BB's Really Beginner Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 38)

Managed to get the bike back on the road after work this PM.  Was great to be outside, but man do I hate the wind!  Time was not pretty due to wind and not being on the bike in a while.  But, gotta start somewhere.

Mike -- The shin issue is new / have never experienced before.  I had been putting in a few more runs and upping the miles at a good pace.  Likely need to dial the pace back and stretch the length.  I'll take it easy and am confident it will heal up in a few weeks -- the joys of aging, you talk of healing in weeks versus days!

Curt – I hope you get better in a few days and not weeks!

Mike -  Glad you are making progress on the bike

Josh -  Thanks for the advice… I wish I had my road bike already…

Went out for a quick spin on my mountain bike8.32 Km.  Unfortunately I was too late to go swimming.  I have to organize my activities in a different way.  :-S  Joined the April challenge, that might help.  February was great because I was doing the challenge, I tend to be competitive. LOL

Good night! 

Today my exercise will be slightly different.  I will participate in a march for peace and security for the first time.  The situation in my country has reached a point where the average citizen (like myself)  who is normally not interested in political participation beyond the vote, is deciding to take to the streets in order to claim what is by right his or hers.  The right to live in a society free from violence, impunity and abuse of power.

Just to make the effect of violence on a normal person’s life easier to grasp I’d say that from a triathlon point of view, I’d like to live in a place where I feel free to bike and run without fear of being hurt, mugged or kidnapped.  Where I’m not likely to find the bodies of executed people by the side of the road, like my tri team does when they start very early in the morning for their long rides on Sundays.  Where I will not have to become used to live with such kind of violence in order to go on with my life and reach my personal goals.

There will be marches in all mayor cities in Mexico as well as in New York and at least 3 other cities in Europe.  I hope it all works out well.

Have a great day!

Incredible -- good for you for taking part. I've seen stories for a while about the growing violence in Mexico. Glad the citizens are going to stand up for what is right. Is this all driven by drug smuggling and related corruption? How has this impacted the country as a whole? I would think tourism is way down, and just every day living must be impacted. The story of your tri team finding executed people is shocking, horrible, and sad. Here's hoping much comes of your collective efforts today!

- Mike 

Thanks Mike!

I have to admit that this is the first thing I’m doing about it.  Before I just tried to avoid it and decided to stop watching the news because it was getting so unbearable to see. Then we found out that what was going on in my community, for example, was not on the news inMexico, but it was on the ones in theUS.  Things were starting to be hidden from us because there are elections coming up.  Everything is affected… even though tourists have never been harmed, foreign tourism is down in some places, therefore business suffers and every day life in general…

There have always been drug cartels, but this government’s actions against some big drug dealers weakened them in some regions and so they started to fight against each other to obtain new territories.  You’d probably disapprove of this, but I’d rather they were assigned their territory like they did before, and went about their business quietly.  There used to be a “code of honour” among them.  Now, their violence has started to affect everybody.  The son of a local poet and his young friends were killed last week inCuernavaca, that’s where this whole movement sprang from.   

Just recently I understood what my tri team meant by saying “saldo blanco”  when we got back from rides on Wednesdays.  I thought they meant none had fallen or something like that, but it meant no bodies found on the side of the road.  The worst thing, they say, is that they’ve become used to it. I don’t think I could get used to that… but I do want to ride on Sundays with them.

In all honesty I don’t think that public opinion is to change things much.  It is people in power who have to make decisions.  We don’t really live in a democracy, so I don’t even believe in a change of government through the vote.   But I owe it to myself to do my bit.

Thanks again Mike!

PS  Sorry about the long posts! 

Thank you for your kind words Curt.  It was a wonderful experience.  Thousands of people from all backgrounds and social classes were there, together with one objective in mind:  Peace. I came across a lot of people I know, from school, club, neighbourhood, etc. But I was invited to stick to a group of scientists throughout the demonstration and then we had dinner together.  It was like one long "big bang theory" special (you know... the sitcom) LOL     A most interesting and liberating day.  It will be difficult to forget.

I do hope that change eventually happens.

Good night!

BTW  Walked 7 Km 

Just googled it... you are right!! 

OMG. We've been archived! Thanks everyone. I loved meeting you all.

Itzia- I wish you the best and hope the situation in your country improves.

Thanks. This group was fun and I plan to keep positing here and there.  It was very helpful to see other struggling just as much as I do at times. Seeing all of those elites and pros at races makes you think you are the only one there that is a bit freaked at times!

Thanks Josh!  It’s been great meeting you all guys and gals!!  Thanks everyone for being there with advice and support when I needed it, and for the opportunity to share your challenges with you.

I hope you all reach your goals this year!

See you around! 

Hi everyone, sorry I haven't been around for a while and now everyone is gone? It was nice meeting everyone and sharing ideas and training with you. Keep up all of the hard work and good luck on your races or training goals!

It is a great community that we have out here, I think that is why I fell in love with triathlons, all of the great people from all walks of life coming together for common goals.

We are still waiting for spring to show up up here in the northeast, I know it is out there somewhere.

Train hard and enjoy the journey!!!!!!!