CARPE DIEM

All right, it’s been way too long between posts and I have too much stored up in my brain, not to post today.

A little over two weeks into the new year and I’m guessing most New Year’s Resolutions have already been abandoned. With turning 40 last August, flipping the calendar to a new year (and decade), and, especially, Cindy Brochman’s passing, all I can think about is Carpe Diem. As Wikipedia states;

The phrase is part of the longer Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero – "Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future", and the ode says that the future is unknowable, and that instead one should scale back one's hopes to a brief future, and drink one's wine. Compare with the Biblical "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die", a conflation, with emphasis on making the most of current opportunities because life is short and time is fleeting – an existential caution.

It all sounds very romantic, but how do we make that happen? I think one of the reasons resolutions fail is because a year is too long to commit to change – and it’s easier just to go back to the status quo. So, I’m going to focus on the next 6 weeks. Why 6 weeks? Well, first off, the Birkie is 6 weeks away. Second, I think it’s a short enough program that I’ll be able to stick with it, yet long enough to actually see some improvements. Third, I have a nice little 4 race season (3 skiing and 1 running) planned during that timeframe.

What do I hope to do during this timeframe? The easiest answer is to become a better skier without sacrificing my running (too much). The little things include; core strengthening, cutting out pop, limiting the crap I eat at work, getting the nutrition I need after my workouts into my body sooner, limiting my time playing Tiger Woods on Wii. Yes, I know I’ve written most of that stuff before without really sticking to a plan. But this time I’m going in with a 6 week timeframe. Hopefully that’ll help me maintain my focus.

Speaking of seizing the day, congrats to all the Minnesotans that ran great at Houston. Antonio Vega, Patrick Smyth, Josh Moen, Matt Gabrielson, and Meghan Armstrong all PR’d in the half marathon, with Vega taking the win. Meanwhile, in the marathon, Jenna Boren finished 7th in a near-PR 2:42:55 – despite a “huge positive split” of about two-and-a-half minutes. In the process she qualified for the Olympic Trials Marathon, again.

For a little inspiration when it comes to core workouts, here’s a cool video of Lindsey Vonn. For anyone that’s ever touched a stability ball, you know it’s not as easy as she’s making it look.



Finally, today’s quote of the day comes from my oldest daughter, Kinsey. Saturday she went downhill skiing for the first time ever at Buck Hill. Ironically, that is the same ski hill that Lindsey Vonn learned to ski on. Then that afternoon, I took her ice skating and she told me;

“This time of year I just feel like this is where I belong – outside skiing and skating.” - Kinsey Austin