As I weave my way through this post on the eve of yet another multi-sport endurance event, I briefly reflect over the past month or so. They say as you age that time speeds up and slips away. I never believed this would happen for me, but the last few years seem a blur in the rear view mirror of my mind. The sun is about to set on the 28th week of 2012, the days are getting shorter, and I’m halfway through my 2012 race season.

Charlene and I sent our daughter, Alexandra, off this morning on her week-long Mission Trip to Mingo County, West Virginia. The St. Rita’s youth group will work in the area helping families in a variety of ways. We then loaded the car and headed west to Sibley State Park, about 15 miles north of Willmar, MN. I’m participating in the Heart of Lakes Triathlon (HOLT) in the morning in Annadale, MN. The state park is 55 miles west of Annandale, and we are planning to stay at the park until Tuesday morning. As we drove, we reminisced on the last time the two of us camped alone and agreed that it was prior to our marriage a mere 27 years ago.

My last post was the Buffalo Triathlon race reoprt on June 3, 2012. Since then we were in Duluth for the 36th running of Grandma’s Marathon, in Afton, MN, for the 19th edition of that race. And now in Annadale, MN, for the 27th edition of the Heart of the Lakes Triathlon. This will be my first race here on what promises to be a very warm summer day with high temperatures expected in the low to mid 90’s.

This has been a very strange and erratic training year. Life has been very busy outside the training and racing scene and has provided many challenges in sustaining a consistent training schedule. The less than stellar race results and the few extra pounds I’m carrying around are evidence of that. So as the anticipation builds for tomorrow’s race my expectations are tempered in this reality. I remind myself that it’s okay, I do not participate and compete becuase I have to. I participate and compete because I like to; it makes me feel alive.