Dana Burland

Here we go again! I just wrapped up week 2 of another 8 week sprint triathlon training plan.  I’m following the same one I did for the Grand Rapids Triathlon in June. It works so well with my schedule, was challenging without being killer and prepped me so well for the race I decided to repeat it. Typically that means: Mondays: rest Tuesdays: swim during my lunch break (WFH day) Wednesdays: run before work Thursdays: bike during my lunch break (WFH day) Fridays: rest Saturdays: swim during kid nap time Sunday: run and/or bike in the morning or at nap There’s always something to do, sometimes it’s just laundry. Weeks 1-2 were very mild. Swimming is my strong suit so I modified the stop-after-each-lap plan to sets more in line with my ability. I’m respecting the run workouts, which so far have been run/walks. Starting slow with the base of fitness I have allows me time to improve my speed and form. The biking is a whole new world. I finally ditched my 15 yr old mountain/hybrid bike a...

When you’re 5 you know everything. More than mom for sure, except she does know what paleontologists are. When you’re 5 you eat 4 helpings of Caesar salad for dinner. And cake for 3 nights in a row. When you’re 5 you’re a great soccer player, a speedster on your bike, like Flash when you run. When you’re 5 you ask for a police tow truck Lego kit, Minion dinosaur birthday cake and a bounce house/real dinosaur at your birthday party. You get the dino theme, an Uncle dressed up in an inflatable dinosaur costume to battle in the backyard, by the grace of God actually a legit police tow truck Lego kit (to which you absolutely beam and say “I WAS WANTING THIS!”) a magician/balloon animal twister to wow your birthday guests and a party so great when your friends left you sat on the front porch and frowned, “I want them to stay forever.” When you’re 5 you’re a sweet older brother, who takes his younger brother aside to say “I can help you”, and “you’re not going to like hearing this, b...

I'd like to submit a new word for Webster Dictionary consideration:   uhy /uh-y/ exclamation used, mostly under-breath, often involuntary/subconsciously to express shock and/or disgust. "Did you turn on the news? Uhy..." origin: Yiddish "oy vey", "oy" It's more than "oy". Less "o", more "uh" or "ugh". Put an extra heaping tablespoon of dread into it. It definitely ends with the "oy"-like "y", though. I caught myself gravitating to it awhile ago, but man has it been in heavy rotation lately. 

  LOOK at her! Isn't she a beauty??? This is my new bike. My first road bike! I didn't even realize it until I started seriously shopping around but I was riding my previous bike, a big black hybrid mountain bike, for at least 12 years. I think it's time for something new. I'm going to absolutely FLY on this thing!