2008 The review so far....

Alright I haven't posted on this blog in a while and this post will most likely be getting cut and pasted to my other blog

2007 was an amazing year and I was hoping 2008 was going to equal or surpass it. In some ways it did, I did my first Ironman, left the country ( US and its possessions I went to St. Croix in 03) for the first time in almost 20 years. I met some good friends along the way, and raced and trained more than I thought possible in a season. I was sponsored for most of the season, and raced some major events, with good results..in some ways 2008 was a banner year.

2008 was a rough year in other ways, my father lost his job and he and my mother took commission based positions in a volatile market, this put some strain in my finances as I owe my parents for paying off my bill for my sophomore year at Fordham, and I have helped where I can with what I can, and sometimes with what I don't technically have ( ie credit.) The fact that I had helped last year along with the expenses of commuting to school, buying a new bike, entering about 7 -8 races last season and a little trip to the Southern Hemisphere didn't help my situation, so when I found out about a laspe before severance kicked in I gave money that would have paid one of my bills for life expenses, this and a delay and reduction in my expected stimulus package put me behind the 8-ball and forced me to borrow from my parents and grand parents to race Patriot and Eagleman. I sold off my road bike to a friend to finance RI 70.3, In essence I was in deep shit and had to put a freeze on race entries in May I only recently was able to get out with the help of a student loan which went to cover the gas and book charges on my cards from last year. My tri season essentially ended on Sunday with a DNF at Nutmegman, I guess a fitting end to the nightmare my season had become, maybe I should have just ended it back in July with RI 70.3 and the high note I had, but 2 months of training runs and rides would have seemed wasted if I didn't roll the dice just one more time, as with all gambles sometimes you end up with snake eyes.

As for 2009 many of you know I was planning on doing IM New Zealand again I'm going to wait and see how things pan out over the next month if I have the entry fee in October and I either have a homestay arranged through my friend Catherine or the race staff, then I'll go to Taupo in March if not then I will use the money saved for other life endeavors..that's my ultimatum to myself no cheap lodging no go...simple.

If New Zealand doesn't happen I'm might do a cheaper alternative and race the Country Music Marathon again ....just to see if I can beat my first time there, also it gives me an excuse to see an old friend.

IM Arizona is on the schedule ( either tomorrow or Wednesday I'll grab the paper work to re-register the Central Tri Club..so Bjoern and I will be reimbursed our entries.) I was there for Bjoern's first half and I'll be there for his first full, we train together and push one another to the next level so there's no doubt a PR is in both our futures.

The Griskus Sprint ( Surprise) is always on my schedule..it was my first tri I'll keep racing it unless I move off the East Coast.

Patriot is on I was there for the inaugural which was also my first half, so I'm going back for more.

RI 70.3 and Eagleman aren't on the list for next season not because I don't like them but the cost is an issue if I race an Ironman or hopefully 2 if the budget allows, I won't have the cash flow to race all over hell and back, a hard lesson from 08 but a valuable one. I do plan on doing Eagleman again in either 10 or 11 when I've gotten myself set up and have a better idea of what kind of cash I can throw at the sport.

Nutmegman is on the list as it is a final tune up for Arizona as well as the race now owes me big. I have never DNFed before in my life and it leaves a terrible taste in my mouth even if the choice to drop out is the right one.

So in the grand scheme of things I have anywhere from 4-6 races planned, plans always change, I may add or subtract depending on life, training, cash, mindset, I may decide to inflate my rather deflated USAT ranking and do more sprints and intermediate distance races, I may decide to focus on the unglorious task of training and go "into the basement" for 3-4 months just cranking out workouts, whatever I do I am confident that 2009 will be better than 2008, and it will not end with a DNF....which the Hartford Marathon and half marathon are coming up I may yet end 2008 on a high note...

R.D.

What really matters

Well, in the past few days I have been reminded quite rudely of my place in society. I am a lower working class plebe. I had to rely on the mercy of my mechanic to get my car fixed, I maxed out one of my credit card on books, I still am behind on a couple of bills, and my parent's situation looks like it's going to get worse before it gets better, my grandfather is looking at a more cost effective housing situation which means I might be looking for a roommate in a few months. I have put Ironman New Zealand on the chopping block and am sharpening the axe. I can't, despite all my passionate crap, justify spending the money to go, while part of me wants desperately to use student loan money and my credit cards to finance it, the other part of me is remembering I was in the same boat last year..and look where I ended up. Sure I was happy doing the race socializing, and visiting a country that I would never in my wildest dreams thought I would go to....but was the financial cost worth it, is a week of happiness worth a year of misery. My father leaving/losing his job hurt, I felt like a bum borrowing money for Eagleman and Rhode Island, knowing it was tight. I should have skipped and used the money to pay debts, so that's what I'm debating to do with New Zealand. It may not be good in the short term but in the long term it will pay off, especially if I have rent and utilities to contend with. Also it comes at a crucial time during the school year, can I really justify missing a week to 2 weeks of class, when I'm on the cusp of graduating, and might need the same money for summer courses. My degree and fiscal health are what matters, racing and happiness can wait after all it is better to be stable than happy.

A caged animal

" The world is a scary place now that you've woken up the demon in me."

-Disturbed's Down with the Sickness.

Well I haven't raced in about two months. It seriously has felt like an eternity. It killed me a little to be on the sidelines as some of my favorite races took place without me. At the same time it has allowed me to put some perspective on my life. I need to get myself into a better postion in life. I don't want to end up like my parents or my grandparents, living their whole lives struggling to get by, but at the same time I don't want to be such a miser that I let life pass me by. I was looking at entering Brandford's Hammerfest Triathlon, but upon seeing the entry fee increase decided better of it. So my last attempt at a tri is going to be the Nutmegman Half Iron. I hoping 2 months of pent up energy and frustration will allow me to unleash my fury and aguish on my competiton and that there shall be a wailing, moaning, and grinding of teeth in Southbury, CT on Sept. 21 like there never has been or shall be again, granted my partner in destruction and biggest competition is across the pond in Austria....Bjoern this one's for you buddy! The last two months have been like having my wings clipped, most likely for my better good realizing that as a broke college student I can not compete like a pro or a financially sucessful middle aged age grouper. I need to plan my races better , which is why next year my schedule will be a little more limited. I'm hoping to be able to pull off Ironman New Zealand again, but I'm officially playing that by ear, I will be doing Ironman Arizona next November so if I'm not racing in August/ Spetember I can chalk it up to higher training volume.. but regardless, going into the Nutmeg Half Iron, my cycling is the strongest it's ever been, granted I know I need a little more improving, my swimming is back in it's usually front of the pack shape, and my running well, it's lacked a little bit but I'm no slower than I usually am, depending on the field that shows up I'm confident that I can be a force to be reckoned with....especially with 2 of the big names in my age group sitting out this year. So on September 21, as I charge into the water for the first time in 2+ months I feel confident for my chances at a podium and a sub 5 performance. So now it's just waiting on putting up my entry and kicking this pig.
R.D.

A life less ordinary

Yesterday, at me grandmother's funeral, the deacon from my parish came up to me and said " so Bob when are you going to start studying to become a deacon?" For those who aren't Catholic, Orthodox, or Anglican, a deacon in these religions is sort of "Priest Lite" you can do everything a priest does, except hear confessions and preform the concencration of Holy Communion or in Catholicism, the most significant part of the mass. I made the comment " When I find the right girl." In the Cathlolic Church once you're ordained you can't get married, deacons can be married but can't remarry if their wife dies, they back this idea in scripture with St. Paul's "be as I am." so because Paul was a lonely bugger all priests have to be lonely buggers, granted in the middle ages Priests could marry but the Church stopped this because they were losing parish lands on the deal, afterall if Father Bob's eldest son didn't want to be a priest he still inherited the parish, and could do with the lands what he wanted..not good if you're the bishop/Vatican and you forked over mucho dinero for that land. Irregardless, I placed a lot of thought on why 2 years ago I thought ordination might be on my to do list but now is sort of a "maybe if life doesn't go as planned, or leads me to it" deal.

1. For as much as I'm devout I do have some issues with church ordination policy. I believe married men should become priests ( maybe not in the religious orders like the Monforts, Franciscans and Jesuits where community living is not conducive to family life.) but for for the local diocese it would definitely help with the priest shortage, and the clergy could better related to the people. Also I believe women should be ordained as deaconesses ( not priests because priest are representative of the 12 apostles who sadly from what we're told, we all dudes.). The role of the deacon at mass is to proclaim the gospel and assist the priest,and help bring the sacraments to the people. In Jesus's day women were responsible for the same role, I think it's time they retake their postion within the clergy.

2. Triathlon is an expensive sport and demanding lifestyle, similarly priests and deacons are called to live humbly and be available to their parishoners at all hours. It's sort of hard to do an Ironman out of town, when people might need to call you suddenly to give their relatives the last rites, or baptize their kid, or marry them....Also how can you preach about humilty and giving up everything for God when you have a $8k carbon fiber rocket chilling in the sacristy.

3.My politics don't always reflect my faith. The church is trying to influence politics especially in Gay rights. Gay rights , for me is cut and dry. We believe in sepreation of church and state. The state wants to give civil rights, marriages/unions, benefit rights to homosexuals. I believe they should afterall these are rights all CITIZENS are guaranteed. The church however doesn't have to reciprocate the Church doesn't recognized civil marriage between a man and a woman the Church doesn't have to recognized marrigae between two dudes or two ladies, unless the college of cardinals and Il Papa decide to.

4. I don't think of myself as pro-life or pro-choice I think of myself as pro-mercy, and pro-compassion.

5. I may not want to marry and pop out little Bob's right now but it could be a real possiblity down the line. Also knowing my luck I'll get ordained go through all the steps to become a priest and after mass number 1 find Miss Right at the communion rail....Lord have Mercy.

6. Don't get me started on Birth Control, In Humane Vitae ( On Human Life by Paul VI which , say what you will about him, he did have a good understanding of corporate greed.), some people use birth control to prevent kids, others use it to regulate themselves to have kids, it's a gray area and it's not as black and white as somepeople would like it to be.

7. I really don't look good in black.....

8. I love the ritual, and sprituality, and good nature of the Catholic faith, but I hate all the political BS, wasn't there something on give to Ceasar what is Ceasar's and give to God what is God's. Also isn't God supposed to be a meciful almost parental force instead of a mean jugdemental tyrant.

9. I don't really believe there is one TRUE faith, all religons have aspects of truth, Catholic Christianity is what brings me closer to God, and forms how I should try to be a good person how dare I condemn a Born Again Christain, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Flying Spaghetti Monster worshiper, if their faith does the same for them. Afterall I think God gives brownie points for being a good person.

10. I'm too much of a smart alec, if the rest of the top 10 list hasn't given that away, I'd be a conservative bishop's worst nightmare. As it is some groups are probably screaming for my excommunication.

Well that's it from me.