The Great Solar Eclipse of 2017 crossed the continent, from Oregon to South Carolina, and gave millions of people the chance to witness one of the most awe-inspiring events in the natural world.

But you had to be within the "path of totality", a narrow band across the earth's surface several thousand miles long but only about 70 miles wide. Outside that band you would only see a partial eclipse, not a total eclipse.

And there is no such thing as a "partial total eclipse", despite the impression blogs and the news media might give. I honestly think that's why so many people misunderstand the utter beauty of the spectacle; they may have seen a partial eclipse in the past that was total somewhere else, and even though they weren't in the path the news kept gushing about it being a total eclipse, so they assume they must have seen a total eclipse and just didn't find it all that impressive.


Posted by Dan 08/29/2017, revised 09/06/2017

Wisconsin is known for having some pretty extreme weather conditions. I remember one summer night without air conditioning, when I tried to sleep snuggling a 7 pound bag of ice. Within 2 hours, there was nothing left but a hot puddle. The Polar Vortex of 2014 ushered in days so cold, you could throw a pot of boiling water into the air and it would instantly turn to snow.

But when I arrived in Madison a few days before the Wisconsin Milkman 70.3 Triathlon, I was greeted by the very best the city has to offer. In the mid 70's, with low humidity, it was the postcard version of the city, flowers blooming, lush green trees and breezy, sunny perfection.

I visited with friends, swam in the lake, biked through the Arboretum, lounged on the Union Terrace, and I realized how much I missed this fantastic town.

When Sunday race morning arrived, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for just being there on this most gorgeous of summer weekends, enjoying the fresh air and uncluttered roads. I felt lucky to participate in this inaugural race. Four years ago it was a dream that the Race Day Events team talked excitedly about, and now here it was, a dream come true. Finally, a 70.3 in Madison!

Race Day Events had assembled an army of volunteer support, and the course was peppered with familiar faces, old friends and former clients.

The race felt more like a celebration than a competition ... but it was still a competition. I was determined to prove (to myself mostly) that I could dig deeper than ever before. The line from Fitzgerald's book (How Bad Do You Want It?) that resonated the most with me was:

"There is no experience quite like that of driving yourself to the point of wanting to give up and then not giving up."

He went on to describe that this experience brings you to a unique place " ... revealing a part of you that is not seen except in moments of crisis. And when your answer is to keep pushing, you come away from the trial with the kind of self-knowledge and self-respect that can't be bought."

In addition to this mission of self-inflicted crisis (and hopefully, eventual triumph), there was also prize money on the line and a solid line-up of elite athletes. I had everything to be excited about.


Posted by Kimberly 07/04/2016

Yup, I'm taking over my page now! Since 2003 i haven't done anything except a trip on my bike last summer. Well, I guess that about brings us up to date. Moving on.

My summer was spent in the wonderful little village of San Luis Obispo, nestled against the California coastal range, where i participated in an internship at the 'we're too good for Nik' Cal Poly University. Let me just say, SLO rocks! As do all the wonderful people i met there this summer, and I can't wait to return next year.

We'll cut into this little reminiscion with a recount of my last mini-backpacking trip near Sequoia National Park, so i can put in some cool pictures.

A friend from the internship and I headed out after work on friday for a weekend backpacking trip in the Sierra's. We got in late and stayed at a little walk in camp that was tucked waaay up a small winding backroad near the trailhead. This was also the only bear sighting on our trip. We awoke early to find a black bear not more than 50 yards off in the camp area. He wasn't interested in our food though, just beating up the trees around there.

Backpacking in the High Sierras

Posted by nik 08/22/2008, revised 08/22/2008

Kampuchea! Nik and I spent a little over a week in Cambodia, in the bustling capital city of Phnom Penh and the cheery town of Siem Reap, home of Angkor Wat. Although our time in Cambodia was short, we were able to get a wonderful glimpse at the personality and energy of the country and its people. It was a week that fell right in line with the splendor of the rest of our journey through the southeast thus far. And now for an unorganized smattering of commentary on aspects of that week...

Monkey on a street corner in Phnom Penh

People

The people of Cambodia are some of my favorite people of Southeast Asia. It's amazing because the tumultuous history of the Khmer people can still be felt and seen in the streets, the buildings, and the population, yet these people were some of the smiliest, friendliest, most genuine and gentle people I have ever encountered.

It was only about 30 years ago that the country endured the regime of the Khmer Rouge, a period of bloodshed, starvation, and genocide. Also, due to US efforts in the 1970's to flush out the Viet Cong, Cambodia is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, and de-limbed mine victims are a common sight in the streets of the cities. Physical and sociological stuggles are undeniably present within the Khmer people, but they come with smiles and easy laughter that light them up as an incredibly resilient nation.

Some of the smiley children of Siem Reap

Posted by Whitney 12/03/2008, revised 12/05/2008