The Need for Speed (Warning: Brag Blog)

Me with my 2nd place medal from the MCPD sprint triathlon.

What a great morning! And laying in bed at 6:30 I didn't feel like getting up.....geesh.

Dave Damm and I drove over to the Mason City aquatic center this morning so I could compete in my first triathlon. Sponsored by the Mason City Police Department, this was a short triathlon: a 3 mile run, a 100 meter swim in the outdoor pool and a 10-mile bike. Much shorter than the Olympic triathlon I'm training for, but it was a great way to prepare and figure out some of the transition tricks.

There were about 40 people in the triathlon and after a quick warm-up run and my Red Bull, I was ready to roll.

The run went great. I felt really strong and kept passing people that had gone out fast in the first part of the race. At mile 2 I just felt incredible and kept pushing the pace. I caught about 4 or 5 guys and figured out that I was probably in the top 3 or 4 guys after the run. My time for the run was about 22:30. So right at 7.5 minute miles.....very good for me.

The swim went fast. 100 meters in a pool after training all winter for swimming was a breeze. My nose plug fell off though but I found out that I can live without it. Not sure about my swim time but I would guess it was about 1:50 or less.

Went sockless for the bike and after getting my shoe laces unstuck from my pedals, I was off and feeling great! The bike began at about 27:30 in the race for me.

As I put on my bike gloves, I looked at my bike computer and saw I was going 18 mph with no hands on the bike. When I got going it was 20 to 21 mph easy.

I caught one person and then came up to a kid who had just lost about 20 seconds my taking a wrong turn. We rode together for a bit and I asked him who was ahead of us.

"Just one girl," he said. And I could barely believe it.

This kid and I were pushing for first place and riding really strong. We kept pushing at 20 mph or so for a few more miles and at mile 8 or 9 a really strong, older biker caught up to us. The last mile of the bike was a rush. The 3 of us pushed each other really hard and we probably averaged about 22-23 mph that last mile.

It felt like the Tour de France finishes. Each of us trying to break away and then catching each other. The last half mile the younger kid made a break and I caught up to him but the older guy couldn't keep up. It was the kind and I for 2nd overall and 1st place male.

Going around the last turn, he almost biffed it and fell off his bike but he hung on for the win -- winning by only a couple of feet (less than .25 seconds). As he finished his tire popped and it sounded like a gun shot.

This triathlon was a great feeling. The trail race of a few weeks ago was peaceful and calm. This race was exhilarating and fast!

So fun to compete at something new and not be half bad at it.

Driving home, I realized all this training has been paying off and I'm in great shape. Just need to work on the abs after this Olympic triathlon is over and I'll be in tip-top shape.

It's incredible how much I love working out right now...the high after each workout is incredible and now I'm going fast enough that I don't feel like a turtle any more.

Off to Decorah tonight to wish a friend well before she heads off for Belgium to teach. Should be fun!

Enjoy the ride,
Damm

The Italian Lady on the Train

We wake up every day of our lives and we get to make a choice. Are we going to be happy and content today or are we going to be sad and miserable?

Now, I'm not saying that there are some tough days where sadness is going to be inevitable or splendid days where happiness is just going to naturally occur.

But on your average day, we get to make a choice. There are so many unhappy people in this world. Mad at life. Pissed off at something.

Maybe it's their job. Maybe it's their spouse. Maybe it's just their view of life. They might enjoy small parts of their days but for the most part these unhappy people are of the opinion that life is out to get them.

I don't get it.

Granted, I've been given lots of opportunities in life and have never been truly hungry or been in the least bit poor. But my experience doesn't explain why I believe you have a choice to be happy in life. These short stories, however, do:

The Italian Lady on the Train

When I traveled to Europe with Waldorf in 2004, Chase Chisholm and I were sitting on a train in Italy traveling to our next destination. We ended up sitting by this old Italian lady. She didn't seem poor at all she just seemed like a simple, elderly lady from rural Tuscany.

Neither of us spoke Italian and she spoke no English, but using our basic knowledge of Spanish we were able to communicate well enough.

We "talked" for probably an hour. I don't remember what we talked about but I remember how happy she was. She just seemed content with life. Content and pleased to talk with two young American boys who knew no Italian. I'll never forget that conversation.

Mrs. Yin

My family went to Yin Yin's every couple of weeks when I was younger. It was a great Chinese restaurant in Mason City. Not good. But great. No buffet. But awesome Kung Pao Beef. No cat. Just awesome food.

We went so often that we ended up becoming good friends with the owners. We called them Mr. and Mrs. Yin. Their little boy Henry often waited on us and he was the cutest little kid -- he made everyone smile right when they walked in the door.

Mrs. Yin -- although often feisty-tempered -- was one of the happiest, funniest people I've ever met. She worked her butt off and so did her husband....but they always greeted us so warmly. They made delicious food. And we even received presents from them during the Chinese New Year.

Mrs. Yin just served Chinese food to a bunch of hungry Americans. She could have been quiet, depressed and unwelcoming. But she chose to be the opposite.

Her husband would step out of the hot kitchen sweating profusely but he ALWAYS smiled at us and waved.

I wish Yin Yin's was still open but I'm guessing that Mr. and Mrs. Yin still make the decision to be happy almost every day!

The Big, Black Lady in Dallas

My dad has always told me that if you are going to work at McDonalds you might as well be a happy McDonalds employee. The living example of this was a lady we met one random night in Dallas, Texas.

If I remember right, a group of us Waldorf newspaper folk were running late and were about to miss the last public transit ride to our hotel. We rushed into the station and were a couple of minutes late...no more tickets were supposed to be sold.

But a guy in our group, Matt, schmoozed this lady into giving us tickets and I'll never forget how funny she was. She kept calling us and him "honey" and was just laughing and joking around with us.

A lady at the end of her shift in a public transit station was being nice to a bunch of tardy Iowans who had no clue where they were going. She chose to be happy at her job and I bet we weren't the only group of tourists she chose to be nice to.

She sold the same ticket to a bunch of strangers everyday but she made her job fun. Why wouldn't she choose to be happy? The alternative sucks.

---

Okay, maybe I went on too long. Maybe I didn't even explain my point. But I hope you understand that almost everything you do in life can be done in a more positive manner.

Disputes can be handled rationally and without personal attacks. People can smile more often. Strangers can be nice to other strangers.

For a country full of Christians, we could do a better job of treating our neighbor as our self. And being our brother's keeper. And seeing the good in everyone.

We come up with so many excuses to be angry. We should come up with more to be happy.

Enjoy the ride,
Damm

The Smiling Buddha

Today was an off day from triathlon training, so the Buddha and I took a walk through Pilot Knob State Park. Here are some photos from our adventure!

Enjoy the ride,
Damm

:)

Getting in Gear

I can only speak for myself but I'm sure it happens to most people at different times in their life -- right now I just feel like I'm getting in gear.

My triathlon training is going really well. I'm starting to feel very energetic throughout most of the day.

I'm eating better -- for the most part. Haven't had a soda in the year 2009. I've cut back on drinking and am keeping it to a few rather than going overboard (St. Patrick's Day was basically the last time that happened and the tipsy 1:00 am run was interesting to say the least).

Work is busy but going really well.

And there are a ton of exciting things about this summer:

- My June 14 Triathlon in Winona
- Maybe the June 28 Triathlon in Rochester
- A Bike-Run race with Fitz over the 4th
- Golf Tournaments
- Boston, Cape Cod
- My 100-mile bike ride in July or August
- Trips to Des Moines, Mankato, Minneapolis, Chicago?
- Moving out of my apartment and starting to rent a house!

I think it took me 25 years to truly realize what I want in life...and I'm still looking for a lot of things....but at least I'm getting in gear now.

Moving toward a future with new goals and new reasons to get out of bed in the morning.

Life can really suck at times but when we set new goals and get in gear we begin to discover why we're here again. We get our ass off the couch, put a little pep in our step and begin to move forward with a new sense of urgency and energy.

It's Memorial Day weekend and I'm ready to get outside on the bike, start swimming in some lakes and ponds, and try out these new shoe inserts.

Get in gear and....

Enjoy the ride,
Damm

The Singing Fish

This weekend was all about music. I got off work at 3 pm on Friday so I could head up to Minneapolis to see my favorite band, Keane, play at Myth Nightclub in Maplewood.

My sister and a friend went with and we listened to Keane and the Kings of Leon on the way to the concert. I knew I loved Keane but I fell in love with the Kings of Leon on that drive. So did Jess and Sara.

The concert was awesome! Had a few beers while we waited in about the 10th row for the opening acts to start.

The Helio Sequence opened up the concert and they were really good. Best song was "Lately." At one point in the song, I was just kind of rocking out and my sister told me to listen to the lyrics. Wow, talk about a song that fit my life right now. Thanks sis.

The drummer for Helio was hilarious. He had this great style and his facial expressions while he drummed were priceless.

Next band was Mat Kearney and he was good. Had one hit song - "Nothing Left to Lose" - that was fun to hear.

And then......Keane came out. Wow, what a rush to see your favorite band for the second time. Like seeing old friends again!

They were better than the first time and Tom's voice was spot on. They played a great set with a lot of the older songs mixed with the new ones. They also did a live debut of "My Shadow" and that was cool to hear.

Keane had a much louder sound live than they do on their CD. It was sure fun to get into the music and sing along.

Before Keane came on, I ran into a friend from Forest City and he joined us in the front area. He had rode his motorcyle up to the Cities just for the concert after I told him I was going and it was cool to run into him. Good to have some more Keane fans in Forest City!

After the concert Jess and I met my buddy at Stella's Fish Cafe in Uptown and had a drink then went back to crash at his place in St. Paul.

On Saturday morning, I went on a great run around Como Lake. It's a 1.6 mile loop around the lake and I did 3 loops plus some extra mileage from the house for a total of a 7.5 mile run averaging about 8:30 per mile.

I felt great and could have probably kept that pace up for another 3 or 4 miles.

After the run, we went to Sushi Tango in Uptown for a little raw fish!

I pigged out (hungry from the run?) and had....Miso Soup. 2 Bloody Marys. Mutsu sashimi (super white tuna). Red snapper sashimi (with a razor thin slice of lime on the fish, awesome!). And a spicy tuna roll.

My sister tried sushi for the first time and thought it was decent. I was just impressed that she ate two pieces! Way to go, again, sis!

On Saturday night, I headed to GiGo's with some friends and had a great, spontaneous night of music, drinks and food! The pizza was awesome. Kings of Leon rocked everyone's socks off. Great to see friends in Clear Lake and their little kid! Smoked a cigar outside the VFW with one of my best buddies and then we rocked the Kings of Leon all the way home.

Today I slept in really late and got in a two-hour bike ride and a 40 minute swim. Both workouts felt really good!

Spent the evening at Stross Newcom's high school graduation. Talk about a great story. I remember when the Newcoms came to Forest City and how mesmerized our whole family was with Stross. He was the cutest little kid. And he was (and still is!) the happiest guy. His smile is infectious and when he was little, he would get so excited that he would frantically wave his arms and laugh and laugh and laugh. I wasn't that old myself, but I distinctly remember how happy I was when I was watching him laugh!

I'm so proud of Stross for graduating from high school and being so active. He's a wonderful young man and the way he has handled the obstacles in his life has been an inspiration to me and a lot of other people!

---

I'm sad to see this weekend go. It was quite the adventure. Singing songs. Eating raw fish. Running around a lake. Biking. Swimming. Smoking a cigar with a great friend. Watching an inspirational kid reach a major milestone in his life.

This weekend reminded me how great life can be. Life is too short not to....

Enjoy the ride,
Damm

Little Boxes Made of Ticky-Tacky

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky-tacky,
Little boxes, little boxes,
Little boxes, all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All go to the university,
And they all get put in boxes,
Little boxes, all the same.
And there's doctors and there's lawyers
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.

This is the theme song to my favorite TV show right now -- "Weeds".

I've been singing it throughout quite a few of my days because I watch one episode on Netflix Instant Viewing every night.

On a bike ride the other day, I started humming this song and thinking about the lyrics.

I live in a cramped, little apartment -- a box. Then I go to work in an office -- it's a box. Some nights I go to restaurants and they are pretty much -- boxes!

So on this bike ride, I realize that being outside is really the only time we are not in a box.

But even then we fit into a box. Our profession or job puts in a box. Our name or color of our skin can put us into a box.

When we stay in our boxes, "we all look just the same."

When we jump out of the boxes, we find our uniqueness. When I think outside of the box, I have my best ideas. When I'm outside running or biking, I feel alive.

Maybe it's because I'm not made out of ticky-tacky when I'm outside.

---

I'm really excited for this weekend.

I'm going to a Keane concert in a box called Myth. Saturday I'm eating sushi in a box called Sushi Tango.

At least they aren't the same old boxes...

Enjoy the ride,
Damm

Running To My Happy Place

A lot of people ask me why I run.

"Wouldn't you rather go golfing or have a beer?"

I don't think I had a great answer in the past. I'd usually reply that I was just trying to get in shape. Lose a few pounds.

Now, though, I know why I run.

Today's 15K Pilot Knob Trail Race reminded me exactly why I run.

---

I rode my bike out to Pilot Knob from my apartment this morning (about 6 miles) and got to the race about an hour early. I met a cool group of people from Des Moines, a lady from Storm Lake who has done 55 marathons, a guy from Forest City who I recognized but didn't know all that well, a very attractive couple from Argentina, and quite a few others.

It was gorgeous at Pilot Knob today. The trails were a little muddy but not too bad. And I felt great as I started the 9.3 mile run.

Somewhere after mile 2 I realized I was in my happy place. It was complete bliss. Pure happiness. Contentment. I was on a beautiful trail, on a sunny, spring day, running with a bunch of super-nice people.

All of us running for a reason. Running to something.

Some were running hard to get to the finish. Others were running to enjoy the day. All of us ran to get or stay in shape.

I ran to find happiness and to feel alive.

A buddy of mine ran 15 miles today in training for a marathon. He texted me and said "I felt alive."

I knew exactly what he meant.

We live in a world of disappointment and unmet expectations. People lose jobs. Relationships end. We struggle to attain possessions we hope will make us happy. We try to buy a bigger house and a nicer car.

Why do I run?

Because when I run outside I'm connected to nature. I'm a part of an amazing, active community of runners who say "Good Job!" or "Keep It Up!" whether you pass them or they pass you.

When I run, I realize what's important in life. It's about experiencing something pure and meeting people who understand that we're all running to something.

I finished the race in 1:33.54 and ended up coming in 2nd in the 20-29 age group. I think there might have only been two or three of us in that age group but I felt okay about running ten minute miles on a hilly, difficult trail course.

After the race, we all sat around for about 2 hours and grilled some burgers and brats, talked about running and waited for the last of the runners to finish.

As I got on my bike to head home, I knew that for an hour and a half this morning I had truly found my happy place.

"Josh, why do you run?"

"Because no matter how far I have to run, it's the shortest distance to my happy place."

Enjoy the ride (and the run),
Damm

Red Bull and A Banana

Pretty soon I'll have some pictures on this blog o' mine. I'm buying my sister's camera that she used for a photography class. It's a Nikon D40 and is pretty sweet! I'm excited to get back into photography and take some summer photographs of friends, the outdoors and the misadventures of Josh Damm.

Tomorrow is the 15K Pilot Knob Trail Race and it's looking like a muddy, hilly, puddly, good old time. I'm going to ride my bike out there -- run the 9 mile race -- enjoy the grill out and then ride home. I think it's about a 5-mile ride out there.

Tonight I'm going to ride for an hour and then see what's up for Friday night.

Soon, I need to get out of Forest City for a weekend! May 15th is the Keane concert (my favorite band) in Minneapolis. I'm finally being a good brother and taking my sister. Should be a good time. We might also hit up Minneapolis on Friday night with some of my friends and eat some sushi or ethnic food.

My goal for the race tomorrow is to take it slow and have fun and not get hurt. The 9miles is longer than I need to run for my triathlon training program but I think it will be good to do a race.

I'm hoping to hit up the casino on Saturday night and learn how to play craps. I've never played the game before but I hear it's fun.

Plus, I have some extra money now that I sold Winnebago at $9 per share after buying it at $4.95 selling it at $7 and buying it back at $6.20 Plan now is to buy it back at $7.50 and it's already close. I've had good timing with WGO! Day trader Damm.

Well, time to finish this red bull and banana and get on the bike.

Peace out -- A-town down.

Enjoy the ride,
Damm