The short answer, I guess, is yes.
2012 is officially upon us, and part of me feels obligated to do my usual “year in review” post. But you know what, I’m just too lazy. 2011 was a good year overall, I’m not going to complain, so let’s just leave well enough alone. My goal is to make 2012 even better than 2011.
I’ve made a few resolutions – personally, professionally, financially, most of which none of you (the three or four of you who actually read this) are going to care about. One of those resolutions however is something I’ve been threatening to do for a while, and I have decided (probably after a few beers) that 2012 is my year.
As I find myself about to turn 35, I find myself feeling almost as bad as I did when I turned 30. Stressed, overweight, not exercising (as much as I want), and just generally kind of “bleh.” (Yes, that is the clinical term for it). I think about how a couple of years ago riding my bike for 50 or 60 miles was “a good start to a Saturday,” to now how a 30-mile ride is “a hell of a workout.” I think about how drastically undertrained (yes, somewhat due to the fact that it rained pretty much clear through June) I was for last year’s century ride with one of my oldest friends, Scott.
2012 is officially upon us, and part of me feels obligated to do my usual “year in review” post. But you know what, I’m just too lazy. 2011 was a good year overall, I’m not going to complain, so let’s just leave well enough alone. My goal is to make 2012 even better than 2011.
I’ve made a few resolutions – personally, professionally, financially, most of which none of you (the three or four of you who actually read this) are going to care about. One of those resolutions however is something I’ve been threatening to do for a while, and I have decided (probably after a few beers) that 2012 is my year.
As I find myself about to turn 35, I find myself feeling almost as bad as I did when I turned 30. Stressed, overweight, not exercising (as much as I want), and just generally kind of “bleh.” (Yes, that is the clinical term for it). I think about how a couple of years ago riding my bike for 50 or 60 miles was “a good start to a Saturday,” to now how a 30-mile ride is “a hell of a workout.” I think about how drastically undertrained (yes, somewhat due to the fact that it rained pretty much clear through June) I was for last year’s century ride with one of my oldest friends, Scott.
And then I think about Scott.
10 years ago, there was a pretty good chance that today there would be no Scott, and I would be thinking about Scott in the past tense. But 10 years later, I am fortunate enough to be able to just pick up the phone and call him.
But I digress… Why have I lost my mind?
I am making good on my threat to complete the Wildflower long course triathlon. This is a half-ironman distance… 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run.
Now, Ryan and Dana have both done races of this distance (Ryan has even completed the long course at Wildflower). But people have called the Wildflower course more difficult than full ironman courses. This will be the first (and maybe last) half-iron course that I do; but I’ve got to do it. And I’ll have help. I’ve joined Team in Training again, and am raising funds for cancer research.
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/wildtri12/bwfargo
(yes, that is a solicitation for donations)
Why am I doing this? Simple. Because I can pick up the phone and call Scott. Let me back up for a second.
Scott and I have been friends since we were freshmen in high school. I was just shy of 14; he was barely 14. Our lockers were right by each other, and we got to know each other through daily ball busting. Fast forward to when we were 23, and he told me in the same breath that he and his then girlfriend, now wife Kate got engaged, and that he had been diagnosed with Hodgkins disease. Always one to keep it cool, he told me not to worry, and that in six months he’d be fine. Sure enough, that was the case.
Scott and Kate got married in 2001 (I know this because Alli and I had only been together a few months at their wedding), but not long after, he was diagnosed with an unrelated case of non-hodgkins lymphoma. At 25, my friend of 10+ years was telling me that he may not make it to 26, and even if he did, that he had a 40% chance of making it 10 years.
Fuck you, cancer.
Let’s not dwell on that.
5 years ago, we all turned 30. Scott celebrated with 5 years cancer free. About 3 years ago, he started mountain biking. And then he got on a road bike. 3 years ago, he dusted me up Metcalf Road in the Livestrong Challenge. 2 years ago, he pushed me through my first century ride. Last year, he started RACING bicycles. And he put up with my undertrained ass through my second century ride.
Scott turns 35 in May, and will be 10-years cancer free in July.
Suck it, cancer.
10 years ago, there was a pretty good chance that today there would be no Scott, and I would be thinking about Scott in the past tense. But 10 years later, I am fortunate enough to be able to just pick up the phone and call him.
But I digress… Why have I lost my mind?
I am making good on my threat to complete the Wildflower long course triathlon. This is a half-ironman distance… 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run.
Now, Ryan and Dana have both done races of this distance (Ryan has even completed the long course at Wildflower). But people have called the Wildflower course more difficult than full ironman courses. This will be the first (and maybe last) half-iron course that I do; but I’ve got to do it. And I’ll have help. I’ve joined Team in Training again, and am raising funds for cancer research.
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/wildtri12/bwfargo
(yes, that is a solicitation for donations)
Why am I doing this? Simple. Because I can pick up the phone and call Scott. Let me back up for a second.
Scott and I have been friends since we were freshmen in high school. I was just shy of 14; he was barely 14. Our lockers were right by each other, and we got to know each other through daily ball busting. Fast forward to when we were 23, and he told me in the same breath that he and his then girlfriend, now wife Kate got engaged, and that he had been diagnosed with Hodgkins disease. Always one to keep it cool, he told me not to worry, and that in six months he’d be fine. Sure enough, that was the case.
Scott and Kate got married in 2001 (I know this because Alli and I had only been together a few months at their wedding), but not long after, he was diagnosed with an unrelated case of non-hodgkins lymphoma. At 25, my friend of 10+ years was telling me that he may not make it to 26, and even if he did, that he had a 40% chance of making it 10 years.
Fuck you, cancer.
Let’s not dwell on that.
5 years ago, we all turned 30. Scott celebrated with 5 years cancer free. About 3 years ago, he started mountain biking. And then he got on a road bike. 3 years ago, he dusted me up Metcalf Road in the Livestrong Challenge. 2 years ago, he pushed me through my first century ride. Last year, he started RACING bicycles. And he put up with my undertrained ass through my second century ride.
Scott turns 35 in May, and will be 10-years cancer free in July.
Suck it, cancer.
That’s why I’m doing this. In honor of Scott. One more survivor, and one of my heroes.
Here's to a great start to 2012 (with the exception of the pending root canal), and i promise to keep you updated through my pending challenge.
