Hello everyone -

Progress has been slow and gradual - more "behind the scenes" than anything else - but it is "progress". As the learning curve levels out a bit, I have been able to start thinking more and more about content and the visual impact of the site. I am hoping to have some more content (words and photos) up in the next couple of weeks - so stay patient and stay tuned!

I am about to get another year older. I find that every so often, something during the day will trigger a myriad of flashbacks from days of yore. Case in point - do you remember the TV game show “The $10,000 Pyramid”? In it, a team member would give clues to his/her partner to describe a topic or phrase. The goal of the partner was to guess the topic. If you worked your way up the pyramid, you could win $10,000. Ahhh yes , the things that we remember ...

Before we go any further, I can guarantee you that $10,000 isn't at stake in this article! But, today I present to you “The Triathlete's Pyramid” - and I will be your host. Who needs Dick Clark anyways?

In the first round, your partner shouts out - “aerobic system, maximum VO2, heart rate monitor ...”.

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Today has been a day of reflection for me. For many, the coming of a new year is time for rejoicing and for reflecting upon what has passed and what awaits us for the year ahead. In many ways, January 1 is quite an arbitrary day in that it’s merely the start of the calendar - but not necessarily a significant milestone in anyone’s world.

The day that you arrived in the world - now that day has significance. It is with this in mind that I reflect upon another year - and look ahead to what lies in front of me. It is on this day that I find myself looking at the big picture of life, looking into the mirror for meaning, diving into my soul for tranquility and understanding - and peace.

Today will always be known as Stevie’s Day to me. Perhaps that requires a little explanation.

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Physics. For many people, just the mention of the word gives them high school flashbacks – or nightmares. Love it or hate it, physics provides us with the foundations for our understanding of the world – even the world of the endurance athlete. 

Let's take a common discussion topic. Athlete A, a relative newcomer to the sport, has done a few sprint triathlons and now wants to do an Olympic distance event. Athlete B, a seasoned triathlete, is finally ready to go after that first Ironman. How do either of these athletes “move up” and “go longer” successfully?

Before we get our emotions involved, get our mitochondria in a knot, and start the heated debate about lactate threshold, heart rate monitors, and the need for aerobic training, let's look to physics for a guiding light. If it is good enough to define nature, it's probably good enough for your neighborhood triathlete. Maybe, with any luck, Newton was a triathlete ...

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As I look at the calendar today, my mind is befuddled by the date. It’s July 22, 2006. Almost one year ago to this date, I was standing on the edge of a precipice known as “my first Ironman”, waiting for the adventure to begin, thinking that, in many ways, I was already well into it.

July 24, 2005 came and went. It was a special day, a day of realization, of serenity, of calm inside. It was but a mere moment in time - and it was almost a year ago. How times travels oh so fast … when you’re living it - fully.

I look back on that day fondly, not only for the completion of the task at hand, but having the opportunity to experience the beauty of life itself. It was an experience shared with my best friend, which just added to the enjoyment of the occasion. Of course, it wasn’t in my plan to finish 13 minutes behind him, but I digress! At least he was still hanging around the finish area when I got there!

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I know it's hard to believe, but there is actually new material online today! I've put up the first poem (from many many moons ago), along with some great quotes from some great folks. This should be the start of a steady flow of material from the first 4 years of writing. The Library of Congress has it, so now you can read it!

I’ve always maintained that if you pay attention to life, it can teach you many wonderful things. Perhaps it teaches you about humility … or love … or suffering … or karma.

Along those same lines, sport is, without a doubt, a metaphor for life … and in sport, we have the opportunity to learn many lessons of life. Whether it’s the preparation for an event, or the span of the event itself, we are presented with strong life lessons that can make us much stronger, more sensitive to the world around (and within) us, and much more at peace with ourselves.

In the task of preparing for an event, be it a 5K run or an Ironman triathlon, you are always pushing the edge of what you think is possible. It’s a mental challenge - perhaps even far more so than the physical challenge that is presented to us. Within this mental challenge, we go places that perhaps we never thought we’d go, revise our beliefs of ourselves and our limits, and “push the envelope” (with all due respect to Chuck Yeager) of our existence.

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