Meet, mud, fly and don’t die

Last night was the running club board meeting.  Ali got permission to bring the dogs to the meeting instead of having to run them home after picking them up from dog daycare.  At first the dogs were very interested in perusing the room but eventually they laid down and napped.

The meeting was on the long side as there was a lot of discussion about the big Thanksgiving run and what can be done to avoid some of the problems we have experienced going forward.  After the meeting I headed over to South Street to have some beers with the usual suspects and didn’t leave until after 10.  I’m feeling a bit tired this morning.

Today marks the first of what promises to be a pretty eventful few days.  Charlie is flying down early this afternoon.

Charlie is a good friend of mine from PA. We met when we both worked for Entre/Ameridata/ GE Capital years ago.  Despite my being in Florida for 12 years we have remained in near daily contact via instant messenger all of that time. Like me, Charlie recently separated so we have been able to compare our experiences so far, both good and bad.  His situation is more complex because he has a little boy as well.

So anyway, Charlie has never been down to Naples to visit.  The reason he is coming is to be my partner in Saturday’s Tough Mudder.

Charlie had let himself get pretty badly out of shape in the last couple years.  Since his separation he has made a big change, losing 40 pounds and getting himself back into fighting shape.  A year ago having him do the Mudder would have been out of the question.  This year he will probably be helping me push my pace.

My troublesome right knee has improved slightly this week.  I am no longer limping but I am sure I will be by noon on Saturday.  Hopefully this year I can at least avoid bloody head wounds.

Once again we managed to get a very early start on Saturday, 8:20 am(2nd group).  This is perfect based on what I saw last year where the later you started the more mangled the course was and the longer the back ups were at certain obstacles.

Unlike last year when we had a pretty nasty cold front where the early morning temps hovered around 50 degrees, this year the temps will be more mild which I welcome, not that it will help much with the Arctic Enema.

Unlike last year where I closely studied the course and in the process became very nervous about it, this time around I have hardly investigated what awaits me.  I know during the race I will be any combination of hot, freezing, electrocuted, muddy, exhausted and injured.  But most importantly I know I CAN do it, regardless of what is in front of me, which is what matters the most.

Although a weekend when you do the Tough Mudder would normally be plenty to build a trip around, Charlie and I are just using it as a warm up.  On Sunday we are driving up to the Titusville area in the SSR.  On Monday morning we are both doing our first ever skydive.

Those of you that have read my blog for awhile will know that doing a sky dive has been on my yearly goal list for more than a half decade.  Well not only is it finally going to happen, it’s going to happen in a big way. The place we are doing it supposedly offers the highest tandem jumps around, 18,000 feet high.

We are paying to have the jumps recorded on video so there will ample documentation of what it is like to willingly exit a plane nearly three and a half miles up in the air.  Much like the Mudder, I am not really dwelling too much on what the jump moment will be like.  I am sure terror will be some part of the equation but by the time I land hopefully that will be replaced by pure excitement.  Oh yea it would be good if I don’t die too. (but if I do I will try to let somebody know if the God thing is real or not)

So then Monday afternoon and part of Tuesday Charlie and I are going to the Kennedy Space Center.  I went there with my mom and Ali years ago and loved it.  When we went we actually didn’t see a lot of the exhibits and wished we had more time to explore a bit.  Charlie and I should have all the time we need this time around.

So if all goes as planned Charlie and I should hopefully be constructing a weekend filled with lasting memories.  See you on the other side.