Wednesday, July 15, 2009

YouthFul Desire

Testing Headlight in darkened room eating huge bowl of pasta!!!


J.T's shoes prior to 50 miler...fighting over who gets to start!!!!!


Sitting into front of a pixel challenged screen..my laptop and looking for the words to describe the athletic state I am in now. 56 years and looking to recapture the joy of being a kid. Do you know the John Mayer song 1983 ??? Heres some lyrics "Here I stand, six feet small.... romanticizing years ago"
He goes on to sing " these days I wish I was six again..oh make me a red cape...I wanna be superman.ohh if only my life was more like 1983 ".

(click link below for Mayer live)


Mayer captures the feelings I sometimes get when I think back to youth, when all was play and responsibility was years in the future. We played hard. We laughed and we made our rules and we lived by them. Now we Train. We sometimes put the joy out of our psyches as we mindlessly log our miles and look ahead to the next race. the next workout..the next accomplishment. Do we really savor just how special a workout might have been. How long do we celebrate meeting a goal??? When I finished my 50 mile ultra, I immediately started thinking of what I could do next. Why was I so fixed on the road ahead and not doing the cha cha in that moment. Shame on me.
I can be guilty of this when I interview athletes. I might ask them about enjoying what they just did..but I bore in and ask about whats next. "Can you guys really beat the Steelers now that you've handled the Jets.
There are so many things I do want to do in endurance sports but I just have to remember to play while straining....to wink while wilting in the sun..to chuckle as I churn the gears. If I don't p.r. an event, I have to be bold enough to announce to the world.. "The time I just posted is a number, but the fun I had in getting to this point has done me a world of good.!!!!!

Quick training notes. 4 swim workouts in past week. Two pool workouts. 1.2 miles each. 2 swims in Lake Erie. Lifting well. Eating too much, but am using this recovery time to enjoy the things I was too strict about training for the 50 miler. I have love handles. Better show The Bride!!!
Life's a Blast

4 comments:

Wes said...

As we get older, our life (and play) gets more complicated... Nostalgia! Always, ALWAYS! save a little love handle for the bride :-)

Donald said...

Odd that you suggest shame on you. I think you're one of the best around when it comes to appreciating the moment, workout to workout, day to day. Aren't you the "Life's a blast" guy?

I'm right there with you on the binge eating right now ... maybe we can have a virtual pie eating contest or something.

Rainmaker said...

Ya know, I know most folks won't appreciate it - but getting a (good) picture in the dark of something else in the dark with a headlamp on thier hand is not actually the easiest thing to do.

Trishie said...

I agree with Donald ^^ ... a good reminder, though, JT, to savor our accomplishments and celebrate them before the 'what's next' ?