46 YEARS LATER

A dead, unarmed college student shot by a National Guardsman on a Kent State campus.

Let that sink in for a bit.

Have we evolved at all over the past 46 years?

BACK AND FORTH

For more than an hour I went back and forth...slow and steady. Not showing off, not falling behind (I was by myself, so it was easy not to fall to the back of the pack).

Yesterday was the first time I've swam since I trudged out of Lake Springfield during the first leg of my triathlon (more info on that here).

Leaning against the pool wall after my last lap, I couldn't help but smile. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised at how well I did. I swam for 1.25 (much farther than my original plan of swimming a 1/2 mile). Sure, I was exhausted, but isn't that the point?

Knowing that I can swim this far after nearly 2 years of not swimming makes me want to see how far I can swim in one go (this is the exact mindset that led to running a marathon). I have decided that I'm going to try and swim 3 times per week for the foreseeable future.

My other fitness goal is to get back into biking during the week. Why should it just be a weekend thing? When it's all said and done, I'd like to be back to riding 100 miles per week (counting both road and mountain biking) which I think is more than do-able. A few 25 mile road rides and I'll rack up the miles pretty quickly. Now, I'm not saying either of these goals is going to be met instantly, or even easily, but I think it's good to have something to work towards.

As you were.

PS-That is most definitely not what the pool in my gym looks like...but why would you want to look at a poorly lit dungeonie looking pool?

ABOUT THAT TIME

I can't avoid it any longer. What started small, like an ember on wet kindling, has transformed into a full blown fire. One that can't be ignored or pushed away any longer.

I need a vacation.

It doesn't have to be a trip across an ocean or to some lavish all-inclusive in Mexico. In fact, that's not what I want, or what my soul needs.
Nope. I need an adventure. I need it to be cheap. I need it to be exhilarating.

Don't get me wrong, I completely understand this is a first world problem at it's finest. I'm sure some of you are thinking, "You need a break from going to a job that utilizes your degrees, a job that has some great co-workers and let's you do what you love?" Well, yeah. Everyone needs a vacation. Research has proved it. And even if it didn't, I still want one.

It won't happen before June, but just knowing that it's only a month away gives enough of a reprieve to the daily grind to make it bearable.

You may be wondering, or you may not be (but I'm going to tell you anyway), what does this vacation look like?  Well, I'm glad you asked, let me tell you...via one of my world famous lists.

1.   Cheapish. I don't want it to break the bank
2.   Serious time spent outdoors is a must
3.   Camping should be the main type of accommodation  (hence #2)
4.   Fires should be had
5.   Cool and awe inspiring things should be seen
6.   Fishing should be done
7.   Hanging with others who love the great outdoors and don't whine will be the company of choice
8.   I want it to extend beyond my comfort zone. And I want to leave feeling that exhausted and proud
      feeling you get when you overcome something tough
9.   Is having it include biking, of some sort, too much to ask?
10. Lastly, I want it to be so badass that I forget about the daily grind...the emails, the meetings, the
      traffic, the long line at the grocery store, the stupid commercials that interrupt my TV watching...
      Basically, I want to remove myself as far from these things as possible so that my batteries can be
      recharged.

I don't think this list is too much to ask. After all, I live in Colorado. The majority of this list could be checked off by driving only a few hours. But I want more. Without doing too much (meaning, any) research, I think I want to head to the Black Hills.

And, if I play my cards right, I can take off Wed through Fri and tack those days onto a weekend...giving me 5 days but only costing me 3. I'm not great at math, but that seems like a good deal.

Well, there you have it. That's what's rattling around in this head of mine...at least for today. Also, I "borrowed" the photo from my friends on the Googler (thank you Brooke for the term).

As you were.

WADDLE WADDLE

Last night I did something I haven't done in at least 10 years...and I'm paying for it today.

I did squats.

It felt great as I was doing them, but now I walk like a penguin. And not a cute little penguin, Nope, a larger and less athletic version that makes weird penguin grunts when he walks.

On the way home from the gym I questioned whether or not I'd rejoin the ranks of the bar-benders club. While the outlook isn't especially promising, I had to remind myself that running for the first time after a long break w as tough but I did just fine and ultimately ended up completing a half-ironman tri.

So, for today i'll say, "Adios heavy weights and hello beginner weights" but that might not be what I'm saying for long. I'll keep you posted.  Until then, remember to lift with your legs.

IRONIC

It's 2016. World travel is possible. People have meetings from different continents, telecommute, and communicate in a whole slew of ways other than traditional face-to-face.  But yet, no company (at least none I've worked for) has found a way to process expense reports other than the ol' tape receipts to a piece of blank paper.

I'm OK with this...kinda a nod back to simpler times.

SMALL THINGS

Sometimes all you need is a cup of coffee and your favorite pen. Find joy in the "small" things.

UPDATES

I haven't posted for a while, and while the reasons aren't earth shattering, they are legit.

• I was in Anaheim, CA for nearly a week. The trip was for work. No sightseeing...
• The week or so leading up to the trip was hectic
• The days since I've been back have been a mixture of work, laundry, relaxing, and trying to get rested. When I got back, my tank was empty. I haven't been so tired in a long time.

Lucky for you, not too much exciting has happened since I've posted last so you didn't have to read a long list. 

I'll start posting more frequently, I swear it.