" "How far to the turnaround?" and "I have NO POWAH!!!"
5. Have them do 70.3, then tell them they're halfway there...
4. Give them a booklet on who really owns the road, and have them give it to their parent(s)...
3. Use HTFU at least once in the presentation...
2. Explain road rash. If they don't get it, have the class drag one of the kids around the playground.
1. Wear your Speedo for the entire presentation
10. Demo "going" on the bike.
9. Have them crawl along the ground and pummel them with a stick so they can experience a swim start.
8. Bloody nipple shots are a must for the slideshow.
7. Throw a half-empty beer can at one of the kids and then say, "Hurts, huh?" You could also use a hairbrush in a pinch...
6. Have them practice tri-phrases like "On your left!" "How far to the turnaround?" and "I have NO POWAH!!!"
5. Have them do 70.3, then tell them they're halfway there...
4. Give them a booklet on who really owns the road, and have them give it to their parent(s)...
3. Use HTFU at least once in the presentation...
2. Explain road rash. If they don't get it, have the class drag one of the kids around the playground.
1. Wear your Speedo for the entire presentation
Monday, April 14, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
New Shoes...
I got some new shoes: Saucony Guide Grids. I went for my first run in them and found they had a little less spring in the forefoot pushoff than my Brooks. On the plus side, they are a lot lighter, and feel more natural when I land. I am more of a midfoot striker now, where I used to land more on my heel. It feels a lot more comfortable to run this way.
The cool thing is that I notice things like this now. It's a sign that i have been more in touch with my body, with my runs. I was more focused tonight, too. It may have been a function of concentrating on the new shoes, but I think I was just more in tune tonight. There is a lull in my standard 3.3 mile run, usually a little past the first mile and a half where I let my mind wander. It actually wanders whether I let it or not. Anyway, tonight it was not wandering at all. And, it was an absolutely beautiful night for a run; I wore shorts and a short-sleeved shirt for the first time this year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)