A few weeks ago I posted a copy of "You Know your a Triathlete When " somewhere on the list it says something about long workouts and good conversations with yourself. Last night on the stationary bike an hour felt like 10 minutes. Deep thinking is not something normally associated with McLovin, but I had an epiphany. I'll make this quick, for two reasons. 1. Its dumb 2. No ones reads my doltish narrations anyway... 
So there I am pedaling away (aero position of course) thinking about my wife's due date, (May 19) and how much I love the feeling of being a father. With another kid in the house I'll be blessed with twice the love. Then like a sucker punch in the dark it hit me!!! WHAT HAVE WE DONE??? HOW COULD I LET THIS HAPPEN??? WHERE WAS THE VOICE OF REASON LAST SUMMER?? 2 kids 18 months apart this means a drastic change. All though I call myself a dolt, I'm not stupid. (HUH? That makes no sense at all but anyway.) Were fully aware of the sacrifices parents make especially in the first few years of a child's life. Our schedules will ultimately stay the same, but the bulk of the burden will fall upon my wife. Leaving the house at 4am doesn't leave much room to help out in the morning. As I went through all the scenarios in my feeble head all I could think was WTF!!! Then being the selfish ingrate that writes this blog I begin to think about my triathlon season. By the end of my self meeting I'm able to relate my life to triathlon. In the beginning I was overwhelmed even with a sprint distance and the training that went along with it. Not to mention a 70.3 distance was as attainable as winning the lotto, and so on.
So I came up with the analogy that having two kids 19 months apart, its like the start of an open water swim. Before it starts, its fun, everyone is laughing cutting up bragging about their own fitness, whatever. Then you get in the water and its cold, things start to suck. 
The gun goes off and the race begins the first 10 yards are great you feel good, then WHAM! your kicked in the head and your goggles fill with water. You try to fix them and you catch an elbow on your back. Now you try to swim and your out of breath, you cant find your stroke, you want to quit, its so tough, the water is still cold, you see a 60 year old passing you, your legs are heavy, IT SUCKS... 
Then something happens and you suddenly get it together. Ah, yes! now the current is helping you along, you found the perfect person to draft off of, your passing people again, feeling great about it, your a trained machine!!! Best of all the bad start is out of your mind and your focused on T1...
The gun goes off and the race begins the first 10 yards are great you feel good, then WHAM! your kicked in the head and your goggles fill with water. You try to fix them and you catch an elbow on your back. Now you try to swim and your out of breath, you cant find your stroke, you want to quit, its so tough, the water is still cold, you see a 60 year old passing you, your legs are heavy, IT SUCKS... Then something happens and you suddenly get it together. Ah, yes! now the current is helping you along, you found the perfect person to draft off of, your passing people again, feeling great about it, your a trained machine!!! Best of all the bad start is out of your mind and your focused on T1...At least that's what I'm hoping life is like the.... GOD knows I've been wrong before...
So I guess I lied, sorry, its not as short as I had planned. OK, so to all those running in the marathon this weekend, best of luck to all! May the weather be on our side and the wind at our back...
Pace Less Hammer More....
When I black out, it's the happiest time of my life.
Artie Lange
