A couple of days later, I walk on a plane with my immovable tree trunk legs, more like a waddle with some zest, and fly to Boulder, CO, via Denver, to begin the interview phase of this year's project. While I continue to seek interesting people that have accomplished so much by the age of 40 while balancing the rest of their lives, some of the initial interviewees are fairly notable in their pursuits. Interview number one was almost a no-brainer; Dave Scott. At the age of 40, in 1994, he got second place at the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon. The layperson probably doesn't remember who got first that year, Greg Welch, but I'm sure that there is a large population of people who understand that a 40 year old was able to truly compete that day. My hour with Dave was extremely informative of the challenges of competing with life, family, athletics and business. If you don't know this story, here is a summary (video on blog, starts about 1:50) of Dave's efforts on one particular day. Great guy but I should have asked about the mustache that he no longer has.
Not wanting to solely focus on one person on that trip, I also had the privilege to also meet with Joanna Zeiger Shenk. Joanna, now 41 agreed to meet with me at a local Boulder Starbucks because I'm pretty sure its freaky when some wacko, no-name interview guy asks to speak with you about turning 40. I would have chosen a public place myself. Joanna is an Olympian, an Ironman winner and in her spare time earned a Ph.D. in Genetic Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University. Joanna was extremely gracious with her time even though, two days prior, she ran the LA Marathon in a torrential downpour for the entire race where she ultimately acquired hypothermia. Did I mention that she was only 60 seconds slower than her lifetime fastest marathon time (which was when she was 29), even with the conditions presented her. She writes about it in her blog (fast at forty); or glob as my mother calls it.
After my day in Boulder, I got back on the plane where I then flew to Lake Tahoe for a week with my best friends. There aren't too many things better than being with twenty people, all in one house, where you can be yourself with no ramifications...none. Here is our driveway after a couple of days of being there.
Last note: I love the fact that I continue to receive endless ridicule from a small, but very "vocal" group about this project. Its gotten to the point where people think that I am making this whole thing up. To this group, its like I am writing that I woke up one day and decided to do 10,000 one arm push-ups while simultaneously reflecting, in Latin of course, on Reagan's response to the Iran Contra Affair. I have now been banned by www.slowtwitch.com, www.beginnertriathlete.com and www.trifuel.com. Its interesting to note that all other athletic forums have been genuinely interested and supportive.
big fan of the interview phase. You'll never forget those...I also think in real estate and business we lose focus on defining "success"...seeing athletes and individuals that have different permutations of the word are always insightful on so many different levels. I have learned more from snow-shoveling ultra winners than most of my law professors.
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