Greetings.
Well, remember that knee pain that I mentioned a few weeks ago? It never went away by itself so I started some physical therapy with NovaCare. The good news is that my tests were clear and structurally, my knee is sound. I just have a strain or slight tear to the MCL on the right. The bad news is it still hurts and I want to rush the healing process. I still can't run on the road but I can pool run, cycle, and swim. So from a fitness level perspective, I should be fine. But mentally, I feel old, fat, and out of shape. All of that being said, I will probably still race Hammonton next weekend. Emotionally I need a race to jump start me. Even if I tank it, I just need to get out there.
Some of you know that my passion before triathlon was soccer. I was a goalkeeper and looked up to a few key role models of the sport. One was a legendary goalkeeper named Shep Messing. Another was a guy named Bobby Rigby who was a local guy that put American soccer on the map in the 1970s. He was one of the best American goalkeepers of all time. (OK he and Shep were tied) He is now back in the area and working as a substance abuse counselor in the Ridley Twp school system, where he is from. The cool thing for me is that I have connected with both of these guys recently and we have kept in touch. "Back in the day" I admired them for their goalkeeping abilities. As we have matured (ok ... some of us have) they continue to make substantial contributions in life and in sport and I have been fortunate enough to connect with them and consider them peers. It makes the world a little smaller. And better. Both of them recognize what a special bond there is between goalkeepers even long after playing days are behind us. We have all moved onto bigger and better playing arenas. But the secret club still exists.
And now for a scary, random, and fragmented brain dump:
Coffee is good. Politics is getting old. The Clintons are getting old. McCain IS old. I am riding my bike into work for a couple of hours today after TNT swim practice. I need to finish this drywall project in my living room. I was asked to give the motivational talk again at the TNT pre race dinner for the Philly Triathlon in June. How can my youngest daughter be graduating from high school if I am only 15 years old?
Your mission for the weekend - A random act of kindness for a complete stranger. I mean really go out of your way to do so. Don't just pause 2 seconds to hold the door for the person behind you.
Peace
