Reading Assignments

Head over to Significant Objects to read my friend Lakin's story about a paper fan that, like a pet-store puppy, she had to take home. (No, I don't condone pet stores selling animals. But I do condone artistic license and simile).

Then, head on over to my new website, MichellePanik.com, and check out my latest blog entry, which includes a link to an article I wrote for TCSD's Newsletter.

At least night's Endurance Sports Award, Cody MacCasland, an eight-year-old double-amputee, was honored as Challenged Athlete of the Year.

During a brief back and forth on stage, Cody happily professed to having beaten two kids in his last swim race who had legs. (Can you imagine being the parent of the losing child, and having to console them? What could you do but enroll them in piano lessons or art classes.)

My brother and husband were with me last night, and afterwards I asked whether they felt just a little lazy after hearing Cody's story. They confessed that they did. I did, too, and I've done two half ironmans.

I've decided to do a third, but it doesn't seem like nearly the undertaking that any Challenged Athlete might accept.

I'm reminded of Hey Nostradamus!, where the protagonist, speaking from the dead, recounts a perfect evening where he stripped down and ran exultant circles through his neighborhood. He declares something like, "I wish that I could've run naked through the streets every day of my life."

I'm not suggesting that anyone, physically challenged or not, break laws of decency. But perhaps a little more metaphorical streaking, and a little less status quo, would do us all good.

Now Accepting Submissions

At tonight's Tri Club meeting, I sat by ex-Prez Brian. Before things got started, Brian let me in on a idea that he thought we should take on.

Taking a cue from Tiger Woods, we'll edit a book called Men and Their Messes. It will be a compilation of stories that ordinary people submit about themselves or someone they know, as long as the person's of the male persuasion, and as long as they've gotten themselves into a sh*tload of trouble.

And because Brian's more than just an idea man, he's got a plan, too. We'll create a website with a form that people can use to submit their story directly to us. We'll compile the best ones, do a little editing and--badda-bing, badda boom (thank you, Urban Dictionary, for the spell-check)--we'll have a book. Simple, right? Until the website, www.myegoruinedmylife.com, is up and running, you can send your tales of self-inflicted woe directly to me.

(Meb gets interviewed by Bob Babbitt.)

After cementing our plan and creating an action-item list, Meb Keflezighi was welcomed as the meeting's guest speaker. Before Keflezighi became the first American to win the New York City Marathon last month since Alberto Salazar in 1982, he was an Eritrean immigrant who took ESL classes at Jefferson Elementary in North Park. After that, he became a cross-country runner by trying out for his junior high team with a mile time of 5:20. And then he became an all-American runner at UCLA. And then at the 2004 Olympics, he became the first American to medal since Frank Shorter in 1972. Keflezighi is a man who has most certainly not made a mess.

(Meb's brother, Merhawi, videoing.)

Beginnings and Endings

Today, the Tri Club has a new President. Very soon, it will have a new Membership Coordinator. After a three years in the position, it's a good time for me to move on.

When I was growing up, my mom used to say that I had a problem with beginnings and endings. I think I had a problem with beginnings and endings that I didn't want to happen. I am completely content to be leaving this Tri Club post.

It is fortunate that people go through different phases. A few years ago, I might've considered it a personal failure that I no longer want to constantly be training for a race. But I've come to realize that if people did continue with something indefinitely, they probably wouldn't discover anything new--they wouldn't progress or evolve. And if they did discover new things, soon they wouldn't have any time to sleep, so chock-full would their lives be. I don't believe there's ever a point of no-return. And while I also don't believe in quitting prematurely, I believe that there is always something new, whether they are a skydiving nonagenarian, or a thirty-year-old writer.

And So it Goes

Lately I have been thinking a lot about the best way to help others. Right now, I am of the mindset that, instead of making my goal to help others, it should be to do what I'm good at. And from this, people will benefit.

At tonight's club meeting, Brian Long announced that he's resigning as club president. He took the position two years, after our good friend Jim McCann passed away unexpectedly. Although I don't know for certain, I don't think Brian decided to preside over two thousand zany triathletes because he wanted to help people learn about this sport. And he didn't do it to benefit his business. I think the position was suddenly vacant, Brian had the plenty of club experience as vice president, good organizational skills as a realtor, and the club needed a president. And in carrying out the duties of president, he's helped thousands of people.

Including me. And while most of the benefits I've reaped from Brian's leadership haven't been material, I also got a typewriter out of the deal.

For Jim

In remembrance of Jim, we swam out to The Cove's quarter-mile buoy this evening. Many thanks to Kevin Koresky for organizing the event and purchasing the leis.

When I pulled up at the buoy and lifted my goggles up to my forehead, there was a one-breath summersault contest going on (the winner did twelve; yes, you should be impressed; it was a flurry of pointed toes and a tucked head). It was just the type of thing Jim would've organized, egging people on to join in.

Leis were placed on the buoys, a few words were said. Then some continued further out for a longer swim, and some high-tailed it back to the shore for the potluck. I bobbed around the buoy for a bit. It was my first ocean swim in a year and a half. It was good. But soon I got cold. Really cold. (No wetsuit). But it was still good. I will be back before another year and a half passes.

Strunk and White Rolling Over In Their Graves

What does one do after arriving home from a planned eighteen-mile run that became twenty because of a bad map? You relax on the couch with a book! I'm reading one in order to write a review for the Tri Club. The book's subject doesn't matter here; what I want to blog about are the frequent grammar and punctuation mistakes.

"Yoga Berra"?

"This simple displacement of his energy on an external goal, fame, undermining his ability to realize his potential."

These makes me go out of me mind.

May Aquathlon

(Louie gets relegated to the sea wall and the light pole until the dog restriction ends at 6PM.)

(And then moves to the sand to direct racers over the timing mats.)

(The turnaround.)

Okay, Okay, I Get It

Today I received ten email rejections from the same journal for the same story. Okay, I get it. I suck and you hate me and I should either live out the rest of my days under a rock or get a new career, and at the very least never submit to you again. But maybe you could've gotten your point across in, oh, say five rejections? Mark, what are you waiting for in getting in on this fun?

My last blog link (until next year's Tour of California!) about the Borat showing. Viva la TCSD!

Wait For It...

Brian and Buck in Technicolor. For the impatient, fast forward to 2:30. Well done, gentlemen, well done.

In the Name of Charity

You wish you were part of a club where this is your President (scroll down to 13:53:04).

In Brian's defense, he isn't "unfit" at all. Sasha Baron Cohen didn't exactly look good in it, either. Or John Mayer.

The Year of the Ox

There were seven new TCSD applications waiting in the membership queue for me today. What's your New Year's resolution?

Be Kind, Sign up Online-d

We at the TCSD membership department (and by "we" I mean "I") am trying to cut down on paper applications. It's good for environment and it's good for my time management. And members who join or renew online will enjoy faster activation, an auto-response with directions for the next steps, and that clean-laundry smell. Not that I don't enjoy talking with the really friendly postmen at the PO Box, but I'd prefer to walk away with less paperwork. Once again, you can join or renew electronically here.

Encomium to a Long-suffering Volunteer

When Jim suddenly passed, TCSD's Treasurer, Brian Long, assumed the role of President. In doing so, he took the lion's share of TCSD duties on his (recuperating) back.

The job: overseeing 1700+ club members, three race series, monthly meetings, a couple dozen volunteers, lots of sponsors, and a few charities.

It is: unwieldy, monstrous, and thankless.

Basically, it's a second full-time job without any perks like break-room coffee, a gym membership, or a paycheck. If you see Brian at a club event (if there's something going on, he'll most likely be there) give him a quick, appreciative "thanks."