Thursday, March 25, 2010

The Butler Did It, with an orange orb, in Salt Lake City!!


Well, I hope we're not too messianic
Or a trifle too satanic
We love to play the blues
Well I am just a monkey man
I'm glad you are a monkey, monkey woman too, babe
The Rolling Stones





So I have spent the better part of this week training for the triathlon. I feel a little like I am letting my fellow campers down by not being there for all the classes and hikes but to be truthful the program is designed to teach you that you can do more. I would never have attempted, nor been able to even fathom, doing this without having completed so many weeks. So please excuse me if I seem distant this week or out of sorts. I'm not really nervous per se, but more expectant and hopeful that I will get this done. I want to do my best and prepare how I see fit. So I apologize to this week's group and in advance to next week's group. It's not that I am getting special treatment, it's that I am using my time to best help me achieve the goal I set. We are going to have an amazing number of participants from the ridge at this year's race over 10 staff and I now believe over 6 current or former campers. And of course one film crew :(



The view over the handle bars :) Above is my transition practice set up. We go from the pool on to the bike route without a changing tent. I think most people wear their swimsuits on to the bike course but I need to change into dry shorts. So perhaps if the cnbc crew is alert while filming you can get a pixeled shot of my butt and junk flying free in the Utah morning sunshine. I am hoping to towel wrap, drop trough, and reengage with my pants but that's is asking an awful lot from a piece of terrycloth. So no promises that there won't be a poor terrified and most likely scarred Mormon housewife who in her worst nightmare never dreamed a triathlon would expose her to such.


The weather has been awesome this week. I have picked up a little more red around the shoulders than I expected. I know sun screen is my friend Love it though and between the bike and pool class I will be taking home a nice tan; of that I am assured of. By the way that is Damien, this month's employee of the month at the Ridge. And he has really helped get my bike into working order. Including adjusting the seat, changing the pedals and replacing a ruptured innertube on my back tire.



There really is nothing more fun than pool class on a wonderful warm day. I am heading out on a hike tomorrow. Most likely my last real off-road hike of the trip as next week is exclusively tri prep. I know that next week will be the biggest number of new campers ever as 46 new campers arrive. The numbers, while consistently in the 65-73 range, have never felt overwhelming to me. There is always enough staff, always enough accountability, and still much of the same personal touch I felt with 35 campers. Not much fall out from the change over in hiking sign-ups and the loss of the stop sign hike ritual. Change not always welcome here at the Ridge is certainly understandable and the campers have done a good job of adapting. I hope everyone has a great week Peace, and Big Love!!, Jim

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ooh - what are the changes in hiking sign up? I'm so curious!

Btw - this is Matt from NY from last summer - hope you're doing great!

Nolo Contendere said...

That title scared me a little. You're gonna rock the Tri!!

Sabine said...

as usual I am with you my friend.
I yet have to do a tri (or tri-tri to be precise). Scared of all the challanges not my phu=iscal but all the stuff that goes with it (transitions etc)
Be well
Sabine