One Word

Red and Rover Cartoon

One word to rule them all, and in a mindset bind them…

My word for 2006 is …

Fun

Sure, there’s not a whole lot of challenge or struggle there, but my major goal for 2006 is cementing the lifestyle. I want to have energy, I want to be fit, I want to be “that guy”. Sure, I could pick some tough and manly word, something deep and motivating, but to heck with that. I’ve got enough gut checks in the rest of my life, or have had. This running/swimming/biking thing – I do this to relax, to let it all hang out, to live life to the fullest so that when I die someone will say that he really sucked (the marrow out of life.)

So, my word is Fun.

Fun as in mud.
Fun as in bugs in the teeth.
Fun as in burning lungs trying to go full out with alternating breathing.
Fun as in cornering hard enough to hear the tires start to complain and praying that the April showers have washed all the March sand off the road.
Fun as in buying a pair of size 32 pants, then deciding to return them for a pair of size 30s.
Fun as in seeing how far I can fling the boys into the ocean while we’re at the beach.
Fun as in sunrises
Fun as in sunsets
Fun as in PR
Fun as in “Chicks dig scars”
Fun as in yelling at cagers
Fun as in standing on the road at the Tour of Connecticut screaming “Allez! Allez! Allez!” for the 30 seconds that it takes the peleton to scream by in May.
Fun as in beating my time at the New Haven 20K.
Fun as in finally getting off my butt to run with Susan again. (And the rest of the CT runners, too)
Fun as in getting the kayak back in the water and paddling until my arms ache
Fun as in chinups
Fun as in chopping wood
Fun as in seeing Jeff break three hours at Boston

Marathon year is over. Done. Finished. Water under the bridge. On the compost heap.

Fun year is here.

Now, to start planning another run at Mystic Places ;^) What are you doing for fun?

Happy New Year!

It’s been a great week. Finished building the old Trek frame up as a single-speed. Didn’t have the sack to use the lockring and go whole hog fixed gear, but it’s now running a 39 tooth front, 16 tooth rear. Good stuff.

Took it for a brief test spin Tuesday night in the rain and wind – felt good; made it up the driveway hill no problem.

New Year’s Eve – went over to Essex with my folks and the boys to see the Connecticut River Museum – Model train display, model of the Turtle (First submarine – wooden, hand cranked, attacked a British Ship in New York Harbor during the Revolution). Stopped in Old Saybrook at the “train pizza restaurant” (Pizzaworks) for lunch. Great mozzarella salad.

Home, ran some errands with the wife. About 4:15, I take a look at 2005 drifting off into history, catch a glimpse of my rebuilt Trek at the bottom of the basement stairs, and say “Hey, I’m going to take a quick spin to town and back before supper.” Before I could hear an objection, I was gone…
Continue reading Happy New Year!