Marlee Matlin,Floyd Landis, Lance Armstrong, Magic Johnson and Me

Well I am out here in Pasadena and thinking this is great place to ride a bike. Well it would be if I had a bike and if it wasn't 104 degrees ---for real.

So tomarrow we head up to Santa Barbara for real California beach life. No one can say that I have failed to introduce my children to the essential issues in life.

While here I have been swimming at the Gerrish Swim Club where my nieces are racers. I am told this is home club for Marlee Matlin and my brother-in -law even has an alleged picture to prove it.

I have also been able to catch a little of the Tour de France on OLN since my sister has satellite TV. Back in Cincy, I have every channel but OLN since it is not on Time Warner cable. The Floyd Landis story continues to amaze me.

I am also working out at 24 Fitness/Magic Johnson Sport. I get in free with my Sportsmall card--cool. 24 Fitness is part owned by Lance Armstrong. Magic has put his stamp on a number of businesses targeted at disadvantaged communities.

I even got in a little stroll around Pasadena and went to the Apple store. I pulled up YouTube on a Mac and watched a little video of the famous Julie Moss Collapse at the Ironman--the scene where she crawls to a second place finish.

Ok--I know you are trying to figure out where I am going with all this.

Here it goes. This AM I was doing a tough workout of bike and then run at a pace faster then my typical fastest pace. Two giant pictures of Magic were looking down on me. One of the young basketball player and one of the older business man. And I thought, "push it, because you have no idea where it might lead you".

Did Julie Moss realize that crawling and finishing second would have a greater impact than winning?

Did Floyd think he would ride his bike from Eastern Pa to Paris? Did he think that losing the lead would allow him to show his true greatness?

Did a young, deaf Marlee Matlin know where her dreams would take her?

Did Lance Armstrong know that his recovery from cancer would be only the start of the story?

When Magic announced he was HIV positive, at a time when that was a true death sentence, did he know that he would live to see a generation who 1)Don't remember him as a basketball player 2)See him as a businessman trying to help challenged neighborhoods 3)Barely realize he is HIV positive?


Where are you going? Are you prepared? Are you working like the future is possible?
I'm thinking about it.

One Day

We tend to think that life is long. We tend to think that we will be defined by the totality of our lives. But sometimes our whole lives can be defined by what we do on one day, in on instance.

Remember Rudy Guiliani? No not that Guiliani, but the original one. The one that was a complete knucklehead. But I don't remember that one. I remember the one who held the country together while George was flying all over creation.

Remember the story of Al Campanis? A long career, including participating in the arrival of Jackie Robinson. That career eclipsed by 10 minutes of stupid comments. Comments out of character with the rest of his life.

Which brings me to Floyd Landis. A great bike rider. On one day and with one fantastic performance he joined the highest of the high. He went from great to legendary.

Will yo be ready for your moment? Will you recognize that it is your moment? Are you prepared for your moment?

Hit the bike pretty hard today. 2 weeks to the East Fork Tri.

Stat Post--Amazing and Inspirational

I saw something (sort a) amazing today and am placing my first ever Stat Post. I have a weird job this week covering a hospital and it means that there is a computer up and running on my desk. So I can track the Tour de France.

Now you may have read yesterday about how Floyd Landis lost his lead and then some. Essentially putting himself out fo the race.

Today, with a bad hip, the guy took off. In a sport based on teamwork and strategy he just gunned it as hard and as fast as humanly possible. It will not be the top of SportsCenter (that will likely be about a trial or a contract dispute), but this is what is great about sports. One person--counted out--injured--just giving it his all. This is what kids need to hear about sports.

I was following the race through written dispatches on the internet and it was as exciting as anything. The screen was blistering as he charged through mountains and down steep hills. He won the stage by a mile and is now just 30 seconds down. Saturday will likely decide the race.

But today is why we love sports. It's why some people with cancer think they will get better if a guy wins a bike race. It's why the MS Tour riders move with a special purpose. It's why I watched a middle aged lady fall to the ground about 100 yards from the finish of the Philly Tri and then watched her get up and struggle to the finish. She thinks its matters. Today was a great example of how we elevate the trivial and inconsequential.

A Few Random Thoughts

Whenever a column writer lacks original ideas, they usually pull out the old, "A few thoughts" type of column. I hate those things. Better off to just leave the space blank.

And now, a few random thoughts:

1)Today I was geting my haircut and a lady was checking out. At the checkout, they tick off her services, "....haircut, nails, bikini wax....". And I think, "Maybe a little too much information".

2)My new Tri racing suit arrived today. Translated super tight Lycra on a big fat guy. Now my wife has to comment on the site of me in this get-up. "Fits good" she says. Could any woman be that blind? And then I realize I had to buy a new motor for the house airconditioning today ----97 degrees----It works this way----I buy new motor, she lies about my looks

3)I have decided to replace Pepsi with Diet Mountain Dew---Rad

Dream's Dashed

Came back form my morning run and the the New York Times was there. Open up the paper and see a big article on coaching in the style section. Oh, Boy

Read---read ---read----NO Murtaugh.

I got cut!

Just as I was left out of Jason Miller's film adaptation of his Pulitzer Prize winning drama, That Champioship Season, so too were my hopes crushed today.

Now the only way I will get in the style section is if I marry a)An Heiress b)A poor but culturally significant person like a writer c)A gay guy with a house in the Hamptons-----So Many options

Bad Brain

I was getting a swimming lesson tonight. As an aside Barb Uible, the swim coach, recently went on a bike tour of Ireland. Sounds like a good idea but it turned into a disaster. Wrong group to travel with, narrow roads, weak support etc.. All of this ended with her crashing and busting up multiple things including a broken hand. I still think you are better off crashing on a trip then seein Ireland from the back of a tour bus. But of course, my hand is not broken.

So she is trying to get me to swim better. The problem is I swim too stiff. I have no flow. My brain moves in fits and starts and inhibits a natural movement---Bad Brain. I need rhythm.. I need soul.

Tomarrow, we find out if I made it into the style section of the New York Times. Will my lifelong dreams be realized?

An Ongoing Circus

Some people have an internal compass and they know what they want and how to do it. Take, for instance, my wife. She exercises regularly and never needs any outside prodding. Off she goes without any hoopla. Even during the transplant she used to walk 3 miles a day on the hospital treadmill.

But not me. I need a whole drama going on. We discussed this in detail at dinner on Saturday night. Julie/John and Ginger/Rob struggled to understand what I was talking about. You see I have coaches. Coaches for everything. I have even included a link for NYC Tri Consulting in our links section.

So a brief list includes:

1)Barbara Walker--Sport Psychologist
2)Bob Duncan--Team in Training Coach
3)Terry Cole--Team in Training Coach
4)Walter DeNino--NYC Tri Consulting
5)Marcus Garand--NYC Tri Consulting Nutrtionist
6)Barb Uible--Swim Coach
7)Christopher Murtaugh--Race Strategy
8)Andrew Murtaugh--Focus expert


All of this so I could finish next to last in the Ceasar's Creek triathlon.

The A Team

A little photo from last week's Hyde Park Blast.

A Team #1

Let's begin with the night before.

Last night I got to go out with John/Julie and Ginger/Rob. I never realized that they had not been out together. You see both couples are on my A Team. Many people have had to help us over the past two years and all have done it with great enthusiasm. But some folks are just so over the top helpful. The kind of people you don't hesitate to call at 4am or 4pm if you are confused. While there are others in this circle as well, these two couples are all stars.

So we went out to dinner. They for a little food and drink and me for a little carbo loading.

A Team #2

This morning David Young and I met Greg Clarke for the Ceasar's Creek sprint Tri. Greg's first and he finished in great style. Now get this--over 620 athletes for this sell out event. A sprint is about half the distance of an olympic event. So I am thinking, "this will be a snap". I forgot it's just as hard only a little shorter. Ouch. Probably the best swim I have had and a respectable bike and run. Results should be available through the link soon.

A Bigger Bang

Independence day. A little rainy here in Cincinnati and I am on call. Not too bad though. Over the past two years my partners have pulled most of the weight while my wife was sick. So I am happy to be working.
The reporter who spoke with me on Monday was trying to understand how I could respond that Triathlon had made me both more balanced and, at the same time, more focused. Today was a good example.
Despite being on call, my coach had designed a special call "brick". A brick is when you train multiple sports back to back. The call "brick" takes the unique restrictions of being on call and combines them with the need to not lose ground. Voila!--The call brick----bike-run--bike---run--bike ----run ---home. So the focused part is that I awoke this morning planning how I would get this brick in today. The balanced part came about because I was still able to make it home and help with the kids, set up Lisa's satellite radio and put the kids to bed.
More focused---More balanced.

Guess Who?

Guess which overweight, non athletic novice triathlete was interviewed by the New York Times today for an article about triathlon? Will the story run? Will he be quoted? We will have to wait and see.

A Really Big Blog

Ok so let's go in reverse order. I have been on vacation, so we have a lot to cover.

Last night was the kid's race at the Hyde Park Blast, our local day of bike racing, road racing and alcohol consuming. Christopher opted out of the bike race and went for the running race. One lap around the square. I assume he won because he got a medal. Now the real scandal was the falsified paperwork. That's right, I lied on Andrew's form and said he was four years old. So he and I ran together. We avoided the "bowling pin" pile up of four year olds and cruised to a respectable, near last place finish

Earlier in the morning, I raced in the adult race. Perfect conditions. I improved my time by about nine minutes over last year. Very happy with this result. Jay and Kendahl were there. David and Jody also were on the course and I hope had a good race as well. The Blast benefits a bunch of cancer related charities and has really become a premiere event.

Now last weekend was the Philly Tri. I was there to race with Team In Training Rhode Island and my friend Brian Carroll. The weekend started with a 9 hour drive to Philly. Let's just say that Satellite Radio is the only way to go. I got to town and immediately met the Team, where else, in the bar. This is the Rhode Island Team not Utah. After a few beers at what I am told is the worst bar in the city we headed out for dinner and then to bed.

By the way, did I mention that all week long the discussion was about toxic spills and "fishkill" in the river. We were not swayed.

Saturday arrived and we rode our bikes through the city to get in a little practice and also to register. Raining a bit, but still a great ride. We swam a little in the pool and then chill out time. I got to visit Bill and Mary and their kids. Saturday night was the Pasta dinner. I found out that Brian was one of the top fundraisers in the country---You go Girl. Team raised 850 K at this event alone.

Sunday was full of suprises. First the swim was cancelled. Not due to toxins, but rather large trees. Rain on Sat. night had swept a ton of stuff into the river and there were large objects floating by. So the race became a 5k run--40k Bike and 10 K run. Much harder for me since I am kind of husky.

I started out slowly on the run. We headed down to the Art Museum and back--yes, where they filmed Rocky. Now back to the bike. Fantastic. Tree lined, in the park, great hills and art work. Cheering crowds. Off the bike and out for the 10K. Overall, not too bad. I actually picked up steam as the race went on. Finished around 3:13. I have risen from 7th to last up to 14th to last.

Post race food included--Philly pretzel, Italian Subs, real pizza--all stuff you can't get in the Midwest. Running a triathlon is just a hard way to get it.

Let's hear it for Brian.

Next race--Ceasar's Creek Tri this weekend. Racing with David, Jody's husband.

Here is a link for some photos:

http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=10698&BIB=1879&S=230&PWD=