OK here is the deal. I am racing ChesapeakeMan on Saturday and the weather is looking mighty ...... wet. Rain might not be too bad. But the thunder and lightening will impact the race for sure. So, I have one eye on the weather, and the other .... some other place.

It's ironic because this year the tides are supposed to be very favorable and at our feet the entire swim. But that might not matter if a storm angers the Choptank River. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, this Bud Light Lime helps keep things in perspective and enables me to better study the tide charts and weather map .... YEAH ... OK.

I am heading to Cambridge Thursday AM to help out at race registration and chill out a little. Thanks to Jude Wiggins and her generous hospitality in allowing us the use of her house again this year.

By the way, I offered to lend some help to this outstanding organization - check them out. www.backonmyfeet.org

Posted by Steve Brown at 8:04 PM EDT

Updated: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 8:15 PM EDT

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No clue what the title means ... other than a JT song title. Any way, much has happened in a month. I accepted a new position with my former employer in Wilmington. It was a much needed move and I am most stoked about it.

Knee is recovering nicely and I feel pretty strong. Not quite 100% but getting there. The bike feels fine and the run is making progress. I am still doing the ChesapeakeMan iron distance tri at the end of September. And I should be 200% by then. Or so I hope. Training has been great.

I was on the receiving end of a very nice act of kindness over the weekend. First, while biking, a woman almost hit me when she rushed a left turn right in front of me coming the other direction. I braked and swerved a little, but no crises. Then the woman circled around to pull up to me and apologize for her carelessness. She said she felt horrible because her son is a cyclist and she is usually much more aware. It was nice to hear.

I have a neighbor down the shore whose name is Judy. I knew she played old school roller derby in the day. But wasn't really sure who she was. When you get some time - Google Judy Sowinski.... The Polish Ace. There is some great stuff out there. I think she could still throw a few people out of the ring. But fortunately, she has mellowed signficantly over the years and her idea of a fun afternoon is relaxing on a float at the pool. Don't try to take that float away though.

Out for now.

SB

Posted by Steve Brown at 7:21 PM EDT

Updated: Tuesday, September 2, 2008 7:37 PM EDT

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Hey man,

Knee is progressing very nicely. On Wednesday 7/23 I had my one week post op follow up. Everything was great and he gave me the green light to resume moderate training. (moderate being a relative term). So Thursday I was on a trainer for 30 minutes and then did some light resistance work. Saturday was a little longer and harder on a trainer, stair master, and eliptical trainer. Today was a very very easy and low impact walk "run"(not really) on a soft track for about 3 miles total. felt great. I should be allowed back in the pool this week. Everything looks good for ChesapeakeMan on 9/27.

Posted by Steve Brown at 1:26 PM EDT

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My arthroscopic knee surgery went very well today. They cleaned up the tear in the meniscus along with some other gunked up tissue and removed a piece of the meniscus itself.

I'll be laying low for about a week and will start physical therapy next Tuesday. But all in all I expect a pretty fast rebound. I will keep you posted!

sb

Posted by Steve Brown at 8:17 PM EDT

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Haven't seen you in a while. How've you been? (Music reference - opening line of "We Just Disagree" by Dave Mason). But seriously .... been away...at the shore for a week where we got in some great kayaking, a little swimming, and some good riding. AND took in some awesome fireworks with Midge and Tim in Avalon. It really was a great week.

Just checking in briefly and then heading to DC tomorrow for nephew Michael Stefanski's wedding. Quick update though- I do have a medial meniscus tear to the right knee and we are going to repair it athroscopically next Thursday, 7/17. I say "we" because I want to be awake for this and learn a thing or two about knee repairs. Hopefully my bounce back time will be short and sweet. I still fully expect to race an ultra distance triathlon and a marathon in the fall. No worries. I'm actually looking forward to getting it done so I can be pain free. It's funny though...I can ride my ass off and feel no pain at all. Then it will hurt like hell driving in the car.

If you haven't guessed, I am somewhat of a music junkie and had a junkie moment last night. We all went to see the movie "Get Smart" I am a big Steve Carell fan. When the opening credits scrolled up the screen I saw that the soundtrack was scored by Trevor Rabin. I knew Trevor played with a later generation of YES but forgot who else he played with. And it was killing me. I swore he also played with The Buggles and possibly Asia. So I called fellow junkie Steve McFadden and he set me straight immediately. NO he said - Rabin only played with YES. Trevor HORN was a Buggle who also played with YES. And another Buggle - Geoff Downes also played with Asia and had a short stint with YES in 1980. He went on to tell me "Your dots are connected, they are just a little crooked". I just laughed out loud on the phone. I knew Steve would be able to set me straight. He and I had a lot of fun at concerts and listening to music and reading liner notes for hours on end. Just thought I would share that piece of useless information.

Talk after DC.

Peace

Posted by Steve Brown at 7:52 PM EDT

Updated: Thursday, July 10, 2008 8:16 PM EDT

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The good news - my blood work and recent check up CT scan were spot on PERFECT. All is well and I don't need to go back until the fall ! Woo-hoo !

However, the other news .... that knee pain that I have been experiencing may be a torn medial meniscus. I'll let you know after a MRI Monday night. Even if we need to go in and scope it, I'll be racing again very soon and will still manage an ironman by the fall.

No worries. I'll keep ya posted. off to the shore to try out my new kayack and to help out Midge and Tim with the Avalon Islandman Triathlon.

Happy trails

Posted by Steve Brown at 4:20 PM EDT

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Does peach yogurt go with Merlot? - Yes. EVERYTHING goes with Merlot. It's been a busy few weeks. We had my Daughter's prom and graduation and party. Good time was had by all. Finally getting caught up on a few things...my knee still is not 100%. But I am seeing improvement still or again or something.

We saw our good buddies of the band "Chico's Vibe" last weekend. We have known Chico and Dominick for about 30 years at least. Dominick probably longer. It's great to hang out with people like that who have been around for so much of your life. The grad party brought out some great friends as well. Bitter sweet though as today I learned that my college roomate lost his brother. That's hard.

This weekend is Philly Tri weekend. No, I am not racing. But yes, I am helping with the race and a bunch of athletes that I coach will be out there racing. So, we'll have a blast.

Keep your eyes on this site http://patientresource.net/. I am being interviewed by them soon and they promised a nice book plug as well.

That's about all I have tonight. Catch you all on the rebound.

Posted by Steve Brown at 9:38 PM EDT

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Short notice but I wanted to mention that I will be speaking tomorrow night at the Cancer Survivors Day Celebration held at Delaware County Memorial Hospital. The program starts at 6:30 PM.

Address - 501 North Lansdowne Ave, Drexel Hill, PA. More info is at 800-254-3258

Peace

Posted by Steve Brown at 10:20 PM EDT

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Greetings.

Well, remember that knee pain that I mentioned a few weeks ago? It never went away by itself so I started some physical therapy with NovaCare. The good news is that my tests were clear and structurally, my knee is sound. I just have a strain or slight tear to the MCL on the right. The bad news is it still hurts and I want to rush the healing process. I still can't run on the road but I can pool run, cycle, and swim. So from a fitness level perspective, I should be fine. But mentally, I feel old, fat, and out of shape. All of that being said, I will probably still race Hammonton next weekend. Emotionally I need a race to jump start me. Even if I tank it, I just need to get out there.

Some of you know that my passion before triathlon was soccer. I was a goalkeeper and looked up to a few key role models of the sport. One was a legendary goalkeeper named Shep Messing. Another was a guy named Bobby Rigby who was a local guy that put American soccer on the map in the 1970s. He was one of the best American goalkeepers of all time. (OK he and Shep were tied) He is now back in the area and working as a substance abuse counselor in the Ridley Twp school system, where he is from. The cool thing for me is that I have connected with both of these guys recently and we have kept in touch. "Back in the day" I admired them for their goalkeeping abilities. As we have matured (ok ... some of us have) they continue to make substantial contributions in life and in sport and I have been fortunate enough to connect with them and consider them peers. It makes the world a little smaller. And better. Both of them recognize what a special bond there is between goalkeepers even long after playing days are behind us. We have all moved onto bigger and better playing arenas. But the secret club still exists.

And now for a scary, random, and fragmented brain dump: 

Coffee is good. Politics is getting old. The Clintons are getting old. McCain IS old. I am riding my bike into work for a couple of hours today after TNT swim practice. I need to finish this drywall project in my living room. I was asked to give the motivational talk again at the TNT pre race dinner for the Philly Triathlon in June. How can my youngest daughter be graduating from high school if I am only 15 years old?

Your mission for the weekend - A random act of kindness for a complete stranger. I mean really go out of your way to do so. Don't just pause 2 seconds to hold the door for the person behind you.

Peace

Posted by Steve Brown at 6:50 AM EDT

Updated: Saturday, May 17, 2008 7:19 AM EDT

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This is unbelievable ......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgrrQwLdME8 

Posted by Steve Brown at 8:25 PM EDT

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