I Live in Iowa: Week 143

This was a really good week! After figuring out my knee problems late last week I was back to no pain in a few days. It is taking time to adjust to my new position at work, but it is getting much better. I suppose I am seeing the value I contribute now.

I was asked recently, "of all the activities you do, if you could only do one, running, coaching, engineering, etc. what would it be?" I responded and said "Engineering." Proportionately to the amount of writing I publish and web presence I have, everything things running, or even coaching would top the list. However, I'm a problem solver, a tinkerer, a constructor, and at this point in my life that means engineering. It is so mentally rewarding. We are definitively solving problems.

Of the highlights this week, we had a show stopper problem, and there were many valid ideas, and one of mine might just be implemented. At least it was valid enough to pass the smell test, which honestly keeps most ideas from being implemented. Secondly, I am a good communicator. Clearly, I have a long way to go, yet in the context of engineers and business I do well.

Running, I ran 59 miles with a hard anaerobic set of intervals on Tuesday. This week I am expecting the mileage to go up even higher.

Coaching went well overall. There will always be things to be upset about, but we had a number of personal records, one by like 41 seconds in the mile, kind of a big deal. You have to work with the tools you have, and well, we had a good meet overall. Something I have struggled with in the past is focusing on the minority of events that did not go well, where people gave up in a race and jogged it in, where people ran ten seconds slower in the 800 than the year before, etc. Lately I have taken a different approach, be happy for the good performances that we do have. It makes a huge difference in how I view the meet results.

Other than that, Everest preparations continue.

I am very blessed. God just continues to shower me with luxuries.