We've Come a Long Way Baby!

Look...a place to even put your floppy...it has to be 5 1/2 inches though...

In my Junior year 1987 High School year book, I remember a picture of me, dressed in white cotton pants,a pastel colored shirt, Rayban Wayfarers on the head and topsiders with no socks on the feet....looking like I had just got off the set of Miami Vice. For some reason the picture was taken with me being in the schools computer lab...you know the days of DOS. For those under 30...we didn't have Windows or graphical user interfaces...no joke...this was right after Moses came off of Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments and Al Gore invented the Internet.;-) In fact the Internet was only amongst the University and Government Realms...and no...not everyone had a computer...in fact...most people didn't! Fortunately, I never knew the punch card days...that was right before the 10 plagues of Egypt...and some claim that the punch card was the 11 plague. But I digress...there I am sitting at a computer and next to the photo is a quote by yours truly. It says something to the effect that everyone needs to develop some proficient computer skills as they are in the future. Unfortunately, I didn't put my money where my mouth was and invest in Microsoft, Apple or Google....if I had...this blog would have been written on the Riviera.;-)

Twenty-two years later, I sit pounding away at a keyboard. Back then I could not fathom what was to come in the world of 1's and 0's....how computers have become a necessity, not a luxury. Two weeks ago our desktop crashed and for about 5 days you would have thought the apocalypse was nigh...and it was not just me and the wife...but all of my kids...including the 3 year old.

I'm not telling you anything you already don't know.

About two year ago I started blogging, mainly to document my training and running adventures...it has morphed into me talking about anything I want to and giving a glimpse into who I am and how Team ELLIOTT rolls.

A couple of years ago when I lost all my marbles and encroached in the Ultra marathon World, I needed direction...(keep your snide comments to yourself...your probably right...I still need direction, or at least adult supervision.) I had more questions than I had answers...form everything training to everything nutrition. So what do I do...go to the Internet. To cut to the chase, I began reading some Ultra guys' blogs...and then had the audacity to email one of them asking questions. He emailed me back with paragraphs on top of paragraphs...answering all the questions in minute detail. Thus began my correspondence to Rick Gaston. At one point we exchanged phone numbers. His comment was "Dave call if you need more help." I have made a lot of Ultra marathon friends here in Dallas...but Rick is the only one to be there from the very beginning. (BTW...Rick can flat out RUN!...finishing a 100 miler in less than 20 hours and a 50 miler in less than 8 hours.)

My blogging and correspondence with Rick happened concurrently...and as you know...blogs are like crack...you can't just stop at one. Through Rick, I got to Donald's Blog. Donald is actually a professional writer...and he, like me, will blog about running, U2 concerts, the kid's latest outing...the Charlie Brown Christmas special...anything. Donald is an Ironman triatlete and finished the Western States 100 miler this past year and even having a really bad day....nearly ran it in less than 24 hours. We have agreed that we may be brothers from different mothers...except he can run fast. Actually most of our correspondence is about music...and can you really separate Sting from The Police....he claims you have to. I don't know if you can.

So from Rick's blog I got to Marcy's Blog...and from Marcy's, who no longer blogs, I go the Missy's Blog...Ironman finisher and a triathlete with some serious skilz...like bringing home hardware for her age group skilz...and a wicked sense of humor. She is always the encourager....I think at one point, Missy gives me a shout out on her blog...and Shannon comments on my blog..and now ...well add her blog to the list.

Shannon is a professional trainer, cyclist, and triathlete....tough as nails...rides centuries just to warm up....and her sense of humor...well...FUNNY...like ha ha Funny! She encourages every step of the way. Shannon marches to a different drummer and we both agree that we both have the same drummer...a true kindred spirit...a Twin (mother probably was a gypsy).

I say all that to say this...because of the Internet....I got 4 friends that I otherwise would have never had...2 of them are on the West Coast...and 2 of them on the East Coast...kinda. I have never talked to any of them except Rick. He called after I pissed myoglobin during a 50K Texas July Training Run...early in my training...and I emailed him a bit freaked out...ok, REALLY FREAKED OUT!...we now talk occasionally, usually to encourage and find out what is on the racing docket. Oh, I have developed some really good friends locally in the Dallas Ultra community too...but it's nice to have these four around as well.

I follow other blogs...in fact enough to make it difficult to keep up...so at the end of 2009, 22 years after I made a quote that this computer stuff is going to catch on....little did I know how embedded it would become in my life...bringing me into contact with 4 really great people who I admire and whose opinions I respect...kindred spirits...except they are far better athletes than me.

Happy New Year...and on to 2010...may all your runs be swift, your rides be fast, and your races be epic....and if you do that swim thing...well, God Bless Ya.

Next up..what is on the race schedule...time to get serious.