I'm starting to feel my age...

Last night was my Birthday and Clearwater celebration party. Earlier in the day I put up the Christmas lights and it was such a beautiful day I decided to go for an easy bike ride.

It's a great feeling riding for pleasure. A couple of times, out of habit, I got aero and then remembered this was supposed to be an easy ride, so I made myself sit up on the seat. For the entire time I rode sitting up, taking in the surroundings and being thankful.

As I rode down Bell School line and looked at the Escarpment rock face, I just said to myself "I'm so glad we moved to Ontario, it has so much more to offer. I love the countryside, the people, the business environment, the schooling, the future opportunity for my kids and the pace". Ontario feels like home. It took about 5 years, but now it just feels so right.

I felt so alive riding yesterday, like I was on an endorphin rush. I was listening to music and for most of the ride sang along out loud. The song "it's a wonderful life" by Louis Armstrong started playing and I love that song. Alice has trouble listening to it, it brings back emotional memories and she tears up when she hears it. It was her mom's favourite song.

Both of Alice's parents passed on about 7 years ago and both were just beautiful, loving, wonderful, salt of the earth people. Her mom would always say "remember, it's a wonderful life and don't you ever forget it". She'd seen and experienced lots of hardships in her life. As a child in Scotland, she saw the horrors of WWII first hand. Bombs dropping all around her, the sight and smell of death in the street, and even seeing people having to drink and eat their own excrement because there was no food. On day, a bomb fell down their chimney in the middle of their living room. Luckily it was a dud.

Alice's mom was the oldest and had to take care of and protect her younger siblings, one of which had polio. Then when Alice was born, her mom was treated for a major life long heart problem. All while trying to raise an infant and four other children and living and working on a farm. Even with all the hardships she had, she always maintained optimism and if others were struggling she'd remind them "it's a wonderful life and don't you ever forget it".

Later that night was the Party. It was great to see everyone and finally meet face to face with some of the people I've only known through the Internet. The common thread was Ironman. Everyone was at a different stage of their Ironman experience. Some were just getting into it and others were seasoned veterans.

Rodney and John P, are two friends that came with their better halves, Lisa and Francis. Rodney and John have never done a triathlon yet, but signed up for 2010 Muskoka 70.3. They got into mountain biking over the past couple years and are now going to start doing triathlons. In the process I think Rodney has dropped close to 60 lbs and John 40lbs. One thing that amazed me was that when John first got his road bike he went out about 8 times and then did an epic 200 mile ride all by his lonesome. I think if Rodney went for it, John would sign up to do a full Ironman tomorrow. I told John that if he does a 200 mile ride again to give me a call, but give me at least an hours notice.

Hugh and John F, are two friends who also came with their wives Denise and Trish. I met John and Hugh at the Oakville pool. Hugh and his wife Denise do triathlons and Hugh is also an awesome runner. John's done one sprint and then took the big plunge and signed up for 2010 Ironman Wisconsin. I love John's enthusiasm and optimism, especially his line "Living the Dream"!!! I didn't get enough time to talk to them as I would have liked, but I know we'll get together as a group at some point and yak over a few beers. John blog is http://wisconsin2010.blogspot.com/ and Trish has a blog http://ironsherpaskierz.blogspot.com/ . It's kinda cool because each blog is about John's Ironman adventure from two perspectives.

Doru and his wife Miha both got into running and triathlons in the past couple of years. Both did Ironman Muskoka last year. Unfortunately Doru took a major spill on the bike and couldn't finish. I didn't know him back then, but I remember riding by him and seeing him lying down on the ground and people around him, it looked severe. I think it was so bad it broke his wheels and bent his forks. He was very lucky to escape with only minor injuries. This year Doru is training for 2010 Ironman Lake Placid, his first. Doru's the only one of us that didn't start fat and lose weight. What I found funny was that Miha found my blog by googling "beer" and "triathlon".

Carlos is a great guy I met at 2008 Muskoka 70.3. We were sitting a table over in a restaurant, having our pre-race dinner, and just started talking. I think my buddy Rich asked him for a match so he could have a smoke, and yes, Rich was racing as well. From that simple moment, we became fast friends and this past year spent some time riding together in the escarpment. He did 2009 Ironman France, his first. Fernando, his wife also came. She too does triathlons and is taking a year off and focusing on getting her masters. Carlos has an amazing story of having to swim 27,000 meters is one day when he was on the Brazilian National swim team, it was part of "hell day" hazing.

The rest of the group was rounded out with Jamie and Barb, John B and Heather, and Richard. Jamie is a neighbor and an 8 time Ironman finisher. I met Jamie riding my bike in the Escarpment. I pulled up beside him, started chatting and the rest is history. Jamie shares my Ironman, beer drinking and cigar smoking interests. Jamie's big time into cars and has a Ferrari and a Porsche GT, among others. When he showed me them in his garage one day, I got all excited...about his beer kegerator in the corner. I just thought it was so cool to have beer on tap in your garage. Jamie, John and I are going to be doing 2010 Ironman China together this year.

John B, what can I say. If you read this blog you know John. We have an Iron-bond. We trained together and did 2008 Ironman Louisville together. Last but not least was Richard Kun. Great guy, former neighbor and came in third place in this years "House of Payne Beer Run". Richard stayed right up until the end, I think it was around 5:30 am. You gotta love a guy that comes to a party bringing 30 beers and stays till the end.

I got some great gifts, even though I requested not to bring any. John Barclay's was the funniest. He brought a package of Wagon Wheels. If you read the blog regularly, you'll know the background story on the wagon wheels. All the other gifts were beer, beer glasses, cigars and more beer. Surprise, surprise. I also got a humorous triathlon book called Trizophrenia. The timing to get it is perfect because with no training planned for the next two weeks, reading it will give me something to do. I want to thank everyone who came and thanks again for the gifts. And Alyssa did a great job bar tending. Also, later that night, those cigars tasted great.

The energy was electric and at one point I thought the volume from all the talking was going to blow the roof off the house, and we were in the basement. The one thing I've always said is "triathletes are the most positive, optimistic and supportive group of people I've ever met". When I did my first triathlon in 1986, the people were great. After my 15 year layoff and coming back into the sport, the only thing that has changed is the faces. The triathlon spirit is exactly the same as it was 23 years ago.

One of the funniest comments that keep coming up last night was with respect to my Christmas lights. After reading yesterday's blog entry, everyone was expecting these dazzling lights, especially after I said I kept them up for two years rather than take them down. What they saw was two simple strands of lights in a straight line above the garage. Very unimpressive. Doru said it looked like it would only take me about three minutes to put them up. Actually he oversimplifies, it took me more like 12 minutes.

I also thought it was funny that all the folks in their 30's hadn't ever heard the 70's music I was playing. Every once in a while I'd hear a classic song, maybe something from "Three Dog Night or Chicago" and I'd put my arms up in the air in victory and say "yes!!! I love this song!!! Isn't this just a great song"?!?!?!? Then they'd look at me with a "deer in the headlight look" and said they never heard it before.

They weren't getting all my jokes either. Richard, who is close to my age was laughing hard, but they didn't get the references. When I look at other triathletes I never see age, we tend to bond by sharing racing times. At that moment, I started to realize I'm not a young as I thought I was.

I had a great time and wished the night went on longer. Everyone was interesting and I would have liked to have spent more time talking with everyone. Oh well, I guess that's what long bike rides are for. It's amazing how in moving from Winnipeg, and having no friends here, that through a simple sport like triathlon I've been able to develop some strong friendships. Some deep, the kind you make as kids.

Today was a ROUGH day for me. I ended up getting to bed at 6 am and didn't get up until noon. My hat goes off to Doru and Miha who left at about 4:45 am, had to drive a 100 km home to Ajax and then they managed to do a 10 mile road race today, while their kids did the 1 km run. And Doru had a lot of beer. I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!

I woke up at noon, fully clothed, lying on top of the bed covers and it looked like I had all these small pieces of white sponge all over my shirt. Then I realized it wasn't sponge, it was birthday cake. I must have had a piece before going to sleep. I slinked downstairs and in a semi-sitting position, feel asleep on the couch until 8 pm.

At least I did achieve another goal, which was being hungover the day after my birthday. The only thing is that this hangover was different. It hurt more than normal. I guess by not having a drink for 39 days, the body isn't used to having one to many beers. It's the kind of pain that makes you want to not over drink again.

I've heard about this phenomenon, but never experienced it first hand. I usually hear about it from older guys that say they don't drink as much as they used to because it hurts to much and it takes at least a couple of days to fully recover. I guess it's another sign I'm starting to get old.

I'm normally not touched by store bought Birthday Cards, but Alice got me one this year that I love. It says " Before you dash out and whoop it up for your birthday...Before you even think about engaging in wild and tawdry acts...Before you do something you'll only regret in the morning...Just hold it right there!...............and let me grab my jacket. That sums up our relationship. It's a wonderful life and don't you ever forget it!!!

Photo: Back Row - Lisa, Rodney, John P, Francis, John F, Denise, Carlos, Fernando, Hugh, John B, Heather, Barb, Jamie. Front Row - Doru, Trish, Alice, Miha, Me, Richard.

Doru also took some great photo's of the night http://www.flickr.com/photos/32128334@N05/sets/72157622855252572/