Whoa! Where did the week go? At school tonight getting ready to miss a few days with my wonderful superstar students. I wish I could have them all out there in Kona with me. That would be the ultimate inspiration. Rediscovering tonight that it’s quite a bit of work to prepare to have a sub. Yikes. Whatever work’s necessary to ensure things run smoothly in my absence. I’m super grateful to have an excellent sub covering for me the whole time and supportive staff and administrators that are amazingly tolerant of my extra-curricular activities! They should know this insanity was sparked one day early in my professional preparation when one of my education professors implored the class, “You need to have something else in your life that your passionate about besides teaching.” I took that one and ran with it!

Pretty sweet afternoon. I covered my buddy’s 5th period PE class which got me outside the confines of my classroom. The kids and I did some jumping jacks to motivational quotes (so cool), stretching (I should do more of), running (I should arguably do less of), and soccer (I did for 10 years). After school was even better; we had wrestling practice, a cross-country meet, and girls volleyball going on all at the same time. So I would pop in the gym to catch some of the volleyball action, then zip out to high-five some of the runners comin’ in all the while handing out some pasta dinner fundraiser fliers. Wrestlers were runnin’ around here and there and received some high-fives as well. How being a teacher transports you back to another time. Between teaching and triathlon, I’m staying as young at heart as possible. So, the good vibrations carried me effortlessly home aboard my trusty commuting stead which, I noticed tonight that I rolled over 3000mi since Jan 1. Like anything, this fact can be viewed in a positive or negative light. I recall former professional triathlete Mike Pigg’s motto: “Always positive.”

Now for a busy weekend. Here’s some of the things to be done before flyin’ out on Tuesday to the Big Island. Saturday: prep bike (install new chain & cassette, install race wheels and pedals, clean & dial ‘er in), swim 1500yds, groceries & laundry, work on race week itinerary, test-flight tt bike, i.e., ride hard for :60 w/ :20 transition run (ensure all systems “go for launch,” pack up bike in travel case. Sunday: ride up to school early and finish sub prep and dial in classroom 100%. Ride home. Pack rest of stuff. Work on race plan. Sweat the details. Relax. It’s just another race, right? ; )