Tuesday, November 4, 2008

DREAMING AWAKE

Hi everyone. Coming off a 21 mile week of running....not particularly noteworthy, but will increase the distances and spend more time in the woods running. Lifting a little bit more now as the shoulder is getting better...

Passed the Halloween (Bags and Bags of Candy) Temptation Experiment without making a drastic plunge into intense sugar overload. Consider myself alive and better for it.
Next battle will the Thanksgiving...aka...annual "stuffing of the bird" as in...stuffing this old bird.

Props to that southern gentleman (WES) who put the hammer down at Ironman Florida and ripped off a 13:47 time while losing his Iron virginity.. Check out his blog as I am sure he will have an entertaining post on it soon. He is also nominated for Endurance Blog of the Year!!! Good Luck Wes!!!!!!!

Thinking of Wes and the others who have finished the gruelling Ironman, reminds me that this time of the year, when the days grow shorter and the sun caresses the ground less and less each day is really the time when we start to look ahead to what 09 might bring. Sure, you can save that for the First of the year, I suppose, but every day is a great day to dream.

I began the 08 year jumping in frozen Lake Erie..(For the Hell of it, he said) but I had already dreamed of what the year would bring... If you see my 08 sidebar of events, it was pretty loaded and one of my best years ever, despite a hamstring that cursed me on a seemingly weekly basis.

Henry David Thoreau wrote.."Our truest life is when we are in our dreams awake" Or how about this amazing quote "There are people who put their dreams in a little box and say, "Yes, I've got dreams, of course I've got dreams." Then they put the box away and bring it out once in a while to look in it, and yep, they're still there" Erma Bombeck wrote that. I know of many people who can spit out a list of their dreams and go at length about what they plan on doing. Thats all well and good. But to plan means, one has to actually put it into action.

Tim Mack was a non descript high school pole vaulter who never even made the state meet from Clevelands St. Ignatius High school. But he realized his dream. He stunned the world when he won the Olympic Gold medal in 2004. I picked up his book, which bore the touch of longtime Cleveland sports columnist Bill Livingston. Its a great read. Above and Beyond " is so much about "living your dreams awake". If you check this book out, it will help you realize the possibilities that lie inside of you!!

I'm guilty. I have a bucket list. I have done some things on it...but not enough. One dream can give way to another. I want to run an ultra. So I signed up. January 18th 50 K. Who knows what might develope because I do it??? It will be fun to see!!!

Enjoy your training and racing. I have been pretty busy lately but hope to bop around to all the blogs and check out your stuff, folks.!!!!!!
Life's a Blast!!!

17 comments:

Kelly said...

Wow! 50 K? I can barely do a 5K. Good luck!

Shannon said...

My bucket list for 09'....

~FINALLY take the PT exam
~Complete the Eagleman
~Attend WSSC (spinning conference again)

~Be a even better Mother & Wife!

Thanks Triguy for always making me think.

Rainmaker said...

I like the fact that whoever took that photo was clearly a gazillion miles away - and in a warm place.

Trishie said...

Oh man, my bucket list is a million miles long! Which 50K?! I dream of the JFK 50 miler in my future ... (but I promised my husband a baby at some point in the near future ;))

triguyjt said...

trishie...

its the Buckeye Winter 50 K

jan 18th

Steph said...

ahhh bucket lists...i think we all have one JT! i'm hopin' to get this Tri in....thanks for the great posts. they are inspiring. oh and by the way, CAVS season is here! maybe i'll see ya at a game!

Kim said...

Gasp! But you're going to vote for ME aren't you?? Your fellow Buckeye runner? Another hapless sports fan of the Indians and Browns? Someone who lived through the winters of 77 and 78 in NEO??
Glad to hear you got in for BT50K. I'm thinking of running a double 50K since the race isn't until Sunday!

Marci said...

Congrats on living out your dreams! Your 50k will be amazing... keep it up :)

Brian said...

Hopefully I'll see you at the 50k. Unfortunately not running but volunteering. It's a great race. You'll be addicted.

Viv said...

I imagine your bucket list must have so much crossed off cause you rock your life like that :-)
I have been MIA too but you are not forgotten JT!
Oh I am jonesing on Shannon Spinning conference..LOL!

Wes said...

Thanks for the shout out John! It was one hell of a ride. 50K is on my list for next year ;-)

Tea said...

I've been thinking alot about next season. Nov is always more of my own personal "year in review" time. Maybe it's when I actually have more time to *think*.

I think a 50k is an awesome idea! Consider relays too. They're AMAZING. check out www.wildwestrelay.com

Sarah said...

I need to look up that book. I've got a lot of thoughts for next year. Sometimes I'm guilty of being afraid to dream because I know that once I put it out there, I've GOT to achieve it. I'm just that kind of person.

But I need to just pull the pen and paper out and start out my list. AND DO IT!

DREAM AWAKE, I LOVE IT!

As always, thanks for the inspirational post, JT. :)

Mike said...

Thanks for the comments on my blog! Kind of funny but I find comfort in riding my bike, it's helped me get through a lot of tough times over the summer. It's amazing what a good ride, run or swim can do for the body, mind and soul!

Take care and good luck on the bucket list in 2009!!! :)

Formulaic said...

50k? Sounds cool. Be careful. They say its a slippery slope between 50k and 100k.

Before you know it you'll be running 100 miles.

Then you'll be one of "them".

:)

Speed Racer said...

One would hope you have plenty of time to tick off all the items on your bucket list. And what's that curse, "May you get everything you wish for".

I hope that when I finally croak, there's at least one thing left on my Bucket List. I would hate to live a day without ANY dreams at all.

And you'll smack that 50, no sweat!

rocketpants said...

Quite the challenge to see if one can dream awake. I will have to think on that...what would that mean to me? Thanks for the thought provoking post.