Impending September

This morning, when I look out my upstairs windows at the high school athletic fields, they're full of kids at their first practice for whatever fall sport.

On my run through the rain yesterday, I noticed two things: a few trees, scattered here and there, had just a hint of yellow around the edges of a few random leaves. And there seemed to be a few more blowing about on the ground than normal. Early exiters, those. Also: acorns. Lots and lots of acorns crunching under my feet.

The wind, I noticed it last week. Even with still plenty warm temperatures in the 80's or so, the breeze has the first hint of an edge to it. Only on certain days, on certain hours. Like it's testing itself out little by little.

I'm opening the windows more lately, and turning off the A/C.

Here's a crazy thing: I've spent enough time - 3 to 4 days a week - on the same stretches of road to see them barren and thawing, then dark but seeded, then green and infant, then about to my knees, then taller than me, and now in some cases golden or already reaped, the ground barren again and waiting.

I realized this yesterday: I've been generally a non-participant in the passing of 2006. By that, I mean that I never fully entrenched myself in its winter, or anticipated its spring, or hoped for its summer. Everything has existed around September 10, 2006. I've counted months. I've recognized the seasons by what I'm having to wear on my bike. That's not to say I haven't enjoyed the year, or that it's passed me by - I've just marked its passing in very, very different ways than I normally would. Indeed, while I can say I haven't much participated in its passing, I've been wholly engaged in its present. 10 years ago I worked at a camp for the summer, and it was completely of-the-moment. The world at large continued without me as I lived and worked in this joyful little bubble for 3 months, never having to think about anything but that moment. This has been a little like that, but for 9 months. While the real world has continued doing what it does, I've lived in this parallel universe called Training For Ironman.

I have a friend who's pregnant, and she's due 8 days after Ironman. The bigger she gets, the closer Ironman is. And that's been amusing.

Ironman UK is this weekend. Ironman Korea and Ironman Canada are the following weekends. Then, it's our turn.