'08 Recap

Wow, over a month since my last post! I have a theory for why it's been so long, but we'll just keep that mute. Reading that last post is a wake-up call that I better get my rear in gear and start training seriously again. I actually did have that planned to start tomorrow so let the sweat begin!
This post is something that came to me on my solo drive up north last Wednesday for New Year's Eve. A 4 hour drive gives you time to ponder. This is going to kind of be a quasi year-in-review, but I'll just pick out something from each month that made it special for me. Some of these are going to be about family, some about me and the races I did and some about living vicarioulsy through others. It was kind of difficult trying to think back 10, 11, 12 months to come up with something and there are 2 months that I'm drawing a blank for anything significant, but what I did come up with all affected me somehow during the year.

January: This was Conner's first Pinewood Derby for cub scouts. Building his car brought back a ton of memories from when I was 8-10 and building my car with my dad and the subsequent races. I was able to relive some of my childhood with/through Conner, but hopefully give him some memories he'll be able to look back on 30 years from now with his son(s). He finished 5th in his pack and thus able to move on to the District races. Although the 5th place ribbon was pink he was still all smiles about winning and every time his car went down the track. Just watching him smile and be proud of how he did made me happy, but more importantly he was a gracious winner, just cheered for his car and his friends when he wasn't racing and never rubbed it in when he beat someone like I saw a couple of others do.

February: The new season for TNT started. This was my first time on the triathlon team so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It was much larger than the marathon teams I've been on and I knew some of them already knew each other so I wasn't sure about fitting in. My past TNT experiences were all positive and I had made lifelong friends. I didn't know if these triathletes approached the TEAM aspect in the same regard, but quickly realized they did and it became another positive, "mankind is good" type of experience. I've added a few more close friends to my contact list and many "friends" to my facebook because of my TNT relationships.

March and April: These are my lost months. Apparently nothing too exciting or memorable happened these 61 days.

May: Ran the Fargo Marathon and recorded my 2nd fastest time to date. I was pretty pleased with that considering my fastest time had come almost 10 years earlier. 5 states down, 45 to go on my quest to run one in every state.

June: I got a letter from Conner's school saying he was going to be placed in an advanced curriculum for 3rd grade based on some assessment tests they give the kids. Growing up I was a pretty athletic and active kid and still did pretty well in school as well. I figured I'd be pretty proud of my kids too like my parents were once they started playing sports (not that I'm not proud of them if they don't play anything). We knew Conner was pretty astute and a good student, but once I read that letter the proud parent cup was overflowing and I was beaming! I know it's only 3rd grade, but if he can be ahead of the curve and excel in school who knows what he can accomplish when he graduates?!

July: Probably the most significant month of the year. There was addition by subtraction. My grandma had a stroke and passed away shortly thereafter. Within that tragedy though it brought my older sister back into my family's life. For 7 years she let some outside factors influence her and keep her away from my parents, my younger sister and her family, me and my family and all extended family functions and holidays. My grandma always kept in touch with her though. My grandma's passing helped my sister realize how important family can be and she took the steps to become part of our's again. We all celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas together for the first time since 2000 and the kids have begun to get to know their aunt.

August: A new running experience for me this month although the race has been around for 3 previous years. The Ragnar Relay, a team relay run covering 205 miles from La Crosse, WI to Minneapolis. This was a totally different running experience than anything I've done previously and I'm hooked on it now, it was a total blast! Staying up for 36 hours, running different stints on sleep deprivation, one starting at 2:00 a.m., being confined to a van with 5 other sweaty runners, etc etc. Ragnar has a series of these runs throughout the country, all under the same format. It would be fun to get a team to travel to some of these other races, but I'll definitely have a team every year for this WI/MN race.

September: This month I lived vicariously through 2 members I met on the TNT tri team. Kimmi and Rachel trained all year for the Ironman Triathlon in Madison, WI and a group of us went to cheer them on. I have a few other friends who have completed the Ironman, but I never went and watched them. Being at this race and cheering Kim and Rach, seeing the whole thing firsthand and knowing what the went through to even get to that point was just inspiring! Someday, when the parental schedule allows, I hope to do an Ironman. Having 2 more friends as inspiration and mentors to look to for advice can only be a good thing.

October: 2 other triathlon teammates tackled another endurance event this month and they allowed me to be a secondary part of it. Dana and Kris ran the Twin Cities Marathon, for Kris this was her first marathon (see previous posts). Leading up to this race I passed on little tidbits I've picked up along the way, about this marathon in particular and just some in general, so I felt somewhat invested in their performance. The weather conditions they had to endure were worse than anything I've ever run in which made me even prouder of how they did.

November: The Big 4-0 and another marathon on my birthday. Kind of an insane birthday present to give myself. Along with another Finishers medal I was able to be beat my Fargo marathon time and come within 2 minutes of a setting a new PR.

December: This is another PPP (Proud Parent Post) and gives me a greater feeling than anything physical I've done. Kayli informed us that she made the A honor roll for the first quarter and Conner won a drawing contest. This is the first year for the kids in their new schools after transferring districts. I wasn't sure how they'd adapt, but apparently my worries were all for naught. Kayli is a bright girl and it's great to see the transfer didn't affect her academically. Conner has proclaimed (verbatim) "he doesn't like playing sports except for bowling, but likes arts and crafts" and it showed when he won 1st place in a drawing contest for all of 3rd grade and got his holiday picture published in the local paper. He was happier about getting a $20 check.

Well, in a nutshell that's my year in review. As I was thinking about this and once I came up with my monthly choices I noticed there weren't any about me and my work. Some of these choices seem somewhat superficial in the grand scheme of things so that brought up a whole new tangent of internal debate and something else to ponder. I guess with the new year and making resolutions it's as good of time as any for some self-reflection. I might have to drive up north and back a few more times this week.