First of all, I'm feeling bad about not updating my blog for . . . awhile. That was a reason I didn't blog for so long, life gets in the way and I'd let it drop. So I did. I'll try to be better on it . . . we'll see. And now onto today's installment.

Today is my birthday. So to celebrate I'm gonna skip my 25 mile bike workout tonight and go out to dinner with my lovely bride. We went to the gym this morning to swim, or rather we drove to the gym - and then drove home because I left the workout bag on the island in the kitchen. Is senility setting in? Oh well, I get a mulligan for today for things like that I suppose.

So I started thinking about what kind of shape I'm in on my %# th birthday. And I can't complain one bit. In fact, I started thinking about what sort of shape I am in today, versus what kind of shape I was in 10 years ago. And I do think I'm in much better shape today than back in 1998. So today's blog will be a comparison of then and now.

10-ish years ago I was getting divorced. Getting drunk. Getting stupid. And getting lazy. (There may be more I was gettin' but this is gettin' depressing so I'll move on). Then just beyond the 10 year ago mark (let's call it 11 years) I started dating this gal. She was somewhat of a fitness fiend. Always going to the gym to workout. ( I had a gym card). And she was always running the treadmills when work sent her away on business. ( I had a gym card). And she was always active and ate healthy. ( I had a gym card). So one morning while she was away on business I decided to take up running. The alarm went off, and I pulled on some shorts and running shoes and went out the door. I turned a couple of corners and headed up a long street watching the light posts blur by me as I ran. . .

OK, so I actually only passed about 3 light posts before I started making sounds that would probably best be described as indicative of imminent death. Then I crossed the street and came to a stop. I looked at my watch. I had been running 8 minutes.

But it was a start. The next day I ran 9 minutes. Eventually I made it to the end of the block. Then I made it two blocks. And so on, and so on. Now if I look at my "results" page here on active.com I can see how far I've come. So they only go back to 2003 with this new setup, but I'd say in the past 10 years there have been more than 50, or 75, or I can't remember how many races that I've competed in. I've run 5K's, 10K's 15K's, 20, 25, 30K's, half-marathon's and five marathon's. There have been literally thousands of miles of training that I've put in, rain or shine. I"ve met many other great runners, and made some good friendships. Not many of us ever "break the tape" (ok, so none of us do) but we all are winners in our own right.

And I've started training for triathlons. 10 years ago or so I bought a mountain bike, and went over the handlebars and down a rocky creek bed on one of my first rides. I still have scars on my elbows. The bike has hung up in the garage ever since (how is it that tires go flat when they get no use?). So a couple months back I bought a road bike and probably have 5 times the miles on it already. I'm working on my swim, and yesterday I actually registered for my first Triatholn event for the beginning of August. It's a sprint distance, but its a start.

And so looking in the mirror, I do not see the guy that I saw 10 years or so ago. "Elvis has left the building", never to return. I like what I see, and more importantly what I can do. When I run now I can see a LOT of light poles going by in a blur. For more than 8 minutes.

Oh, and the "fitness fiend" gal? We are heading down to Mexico to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks.

Life is good.