Serendipity versus The F'its

Anyone who knows me well knows my life is busy most of the time.  Filled with soccer games, scouting adventures, interspersed with busy work demands and my individual adventures.  Needless to say it can be easy to get overwhelmed and things came to a head at the end of May.  We had just had my car detailed with the intention to sell it, as it had been nothing but trouble since the day we drove it off the lot.  I was called to a last minute early morning meeting so my car and I rolled south to get there by 7am.  I had just pulled off the freeway into downtown Des Moines and was passing through an intersection when things exploded around me with airbags and crunching metal.  A woman had run a fresh red light and smashed into the driver side of my SUV.  We both walked away with totaled cars but grateful that was all.  I was delivered to my meeting just 15 minutes late thanks to the kindness of a Des Moines police officer (did I mention it was my birthday?). It worked out in the end as we ended up getting a big ol Chevy pickup truck from a Federal government auction.  Its great driving a truck again despite it being a king cab with a full sized bed... yes I am running in to a fair number of curbs but we are working things out the two of us and it is great having a a vehicle to haul stuff and seat six humans.

Walking a half ironman

The crash was three weeks before I was to race in my 3rd 1/2 Ironman triathlon (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run).  Needless to say my training was derailed after the wreck but I managed to get some shorter runs and swims in but only one trainer ride in the three weeks leading up to the race.  I had the green light to race but knew it wasn't going to be the race I had planned.  Travel for this race was part of our family vacation to Chicago and Madison with stops to see family throughout so not going was not an option.  I was realistic that this was not going to be an easy day for me and for more details you can read my race report for a day that ended up being great but not what I expected.  It was part of a string of events over the summer months that had me in a battle between serendipity and the F'its.

On the F'its side my body was fighting me.  I spent all summer rehabbing shoulder damage from the crash on a shoulder that already had issues from a decade old soccer injury.  The going was slow and my drive wasn't great.  I diligently did my exercises each week but always felt like I should have been working harder to be worthy of the time with my physical therapist.  The downside is being heavier with tighter pants than I've had in years, but I know I can fight back from that again because I have done it before.  The bright light from the shoulder injury is my PT is a friend and I enjoyed hanging out with her even if there was pain involved.

I was racing triathlons this summer with Pearl Izumi as my sponsor and 90 plus lady racing companions around the country, so my goal at the season onset was to do four triathlons (1 1/2 Ironman,

My best girl

2 Olympic distance races and one Sprint.). Needless to say my season turned into 1 1/2 Ironman, 1 Olympic race and two sprints combined with a near loss for the love of a sport I've been participating in since 2007.  I lost that competitive edge somewhere in the stream of medical appointments June through September.  I even had some fleeting thoughts about quitting triathlon for good.  The last two races, the sprints, I ended up just doing for fun and the love of sport with no expectation of PRs or age group wins.  My last race of the season I had my daughter with me cheering me on and that was worth more than any finishing awards so while my season was tough it wasn't without bright lite along the way.

Abby and Bella

Another time suck for me in the spring and summer was many a trip out to my friends farm.  Abby (our future family vet) and her friend Chloe have been raising goats to show at the county fair.  It feels like a family venture since I had to drive her there each time and nearly daily in the last couple of month leading up to the fair (between soccer practices, etc.). Fortunately these are some of my favorite people. I got to spend time visiting with my friends, play with kittens, feed the chickens and pigs, snuggle baby goats, weed the gardens and help with the harvest but most of all watching our girls grow in their experiences.  While it was a burden to get back and forth I think I got more from it than I gave most of the time.

Day one on the Island

While all of this was going on I had a series of not great visits with my doctors.  My blood work numbers were all over the place and continued to get worse through the summer along with a heaviness that ended up being depression fueled by my MS meds.  The veil lifted a bit in early August when a planned break from my MS meds started.  I was planning on a backpacking trip with my cousin to see the beauty and wilds of Isle Royale a National Park on an Island off the tip of Minnesota and Michigan in Lake Superior.  I knew I wasn't in the physical shape I'd hoped to be in by the time it came to head north.  My shoulder was stable but not healed, my pack was new and heavy, but my spirit was lighter and my need for time away in nature was huge.  The planned break from my meds ended up being nearly three months off but back on track now however that is a blog for another day.

Unseasonably warm weather the first days on the trail, followed by a major ankle blow out at the end of the first day hiking made things tough.  The next two days were cooler and increasingly wetter.  My shoulder had me ebbing on the edge of tears at times, and I needed a big stick to keep marching forward on my unsteady ankle, but you know I wouldn't have traded any of it.  It was an exercise in physical and mental toughness that had become my specialty this summer.  It didn't end up being the reset I had hoped for but it rekindled my love for backpacking, tent sleeping and enjoyment of the great outdoors with interesting people.  I hope to have years of great family and personal adventures hiking the trails and experiences in the parks of America.

My brother and I at the crash site in Clear Lake

My best guys

While my summer experiences were a balance of the F'its and serendipity, overall I am grateful for every one of them even if they were not what I expected.  I am appreciative of every day where I can push myself, learn from the good and bad, and spend time contemplating on my own as well as in good company.  I wrapped up the summer with the kids heading back to school, soccer and scouts... but also family camping (first time with all four of us ever!), geocaching adventures and great times with my folks, brother and kiddos.  Life is good, and while it has its challenges and rarely ends up the way I expect, I am grateful for every new day.  Sending my love out into the world to each of you until next we meet.

Cubs Win the World Series

Well, I finally have a few minutes to process my thoughts.  I would not say I'm an avid Cubs fan but I am a consistent Cubs fan.  My first major league baseball game was at Wrigley field with my Grandpa Jerry, my Dad and my Aunt Joyce.  It was a beautiful summer day and I experienced my family's love for the Cubbies and my love (wonderful for a eight or nine year old little girl) for the Chocolate Frosty Malt eaten with a wooden paddle.  It was a great adventure and I don't even remember if the Cubs won but we had a lot of fun.  This year I made sure my family made it to a game Wrigley Field to continue the tradition in an epic year for our Cubbies.  We got our picture in front of the Wrigley Field sign again and Arietta and Cubbies put on a great show for us against the Pirates.

Growing up, while in season, I remember many a ballgame being broadcast on the radio in the garage, or on the TV in family living rooms.  Often with the men folk hovering nearby between activities.  If the Cubs were on then someone was listening.  My kids are taking in some of the same sports noise at our house, although it's mostly with their Dad watching the Royals, Tottenham soccer, or Husker/Cowboys football depending on the season.  The great thing about sports is that is brings

people together, even if we aren't cheering for the same teams.  What a wonderful experience to watch the Royals play to the World Series the last two years, and then to see the Beloved Cubbies as my great grandma would say, play to win the World Series this year.

You see I am at least a fourth generation Cubs fan.  I learned a lot about my family history through the three playoff series with the Cubs this year. I have captured some of the quotes below that my Aunts and Cousins posted and I lead with my favorite, which was a story I hadn't heard yet.

Posted by my Dad's sister Joyce - "This Cubs winning the World Series is so emotional for me. My grandfather Ed and my dad went to Wrigley to see the 1945 Cubs play while my mom, newly engaged, went wedding dress shopping in Marshall Fields. Ed and Clara raised 6 children all diehard Cub fans. Now they finally get to see this in heaven and Aunt Rhode and Uncle Arnie still with us today. FLY the W. Grandpa Ed have your shot and chase it with a beer in heaven."

Posted by my Dad's cousin Nancy C. "Was thinking of all of them while watching the game. It is a wonder we didn't have thunder from the cheers from heaven."

Posted by my Dad's cousin Christine - "Today I am grateful for this woman, Julia Byrne Noll, who instilled in me the love of the Chicago Cubs. She would sit in the living room with a baseball game on TV and listening to another on her little transistor radio. It was usually her beloved Cubs. For my Dad and Mom who bought a Cub baseball hat for me even when it wasn't cool for a girl to wear a baseball hat or collected baseball cards with my cousin Mike, Laurie, Heather. Lots of emotion today."

Posted by my Dad's cousin Katherine CUBS WIN! Grandma Noll would be thrilled." 

Posted by my Dad's cousin Judy - "Omg the Cubbies did it! My grandma is doing a jig in heaven."

Posted by my Cousin Phil - "The 3 biggest Cubs fans that I know that were not available to Celebrate with me tonight, that I know are going crazy in heaven tonight!!!   RIP... James (Shoe Boy) White"

Posted by my Cousin Cyndy - "Thank you Cubs!!  Many people have asked me, "Why are you a Cubs fan? They never win, why do you stick with them?  My theory is this: The Cubs won the World Series in 1908.  They went to the World Series in 1945.  In 1945, my Grandpas were fighting in WWII.  Back home families were waiting for news of their loved ones. To keep their minds off of the war, the families back home, had something to hope for, something to cheer for, something to take their minds off of the bad times.  Our families and friends had passion, hope for something and patience. That has passed down from generation-to generation. Thank you Grandpa George & Grandpa Bob for watching games on WGN with us, listening on the radio, taking us to games and sticking with them through thick and thin.  Grandpa George, Grandpa Bob, Jimmy I know you are dancin'. Thanks for the fun, memories and ups-and-downs we shared together. Grandma GiGi you made it!  Now: WE WON!  Cubbies thank you!!!!"

So you can see what an emotional, sleep deprived adventure this has been for my family (both sides), and for families like mine around the country.  We lost many a wonderful Cubs fan over the years but we gained a lifetime community.  I suspect the rain delay of game 7 was tears from Heaven from the Cubs fans gone before us at the blown lead.  It ended up giving them time to regroup, gather strength and energy from generations of Cubs fans watching and listening eagerly around the country.  We may never see this again in our lifetime (although they could have a fantastic team again next year!!) but the joy, and love and history of this Cubbies World Series win will carry us through any rough years that we may encounter in the future, because it isn't important that the Cubs win.  What is important is the love and community of our nationwide Cubbie family.

 

So I leave you with "Go Cubs go, go Cubs go, hey Chicago what'd ya say, the Cubs are gonna win today"! 🏆  #FlytheW