Givingthanks

Well, a few things to know and share. Haven't checked in for a bit, so here's something before I head out the door for Thanksgiving travels:

1. I am really, really busy at work. I seem to always be this time of year - companies try and cram what they couldn't get to earlier in the year into just before year's end, and they want to satisfy their '06 budgets. The last 3 years, my Nov 1 to Christmas has been hysterical. This year seems no exception.

2. Because of said workload, I've decided to forgo the January marathon in Arizona that I'd been planning on. Yeah, I'm a bit heartbroken about it. But I maneuvered a lot of projects and deadlines around late this summer so as to feel distraction-free leading into Ironman. I put off a lot of Sunday work for long rides. So now, I figure, it's time to return the favor. My business has to come first for awhile, and I'll get into serious training for a May marathon come January. So be it. In the meantime, I'm just working out when I can. Not as assertive or aggressive as I'd like my offseason to be, but hey.

3. I'm sick. I haven't been sick in 3 years, and I was once well known for my staggering bouts with illness. I attribute this sickness 100% to my decline in mileage, period. That pisses me off. So I'm punching through some kind of cold here, or something. Feverish, zero energy, that sort of thing.

4. I got a new car - a Dodge Nitro. It's friggin' dope as hell. Making it more dope are the chrome Ironman and M-DOT decals I have placed about the car. I'll post pictures when I can.

5. I'm headed back to the Scene of the Time for Thanksgiving - back to Team Headquarters in Madison. Can't wait to see my family again, and maybe if I have some time I'll drive out the Roller Coaster, or the Finish Line, and kick some leaves a bit. I'm looking forward to it. I'll bring my camera.

6. A la TriSaraTops:

I'm thankful for this year, this 2006, which has been without question my Greatest Year since.

I'm thankful for this body, which I finally do treat as a Temple, which 32 years into the limited warranty is performing better than ever.

I'm thankful for summertime, and the smell of race day morning, and the way the sun shines at around 6:45am as I'm setting up Transition.

I'm thankful for the way my lungs burn a bit when I'm getting back into shape, when the muscle fibers are awakened and resume a familiar routine.

I'm thankful for those days late in the summer when I'm in stupid, stupid shape. When I could go forever and ever and ever.

I'm thankful for Ironman, and for all its meant to my life. So much more than a race, so much more than one day. It was a catalyst that brought me closer to my friends and family. It was an Event. One Of Those Things. I can point to relationships with my mother, Grandpa, cousin, sister-in-law, friends, wife, uncle - honestly, the list does not reach completion - that Ironman has directly or indirectly influenced for the better.

I'm thankful for Jackie, who thinks running with me (or sitting near me, or sleeping alongside, or whatever) is The Greatest Thing. I'm thankful for such unabashed admiration, and hope he understands how acutely its shared.

I'm thankful for everything on the next page, in the next chapters.

I'm thankful for all of you I've gotten to know, who's journeys coincide in whatever way with my own, even once in awhile intersecting, and from whom I've learned about a great deal more than triathlon.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody - thanks for everything -