Dusty.

Man, this blog kinda faded into the sunset, didn't it? Sorry about that, but there just hasn't been much to report - my workouts are still pretty unorganized, but are slowly becoming swim-bike-run focused again. Not a ton of any one thing, but I've been consistent, so I figure that's a good place to start.

We're looking more and more at the 1/2 IM at Racine, which is now a 70.3-branded race (something I actually like, just because they seem to do a consistently good job of putting on a event - nothing like putting in all the effort, and having the course distances be incorrect or not having enough water on the course), but haven't yet pulled the trigger. Cathy is getting a little PT on some nagging aches and pains, nothing serious, but rather something she hopes will keep her training/racing throughout the summer months.

I'm also looking at a Spring vacation of some sort to help break up these never-ending Midwest winters. Not really anything training-based, but just a few days to soak in some sun and get away from the Big City. We're looking a bit at Palm Springs, which would allow some phsical activity ( ie., Mt. San Jacinto State Park) if we feel the need to stray from the pool. If anyone's been to PS, we'd appreciate any reccommendations you might have on where to stay, eat, etc.

Anywho, that's it for now - boring, I know, but that's the winter for you. We'll get thins blog crankin' come Spring. I promise.

Cheers!

So many choices, so little time

So, I had a bit of an epiphany at some point during my early to mid-thirties, when it occured to me that 1. Life is ridiculously short, and 2. There's a lot of stuff I'd still like to do while I'm physically capable.

Not necessarily a novel or profound epiphany, to be sure, but it led me to decide one thing - that I would commit to undertake at least one new and exciting endeavor every year, physically challenging, and something I'd remember for the rest of my days. It started in the early 00's with my two climbs up Mt. Rainier, and two cycling trips to France, and has continued along the triathlon path (from Olympic, to half-IM, to full-Im distances), as well as hiking the Grand Canyon, until you get to today. I've had many incredible adventures during this period, and have amassed a library of wonderful memories from these endeavors, and it has allowed me to really feel like I've accomplished some things in life (as opposed to just counting down the days until Friday).

Now I've become rather obsessed with how to sculpt out the rest of the year, triathlon-wise as well as any other adventure that we might be interested in tackling. I'm lucky enough to have a mate who is up for just about anything, and is phycially capable of backing it up. So, really the issue is strictly scheduling, finances, and priorities. Which is still pretty tough. And is where I'm at right now.

We're looking at one or two 1/2 IMs this year, in July and August, but I'd also like to do some other things - mostly camping and hiking-type things out West. Unfortunately, the timing is tricky - everything outdoorsy needs to be (generally) scheduled for the eight week period between July 1 and September 1 because of weather. Which is also peak triathlon season. So, there's the rub.

Hopefully, this dilemma will work itself out over the coming weeks and I'll have Grand Plans to share with y'uns real soon. Until then, cheers and happy training!