Joseph Sylvester Mosbrook was my fathers father. We called him Papa. He died when I was a teenager on Thanksgiving. I thought of him as a warm and happy spirit. He was a proud man and well respected. He was president of the Pinehurst Country Club and lived across the road from the 7th hole of Pinehurst #2, one of the best golf courses in the world.
Papa loved golf. He played late into his life. I am the only member of my family to not love the game.
I do respect golf and understand the passion my Dad, brother, uncles, Susie and Papa have for it. The game is a great challenge and you have to work hard at it to be good. The weather and course can have a strong effect on the game.
Golf is a sport that requires continual spending. From green fee's to lessons, to the never ending need for the next greatest piece of equipment that will make you drive further, putt better and shave one stroke from your score.
Golf is a lot like triathlon. Just slower. One day the Newspaper will have a section called Tri Monday.....
My Papa's middle name, Sylvester means happy New Year in German. He was born December 31, 1899 close to midnight. He was one of the last babies born in that century.
So what makes me think of my grandfather, Joe Mosbrook on his 107th birthday?
It is also the birthday of fellow IM candidate, CTC member, Heights resident, former Mad town resident, and blogger, Jodi.
Jodi is not 107 and is very much alive. Very much alive thanks to her bike helmet. She crashed recently and the helmet most likely saved her life. (WEAR YOUR HELMET!)
Capricorns are resilient and don't seem to let much slow them down. Papa was hit by lightning while golfing, and got right back on the course. Jodi has been piling on the bike mileage since her accident.
Anyhow, Happy Birthday Papa.
Happy Birthday Jodi.
Happy New Year Everyone.
IRONMAN 2007....Maybe I will take up golf next year.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Christmas Dreams of Zeus
Once known as the king of gods, Zeus is now regarded as mythology.
What would Zeus dream of on the night before Christmas? What would the supreme god look forward to on the day we celebrate the birth of Christ, the king of kings?
Zeus is not forgotten. We still hold the Olympic games. The games that were created in his honor. An event that brings the nations of the world together in peaceful competition.
Zeus's impact is still present in our modern world.
The Zeus I speak of this night before Christmas is a big black Labrador retriever. Zeus is ten now, but still a big puppy.
On Christmas morning Zeus gets to go for a run with his old running buddy. For Zeus there is nothing greater than that.
Every year I head over to my folks house before everyone else and take my old training partner out for a jog round Shaker lakes. He knows it's coming. He knows the sound of running cloths. He starts dancing about and making crazy wookie moans in anticipation. His big powerful tail starts churning like a machine. If you get in the way of Zeus's tail before a run, you will surely come away with a bruise. Zeus loves to run, and Christmas Morning he gets to run.
The first quarter mile he pulls in excitement. After that he settles into my pace and we just run with the occasional male dog pit stop.
Zeus and I would run together daily while I was in school. We trained for 3 marathons together. He later adapted to my little sister Susie's run style.
He doesn't have a running partner these day sans the occasional drop-in by Susie or I.
I know he misses it. He bellowed in anticipation this evening at dinner.
All Zeus wants this Christmas is to run.
Who could blame him?.
Hope you all have as Merry a Christmas as Zeus.
What would Zeus dream of on the night before Christmas? What would the supreme god look forward to on the day we celebrate the birth of Christ, the king of kings?
Zeus is not forgotten. We still hold the Olympic games. The games that were created in his honor. An event that brings the nations of the world together in peaceful competition.
Zeus's impact is still present in our modern world.
The Zeus I speak of this night before Christmas is a big black Labrador retriever. Zeus is ten now, but still a big puppy.
On Christmas morning Zeus gets to go for a run with his old running buddy. For Zeus there is nothing greater than that.
Every year I head over to my folks house before everyone else and take my old training partner out for a jog round Shaker lakes. He knows it's coming. He knows the sound of running cloths. He starts dancing about and making crazy wookie moans in anticipation. His big powerful tail starts churning like a machine. If you get in the way of Zeus's tail before a run, you will surely come away with a bruise. Zeus loves to run, and Christmas Morning he gets to run.
The first quarter mile he pulls in excitement. After that he settles into my pace and we just run with the occasional male dog pit stop.
Zeus and I would run together daily while I was in school. We trained for 3 marathons together. He later adapted to my little sister Susie's run style.
He doesn't have a running partner these day sans the occasional drop-in by Susie or I.
I know he misses it. He bellowed in anticipation this evening at dinner.
All Zeus wants this Christmas is to run.
Who could blame him?.
Hope you all have as Merry a Christmas as Zeus.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Days off are good.
After my long run last Sunday, I was feeling beat up. I was tired, and I had pain in my foot. I couldn't wait for Friday.
Friday is my day of rest. No training on Fridays. That is the rule.
Last night was our Xmas party at work. This usually means lots of drinking. A few pint of Guinness, some chocolate covered fruit, a shifter of Bushmills 16 year whisky, and an odd shot that Addie made up for the house. For the most part the party remained tame.
I saw my friend Sean Patton. Sean has done Kona at least 4 times, and won the Cleveland Triathlon a number of times. Sean was one of the reasons I paid attention to the sport, but he had started to focus on marathon the past few years. Last night he said he was coming back to multisport. Welcome back.
This morning I work up and rode my bike to the pool. 3000 yards. That is a long swim for me. It went well. I used Jens(Collister) advice and broke the swim down into smaller pieces. Very good advice, Thanks. I also ran into new pool friend and Sr. CTC member Steve Hamilton. Steve is in his seventies and been doing triathlon for 20 yrs. A week after Ironman UK, Steve will be Starting his first IM in Louisville KY. Amazing!
I rode home intending to switch bikes and spend the day on the roads. After fighting the wind I decided to Watch "What it Takes" again and sit on the trainer.
After the movie I went into T2 and headed for the cemetery to run a few miles of hills.
As I cruised up Hampshire to finish the run I felt light and fast. I wasn't really very tired. I felt good. The foot felt good. The rest did me good.
By the way....Beta Blogger is annoying....I lost a really good post on Wednesday.
Friday, December 15, 2006
History
My first race was from wall to wall in the Fairfax elementary school gym during the 2nd grade.
I won. I beat the whole class. I was always quick and elusive as a kid. I had a big brother so I really knew how to turn on the jets, change direction and sprint. Survival skills are taught by siblings with very direct methods.
My brother also led me to swim team at the Y, and the city pool. He had a Bill Rogers warm up and a Motobecane touring bike. by the mid eighties my Uncle Bob was running Boston and winning age group awards in this new 3sport race called "Triathlon".
I ran track in the 7th grade. After experiencing knee pain, I looked to the coach for advice. He said"If you can't take the heat than get out of the kitchen." Completely unsatisfied with his response, I got the hell out of the kitchen.
Swim team ended when the coach threatened to flunk me in earth science if I didn't choose swim team over choir. My defiance to this threat began a very bad high school career.
I made my own choices. A lot of bad choices. If I could do it again. I would change a lot of choices. However I will never regret walking away from these coaches.
I liked riding. My friend Hung and I used to ride out to the Chagrin river to fish. I could never keep a bike for very long. Eventually I lost interest.
I began smoking in high school.
The only sport I ever took part in was a silly game called hacky sack. the goal was to keep a round bean bag from hitting the ground without using your hands. I became very good at this. I would play for hours in very active games. I built a lot of strength in my legs.
By 23 I wanted to quit smoking and adopt a healthier life style. After having been attacked violently twice in 3 months I also decided I needed to exorcise.
My first run was at 11:30 PM a quarter mile to the playground and back. Halfway I laid on my back, heart pounding and lungs reaching for whatever oxygen they could get. I was 23 and I was very out of shape.
I went out and bought some Air Nike cross training shoes Like Bo Jackson would use. I told a friend, Bruce that I had started running. Bruce was one of the top area runners. He told me he would pay my entry in an upcoming 5k at John Carrol University.
That Saturday, I raced. In a pouring rain with only one rest stop. I finished a race of 3.1 miles in 39 minutes. I didn't win, but I beat the race walker in the final 50 meters. After the race, we all went inside and ate fruit, drank water and watched all my friends get trophies.
I received a nice shirt.
This was the beginning of my life as a "runner".
My 1st 10k was the Revco Marathon and 10k. I remember while we waited for the race to begin the marathoners lined up for the start. When the gun sounded and Dire Straights "Heavy Fuel" started playing I imagined this incredible journey that this smaller group of runners was to under take. I imagined myself beginning my marathon.
Over the next 4 years I wandered a crooked path. At times I was so far from my 26.2 mile dream that I had nearly forgotten it.
Injuries and the constant lure of nicotine would keep me unfocused. I eventually came to a point in my life where I needed to regain my self.
In the fall of '97 I started training. As I began to build my base I suffered a very bad ankle sprain. I remember immediately wondering what would happen to my training. I was scared that I would revert to my bad habits.
Funny thing happened the night before. Sandy Alomar Jr hits a HR to send the Tribe to game 5 with the Yankees. Later that night, we win the series and go on to within 2 outs of winning the World Series.
Alomar had a season of dreams that year. He had suffered in his career from injury. Finally he was the hero we all wanted him to be. So many had given up on this injury riddled catcher. but he never stopped working for his dreams.
If I needed a sign, this was it.
I ran the turkey trot a month later. Got a marathon training book("Marathon Training" Joe Henderson) and started training with focus.
I joined the local Y for cross training. Stuck to the plan, and on May 3rd 1998 I completed the CVS Marathon. I cried at the finish line. It had been a long journey and was the first time that had felt I had finished what I started.
While training I had inadvertently trained for triathlon. The program director noticed this and encouraged me to try a tri.
Long story short, I fell in love with triathlon and the program director(Jen). We raced and trained often. She had an Ironman dream and I was with her through it all. We were engaged in Klagenfurt Austria two days before her first of two IM finishes.
After some time our relationship began to collapse. We both started to alienate the other and and soon the wedding was off.
The breakup along with my longtime Job as entertainment coordinator at Arabica ending left me spinning. I returned to school for Audio engineering and sporadically raced and trained.
After school, I became engaged once again to a women named Kim. Kim had been my first real love when we were young. Fairy tale-nightmare-parable.
This ended very badly. I was hurt and a mess. After 6 months of sitting in my sh*t I decided to move forward once again. on Thanksgiving of 2003 I began training for the Greater Cleveland Triathlon. A half IM distance race.
As I crossed the finish line I thought, " I have more". This begins my IM dream.
I won. I beat the whole class. I was always quick and elusive as a kid. I had a big brother so I really knew how to turn on the jets, change direction and sprint. Survival skills are taught by siblings with very direct methods.
My brother also led me to swim team at the Y, and the city pool. He had a Bill Rogers warm up and a Motobecane touring bike. by the mid eighties my Uncle Bob was running Boston and winning age group awards in this new 3sport race called "Triathlon".
I ran track in the 7th grade. After experiencing knee pain, I looked to the coach for advice. He said"If you can't take the heat than get out of the kitchen." Completely unsatisfied with his response, I got the hell out of the kitchen.
Swim team ended when the coach threatened to flunk me in earth science if I didn't choose swim team over choir. My defiance to this threat began a very bad high school career.
I made my own choices. A lot of bad choices. If I could do it again. I would change a lot of choices. However I will never regret walking away from these coaches.
I liked riding. My friend Hung and I used to ride out to the Chagrin river to fish. I could never keep a bike for very long. Eventually I lost interest.
I began smoking in high school.
The only sport I ever took part in was a silly game called hacky sack. the goal was to keep a round bean bag from hitting the ground without using your hands. I became very good at this. I would play for hours in very active games. I built a lot of strength in my legs.
By 23 I wanted to quit smoking and adopt a healthier life style. After having been attacked violently twice in 3 months I also decided I needed to exorcise.
My first run was at 11:30 PM a quarter mile to the playground and back. Halfway I laid on my back, heart pounding and lungs reaching for whatever oxygen they could get. I was 23 and I was very out of shape.
I went out and bought some Air Nike cross training shoes Like Bo Jackson would use. I told a friend, Bruce that I had started running. Bruce was one of the top area runners. He told me he would pay my entry in an upcoming 5k at John Carrol University.
That Saturday, I raced. In a pouring rain with only one rest stop. I finished a race of 3.1 miles in 39 minutes. I didn't win, but I beat the race walker in the final 50 meters. After the race, we all went inside and ate fruit, drank water and watched all my friends get trophies.
I received a nice shirt.
This was the beginning of my life as a "runner".
My 1st 10k was the Revco Marathon and 10k. I remember while we waited for the race to begin the marathoners lined up for the start. When the gun sounded and Dire Straights "Heavy Fuel" started playing I imagined this incredible journey that this smaller group of runners was to under take. I imagined myself beginning my marathon.
Over the next 4 years I wandered a crooked path. At times I was so far from my 26.2 mile dream that I had nearly forgotten it.
Injuries and the constant lure of nicotine would keep me unfocused. I eventually came to a point in my life where I needed to regain my self.
In the fall of '97 I started training. As I began to build my base I suffered a very bad ankle sprain. I remember immediately wondering what would happen to my training. I was scared that I would revert to my bad habits.
Funny thing happened the night before. Sandy Alomar Jr hits a HR to send the Tribe to game 5 with the Yankees. Later that night, we win the series and go on to within 2 outs of winning the World Series.
Alomar had a season of dreams that year. He had suffered in his career from injury. Finally he was the hero we all wanted him to be. So many had given up on this injury riddled catcher. but he never stopped working for his dreams.
If I needed a sign, this was it.
I ran the turkey trot a month later. Got a marathon training book("Marathon Training" Joe Henderson) and started training with focus.
I joined the local Y for cross training. Stuck to the plan, and on May 3rd 1998 I completed the CVS Marathon. I cried at the finish line. It had been a long journey and was the first time that had felt I had finished what I started.
While training I had inadvertently trained for triathlon. The program director noticed this and encouraged me to try a tri.
Long story short, I fell in love with triathlon and the program director(Jen). We raced and trained often. She had an Ironman dream and I was with her through it all. We were engaged in Klagenfurt Austria two days before her first of two IM finishes.
After some time our relationship began to collapse. We both started to alienate the other and and soon the wedding was off.
The breakup along with my longtime Job as entertainment coordinator at Arabica ending left me spinning. I returned to school for Audio engineering and sporadically raced and trained.
After school, I became engaged once again to a women named Kim. Kim had been my first real love when we were young. Fairy tale-nightmare-parable.
This ended very badly. I was hurt and a mess. After 6 months of sitting in my sh*t I decided to move forward once again. on Thanksgiving of 2003 I began training for the Greater Cleveland Triathlon. A half IM distance race.
As I crossed the finish line I thought, " I have more". This begins my IM dream.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Why am I doing this?
I am feeling really motivated right now. My training is as I want it to be. My diet is going well and I enjoy it. My running may be at it's best place ever. I am progressing with my swimming. My bike and I have become cuddle buddies here in the apt. I have been riding to the pool and plan a long ride Saturday. The weather has been perfect(for December in Cleveland). I can see my Ironman goal. I have no questions about what I am doing. I am distracted by nothing.
This would be a good time for me to ask myself why. Why Ironman? Why Triathlon. Why have I become so obsessed with this dream? How will this change my life? What if I fail? How will I face injuries? At what cost is this dream worth? and many more questions. I plan to use a few posts to answer these questions. Some answers may surprise you some may surprise me.
However I answer, now would be the time. Once the training gets tough I may need to reflect on these answers. I don't want to question my goals during the tough training times.
Stay tuned....Next post...My history in multisport.(where have I come from)
This would be a good time for me to ask myself why. Why Ironman? Why Triathlon. Why have I become so obsessed with this dream? How will this change my life? What if I fail? How will I face injuries? At what cost is this dream worth? and many more questions. I plan to use a few posts to answer these questions. Some answers may surprise you some may surprise me.
However I answer, now would be the time. Once the training gets tough I may need to reflect on these answers. I don't want to question my goals during the tough training times.
Stay tuned....Next post...My history in multisport.(where have I come from)
Sunday, December 10, 2006
The Simple Life
I have always longed for simplicity. I have spent my life with a sincere desire to let go of needless things. I have always wanted to free myself of the dependence on things that cause harm to the universe around us. I want the vibrations of my soul to be a peaceful ripple throughout it's cause and effect existence.
I am a human, I am a boy, I am an Aquarius, I am a musician, a protester, an athlete. I love center stage. I have an enormous ego. I am a cookie monster. I am a cluts. I am a bully. I enjoy intoxication.
I am living a car free, vegan life right now. I am working to become the person that I see my self to be. I am doing all that I know to live a life that is righteous.
I often fail. I am often distracted by pleasures and conveniences that I hopefully regret and recognize as a limit to my becoming the ideal Charlie.
I don't mean regret in an ungrateful way....I just mean I hope I have learned something from that action. Sort of like playing hacky sack or chess.
My mother told me she just wanted for me to be happy.
On music the late new age guitar master Michael Hedges told me to simply live it.
On sport the philosophy of Dr George Sheehan taught me that when I run I should be playing.
Our culture seems to stray day by day further and further from a world of simplicity. Finding urban food sources that sell foods with simple ingredients is not very easy. Renewable energy sources seem to be almost non existent.
Like the delicate overtones that develop the tone of an instrument. Like the effortless calm of my bike on a perfect Sunday in December. I want to be in pure harmony with everything. This is when I am most natural. This is when life is beautiful.
No expectations and no imposing of my will and ego on the things around me.
I want to live simply. I simply want to live.
Peace
I am a human, I am a boy, I am an Aquarius, I am a musician, a protester, an athlete. I love center stage. I have an enormous ego. I am a cookie monster. I am a cluts. I am a bully. I enjoy intoxication.
I am living a car free, vegan life right now. I am working to become the person that I see my self to be. I am doing all that I know to live a life that is righteous.
I often fail. I am often distracted by pleasures and conveniences that I hopefully regret and recognize as a limit to my becoming the ideal Charlie.
I don't mean regret in an ungrateful way....I just mean I hope I have learned something from that action. Sort of like playing hacky sack or chess.
My mother told me she just wanted for me to be happy.
On music the late new age guitar master Michael Hedges told me to simply live it.
On sport the philosophy of Dr George Sheehan taught me that when I run I should be playing.
Our culture seems to stray day by day further and further from a world of simplicity. Finding urban food sources that sell foods with simple ingredients is not very easy. Renewable energy sources seem to be almost non existent.
Like the delicate overtones that develop the tone of an instrument. Like the effortless calm of my bike on a perfect Sunday in December. I want to be in pure harmony with everything. This is when I am most natural. This is when life is beautiful.
No expectations and no imposing of my will and ego on the things around me.
I want to live simply. I simply want to live.
Peace
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Underdogs and long underwear
I have finally figured out how to use blogger. I have figured out how to create links and share more info.
First things first I have created and posted my race schedule for 2008. My "A" race is of course Ironman UK.
another highlight I am looking forward to is the Cleveland Half Marathon for the 30th running of the race. I am shooting for a 1:45. Long shot yes, but I believe I can run this distance in this time. I have been running well. My fitness is strong and my weight continues to drop. I am on pace to weigh 115 by may 20th...that's sick, just kidding. But seriously, I think I can, so I will give it my everything.
It was a fun weekend to sit on the bike trainer. Watching a Browns team that had everyone give up on them give everything they had, over come a two touchdown deficit with the backup QB, force overtime, and win a game that only they had thought they could win was so much fun.
I watched The UCLA Bruins shock the nation by upsetting USC. Now it is the Buckeyes and Gators for the National Championship. To bad Wisconsin doesn't get a shot, they had an amazing season. The big ten was tough......You gotta beat Michigan.
The last week of november was unreal. in the 60' s for 6 days. December came with a lot of wind and took out the power all over Coventry. Friday the whole street went to Lee road while the power company climbed poles. We all met with Dr. Unk. X-Mas Ale is sneaky.
Saturday the Temputares started to drop and now it is very cold. I stood at the bus stop for a long time this evening before and after my pool workout. I was so cold. For a moment I wished I could have been at home. But the strongest urge was to get my workout in.
Greatness is achieved by overcoming adversity, by reaching beyond our limits and always believing in ourselves.
The underdog wins, I swim, and we all could use some long underwear
First things first I have created and posted my race schedule for 2008. My "A" race is of course Ironman UK.
another highlight I am looking forward to is the Cleveland Half Marathon for the 30th running of the race. I am shooting for a 1:45. Long shot yes, but I believe I can run this distance in this time. I have been running well. My fitness is strong and my weight continues to drop. I am on pace to weigh 115 by may 20th...that's sick, just kidding. But seriously, I think I can, so I will give it my everything.
It was a fun weekend to sit on the bike trainer. Watching a Browns team that had everyone give up on them give everything they had, over come a two touchdown deficit with the backup QB, force overtime, and win a game that only they had thought they could win was so much fun.
I watched The UCLA Bruins shock the nation by upsetting USC. Now it is the Buckeyes and Gators for the National Championship. To bad Wisconsin doesn't get a shot, they had an amazing season. The big ten was tough......You gotta beat Michigan.
The last week of november was unreal. in the 60' s for 6 days. December came with a lot of wind and took out the power all over Coventry. Friday the whole street went to Lee road while the power company climbed poles. We all met with Dr. Unk. X-Mas Ale is sneaky.
Saturday the Temputares started to drop and now it is very cold. I stood at the bus stop for a long time this evening before and after my pool workout. I was so cold. For a moment I wished I could have been at home. But the strongest urge was to get my workout in.
Greatness is achieved by overcoming adversity, by reaching beyond our limits and always believing in ourselves.
The underdog wins, I swim, and we all could use some long underwear
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