A season of slaying dragons

This dragon is on a circus wagon at the Circus World Museum

 What are my dragons?

For me, a dragon is something I consider "unfinished business."  For instance, the biggest one I have probably ever dealt with is my Ph.D.  My daughter had her accident about halfway through my course work and I ended up taking a leave of absence with no expectation in my own mind that I would ever go back.  I assumed it was over, but after about a year and a half I went back (oddly, Glenda and Melanie both always assumed that I would finish..I did not).  I didn't meet my goal of a degree by 50, but I was only a few months late.

That was huge...but there have been other little dragons. Most recently they have had been athletics related.  There are only 3 races that I ever started and didn't finish: A half marathon in San Antonio, The Door County Tri and the Screw City Du.  San Antonio never became a dragon for me, for reasons I won't go into here. But those other two...or more particularly, PARTS of those other two became dragons that popped up to taunt me now and then. 

Why did they need slaying?

Well, strictly speaking, I don't suppose they had to be slain.  There is some virtue in just letting it go.  Oddly enough, though, only some of my unfinished business becomes something that needs finishing...but when something does get in my head, I do need to get it done.

The two races that were stuck in dragon mode were both multisport.  At Door County on the first try, I had been pulled from the swim, finished the bike strong and blown up on the run.  The conditions were not great in the swim that year and many people were pulled...that didn't bother me particularly. But not finishing the run, even though it was the right choice for that day, just bugged me.  I needed to know I could finish a run after such a relatively long bike.

Similarly, the first time I attempted the Screw City Du I got through the first run...and it was soooo hot and miserable I stopped there and dropped to the 2 mile run category.  I wanted to go back this year...not to do the whole race but to run more than 2 miles for sure.  Technically there was a 2 mile run division so I finished the first time, but it did not satisfy me, I wanted to finish something there that I actually set out to do. So I set out with different expectations. 

How did I do it?

In both cases, I chose to close the book on this unfinished business...to slay these particular dragons...by setting out to finish relays. And I did them just 8 days apart!  It was my short season of slaying some old dragons. 

When I did Door County the first time in 2019 as I mentioned above,  I was pulled from the swim (I didn't argue, the conditions were not good for me, and several people were pulled that day). I went on to have a really good bike, and I'm proud of that still, but in the end I pulled out of the run about 1.25 miles in.  Partly that was mental (having been pulled from the swim I couldn't claim a finish so it was hard to care enough to push through) and partly physical (I had biked frustrated and pushed too hard). I didn't feel any need to do the swim again, so I signed up for a relay.  Glenda swam and I biked and ran.  

I knew I could finish the bike, but didn't know I could do it as fast as I did

So I started with the bike, and I tried not to go too hard, because I wanted to have enough "legs" left to get through the run.  Even so, I biked it 3 or so minutes faster than in 2019...a big surprise to me!

I might possibly have walked most of the run (OK I did), but there was some run left at the finish!

I felt pretty good off the bike, but I was fatigued and it was getting hotter.  I started out trying to run more, but in the end it became more of a slog...lots of walking. I kept telling myself that if I just got through this it would done and I would never have to do it again. About a third or quarter mile from the finish Glenda met up with me and I told her I wasn't sure I could do it.  But she reminded me that I had come that far and it would be silly not to finish.  She came with me from that point, and I even mustered up a run at the finish. 

As for the Screw City Du, it was one of the only races that we did live in 2020, so I had a stake in doing well.  But it was also almost 90 degrees that morning.  I couldn't even face the bike after the first run.  So I dropped to the 2 miles run and called it a day.  Good enough, I suppose...but I wanted more.  Not necessarily the whole race, but more.  So Glenda and I decided to do the relay...I would do the 2 runs and she would bike. 

Pre-race at Screw City Du in our Ciao Bella kit

I ran the first run, and though it wasn't fast in usual terms, the first mile was the fastest I had run in quite a while.  The second was mostly uphill and slower, but overall it was faster than expected.  I sort of blew it out.  Glenda killed the bike and sort of blew it out too.  We then muddled through the second run together.  About 3/4 of a mile in, I tripped and nearly fell...which probably would have ended my day.  Fortunately, however, I managed to save it and we managed to muddle to the end. 

Yep, definitely finished!

And I definitely left it out there!

Having spent a couple of weeks putting these dragons to rest, I am moving forward to other things.  I am sure there will be other dragons, athletic and otherwise, but for now, it's on to more fun stuff

2019 in Review

A few weeks ago we ended a year (and a decade).  If I tried to do a decade in review, it would take you all day to read it!  But there is certainly time for a year in review...and so without further ado....

ATHLETIC (the good and the bad)

Let's start with races...I attempted 36 races in the course of 2019.  I finished 33, but I don't consider any of the ones I didn't finish a fail.  Lets talk about those first.

If late January and early February, we took a Caribbean Running Cruise, in the course of the trip (including the pre-cruise event) there were 6 events.  The trail race event was on Roatan Honduras and billed as "hill-ish" (a major understatement).  I bailed after the first major hill (as did several others)...and I still felt like a winner for conquering that hill! 

Up the hill

Down the hill

We won that hill~Didn't need any more!

A few days later in Cozumel we had an pirate adventure amazing race.  We started out, but we already knew we were tired and planned to make it our own.  So ran a couple of miles and found a great spot to take photos of others and share them with the group. So while we did not technically finish a race we started, we had a successful outing. 

ARR! We made the pirate race our own

Finally, in July I attempted the Door County Sprint Tri.  Just as we started the breeze came up and the waves on the bay in Lake Michigan became unmanageable for me and I was pulled.  But I went ahead and had one of the best (and longest) bike rides of my triathlon career.  I started the run, but decided that I did not have to finish, as I would not have an official time and dropped. But that bike ride...oh, that ride!

Happy on the bike

Otherwise in running, I completed seventeen 5ks in 8 states plus the Bahamas, one 1 miler that was part of the Temptations Challenge at the Detroit Free Press Races, one 5.5 miler (in Costa Maya), one 8k, two 10ks (in 2 states), one quarter marathon, and one half marathon.  

Some highlights are below:

Winning the costume contest at the Heroes in Disguise 5k in St. George, Utah

 

I really enjoyed running several races this year alongside my friend Christine Miller

 

Love this photo, love the backdrop, love when I get to run with my honey

 

Melanie's first 5k after many years...great moment for her, proud moment for me

Maybe a bit esoteric, but Crowley and Aziraphael was my favorite costume of the year (and got re-tweeted by Neil Gaiman)

I also did 2 half marathon relays, 1 marathon relay and one triathlon relay.

 

Glenda and I had a blast with Polly Hamner at the Rockin' Brews Half in August (we also introduced her to the joys of themed outfits...and I did my tri relay with Polly as well)

 

Marathon relay with Chritian Borchardt, Glenda, me and Amy Borchardt at the Detroit Free Press in October

 

Finished the year with a half marathon relay in Atlanta with Glenda

And in the triathlon world I did 2 indoor tris and 3 triathlons of various distances.

 

Glenda and I crossed paths doing different distances at the Elkhart Lake Tri

 

Crossing the finish at Naperville...my goal triathlon of the season

Undoubtedly my biggest accomplishment of the year for 2019 was finishing the challenge I had set for myself to run a race of at least 5k in each of the 50 states plus Washington DC.  I concluded the challenge in Missoula, Montana by doing the half marathon. It was made extra special in a number of ways.  Glenda ran the race with me and we reminisced about all the other races along the way, which was an incredible way to make the miles go by.  I had the opportunity to meet a number of wonderful people who are members of the Challenge 365 online group that I belong to, and many have become even better friends.  And randomly at mile 8, Glenda was contacted by Nicole DeBoom, the founder of Skirt Sports (we are both ambassadors and had won the Dynamic Duo award earlier in the year...another highlight!), she wanted to feature us in an Instagram story on the company site that morning. My 50th state became a part of that story, as she featured us!

Around mile 12

Mission accomplished!

The last thing I want to say about athletics in 2019 is that coaching can be important, no matter what your talent level, but that "fit" is incredibly important.  I was lucky to work with 3 talented and very different coaches.  All were good and all were knowledgeable.  The first was an unfortunately poor fit for me despite being a very good coach, the second was better fit and also a very good coach and got me through the goal triathlon...the third is someone I'd wanted to work with for a long time and I am even more happy than expected. I feel like she gets me and I look forward to working together for a long time.  So I end the year as a member of the Fleet Feet running club, the Prairie Athletic Tri Team and being coached by C.C. Rowe of WTF Endurance out of Austin, TX.

IN THE WORLD OF WORK

Last year I actually retired.  I thought I'd love it.  I WANTED to love it.  I don't. There are some nice perks of course...but I miss the feeling of making a difference. And although I have a retirement income, saved over the years, I somehow miss the connection between my money and my work.  I know I earned it...but it seems out of sync somehow.  

I  do still work part time  on an irregular schedule as a photo editor for Focal Flame Photography...and love it! I am exploring other part time options, and ideas for irregular work, but more on that in my next blog post!

IN THE FAMILY

Glenda and I celebrated 22 years together last year.  This always amazes me to think about it.  I was married before.  Twice. Eight years each.  My kids are from my first marriage. And I learned a lot from the other relationships I had in my life.  But nothing compares to life with Glenda.  Here's to another 22 years (and then some)! 

I enjoy living close to my son, his wife and my granddaughters, as well as my mother, and my brother's family. I used to live close to my daughter too.  But her living situation is the biggest change in the family.  Melanie is a paraplegic with several health issues and requires some help.  The state of Wisconsin helps with her living situation, and after a stretch of particularly bad health she found her living situation inadequate and spent several months in a nursing home.  When the state was able to find her an appropriate situation (a group home) it was 80 miles away. I protested, but she wanted to try it...telling me that she thought she might never really become independent if she could easily rely on me.  After 4 months in the new situation, I readily admit...she was right. I had for years told her various doctors and social workers that I wanted to be Melanie's mother, not her social worker/medical manager/caregiver etc.  In the last quarter  of 2019, I became just mom again.  It has changed my life in some unexpected ways...but I have to say, I like it!

LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR AND BEYOND

I will soon be sharing my "vision" for next year. But I look forward to seeing what comes in 2020 and beyond!