Cities

A city asks a lot of you. It calls for you to enjoy its vistas. Its soil demands that you take great care to produce the finest quality foods – so that savoring the gastronomical delights of this specific patch of earth allows you to marry the food and the land together in your memory. The sweet corn of a small town in Iowa. The acidity of ceviche in Lima. The salty jamon of Barcelona. The lardo di Colonnata.

A city allows you to come and it allows you to leave. The city has a special power so that you often leave with regret and enter with great joy.

The buildings of cities can be incredibly familiar and mysteriously unknown. You know the naves, crevices, nooks and crannies of your local church yet you enter the majestic Notre Dame with awe and trepidation – not knowing what mysteries and stories have taken place within her walls in your absence.

Running through the many alleys and pathways of a small town can take years – in larger cities, you will never know all of the roads that lead to homes, restaurants, and places of work.

A city can be an extension of your identity and a city’s identity can be an extension of the persona of its inhabitants. The authors, composers, artists, architects, and athletes all defining the existence of a place that could otherwise have been left empty.

Can you imagine a London without Shakespeare? Can you imagine a Vienna without Mozart? What about a Florence without Da Vinci? A modern Paris without the Eiffel Tower...surely not. Or what would Chicago now be without Michael Jordan or Oprah?

So the city continues to exist because we continue to live collectively. Our life intertwining with other lives in many different places.

Looking Back

Wow, so I guess it has been quite a while since I've updated my blog. It certainly has been a busy last couple of months and whenever I've had ideas or events to blog about I haven't had the motivation.

I'm not going to go into a lengthy post about everything I've done since early August but here are some brief highlights:

Lollapalooza - In early August, I made a 3-day weekend into a fairly non-stop weekend of music and partying. I ventured to downtown Chicago after work on a Thursday and arrived at my cousin's downtown apartment by Midnight. From Friday to Sunday, I balanced spending time with my cousins and trying to attend all the sets of the groups that I love and discovering new bands.

Young the Giant was as good live as they are in the studio and their after show was incredible -- I made it to the first row of the after show at a small venue and literally stood beside the lead singer during part of the performance!

Phantogram knocked my socks off with their deep beats and beautiful melodies -- I'm seeing them again tomorrow in Minneapolis. Foster the People played their hits to a huge crowd. Foo Fighters rocked out in the rain. The Glitch Mob and Skrillex killed it at Perry's DJ tent.

Ellie Goulding danced around with her white legs and British accent at the Google+ Stage. I fell asleep to My Morning Jacket as I sat to the side of the stage after a long Saturday of music. MUSE put on the best live performance that I've ever seen.

Deadmau5 produced some of the coolest live music and lights against the backdrop of the Chicago skyline. NAS and Damian Marley were awesome and one could almost see them through the haze of marijuana smoke that was drifting throughout the crowd. Walk the Moon played zero songs that I knew but I now know all of them well!

I saw the White Lies for the second time and Two Door Cinema Club for the first. And while Dale Earnhardt Jr. was not there Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. was a great live band to see!

So it ended up being an incredible weekend of music and I wasn't even a bit tired as I drove home from 10 pm until 4:30 am on Sunday night/Monday morning.

Triathlons - With all the madness of the summer, I neglected to train like I needed to in order to accomplish my triathlon goals. I battled through allergies and a cold to complete the Tree Town Adventure Race in Forest City. It was a very well organized race and I had a blast kayaking down the Winnebago, biking through Pilot Knob and running the bike path through Pammel Park.

Later in August I had my first ever Did-Not-Finish in a race when I had some lower back issues at a 70.3 mile triathlon near Cedar Rapids. I completed the 1.2 mile swim and the 56 mile bike through hilly terrain but couldn't muster enough strength to attempt the 13.1 mile run when my lower back hurt enough that I almost didn't complete the bike. It was a depressing day for me and a reminder that I have to train and work hard if I'm going to do races of this distance.

Seattle/Tacoma - At the end of August, I traveled to Tacoma, Washington, to hang out with some buddies for a week. We went to a Mariners game, went out in Tacoma and Seattle, ate some great seafood and also drove up to Cape Flattery (the Northwest tip of the continental U.S.) and went surfing. Surfing was one of my 30 Things to do Before I Turn 30 and it was both exhausting and fun -- I definitely want to do it again but maybe in warmer waters.

Las Vegas - I traveled to Las Vegas for work in October and stayed at the BELLAGIO! Boosh. Even working 8-9 hours per day, we were able to get in two rounds of golf, dinner at a Michelin Star restaurant (Michael Mina at Bellagio), I played a fair amount of poker and also saw Cirque du Soleil's KA at the MGM Grand. One night I stayed up until 4:30 am and had to be up by 6:30 am for work. Let's just say 5 nights in Vegas was enough.

Odds and Ends - I've been playing quite a bit of poker lately and feel like I've been playing well -- other than some momentary brain lapses in a tournament last weekend. My hourly rate is increasing and I think I've made some fairly advanced plays at my stakes. My next step is to build my comfort level playing $2-5 NL Hold Em and be a little more consistent when I play.

We took 3rd place this year at the Bear Creek Pro-Am in August and I had a great time playing with my boss and two of his friends.

Want to see a strange, poetic movie? Check out "Tree of Life" with Brad Pitt. It's weird but I think I liked it.

----

While I apologize that it has taken so long to write a blog entry, maybe it's a good thing.

I'm starting to spend a lot more time looking forward than looking back.

Enjoy the ride,

Damm

The Light of Their Love

You sit in a church. The front pew. Your sister stands at the front of the church holding the hand of the person she is going to marry. He's a good person and you're very thankful for that.

Also standing in front of you, are five of your cousins and your aunt. They are singing a beautiful song and you think that most of the church has a tear in their eye.

Your uncle and another cousin sit to your left. Both of your grandfathers sit to your right as well as your one living grandmother in her wheelchair. She is captivated by the singers...after all, she raised their mothers and now they are beautiful young women singing with poise and grace.

Your other grandmother passed away a few years ago but you get the feeling that her presence is also in the room. The title of the song only confirms your suspicion.

Your mom and dad sit to the far right of your pew. Your dad is crying as much as your mother.

At times you glance over your shoulder and you see dozens of relatives and family friends. They are all smiling.

You think about the great times you had at the wedding rehearsal and dinner the evening before and how smoothly everything is going today.

You imagine the night ahead...driving the motor home to the wedding reception, dancing with so many friends and family, eating and drinking until Midnight, listening to touching and funny speeches about your sister and your new brother-in-law.

You're happy...like blissfully happy.

You will probably continue celebrating late into the night. And maybe a bridesmaid will toast the couple at the end of the evening and compare the flash on your phone to the "light of their love."

But much of this has yet to happen as you sit at the front of the church listening to your cousins sing.

You look at your grandma -- the beautiful matriarch of a large family who is much closer to the end of her life than the beginning of her life.

You can see her eyes gleaming with pride. A life well lived. Many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Most of them so close today.

She hopes that for Jess and Chase the light of their love will see them through the difficult times just like the light of her love for Jim has stood the test of time.

You exhale a sigh of relief...the wind from your breath is calm and peaceful. All is well.

Time to...

Enjoy the ride,
Damm

Jess & Chase's Wedding, Alumni Golf Tournament

#25 - Walk 100 Holes of Golf

We establish our own goals in life. We ascribe meaning to events, people and places that few others will ever care about. We live and die with 99.99% of the world never knowing our name, our impact, our face.

So on Friday, June 17, I set out to finish the second of 30 items on my "30 Before 30" list knowing that it held a large amount of meaning for me.

I had no idea if it was physically possible to walk 100 holes of golf in one day but I was going to try.

I made some Facebook posts, put a sign up at Bear Creek Golf Course in Forest City and asked some others for donations...in the end I raised over $300 for the American Cancer Society.

To be honest, though, the thrill of this day was only because I had placed a lot of meaning on this goal. There was also a thrill in not knowing if I would be able to complete the day.

I began playing at 4:40 in the morning in darkness. The grass was extremely wet with dew because of the humidity.

I played the first four holes with a glow ball and managed to make all bogeys in the darkness.

Oh, I should mention my established "rules" for the day:

1. I have to walk from tee to green for 100 holes at Bear Creek Golf Course...only accepting a shuttle cart ride from the 500 yard walk from hole 10 to 11 and also between a couple other long distances between tees.
2. I have to break 90 in all five full rounds from the white tees.
3. I have to play the entire 100 holes in a single day.
4. I have to play the entire 18 holes at Bear Creek for the five rounds and can play the last 10 holes on the front nine.

The sun began to light the sky as I played hole #5 and I started playing a regular golf ball for the remainder of the day.

In order to keep my bag as light as possible, I only carried 11 clubs in a Ping "pencil" bag that is very light and has no stand. I also only carried 3-4 golf balls, a few tees and a bottle of water. I would reload with golf balls and drinks when I passed my vehicle.

As I finished my first round, my parents came to shuttle me from 10 to 11. I had played the front nine in under 1 hour and felt great. The only issue was how wet the grass was...it was causing me to have trouble gripping the club as my glove got wet.

My mom and dad brought me a breakfast sandwich and followed me as I played #10 and then shuttled me from 10 to 11.

I saw a person walking when I got to #16 and told her about my plans for the day. She kept walking around the back nine and I played my last 3 holes of the first round thinking that I was easily going to finish 18 holes of golf well before I would normally be arriving at work for the day.

I ended up shooting 81 for the first 18 playing it in 2 hours and 12 minutes. Walking!

Rounds 2 and 3 went very well...I changed my shoes after round 2 and in round 3 I started thinking about how I was going to handle the chaffing issue. The answers ended up involving baby powder, compression shorts and Vaseline...fun stuff!

I shot 84 in round two. I made my first birdie on hole #3 of round 3 with a 2 and shot 84 in round three as well.

My co-workers and dad had lunch with me from Noon to 1 pm in the clubhouse and then I headed back out to the golf course. My dad had played part of the morning rounds with me and he continued to play with for a few more holes.

During round 4, the chaffing was getting pretty bad and it was making me walk a little funny. In round 4, I also noticed that cramping could be an issue at some point as my legs were starting to get a little twitchy.

I played my best round of the day with an 80 in round four including three birdies in the round.

As I finished round four, I simply had to take a break to shower, rehydrate and put on compression shorts.

It was getting really difficult to walk and on #18 I had a minor cramp in my calf muscle.

I went to my parents house to shower and then sat on the couch for a 15-minute rest. My mom was telling me to just play the front nine to finish and my dad finally said, "Josh, let's go to the course before you fall asleep."

It was good that my dad was there to push me along!

Round five was a blur. I would hit the ball without caring, put my bag on my shoulder and saunter to the next shot. The golf was definitely not very fun at this point and I was getting very sore and extremely tired.

A couple friends joined me during parts of round five and the final 10 holes. I shot 88 on the final full round that included a 9 on hole #17 with my swing getting very goofy.

The last ten holes were a struggle but I was so happy that I was almost done! I knew that I was going to make it and incredible my pace had barely slowed down at all throughout the day.

For the final 10 holes, I only carried four clubs along and didn't even use my bag.

All five of my rounds were played in under 2.5 hours even though each round felt successively slower.

As I finished my 100th hole of golf at around 8:30 pm, I "fake collapsed" on the green for the picture above.

I walked back to the clubhouse and entered the dining room to a round of applause and lots of questions about my day.

I sat up at the bar and a couple people were nice enough to buy me a beer and my dinner - buffalo wings and onion rings!

I was grateful to the people who had donated to the American Cancer Society. Grateful for the friends who had played with me during the day. Grateful to my parents for their support and encouragement. And grateful to all my friends on Facebook and Twitter who had shown an interest in what I was doing.

I drove to my parents house to fill them in on the end of my day and ended up falling asleep on their couch.

We establish our own goals in life. We ascribe meaning to events, people and places that few others will ever care about.

But we care about our goals. We place great emphasis on random things. How our lawn looks or how good our golf game is. The kind of clothes we wear or the color of the cars we drive.

I felt a strong sense of fulfillment based on a day of my own making. A day of my own imagination. And that is a truly magical thing...in fact, it is what life is all about.

Enjoy the ride (but not in a golf cart),
Damm

If you would like to donate to my efforts to raise money for the American Cancer Society, click here.

TOMRV 2011 - A Recap

From left, Luke, me, Charlie, Ann and Mark. Great group for TOMRV 2011! It was awesome that they let me tag along for the ride.

Tracee, Dan, baby Clare and I rode up the 4th St. Elevator in Dubuque for an amazing view of the river and downtown Dubuque.

The Wall on TOMRV 2011. One of the steepest climbs on the route with about 11% grade at one point.

Crap, am I really in this bad of shape? I asked myself as I fell behind the group after only hanging on for a few miles and only providing one effort at the front.

It was Wednesday and I riding with the North Iowa Spin group on a ride from Clear Lake to Joice. The Saturday before I had run the Dam to Dam 20K. I rested on Sunday and did some short workouts on Monday and Tuesday but on Wednesday I felt like I was back to having fresh legs and ready to ride hard with the A+ group.

It only took 6 or 7 miles to realize that I still had tired legs, that I was still out of shape from a lazy winter and spring, and that my countless bad nutritional decisions were not doing me any favors.

What did you expect, Josh? That you were going to ride like you did in 2010 without any training?

I drove home that evening frustrated with myself but also with a renewed sense of commitment.

The following things do NOT get one's legs into cycling shape:

• 
  

  Drinking beer



• 
  

  Watching cycling on Versus



• 
  

  Blogging about getting back into shape



• 
  

  Reading "Triathlete" magazine



• 
  

  Talking about my "goals" to do "epic" races and efforts

Realizing this, I stopped being angry with myself and decided to get my ass in gear.
---

After work on Friday night, I took off for Preston, Iowa, to ride the shorter version of TOMRV (Tour of Mississippi River Valley). I got into Preston around 10 pm and met the nice family I'd be staying with.

Two weeks prior, my friend Abbey had said that her dad, Mark, was riding TOMRV and that I should join their group for the 2-day ride. So I did.

In Preston, we stayed at the house of Mark's sister and I was able to meet the group I'd be riding with - Charlie & Ann, Liz, Luke and of course, Mark.

On Saturday we got up at 6, had a great breakfast, and were registered and on the road by about 7:30.

It was slightly chilly that morning and unfortunately there was a 10 mph headwind most of the day but we avoided rain and had relatively nice weather (at least it wasn't 90 degrees!).

The first third of the ride was fairly flat and Mark and I pushed the pace for a while, and we zipped through the first section of the day. Overall, we would end up going about 70 miles on Saturday.

The rest of the day was all about the hills. Climbs like I've never been on before, having lived in north central Iowa all of my life and never having ventured to any mountain ranges with my bike.

We climbed The Blowtorch, The Wall and many other hills on the day. The Wall was the most difficult effort with the grade maxing out around 11 or 12%. After The Wall, my legs were shot. We had about 15 miles left to ride but I was starting to bonk and the legs were filling up with lactic acid.

I'm just over 185 lbs. right now and I could definitely tell that the added winter weight was making these tough climbs even tougher.

Mark was the gold star climber of the group while the rest of us struggled our way up those hills. The easiest gears on our bikes weren't easy enough!

We finished out the day with our bodies still intact but our legs aching.

I rode (uphill of course) to my friends house in Dubuque for a much needed rest. It was great to meet Dan & Tracee's 2.5 week-old daughter, Clare, and I held her for about an hour without her crying at all - #babiesloveme. It sure is cool to hold a newborn baby and look at the funny faces they make as they coo and smile and sleep.

I had a few beers after showering at their house and then we went on a short tour of Dubuque which included a ride up the 4th St. Elevator cable car for a great view of Dubuque and the Mississippi River.

After grilling out, Dan and I ventured out to a couple bars for a couple beers and by 10 pm we were back to their house and I was fast asleep.
---

I woke up Sunday with sore legs and did not enjoy getting back on the bike saddle - #soreass.

But once we got going again, I felt decent enough.

Mark and I started the second day's ride at 6:20 am and rode through the fog and the Mines of Spain State Park just outside of Dubuque. If you haven't been there before, it is definitely worth the trip.

As we left the Mines of Spain, we started ascending a 3 mile, gradual climb that kept going and going and going. I have a much greater appreciation for the professonial cyclists who climb the mountains in the Tour de France -- the hills of the Mississippi River Valley kicked my ass and they don't even come close to the difficulty of the Alps or the Pyrennes. Not close by a long shot!

For me, though, these were the two toughest days of climbing that I've ever done. And as we climbed up Upchuck Hill and completed the final three hills leading into Preston, I realized that I need to start doing some hill repeats at Pilot Knob again. And by "some" I mean like 20 in a row.

After finishing the short, hilly, 42-mile second day, I realized the last two days were exactly what I needed.

I didn't write about riding or watch cycling on TV. I rode. I climbed. I pushed myself.

TOMRV was a two-day slap in the face. It was humbling to ride up the many hills and have my legs hurt like hell.

In high school I gave one of two graduation speeches to my classmates, and I referenced Teddy Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" speech:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how
the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them
better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
whose face in marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again, because there is no effort
without error and shortcoming; but who
does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows
great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends
himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least
fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

I didn't power up the hills...but I pushed myself. I put my ego back where it belongs. I lived life. I felt alive. I rode up the steep hills of the Mississippi River Valley so I could triumphantly ride down them.

I'm not going to end this blog with any predictions about what I'll do next.

I'll just say that it feels good to be back in the arena.

Enjoy the ride (and the climbs),
Damm

Wrigley to Dam to Dam

I ran into the Newcom family following the Dam to Dam 20K race in Des Moines.

The Cloud Gate in Millennium Park in Chicago.

Hanging out with Clint and Abbey at the Wrigley Rooftops over Memorial Day Weekend.

It must be summertime because every weekend is now booked with trips, races and adventures.

The last month has been full of busy weekends starting with a rained-out Twins game in late April, winning the Rice Lake 2-man with Mark van Gorkom in Lake Mills, riding the High Trestle trail with Quail and Fitz, playing in the Holes of Hope golf tournament, tying for 1st in the Bear Creek 1-man, opening The Vault in Forest City in style, going to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field and most recently running the Dam to Dam 20K in Des Moines.

Phew...and that's just the beginning of what will hopefully be a great summer!

The weekends in Chicago and Des Moines certainly taught me something about what I enjoy and what I just put up with to "fit in."

I truly enjoy running long distance races and riding my bike for 50-60 miles, and a few beers certainly taste good after doing those things. Especially when The Snacks are playing awesome cover music at Mickey's outdoor patio in Des Moines!

But a full day of drinking (yes, even at a Cubs game) is starting to get boring. Where's the adventure? Where's the fulfillment?

It's just drinking for the sake of drinking and I'm frankly tired of it.

I'm ready to spend a little more time discovering quality instead of quantity. A little more time finding adventure in races and long runs, bikes and swims. A little more time engaging my mind and not my liver. A little more time listening to new music and not the crap on the radio.

Broadening horizons. Finding fulfillment rather than just filling up with beer. Continuing to get in shape. Meeting new people. Seeing new places.

Letting summer spring me into action.

On Saturday, I ran the Dam to Dam 20K in Des Moines and it was awesome! I had only run 9 miles in training but covered the 12.4 miles in 2 hours - which isn't bad considering I did the first mile at a very slow pace due to the large amount of runners.

The heat almost knocked me on my ass during the last two miles but I survived. It was awesome running with a few friends for part of the race and talking with them. Having other people on the same adventure is an instant bonding experience.

It's fulfilling to wake up at 4 am and run 12.4 miles from 7 to 9 am.

So this weekend, in fact in a few hours, I'm heading to the Dubuque area to ride my bike through the hills of the Mississippi River Valley.

And when I raise my glass of beer on Saturday night, it's going to taste really good after 70 miles of hilly biking.

Time to work hard, play hard and....

Enjoy the ride,
Damm

#29 - See the Dalai Lama

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Sunday, May 8, 2011.

At the start of this year, I wrote a blog that details 30 things I want to do before I turn 30. I wrote this about one week before I turned 27 so I left myself with three years to accomplish these 30 goals.

On Sunday, May 8, I was able to accomplish goal #29 - seeing the Dalai Lama. It's the first item I've crossed off my list and I was pleasantly surprised to accomplish this one so quickly.

Only a few days prior to the Dalai Lama's visit to Minneapolis, one of my friends let me know that he was visiting Minnesota and that the Dalai Lama had a couple of public speaking events planned.

I quickly got online and purchased a $35 ticket for the Sunday morning speech/ceremony at Mariucci Arena on the University of Minnesota campus.

On Sunday I got up just before 6 a.m. and drove up to the Cities for the 9:30 a.m. event.

It was a very peaceful drive. I kept the radio off for most of the drive, relaxed and let my thoughts drift. I took off my shoes and drove barefoot.

A meditative, tranquil way to begin my soon-to-be eventful day.

After taking forever to find a parking spot (but eventually finding a free one!), I made my way to Mariucci Arena and got into line. There were hundreds in the line still at about 9:00 a.m. due to the strict security... I didn't get to my seat until just after 9:30 a.m.

The Dalai Lama had already begun speaking and I was glad to hear that he was speaking in English. I had been under the impression that most of the event would involve a Buddhist ceremony in Tibetan with English translations. However, the Dalai Lama surprised most of us by spending nearly 2 hours speaking (most in English) about Buddhism. Only the last 30 minutes involved the Tibetan ceremony, which was explained in English in great detail.

I was quite a ways from the stage but the two large projector screens allowed everyone in the arena to see the Dalai Lama's facial expressions very clearly.

He discussed complex Buddhist ideas like the no-self doctrine, the four noble truths, the eight-fold path, the relationship between Buddhist religion and modern science - it was utterly fascinating for me!

However, most of the people in the audience seemed to lose interest when he delved into the deeper topics. I can't blame them. I was lucky to have taken a few classes in college about Eastern religions and I've read about a dozen books about Buddhism and the Dalai Lama.

Regardless of one's capability to understand the theory of the Dalai Lama's lecture, everyone was transfixed by his presence alone.

He spoke to each of us as individuals.

Many mistakenly believe that Buddhists believe that Buddha was God. He was not.

He was a human being who saw that the reality of life was suffering and he discovered the way to transcend suffering by riding his mind of desire. He became enlightened and achieved Nirvana.

The incredible thing about Buddhism is that we can all become Buddhas. There was nothing special about the Buddha and he failed over and over again before he understood the truth of life.

Another thing I love about Buddhism is that, unlike Christianity, it doesn't even matter if the Buddha ever existed.

If the stories of the Buddha are mythical, it does not destroy the teachings of the Buddha. The teachings of the Buddha (which the Dalai Lama also teaches) are there for all of us.

We can all practice meditation and achieve tranquility. We can all act with compassion and non-violence. We can all look inward and see that suffering truly does come from desire.

We desire bigger houses, nicer clothes, more money, fancier cars and more pixels on our TVs.

But as we continue to strive to attain these things, we find they do not create happiness. In many cases, they cause suffering.

We work too many hours in order to buy these things. We sacrifice too many moments with friends and family. We find that the more we own, the more we are owned.

More bills. More warranty claims. More files to organize. More hassle. More things to fix.

The Dalai Lama reminded me that suffering comes from desire. As I rid myself of desire for objects and possessions, I free myself of much suffering.

I free myself to expand my mind and treat others with true compassion.

I end this blog with the words of George Harrison, who describes my beliefs with much more eloquence than I could ever hope to achieve:

"When you've seen beyond yourself
then you may find, peace of mind,
Is waiting there-
And the time will come when you see
we're all one,
and life flows on within you and without you."

Enjoy the ride,
Damm

Pilot Knob Run on April 5, 2011 - Forest City, Iowa

iLife

Right now I'm typing my first blog from my iPad. This morning I woke up to my iPhone alarm. I went for a run on a treadmill and logged my miles on an app that charts all of my workouts. I listened to an iTunes playlist as I ran.

I entered all of my meals into a calorie tracker app and that will chart my weight, calories and fitness goals.

I used my iPhone at PF Changs to figure out what was healthiest to eat. I used it last night for GPS directions in Des Moines.

Tonight I used it to look up reviews of the sushi restaurant we are going to.

My iPhone syncs with my iPad which syncs with most of my web-based applications on my desktop and my laptop.

Is this ruining my life?

No. It's enhancing it.

But when I'm not careful, I forget to look people in the eye. I forget that apps do nothing unless they help us actually do something.

Facebook and Twitter are helping lead revolutions across the Arab world. But they can also eat away too much of our time.

I hope that someday we use technology so efficiently that we only have to work 20 hours per week.

We all need more time to be outside and ride our bikes. And go to dinner with friends. And read books and watch movies.

It's not iLife after all - it's my life.

Enjoy the ride (and don't forget to log your miles),
Damm

Ending in Mid-Sentence

Life is a story with cryptic words.

Chapter two doesn't necessarily follow chapter one and we can't read from the beginning to the end and assume that we will understand what happened.

We often become too close with the protagonist; however, at times we don't feel affectionately enough for the hero.

The villains, though they may be menacing in our stories, are the main characters for different authors.

Sometimes we are the villains.

Some stories are written in different languages. We won't read most of them.

Quite a few are short stories made up of only a couple sentences.

But these stories can also stretch on like "War and Peace."

They can be beautiful, many are dark and a surprising number read nearly the same with only the change of a name or place.

Every single story ends exactly the same. The main character dies.

Every main character suffers. Some experience years of happiness but others do not.

The book I'm writing includes suffering and happiness. Fear and confidence. Sadness and excitement.

As I look back to the earlier chapters, the words rearrange themselves on the page. I interpret my earlier writings within a revisionist context -- the meaning of the words is never the same.

The pages in the future are not empty. There are pencil marks all over...dreamlike sketches of what may or may not happen.

So much of my story is just like yours but so much is so different.

Most who will read my story will probably find their name in the index...I would guess that I am probably in the index of their story as well.

As I grow older, I realize that every story is worth reading. Each story is filled with adventure, intrigue and honesty.

I love hearing stories as they are being written.

Tales told around campfires.

Poems spoken while a keg of beer redistributes its contents into our stomachs making the words fill with color and truth.

Songs with lyrics that make us understand exactly what the author is trying to convey.

But they all end the same. They all end in mid-sentence. The author can never finish the book because each story must end in the book of someone else.

We are all continuing the stories of each other.

Adding to a single book that has no beginning and has no end. A book that can't be understood until our story is finished.

It's a book that we all get to have a part in. But none of us get to dictate the meaning. We write our cryptic story.

And then...

Life Above Ground

Goal #2. Climb to Machu Picchu in Peru.

Next week I turn 27 and while it's not a momentous birthday, it does remind me that I'm getting older. Not old. But, of course, we are all getting older.

Especially in the winter, I am prone to getting stuck in routines. Doing my thing at work, watching a little more TV than I should, skipping a few too many workouts and ordering a few too many pizzas.

I've been a little obsessed lately with diet, nutrition and training plans and for the last 3 weeks I've actually been following one.

P90X, The 4-Hour Body, the Paleo Diet, Triathlete magazine.

All of this information is great to ingest but ultimately I have to make my own goals and use these diets and workout regimens as devices that lead me to something bigger.

And so through all of this reflection and obsession, I've actually started some good habits lately. I started snowshoeing -- mostly at night, after work. It's been a great way to get outside in the winter and it's something I can do in the evening (with my headlamp).

I've also been making a list over the past couples of weeks and I want to share it publicly. It's an ambitious plan for the next 3 years of my life and as you finish reading the list you'll probably say something like, "Yeah right, Josh. There is no way you'll do those things."

Well, maybe I won't cross them all of the list by the time I'm 30 but I'm going to give it one hell of an effort. After the list of 30 things to do before I'm 30, I detail 20 things that I've done prior to turning 27 and it's an impressive list. I encourage you to do the same and let me know what you're top few goals are in the next three years.

As they say in "Shawshank Redemption"....."Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'."

I choose the former.

30 Things to Do Before I Turn 30

1. Be Fluent in Spanish
2. Climb to Maccu Picchu in Peru
3. Play in a WSOP Bracelet Event in Las Vegas
4. Finish a Full Ironman
5. Can't Disclose
6. Can't Disclose
7. Complete a ski skate race
8. Get weight below 165 with body fat under 10%
9. Run 50 miles in one day
10. Bike 200 miles in one day
11. See or Meet President Obama
12. Raise/Donate $5,000 for charities/Kiva
13. Throw a kick-ass concert (Party in the Park) in Forest City
14. Go to Beatles LOVE Cirque du Soleil in Vegas with my mom and dad
15. Can't Disclose
16. Go to an FC Barcelona or English Premier League Soccer Match
17. Go on an annual 54-hole (minimum) golf trip with Joe, Clint and Sterba
18. Run the Twin Cities Marathon
19. Surf with Stugelmeyer in Seattle
20. Spend a full week cycling in Chianti
21. Either go skydiving or hang gliding
22. Eat at a Michelin starred molecular gastronomy restaurant in Spain.
23. Win a cycling road race or help a teammate win
24. Go to at least 2 more musicals on Broadway
25. Walk 100 holes of golf in one day and break 90 in all five full rounds
26. Bench press 200 pounds
27. Sing the National Anthem at a sporting event
28. Get Lasik Eye Surgery
29. See or Meet the Dalia Lama
30. Host a Photography Exhibit

What I’ve Done Before 27

1. Shook President Bill Clinton’s Hand and got his signature

2. Congratulated Daniel Negreanu on winning a WSOP bracelet

3. Rode in a box car down a hill in Lima, Peru

4. Ran to villages in Cinque Terre

5. Cycled in Tuscany

6. Walked the beaches of Barcelona

7. Ran Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth

8. Completed two Olympic distance triathlons

9. Completed Kansas 70.3 Half-Ironman

10. Helped Relay for Life of Winnebago County raise over $80,000 for cancer research

11. Got a really good job

12. Graduated with a double major in History and Communication from Waldorf College

13. Got into University of Iowa law school (and quit after 2 weeks...a good thing!)

14. 2^nd Place Team at Iowa State Golf Tournament in 2000

15. Made All-State Choir in 2001

16. Ran 12 miles through Boston

17. Seen 3 games at Wrigley Field in Chicago

18. Been to the Masters

19. Done the full week of Ragbrai

20. Rode 154 miles in one day

Enjoy the ride,

Damm