26 down – 339 days to go…..

Man, those 22 first days of January really just flew by. It’s hard to put the first 3 weeks of ‘08 in perspective since we still have such a long way to go….. But hopefully, the first few days of the year aren’t a good proxy for the remainder – particularly on the work front, which has consumed me in more ways than one since I returned from California over the holidays.

And yes, I must admit to having asked why I left the Golden State in the first place - almost 8 years ago now…..So much easier to keep physically active for me out West. But no worries, as the triathlon race season is fast approaching, I feel that little tickle in my stomach and legs once more. I love that feeling. Makes me feel so alive and reminds me of how much I truly am looking forward to racing this year  First scheduled race is the Oceanside ½ IronMan on March 29th….Let’s see, that’s only 77 days from now….Time for me to get back in the saddle - despite the fact that I am writing this note from my 3rd Jet Blue flight this year, will be heading back to Copenhagen tomorrow and will have to draw the cobweb from my bike’s handlebars when I get home…..

Damn……I didn’t get to finish my sentence above until after I actually went and came back from Denmark…..I’m exhausted…..I was only there for 3 days…..total sleep of only 10 hrs or so…..some rest off and on in the plane and then about 5 hrs each day there….the worst kind of thing for ‘routine athletic Type A’ personalities like me…this international travels really seem to be taking a toll on me as I get older….I don’t mind going back and forth within the US. But these long-haul international flights are really getting old. I lost count long ago as to how many times I’ve been over the Atlantic…It’s been more than 20 years since I left Norway…..Oh well, I am not complaining. It’s what puts food on the table and I am grateful to be of service to others – not just on the sports front – but on the side of creating societal ‘value’ as well. That’s why I like to work in the health care industry after all. There will be more international trips coming up that are work related, I’m sure. That will make 2008 particularly tough for me since it will be hard to find periods of qualitative training time. But somehow, I know I will because that’s the other half of being a serious age grouper triathlete; finding the balance between work and play and never let either one take a dominant role in your life.

So on that, note, I’ll finish this blog by saying tomorrow’s a new day. There’s a lot for me to be grateful for, I have no regrets of past actions – just of those things I have not yet done.

Going for a good ole’ swim tomorrow and then a steady run to test my ‘groin pull’….yeah, that thing is still bothering me…..Got to listen to my body and also remind myself we’re still in January…..it’s 35 Fahrenheit here in DC and 2008 will be a long race season for me…..I hope.

In sports,
Espen