In case you hadn't heard, the United States is the proud home of one of the longest distance inline skating events in the world. This event covers 87 miles through some lovely Georgian countryside, with skaters rolling from Athens to Atlanta.
Last year, I completed the easy part, skating a mere 38 miles. I hadn't trained much prior to the event, and hadn't even skated more than a few miles in a completely new pair of skates. Worse, I had two bloody, gaping holes at the back of my heels from skating previously on some poorly-fitting boots. Physically, I am not sure I should have been able to complete the event. But I survived it and the three and a half hours it took me to finish, and over time, my feet healed. On that fateful Sunday one year ago, I proved I had the mental strength to make it happen.
This year, I have trained with the intention of completing the 87 miles and arriving in Atlanta. I am in excellent physical shape; in fact, I'm in the best shape I've been in the past 5 years. I may not be challenging the professional skaters, but I am going to do the best I can, and I AM going to finish the full distance.
Here's what I'm hoping for: first, to finish in under 8 hours; second, for no injuries; and third, that my fellow Austin skaters achieve their goals and are also free of injury.
wish me luck.
On Monday evening I put in 25 miles at the Veloway, Austin's 3.1 mile skating and biking loop (pedestrians can do their thang at the Town Lake trails). It's a lovely course that was repaved with the best, most expensive surface, by a city in a budget crisis [go figure!]. A few of those laps were with others, two with decent sized packs of about six skaters. But as dusk was setting in, and every drop of daylight squeezed from the sky, my fellow skaters departed. The last lap I skated in darkness, by myself. I stretched, drove to a Thai place to pick up some tofu curry, and headed home.
Tonight I put in 4 hours at an indoor rink, including an hour of speed skating practice; sometimes I wonder why I go, because it's hard when a 14-year-old girl is kicking my butt, skating circles around me, and giving me tips. :) When the practice ended, Austin's only indoor adult skating night began.
I look forward to Tuesday nights in Austin, as it means the rink is free of young kids, and the adults generally know how to skate. A few do some crazy tricks, and then there's the couples who dance on skates; oh, and the roller derby girls :). It's a fun time, combined with a generally low-pressure singles scene, and music from the 80's. It rocks!
Despite this, it's a bit lonely for me at the adult skate. I've made some acquaintances, but I go more for the physical activity and music. I can't think of a better way to burn off 1800 calories (yes, liposuction is cheating!). As a result, I probably give off this speed skater vibe, which turns off the folks who generally go there for recreational and social reasons. When the adult night ends, people pack up and head out to the Kerbey Lanes and Hula Huts for food, and drinks. I stretch, then head home.
Fear.
Fear is what tells us we are truly alive. Fear is what makes our hearts skip beats and our breath race through our lungs. But fear can also be what holds us back.
Today I received a lesson in fear.
Whizzing down some of the steepest hills in Austin at over 30 miles per hour with cars and gas-guzzling SUVs motoring by, I found myself tense, facing fear and the need to remain in control. Being safe is one thing, but I have some skating goals to accomplish, and I can't be settling for being frightened by steep downhills.
I think being fearless means resigning one's control to the world. It also might mean separating oneself from one's instincts.
Well, chalk it up as one more thing for me to work on.
Shelled out the 8 bucks for Underworld tonight. A very enjoyable movie that put a new spin on the classic vampire and werewolf theme. The action sequences were awesome and I left the theater with a bit of a bounce in my step.
The movie was a nice distraction, as earlier in the day I had completed a few hours of work (yes, Saturday), and also skated a good 20 miles - more on that in my next post. I somehow avoided getting swept into watching multiple hours of college football. I'm not sure how that happened, but it's probably a good thing :) Anyway, not too shabby for a Saturday.
Update 8pm - I've just added a photo gallery! Compliments of a tool called the Simple Picture Gallery Manager.
If my website were a plant, it might just have died a while ago. I really hadn't been treating it too nicely. It had been hosted by a very expensive company that was providing minimal support, poor technology, and had just cost way too much. So, I've moved my business across the border, to a friendly Canadian company with great support, fast service, and a lovely product offering, Doteasy: http://www.doteasy.com/
In addition, I've decided to enhance the technology behind the scenes, and switched from manual editing of my site, to a tool that has been developed very well for this sort of thing: http://www.movabletype.org/ Installation was pretty quick, and it's taken me under a day to convert my site. But then, I am pretty quick with technology.
So I now have a less costly site, with better technology, and one that is easier to update. That means more updates in the future, increased readership, and good times all around.
In Texas, we are used to tornadoes. They crop up pretty quickly, usually without much warning. In the east coast, where I was born, we got used to hurricanes. There's always weather reports for days in anticipation, evacuations, and time.
I see a hurricane coming for me over the next few weeks. I have a large amount of work to accomplish at the office, an 87 mile skating marathon to train for and complete, the LSAT to prep for and ace, and a weekend trip with my girlfriend, A*. Soon after, Journalcon 2003 is kicking off, and then there's the Lance Armstrong Ride for the Roses.
So things are bound to get a bit blurry. I tend to do pretty well when there's a lot of things going on. I just hope I remember to smile and give credit to myself for getting through what will be a few challenging, but fun, weeks.
1. Is the name you have now the same name that's on your birth certificate? If not, what's changed?
My name is the same as is on my birth certificate, but I have generally mixed feelings about it.
2. If you could change your name (first, middle and/or last), what would it be?
I have often thought that if I were to write a book, my pen name would be my first name, with my middle name as my last name.
3. Why were you named what you were? (Is there a story behind it? Who specifically was responsible for naming you?)
My middle name, Edward, is from my grandfather, but I'm not sure of where my first name came from.
4. Are there any names you really hate or love? What are they and why?
I think a name like Jake or David or Peter sounds much better than Brian. I slightly dislike the sound of the word Brian. It doesn't sound powerful or distinctive.
5. Is the analysis of your name at kabalarians.com / triggur.org / astroexpert accurate? How or how isn't it?
Kabalarians.com was extremely accurate. Strange.
The first name of Brian creates a shrewd, aggressive, business nature, intent on personal gain. The desires for independence and financial success have been strong motivating forces from early in your life. You are capable of logical and analytical thinking along practical business lines, and could excel in financial fields, law, or politics. Your judgment is seldom swayed through your feelings. You have definite executive and leadership abilities, however others may find you to be rather forceful and uncompromising. More congenial business and personal relationships would result from being more tactful and more aware of the needs of others. If you sacrifice too much for material ambition, there may result a lack of harmony and balance in your personal life.