2006 year in review

Ok, I wasn't planning on doing a YIR post, and it may not be the last one of these I do, but I was googling myself and came across Jon Walk's reader participation thingie from the end of 2005.

My response was here.

The update for 2006 would be:

Top 10 running events from 2006:

1. Finished the marathon

2. PRed a single mile.

3. ...

That's about it.  Everything else has been eclipsed by my brand new baby boy and my lovely wife.  All running and most cycling was put on hold.  I don't think I've even been out running 10 times this year.  Certainly not 20 times.

Regardless, I'm not upset about it.  It was a good year.  The best year, for that matter.  Sure, there were and are trials.  But there will always be those.  Sure, it could be a lot worse, and a lot better, but I'm not one to wishthingswere, I deal with howthingsare and give thanks in all circumstances--even the hard ones.

Goals for 2006 went like this:

run in and finish the marathon (yup)

participate in a triathlon (nope)

ride 2000 miles (not even close)

Celebrate new years (call me in a couple of weeks).

 

My sister is still getting better, and she still inspires the hell out of me.

 

There is something that I didn't expect, though.  Every time I happen to drive along some section of the marathon course I have flashbacks of that day--M Day.  I look over to my lovely wife and say something along the lines of "you know, earlier this year I was running down this stretch of road".  It's a cool feeling. 

I find myself actually wanting to run the marathon again.

I still hate running, but I LOVE FINISHING.  Weird, I guess.  Just the other night we were driving down Studemont toward Allen Parkway and Memorial where it dips below the cross roads--where the sign is hung that says "If you were running the Chevron 10K you'd be done by now!" (it's right near the 6 mile marker) and it all came rushing back to me--the fat Elvis, the alien guy, the cheering throngs of people, the crazy sense that you're actually doing this and it's not killing you.

Yea, I'm going to do it again.

And I'll probably do it several times again.

Just another great reason to hate running.  I'll it reason 649:  it's an infectous disease.

 

Peace, love, and good tidings to both of my readers.  Have a holly jolly Christmas, a fantastic new year, and if you do nothing else before the sun sets on this fine, fine year, smile that you made it through another one.  That smile may very well be an inspiration to someone who really, really needs to know that things will get better.

 

Drinking my lunch

Yes, it’s 2:30 and I’m drinking lunch.

Smoothie King, to be exact.  Chewing is SOOOO overrated.

 

For what it’s worth, Smoothie Kings with drive through windows seem to be a little bit of a contradiction.  If you’re too fat and/or lazy to park your car and use those chubby little legs to walk up to the counter, you’ve got bigger problems than needing to eat a Smoothie King smoothie for lunch.  And if you’re just WAAY TOO BUSY to stop for 2 minutes, you’re over stressed and a Smoothie King smoothie isn’t going to help you.

For that matter, all Smoothie Kings should be at the top of 4 flights of stairs.  There’s no reason that a Smoothie King should ever be in the basement of anything at the bottom of an escalator or elevator.  That’s just wrong.  Again, if you’re too fat and/or lazy to use those fat little legs of yours, then you need something a little more substantial than a 32oz smoothie that’s chock full of nutritious goodness.

Gym membership

The marathon registration is officially closed as of a few days ago.

I didn’t get registered in time.

Nuts.

Ok, I’m over it now.

 

It occurred to me that my lovely wife and I have a gym membership at the local Y and neither of us have actually attended since before July, probably closer to May.

It then occurred to me that most people treat their gym memberships like they treat their life, home, or auto insurance.  It’s something they pay for monthly, but hope they never have to use it.  Think about it, you pay All State or Geico monthly *just in case* you get in an accident or your house gets hit by a tree or something, but you hope that you’ll never have to cash in.  Meanwhile, you pay Bally’s or 24 Hour Fatness or the YMCA monthly hoping that you won’t look in the mirror and actually decide you have to go in.

It’s kind of like “Flab Insurance”.

What they need to do is have a 24 hour hotline for you to call in case of fitness emergencies:

Operator:  Hello, this is Karen with the YMCA, what’s your fitness emergency?

Me:  Hi, Karen.  I just got off the scale and I weigh 300 lbs.

Operator:  Sir, is there a lock on your refrigerator?

Me:  No, and that may be part of the problem.

Operator:  Sir, step away from the refrigerator and waddle into the front yard, if you can make it.

Me:  Ok, it’s a long way to go.  Is it ok if I stop and take a breath?

Operator:  That’s no problem.  It’s just very important that you get away from the refrigerator.  We’ll be sending a flatbed truck to pick you up and bring you to our emergency fitness room for detoxification.  Can you give me your gym membership number?

That’s how it would work in a perfect world.

A little advice

It’s too cold to ride, but I’ll get out there soon enough.

 

- - - - -

 

I have several friends who are about to have children.

There are a lot of things to expect when you bring a new life into the world.  Sleepless nights, exhausted days, strained nerves, poor appetites, and nervous doctor visits are just a few that can be named.  That just comes with the territory.

Of course, you can expect it, and even plan for it, but it still always manages to catch you just a little off guard.  That’s no problem, you learn to roll with it.

There’s another thing that you can plan for that will still take you a little off guard.

There was this little person hanging around for 9 months just rolling around and kicking and giggling and such who has schedules and patterns that you get to know and expect.  When the time comes to finally meet this person face to face it’s almost like you already know who he or she is.  This little person who looks so much like you finally arrives and you know instantly that this little person is the same one who you’ve been talking to for all these months.  “It’s nice to finally meet you, son.  I’ve heard so much about you and been watching your progress all this time.”

Yea, that’s something I’m still getting used to.  “It’s nice to meet you, son.”  Every day he’s a new person, learning something new, making some new discovery, growing into a bigger and newer person every day.  “It’s nice to meet you, son.”

Yea.  That still catches me off guard from time to time.

Something else that may catch you off guard if you’re not paying attention is just how hard, deep, and fast you’re going to fall in love with this little person.  Even at 3:00am when he’s screaming because… well, just because… there’s something about that smile or that wimpering nuzzle in the crook of your arm that just melts your heart.

Yea, these little people are pretty amazing creatures.  They can melt even the hardest of hearts.  They can break even the strongest of wills.  They can make you fall so deep and fast in love that you don’t even know if you’re coming or going… and you honestly don’t even care.

Consider yourself advised.