Regarding the Clouds

The title of this post comes from Ecclesiastes 11:4 "He who observes the wind will not sow. And he who regards the clouds will not reap." That verse is marked in my Bible as is a couple below that. In the margin is written the Nike slogan "Just Do It". I marked it because my tendency is to "regard the clouds" and attempt to predict the weather. I am better at it than most, but still miss the prediction OFTEN. Today, however, I predicted it perfectly. When I called LaWanna after finishing work, I told her I was doing my "brick" workout and it would almost certainly rain before I finished.

The "brick" is a term for combining two types of training, in this case cycling followed by running, in preparation for my fast-approaching triathlon. The plan was to bike 13 miles and change shoes quickly to run 4 miles. As I prepared to head west, the dark, dark clouds were providing an easy excuse to avoid the torture to my quads. I decided to push on, knowing I would be rained on before finishing that distance. The rain is not a big problem but I made a mental note to be flexible with my plan in case of close lightening. There was VERY close lightening. The plan was altered to include a 9 mile bike ride and 2 mile run. It is a little disappointing to cut the plan short, but I feel good about getting that much done. The run was all in HEAVY rain. Here are some things I learned;

1. Lightening can make you bike faster than you thought you could.
2. Brake levers are slippery when wet.
3. The painted white line on the road is very slippery when wet.
4. Shoes and socks weigh several pounds more when wet.
5. There are still good people in the world (Thanks, sir, for offering the ride).
6. Sticking to a plan leading to a long-term goal is very difficult.
7. With a little judgement, rain will not hurt you.
8. Cell phones apparently are not waterproof.
9. Although it seemed hopeless a short time back, I am getting stronger.
10. It is o.k. to be different.

You know, if I learn to swim this thing may work out.