The Year Behind, Kona Ahead

Six months ago, my employer sent me to Phoenix for a week. I was told to pack a bag, catch the Sunday red-eye and not return for five days. I learned later that the fiscal quarter was approaching and the company thought I would do less damage to the stock price if I wasn't in the office distracting my co-workers. I think that was a win-win. Everybody wins. I got to go hang out in the sunshine and the Dow-Jones didn't fall off the cliff.

One of the great things about the upcoming new year is the opportunity it affords us to participate in a short period of self-evaluation; we can conduct a calm, rational review of our successes and failures. Perhaps we might identify areas where we fall short and set in motion a plan to improve our lot in life. Its a good thing. For instance, you might look at the past year, realize you could give a bit more to a charity, or you could stop beating your wife or maybe refrain from flipping off old people who made you two minutes late for work because they were crossing the street with a walker. Whatever is appropriate for you.

While I was thinking about that, I had another thought; What are the defining moments in our lives and what do we do to control how those moments impact us? For instance, and this is just a what-if, what if you see a car crash and a person lying in the road not breathing? Do you conduct CPR? Or just drive away? And if you do choose to put on your good Samaritan hat, and you are performing CPR and look up to see that the hearse was in a fender bender dumped this three days dead body on the street? Do you keep going with CPR?

For myself, some of my life defining moments are, in no particular order,

1. Finishing my first Ironman

2. Finishing my second Ironman

3. Watching this when I was a kid, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf3mgmEdfwg
I am not sure how that defined my life, but it's darned funny.

Last week, I went to a 7am spin class with buddies. The very reliable car thermometer registered a frosty 9 degrees Fahrenheit on the way to class. No problem, we are going to be in a spin room and it will be a human-tolerable 68 degrees. For some reason, we had the front door open during class and I suffered frost bite. Or, maybe it just felt like frost bite. Whatever, it was cold. I guess I am OK now.

I ran twice this week. My right ankle is swollen and refuses to participate in any athletic actions for the next three days. And I have a blister on my left heel. Sigh.

168 days until the Kona half.