Tri-ing To Make a Difference: A Very Sad Day Indeed

Why would you possibly want to do this?

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Call it crazy, call it a 'mid-life crises', call it boys being boys... I don't mind. I am 45 years old, been physically active most of my life (interspersed with brief periods of sheer laziness) and have decided to complete the South African Ironman in April 2008. (3.8k Swim, 180k Cycle, 42.2k Run)

Someone told me that when you are 45, rich and bored you buy a Harley or a sports car. When you are 45, poor and suffer from OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) you do the Ironman.

In 1987 I completed a canoe Ironman triathlon and suddenly realised that if I completed the Ironman in 2008, it would be almost 21 Years to the day since my last big physical challenge.

I have been training for a few months now but took 4 weeks off all training before the 'big push' that starts TODAY (2 July 2007). This BLOG will be a daily Web Log of the life and times of a Ironman Wannabe. I trust you will enjoy the experience with me and please feel free to comment on any of the blogs.

PS. I am doing this for charity and the details of that will soon be posted here, as well as on my own site at www.brandstrategy.co.za and at the TTMAD site (Tri-ing To Make A Difference)

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

A Very Sad Day Indeed

This is the one posting I never wanted to make! Yesterday at about midday, My Kuzz passed away. He was shot senselessly in a high-jacking just over three weeks ago and after fighting and fighting he suffered a setback on Saturday when he picked up an infection and passed away yesterday.

He was my cousin and my friend and we shared a very close bond. He was a close friend of Heidi's and a very special uncle to my girls. We will all miss him terribly. Mike was larger than life, had a very strange sense of logic and an extremely dry sense of humour. You simply could not forget him if you met him and everyone has a 'story' about Big Mike.

My thoughts today are with his mom. We have all heard that children are supposed to bury their parents but parents are not supposed to bury their children. I wish I had some words of comfort, wisdom or understanding but nothing seems appropriate. To his brothers I can only say that there is no logic or reasoning and my thoughts and prayers are with them and their families. And what about prayer, well I certainly pray they all find the peace and understanding or maybe just some semblance of acceptance but most of all I pray for this country.

Now I have been directly touched by the senseless violent crimes we all live with everyday and I have seen the devastating effect it has on those around me. I have no immediate solutions to offer and I do not wish to even try and turn this blog into a one man crusade but to all those in power and all those in control... STOP THE KILLINGS!

So when I cross the line in two hundred and fifty something days, Big Mike you will be in my thoughts and in my heart and I am sure the words that you would have spoken will be in my mind... "Kuzz, what the hell are you doing?"