The Triathlon Post I Wasn't Planning On Posting

I wasn't planning on talking much (or at all) about my triathlon over the weekend. But someone requested a visual. :)

Plus, one of the pictures I posted to Facebook got lost or something. I don't know. I can rarely find my own wall over there, so consider the source. :)

So, here's what happened. My friend hatched a plan to compete in an all women's title nine triathlon. I agreed to go along. We trained. We trained more, sometimes with other lovely ladies. Then we all went on vacations during the summer. Tried to keep up with the training. We got very nervous. Didn't sleep at all the night before.

Then we did the darn thing. :)

And it was AWESOME. I think I caught a triathlon bug. Can't wait for the next one.

Here's what I learned:

1. Don't go it alone.

Being held accountable for your workouts (or writing) is how this stuff gets done. Maybe you are good at holding yourself accountable, but I am not.

The lovely ladies who kept me honest with training

I thought it was hilarious to take a picture under the RUN OUT sign. Pre-race humor is known to be a little bizarre. Which brings us to:

2. Keep it light.

We got into the water, moments before the starting gun, and realized that the water was warmer than the air. I joked, "Someone's been peeing, people!" Again, not crazy witty, but the levity and laughter helped with the last minute jitters. (I love meeting writers in person and laughing over how difficult this career can be. NESCBWI here we come!)

3. A cheer is an awesome thing.

It was an all women's race, and camaraderie was big. Lots of cheering between the athletes on the course. Which kept spirits high. (Have you cheered on another writer today? Cheesy, I know. But seriously, have you?)

4. Sometimes you have to put on your game face and get the job done. But you can't do it without support.

My game face.

What you don't see in this picture is that my three kids are jumping up and down, raring to give me a high five. My eldest child ran with me on portions of the run, and my youngest almost knocked me over in her exuberance to see me right before the finish line. Their enthusiasm spurred me to go faster.  My husband yelled louder than anyone else. :) And my mom traveled miles and miles to see my race. (Have you said thanks recently to your writing supports?)

5. If you don't take the risk, you don't get the reward.

My friend Kyla with me after the race. 

Competing in a triathlon was a big risk--something I had never done before. It takes tremendous work. No excuses. Training was mandatory. Just as we tell writers to put butt in chair, my friends and I clocked lots of miles on the roads, in the pool, and out in the lake. We took it one mile at a time--sometimes we took it one step or stroke at a time. And not only did we finish, but we finished well.

6. Take yourself seriously enough to do it right. 

I give Kyla all the credit for this gem. Once she roped me into signing up for the triathlon, she then asked a trainer to add a new class at the local Y to help us train. (A shout-out to the awesome trainer, Amelia!) Having a trainer upped our game, gave us confidence and new skills, and got us to the next level in our ability to compete. (If you can find a mentor for your writing, someone who is ahead of you, in terms of skills, then it is much easier to bring yourself to that next level.) 

7. Learn. Do it again. 

Already, I want to do the whole thing again. I want to train harder. I want to try harder. I want to use what I know to do even better than I did in my first one. 

And isn't that what it is all about?

TED Talk Response: Tom's Take On Gaming

Today's TED response comes from a wonderful blogger and writer. If you don't know and follow Tom Frankin, then what are you waiting for? I love that when he posts on his blog, he does so because he has something authentic and relevant to share. His post last week on the importance of honest reviews was especially compelling. Check it out, give the guy a follow, and then come back and see what Tom has to say about Jane McGonigal's TED talk on the importance of gaming.

Take it away, Tom! 

"The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play."

Theodore Sturgeon, from "Shore Leave" (Star Trek S1E16) 

[as spoken by Captain James T. Kirk]

I love playing board games. My first games were simple roll and move games like King of the Hill and The Winnie the Pooh Game, and Trouble ("Popamatic pops the dice/pop a six and you move twice!") where you roll a die or pick a card and move where the die/card tells you to move.  

Around the age of nine puzzles started to fascinate me and games with puzzle-like elements became my favorites: Scan, and Score Four are games I still have in my collection. 

 Games were this awkward kid's way of interacting with friends and adults.  

I liked the idea of going one-on-one with them on a neutral playing field in a setting where athleticism was irrelevant and brain power was everything. 

 I was about ten when I saw the first Pong game.  (For those of you too young to know what Pong was, that simple blip being bounced back and forth between two moving lines was the first bit of pixellated gaming to crawl out of the primordial videogame ooze.)  

In my early twenties I was feeding quarters into DigDug, Defender, and Tempest machines.  But those were pixels, not pieces; consoles, not communication.

"Monopoly, Twenty-one, Checkers, and Chess (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)

....Let's play Twister, let's play Risk (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)"

 REM "Man on the Moon" (on "Automatic for the People")

I like video games -- don't get me wrong.  I just don't get the same mental workout from a video game that I tend to get from a board game.  I also don't get the same level of contact with other people through playing a video game. 

 For Jane McGonigal, gaming was a vital part of her healing process.  By creating her own game she turned a crippling situation into a challenge.  By getting her twin sister to play along, she expanded the game and started building a community around it. And that, to me, is the biggest difference between video gaming and board gaming.  Solitare games are fine, but to be truly meaningful, I think games need to bring people together, not keep them separate. 

 So, without further ado, here is: 
Tom's Highly Biased List of Gaming Axioms (with Examples)

Gaming Should Be Social.  A good game is where you can sit down and explore new situations and experiences with friends and family.  You can learn about each other and yourself as you compete with one another.   Try Settlers of Catan, Ingenius, or Agricola.

Games Should Level the Playing Field.  If you're an adult, try playing Gulo Gulo with your kids (their smaller fingers will give them a distinct advantage).  Heck, even Go has a centuries-old handicapping system that allows newer players to be competitive with more experienced players. 

Games Don't Have to be Expensive.  BoardGameGeek, my favorite site about games, has a wonderful list of Print and Play games that are not only good games, but beautifully done.  Cheapass Games allows you to print out their games for free, although donations are welcomed. 

Games Don't Have to Take All Day to Play.  Hey, That's My Fish! takes 10-15 minutes.  Quarto! takes five. Boardgames Don't Need a Board.  Hive, Zertz, Fjords, Carcassone -- these games have pieces, but don't need a board to be played. Games Don't Have to be Competitive.  There have been some great cooperative games in the past few years.  These are games where you don't play against each other, you work together to defeat the game.  (Pandemic is my favorite, although I've heard good things about Space Alert)

Playing Online Can Be a Great Way to Keep Up With Faraway Friends.  I've been playing Pente online with an old friend for years.  We keep in touch through the comments section on each game.  Boardspace.net offers a wide selection of games, all with comment sections, too. 

What are your favorite games?  Why do you play them?  What kinds of games do you like to play and why?

Oh, boy, thanks for the walk down memory lane, Tom. Pong was our first computer(?) TV(?) game. And I remember putting quest-type game tapes (actual tapes) into the tape deck attached to our computer. And Atari! Oh, and dungeons and dragons. Do people still play that? They've probably morphed into the online role-playing crowd. :)

My favorite all-time game is rubik's race. But only because I am unbeatable. It's a slide puzzle you play with an opponent. I challenge you to try to beat me. I double-dog-dare you. :)

I can't wait to hear your favorite games and why you like to game. And, feel free to continue to reference Jane's TED talk, in addition to answering Tom's questions. :) Happy Friday, everyone!

TED Talk Tuesday: Jane McGonigal with The Game That Can Give You Ten Extra Years of Life

So, this week is the first week of school for my kids, and in honor of that, I'm going to present a TED talk which gets my kids (and me) excited!

Here's the description:

When game designer Jane McGonigal found herself bedridden and suicidal following a severe concussion, she had a fascinating idea for how to get better. She dove into the scientific research and created the healing game, SuperBetter. In this moving talk, McGonigal explains how a game can boost resilience -- and promises to add 7.5 minutes to your life.

Can gaming change the way we think about real life problems? The way we cope with big and little stresses? Can it improve our lives?

Let's hear from Jane:

Can't view video on the blog? Here's the link. 

I love this. I would love to see the stigma reduced on responsible gaming. I love to play games. I feel better when I take some time out to have fun. And it does change the way I think about my writing, in the very least.

I think it is fascinating that she actually used the framework of gaming to heal herself in real life.

What do you think? Are you going to let your kids play more games? Are you a gamer? What games do you prefer?

Can you think about applying these gaming skills to something in your life which you are struggling with? That mountain of laundry? That illness? That task that seems too daunting to take on?

Writing?

If You're Gonna Be Somebody, Be Mike Birbiglia

Okay, so, you're probably thinking to yourself, "if I'm gonna be somebody, shouldn't I be me?"

I would argue no.

Not in this case. I'll tell you why:

1. Mike is great at what he does. He's a funny guy.

Video sticking? Bummer. Watch it here.

But he wasn't always so good (so he says, anyway. :))
He practiced and worked hard to hone his craft. He'll probably tell you he's still learning.

2. He's always cooking up something new.

He's not just a comedian. He writes books. He writes Off-Broadway plays. He stars in Off-Broadway plays. He acts in movies and television shows.

As you saw in the clip, he uses twitter, effectively!!, to promote himself and his products.

If you are a fan, like I am, there are many opportunities to stalk him to get your birbigs fix*. You can follow him on his blog, on twitter, and around the country for his tour. You can listen to him on the radio, on This American Life. You can buy his book and go see his brand new movie.

His fans are happy, are consumers of his products, and don't ever have to wait long to see what he comes up with next.

And what he comes up with may just be anything. I challenge you to be that creative in thinking about your professional life.

3. This dude is awesome.

Mike brings his family on tour with him--his brother and sister are commonly seen behind the scenes, selling his paraphernalia and managing things. Mike spends time meeting his fans and putting them at ease. He's always professional, and his message is always on target. He's consistently funny, self deprecating, and down to earth.

Because of his kindness, his fans are dedicated. Fans for life.

I challenge you to be Mike Birbiglia.

Learn to be great at what you do. Practice. Work hard. Keep trying new things. Give your fans new content as often as possible. Explore new ways to put yourself creatively out there. Be professional and kind.

And, come hang out with Mike and I tonight** *** at his movie, Sleepwalk With Me.



* I have to admit, it is my supremely awesome husband who continues to hook me up with tickets to Birbigs shows and events. Thanks, SK!
**Okay, so Mike might not actually be there in person.
***Mike, if you are in Cambridge, I'll be the girl in the blue hoodie with your John Hancock on the back.

TED Talk Tuesday: Elizabeth Gilbert on Nurturing Creativity

Welcome back to the blog! I took some time off during the summer. I apologize for anyone who stopped by for any of my regular features.

I'm back, and better for the time away.

I am starting a new blog series. Each week, I will post a TED talk which impacts my writing life, or life, in some way. Some of these, like this week's, will directly discuss writing. Some will get us thinking in other ways.

My hope is that the TED talks will inspire or stretch us in our thinking. My hope is that we will find more things to discuss. My hope is that they will spark us into some difference in our lives or in our writing.

My hope is that we will listen in a meaningful way and not just wait for our turn to talk.

Although, I would love it if you would take a turn to talk. Not everything in the talks will be things we will all agree on. Thank goodness for that! Discussion and differences breed new ideas and perspective.

Wow, I have lots of hopes, don't I?

As President Snow says, hope is the only thing stronger than fear.

And as writers, we tend to feed our fears.

Which brings me to our TED talk for today. In which Elizabeth Gilbert discusses fear, genius, and the importance of just showing up for work.

Can't see the embedded talk? View here.

So, do you believe your genius resides outside yourself? Have you ever had an experience like the poet described? Does this idea of external muse make you feel anxious? Does it make you feel relieved?

I'll get the ball rolling. I like the idea of just showing up. Of getting the work done. Whenever I do that, I see progress.

I also identified with those feelings of fear which Elizabeth describes.

The idea of muse as actual thing outside of us all made me cringe a little, but then I realized that I speak in those terms ALL THE TIME. I call it The Universe. As in, "I need to keep myself open to The Universe." "The Universe has provided the answer/opportunity/experience." It backs on my Faith and belief in miracles, and the idea that things will be provided for us when we need them.

Even in our writing.

What do you think?

OH, and I love her reference to Dobby, the house elf. :)

PS--After I decided to launch this blog series, I opened up this fortune:

See? The Universe is totally on board with the TED talks series. :)