Imagine Dragons - Demons

Imagine Dragons

"The World Will Little Note..."

Abraham Lincoln - November 1863

150 years ago today, Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.  The speech itself is short--a mere 271 words.  There are no pictures of Lincoln actually giving the speech and the story is that the reason is because the photographers did not bother to take any pictures because they thought they had a lot more time.

Apparently there is a big campaign here in Utah to get people to memorize the Gettysburg Address.  While I laud the effort, the name of the campaign is too hideous to include in my blog ("Are You Getty Ready?").  I don't know why it bothers me so much, but it does.  But my personal feelings are beside the point.

At the half time of the BYU football game last Saturday, they recited the Gettysburg Address.  I was struck by this line from the speech:

• "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here."

It's not often that one gets to disagree with Abraham Lincoln.  But I do and I am right and he is wrong.  The simplicity, sincerity, and majesty of Lincoln's words in that Civil War cemetery to dedicate the grave sites of the fallen soldiers has endured.

Indeed, it is carved into the granite walls of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.  His speech has lifted and inspired generations of Americans for 150 years and will continue to do so for at least another 150.

So many great quotes come from that speech--including expressions that are part of Americana.  Here are a few of my favorites:

• "Four score and seven years ago..."
• "...we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground..."
• "It is for us the living..."
• "...that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

I have been to the battlefield at Gettysburg several times.  It is a remarkable place.  The battle marked the "high water" mark of the Confederacy.  General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army never advanced further north than Gettysburg.  After being stopped at Gettysburg, Lee retreated to Virginia and never launched another major offensive effort.  

The battle of Gettysburg turned the tide of the Civil War and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address helped launch the process of rebuilding and healing our nation.  It continues to do so today.  Mr. President, I'm so glad that you were wrong.  We do remember what you said 150 years ago today!

One of only two confirmed photographs of Abraham Lincoln at the Gettysburg Cemetery.
This was taken about three hours before the speech.

Here is the full text of the Gettysburg Address:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war.

We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Happy Gettysburg Address Day!

BYU-A-Palooza!

Cosmo!

Yesterday dawned cold, wet, and rainy.  Flakes of snow drifted intermittently from the skies.  At times, it was difficult to know whether it was snowing or raining--it was just wet.  I ended up spending the majority of the day at BYU--almost as much time as I spent there since I volunteered at a seemingly unending law school competition one time.

I went down pretty much first thing in the morning to see my two brothers play in their BYU intramural flag football playoffs.  They lost and it was cold!  The highlight of the game was seeing SLD chase down another player to make a touchdown-saving tackle at the 1 yard line.  I don't know if I've ever been so proud of him!  Great job SLD!  (I was even more proud than when I watched him drain that sweet-looking, three-point swish shot in his basketball game last week!)

Then it was time to get some errands done.  I was still unsure about whether or not I wanted to freeze my fanny in the snow at Lavell Edwards Stadium.  One thing I did know was that I needed even more cold weather gear if I was going to survive!

The view outside the stadium...told you it was cold!

Ultimately, I decided to go--and not just because I had a free ticket to the game.  I went because it was the last home game of the season and I thought that it would be an experience to say that I had been to a game in the snow.

The view inside the stadium from our seats...look closely for the snow flurries...

At the game, my sister told me that she had won a chance to fire the cannon after a BYU score.  She was #8 in line to do so.  The cannon fires after every score (touchdown or field goal) and at the end of each quarter.  Normally, as #8 in line I would not have been so hopeful about my chances to fire the cannon, but this was Senior Day and we were playing Idaho State.  I felt like the odds were pretty much in my favor...

They were.  We scored 49 points in the first half and right before the end of the third quarter, I had my moment:

I also got to hang out on the sideline while waiting for my big moment.  Cosmo came by and I snagged him for the picture above.  I didn't realize that he was so short.  But I guess it helps for all the flips and acrobatic maneuvers he has to do every game.  I'm sure that the pic above will impress no one except for my kids...

I also realized that I made the (international) tv broadcast (on BYUtv).  I'm sure that no one recognized me, but me.  (And since the field goal that gave me the shot at firing the cannon put us up 59-10 was anyone even still watching?  Plus it's not like we were talking ESPN here!)  So in case you missed it, here it is:

I'm at the top left, wearing the white hat standing behind one of the cadets "guarding" the cannon.

On my way out of the stadium, I stopped by to check on my nephews.  The cold was too much for them, so they were hanging out in the Cougar Room underneath the West Stands of the stadium.

Hard at work!

Ever wonder where the stadium orange coated security force hangs out?  Now you know.  They were there too.  I guess the cold was a little too much for them as well.  Plus, no need to worry that the BYU fans--rowdy though they may be--were going to storm the field to tear down the goal posts following this win.  I think that BYU's crack security force/ushers were a little embarrassed when they saw me pull out my phone to get this picture.  :-/

Because you can never get enough of BYU (or Provo for that matter), I headed over to the Marriott Center where there was a basketball doubleheader going on.

Kyle Collinsworth, Matt Carlino, and me

First, the women's team beat Boston College in overtime.  The great thing about the women's games is that you can literally sit courtside.  I met some interesting people including a couple of BYU's star players (above).

Based on the above photo, I think I may have actually grown an inch or two.  If Matt Carlino is 6'2", I'm more like 6'4" or 6'5".  Also, there is no truth to the rumor that Kyle Collinsworth is sporting a mullet...

A true mullet requires a tail in the back

...He just has a bad haircut.   :-/

But did I mention what a nice guy he is?  And how gracious he and Matt were to let me get a picture with them?  Both guys are having great seasons so far and the BYU basketball team is off to a great start this season!  Go Cougs!

IMFL

I love this picture maybe the most of all of them

We finished.  I'll give a more complete report later, but thanks to everyone who tracked us online, watched the finish line camera, sent us these awesome screen shots, posted on FB, texted me, emailed, and prayed for us yesterday.  It might have been the toughest think I've ever done.  

I was so happy to get back to my hotel last night and get a hot shower.  My feet are covered with blisters...an awesome souvenir that will remind me of this race for probably another week.  But I'm glad I did it.  I'm glad it's over and that I don't have to worry about doing this anytime soon.

Here are a few more screen shots from the live finish cam last night.  Troy, Matthias, and Lance--I couldn't ask for better brothers!  You are so awesome for sending these so quickly!  I love them!  Ray Ray, thanks for your Instagram post.  I loved that one too!

Photographic evidence that I did finish the race!

World's Best Training Partner!

So glad it's over!

Did I Shave My Legs For This?

Nice weather.  :-/

Rain. Wind. Waves. Did I really sign up for this?  Just as soon as my brother and I dropped off our bags, the heavens opened and dumped rain, rain, and more rain.  Look at that picture above...multiple swells pounding the beach.  Flags pegged.  Beach grass bent under the weight of the wind...I guess things can only get better right?

That's some decent surf out there.  Did I mention there's currently a rip current warning in effect?  Maybe it'll help my swim time...

Most triathletes put countless hours of preparation into a race like this.  In addition to hundreds of hours of training time, no details are left undone.  Nails are trimmed (so as not to tear wetsuits), energy packets are taped to bike frames, and running shoes are carefully placed.  Some triathletes will even go as far as shaving their legs in the vain (misguided) belief that it will shave seconds from their bike times.

I trimmed and filed my nails last night, mixed my energy drinks, rented aerodynamic wheels for my bike, and carefully packed my bike's Bento box with goodies.  I've put a lot of time (at least for me) into preparing for this race.  But I didn't shave my legs for this.  Nor would I ever.  But if this weather holds, I wonder if it will even matter. 

My bike is racked and ready in the center there (note the aero wheels).  See how strong the wind is?  It is actually blowing bikes around on the racks!

I did a race like this once.  18 months ago.  It was one of the hardest things I've ever attempted.  I was hoping for a little better conditions tomorrow.  I guess I'm putting a lot of faith in the weatherman right now.  Because it's not looking great.

If things don't improve at all, I'll be glad that--despite all my other preparation--at least I didn't bother to shave my legs for this.  :-/

 

 

On the bright side, this was lunch!  Delicious!!

And now, the musical stylings of Deana Carter...

Bedraggled...Not Bedazzled

Soaked!

My brother and I decided to go for a short training run tonight.  As we started out, we had a few rain drops.  But by the first mile, it was raining.  By the second mile, it was pouring cats and dogs!  I don't know if I've ever run in the rain where it was raining that hard for that long.

There were literally rivers of water draining off of parking lots onto the sidewalk.  We tried dodging puddles in a futile attempt to keep our shoes dry.  I wasn't too worried until my brother reminded me that wet shoes, socks, and feet could contribute to blisters.  And that's about the last thing that we want a day and a half before the Big Race.  

We ended up doing 5 miles and it may have been the most memorable 5 miler of my life. By the time we rolled in to the hotel at the end of the run, we were soaked.  My brother said that we might as well have jumped in the pool.  He was right.  I think that the fact that we were so wet should therefore qualify as a swim workout too!  :-)

It's supposed to rain tomorrow too and then the storm is supposed to blow itself out leaving clear skies, mild winds, and low humidity for the race on Saturday.  In other words, it should be perfect conditions.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Mr. Irrelevant

I had to get my toes in the water to get ready for the course...

The last player selected in the NFL Draft every year is known as "Mr. Irrelevant."  It has become somewhat of a badge of honor with past recipients of the Mr. Irrelevant designation being honored with banquets, parades, and prizes.

In truth, no player selected in the NFL Draft is truly irrelevant.  It is quite an honor to even get drafted.  Think of the millions of high school football players who never even move on to play at college.  Then there are thousands of Division 1 college football players each season, but only about 200 or so are drafted.  So to have your name called on Draft Night really is a dream come true for any college football player.

My race bib and stickers for my gear...

That's kind of how I feel about this race on Saturday.  There are probably about 2,600 triathletes who will start the race.  I don't know how many will finish, but I do know that I want to be one of them.  There is a tradition that as the athletes enter the finish chute and near the finish line of these Ironman races, Mike Reilly (who has announced virtually every Ironman race for years--including the World Championships in Kona) will get their name and say: "Michael Smith...you are an Ironman!"

This is where the swim will start..love this white sand beach!

The race starts with a mass swim start at 7 a.m. CST.  2,600 competitors will sprint from the white sand on Panama City Beach and plunge into the surf of the Gulf of Mexico for a two-loop, 2.4 mile swim.  All competitors must finish the 26.2 mile run portion by midnight--17 hours later.  

They give you 17 hours to complete the race.  I intend to use all 17 hours if necessary, but I want to hear Mike Reilly call my name and say: "...you are an Ironman!"  If I can do that--even if I'm the last person crossing the finish line, one minute before midnight--it will be meaningful to me.  It certainly won't be irrelevant. 

If you want, you can follow my progress at: www.ironman.com on race day.  You can click on the race coverage box to track my progress or the progress of any of my fellow competitors.

There is supposed to be a live finish line camera as well.  This link may (or may not) work for that:  IMFL Finish Line Cam

Here are a few more pics from our first day of prep for the race:

My brother and I outside of packet pick-up...Note the official IM backpack swag (The IMSG backpacks were better  :-\)

I texted this pic to my kids.  Pay no attention to the man in the parking lot.  Inside the store was a total tourist trap!

Huge, massive hotels everywhere along the boardwalk...it reminded me of South Padre Island.

Did I mention that I've fallen in love with these white sand beaches?