Make no decision out of......

FEAR.

http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/004209.html

Ran across Bruce Sterling's amazing site this afternoon. I was thinking of a non-threatening way to say this, and here on Halloween, it seems rather apropos. BTW, this is the first year in the last three I have been at home. Do I miss Panama City Beach and IM Florida??????

An excerpt from the article:

The challenge, Bruce says, is that the worst people in the world -- genocidal ethnic mafiosos, fundamentalist fanatics, Washington lobbyists -- are running the show, American government has become the new Soviet Union (ossified, corrupt and widely perceived as illigitimate by the rest of the planet) and things are not good in much of the world. That said, if you look honestly at the world, you see a new story emerging, with millions of smart, dedicated people locked in a struggle to steer us towards a better future using every tool in their power, and that "that's a big story!" Finally, he reminds those of us who are part of that story of the motto of the old Soviet-era Eastern European dissidents: "Make no decision out of fear." (italics and bold mine).

Have a wonderful night kids. Tomorrow we dial up the intensity as November is upon us.

Garrison

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/382133_keilloronline08.html?source=mypi

Great way to start the Halloween festivities from the head counselor at Lake Woebegon. I'll have some more related comments later in the day. Rest assured.

TIME

In his seminal work, Everyday Survival, Laurence Gonzales http://www.beyondtheordinary.net/laurencegonzales.shtml tells the story of a Fire Dept. Captain who ignores his fire fighting instincts and takes his unit into harms way. From which they never return. Another Captain's approach to the same situation, and learning from the mistakes of the former, is to set the timer on his his watch every hour when in danger to remind himself to stop, look around, listen, and collect new data. IOW, do something better, and in this case, safer, using the latest information. That, my friends is GREAT advice.

Not all of us are fire fighters. But we should all be on call 24/7. Gonzales goes on to talk about how we, as modern Homo erectus, have evolved into using vacation mode most of the time. We all feel pretty safe at any moment, changing lanes on the freeway while chatting on the cell, building homes on the fault lines, engaging in extreme sports, polluting the planet. His analysis is that we have lost a very important piece of our survival instinct, that of paying attention. I have to agree. This was even the key topic on safety stand-down seminars I used to give to the US Navy. Paying attention. It solves a lot of issues.

So, I was telling the assembled spinners yesterday morning that their homework assignment from Wed to Fri was to once an hour check in with their cores (that area roughly between the lower rib cage and mid thigh) to see if there was anything that could be improved upon AT THAT PRECISE MOMENT. And to repeat as necessary. Once every hour. Simply looking at your posture is sometimes enough. Bringing in the lower abs towards the spine and tightening the lower back muscles every hour goes a long way towards overall good health.

And if good health is 90% of happiness, this should be a major concern. So today I am taking it a step further, ALL of you have a watch (doesn't have to be a Timex, sorry Louis) or a cell phone (nor a iPhone, sorry Gordon), so you can set the chimer, timers, bells or whistles at the top (or bottom) of EVERY HOUR so that when it is "That time" you can send your awareness to your core and do what needs to be done. Cool? Good.

Begin.

Start here

http://www.slate.com/id/2203151/pagenum/all/

For various comments on why this is such an easy choice. A great way to start your day (after spin class this it).

The Book of Fear

PS:

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that the Kona RCV sampler has quietly amassed over 1,300 views in a little over a week! There is justice in the world!!!!!!

UPDATES

Updates.

1) We have doubled the RCV staff. With our release record standing at an anemic 6 in 8 months, the PTB have entrusted your obedient savant to the task of GPS processing. And guess what? Now I know why they take so long!!!!!! It is a PIA chore, anal, boring, repetitive and thankless. I will get no glory for this. Right, like I was getting any being the videographer. Regardless of ego gratification and non-attachment to outcome, this should help our release frequency, and, I knew you were thinking this, I am 30 miles into St. Croix, with Lake Placid on deck and either Madison or IM Canada in the hole. Remember your vote counts!

2) I think I may be getting back into shape. It was a long, fat-filled, no-time-to-run or ride, nose to the RCVstone kind of summer. We shot another 21 events from Washington to Australia, and I paid the price sitting (slouching) in coach for hours on end only to end up eating whatever crap I could forage upon arrival. My back hurt and my gut bloated. That's what happens when you go from IM training to nothing. We have been back in the HOPN (House of Pain North) for a couple of weeks now doing our high intensity spin sessions and I have been out running the flats in the park in between. Tonight I did PR double, so there is still hope. However, to all you wackoos in my AG, fear not, I pose you no threat.

3) The UW fired Tyrone Willingham today as I predicted to RG almost immediately after the Irish thumped our fannies Saturday night, 33-7. Who will be the next? I hope we can retain this talented young class and start to keep the terrific local talent home. That's for starters. Then we need to beat Oregon, then OSU, then UCLA, then SC, and then, well, you get the idea.

4) Things are looking good for Obama. Except the wackoos are coming out in force a little early for Halloween. PLEASE America, let's get over it. Finally. At long last. Can we? And yes, I voted early.

5) Finished a little number from Depak Chopra last night called, "Why is God Laughing"? He ended it with these three reminders that I thought we a cogent way to wrap it up, so I'll share his thoughts with you. He suggests that to be truly happy, you must:

A) Act without fear.
B) Feel joy in what you do.
C) Allow your actions to bring results.

I like that. Fearless, joyful and productive. We could do a lot worse.

Peace my friends, More video on the way.

FUN

Motivation is such a difficult concept. How one gets somebody else to do something they can't or won't do on their own is an absolute mystery. Dial up the drama and danger elements and it gets even more complex. You can induce with money (far and away the most common), intimidate, educate, bribe, threaten or blackmail, but the only true success you can have in the attempt to motivate is to be yourself, share your enthusiasm, prepare, and try to find a way to keep the focus on the positives.

If you are thinking that I am about to write yet another commentary on the sorry state of the University of Washington football team, your are right. Because I think this one needs to be written and read, and then used.

Every column, article and blog in Seattle's two majors, the Times and the PI, are filled with comments on how low the once mighty and proud Husky program has sunk. 99% of them want head coach Ty Willingham fired immediately, and the other 1% say wait until the end of the season. We are 0-7. In his tenure here Ty has gone 11-33. He has displayed an uncanny knack for being unprepared for games, being unable to develop players, losing key in-state recruits, being stoic and surly towards media and fans, alienating former players and alumni, and, worse of all perhaps, being unable to motivate the kids.

I will give him credit. He was brought here to "clean-up" the program and re-establish discipline and decorum. I think he has done that. But very much like the situation we see today in Iraq, one must ask, "at what cost?". I don't go to the UW and sit in on Organic Chemistry 101, yet I trust that the teachers are qualified, successful and respected. I go to Husky football games to watch kids play football, and in paying my $70 per ticket expect the same, with an emphasis on successful. The kids on the field are here to play football and place their NFL futures in the hands of the assembled coaches. Yes, they are student athletes, and I care about education, BUT THIS IS FOOTBALL, an education of a completely different type. We give away 85 or so scholarships so that the kids can get an education free as long as they are able to play. So we are in effect subsidizing 85 kids, sponsoring them for four years, sometimes five, as they get an education, and all we ask in return is that they give us some entertainment on Saturday afternoons in the fall. And that entertainment of late, like the last seven years, has been one tragedy after another.

Which takes us right back to motivation. We got creamed last night by the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, who in all reality, didn't have to fight too much or too hard. We were out-classed, out-matched out-played and out-coached. It was painful to watch. In the photo above, we finally score a TD on a botched pass, with four minus left against ND's third string defense, WITH LESS THAN HALF OF THE STADIUM EMPTY. The fans who have come here since the days of McKeta and McElhenney, Moon and Millen, Mincey and Malloy had left. Many of them in various stages of disgust or disbelief. You could see a string of their red taillights across the 520 bridge as they headed home. They had motivation to leave.

The motivation to make them stay, to return is pretty simple. We are not going to the Rose Bowl, we are not even going to the Google/Mountain Dew/BestBuy.com Bowl. We may go 0-12. We suck. BUT WE ARE STILL A TEAM and THIS IS STILL A GAME. If you can't use the motivation of winning, getting exposure, playing in the big games, making the impressions that allow high draft rankings, beating your rivals, then take it back to the basics; Playing is supposed to be fun. There is joy in competing, in not giving up and in doing the best you can for yourself and your teammates. One fun play, one successful drive down the field, one diving catch, third down stop, a big play by the special teams or recovered fumble is sometimes all the spark it takes for individual fun to spread to the entire team. And it is infectious. If you can motivate 22 kids into having fun on the same time on the same field, you will win some games. Right now, Ty's team has given up. There is dissent, finger pointing, rebellion and talk of mutiny. They are NOT having fun. Neither are the fans. Or alumni. Or TV audiences.

Motivate them by fun, by remembering that this is supposed to be fun. Go out there and have as much fun as you can possibly fit into four-fifteen minute quarters. Blitz. Go long. On sides kick. Send the house. Sure, you still have to block and tackle, run for daylight and wrap-up, but what do we have to lose? When the Dawgs return to having fun on the field I will too, and won't e-mail the AD for a refund.

Motivate by making it fun again.

'Cause winning is fun, too.

Prayers

Right before falling asleep last night I did a review of the day. I started out by checking things off the list, giving them a grade, and then seeing if there was any follow up work, or any additional phases remaining or necessary. There usually is. It was rolling along pretty good. I felt like a character in The Decalogue movie series I was watching. And then a funny, unintentional thing happened to this mental visualization exercise, I remembered that I have been doing this for many years, and it first started when I was instructed by the Nuns at my Catholic grammar school, and reinforced by my parents, to say 'my prayers' before going to sleep every night. They even made suggestions as to what prayers should be about. Because it is a deep abstraction for an six year old to have sufficient understanding of the world to pray for change. So God Bless Mom and Dad, and my sisters and brothers was usually the extent of my prayers. A lot changed over the years. Sleeping with others impacts your opportunity to spend a few minutes in gratitude prior to REM, and when there wasn't a partner it was usually because a pill or potion had replaced a person. Tough to pray while sedated. And then meditation replaced prayer, a more "pragmatic" connection to the spiritual, it seemed (and seems). Fifty years passed. Poof.

Then last night I again prayed a little. And it felt good. I need practice but this was a start. It was cathartic. It went something like this:

Oh, Great Spirit, hey there, it's me.
Thanks for all your help and support.
I really appreciate all the challenges, and headaches and issues you give me on a daily basis to sort out and work through.
And thanks for all the beauty, and the many people I love.
And thanks for the people that I don't understand, cause I know that they are here for me to learn from.
And thanks for my health, except you might ease off the pain in by back, that would be cool.
And thanks for letting Dad hang around so long after Moms death. That helps.
And thanks for my brothers and sisters, and niece and nephews. And for all my friends in the industry and at the club.
And thanks for tele-marketers who let me practice patience.
And PLEASE don't let some wacko hurt Obama.
And help me to forgive the fucking idiots who will vote for McCain.
And give me strength to finish my work.
And courage to face my demons.
And love to cheer others.
And wisdom to see how best to help heal the planet.
And please let the boss see the value in the latest project proposal.
And let my roof repairs keep a little less rain out this winter.
And keep the Exploder running just one more year.
And please, PLEASE help the Huskies beat Notre Dame tomorrow.
Thank you,
And good night.

Scary

Ralph Nader was actually my first choice. His comments the other day about the two party system, about the crooks in office being nothing more than puppets for the interests of industry, on plutocracy, and on his politics, were all very refreshing, here with a mere dozen days before the general election.

I am so tired of listening to McCain try to sound like he has anything vaguely resembling a heart, conscience or moral understanding. The man is a egocentric, mean spirited, angry, erratic and arrogant textbook example of fear-based political fraud. Like we haven't seen that on parade since January of 2000. And PLEASE, folks, take a close look at what and where that has got us. If you think that W is a pile of stinking cow dung (he lies, he steals, he cheats, he smirks, he insults, he belittles and he demeans), just wait till you get the full frontal with McCain (he manipulates, he misrepresents, he yells, he abuses, he slanders, he discriminates). His dictatorship would make W's look like a seminary. Scary.

Don't even get me stated on Sarah Palin. I heard the other day that she is staring in a new movie called Legally Bland. Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and Condi Rice all have substance and an intelligence that transcends gender, Ms. Palin, I must say, might be a good hockey Mom and a fearless moose hunter, but that does not qualify her to to be second in command. Scarier.

Obama is my choice then, because Ralph's vote is unpatriotic. It isn't really choosing because it won't count for anything other than a feel good gesture of protest. Therefore the patriotic thing to do here (and now) is to vote for what is best for our country. And that means change. Change from the lies, the deceit, the obvious fraud and fear based manipulation of the Bush Administration, the ineptitude of crisis management, the utter lack of compassion for the average citizen, horrifying disdain for the US Constitution and allegiance solely to greed, power and and profit. They have committed criminal acts in office and you are now being asked to condone or condemn. To vote for the Republican ticket is to condone all this, the state sponsored terrorism, the torture, the killing of innocents for political gain, the use of the US Military for personal profit, the exploitation of the planets resources because the old boys need a fix, the erosion of your civil liberties, the elimination of the middle class, and the appalling loss of choice as we move closer and closer to a police state, governed by fear and fed by greed. Scariest yet.

Obama is not perfect. Nor is Joe Biden, They are WAY to centristic for my liking (you've noticed?). They are campaigning for one reason: To get elected. They pander, they dummy down, they say what needs to be said vice what should be said. However, they have earned my vote mostly for two reasons:

1) We can not idly stand by an allow the Bush Dictatorship to continue. Short of criminal prosecution in a war crimes tribunal, voting the bastards out is change enough for now.
2) Obama represents THE POTENTIAL for change. And that is enough for now.

I'll take that chance.

Anything else is just too scary to consider.

Thank you for voting. Here is the Road to Change.

Chapter 82

Get otta town, was her knee-jerk response.

Come on, he pleaded, let's look a little further down the road than that stop light, shall we?

Fine by me, Nostradamus, but you are not going to sell that line to anyone between New York and LA, you realize?

Don't care, it's what has to be done and it has to be done PDQ.

OK, run it past me again, she said, relaxing her death grip on the wheel of the Mini Cooper.

Three things, to start, he began again, need to go under the 'scope. And a girl as smart and talented as you can start to visualize the ripple down tsunami almost immediately. He reached for the EQ slider and boosted the bass for effect, and reiterated:

1) Insurance. Boom shakka lakka.

2) The Stock Market. Boom boom.

3) Credit. Shakka lakka.

No Big Pharma or Big Oil?

Four and five, he said.

Boom boom.

Chapter 81

Chapter 81

So, where do we start? he asked honestly.

How about with the facts and with the truth? said the kid on the adjacent stationary bike, cranking out a consistent and smooth 103 revolutions per minute.

Cut to the chase, eh?

Time is running out, you wanna fuck around or move up?

OK.

OK, what?

Let's talk.

Go.

You said you have a plan.

I do.

Care to share?

The kid pulled the earpod closest to the Director of Marketing out, turned his head to look vis a vis, took a deep breath, and said: Change, adaptation, innovation, risk. Ees simple as that senor.

We're already doing that the DoM replied, defending his current, failing, marketing strategy, a plan he seemed to want to defend to the death.

The kid exploded in laughter, an entertaining combination of sincere mirth and mocking bird like screeching sarcasm. Really?

The DoM knew he was had. They were losing market share faster than a football team with a porous defense loses games. The economy was bad, and that hurt too. But the hardest part was the realization and reality that their software, once a "decent" part of the product, was now so woefully outdated and bland, it made VHS look hi-tech.

We don't know where to go or what to do, he finally muttered as if he was pleading guilty to murder one on the stand.

You're in luck, said the kid, upping his cadence to 125 with little apparent effort.

I am? he said.

No. We are, corrected the kid.

Excercise

Since I am back doing double sessions in anticipation of winning a lottery spot to next years Hawaii Ironman, and as health, fitness, racing and triathlon are a few of my favorite endeavors, this little gem caught my eye this morning in the Seattle PI. Most government guidelines get me to gigglin' pretty good (the food pyramid is a perfect example), but this one is actually very decent. I liked it so much that you get the link: http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/healthyliving/archives/151695.asp

to the complete article and a lifted highlight section.


Key Guidelines for Adults:

* All adults should avoid inactivity. Some physical activity is better than none, and adults who participate in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits.
* For substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. Aerobic activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes, and preferably, it should be spread throughout the week.
* For additional and more extensive health benefits, adults should increase their aerobic physical activity to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity, or 150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity. Additional health benefits are gained by engaging in physical activity beyond this amount.
* Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities that are moderate or high intensity and involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, as these activities provide additional health benefits.

How Much Total Activity a Week?
When adults do the equivalent of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, the benefits are substantial. These benefits include lower risk of premature death, coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and depression.

Not all health benefits of physical activity occur at 150 minutes a week. As a person moves from 150 minutes a week toward 300 minutes (5 hours) a week, he or she gains additional health benefits. Additional benefits include lower risk of colon and breast cancer and prevention of unhealthy weight gain.

Also, as a person moves from 150 minutes a week toward 300 minutes a week, the benefits that occur at 150 minutes a week become more extensive. For example, a person who does 300 minutes a week has an even lower risk of heart disease or diabetes than a person who does 150 minutes a week.

The benefits continue to increase when a person does more than the equivalent of 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. For example, a person who does 420 minutes (7 hours) a week has an even lower risk of premature death than a person who does 150 to 300 minutes a week. Current science does not allow identifying an upper limit of total activity above which there are no additional health benefits.

For those of you in returning to the 0530 House of Pain North sessions, please note the sub section on intensity.

W

I must admit to being a sucker for parody and satire. This is an election year, with two weeks to go and it's getting pretty nasty out there. I won't bullet point the Bush legacy in terms of failed polemics (today), nor will I connect the dots between W's bombast and Mac's neurosis, as you should be able to see that on your own, so when I saw this piece from the The Onion http://www.theonion.com/content/news/bush_calls_for_panic I couldn't resist a posting.

Priceless, especially this: "For those of you who have remained resolute in your belief that things will turn around eventually, I urge you to close your eyes, take shallow rapid breaths, and begin freaking out immediately," Bush added. "At this point, anyone who isn't scared to death needs to wake the fuck up—because we're screwed here."

Stay the Course America.

NAILS5

I am thinking that this is what he had in mind in the "Spread it Around" quip. Poor Joe, set up like a bowling pin.

Sponsors?

Random Notes:

I was amazed at what an angry, hot-blooded, out-of-control little prick John McCain looked like on live national TV last night. At one point I thought his head was gonna explode. I could care less what he had to say (after all he is a maverick neo-con), on TV it is all about appearance, body language and, yes, John, eloquence.

Obama isn't the total answer either, although I like having a diplomat in charge vice Yosemite Sam. Obama had so many opportunities to bury the poor guy and chose the easy way out, playing good strategic defense as a tactic.

As I have said all along this is change enough for now. It'll be OK folks, relax.

Considering how the sub-prime home mortgage market led the economic plunge, which in turn is causing colossal global strife, I wonder if anybody has reminded W that his advice after 911 was to go shopping. Oh yeah, and be afraid.

Oh, the politics of fear.

10-1 Joe the Plumber doesn't even vote.

After my much anticipated return to spin class yesterday morning, I followed it up with a little sunset 5K in the park. Very tough run, it felt more like a marathon. I was looking for an aid station to stop and chat but had to wait till my own kitchen, still...

I was again inspired by the athleticism on display in Kona last week. They do make it look easy. I wonder if I'll ever get back in shape enough to do another IM?

I entered the Kona lottery for the first time in ten years, so at least there is a sliver of hope. I did this before we left thinking that if I got a slot I could attach a helmet cam to my bike and get the course RCV footage that way. Instead we got to shoot from the pack. Oh the irony.

OMG, what if I now win a lottery slot? Tomorrow I will start to train like I will race a 70.3, so come Feb. 15 (drawing day) I can still dial it up from Feb to Oct and not embarrass myself or my sponsors too much.

Sponsors?

Kona RCV Sampler

Hot off the lava fields folks. Here is five minutes of the 2008 Ford Ironman Triathlon World Championship. Never Take the Joy. And I am working on creating a more suitable intro thumbnail, so please stay tuned. Mahalo. And if it looks too greasy on your box, go here to watch da kine YouTube video in high resolution http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BcNp2wTeuQ

Kona IMages

Back in the saddle with lot's of mileage ahead. Just finished a short RCV sampler of Kona which I will post later today after my run. In the meantime here are some stills taken by my production assistant. Considering the logistics of this event and the fact that she was given the assignment along with a camera tutorial less than an hour prior to the start, they are some very good images.

Top to Bot: (click to enlarge)

1) Swim start (One wave)
2) Nice shot at the turn at Hawi.
3) PLEASE note the HTFU sign in the most appropriate place (See Faris' frame)
4) Kate outta the Gate.
5) Getting bike splits on Palani.

Kona 30 Grades

37K miles above Big Blue on way home. Another Kona trip in the books, this the 30th edition. And, at least in the opinion of the RCVman, a most successful one. Both you loyal readers will recall that the trip was designed to accomplish four objectives. Let's take a closer look and quickly grade the results, shall we?

1) Create additional RCV awareness by a successful release of the Kona 08 DVD.

We ended up taking 500 copies over and handed out over 400, so that was a decent percentage. We will be testing a group e-mail to 200 folks who entered the CT drawings at IM Canada, Muskoka and Lake Placid offering the DVD as a free bonus to further promote the product. That will leave us with about 200 to use over the winter. Everyone seemed to enjoy the content and with Kevin Mackinnon posting it on Ironmanlive.com, the viewing audience went from 0-60K in three days. And despite Simon, Phil, Lynn and Ryan's joy in mocking my voice narrative, Phil and Chucks request to lengthen the lower third IDs, and my own self critique in scene selection, most who viewed at the expo were not disappointed and nary tomato thrown. Overall grade: A-

2) Launch the RCV Fun Ride as an annual event.

With less than two weeks to advertise, we were able to attract a dozen folks to the Wednesday ride. Due to a mysterious sign at the top of the Energy Lab announcing that cyclists were prohibited from entry, the ride itself was shortened from the advertised 25 miles to 15. NTL, an enjoyable and successful shoot was staged and additional good will established to the assembled crew. One must start somewhere, least us not forget that the even we witnessed yesterday began in Oahu 30 years ago with the same number of participants.
Overall grade: B-

3) Re-capture the Kona course for improved RCV.

The building consensus campaign began sometime last year as the shoot protocols were improved and perfected. We knew (I knew) that we needed to shoot this course from a bike or scooter in the pack to do it justice. And even though the Kona RCV remains our best seller, it has flaws, Some serious, some superficial. Worst case scenario, the one I was operating under up until Friday, was that we were going to be granted permission to shoot the same way as least year, off the front. So imagine my surprise when John told me that we could shoot off the back, on a bike, in the pack. To scramble mode we went and after a long 112 miles and almost five hours in the baking Kona sun, we came a away with some pretty damn good footage. But limited GPS. It's always something, eh? I am quite confident that I can work around this issue, having enough prior data to choke a small donkey, but the fact remains that the entire trip was elevated to gold status as a result of the decision, addressed by, lobbied for and championed by many. Whom I would like to thank at this time, particularly Andy Giancola, Kevin Mackinnon, Paul Huddle and John Bertsch. If there is anybody else in that gregarious group that I have left out or don't know about, thank you. Seriously.
Overall grade: A++

4) Continue to promote the RCVs and interview additional CT athletes.

I spent a lot of time at the booth talking with both current users and potential ones. I like doing that, even to the couple that hit me with both barrels about the Kona RCV. I promised them a copy of the new course when ready and was able to convey my frustrations and vision of upgrades adequately, I think. They went away happy anyway. Sold another unit to George from Calgary and had several great chats with folks who feel like I do that this stuff is pretty dang cool. Interviews with Mitch Anderson, Rebecca Keat, Eneko Llanos, Bella Comerford, Steven Bayliss all added colorful contributions to the existing testimonials. Missed Kate however, so that was the only Pro who escaped the RCVmans red light.
Overall grade: B.

So there ya have it RCV fans. There was, as always, a ton of behind the scene, under the hood, in sotto voce, guerrilla marketing moments in addition to the above. I am always so grateful to come to Kona and hang with the big boys in Paradise. Simon and Phil were in top form once again and Chuck seemed to feel that the show was a success despite the low recession induced participatory numbers. You could say that a good time was had by all. And you would be right. Aloha and Mahalo friends.
Overall, overall grade: B

Kona Minus 12

Friday of race week. Like the day before Christmas. All the work has been, or is supposed to have been, done. The compression stockings have been hung with a modicum of care. It is time to try to get some rest, put some quality carbos into the boiler and try to settle down, calm, or in some way appease the runaway freight train known as 0645 minus 12, and counting.

We are back in the condo doing the last minute prep for tomorrows shoot. In an hour we are meeting for the annual sales meeting dinner across the street at Jamisons. I need to behave and get back early. The good news is that after 12 months of a relentless PR barrage on the Kona staff to allow us to shoot from the pack, vice last years lead vehicle protocol, they, John in particular, finally saw the light and granted us permission. The bad news is that I packed gear to shoot from a car and hence had to scramble this afternoon after the expo closed to make shift a camera rig capable of handling the gig. Also....

Not only did we have a great show, promoting the RCVs, but we establish a few new and exciting partnerships. First on that list is are the folks at MyAthleteGPS.com. Here are the broad strokes: Their service allows you to follow an athlete as he or she traverses an event course. Using GPS, the athlete carries a small transponder to send a signal that is picked up and then relayed vis their web site to friends, family and any interested parties. You log on, enter user name and password and then follow the athlete on a Google map, updates every one or two minutes. Are you seeing what I am seeing?????? Are you thinking that a marriage with the RCVs as I am out filming carrying one of their transponders could create a whole new training experience???? Good, so am I.

Tomorrow starting at nine Kona time, me, my Harley pilot Neil, and a MyAthleteGPS.com transponder will cruise the legendary Queen K for six hours or 112 miles whichever comes first. You can follow by going to www.MyAthleteGPS.com/track and enter MA2 for both user name and password. I am "athlete" number 151, name: CompuTrainer-RCV. You can thusly, log on and follow my progress and see exactly what will soon become the 2008 Kona RCV. I will leave it to you to ponder the possibilities.

And my buddy Jim Major stopped by the booth today. He and Scott Tinley are playing at the little pizza joint downtown tomorrow from 5-9. I gotta get there. I gave Jim, who further added to his legend by wearing a Obama Would Go T-shirt, a copy of the Kona DVD and fessed up to using one of the great tunes from the One Blue Eye CD on the score. I hope he will like it. He also mentioned that Disney is doing a Eddie Would Go film and want to use his award winning song of the same name. He said they are cheap. I wonder what that makes me. I can honestly say unabashedly, that you should go here, now and buy this incredible CD. Blog that, Disney!!!!

The magnanimous Mr. K. Mackinnon at Ironmanlive.com has also gregariously agreed to post 2-5 minute RCV highlights of every event we do from this point forward. That is huge as their hourly hit count surpasses a year of what RCVman does. Great promotion and exposure. And starting tomorrow.

The Kona 30th celebration is now at zero minus 13.

Photos: T-B: The Bob and Mike annual entry to the athletes parade on Tuesday.
The IM expo announcing year 30. Wow.
Phil, RCVman on to the prank, and One Blue Eye hissself Jim Major.
The original crew at the start of the inaugural Kona RCV Fun Ride on Wednesday.

Kona Thursday

Thursday of race week in Kona. LOTS has gone gone down and all of it good, big time stuff. I will talk about how good very soon, but for today here is a set of stills from the pro race brief. Top to bottom:

Norman Stadler doing his best Jackson Browne imitation.
Farris al Sultan looking fit as a fiddle.
Chrissy Wellington with her bouquet as reigning IM Queen.
And my heros Thomas Hellreigel and Luke van Lierde still after it.

Go to www.Ironmanlive.com for a link to the (much discussed) Kona DVD and a terrific recap of the RCV Fun Ride from Ironman senior editor and all around great guy Kevin Mackinnon.

Oh, and we're shooting from the pack on Saturday.

Like I said, big time stuff. I will get in a longer, more detailed report after the Expo closes tomorrow at noon. That's five Central. Then again, better count on six Cenrtal as we're still on Hawaii time.

Aloha and Mahalo.

Aloha and Mahalo

Out to the airport. Long day of travel over the big pond. Check in at the CT booth upon arrival and then go pick up the scooter for Wednesdays RCV shoot. I would REALLY like to catch the debates tonight but we'll have to see how that shakes out. I should have time and WiFi at the White Sands to do a daily update (plus there's no loss for material), so stay tuned and we'll chat soon. Mahalo.

Heart of the Matter

Last minute prep 'n pack for Kona. We are outta here tomorrow morning at O dark thirty. Lot's left to do. All systems are go. RCV Fun Ride is Wednesday and it's looking OK, meetings with the race officials all set, banners printed, DVDs packed. Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile. And rip one more iMix. So here ya go. I will try after my CT spin this afternoon to get back and post some political commentary 'cause I know that you are counting on my faux pearls of wisdom to help you convince those that haven't registered as yet to do so. And quick. So we need some bullet points to help us get to the heart of the matter. In the meantime, enjoy this (might be a PB):

And please disregard the doubles. Guess the folks at Apple like Mr. Henley and U2 as much as I do. Aloha.

Kona bound

Gearing up for the last RCV gig of the year. That would be the 30th anniversary of Ironman Hawaii to be staged Saturday, October 11 on the Big Island. For either of you that haven't as yet made this triathlon pilgramige, it is worth every penny of travel related cost. I have tons of SD video and maybe 1K still photos of this locale and event going back to 1989, my first witness to the magic of the islands, so if I can squeeze some free creative time in the schedule over the next 72 hours, I'll try a scrapbook collage or something. There are a few updates that you might be interested in regarding our RCV Fun Ride on Wednesday morning. Here is the press release:

Cervelo adds to Real Course Video Fun Ride.

The CompuTrainer Real Course Video Fun Ride just got a lot more fun. CompuTrainer and Cervelo announce an exclusive opportunity for a dozen athletes to test ride a Cervelo for the October 8 RCV fun ride in Kona. Here's how it works: Interested parties MUST sign up at the Cervelo tent at the Expo site by five o'clock Tuesday the 7th. You must fill out a waiver, bring your pedals, and request a bike model and your size. On Wednesday morning at 8:15, you simply pick up your test ride, take it to the RCV ride start at the Old Airport, do the RCV 25 mile ride, and then return the bike to the Cervelo tent right away. Simple as that!!!.

And for your efforts you not only get to test ride the best bike in the biz, but also get a free copy of the Real Course Video, with race week bonus material, compliments of CompuTrainer mailed to you upon completion.

Remember, we have only 12 bikes for this, so first register here (link to CT registration form) for the RCV ride and then get to the Cervelo tent early and get signed up for a test ride. See you in Kona.

Add: www.cervelo.com

So that is good news for a dozen folks who want to test ride the Cervelo sexy beast, and have a supporting role in the FREE Kona RCV.

I also assembled another iTunes iMix for your listening pleasure. This one is the fourth in a series of mixes I am calling Nighttime. The moniker and sequencing should be fairly indicative as to its content and chronology. iTunes is kinda touchy as you can only use tunes that they have available for sale and only some versions of some songs. So just when you think that you have concocted the perfect combination of mood, feel, tempo, lyric, style, inuendo, instrumental tone, groove and cord structure, one or more songs are not available. Dang. So please accept this apology with the understanding that the live versions of "Goodnight Moon" by Jack Ingram and "Alison" by Elvis Costello were not my first choices. Here are the Nighttime IV liner notes if you are still curious.

RCVman spends most of his time training to race, making a high energy music component a must. But when things need to slow down a bit? This is the fourth in a collection called Nighttime. When the sun goes down and it's time to take a deep breath, relax, recharge and enjoy. Number IV has a distinctive California feel from about 1970, a point on the musical time line that remains as valid then as now. I recommend Nighttime IV be paired with headphones, a fire, a glass of Spanish Rioja and smoked oysters.

The Time Travelers Wife

An Unconventional Book Report.

RCVman Thursday, 19 June, 2008.

I am sitting with my hostel mates in Nice, France discussing literature. They are two Canadian college girls, intelligent, outgoing and on the last leg of a three week jaunt through Europe. I like them both. They remind me of a time when I was young and innocent and in search of some combination of experience, fun, adventure and meaning. I have always found it interesting that this calling to college grads is louder and clearer in Western Europe than other spots. Maybe it is.

We are exchanging top five lists. Music, film, art, cities. We get to literature and I lead with my standard, across all genre picks; Robbins, Kerouac, Stienbeck, Fowels, Heinlein, and yield the floor.

Sallinger, Dickinson, Conrad, Kingsolver, Miller.

Dick, Bukowski, Bronte, Tolkien, Niffenegger.

Niffenegger? I say.

Audrey Niffenegger. The Time Travelers Wife.

My favorite all time book, she says.

News to me. I will assume by the title that it is science fiction?

More of a love story.

Really?

Yeah, and the protagonist has a very rare DNA infliction that causes involuntary time travel, which as you can imagine, causes some rather bizarre situations and circumstances, as he is in love with a woman he can only see occasionally as time travel permits and or restricts. The predestination paradox, too, as it applies to love, life and God, even 9-11.

WOW.

It is SOOOOO good.

I am intrigued, envisioning a combination of Minority Report, Fifty Years of Solitude and Oedipus as they decide that it is time to go meet their friends for dinner.

I bid them an enjoyable evening on the town and grab my iPhone to make this addition:

Read: The Time Travelers Wife by A. Niffenegger.

I humbly suggest you do likewise.

Chapter 80

Chapter 80

"There are market forces at work here that could completely change the way we are doing business today by noon tomorrow."

That got his attention and he gave the kid on the treadmill to his right a long look.

The kid did have a modicum of street cred, and a history with the company. That was worth at least a listen to his ideas, so he, somewhat begrudgingly, engaged.

"Oh?"

"Fuck yeah, look at the technology, the shit they are doing in gaming, WiiFit, wireless, HD video, memory capability, video codecs, metallurgy, carbon fiber, data transfer, electronic media. You don't think there are a hundred MIT grads out there RIGHT THIS FUCKING INSTANT playing with all this in their rooms? Do you really think that our dinosauric hardware will withstand the next wave? Dude, go ask Ford, GM and that other outdated company. It is all about change, adaptation and the visionary use of new third party technologies and applications. We have the advantage, we have been doing this for almost 30 fucking years. We either re-tool now and use our leverage to keep existing market share and introduce a new product line, or we go the way of the brontosaurs. It is as simple as that."

Knowing that it is never as simple as that, he reached for his towel and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"And I suppose that you have a plan?"

"Oh, yeah."