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

In December 2001, Nik graduated with honors from Universal Technical Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, with a degree in Automotive and Truck Technology. He made the Director's Honor List 13 times and was named Student of the Phase three times. His final GPA was 3.95.

Nik now works for a boat repair shop on the SF-Bay waterfront in Alameda. He performs maintenance and repairs on all manner of recreational watercraft, including fishing, power and sailboats.

Posted by Dan 01/07/2002

Kickin it in Medellin, one of the largest cities in Colombia. I'm couchsurfing with a really nice couple who live outside the city way up high in the mountains that flank the valley that the city is nestled in. It's incredible up here. So tranquil, so beautiful, and pretty much the most perfect climate I've been in yet.

To get to their house, I took the very impressive transit system from the bus terminal - the first place I've been with good public transport linked to where the buses come in! I didn't have to pay $10 in a cab to get to somewhere useful! Took the spacious, clean metro to a transfer station where I switched to a 'cable car' route in which I sat with 5 other people in a little cage on a cable that went up up up the flanks of the mountains. Then I switched to another cable route that carried me for many kilometers over the treetops of a huge natural park at the top of the mountain. I gazed at butterflies and birds and trails among the trees for about 10 minutes, flying above it all. It was great. Their house is in a cute little town perched on top of the mountain, and I've got my own room and feel perfectly fine passing the afternoon reading on the front patio with a cuppa coffee.


Metro-cable up the flanks of the mountains, above Medellin

Posted by Whitney 07/23/2011, revised 08/15/2011