I’m staying with my friend Sarah, her man, and her two very large dogs. We had a great time talking about our days back in Rockford, Illinois (where we met), design, and watching my dog feel out the giants.
Around 11:00 I went to the spare room and found a bed straight out of the woods, literally built from tree branches. “Damn, this is like being at the cabin!”
I sat down, laid back, then realized we might have a problem. While the frame was badass, the actual mattress felt like I would be sleeping on a piece of white bread.
For a brief moment, I gazed over the edge and considered sleeping on the floor. The paranoia is stupid crazy the week before Ironman and I feared I’d wake up with a sore back. But, I decided to give ole Wonder Bread a shot.
I did my best to relax, and melted into the mattress like Peanut Butter and Jelly. The traditional scurry of thoughts about the swim, bike, and run rushed through my brain, then I drifted off to sleep until I woke to soft cries from my dog and her new friends at 7:35 am.
Not only did I sleep well, it may have been the best sleep I’ve had in months.
For years I worked in an industry that was fueled by conflict. The argument, the fight, and good versus evil. Slowly, I have been remembering that life is much easier when you go with its flow.
I am all for healthy discussion and search for the truth, but instigation and agitation are dead end streets. I really believe that news, and talk radio are built to stoke your anxiety and reinforce conflict in society.
Over the last few weeks there is a building sense of calm building inside me. Not only about the race or my lifestyle, but everything in the world. Sure, there is a lot of fucked up shit going on, but the more I realize it’s out of my control, the better my mindset and more good I find in people.
And what’s the number one thing that is out of my control? The weather. News holds this one over you big time. “We’ll keep you safe! Be prepared! Blah . . . ”
The weather is what it is. I knew this race would be hot. 5-10 degrees won’t make a difference. I need to ingest a lot of fluid and make sure I don’t forget sunblock. Other than that, it’s all pretty much what I expected, and out of my control.
And now I’m seeing reports of potential storms. Bring it on!
Last night I didn’t have control, and this morning I couldn’t be happier about it. I’m gonna carry that attitude into Sunday and accept whatever Mother Nature delivers. I’m kinda even hoping Ironman adds a little burning coals section like those Spartacus races.
