i get somewhat regular mail from MIT requesting donations. the most recent request came with a small booklet. on the inside cover, there is a quote that reads "we came to MIT because we believe creativity is as essential as knowledge, passion is the key to progress, and our greatest challenges are also our greatest opportunities." i tore off the page and added it to my bulletin board after underlining the last bit about our greatest challenges.
we had our "tribute" dinner last night for texas 4000. it was a formal dinner held at the four seasons to celebrate the ride, the fifth year of the organization and, as always, to fundraise. the tribute also marks the end of the 2008 ride. yes, that's right, it's done. i don't have any more responsibilities to texas 4000 (i'll still be helping out regularly, but i digress). i met a lot of the riders' families last night, and the most frequent question i was asked was whether or not i had fun.
i was pretty wound up when i got back to austin, as i previously mentioned. with all the sleep i've gotten in the past week or so though, i've started to feel human again, and this has made it much easier to answer to the question about whether or not i had fun. i generally avoid answering the question directly though. instead, i have told people that it was a great experience. it really challenged me, and i think i learned a lot. as i read the above quote earlier today and reflected on all the people i have gotten to meet through the organization though, i realized how true the quote is. this summer was definitely a great opportunity, but when i started, i didn't quite expect the "great challenge" that came along with it. past ride directors told me before we left that there was no way to plan for the challenges i would face, and to a large degree, i agree. i'm not sure what i could have done to prepare myself for some of the challenges. at the same time though, i think that's where you are really tested--how do you respond when you have to take you're limited previous experience and use it to solve some new problem.
several riders have commented about feeling a little bit lost since finishing the ride. its weird not to be doing something for other people or to be around other people. while its been tiring jumping right back into school, i'm glad to be doing it. i don't know what i'd do if i wasn't in school. i was talking to my mom earlier today and we were joking about how much schooling i have had. i stopped at one point though and said that i couldn't imagine not doing it. i may have said it before, but i think i'm terrified of the real world which is why i have been in school as long as i have. school is kind of a safety net i suppose. that said, it has been a safety net that has allowed me to explore so many things and given me incredible opportunities to meet people, travel, publish and even ride my bike across the country while most people my age have real jobs, mortgages and are thinking about marriage and kids (not that i'm that old, but you get the idea). i think the most interesting professors i have met have all sorts of crazy stories about places they have been and things they have seen or done. maybe academia makes you become a peter pan of sorts.
on a completely different note, i got to bond with my tri bike for several hours yesterday morning. a friend and i went out and rode the half-IM course (plus some) so that i could see what the roads were like. well, they're pretty crappy, and while most of the course is rolling hills in the first part and flat for the second, there is an enormous hill at mile 55. ouch. the run course is two loops with half of the course on dirt road/path and grass with no shade and the other half on exposed, newly paved road with no shade. if the heat stays as intense as it has been, this course is going to be brutal. that aside, the ride yesterday morning was fabulous. while we didn't hammer we were cruising at decent clip and it just felt great. i had 2.5 bottles of gatorade, a granola bar and some water to fuel a 4.5 hour ride, which isn't much in the greater scheme of things, but i really wanted to go for a run when we got done. unfortunately i had to run off to a meeting, but it was nice to feel energized again by a good ride.
my run this morning left something to be desired, though i got it done. i went out for an easy 13-miler and started around 10a in an effort to get used to running in the heat of the day. though in good spirits, i don't think i was moving at a particularly fast pace by the end! this race is going to need to involve massive quantities of fluid to fight this. exactly four weeks to go!
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