Gimme The Boot...

Whoah,

Over the past few months I have put together some fantastic blog posts. Unfortunately I was typically sitting in traffic, working on a job or punching out a workout. As a result, my awesome topic or funny story always seemed to fall by the wayside in favor of something else more important. And so it goes, right? Well, it has recently occurred to me that I miss writing, I enjoy it, therefore I have decided I should try to do it more often. I'll continue to keep it light, TRY to make it humorous and from time to time maybe even give you a small morsel you might be able to apply to your own life. Maybe I'll even motivate you in some way to do something you have been meaning or wanting to do.

So, 2011 was a great year. Business was great, I had a great race in Placid and I really can't think of how I would have made it any better. My folks lost a combined 100 pounds, my daughter became a teenager, I landed TWO new home construction contracts and I wrapped up the year by buying a new (to me)Super Duper Pick-up that is the most obnoxious YELLOW color you have ever seen. Not a day goes by that I don't get some crap about the color. I don't care though, she's a sweet ride. In November I harvested a fine 4 point buck in South Barre, VT. Oh yeah, almost forgot, after Ironman I accompanied my father, my brother and some great friends to the top of Mount Katahdin. This year, my mother is going with us and my Dad is going to brave the Knife Edge. Looking forward to the challenge!

My triathlon exploits have taken a step backward thanks to a lingering case of Plantar Fasciitis (sp?). I have tried EVERYTHING to rid myself of this nagging eight month old injury but nothing has worked. The good folks at OA have been a huge help and I am hopeful that we get it figured out soon or I am going to have to take 2012 (gulp) off. Oddly enough, I tried "The Boot" again last night and this time it seems to have had some positive impact. I found myself optimistic about my foot for the first time in awhile. While I was meeting with the surgeon yesterday I was sure to ask him "did I cause this by training for Ironman?" his response was "No, you simply have high arches and you are REALLY tight". I really wanted to know that because I run into a lot of people throughout the course of the year that think what I do is "extreme". I get questions like "hey are you still doing that crazy marathon stuff? or my favorite, "your so thin!" "What's wrong?" I simply explain that just because the last time they saw me I was grossly overweight and my head was the size of a basketball doesn't mean that was NORMAL. I am simply in better shape and overall health than I have ever been. Save for a case of PF I would argue I am in the best shape of my life. One of these times I'm going to turn the tables during one of these encounters and come back with "gee, you're looking fatter than ever, how is your cholesterol?" or "Boy, I don't know how much more your heart can take, you'd better step away from the Little Debbie's". Heheheh OK, I'm starting to crack myself up so I'll switch gears. You get my drift tough.

So I went down to Maine Running last Friday night to ride my bike against some of the local talent. I came away having confirmed my feeling that I have a lot of work to do. Man, there are some strong cyclists in Southern Maine. As usual though, I was able to identify a new friendly rival and I have been working hard to give him a better fight this coming week. He works at Maine Running and is a good athlete but I plan to have a little more up my sleeve for him this week. He might still get me but he's gonna feel it. It made me realize that I just love to compete - regardless of the season, where I'm at in training, I love to throw it out there and see where I'm at. Lots of guys won't do that becuase they don't want to have their name in print with a sub par result. I say what the heck, let's get after it. Some people forget that this is supposed to fun. I guess it's like anything else, you get people that take it too seriously. Not me, well, I'm serious about it but I also try to keep it in perspective. We all have to be at work tomorrow ya' know?

Two weeks ago I hiked / snowshoed into Daicey Pond in Baxter State Park. It was a great trip with great friends. The foot held up ok and I made it through without incident. Sixteen miles over two days. I came away sore and fulfilled, having made a couple of great new friends. Of course it never hurts your chances of being accepted at camp when you pull a bottle of Captain Morgan out of your backpack after dinner and put together a nice evening of story telling and swapping lies. Thanks boys!

We have been plugging along at The Speed Lab where we have a few peeps training for Lake Placid. I'll be going to LP but this year it will be in a support role and I am entertaining the thought of another Ironman in 2013. Maybe my foot will be better by then! I have signed up for Ironman 70.3 Mt Tremblant and we are looking forward to a trip to Montreal in June as long as I can compete. I also have Rev3 OOB Maine on the schedule. I'm hopeful can do both. Jodi and I are joining some great friends for a trip to Arizona in March where I will be biking Mt Lemmon for the first time and doing a weeks worth of biking and tri training. Looking forward to the change of scenery and hoping I have two good feet to work with.

Lastly, my triathlon coaching business has begun to get very busy. I now work with a dozen athletes, helping them avoid some of the mistakes I've made along the way. I really enjoy seeing people achieve something they never thought was possible. In December I successfully navigated the USAT Level One Triathlon Coach recertification process so I am happy to have that behind me. I continue to meet new and exciting people through coaching. Funny, it's often so much more about getting people to step out of their comfort zone than it is about the X's and O's of the sport.

Alright, so that's it. I'll be back sooner than later. In the meantime I'll continue to try to lead from the front without falling on my face.

Now, where's that damn boot?

BT