It was all Winter today in Tempe, AZ at the Irongirl 10-mile run. What did you do to celebrate your 10th birthday? Did running a 10-mile road race in a field where you’d be the youngest on the course by say, oh 7 years even occur to you? No? Well this is where the other Newton drops. So far this year Winter has done what 186,000 men who’d been diagnosed couldn’t. She made people think about prostate cancer. It’d almost be comically karmic if she didn’t have this one little motivation.

Winter’s dad, Micheal is doing everything he can to beat prostate cancer. That’s why the whole family formed Team Winter. It really is a team too. Mom Dawn is the team manager and besides that small task, she’s a full time Mom-and-half to the “Squirt” (nickname for Winter..like she needed one), and three brothers (swear I couldn’t make this up) Yukon, Magnum and Ruger. Mom/Dawn has these two other chores that bear mentioning, she’s caring for Michael who’s beating the oddsmakers to death over this prostate cancer thing, and she’s a full-time Ob/Gyn still open all-night pharmacy hours for deliveries. Any volunteers? Didn’t think so.

Now for the real brain breaker….in the middle of this Mom/Dawn knocked off her first Ironman Triathlon. 13 hours in the pouring rain. Feels like a late night infomercial doesn’t it…”But wait, there’s more…,” and there is.

It was Winter today in Tempe, AZ because Mom/Dawn said it was gonna be. Cancer/Mom? I’ll take Dawn and give you odds, anyone who can make it Winter in the middle of the desert is my best bet. Oh yeah, Winter won her age group……everyone under 11 who’s never going to give in. Wonder where she gets that?

Trying my best to follow the GTD rules and doing stress free productivity, but last night I was getting ready to pause work long enough for a respite of food, marriage, dogs and sleep, when I just had to read that last email, and it was from my “boss!”

This year I have 186,000 “bosses.” That’s how many American men will be diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in 2008.

My “boss” was a 58-year old man I’d met kayaking at the beginning of the summer. He saw the Athletes for a Cure logo on my boat, told he’d had a prostatectomy and did I want to hear his story? I said sure and gave him my email address.

His story arrived in my email box last night, and like 186,000 other men who endure mostly in silence, he asked me for two things. The first was, after reading his email detailing the all to common prostate cancer story, for me to understand why he’d kept silent for almost ten years. The second thing was for me to help him tell his story, so I’m going to in the next few posts.

“Never letting the competition define you. Instead, you have to define yourself based on a point of view you care deeply about.”

–Tom Chappel

I promised myself that if I started ruiz blog I’d write something in it every day. “Something.” Promises!

“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, learn about them, or even seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.”

-Denis Waitley

Registration for the St Anthony’s Triathlon opened today and it will probably sell out 4000 spots in the first 12 hours. As I’ve aged through six age groups I’ve been a witness to one of the best things about triathlon and the free market. Great events prosper year after year, and great events all have one thing in common, great organizers who still love the sport. Philip LaHaye, who directs St Anthony’s is that kind of person and we’re proud to be a part of the event. Philip worries every detail, not because he’s making a fortune, and not even because he’s good at this, but more because he loves the athletes, loves the sport and wants everything to be just right for every athlete who comes. You can’t fake that for 25 years and I just wanted to say thank you, and I hope everyone who does the race and the Athletes for a Cure Triathlon in September, if you see him around, does too. Good job Philip!

I’m 51-years old now and I’ve been professionally active in sports in sports since I was 22-years old. The fondest memories, and I’m still making new ones almost every Sunday, is getting out with my friends to train. I remember the long runs, the long rides and the time spent talking smack when they were over.

Looking back, those have been the moments that have defined my life and the friendships that have stood the test of time. No matter what you’re doing today, I hope you take a moment to appreciate that when that last breath comes, this is the day you’ll remember and I can assure you, you’ll smile just before you move on when you think of it. Have a great Sunday.

 

Until one is committed there is a hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.

Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one that would have never otherwise occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man (or woman) could have dreamt would have come his way.

I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets.

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.                                                                                Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

W. H. Murray                                                                                                                                                  The Scottish Himalayan Expedition

 

OK, so we started off our Thanksgiving grateful for all of our new friends and the work we get to do with Athletes for a Cure.  Then we got so many calls and emails during the day from people who’ve touched our lives this year even as they deal with prostate cancer, that giving thanks took on a whole new meaning. If you’re reading this you’re part of this movement and every one of you are appreciated by 2 million familes affected by this disease, few of whom you’ll ever meet. Thank you.

I think that if I die with a regret on my lips, it would be for gratitude unexpressed. We do our job as an expression of the gratitude each of us have for what we’ve been given and the blessing of being able to share it. From Greta Rose, Bobbi, Tim, Ted, Craig, Lynne, Julie and I, Happy Thanksgiving. Have a peaceful day.

 

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”

- William Arthur Ward