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
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
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