On to my thoughts...
I was watching a documentary on Jim McKay, who was a broadcaster for ABC's "Wide World of Sports" from the 1960's to early 2000's. He's also known for covering the 1972 Olympics from Munich, Germany, where 11 members of the Israeli team were kidnapped and ultimately killed. Just before he made the announcement of their death on live television, he referenced a quote that went something along the lines of, "Our biggest dreams and greatest fears are seldom experienced". That quote came to mind this evening when I read a Twitter link on a triathlete who was killed in a race by a drunk driver (http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=10839689). The victim was hit from behind by a man who had a history of DUI's, as well as a suspended license. After the accident, the driver continued on his way-despite the fact that the victim's bike was lodged in the windshield of his car. Then there's the story of the Argentinian who died at last year's NYC Triathlon (http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/25774529/)
Depending on your religious beliefs, occurrences like these could be chalked up as an example of how the "Lord Giveth and Taketh Away". But in reality, was it their time, or could their accidents have been avoided? Tragic deaths aren't limited to athletes. However, due to the nature of this sport, you have to wonder if there were any precautionary measure that could've been taken to avoid their death. So, seeing as how swimming is my weakest leg, I've decided that next week I'm going to invest in a new product: SwimSafe (http://www.triaids.com/). It's a floatation device that ties around your waist. It kinda looks like something you'd find under your seat on a plane in the event of an emergency. To me, it makes sense to have something that will ease my fears in the big, scary water. Besides, it might get my wife to relax a bit and not worry about me drowning and leaving her a single mother widow. Nothing is sure-proof, but as I teach my students in the classroom, "Confidence is half the battle. The other half is preparation".
Having written all that, here's the contradiction that is my life: I haven't done a lick of training in 2 1/2 weeks. I think my novice head got somewhat lazy and gassed-up over finishing the Mossman Tri in under 2 hours. Geez, you'd think I came back from Kona. My next scheduled race is August 30th in Staten Island (My wife doesn't want me to do the race because, as she put it, "You'll catch something nasty in them waters"). I've got 25 days to get my tukkus in gear. Other than enjoying my summer vacation of nothingness, what's holding me back is the rusty rough patch you hit when you haven't done something in a while. But starting tomorrow morning, I'm getting out there.
Random Thoughts:
*I asked my daughter what sound a dog makes. She said, "Arf, arf, arf". I asked her what sound a cow makes. She said, "Mooooooo". I asked her what sound a pig makes. She said, "Pig, pig, pig". Toddlers rule!!
*I don't understand how one could choose the Iraq-Iran border as the ideal place for hiking. Something is VERY up with that story...
*Today is my 3rd wedding anniversary
This is one of my favorite photos from the 3 bazillion we took that day. Time really flies, man.*Anybody want to help me create a kick-@ss website? Something that combines my teaching, triathlon and adventures. There are some ideas in my head, but I need guidance on how to get them out.
*Rummaging through Twitter led me to a book review about my high school alma mater. I'm really curious about its content. To my knowledge, there aren't too many books dedicated to the going-on of a high school.
Until next time. Paz a todos los hermanos....
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