Saturday, August 04, 2007

Punching the Clock

When I get up for an early morning weekend surf session and I know the waves are going to be rough the phrase that comes to mind is "Punching the Clock". Weekends are reserved for "sleeping in". Setting the alarm for an early morning exit from the comfort of warm, soft, familiar cushioning to throw oneself into cold, unpredictable waters seems a bit crazy. “Punching the Clock” means work but, it’s good work. Thirty five years of surfing has taught me that the sacrifice of minimized sleep for several hours of riding challenging waves is worth it.
Pre-dawn, weekend training runs hold similar benefits.

Saturday, August 4, 7:00 am
Several hundred runners “Punched the Clock” this morning with a purpose far greater than self gratification. I am certain mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, young and old singles separated themselves from each and their beds this morning in order to participate in the first (collective) training run on behalf of the Donna Hicken Foundation and Mayo Clinics 26.2 Inaugural Marathon. The effort of so many individuals focused on helping to rid the world of breast cancer (and ALL its disastrous consequences) was impressive. Enthusiasm and encouragement will be the fuel to get us through to the finish.

My training artwork will take on a different look. I plan on shooting a lot of photo reference and then using the images for quick sketches that will be compiled into a meaningful composite of each of our training experiences. The composite drawings will be tightened up and final illustrations will be produced over the course of six months.

I hope you enjoy the energy and effort from this approach.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Kurt --

This is really great! I'm loving it. I'm going to forward to my daughter, Erin, who you haven't met but who is also training for a run in the fall.

Lee