Yellow Belt

It was Friedrich Nietzche who wrote, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger." I've been repeating that to myself a lot lately. It has become my new mantra. To me, it's much more upbeat than, "This too shall pass."

This past Saturday, I was muttering it over and over again as I tested for my first Krav Maga belt level. This was not the 2-hour "wait for your turn, get up do your thing, go sit down" testing that Omri did when he took Taekwando. No, this was 5 1/2 hours of continuous, strenuous, sweat-pouring, heart-pounding activity. This was hard core. This would have made Nietzche whimper.

But I made it through, and I am feeling pretty proud of myself. As I said previously, sometimes you have to meet 40 head on. Sometimes, you've got to push yourself to the limit, hit the wall, and keep on going.

And once I can get up again, I'll do my victory dance.

Breaking Away

The Zev Winicur Monon Milestone Bike Ride this past Saturday was an unqualified success. The weather was absolutely perfect: no rain, just a slight cloud cover, warm enough to convince you that it's still summer, but not hot enough to melt copper. And, yes, I rode the entire 34 miles of the Monon round trip.

Some friends of mine, a family of four, joined me on the bike ride. To keep their identity private, I will only refer to them as the Pitt-Jolies: Brad, Angelina, Vivienne (10), and Marcheline (9).

The Pitt-Jolies are pretty avid bikers despite their protestations that they really hadn't done much biking this summer. Of course, "not doing much biking," did not affect their ability to ride circles around me. I take pride in the fact that I was able to ride further than both the 9-year old AND the 10-year old. The 9-year old only rode 16 miles, and the 10-year old only rode 28 miles total. Hah!

Are you smarter than a 5th grader? Can you bike further than a 5th grader? And are you proud of yourself?

Both Vivienne and Marcheline did AMAZINGLY well, especially considering that when I was 9 years old, I had just removed my training wheels. I think I was able to ride a mile to school and back when I was 10.

I came home after the bike ride and told my kids that I didn't want to hear them complain when I made them walk around the block.

The Age of Ascension

In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "The Icarus Factor," Lt. Worf is depressed because he has reached the Age of Ascension, and he has no Klingon family to share it with. As it turns out, the standard celebration for the Age of Ascension is to walk through a gauntlet of particularly nasty looking Klingons who stab you repeatedly with pain sticks.

I never understood that episode until today. Today I turned 40. Happy Birthday to me.

Although I do plan to celebrate in style with my family this Sunday, I spent my birthday this evening doing two back-to-back Krav Maga classes. I'm kind of tired now and very sore, but it's a good kind of AAAAGH. I highly recommend facing major birthday milestones by getting your tuchus handed to you. It is very therapeutic.

This Saturday is the Official Zev Winicur Monon Milestone Bike Ride. I will undoubtedly be tired and sore Saturday evening, and my plan to drink multiple beers at the Broad Ripple Brewpub after 30 miles of physical activity is of questionable intelligence. But I'm going to do it anyway. And I'm going to enjoy myself. And Shirah is going to drive me home.

Maybe I won't be celebrating with Klingon pain sticks. It doesn't matter. I've found a way to face 40 with a lion's roar, a pounding of the chest, and a triumphant smile.

Of course this raises the stakes for 50. Maybe I'll go pick a fight with Mike Tyson. Anybody else game?

Saddle Sores

The Official Zev Winicur Monon Milestone Birthday Ride grows ever closer. Thankfully, I'm getting closer to my 30 mile goal. I biked 25 miles today along the Monon, so with any luck, I should have no problems fulfilling my goal on August 19. Of course, I'm feeling very, VERY sore today.

Again, if anyone wants to join me on my bike run, the invitation still stands. You don't even have to be nearing 40 to join me. You can be a young pup or an old timer. I don't care. You just have to keep up. Or, more importantly, not make me look too bad.

Announcing the Official Zev Winicur Monon Milestone Birthday Ride

I am so proud of myself. This past weekend, I biked 14 miles up and down the Monon Trail in Indianapolis. Yeah, sure, I know. A third of you are saying, "Only 14 miles? So, what? I eat 14 miles for breakfast." The other third are saying, "Are you NUTS? At YOUR age?" And then there's that third third who are saying, "Nice job! You go, dude! We are SO proud of you!"

The rest of this blog is for this last segment of the population. The rest of you can go eat your 14 mile breakfast someplace else.

Of course, I am feeling it. Oy, am I feeling it. My posterior is, shall we say, rather saddle sore. I was already feeling sore last Wednesday at Krav Maga class when our teachers, in an effort to train us how to do roll falls the correct way, took us outside to practice on the pavement. The good news is that my previous Aikido training from a decade ago kicked in, and my roll falls were flawless. The bad news is that I am nearing 40. Generally speaking, the untrained 40-year old body does not like to do roll falls on the pavement followed by 14 miles of torture to your tush on an uncomfortable bike seat.

Yes, you heard it right folks. I'm nearing the big 4-0, a.k.a. my second 39th birthday. August 13. Mark it on your Outlook calendars now.

About a month ago, some lovely ladies from my high school graduating class sent out an email informing all of their friends that they were celebrating turning 40 by participating in a 100 mile bike ride in California to raise money for some disease state or another...diabetes or breast cancer or coronary disease. I honestly can't remember. That's not the point. The point is that these ladies are meeting their midlife by pushing their bodies to the limit. They are embracing their age with a show of strength and endurance. They are telling the world that they are still fit, fetching, and fabulous. They are making me look really, really, really bad.

Even if I wanted to join them in California, there is no way I could whip my body back into shape for a 100 mile ride by August 13. Sure, I've lost 15 lbs. in the past three months. Sure, I've built up some muscle by going to Krav Maga twice a week. Sure, I regularly exercise my stomach muscles by lying on the floor and letting my children jump on me. But 100 miles? Nobody eats 100 miles for breakfast.

I figure that the best I can do is 30 miles. That's twice the length of the Monon Trail in Indianapolis and Carmel. I think that with some practice runs and a more comfortable bike seat, I can easily tackle the Monon. In fact, I'm setting Saturday, August 16, as the official day for the official Zev Winicur Monon Milestone Birthday Ride.

You are all invited to join me, of course. In fact, I would love the company. Nothing provides incentive for a massive physical endeavor than someone else alongside you preventing you from wussing out. I plan to start at the Frank and Judy O'Bannon Old Northside Soccer Park at 9:00am at 16th Street and Lewis Street, bike south for 0.25 miles to the start of the Monon Trail, bike north for 15 miles until we hit 146th Street, bike back down south to our waiting vehicles, and then drink two entire canteens of water. If you come, bring your own water and sunblock. And bike. And cushy bikeseat.

Afterwards, we can all go out for beer at some nice local establishment, such as the Broad Ripple Brewpub. The first round is on me, but only if you all agree to order a GOOD beer. I'm not about to pay for your Bud or Miller Lite. I'm not going to have you embarrassing me. This is serious business, and life is way too short to drink that swill. Besides, let's face it...I'm not getting any younger.