Finding the Same Place

Last night I had a conversation that I won't soon forget with some really good friends. Both of these friends now live in much different places than Forest City -- one in a big city and the other in a foreign country. But for an evening we were reunited in our hometown and I discovered that our journeys over the last few years had brought all of us to a very similar place in life.

Questioning our surroundings. Questioning our beliefs. But finding confirmation of the incredible complexity and beauty of life in the everyday, simple occurrences that have presented themselves to us.

We talked about religion, spirituality, sexuality, high school and college memories, plans for the future and much more....it was a refreshingly open conversation.

All 3 of us grew up as strong to "medium-strong" Christians but I think all of us agreed that our experiences in life had created lots of questions regarding our childhood faith.

Two of us probably would no longer classify our beliefs as Christian, while one of us was still confident in Christianity but similarly confident about the validity of other beliefs.

We put down a couple bottles of red wine over the course of the evening, ate some pistachios, listened to John Mayer, Keane and La Roux, and read a David Sedaris story. The TV was never turned on.

Shortly after midnight, my friends left for their parent's houses.

They will soon be traveling to places far away from Forest City to enjoy their own journeys. At least for a while, though, we were able to inhabit the same place -- long enough to realize that our journeys were bringing us closer, even as we began to travel away from each other once again.

"Life may scatter us and keep us apart; it may prevent us from thinking very often of one another; but we know that our comrades are somewhere "out there" - where, one can hardly say - silent, forgotten, but deeply faithful. And when our path crosses theirs, they greet us with such magnificent joy, shake us so gaily by the shoulders! Indeed we are accustomed to waiting." --- antoine saint exupery, 'wind, sand and stars'

Enjoy the ride,
Damm

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays!

Well, golly, what a year it’s been for Josh – lots of changes.

In January of 2009, Josh made a career change and began working for Lichtsinn Motors in Forest City as their Marketing & Special Events Director. It has been a challenging new position and he has learned a lot about the car and RV industry in a short time period.

February brought about a relationship status modification on Facebook – from “In a Relationship” to “Single.” And while my friend Joshua felt like staying on the couch for a couple of years without moving except to go to the fridge for cold beer and deli meats, by June he had regained his wits and was ready to start leaving his parent’s house again.

March included a trip to Alabama for Josh. He agreed to conclude the season as the Waldorf men’s golf coach even as he began his new position at Lichtsinn Motors (which, by the way, is a great place to buy a new or used vehicle at an unbeatable price!) and the team’s spring break trip took them to the Robert Trent Jones Trail in Alabama. It was a great week of golf and camaraderie for Josh and his players.

During April through July he was busy training for his triathlons. In May he placed 3rd overall at the Mason City sprint triathlon and in June he completed two Olympic distance triathlons (.9 mile swim, 24 mile bike and 6.2 mile run). The first was at TRINONA in Winona, Minn., and the second was in Rochester, Minn. At Rochester, he improved his time by 22 minutes – finishing the race in 2 hours and 47 minutes!

When he wasn’t busy working out, Josh went to a Keane (his favorite band) concert in Minneapolis, hung out with friends in Okoboji, St. Paul, Des Moines and Mankato, and played some golf.

August was an epic month. Josh went to Boston and Cape Cod with his friend Chris Fitzgerald. At Cape Cod, Josh and Chris went to see their buddy Dan Wellik coach in the prestigious Cape Cod league. A good time was had by all. Only a few lobsters survived.

Two half marathons, his cousin Megan’s wedding, a 100-mile bike ride, and the purchase/renovation of a townhouse (104 Sweetgrass Lane) in Forest City consumed the fall months for Josh.

And then, in November, Josh met me in Peru. We had a magical week of Pisco Sours (a strong but tasty alcoholic drink), delicious cebiche (raw fish marinated in citrus juices), and sightseeing in the capital city of Lima. Josh stayed with the family of Andres Baertl (one of his former Waldorf golfers) during the trip. I made the monumental decision of going back to the States with Josh at the end of his week in Peru and life has been great ever since.

We had a great Thanksgiving with Josh’s family and are looking forward to more Holidays together.

It has truly been a wonderful year for Josh and 2010 is going to be even better. To follow along with Josh’s adventures, check out his blog at http://thedammjourney.blogspot.com.

As for me, I’m just happy to be a part of Josh’s life now and I hope you’ll all be able to meet me sometime soon. I occupy the 6th floor of the IKEA bookshelf in Josh’s townhouse.

Once again, Happy Holidays,
Pedro

You Can Change or Stay the Same

As winter blows its cold breath across the cornfields of Iowa, my body and mind enter a type of hibernation period each year.

The bike rides of summer are replaced with shorter jaunts on my basement trainer. The enjoyable 10-mile runs of July are replaced with the nearly unbearable repetition of the treadmill. Swims in lakes are replaced with lap after lap after lap in the YMCA pool.

And for me, the blissful days of being outside as much as possible are replaced with nights on the couch watching movies contemplating life and plans for the year ahead.

A few days ago I watched "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" for the second time and was once again struck by a scene in which Benjamin Button leaves his family to start all over.

In the movie, we learn that growing younger (even staying the same age) is really a curse. Humans were designed to grow old. And growing old is a blessing.

But growing old doesn't mean we have to stay the same. We can change.

---

Right now, as I type, I'm watching the Ford Ironman World Championships on TV. It's a call for me. Toward 2010. Toward my 70.3 Half Ironman in June. Toward change.

The sessions on the bike trainer will need to get longer. The treadmill and cold runs outside will need to become more bearable. The lap after lap after lap will need to turn to lap after lap after lap after lap...

"For what it's worth, it's never too late...to be whoever you want to be."

The Ironman continues on TV right now and it's screaming at me to get going. To be who I want to be.

Spring is never as far away as we think.

Even during the cold, dreary months of an Iowa winter.

Enjoy the ride,
Damm

Peru {Part 4}

Cesos (cow brain) in butter, parsley and garlic.

Agatha, myself and Axl.

Alredo, myself and Andres.

Houses on a mountain side as I traveled to the Lima airport.

Okay, when we last left off...I was playing golf on Thursday, came home to an empty house, Andres's sister-in-law has a baby, time to celebrate...

We returned from the hospital on Thursday afternoon and the whole family gathered in the kitchen to celebrate the birth of Alfredo #4.

Bottles of champagne were opened and Ursula stood at the stove sauteing cow brain's for me in garlic and parsley. The texture was similar to scrambled eggs but the taste was pretty good. I had a few bites and was definitely glad that I tried it. Not as good as the cow heart but good nonetheless.

We all sat around laughing, smiling, drinking and eating for the rest of the afternoon. Once again, I lost track of time.

Hanging in the air that day, suspended for me, was the smell of Peruvian cuisine, the euphoric happiness that comes when one is surrounded by friends and the strange sensation of comfort in a home that was thousands of miles away from my home.

---

I took a shower in the early evening and opened up a Cusquena beer. We went back to the hospital to say hi to more family and see little Alfredo again.

Then Agatha, Cholo, Andres, Talia and I went to pick up their cousin Meg. We went to a swanky bar in Miraflores and had some anticuchos, spring rolls and double pisco sours.

Two doubles had me buzzed in a hurry! Cholo's sister was also at the bar but didn't join us as we left for the club, Gotica.

As usual, I followed Andres and Cholo as we arrived and Gotica and went into the "guys" line. We waited for a few minutes, watched Talia and the girls get in, and then got to the front of the line. I'm expecting to pay a steep cover but somehow our names were all printed out on a list and we got in for free. Connections are nice!

Gotica was quite the club. It had a few different levels and the dance floor was at the bottom level of the club, next to the DJ. Most of the music was techno-electronica but a lot of Spanish-language music was also played.

We bought bottle service and received wrist bands, a bottle of Chevas Regal and a bunch of Red Bulls as mixers. I got absolutely blitzed off of the Chevas Regal/Red Bull combination and it wasn't long before Meg was teaching me how to salsa and meringue. I think I eventually caught on (Meg might disagree with this) but either way I had a blast dancing the night away with hundreds of my young, hip, friends from Lima.

I think we left the club around 3:30 am and bought some burgers at Bembos before getting a taxi home and passing out from a long day of momentous occasions for the Baertl family and myself.

Friday was spent nursing a hangover, buying pirated DVDs for less than $1 each, eating Domino's pizza, meeting Andres's older brother Alex, sitting around on the couch and simply being lazy.

Thursday, of course, had been the climax of the trip. Friday was pretty much a lost day. On Saturday, I woke up at about 7:00 a.m. and went to the kitchen for one last breakfast in Lima.

I buttered my toast, ate a few pieces of the Peruvian grapefruit, had some orange juice and sat there talking to Agatha. It had become my morning routine and I was nearly sick to my stomach that the routine was ending on this day.

The taxi driver arrived a little before 7:30 a.m. I said my goodbyes to Agatha and Andres and got in the car. The 30-minute cab ride was fairly quiet. I exchanged a few pleasantries with the driver but basically looked out the window the majority of the ride.

I saw Peruvian men and women going to work -- spilling out of buses that had taken them from their mountain homes to the city for the day.

I saw a flower market with gorgeous bouquets that probably only cost a few soles.

I saw a group of children kicking a soccer ball and a young couple kissing on a park bench.

I saw the nicer parts of Andres's neighborhood replaced with the run-down houses that were ubiquitously placed on the side of the small mountains that enclosed the city of Lima.

At the end of cab ride, I saw my reflection in the window.

My face was filled with sadness and even though I couldn't feel it on my cheek, I swear I saw a tear running down my face as the Lima airport appeared outside my window -- beckoning me home.

Peru {Part 3} -- Alfredo, Of Course!

Kei's fuente de soda where I enjoyed lunch on Wednesday.

Historic center of Lima.

A hallway in the Franciscan Monastery we visited on the bus tour.

Agatha's wonderful cupcakes!

Andres's sister, Abbie, and I.

Andres with his newborn nephew.

On Wednesday, I returned to Miraflores for lunch and once again, Agatha was kind enough to drive me around. Agatha took me to Kei’s fuente de soda – basically a small diner with a daily special, many fresh juices and coffee.

Agatha introduced me to her friend, Karen – the owner of Kei’s – and left me in her excellent care.

I enjoyed an apple juice, the daily special of chicken with rice, an empanada and a café americano to end the meal. Sitting outside reading “Dreams from my Father” by Barack Obama, I took a moment to breathe in the fresh Lima air. Realizing that moments like this don’t last forever but as much as we can we keep them in the forefront of our minds – remembering that contentment is never too far away.

In the afternoon, I took a bus tour of the historic center of Lima. It was interesting and I enjoyed seeing the historic sights of such an old city, but on the tour I realized how touristy this was -- my bus-mates straining to get countless photos of old buildings whose names they soon wouldn’t remember. The tour guide trying to crack as many jokes as possible. The inhabitants of Lima gazing at the tourists sitting on top of the double-decker bus – some waving, some probably imagining what it would be like to be us, many others probably laughing inside knowing that our attempts to understand the culture of Lima would not come from a 3-hour bus tour.

I spent the rest of the day relaxing, playing tennis with Axl on the clay courts of their country club and enjoying sushi at Edo with Andres, Talia, Cholo and Agatha.

Thursday would be the climax of my trip and it would allow me to forget the cheap, touristy feel that I experienced on the tour bus.

---

On Thursday I was awake by 6:45 a.m., excited to go to the club with Agatha and Ursula. I took part in my third spinning class of this trip and Thursday’s instructor was probably my favorite.

“Cuatro, tres, dos, uno --- VAMOS!” he would yell as we spun until we were exhausted. Singing to the remixed songs of The Killers, Queen and many popular Spanish-language songs, he definitely knew how to engage the class and I think we all really enjoyed his energy.

Ursula and Agatha left for their yoga class next door and I went to the gimnasio to run on the treadmill and lift some weights. At 9:00 we left for home and my daily breakfast of bread, orange juice and a Peruvian type of grapefruit.

Andres arrived home from class around 11:30 and we headed back to the club to play a little golf. There was a women’s tournament going on so we ended up hitting balls at the range for a while and then playing 6 holes on the back nine. We played a skins game and Andres ended up beating me by 2 – earning two pisco sours from his former coach!

We finished the round and sat outside the clubhouse drinking a couple of Cuesquenas before going home for lunch.

When we arrived at the house, I plopped myself on the couch and Andres ran upstairs to talk on the phone. I was a little unsure why no one was home but if I had learned anything on this trip, it was to “go with the flow” – so I just sat there and waited for Andres to return.

All of a sudden, Andres ran downstairs and said, “Josh, vamos!”

Then I remembered that Andres’s oldest brother, Alfredo, and Alfredo’s wife Christina, were expecting the birth of their baby this week and that must be why the house was empty!

The clinic was only about 200 yards away from their house and we jogged to the waiting area to meet the rest of Andres’s family. As we were rushing to the clinic, I realized that this was the first time in my adult life that I had ever hurried to a hospital to witness a baby being born. It was an exhilarating feeling to see Ursula and Alfredo waiting for the birth of their first grandchild.

We went back to the house to enjoy a quick lunch and then came back to the hospital to find out that the baby had been born.

"What's the baby's name?" I asked Agatha.

Agatha simply replied, "Alfredo, of course!"

The fourth Alfredo Baertl was born into this world while I was in Lima -- knowing Spanish wasn't a prerequisite for understanding the next few hours with complete clarity.

Agatha smiling from ear to ear.

Andres straining to see baby Alredo, his newborn nephew, in the nursery.

Alfredo proudly shaking my hand -- a father for the first time.

Sr. Alfredo nearly in tears.

Axl jumping around the hallway in excitement.

Ursula standing by me, in the background, smiling -- clearly taking the moment in.

Yeye and Tota thrilled to see another generation enter the family.

I was filled with such happiness the whole afternoon that I forgot I was in a different country. I forgot I was not a part of the family. I think I even forgot that I didn't speak Spanish very well.

Thursday afternoon turned to Thursday evening -- it was time to celebrate.

To be continued...

Peru {Part 2}

A view of the ocean from Miraflores--a tennis club is in the foreground.

Ursula at her painting studio.

The Passion Roll at Huarike where I ate sushi and cebiche.

La casa de Baertl.

Andres´s cousin, Cholo, and I.

Andres´s sister, Agatha, and I.

Andres´s mother, Ursula, and I.

As trips often do, this experience is all beginning to blur together for me. The fast, winding car rides to a restaurant or Miraflores are soon replaced by a slower pace when we arrive at our location.

The only time this really was not true was on Monday morning when I went Agatha and Abbie to their spinning class. It was intense and I was feeling good and having lots of fun until the heat and humidity got to me and I had to stick to the seat for the last 10 minutes. I was drenched in sweat after the 45 minute workout but felt really good (mainly to be done!).

Agatha took me to Miraflores in Lima, which is a nice area of Lima that is located on the ocean. She showed me Ursula´s painting studio and Alfredo´s architect´s office.

I spent about 3 hours exploring Miraflores -- walking through the parks, seeing the ocean up close for the first time on this trip, people watching, shopping for new Adidas sambas, eating cebiche (a mixture of raw fish marinated in citrus juices and a staple of Peruvian cuisine) and sushi at Huarike, and finally meeting Ursula at her studio to go home for a 2 pm lunch.

Alfredo drove Ursula and I back to the house for lunch. I have finally found a person who drives faster than New York City cab drivers and on much smaller streets -- it was an exciting adventure just going home for lunch.

We zipped and zagged through Lima at an incredible pace only to completely slow down when we arrived for lunch -- rice, beans, cheese and salad.

My afternoon nap was ended by Axl who told me it was time to go. Where were we going you might ask?

Well, I´m going to save the details of that experience for my next blog. Let´s just say that there is video of this and mom, you might not want to watch -- mountains, a steep cliff and a wooden box car are involved!

After surviving ¨las montanas de muertos¨ I enjoyed a meal of Chifa with Andres´s family. Chifa is what they call Chinese food here and it is very popular and also very good. Andres, Cholo and I went to the Atlantic City casino after supper and played some $3 blackjack. The night ended at about 2 am -- once again, a speedy car ride taking us home, The Killers blaring through the speakers, a city of almost 8 million going to sleep.

---

Today has been a very relaxing day after a busy Monday. I slept in until nearly 11 am, had a small breakfast and sat on the couch with Andres and Cholo to watch 2 and a Half Men on tv.

All of a sudden at about noon Andres says time to go and we were off to lunch in Miraflores. When we got there we had pisco sours while waiting for a table. Then, of course, without having any clue we were meeting his family for lunch, his family arrives and Andres says - I forgot to tell you my family was joining.

Cholo, Andres and I joined Alfredo, Ursula, Agatha, Alfredo´s aunt from Texas and her daughter.

The meal at Panchito lasted two hours.

It started with bread and 2 dipping sauces -- butter and a spicy chile sauce. Next came the red wine and skewers of meat served with Peruvian corn and a type of sweet potato. We had two types of meat -- swordfish and anticuchos (martinated cow´s heart). The anticuchos was truly amazing -- the highlight of the meal for me. The meat was tender, flavorful, and paired with the chile sauces and chimmycurry, the taste made time stand still for a while.

We were then brought clean plates and I assumed dessert was on its way. However, the 3 main dishes were then brought out. They included cabrito (baby goat), duck with rice, and osso bucco.

Stuffed beyond belief and a little buzzed after having two pisco sours and one glass of wine, dessert finally ended this never-ending meal -- I say never-ending with a sad tone, this was a meal that I didn´t want to end even though my stomach would not have been able to go on eating any more food.

Dessert was a funnel cake like donut served with honey.

The meal at Panchito was better than the Churrascaria in New York City or the Mario Batali Italian joint in Vegas.

For me, Miraflores, will always remind me of lunch. My first true experience of cebiche on Monday and a lunch fit for kings on Tuesday.

---

Tuesday continued with visits to the country club, a drive around Lima with Andres, Cholo and Alexia, and a long nap followed by Pancito leftovers and a tamale for supper.

The slow pace has once again set in -- but as I´ve come to expect in Lima, it won´t last long. Tomorrow will come soon enough and spinning classes, the historic centre of Lima and more incredible food are only a short, incredibly fast car ride away.

A cycle of fast and slow. A city bursting with energy and a passion for food. A people filled with vigor and excitement -- who obviously know that a two-hour lunch with family and friends can be the most important part of the day.

Those same people speeding from place to place only to relax upon arrival, kiss the cheek or shake the hand of all whom they meet, and settle in to make each individual moment the most important that could ever exist.

Peruvians clearly know how to....

Enjoy the ride,
Damm

Peru {Part 1}

The room that I´m staying in while I´m here.
The golf tournament, with Rafa to the right and las montanas in the background.
The very nice country club where the tournament was held.
Rafa, Eddie, Andres, soy yo, at the after-tournament, cocktail party.
The homemade paella, risotto dish that included octopus and squid! Loved the spicy ahi chile flavor.

I´ve only been in Lima, Peru, for 24 hours but I already have a fresh, new lens with which to look through.

This lens is even more open-minded, free-thinking and diverse than it was only a day ago.

---

On Friday night, I headed up to St. Paul to stay with Charlson and go out for our, now routine, pre-Damm vacation drinks. Due to a good suggestion, we went to a bar and struck up a good conversation con una chica. I drank too much and was feeling it the next morning...but oh well, just a day in airports and airplanes anyway.

I traveled from Minneapolis to Chicago to Miami to Lima throughout the day on Saturday. I had a great time people watching in Chicago and on the 5 hour flight from Miami to Lima I watched the movies UP and CHARIOTS OF FIRE on my awesome in-flight multimedia center. I also listened to some Yo Yo Ma and The Killers new album!

It was interesting that once I got to Miami, everyone was speaking Spanish all of a sudden. You would have to be bilingiual to live in Miami.

I will admit that I was a little nervous when we touched down in Peru.

Did my luggage make it okay? Would Andres be on time and be there to pick me up? Could my horrible Spanish get me through the situations that were bound to come up on this trip?

When I got out of customs at about 11 p.m., I looked and looked for Andres but couldn´t find him. Finally I exchanged some money and used a pay phone to call Andres´s cell phone. He picked up and told me he´d be there in 10 minutes and he was.

I was glad to see a familiar face and we hopped in the car which his sister, Agatha, was driving and I also met Andres´s girlfriend, Talia.

It was about 65 degrees outside as we drove to Andres´s house in Lima. Pulling into the house -- or I should say complex -- I realized this was going to be a very interesting trip. It is turning out to be the first time that I´ve truly dived into another culture.

And just as I thought it would be, it´s a blast!

---

So once we arrived at la casa de Andres, he whipped me up an awesome omelette with cheese, tomatos, onion and ham. He poured me a pisco ginger -- pisco is a strong grape liquor -- and we walked outside to his cousin´s house just across the yard.

The Baertl complex includes a few houses which belong to Andres´s family. He lives right next to his cousins and the houses all seem to connect while maintaining privacy for each family.

I´m staying in the room of Andres and his 17-year-old brother, Axl. Not only is it their own room it is actually their own building. The main house includes the kitchen, a large living area and multiple bedrooms for the rest of the family.

Andres´s family includes his mom, Ursula; his dad, Alfredo; his sisters, Agatha and Abby; and his brothers, Axl and Alfredo. All but Alfredo, who is married and is expecting a kid this week!, live in the main house. Including Andres´s grandma and her sister.

I didn´t realize any of this until I headed over to breakfast sans Andres--he had left early to caddy in a golf tournament for his friend, Rafael--and met his entire family.

We had scrambled eggs, bacon, Peruvian fruits, leche, and freshly squeezed orange juice. I felt right at home right away and didn´t even feel weird that the only person I really knew was not eating with us.

After desayuno, I went with Agatha to the golf course to watch Rafa play. He ended up winning the tournament and will be turning pro after his next tournament in Argentina.

When Andres and Rafa went to practice at the Leadbetter Golf Academy in Florida, they met Leadbetter and saw him giving lessons to Michelle Wie--cool!

Rafa shot a smooth 68 and we then headed to the post-tournament cocktail party where we were immediately offered cerveza, pisco, Johnnie Walker and ceviche.

This party included the country club elite of Peru. They had a chocolate golf cart, outstanding tables of food that included cheeses, meats like chorizo and jamon, and incredible, artistic desserts.

I had a pisco sour and about 4 or 5 beers along with a sampling of all the food!

I was delighted to meet many of Andres´s friends including Eddie, Santiago y su novia, Rafa´s padre y mucho personas mas.

Of course when we got back to Andres´s house, there was a full meal waiting for us that included paella with ahi chiles, octopus and squid as well as strawberries with cheese and a really good spinach pasta with curry.

The entire family was once again eating together and this time even the cousins had come over to eat.

It was so much to fun to see all of them interact even though most of the time I couldn´t keep up with the Spanish. They affectionately hug each other and laugh and joke--it´s so refreshing to see this outward display of love and affection!

In Peru, without exception, every woman I have met, I have kissed on the cheek. And almost every man has warmly shaken my hand. As Rafa played his round of golf and his friends came to watch, he greeted each of them during the round and seemed absolutely delighted to see them.

There is an openness and friendliness here that is intoxicating -- both literally and figuratively -- an alcoholic beverage is never more than an arms-length away.

Proud of their food, their culture and their family, the Baertls have made me feel at home in only 24 hours. Heck, I spent the early evening watching Harry Potter, Love Actually, and Ocean´s 11, with Agatha, Luce Maria, Andres and Cholo -- I even feel asleep for a while as we flipped from movie to movie. All of them in English with Spanish subtitles so I could continue to learn the language.

The free-flowing, airy, open architecture of the Baertl complex is only matched by the hospitable way they have welcomed me into their beautiful home.

I´ve only been in Peru for 24 hours and Peru is already a part of me.

Disfruta el viaje,
Damm

4 letter words

So I'm riding the bike at the y right now and wanted to see if this blog posting worked.

Going to keep it to short words from here on out.

Peru on sat
Ceviche!
Golf
70 and sunny
Beaches

Getting out of shape right now
Need to build base for tri
Half ironman train starts in jan
Having fun at work lately

Rosetta stone spanish
Fun!

Recent tv
Glee
Dexter
Mad men
Modern family

Love pandora

Peru!

Time to lift.

Currently

Enjoy (ing) the ride,
Damm
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device from U.S. Cellular

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When I was 25, it was a very good year.

2009 Races

5.2.09 -- 15K Trail Run -- PKTR -- Forest City, IA

5.31.09 -- Sprint Triathlon -- MCPD -- Mason City, IA -- 3rd Overall

6.14.09 -- Olympic Triathlon -- TRINONA -- Winona, MN -- 3:09:40

6.28.09 -- Olympic Triathlon -- Rochesterfest -- Rochester, MN -- 2:47:40

7.4.09 -- 11 Mile Ride-Run -- 4th of July -- Storm Lake, IA -- 1:01:46

8.22.09 -- Sprint Triathlon -- Dog Days -- Belmond, IA -- 54:??

8.29.09 -- Half Marathon -- Beed's Lake -- Hampton, IA -- 1:49:30

9.12.09 -- 105-Mile Bike Ride -- Jesse James Days -- Northfield, MN -- 5:30:00

9.19.09 -- 5-Mile Run -- Frontier Days -- Forest City, IA -- 39:40

10.3.09 -- 5K Run -- Waldorf Homecoming -- Forest City, IA -- 21:15

10.18.09 -- Half Marathon -- Des Moines -- Des Moines, IA -- 1:46:41

11.21.09 -- 7 Mile Trail Run -- Living History -- Des Moines, IA

I have 10 more t-shirts in my closet because of all these races. I'm going to give the cotton ones away and selfishly keep the dri-fit shirts.

2010 is going to be a big year for me. My first half Ironman triathlon will be in June and I'm really going to push my limits in 2010.

Can't wait!

Enjoy the ride,
Damm

A Name and A Train

On Sunday, I ran in the Des Moines Half Marathon with the goal of running it in 1 hour and 44 minutes (about 8 minutes per mile).

I had spent a few weeks doing speed work and trying to train myself to run faster. The four day Vegas trip didn't really help me reach my goal and staying out until 5 am on the Friday night before the Sunday half marathon probably didn't help either.

I ended up finishing the race in 1:46:45 -- about 3 minutes off my goal but still right around 8:09 per mile -- not that bad and at least my times are improving.

I have to admit that I was a little jealous that my buddy Fitz ran the race in 1:36 but he's a great natural runner and has also spent a lot of time training this summer.

Overall, I'm just really glad that I have some friends who are getting into running/biking as much as I am!

Anyway, the highlight of Sunday's race wasn't my finish time. The two highlights on Sunday came by way of a name and a train.

---

On Thursday I decided that I was going to make some sort of goofy shirt for the race. I ended up writing my first name on the front of the shirt and on the back I put something to this effect: "Official Pacer -- GOAL TIME -- BE:ER.13 -- Ladies, Join Us! -- Just shout out your phone #"

You wouldn't believe how many people did 1 of 3 things:

1) Yelled "Go Josh" with a huge smile on their face.
2) Said "That shirt is awesome!" having read the back of the shirt.
3) Asked me how I was going to get phone numbers when I had my iPod headphones on.

My answers were:

1) Thanks or a thumbs-up.
2) I would reply, "Thanks!" -- "Too bad this awesome shirt has got me 0 phone numbers."
3) "I have the volume on really low."

A few girls talked to me about the shirt but didn't give up the phone number. Shucks!

Overall though, most of the cute girls were behind me a ways and I'll just say that's why I didn't get any phone numbers.

Fitz and I talked to our buddy Clint after the race and met his new girlfriend, Abby. Great to see him and meet her!

What I won't forget from Sunday is how many people yelled "Go Josh!" during the race.

They didn't know me but they cheered for me just because I had written my name on my t-shirt.

I think more people would cheer for each other if they just knew each other's names.

---

Okay, so about this train. As Fitz and I are walking back to the finish line after getting sweatshirts at his car, we see a train cut across the route and delay a few of the half-marathon finishers. Luckily I had my camera on me and snapped a few photos. Then, amazingly, the elite marathon leaders approached the train and the leader of the marathon actually had to stop in his "tracks" for about 30 seconds with only 400 meters left until the finish line.

He was a Kenyan and he kept saying "Where is the finish, where is the finish?"

I took more photos of this unique sight and once the train passed I told Fitz that I had to send these to the Des Moines Register because I knew they would get printed.

Sure enough, they did. One photo appeared on the Monday front page and another photo (the one above) appeared on the front of the sports page and in the online article.

Evidently, the photo was also used by WHO in Des Moines.

---

On Sunday I learned two things:

1) People want to cheer us on and if they know your name, they'll yell it!
2) Trains (obstacles) might get in our way but they pass and pretty soon we can get back to...

Enjoy(ing) the ride,
Damm

A Winter Wanderland

It snowed today.

Huge, soft snowflakes reminding me that I live in Iowa.

While it was only a temporary look at winter, it reminded me that I'm going to have to find something worthwhile to do this winter besides working out and hanging out with friends.

I have so many things on my list and hopefully I'll be done with most of the "home improvement" items by the time winter truly rolls around.

In November, I'm off to Peru to visit a former player that played golf for me at Waldorf. I'm excited to go on my second overseas trip and my first trip to South America.

But I know that when I get back, winter will probably be waiting for me.

I want to start learning Spanish, get in sick shape for once, read quite a few books, begin my Half Ironman training program, watch some good movies, travel out of Forest City when I can, and learn to use my Nikon camera better.

But, shit! Where to begin?

Can I really do any of these things or am I just making another list that won't get completed?

This winter I want to wander away from my old way of doing things -- the open-a-book-but-don't-finish-it way.

I want to travel in a new direction. Complete some goals for once.

So this week I'm writing the prologue blog that will hopefully lead to an epilogue blog by the time spring rolls around in 2010. (Yes, I'm aware that the previous sentenced had some sick rhymes in it.)

I hope you'll join with me in this Winter Wanderland. A chance to check off some of those items on our bucket lists. Let me know what you're planning on doing and we'll hold each other accountable.

And if we only make it to Chapter 8 or 9, we'll push each other toward the conclusion that holds some resolution for our goals.

And while we write our winter blogs, we'll still be...

Enjoy(ing) the ride,
Damm

Verse 2 or You Can't Lose This Game

Tao Te Ching, 2nd Verse

Being and nonbeing produce each other.
The difficult is born in the easy.
Long is defined by short, the high by the low.
Before and after go along with each other.

So the sage lives openly with apparent duality
and paradoxical unity.
The sage can act without effort
and teach without words.
Nurturing things without possessing them,
he works, but not for rewards;
he competes, but not for results.

The 2nd verse of the Tao Te Ching is the beginning to my explanation about why we are all here.

And let me tell you the summary of this blog -- life is not about winning or losing.

It's not about a God who condemns some and saves others. There are too many ways for us to lose if life is a game.

I've always had many questions about life and why we are here.

Will a child in Africa who never hears of Jesus Christ go to heaven?

Will the Dalai Lama go to heaven?

Is there a heaven?

Would a great Buddhist be condemned to hell for not believing in Jesus and a "horrible" Christian be saved because they profess to "believe?"

All these questions have made my mind spin. And the answers that pastors, friends and writers have provided just don't answer these questions.

No answers came for me until I began to believe in universalism -- the idea that all people are "saved" -- that all people will go to "Heaven."

The Tao Te Ching has only affirmed what I had already come to believe a few years ago.

The 2nd Verse explains the reason for humanity's existence. We are here simply to experience life so that someday when we reach enlightenment, nirvana, heaven or paradise, we will understand how great it is.

And just because we are all "saved" does not mean that we should just go out and do whatever we want to do.

The "rules" of life are here for a reason. Writings like the Bible and the Tao Te Ching, offer ways for us to live a better life. To truly be happy and content. But as Buddhism tells us, life is full of suffering and most of the time we will not win.

We will not be the best looking person in the bar. We won't be the fastest runner. We won't live a perfect life. We will get sick. We will experience stress and grief and loss.

But as the Tao Te Ching tells us in the beginning of the 2nd Verse:

Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty,
only because there is ugliness.
All can know good as good only because there is evil.

Or as T.S. Eliot wrote:


We shall not cease from our exploration
And at the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time


So life is about exploring. About experiencing beauty and ugliness. About knowing good and evil.

So one day...when this life ends, we will return to the Tao -- we will go to heaven and we will only know good.

And it will be great.

And for once we will have truly won.

Don't be afraid to believe that we all get to win. It truly changes how you see the world. Everyone is your friend. All are on your team.

This is what I believe Jesus meant when he said to treat your neighbor as yourself. And what the Tao means when it says we all were born of the Tao and we will all return to the Tao.

Oneness. UNI-versalism.

It's a beautiful thing. We all get to....

Enjoy the ride,
Damm

The 1st Verse

Tao Te Ching, 1st Verse

The Tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be named
is not the eternal name.

The Tao is both named and nameless.
As nameless it is the origin of all things;
as named it is the Mother of 10,000 things.

Ever desireless, one can see the mystery;
ever desiring, one sees only the manifestations.
And the mystery itself is the doorway
to all understanding.

On Saturday, I got a tattoo on the upper right part of my back.

I've been planning on getting a tattoo and have been thinking about what to get most of the summer.

Quite obviously, tattoos are a permanent mark on a person's body. So I wanted to get a tattoo that would stand the test of time.

I've had an interest in eastern religion and philosophy since my freshman year in college but I only recently finished reading the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu.

Written over 2,500 years ago, it is a work of 81 verses that describes a way to live a balanced, moral and content life.

The Tao has been translated as the way or the path but it is best described by the paradoxical verses of the Tao Te Ching.

After I finished reading the Tao Te Ching, I knew that I wanted this to be my tattoo.

I played around with the idea of doing the Chinese symbol for the Tao but decided against it after thinking how cliche Chinese tattoos have become. Also, I use English to communicate and not Chinese so why wouldn't I want to communicate the idea of the Tao in my own language anyway.

Plus, I found the simplicity of the three letters "T-A-O" to exemplify much of what Taoism is about.

The font I chose to use for my tattoo is Baskerville. It was designed by John Baskerville in 1757. As a traditional serif font, I figured it had stood the test of time so far and it wasn't a trendy font that might look silly later in life.

I played around with the letters in Photoshop because the "o" seemed too separated from the "a". I simply brought the "o" a little bit closer to the "a" and I think it made the word a little bit more cohesive.

At a later time, I hope to blog more about Taoism and explain my reasons for connecting with the writings of Lao Tzu. But for now, I'm going to use someone else's words to explain why I got my tattoo.

The author of the following text also got a Tao tattoo:

"To remind me to keep my chin up.

To remind me not to sweat the small stuff.

To remind me to live in accordance with the nature of things.

To remind me to stay balanced.

To remind me to decrease my wants.

To remind me to indulge myself every now and then.

To remind me that everything is as it should be.

To remind me to stop comparing myself to others.

To remind me not to use force against the world, and embrace the way of the universe.

To remind me to follow my own nature, and not the trappings of life.

To remind me to have no claims to life.

To remind me to be spontaneous, deliberate, watchful, reverent, humble, pure, and accepting."

To remind me to....

Enjoy the ride,
DAMM

A Reminder

I just found out that someone I knew -- not that well but I knew him nonetheless -- died this week.

He was 31. He had two kids. He had a wife.

Life gets put into perspective every so often and last night, when I found out, it hit me pretty hard.

We spend so much time in life planning.

Planning for the week ahead. Planning vacations. Planning meals. Planning to buy a bigger house. Planning to find that perfect job. Planning to move.

But our plans don't amount to a hill of beans if we can't be happy TODAY.

Life isn't about tomorrow. It's about this moment. Right now.

I've met so many happy people who work in factories and at fast food restaurants who seem so happy. And I've read about Buddhist monks who own nothing yet rejoice in their simple, happy lives.

What I'm getting at is that happiness is not about money. And I'm not necessarily happy because I currently make a comfortable living.

I think my happiest days are when I have life in clear perspective. And my happiness comes from the simple, quiet moments.

When lunch outside at noon, seems like winning the lottery.

When a 4-mile jog lights up so many endorphins that I feel "high."

When a deer runs across the road when I'm biking, and stops and looks at me and just stays there -- still.

When I'm on a beach with friends reading a good book.

When a scent reminds me of a pleasant memory.

When an old friend calls out of the blue, and just wants to catch up.

We get a chance every day to be happy. And we need to take full advantage of each opportunity.

It can all end at any time.

But we have today. Contentment and happiness are at our fingertips.

At this moment, I'm going to quit typing and start reaching out for happiness.

It's TODAY after all. It's always TODAY.

Enjoy the (happy) ride,
DAMM

105 Miles

Sorry, but no pictures with this blog entry.

Lots to recap though from my last two weeks.

---

Two weekends ago I was a groomsman in my buddy Aaron Seifert's wedding. I had an awesome time!

For some reason, I was just on an emotional high all weekend.

The rehearsal dinner was great. Jamie Olson Seifert has awesome friends from college and I also got to reconnect with all the guys from Aaron's bachelor party. It was a fun group.

By like 9 pm I was doing a keg stand, and the fun didn't end until much later that evening.

I was tweeting throughout the weekend and ended up getting a lot of good-meaning shit about it! By Saturday, people were actually telling me what to Tweet.

I also learned that quite a few people seem to be reading my blog. Cool!

---

The Seifert wedding on Saturday was beautiful. I got up at 8 am and managed to kick out 4 miles before my delayed hangover set in. I was ready to go though in time for pictures and ended up having a great night of dancing, meeting new friends and eating Papa John's pizza at 1:30 AM. Congrats to both of you Aaron and Jamie! Shout outs to Joel, Redman, Sharon and Heather.

---

Just a couple days ago I took part in the Jesse James Bike Tour in Northfield, MN. I signed up for the Century Ride (100 miles) and learned when I got there that the route was actually 105 miles! Yikes -- that was 20 miles farther than I had ever been on my bike before.

Luckily, I immediately joined up with a bike club from Northfield and latched onto their pace lane. We flew through the first 80 miles and eventually had about 20 people in our pace line.

It was such a rush. We were in a huge pack going 21-23 mph most of the time and riding inches away from each other.

With about 15 miles left, I started to bonk. I had to drop off the group (which was by then down to about 6 or 7) and finish the rest of the ride by myself.

Felt really good to accomplish my first century ride though!

I zonked out that afternoon at Charlson's and then we went to Stadium Village to watch the Gophers game at a couple bars. As hard as Joe and I tried, we couldn't muster enough energy to stay out all night and we ended up calling it a day.

On Sunday, Joe and I went to Tiger Sushi and Norm Coleman happened to walk by us as we waited for it to open.

By the way, you all have to try the Volcano at Tiger Sushi. It's made up of strawberries, mango, various raw fish, vegetables and a great sauce. For only $10, it was the most filling thing I've ever had a sushi restaurant.

I went to IKEA and bought a TV stand in the afternoon and headed back home with hundreds of ideas running through my head about how I want to pimp out my new townhouse. Oh yeah, I might not have mentioned that over the last two weeks I've been moving into my new townhouse on Sweetass Lane.

I'm a homeowner. Zen minimalism is coming to Indian Springs.

Look out!

Enjoy the ride (and a good night's rest),
Damm

A Half Marathon, a Funeral and a Wedding

Beed's Lake near Hampton, Iowa.


Ted Kennedy.


My cousin Megan and her husband Phil Porter.

On August 29, my Saturday began much earlier than usual.

The alarm buzzed at 4:45 AM and surprisingly, I jumped out of bed. I knew that I had planned a lot for the day. Excited to begin the adventure, I got ready real quick and hopped into my car.

The drive to Hampton was uneventful. I twittered about how ridiculously early in the morning it was, I drank an FRS Orange and nibbled on an energy bar.

By 6:15 AM I was at Beed's Lake for the half marathon and ran into a friend from the Wednesday night bike rides that I've been going to in Clear Lake.

The 13.1 mile race began at 7 AM and even though I went out pretty slow (about 8.5-9 minute miles), I felt good about everything.

Listening to my iPod (Sweet Disposition by True Temper) and watching the sun rise above the rolling hills near Hampton, I felt that usually elusive feeling of bliss.

Pure happiness. Everything was right with the world.

----

During the second half of the race, I kicked it into gear. My goal was to break 1:50 and I knew I had to book it to beat my goal. My left calf muscle started to feel a little cramp-y but I didn't have to push it too hard toward the end and I finished in 1:49:08.

I still want to become a better runner but this spontaneous half marathon proved to me that I was in good shape and ready to push the limits this fall.

Coming up...
- 100-mile bike ride in Northfield
- 5-mile Frontier Days run in Forest City
- Half Marathon in Mason City or Des Moines
- A winter of training with Kansas 70.3 in my sights

---

I returned home to talk to my parents about my morning and ended up sitting with my dad and watching Ted Kennedy's funeral.

We were both waiting for Obama to give the Eulogy but I was inspired well before Obama stood at the lectern.

Yo-Yo Ma played Bach. Placido Domingo sang. A contralto sang Ave Maria.

But the person who truly moved me was Ted Kennedy Jr.

He told loving, funny stories about his father. How even though his father had personal flaws, he had an undying commitment to public service.

Ted Kennedy was a true liberal but he was also a politician of times-gone-by. He was a compromiser, a legislator, a man who knew how to get a law passed.

He was equally friendly with Orin Hatch and John McCain as he was with Bill Clinton and John Kerry.

Ted Jr.'s eulogy was incredibly moving -- it reminded me that we are all called to help others.

It made me think of "The West Wing" and the idea that public service could make a difference in the lives of others.

Why am I a Democrat? It's because of people like Ted Kennedy.

---

The day came to a close on a happy note. My cousin Megan was married to Phil Porter on Saturday.

I gave the readings from Colossians and Phillipians. Both of the readings reminded me what I like about Christianity. Lately, I've too often been turned off by either the religious right or fundamental Christians acting like hypocritical, self-righteous zealots.

Anway....the wedding was beautiful and the reception was a lot of fun!

13 miles and 13 beers (drinks).

Megan looked beautiful and I was so happy for her and Phil. Phil is a great guy and I know they'll be happy together!

A little dancing and a few drinks later it was 1:30 AM and we were at Shooterz.

The epic Saturday had turned to early Sunday morning.

A half marthon in 1:49:08. A funeral of a great statesman. A nap. A wedding. A reintroduction to the good parts of my childhood religion. A dinner. A dance. A few freestyle raps. A few too many beers. An epic day turned to Cinderella's pumpkin.

A reminder that each day ends and becomes a new day.

A new beginning for me. A new life for Ted. A new union for Megan and Phil.

Enjoy the ride,
Damm

The Curse of Diversity

I'm cursed. I enjoy diversity.

I like Kung Pao Chicken. I crave Spicy Tuna Rolls. I devour Fajitas. I wish I could find more Falafel. I enjoy Paella.

Sam Adams is my favorite beer because they brew so many distinct varieties -- Oyster Stout, Boston Lager, Black Lager, Summer Ale, Octoberfest, Pale Ale...

I've been to Europe, I'm going to Peru and I want to go to China.

There isn't enough time in the day to read all the books on my reading list. My netflix queue is backed up with foreign films, documentaries, new releases and Showtime tv shows.

My hobbies involve 6-hour poker games, 3-hour bike rides, 4-hour rounds of golf, 1-hour trail runs and night-long partying with friends.

I read endless blogs. I listen to a British radio station (Absolute Radio).

I'm intrigued by almost all of the world's religions.

Never satisfied with what is in front of me I look for more.

New restaurants and not the same old place with the same old faces.

New places to travel and not the same beach in Florida every summer.

New people. Not just the regulars at the local bar.

I guess diversity is the only curse that I enjoy.

While it can be frustrating and challenging, it is also incredibly rewarding.

Diversity has allowed me to drink Chianti on the Italian Riviera, eat Oysters on Cape Cod, ride my bike across Iowa, run 26.2 miles in Duluth, meet a bunch of English girls in Boston, see Broadway shows, golf at Cog Hill, watch Tiger at the Masters, and read about the Mexican Tarahumara ultra-runners.

Let the curse continue. The frustrations of new experiences and uncomfortable situations are well worth the fulfillment.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Enjoy the ride,
Damm

Shakespeare

Now bid me run,
And I will strive with things impossible,
Yea, get the better of them.

"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare

Cape Cod

Chris, Dan and I at a Hyannis Mets game.

I'm not sure why, but I really don't have any desire to recap the rest of the trip. The excursion to Cape Cod was great and it was relaxing.

We ate really good food (including lobster, oysters, tapas, clam/shrimp pizza, etc.) and drank more Sam Adams (including Oyster Stout at one of two bars in the world to have this special brew).

We went to beaches, baseball games, Pirates Cove, Wing's Island and a few other places.

It was awesome to see Dan and I think he was glad to have friends around for his last week on the Cape.

Part of the reason I don't feel like recapping those few days is because I wish I was back there.

Relaxing on a beach with a book about Venice. Eating seafood. Hearing the waves crash into the shore. A couple of Sam Adams close by. Slowly falling asleep as the sun reaches its zenith. Not a worry in the world....

Vacation Part I: A Weekend with Samuel Adams

Thursday, August 6 -- Today on a lawn chair in Cape Cod reading about the city of Venice, I came to the realization that I did not want my travels to end. My friend, Chris, and I had arrived in Boston the previous Saturday and in a week’s time I felt like I had lived for a month or more. We met new people, saw great friends, ate food from all around the world and experienced the day-to-day life that only a traveler in a new place can come to understand.

--

After work on Friday, I left for St. Paul to meet Chris and stay with his sister and her husband, a former student of my dad’s. I dropped off my stuff and then we called up another friend to grab some drinks in St. Paul. After talking to a few girls at a bar on Grand, we called it a night just before midnight since we had a 3:45 am wake-up call the next day – wouldn’t have minded talking to one of the girls even if she was an Iowa State grad.

Saturday morning came early but I was so excited for the trip that I jumped off the couch and we were on our way. Seeing the city of Boston as we flew into Logan Airport was very exciting. It was a beautiful Saturday morning in Boston and a plethora of sailboats glided through the harbors propelled by the winds of a warm summer day.

We checked our bags at the Millennium Hotel and headed out on the town for a while. An incredible fruit market was on the street next to our hotel and we bought two cartons of raspberries for a total of $1. We walked through Quincy Market and Fanneuil Hall. And then decided to make our way to the Samuel Adams brewery.
A quick public transit ride later and we arrived at the closest stop to the brewery. We were lucky enough to get tickets for a 1:40 p.m. tour and ran off to grab a quick lunch before our tour began.

After an awesome lunch on an outdoor patio, we got back to the brewery and began our tour. Hillary, our tour guide, was pretty, informative and quite funny. After tasting the barley and wheat, and smelling the hops that goes into Sam Adams, we checked out the brewery room and then headed to the best room of all – the tasting room.

We got our complimentary 7 oz. tasting glasses and were then given 3 beers to sample – Summer Ale, Boston Lager and Brick Red. The Brick Red was an exclusive beer to the Boston area and was only being kegged for about 100 bars in the Boston area before it will likely be discontinued.

We left the brewery after our beers and went to the hotel to check in. Fitz had the great idea of getting tickets for an Improv Asylum show ($15) and we had a late sushi snack in Quincy Market.

Saturday night we went to the Improv Asylum show and it was awesome. We met Laura in line for our beers and she jokingly asked us if we could be her friends from “Iowa or something” so she could get more than the maximum of two beers per person. She was from Florida and had no clue we were from Iowa but turns out she made a good guess! We bought a bunch of Sam Adams Lights and went to enjoy the show.

The improv group was really good and the small, underground theater was filled with bachelorette parties who were all having a great time. My favorite line of the night was: “TV might be a cheap date, but you can’t finger Tivo!” Classic.
After the Improv show, we walked Hanover Street which is basically Boston’s Little Italy. We had gelato and Fitz grabbed a meatball sub and then we went to hit up the pubs of Boston.

The first pub was actually a restaurant called Ye Old Oyster House – and it happens to be the oldest restaurant in America. Bill Clinton, George HW Bush, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky and many others have dined there. So Fitz and I felt cool having some Brick Reds at the pub.

Oyster House was chill and we heard some live music coming from down the street so we decided to check out The Point. Good decision Fitz!

The band there was awesome and it was a good group of people in the pub. The band played everything from U2 and Kings of Leon to the Beastie Boys and Green Day. Truly matched my taste in music. Danced with some girls from Boston and stumbled home at 1 am or so after I grabbed a sausage with onions at a stand on the way back to the hotel.

Oh yeah, did I mention that the Millennium is a four-star hotel and our room was sweet!

Anyway, we got up on Sunday morning and felt surprisingly good. Our plan was to go for a long run through Boston and we got going just after 9 am.

We ran to the following places during our 12 mile run: Boston Commons, the Duck Pond, Commonwealth Ave., Fenway Park, Prudential Tower, John Hancock Towers, a really cool church, the entire Freedom trail which included the Old State House, Sam Adams’ grave, the Old North Church, Paul Revere’s house and Bunker Hill.
Bunker Hill came at about 11.5 miles into our run and we decided to walk the 294 steps to the top of the monument. My calf muscles were on fire when we finally got to the top.

After a bit of a cool down finish, we ended up walking when we got back to Little Italy and stopped in at Mike’s Pastry shop. We had cannolis, and bought lobstertail pastries and Boston cream pie for later!

A quick shower and then we went to Wagamama’s for lunch. It was great – fried squid with chili sauce, seafood ramen noodles (not that shit ramen you’re probably thinking of!), cocunut ice cream with mango sauce and a Japanese beer.

At Wagamama’s our buddy Dave Keller called – he’s living in Springfield, Mass. – and let us know that he had got into town to meet us. We met up with Dave and went back to the Point for some Sam Adams. We each bought a round, we watched the Red Sox and we caught up. By the end of the afternoon, we were laughing our asses off.
We grabbed oysters and clams at Ye Old Oyster House – along with, you guessed it, more Sam Adams.

We then headed over to Little Italy to find some cigars and ended up being lured into a wine shop by Keller. Turns out that Keller knows his wine and we headed back to the hotel (or so we thought) with two bottles of red wine and a corkscrew. On the way back to the hotel, Keller decides that he needs an espresso martini and he needs it made a certain way. We end up finding an adequate bar on our third attempt and sit down for some beers, Keller for his martini and shots for all. The cute bartender who is originally from Oklahoma entertained us for quite a while before we got ready to leave. On our way out we walked by a group of girls with strong British accents and we struck up a conversation.

Avril, Ally, Claire and Dora turned out to be very interesting and friendly young ladies who we had a great time with. We drank with them for quite a while, went to the hotel with them for a bottle of red and then went back out to the bars for some more drinks. It was a pleasure to meet them and I had an awesome time talking to girls who actually know who Keane, The Kooks and The Kaiser Chiefs are. I may have even found a traveling companion for my hopefully upcoming excursion to Barcelona.
With a wicked awesome weekend in the books, we got ready to head to Cape Cod on Monday morning and Keller took us to the bus station at about 10 am. Getting on the bus that morning, my mind raced with memories of the weekend which had just passed.
So many days in our lives are filled with routine that when we travel and get thrown out of that routine, we truly feel alive. My mind was all a blur as we took our bus seats. The days on the Cape were going to be different than our two days in Boston. The Cape would be more relaxing, slower placed and understandably less eventful. I’ll admit that I was not ready to leave Boston. However, going to Cape Cod in early August is hardly something to complain about.

My mind racing and partially feeling the pain of a two-day Sam Adams binge…I fell asleep with the Monday New York Times in my lap. Next stop, Cape Cod.

A Moment of Clarity

Walking through the countryside, I spot a hill in the middle of a cornfield.

It's a tall, grass-covered hill with a plateau that overlooks the entire countryside.

I'm not sure why but I decide to climb to the top of the hill and look out over the cornfields. It's getting late and there's a certain haze in the air.

As I reach the top of the hill and turn in a circle, I realize I can see for miles in every direction. Above the low-lying fog, the sun is brightly shining and it fills the sky with a peaceful light.

To the west, a girl is riding her bicycle on the highway. To the east, is a grove of trees. To the north, is a barn. And to the south, are cornfields as far as the eye can see.

Standing at the top of the hill, I feel like Siddhartha Gautama reaching his legendary moment of clarity and achieving enlightenment.

At the top of this hill, my mind clears and all goes blank. Pure bliss. Emptiness. Clarity. Peace.

Then I wake up from my dream and find out I'm hungover after drinking too much at the concert the night before.

The pure bliss will have to wait for another day.

Enjoy the ride (and remember to cut back on the beer!),
Damm

A Tale of Two Triathlons

On the bike at Trinona -- my first Olympic distance triathlon.



Beginning the run at Trinona.



Finishing in 3:09 at Trinona. I was hoping to break 3 hours but a bad T1, an inadequate bike and a head cold kept me from accomplishing my goal.



Starting to take off my wetsuit following the swim at the Rochester Triathlon.



Dismounting from my new bike at Rochester (lighter, clipless pedals and aero bars make a huge difference!).



Finishing at Rochester in 2:47 - about 22 minutes faster than my time at Trinona. I felt great and couldn't be happier with my finish!

Monday, June 29 -- I never thought I'd feel like this after doing two Olympic triathlons in two weeks, but I'm sad today.

The challenge is done. The races are over. I trained for months and yesterday I achieved my goal of beating the clock and a certain someone else.

During the run I felt incredible, I was running sub 8-minute miles over the last two miles and I was truly happy for myself to come in at 2:47 when I was really only hoping to break 3 hours.

I discovered something yesterday. No matter how much I try to "win" a race by beating someone else, the only time I'll ever be happy in life is when I accomplish goals that I set for myself.

At TRINONA on June 14, I completed my first Olympic triathlon and it felt great. I didn't break 3 hours but the days leading up to the race I had a cold with achy muscles and I don't think I felt up to par during the race.

Two weeks later at Rochester, I felt better and I had a new bike with clipless pedals and aero bars (both of which make a huge difference!).

Rochester was the culmination of months of training and what I hope is the end to a very difficult time in my life.

A 2:47 triathlon surprised me -- I didn't think I was capable of that. Here is a breakdown of my race:

SWIM - 29:43 (59.43 seconds per 50 meters)
T1 - 3:29
BIKE - 1:20:42 (18.48 mph average)
T2 - 1:39
RUN - 52:09 (8:24 per mile average)
TOTAL - 2:47:40

Compared to TRINONA, I swam faster, transitioned faster, biked a lot faster and then even ran faster. It was a complete success.

But like I said earlier, now there's a letdown.

I'm planning on doing a half Ironman in Lawrence, Kansas, next summer. I hope to do a full marathon this fall. On Saturday, I'm doing a bike-run relay race with a friend. And later this summer I plan on doing a 100-mile bike ride.

All of these things just haven't cheered me up yet. Yesterday's triathlon was such a major milestone for me that I'm left wondering what's next.

How do I push myself in new ways? Where will I end up going for that sense of adventure? Who is going to join me for the journey?

The Damm Journey has been pretty exciting lately. Triathlons, weekends in Des Moines/Mankato/Minneapolis/Okoboji, golf tournaments.

But more than ever I'm filled with this sense of wanderlust. Wanting to meet new people and discover new things. Overcome new obstacles and greater distances.

Indeed, it has been the best of times and the worst of times.

What will the next tale be?

One of greatness or one of mediocrity.

One of success or one of failure.

One of happiness or one of sadness.

More than likely, all of these things will merge together and form the rest of my life (all of our lives for that matter).

And we'll be left to simply...

Enjoy the ride,
Damm