Endings and New Beginnings

I know ... sounds ominous! On the surface, it has to do with work. But then I thought about it and the title applies to more of my life than just my job.

The short version is that after almost 8 years at my present law firm, I handed in my resignation and next month I'll be starting as a partner at another firm - one that specializes in my area of practice. Needless to say, this was not an easy decision, and as my last days quickly approach, I'm somewhat sad about leaving my little nest. But, it's time for me to move on and this is a great new opportunity.

OK, enough about that. How, you may ask, is this something bigger than just a job. Well, it seems to apply to my real life too -- more particularly to my weekend warrior status. It used to be that I ran on weekends. I belong to a marathon training group, and we meet every Saturday morning before birds and worms and everything else even considers rising, and head out to get in our long slow runs. And for years, that's what I've done. I've run a couple of marathons a year, and trained most of the year without much of a break, just with different events on the horizon.

Then last year some of the group broke off and decided to train for an Ironman triathlon! We wished them well, and missed their company on our long runs, but didn't think much more of it until they got back from IM Brazil and started regaling us with tales of their adventures and the wondrous accomplishment of it all. And once the seed was planted, I wanted to experience what they raved about. My new beginning...

So, last summer, I did a "baby" triathlon - an abbreviated sprint distance race on a mountain bike - just to test the proverbial water. And I liked it. Not a lot, mind you, but enough to try again (pun intended!). And then I bought a tri bike, and did an olympic distance race -- the Escape to Miami triathlon. And that was it - I was hooked and the new beginning had a purpose. This Sunday was the Escape to Miami triathlon again, and the end of my first triathlon season! In my first year I did the sprint, 2 Escapes (olympic), an International distance race - the Nautica South Beach tri, the Florida 70.3 Half Ironman, and the Ironman Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. And now, I'm back to training for the Miami Marathon, and have to decide what to do next. Thus, an ending and the verge of another new beginning.

The problem is this - I don't know what I want to do. I don't like the running anymore! I prefer the swimming and biking, but I can live with the running to get the medal (honestly, it's a lot about the bling! Oh, and the tattoo!). Anyway, there's also the cost - it's a really expensive hobby. And I still want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, and explore Antarctica. And they're not cheap. But I've been bitten by the tri bug. Not to mention, I can't just do it. I have to improve at it. And with a new job, it won't be easy finding the time to devote to training when I'm supposed to be up to my eyeballs in files and deposition transcripts and pleadings. So, now I've vented a little, I'm off to pack up some of my office, and for a quick workout at the gym. I'll return to this eventually and see what comes of my musings.