Parallels

 As I write this it is the end of November and Thanksgiving weekend, the official start to the holiday season.  Obviously this Thanksgiving was different than years past given this alternate universe we seem to be living in, but different doesn’t mean bad.  As a matter of fact there was a lot of good to come out of this weekend and November in general.  Fortunately the weather has been unseasonably warm thus far which I love, I am not now and never was a fan of the cold weather.  Remember, I was a golfer growing up! I had made Jordan a promise this summer that I would continue taking him to the driving range and getting him lessons through the winter so he could develop the skills and fundamentals necessary to make him a better golfer.  We are at the stage now where most 11 year olds, and Jordan is no different, tend to get bored and annoyed because his lessons and range time mainly consist of “building”.  We start with a good position at address and a solid takeaway and this leads to consistency.  This past Friday as I sat watching him hit balls I couldn’t help but think back to Thanksgiving 2003, that was the last time that my brother and I played golf with my dad.  He would be gone a few short weeks later.  Even though I don’t play as much anymore these moments allow me to connect my past to the present and future, being able to share this with Jordan the way my dad shared it with me is great.  Just as Jordan is building a solid fundamental base for his golf swing, I am building my aerobic base for Ironman training.  Nothing glamorous, but necessary.  In just one full month of structured training I am already beginning to see improvement.  My heart rate is consistent, my pace is getting better and surprisingly my swimming is in a better place than I had expected after such a long layoff.  Today I went for a 5 mile run with my coach, it was a nice easy run that progressed as the miles clicked by.  So as Jordan starts to develop his golf skills I build my foundation for Ironman.  The build for both is the same, but different.

A friend of mine posted on Instagram about Thanksgiving and what she was thankful and grateful for during these crazy times and so I thought I would do the same.

I’m thankful for my health and my family.

I’m grateful for the friendships and bonds that I have created through racing and training.

I appreciate the added time that I have gotten to spend with Lori and Jordan as a result of this pandemic.

I am always a glass half full guy.  I only worry about the things that I can control, not the things I can’t.

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