It's getting CLOSE!!

What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. -- Zig Ziglar

Well, quite a bit of news this time around -- We are about 3 1/2 weeks out from LoneStar 70.3, and I am feeling pretty good about where I am at training-wise. (After all, last year I was training for the Sprint and ended up doing the Half-Iron!) I still need to get in some longer distance swims, and a couple open water swims at the lake. I will also be doing longer runs after the bike rides on the weekends.

I rode the "warm-up" ride for Spokes N Spurs this past weekend, which left from Bicycle Sports Shop up north and went out the "Parmer Wind Tunnel" to Andice and back. About 200-250 of us cruised outbound at 18-20+ speeds, and then hit the wind headfirst on the return trip. I was fortunate to even see 12 or 13 mph on my bike computer! And a whole bunch of people were having flats, me included... definitely made for a really long return trip. And the ride was followed by a 2-mile brick run, which normally would have been reasonable and short, but after that ride, it beat me up to do the run too.

I am so excited about a bunch of things all going on at once... I ordered some deep racing wheels from Austin Tricyclist (my newest Cardiac Ironman sponsor), they came in yesterday, and I got them put on the P2 today! Gotta thank Don and Adam at ATC bunches! I am really anxious to get out on the road and try them out. But that is going to have to wait a couple days.

One of the reasons the ride will have to wait is because I am taking Mom out tonight for her birthday for dinner and to see Cirque du Soleil. This new version of their show is supposed to be pretty awesome. So hopefully Mom will have a good time.

But the way I got these tickets is kinda cool too. My friend Cortney ran the Diva 5K, and won the grand prize drawing - the 2 tickets. (Congrats to Madison Roehling for placing 3rd in her age group, by the way!) But rather than go herself, Cortney auctioned them off to the person bidding the highest number of pounds of rice they would purchase in exchange for the tickets. This will support the PFUMC food pantry, so I had 2 reasons to bid - support a great cause AND get off the hook for a birthday gift for somebody who "doesn't want anything" -- she ALWAYS says that! I think mom will enjoy what I bought for 350 pounds of rice!

Another great thing -- Jeff G., my newbie triathlon buddy at work, ran the CowTown races recently wearing his Cardiac Ironman "Crew" shirt. Apparently, he had a number of people make comments or ask questions, so I guess he spent some time explaining me to them. Way to run, Jeff! So be aware - the Cardiac Ironman shirt could be seen at races all over the place!

And the fun continues... with my experiences with Team In Training, and the "marketing" I have done in the past (read:searching for charitable donations), I am setting up a website and a developing business to sell shirts, ball caps and the like, for the "Do It (Whatever) Like It Means Something...Because It DOES!" belief that I have. I have had a number of people ask in the past about the phrase, and if they could "borrow" it for their fundraising, and I just thought it was the right time to get all that stuff trademarked and licensed, etc. So I am drafting some designs which surely will evolve and improve. You can check it all out at www.LikeItMeansSomething.com - just recognize that we are in the early evolution of this whole concept.

Last night was a pretty good swim. Got to see a number of familiar faces at the pool, and managed a decent 2000 yards. Time to soak the wetsuit for the OWS...

I think that is about it for now. Talk to you next time.