On February 13, 2012,
in Just as all good movies have a sequel, so shall Mumblings on a Monday. (Of course I know that even some BAD movies have sequels….so let’s just agree that the first installment of Mumblings on a Monday was a critical and box office success, and the writing is far better than anything George Lucas could do – even if the special effects aren’t quite up to par).
- I hate winter! For those of you in colder climes than Northeast Florida, you’re probably thinking, “What the heck is he thinking….he lives in FLORIDA!” Well, Winter finally showed up in the Sunshine State over the weekend, and I was camping. Saturday night’s low was in the mid 20′s. This morning, the car registered the temperature as a balmy 24 degrees. I frankly have no idea how you folks who live where it gets cold can stomach exercising outside. I’m wearing about 300 layers and I’m still cold.
- Apparently Lance can do Tri: So yesterday, Lance Armstrong raced the Panama 70.3 race, and did pretty darn well. He took 2nd place in his debut race as a professional triathlete. He averaged about 26mph on the bike – and according to some was “holding back” – and then ran a 1:17 half marathon. Not bad for a bloke who hasn’t done triathlon in quite a few years. It will be interesting to watch him race this season and see how well he does.
- Rev3 Tri comes to Florida: As you may recall, a
- Credit: BOBBY KING/Jacksonville.com
Jimmy Buffett. A musician tied forever to the concept of kicking back, wearing flip-flops, drinking margaritas, eating cheeseburgers, and having fun. At least for those who like his music.
Last night, Jimmy played a sold-out concert here in Jacksonville. Mrs TM and I went to the show along with another couple. For many, seeing a Buffett concert is a rite of passage. For others, it’s an excuse for getting really drunk. (Perhaps those two things are one in the same). I’ve loved Buffett since I was in college back in the late 80′s. This was my third concert of his – and by far the one where I was the most sober.
My first Buffett show came in 1987 (I think) on the campus of Appalachian State University in North Carolina. I remember he came in the middle of winter, that it was cold as hell, and snowing. I also remember that the show was quite short due to the shenanigans of too many drunk college kids. Of course, I was one of them, and may not be remembering my facts clearly.
Last night’s show was pretty solid. He played all is most well-known songs, plus a few deep cuts. Notably, there were some songs I wish he had played, but didn’t. The really curious thing about the concert? The average age of the fans. The were OLD! I mean, the average had to have been 50+ (at… Read the rest
Normally, this blog is just about triathlon, endurance sports, etc. I thought I’d take a break and share with you something I’ve been doing for the last several weeks.
If you’ve been a reader for any time at all, you know that I’m a family man. I’ve been married for a little over 18 years and have three awesome kids. I’d say that I have been really blessed. My wife is really a super lady. Great mother, my best friend, hard-working, loyal, loving. Literally, she’s been a God-send to me.
My wife, Jennifer, and I in Puerto Rico during the summer of 2011
Like every relationship, we’ve had some great times, some less than great times. Those cycles are inherent in all relationships. The thing with seriously long-term relationships is that sometimes they seem to lose the “spark” that you felt when you first started dating, first got married, etc. It’s life. Folks get comfortable and take things for granted.
I’m a firm believer that doesn’t have to happen in a relationship. So, I try really hard to reinforce to my wife how happy I am with our life together, how much I love her, and how much I really feel like our relationship is still “new”.
Thinking back over the years, my wife has always enjoyed when I’ve left her notes. My notes were never much – just a quick “have a good day” or “I love you”. Regardless, she always enjoyed them. Recently,… Read the rest
It’s been a while since I’ve done a random style post, so I thought I’d toss one out there for this week…
- It’s 11-11-11. That’s cool. I love cool dates like today (09-10-11 was another cool one)
- Today is Veteran’s Day. Frankly, I believe that our veterans (and active duty military) don’t get all the praise they deserve. We literally owe our way of life to the brave souls who have fought for this country. To that, you all have my never-ending respect and thanks.
- I read a very interesting post by Jim Gourley today regarding why he won’t be celebrating today.
- You may have heard of The Wounded Warrior Project. This is a non-profit (actually based here in NE Florida) that serves servicemen and women injured in combat. It’s a spectacular cause, and one I’m proud to have supported numerous times this year.
- I’m holding out on setting up my bike trainer. I want to continue to think that I’ll be able to ride outside, but it’s getting harder and harder to actually believe that.
- I started planking this week…and not the kind where I take a picture of myself lying flat on something and Tweet it out. I must have a pretty weak core, because these things absolutely kill me!
- Rev3 Tri started announcing their AG team for 2012 yesterday. The way they are doing it is pretty cool, yet I could see how it could add to some folks’ stress levels. See, what
We just finished another sweltering weekend here in northeast Florida. Temps were in the high 90′s with heat indexes in the 100′s. I’m sure it was exactly the same wherever you are (except maybe Maine).
I had a sectacular ride over the weekend. For some really stupid reason, I decided that going out at noon was a good idea. I loaded up on the EFS drink and water, sprayed down with sunscreen and took off. As you might expect, I was the only idiot out on two wheels at that time of the day. The heat and humidity were stifling and exhausting. Nevertheless, i had a good ride.
The TriMadness family went to the beach on Sunday afternoon. We hadn’t been to the beach as a family since early in the summer (weird, yes, since I live 20 minutes from the beach). We had a blast! The waves were oh so perfect. My son Carter took his surfboard; it was exciting to watch him try to catch waves. My youngest daughter Meredith and I boogie boarded for at least an hour. The waves were EPIC! My oldest daughter Courtney met up with a couple of guy friends and spent three hours talking with them as if no one else were on the beach. I’d say that it was fun watching “young love”, but I know she’s interested in neither — so this father could watch and not get his hackles up!
I read this morning that there was a death… Read the rest
It’s been hot recently. Not just here in Florida, but all over the place.
You didn’t need me to tell you how hot it’s been, as it’s likely hot where you are too. I read last week that there was a “heat dome” over much of the United States. Texas hasn’t seen daytime highs below 100 degrees since something like 1942. (actually, more like 30 days). It’s so dang hot that there are heat advisories in many cities every day.
Just Monday, I was in Kansas City. I had planned on going for a run right after work. When I left the office at 6pm, it was 109 degrees out. The dude on the radio said the heat index was close to 116. I ended up running at 10pm, and it was still probably close to 90 degrees.
As we all know, heat isn’t a new obstacle for us to deal with. It gets hot every summer. And, as you know, this general furnace condition typically coincides with peak triathlon training season in most parts of the US. Those of us fortunate enough to live in the South get to deal with warmer temperatures like this seemingly year-round.
So, how do I deal with the heat (and humidity….I do live in Florida after all)? I’ve noted before that I actually sort of like the combination of heat and humidity. That said, there are a few ways that I deal with this. And since I’m not a doctor, please don’t take… Read the rest
America’s birthday party. What an awesome holiday!
The TriMadness clan spent our weekend up in Atlanta. Technically, we spent a good chunk of the weekend in the car on the way to and back from Atlanta – but that’s a different story. We had scored some free tickets to Stone Mountain Park and a free hotel stay (courtesy of bad experiences at both over Christmas – yay for good customer service), so we decided to cash those in and visit with our friends at the same time.
photo credit: weddingmapper.com
Stone Mountain is just that – a giant stone mountain. Literally a huge hunk of granite that sticks up out of the red Georgia clay. We learned that the visable part of Stone Mountain is essentially the top of a huge – yet buried – mountain that sits near Atlanta. The elevation at the top of the granite dome is 1686 feet above sea level – or about 900 feet above the surrounding territory. Perhaps Stone Mountain is best known for a bas-relief carving of Confederate leaders Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Jefferson Davis.
While at Stone Mountain, we played on a low ropes course and hiked down & then up the dome. The hike up the dome is 1.3 miles, with an elevation change of almost 800 feet. The climb is pretty steep in some places and shadeless. Needless to say, Sunday was cloudless and close to 95 degrees. It was dang… Read the rest
Smoke from nearby wildfires causes a haze to hang over the area (picture courtesy news4jax.com)
Welcome to the new home of TriMadness!
You’ll see that the information is the same, just the look and feel are different. I’ve made the move from Blogger to WordPress – for a couple of reason. Namely, the look & feel is a little cooler than what I had on Blogger.
You’ll find a few new features here (and more to come). Some of the features:
- Featured Posts – I’ll highlight some of my more popular posts in the featured section
- Random Thoughts – short little tidbits that will show up on the bottom of the page
- Photo Page – This is a slideshow of some shots of me or that I’ve taken
More changes forthcoming. Please be patient as I work through everything!
Thanks for reading!
There once was a time when I longed to visit some tropical setting each spring. You see, the annual event that we know as Spring Break was once a time to be consumed with girl-watching, drinking vast amounts of alcohol, watching girls, using the worst pick-up lines on the planet to try to hook up with aforementioned girls, and getting a class A case of sunburn.
Recently, this annual rite has taken on a new dimension for me.
You see, no longer do I have the youthful exuberance of a college man. Today, I have the yoke of middle ageness to bear. In lieu of bikinis and beers, I have yard work, chores, and bills to pay. Kids to drive places.
Spring Break has come and gone. There was no tropical paradise had. No booze in a blender to render a frozen concoction to help me hang on. No front porch swing sitting. My toes were not in the water, my ass not in the sand.
And yet, Spring Break was great. I feel recharged. Tanned, even. Relaxed. Trained. Centered. And (surprise) I worked the entire week. I just adopted a Spring Break attitude.
