Unplugged & Replugged: Last week was an amazing experience. I spent the weekend with my wife,Liliana Hart on a Trek Travels cycling trip through northern California. The grapes were the only things online out there. No cell or internet service, and the wifi was spotty to say the least. So what did I do with my cell phone? Used it as a camera to capture pics of the beauty of our country and the fun with new friends. I’d unplugged. And it […]
It’s character. I love the motivational messages about “the ultimate competitor lies within” and themes encouraging you to do your best to be your best. While most address athletic competition, I also appreciate the aspect in building strength of character. As a younger man I lauded over the strength to lift heavy weights as a benchmark of who I was, and the lifting of even more weight for who I wanted to be. Thank God we grow past those shallow ambitions. It’s character. […]
Yes, it’s much better than had I eaten a bug, then “passed” a tractor. Get it? Anyway, peer pressure is an odd phenomenon. We exert it or succumb to it as children, we implore our own kids not to fall victim to it, yet even as adults we sometimes still give in to it. Bicycles don’t usually pass moving vehicles on the highways, but many of us have dreamed of that moment when pure man and muscle-driven machine out runs an automotive […]
I’m Shaping Up; Week 24 You just never know. A few weeks back I received an e-mail from my academic mentor and friend, Dr. John Kiefer. He was my master of public administration program’s thesis advisor while I attended the University of New Orleans. We connected immediately, and I admired his career as a professor and his calling as a United States Marine. Satisfied with my graduation from UNO and no intention of continuing my education, Doc encouraged me to pursue a PhD […]
It’s the last week of summer!!! For kiddo before school; the rest of us get to continue in suffering beneath the sweltering summer sun!! Gotta tell ya that the combination of fitness routine and kiddo at your feet made for challenging times and other times not so much. The great thing about returning to a healthy life is during the times when the gym closes too early, the afternoon rain showers are too consistent or the day gets lost playing with kiddo, it […]
I’m Shaping Up; Week 22 Hi everyone, good to be back after a week in North Dakota. No exercise, unless you call reading highway safety reports and eating hotel food all week exercise. Did you know that it’s hot and humid in south Louisiana? You’d think I would know that too, but it didn’t stop me from overdoing it this weekend. But don’t “I told you so” too quickly. I was inspired by the wonderful folks I’ve rejoined in our Bayou Country […]
Recently returning to recreational cycling, I’ve enjoyed heading out after work for as long as the sunlight allows. These rides are usually alone, and the hours of solo saddle time allows for so many thoughts to get sorted out. It’s amazing how mental the physical act of cycling can be. There are also the other fantastic times when I join other cyclists. With a little experience, instruction and commitment most people become comfortable in a pace-line, or “train.” The benefits of working as a team in a pace-line extend beyond […]
