A Whisp of Smoke........

On Tuesday my wife called with the sad news that her grandfather Merril had passed away suddenly. Unfortunately, he choked on something and the trauma was too much for his frail heart, he had turned 88 the week before. Merril had visited our home just a few days earlier and I had been able to show him my bikes and carbon fiber race wheels. He was so fascinated, with his engineering background, he took great pleasure in seeing the progress of man, never imagining a simple bicycle could advance so far.



Tuesday, my daughter flew to Minneapolis to attend her best friends wedding as the Maid of Honor. I was out of town on business when my phone rang Wednesday evening. Nathan, our oldest called to tell me Stephanie was fine. Not having watched the news, he had to let me know about the terrible bridge tragedy that happened just a few hours earlier. My heart raced as I processed the information in my head.


During the collapse, Stephanie was throwing the traditional Bridal shower just south of the bridge, thankfully safe and sound. But a few of the girls that attended told her that if they had not been at the shower, there was a good chance they would be on their way home from work, taking the 35W bridge as they usually do.


Once I knew my loved one was safe, my thoughts immediately turned to my Coke Family. Was one of our trucks on the bridge? Possibly a salesperson trying to get back to Eagan? I quickly phoned Pat in Illinois, getting his voice mail, I left a message to send me word when he could.


Not able to do more, I started that evenings training ride, leaving our Medford branch with the sun shining and the temp a blistering 95 degrees. I headed north to Table Rock road. TableRock is leftover lava flows that rise over 800 feet and provide spectacular scenery with hawks riding the thermals, looking for pray. It's spectacular. Below is the route I took with a couple of pictures. The one in the middle is what you see from the road I was on.

After an hour straight out....I'm stopped, looking at my blackberry, waiting for word from Pat that we hadn't lost anybody. He had emailed that 3 people were lost, but no one from our Coke family.

At that moment, I looked up, I see Table Rock with the sun just above the flat top of the lava rocks and I'm reminded again....Life is just a Wisp of Smoke. That's it. It's that quick.

One day you go to work and after a long day you get stuck in traffic, on a bridge under construction. Without notice the bridge collapses into the Mississippi river with a crushing weight that is hard to imagine....and that day becomes your last day. No notice, just that quick, just that sudden.

You go to your annual physical, feeling fine. The doctor recommends a body scan and finds a grapefruit sized tumor and 6 months later you leave behind a family or you leave to defend your country's border and the rear tire blows on the vehicle you just happened to be assigned that day, and you leave behind a wife and two small boys.

We don't get a warning that it's coming, you wake up one day and it happens, altering everything from that day on.

What does all this have to do with my journey to Ironman?............everything.

This journey is just one element of my commitment to myself to live everyday as if it were my last and I can tell you without doubt, it has been everything I thought it would be and more.

It's part of my desire to strive to wring every drop of fun, blessing, challenges and love that this day will bring. Trying hard not to disrespect the gift from above that it is.

I ask you....what challenge have you always wanted to try? What relationship needs repaired? Who do you need to call and tell that you love them? Are you living where you want to live, doing what you want to do? Maybe you just need to look in the mirror and tell yourself how awesome you are.

Life is but a Wisp of Smoke............What are you waiting for?