Monday, July 21, 2008

One of the Many Benefits of the Trilife




Returned to Rockford for our 21 year (yeah well, it took an extra year to organize) high school reunion. We had a great time. Drank a great many beers. I recognized most of the guys. I generally had no clue who the women were. You know it's not the easiest thing to discreetly check out some women's name tag when she's wearing a low cut cocktail dress. Then to make it harder, they throw on their current name so you've got to sort that out from the maiden name and the next thing you know they're slapping you for staring at their cleavage. But anyhow, I digress.


The benefit of the tri-life. I must have heard at least 100 times that I looked exactly the same as I did the day we graduated, "except for a few lines around the eyes."


I realize how lucky I am in a lot of respects - still have my hair, my schedule allows me to undertake significant training schedules without sacrificing family or sleep (much). I have a supportive spouse (the Doc).


It's triathlons and the lifestyle that goes along with it that has me within 10 pounds of my playing weight senior year. It's what had me going down quiet country roads on the Lemond (I'll have to introduce you to the Lemond some day - I was a freshman in high school when it was born) with MJ, his dad, the Doc and a small group from the Blackhawk Cycling Club Saturday morning. It's why we could have dropped MJ if the other Mike had taken a pull at the front after we broke from the pack. It's why I'm down 45 pounds from my zenith.


I can only wonder what they'll think 9 years from now after I have 5 or 6 Ironmans (Ironmen?) under my belt. (Don't tell the Doc that or she'll freak!)


This coming weekend the kids are in the Chisago Kids Tri. Zman got a brick workout in last night. He finished 2nd a couple years ago. The race has grown by leaps and bounds. JRose is just hoping her chain doesn't fall off again this year. She walked her bike the entire course last year, but finished. She's got a new ride so it shouldn't be a problem. Apparently the Disney Princess bike from Walmart isn't the most durable - and don't even get me started on the aerodynamics.

3 comments:

HandsomeBrian said...

Those toy companies spend countless hours in the wind tunnels working on the co-efficient of drag in relation to handlebar streamers and cards in the spokes. It is all inter-connected. The more add-ons, the faster they actually go.

richvans said...

YEAH! One lurker has revealed himself. Now for the rest of you that email me or tell Anne you read this or that - leave a comment. It makes me seem less like some lonely trigeek posting his story into the great emptiness of cyberspace to no audience.

Brian - I think I may need to strap the wicker basket onto my aerobars. I think I could get several dozen gels in that thing.

Anonymous said...

Rich: Thanks again for the great blog! I think I speak for many, many other enthusiastic readers when I ask for more details on the reunion.