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Many of us (including myself even though I hadn’t entirely planned it this way) are in the midst of our yearly break from training. This brings with it all sorts of challenges that some may not be entirely prepared to deal with. Many of my closest friends were struggling with many of the same issues I had in the past. For them and any others going through the same thing, I had the following message: It Gets Better.

As a loving friend and training mate who has gone through many of the hardships you are currently dealing with I wanted to let you know….It Gets Better.

I know it’s hard to see right now and it may feel like you can’t go on anymore but….It Gets Better.

I was once in your shoes, wanting so badly to put on those running shoes and just go for a little jog. Don’t do it. It’s not worth it. There is so much out there to live for. Trust me…It Gets Better.

Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon you’ll wake up and remember that there can be a life outside swimming, biking and running. There are family and friends out there waiting for you to reach out and enjoy, heaven forbid, a beer with you. They want to go out, have fun and like a real adult, not worry about their bedtime…with you.

So please just remember…It Gets Better.

Love Rob

On a more serious note, It Gets Better is an amazing project that is doing some amazing things for youth with actual problems (unlike us sad triathletes). Check it out if you haven’t.

Continue reading »]]> Just decompressing after three days of workshops on teaching math in Whistler. Also discovering the genius of Delicious. Tomorrow I’ll update how training is going (it involves running again).

Until then some fun with another song du jour…

Oh wake up, you’re getting old
I’ve been dreaming about mountains, you’ve been dreaming about gold
And if I ever make it home
Oh if I ever make it home

And my key won’t open the door
Well I’ve been thinking about selling off every shirt I own
To stand naked out here in the cold
Just trying to make it out on my own

Well oh my God it stills means a lot to me
Oh my God it still means a lot to you
Oh my God it still means a lot to me

Well the pretty girl said to me
You gotta take all the little pieces and put ‘em in one big box
And just throw away the key
And don’t you ever show it to me

Said I made that mistake before
And came home to find my life just spilled out on the floors
And she was trying to make some room for more
Trying to make some room for more

Well oh my God it stills means a lot to me
Oh my God it still means a lot to you
Oh my God it still means a lot to me

Continue reading »]]> Dan Mangan – Robots

Oh I don’t know what you’ve been told
But I don’t get out much these days

Waking young and feeling old
The days are no longer my own,
To piss away the waking hours

But don’t, don’t don’t, don’t let them go
oh don’t, don’t don’t, don’t let them go to waste

The fire in my eye is fleeting now
Your robot heart is bleeding

Tried to be the Robot King
And settled for the robot boy

Ring the bells that still can ring
And sing your stupid head off
To the ones who are not listening

But don’t, don’t don’t, don’t let them go
Don’t don’t, don’t don’t, don’t let them go to waste

The fire in my eye is fleeting now
Your robot heart is bleeding out

And I spent half of my life
In the customer service line
Flaws in the design
A sign of the times

And that little voice
In the back of your mind
Just wants you to know
Just hopes that you know

Robots need love too
They want to be loved by you
They want to be loved by you
They want to be loved by you

Continue reading »]]> Took the grade 8′s on their outdoor ed trip last week. Spent 3 days in Garibaldi Park and did some fairly serious hiking, doing nearly 1000 m of elevation gain up to 1400 m on the first day alone. It was a good time even though the kids had worn us out by Friday. Pictures to prove it…

Always teaching…

Hiking to Garibaldi Lake in the sub-alpine…

Arriving at Garibaldi Lake…

Rubble Creek…

Garibaldi Lake…

Hanging out at Garibaldi Lake…

My best picture of Garibaldi Lake…

The boys taking a dip in Garibaldi Lake…

The boys realizing it’s a glacial fed lake…

Heading out on the hike home…

Happy to be done…

Exhausted and waiting for the bus (notice I’m not the only teacher napping)…

Continue reading »]]> Most don’t get it. To be honest I don’t expect them to. I understand that from the outside it seems slow, boring, and unentertaining. Hell, from the inside it can be that way sometimes too. But for someone who grew up on the game, a night at the ballpark is special.

It’s a reminder of so many things. Driving somewhere on a summer afternoon listening to Tom Cheek call Blue Jay games. Playing catch and fielding grounders with Dad. Vague recollections of Exhibition Park and vivid memories of Skydome in Toronto. Endless pictures of a younger me in Jays clothing either playing myself or with my face pinned to the backstop watching the Jays at spring training. Evenings at the house park with the Poole’s playing our own brand of baseball (you have to improvise with only 6 players). Nights with the family or sometimes just Dad at Nat Bailey watching the Canadians. Not to mention the endless stream of games I actually played in, practices and road trips to tournaments. I could go on forever.

So on Monday, the family made a trip down to Seattle to watch the Mariners play the Blue Jays. Just walking into the ballpark brought it all back. And walking down to the first row during warm up, all I wanted to do was hop on to the field and play a little catch or track down a fly ball from batting practice.

Needless to say it was a great night. I even reminded myself how to do #4 on the list of 75 things men should master, just like old times. And the Jays even won for once.

Sure it’s not the same triathlon (not even remotely close really) but baseball will always have a place in my heart.

Continue reading »]]> This is the truth. Deal with it.

Also check out the ORDER OF THE SCIENCE SCOUTS OF EXEMPLARY REPUTE AND ABOVE AVERAGE PHYSIQUE or OOTSSOERAAAP for short. I’m happy to say I have the qualifications for many of their badges. The one’s I’m most proud of though…

The “I will crush you with my math prowess” badge.
Seriously, scary stuff.

The “I’ve done science with no conceivable practical application” badge.
There are probably more who are deserving of this badge than you would expect.

The “I’m into telescopes astro” badge (LEVEL II)
In which the recipient has had time on a professional telescope to view celestial objects.

AND MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE….

The “I AM actually a freaking rocket scientist” badge.
For members who can utter the phrase “It’s not rocket science” with authority.

Oh and training is going well.