Coming to you from free wireless at the Phoenix airport

I love free wireless, especially when I chose to bring my computer with me on the trip. I'm in Phoenix... sort of. You know, when you're at the airport you're not really much of anywhere. But I did recognize some things as we flew in from 2007 when I lived here for four months to train for Ironman Arizona. I saw the Fountain Hills fountain spewing several hundred feet in the air and fondly remembered passing it on my favorite training ride up towards Rio Verde past McDowell Mountain Park, the home of the one and only duathlon I've ever participated in... and my only attempt at racing in an elite wave (I was coaxed into it and it did not turn out well!) Saw Papago Park where I would occasionally run, and of course Tempe Town Lake, site of the IMAZ swim. Not exactly as pristine as Mirror Lake. My flight, of course, has been delayed. So far only by 30 minutes, but you never know how bad it might get. Luckily the long flight from Manchester all the way here went off without a hitch, even if it was a full flight. Seriously, is there any such thing as anything but a full flight these days? But only an hour flight to San Diego, so it'll all be over soon.

It is crazy to me that I actually have a race the day after tomorrow. This time last year I remember meeting up with the friends I was staying with, whom I had not told I was injured. At the time I thought maybe, somehow miraculously my back pain would go away and I'd be able to do the race, but really I think I knew it wasn't going to happen. I limped over to greet them when they arrived on another flight right after mine and of course they noticed I was walking a bit off and I had to tell them I might not be able to race. I played the role of support crew and cheered my friends on and took some great pictures, but aside from not having to get in the cold water, it really sucked not being able to race. Then I spent a whole season of races sucking more than I had ever sucked before. I showed up to the start of every race expecting failure and almost every time getting something worse than my worst-case-scenarios. It was epically bad.

So it's a bit different going into a race and actually having some form of expectations for an actual good performance. Not great, but pretty good... I think. I mean, you never can tell really until you get out there. But training has been going pretty well lately. But having these expectations now has made me suddenly more nervous. Earlier in the week I was getting unreasonably excited just about getting to race, but suddenly I'm like, wait a minute, now I actually have to race well. Do I remember how to do that? I might actually feel good while running, which hasn't happened in a race for me in a couple of years. Seriously. I also had a dream last night that the ice had just melted on a local pond and me and some friends decided to go for an open water swim. Then I started to get nervous about the swim start. What, like I've never done that before? Suddenly I feel like a newbie all over again. But anyway, nothing I can really do about it.

Oh, and can I just talk about my New Kids on the Block concert the other night? Oh, what fun that was. Really. I think everything I loved in my childhood should make a comeback, because it is just so much fun to go see something like that and think about how your 10-year old self would've absolutely loved the experience and you're still able to enjoy it now. Also, it's crazy how you can hear songs you haven't heard in 15 years and had forgotten existed and you suddenly realize that you know all of the words. Where has that useless information been hiding all that time? Somehow it's still there. New Kids were the only boy band I was ever really into. Wait, actually I also liked the Monkees, oddly enough since I was about 20 years late on that one. When I was 8 I actually got Davy Jones's autograph and had my picture taken with him. Yes, I am awesome.

The crowd at the concert was obviously mostly women about my age, although there certainly were some much younger girls, teenagers, and it made me wonder what the heck they were doing there and how they knew the songs. There were also some obviously reluctant male counterparts to many of the females in the audience, very few of which stood and screamed along with their girlfriends. As for the New Kids themselves, I thought it was funny how Donny, who has since become a pretty serious actor, slipped right back into Donny the bad-ass mode. And these guys of course come from Boston, so New Hampshire is sort of like coming home for them. Donny must've said "Manchester" about 100 times, and I never noticed when I was a kid that he really is not a particularly good singer. Jon still looks like he hates every minute of being out there, and I wondered mostly if his microphone was even on most of the time. Danny still showcases his breakdance moves, and well, I didn't really notice much else because who ever looks at Danny? Jordan still has a great voice and had what my friend referred to as the "gay Michael Jackson moment" when he sang a song with his white, button-down shirt open and blowing in a wind machine. And Joey is still my favorite. Although it was funny to hear him sing "Please Don't Go, Girl" in his adult voice when of course you're used to hearing him sing it as a 12-year old kid. Still great. But aside from John, they just all looked like they were having so much fun, so it was a fun time. I really love nostalgia.

But now I need to walk around or something because even though it is 6:20pm here in Phoenix my body is just now starting to realize that in spite of the desert sun coming through the windows, it is almost 9:30 back home and past my bedtime. Ugh, it's going to be a long night.