Well as most are already aware, I have committed to the Ironman Wisconsin triathlon on September 7th, 2014, I'm excited to do the race. But as important I'm looking forward to the journey. The rigor, discipline and planning that is necessary between now and race day to be ready to compete are exciting for me. The first thoughts about an ironman race began shortly after going to Kilimanjaro in January. Much to the dismay of my wife, summiting that mountain wasn't an end point but a brief stop along what I hope is a long and winding trail.
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, and leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.
- Edward Abbey
So my next stop is IM Wisconsin, and onward from there. The physical and mental discipline of endurance activity is very compelling to me. I've routinely sought out these experiences for the last 15 years. Some relevant quotes that I really like on the topic include:
Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own; sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction.
- Scott Jurek
Real alpinists know how to turn off their head...The mind is too fickle. Optimistic one minute, pessimistic the next, pitching back and forth like a rowboat on big seas. Not the body. The body doesn't exaggerate or self-deprecate or play mindgames. The body is a machine, a realist...The body is an animal. It moves and lives only in the present.
- Mark Jenkins
This is the draw for me. I've no particular physical gifts of size, speed, or strength. But my mind is strong and I can suffer physically. I can "turn off my head" when it is too fickle and let my body be the machine. At the end of the bell curve is where I find "sources of strength" and a certain peace. The fleeting package of achievement, serenity, and strength is the "high" I want to experience over and over.
What about you? What draws you? What can't you get enough of? Have you organized yourself and your life around them? A parting thought...
Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory or defeat.
- Theodore Roosevelt
Monday, December 30, 2013
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
The New Era of College Admissions
A couple of weeks ago Holly and I joined Haley for her first college counseling appointment at her school. The appointment was set for one hour with one of 4 or 5 full-time college counselors the school employ to support their students in the college admissions process. I have to admit that my first thought was "wow, what a luxury". Little did I know ...
I know this will come as a shock to you, but the college admissions process has changed a little in the past 30 years! Yes, my only perspective of the process was my own experience that long ago. So let me recap that really briefly for effect.
In 1984-85 I didn't give too much thought to college or where I wanted to go to school. I didn't think about crossing a river and public in-state schools were my only real consideration. The sticker shock of small private school tuition was the primary detractor to that route so I focused solely on Iowa, Iowa State and UNI. I really didn't want to go to Iowa State (for all the wrong reasons, their sports programs sucked) and I really wanted to go to Iowa for all the reasons you would expect from a high school senior (some of my friends were going there, it was reasonably far away from home, and they had great sports programs). Remarkably I did not have a college visit to Iowa and relied on my basketball camp experience from 7th grade as a means of knowing that was where I wanted to be. Also surprisingly the school scheduled a visit to Iowa State that confirmed my suspicions - no thanks. And UNI was so close to home I really didn't want to go there unless I didn't get into Iowa.
So I took the ACT test and filed two applications - one at Iowa and the other at UNI. Luckily, I scored 24 on my ACT (Iowa required an 18 minimum, with 21 preferred) and I was accepted as a Hawkeye. I was also accepted to UNI but that was really only a default position. And off I went! Relatively simple, relatively painless, and all I had to figure out now was how to pay for it. Almost $5,000 per year for four years! Yikes, hopefully my grades would support some scholarships, grants and loans, and that would cover it.
Ok, sorry back to the story. The counselor at Regis Jesuit was marvelous. She had years of experience, multiple degrees in counseling, and really had a teaching and service attitude to help the student (and the parent) find the right school. She asked very good questions of Haley and offered her full support in guiding us through the process. Ah, the process ...
First, you use a tool called Naviance that enables you to compare schools across a wide variety of categories. Haley puts in her grades, details, preferences, desires and pretty much any parameter she wants and Naviance will help her select from the 3,000 available universities and colleges in the US. Second, you need a test plan. After multiple rounds of pre-ACT and pre-SAT testing Haley will learn which test suits her testing approach the best and schedule at least two rounds of testing for that preferred route. She can and likely will take the other test also so she'll end up taking these tests at least three times collectively. Then, she needs to narrow her initial list of schools to somewhere between 12 and 20 schools. Keep in mind these schools are coast-to-coast and span the spectrum of public/private, small/big, cheap/expensive. Check that, they are all expensive! I'll come on to that in a minute. Once she has narrowed to up to 20 schools she will need to schedule college visits. Yes, you should always visit the school you are going to attend at least once. Then ultimately narrow the list to 3-7 schools for which you will apply.
Because college demand is so high, you really have to be a great student. My great I mean a GPA of 3.7 or better, an ACT score of 27+ and a resume that has more than school on it. It's crazy competitive. For Haley to go to a top tier college she'll need a 30+ ACT score and a GPA of 3.9 or better in addition to her extra curricular activities. Fortunately, she's on pace to do just that. If she wanted to get into an Ivy League school she would need better than a 4.0 GPA and test scores of 34 or better just to be considered!
One more thing that was of value. The priority order for selection of students at most schools is:
1. GPA
2. Test scores (SAT/ACT)
3. Resume (yes, it's just like the real world - if you don't have one you're screwed)
3. College essay (Haley will take a semester long course and complete hers that way)
4. Teacher recommendations
The whole process takes about 12 months and will probably cost thousands of dollars. Oh, and the cost of a four year degree? At least $120,000. More likely $150,000 and up. And that's just the bachelors degree. Haley wants to be an orthodontist so will likely be in school for 12 years or more. Even at $30k a year (conservative) that's over $350,000!!!
But Haley is worth every penny. There is not a better investment on the planet than the investment Holly and I will make in our kids. But the process was, well overwhelming.
And I am so thankful to have a college counselor to help Haley, Holly and me through the process!
I know this will come as a shock to you, but the college admissions process has changed a little in the past 30 years! Yes, my only perspective of the process was my own experience that long ago. So let me recap that really briefly for effect.
In 1984-85 I didn't give too much thought to college or where I wanted to go to school. I didn't think about crossing a river and public in-state schools were my only real consideration. The sticker shock of small private school tuition was the primary detractor to that route so I focused solely on Iowa, Iowa State and UNI. I really didn't want to go to Iowa State (for all the wrong reasons, their sports programs sucked) and I really wanted to go to Iowa for all the reasons you would expect from a high school senior (some of my friends were going there, it was reasonably far away from home, and they had great sports programs). Remarkably I did not have a college visit to Iowa and relied on my basketball camp experience from 7th grade as a means of knowing that was where I wanted to be. Also surprisingly the school scheduled a visit to Iowa State that confirmed my suspicions - no thanks. And UNI was so close to home I really didn't want to go there unless I didn't get into Iowa.
So I took the ACT test and filed two applications - one at Iowa and the other at UNI. Luckily, I scored 24 on my ACT (Iowa required an 18 minimum, with 21 preferred) and I was accepted as a Hawkeye. I was also accepted to UNI but that was really only a default position. And off I went! Relatively simple, relatively painless, and all I had to figure out now was how to pay for it. Almost $5,000 per year for four years! Yikes, hopefully my grades would support some scholarships, grants and loans, and that would cover it.
Ok, sorry back to the story. The counselor at Regis Jesuit was marvelous. She had years of experience, multiple degrees in counseling, and really had a teaching and service attitude to help the student (and the parent) find the right school. She asked very good questions of Haley and offered her full support in guiding us through the process. Ah, the process ...
First, you use a tool called Naviance that enables you to compare schools across a wide variety of categories. Haley puts in her grades, details, preferences, desires and pretty much any parameter she wants and Naviance will help her select from the 3,000 available universities and colleges in the US. Second, you need a test plan. After multiple rounds of pre-ACT and pre-SAT testing Haley will learn which test suits her testing approach the best and schedule at least two rounds of testing for that preferred route. She can and likely will take the other test also so she'll end up taking these tests at least three times collectively. Then, she needs to narrow her initial list of schools to somewhere between 12 and 20 schools. Keep in mind these schools are coast-to-coast and span the spectrum of public/private, small/big, cheap/expensive. Check that, they are all expensive! I'll come on to that in a minute. Once she has narrowed to up to 20 schools she will need to schedule college visits. Yes, you should always visit the school you are going to attend at least once. Then ultimately narrow the list to 3-7 schools for which you will apply.
Because college demand is so high, you really have to be a great student. My great I mean a GPA of 3.7 or better, an ACT score of 27+ and a resume that has more than school on it. It's crazy competitive. For Haley to go to a top tier college she'll need a 30+ ACT score and a GPA of 3.9 or better in addition to her extra curricular activities. Fortunately, she's on pace to do just that. If she wanted to get into an Ivy League school she would need better than a 4.0 GPA and test scores of 34 or better just to be considered!
One more thing that was of value. The priority order for selection of students at most schools is:
1. GPA
2. Test scores (SAT/ACT)
3. Resume (yes, it's just like the real world - if you don't have one you're screwed)
3. College essay (Haley will take a semester long course and complete hers that way)
4. Teacher recommendations
The whole process takes about 12 months and will probably cost thousands of dollars. Oh, and the cost of a four year degree? At least $120,000. More likely $150,000 and up. And that's just the bachelors degree. Haley wants to be an orthodontist so will likely be in school for 12 years or more. Even at $30k a year (conservative) that's over $350,000!!!
But Haley is worth every penny. There is not a better investment on the planet than the investment Holly and I will make in our kids. But the process was, well overwhelming.
And I am so thankful to have a college counselor to help Haley, Holly and me through the process!
All I Want For Christmas ...
- A family with whom to share Christmas,
- A home and bed that is safe and warm,
- A beautiful and loving wife, that also is a pretty good cook,
- Three incredible kids that make me proud and feel lucky to be their Dad,
- Some friends who I can share great times, and can help me through those that aren't so great,
- A company and position that values what I can do for them, and supports my efforts to make that company a better place to work for all employees,
- Reliable and safe transportation for me and my family, a full tank of gas,
- A full refrigerator,
- Bills that are all paid, and hopefully with a little left in my bank account
I'm really lucky. My blessings are huge and my problems are small.
Merry Christmas to my family, and my two brothers who co-author this blog. You two are both family and two of the best friends anyone could want. I miss you both. You both (and your families) are such an important part of the blessings I describe above.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Gym faux pas
1. Using really heavy dumbbells and doing sets of 1-2 to make you look like you are lifting a lot of weight.
2. Taking 10 minutes between sets to rest.
3. Not using towels in a spin class so your sweat pools and makes a mess.
4. Walking around the locker room naked like you own the place. (why are you carrying your towel?)
5. Wearing your favorite football team's t-shirt after you've cut off the sleeves and deep v-s down the side so when you bend over people can see your pecs and abs.
6. Hanging towels of multiple pieces of workout equipment to "save" them to make sure nobody interrupts your workout.
2. Taking 10 minutes between sets to rest.
3. Not using towels in a spin class so your sweat pools and makes a mess.
4. Walking around the locker room naked like you own the place. (why are you carrying your towel?)
5. Wearing your favorite football team's t-shirt after you've cut off the sleeves and deep v-s down the side so when you bend over people can see your pecs and abs.
6. Hanging towels of multiple pieces of workout equipment to "save" them to make sure nobody interrupts your workout.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Gym Observations Add On
So there are two other things that I forgot to add to my original post - both related closely to the other.
Stairmaster - Correct me if I'm wrong, but the idea of the stairmaster is that you actually carry your weight on the stairs, just as you would if you were climbing floors in the Empire State building. It seems that an in-proportionate number of people like to hang all of their weight on the front or side railings and then just lift their legs through the motions as the stairs roll by. I can't really speak to the benefit of that particular method, but I'm sure it's a good shoulder workout!
Treadmill - Similarly, I noticed a lady the other day who had the elevation on the treadmill maxed out to what looked to be about a 30-degree angle. Seems like that would be a great workout, except she was holding the front bar with both arms and leaning back at a 30-degree angle so that she was actually walking perpendicular to the treadmill belt! So again, she wasn't actually using any muscles to walk the incline, she was just holding on to the bar as if someone tilted the entire room. I think it was a good back workout!
Couldn't resist adding those to the list... now get back to work!
Stairmaster - Correct me if I'm wrong, but the idea of the stairmaster is that you actually carry your weight on the stairs, just as you would if you were climbing floors in the Empire State building. It seems that an in-proportionate number of people like to hang all of their weight on the front or side railings and then just lift their legs through the motions as the stairs roll by. I can't really speak to the benefit of that particular method, but I'm sure it's a good shoulder workout!
Treadmill - Similarly, I noticed a lady the other day who had the elevation on the treadmill maxed out to what looked to be about a 30-degree angle. Seems like that would be a great workout, except she was holding the front bar with both arms and leaning back at a 30-degree angle so that she was actually walking perpendicular to the treadmill belt! So again, she wasn't actually using any muscles to walk the incline, she was just holding on to the bar as if someone tilted the entire room. I think it was a good back workout!
Couldn't resist adding those to the list... now get back to work!
Friday, December 6, 2013
John Harbaugh's Week from a Slightly Different Perspective
I re-read this post last night and gave it some more thought. After reading it again I was angered.
While I appreciate the position that's being taken by the author (and what a great opportunity to gain real insight into an NFL coaches schedule) but can't help but think what kind of editorial latitude is required and taken to take a $5M a year job that works the schedule discussed for around 5 months of the year and somehow craft it into an "oh whoa is me" perspective.
You can't be serious, can you?
Why don't we profile a Denny's short order cook making $8.50/hr with 25% OT so that he can eek out a living with his wife (who also works) and two kids in a small 850 square foot apartment.
A couple of questions and some perspective that was missed in this article:
Maybe this also wasn't the intent of the article, it was just my slant in reading it, but c'mon, how many of us wouldn't take that job for the trade offs. And what kind of a degree did John require in order to take on such a role? $5M a year, surely he has multiple PhDs in order to command a salary like that right? Bet not.
Another take on the "Oh Whoa is John Article" is this, and it's a bit to Marc's point. At that salary, when will he retire? And then how much time will he be able to spend with his wife and kids? What will he be able to commit to them in terms of his time and attention then? That looks pretty attractive too.
So all in all, John doesn't have it too bad. And most any common man or even steady working stiff (maybe not all) would jump at the chance to do what John does for a living, and with his hours and level of commitment.
John is extremely blessed and we shouldn't be one bit surprised to say regardless of the hours he works he is among the most fortunate on the planet in terms of career choice.
That is all.
While I appreciate the position that's being taken by the author (and what a great opportunity to gain real insight into an NFL coaches schedule) but can't help but think what kind of editorial latitude is required and taken to take a $5M a year job that works the schedule discussed for around 5 months of the year and somehow craft it into an "oh whoa is me" perspective.
You can't be serious, can you?
Why don't we profile a Denny's short order cook making $8.50/hr with 25% OT so that he can eek out a living with his wife (who also works) and two kids in a small 850 square foot apartment.
A couple of questions and some perspective that was missed in this article:
- What does John's schedule look like in the off season?
- What does "home" look like?
- What kind of car does he make his terrible 25 minute commute in? Does he have to pay for parking?
- What does he eat at all the lunches/dinners he is required to attend? Who pays?
- If you add up all the hours he works in a year and divide the $5M by those hours, what is his hourly rate?
Maybe this also wasn't the intent of the article, it was just my slant in reading it, but c'mon, how many of us wouldn't take that job for the trade offs. And what kind of a degree did John require in order to take on such a role? $5M a year, surely he has multiple PhDs in order to command a salary like that right? Bet not.
Another take on the "Oh Whoa is John Article" is this, and it's a bit to Marc's point. At that salary, when will he retire? And then how much time will he be able to spend with his wife and kids? What will he be able to commit to them in terms of his time and attention then? That looks pretty attractive too.
So all in all, John doesn't have it too bad. And most any common man or even steady working stiff (maybe not all) would jump at the chance to do what John does for a living, and with his hours and level of commitment.
John is extremely blessed and we shouldn't be one bit surprised to say regardless of the hours he works he is among the most fortunate on the planet in terms of career choice.
That is all.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Observations from my new life at the gym
I've gone to gyms before, but since it's been a regular thing as a result of our fitness challenge, I've been observing a few things at the military gym...
- WARP SPEED, ZERO RESISTANCE. I've never been a huge fan of the elliptical machines, but have found them to be more comfortable than "pounding the pavement." It's not unusual for someone to be next to me who is cranking out about 400 strides per minute. I can't help but glance over and notice that the resistance is at zero and the elevation is at -2. I guess it still gets your heart rate up, but to me it's the equivalent of doing three sets of 250 reps with a broom stick on the bench press.
- WHAT WAS THAT BRO? Over on the free weight side, most people are working out with a friend. I find it comical when two dudes are continually trying to carry on a conversation when they are both wearing headphones. They do their entire workout pulling one earbud out to hear their friend, and then putting it back in to crank out those eight reps!
- BEATS BY DRE. I realize that "Beats by Dr. Dre" are just another fashion accessory, and so I shouldn't be surprised that it carries over into the gym. Whether it's on the treadmill, the stationary bike, the squat machine, or some free weight curls, those headphones are NOT the headphones that I would choose for the gym. The size makes them look a little silly.
- BEACH CRUISING. I'll pick on the women for a second. It seems that pairs of them like to come to the gym, sit on the recumbent stationary bikes, and read magazines and catch up on last year's news while giving the appearance of riding a bicycle. Unlike the crazy elliptical gazelles, these ladies are turning about 25 revolutions a minute on the bike, and I don't think they are set on level 20 for resistance!
- I'M NOT IN THE NAVY. Marines have a pretty typical look, and it's usually not hard to spot them anyway. But in a Navy gym, you won't have a problem identifying someone in the Marine Corps. They have USMC plastered on every piece of clothing they may be wearing. No respectable grunt wants someone thinking they might be a low-life Sailor! I have to give a close runner-up to the Chief Petty Officers for the "I want you to know this about me" category. CPOs don't work out in anything but a "You wish you were a Chief like me" shirt.
I'm not saying at all that any of these people don't belong in the gym. There are all types in the there and I'm sure there is another blogger out there on the interwebs who has comically pointed out that guy at the gym who spends about 15-25 minutes on a machine before he moves quickly on to a new one, as if he's doing a cardio-equipment triathlon. Besides, my 60 minutes in the gym would be a lot less entertaining if I couldn't do some people watching while I'm there.
One of my favorite quotes from Pride and Prejudice: "For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?"
What a crappy week
I finally got around to reading the ESPN article on John Harbaugh’s week.
I don’t know how any people who work that way maintain a family at all. I’m not trying to be rude or mean, but I’ve always postulated that the families that can survive that don’t really enjoy being together in the first place. They enjoy the separation. It happens a lot in the military too.
I had to laugh at one of the few quotes in the article. Harbaugh said that he enjoys the 15-25 minutes of phone time with his wife every day because “… it's a chance to step away from everything and remember what's important." Based on our previous discussions, an outside observer would look at his schedule and come to the conclusion that for John Harbaugh, family CAN’T be “what’s important.”
I guess that’s why they get paid the big bucks, but I’m not sure I want a job that requires me to sleep on the couch in my office when my home and family are 30 minutes away.
I don’t know how any people who work that way maintain a family at all. I’m not trying to be rude or mean, but I’ve always postulated that the families that can survive that don’t really enjoy being together in the first place. They enjoy the separation. It happens a lot in the military too.
I had to laugh at one of the few quotes in the article. Harbaugh said that he enjoys the 15-25 minutes of phone time with his wife every day because “… it's a chance to step away from everything and remember what's important." Based on our previous discussions, an outside observer would look at his schedule and come to the conclusion that for John Harbaugh, family CAN’T be “what’s important.”
I guess that’s why they get paid the big bucks, but I’m not sure I want a job that requires me to sleep on the couch in my office when my home and family are 30 minutes away.
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