2019 - December 12 - Checkin' IN - Tables and Tri

Transformation of the 'Table'

Checkin' IN!!!

Posting on Jan 6, 2020

Well, I thought I would get a start here. I have this analogy of this DIY project. The whole thing reminded me a bit of my triathlon journey, and I needed it, so I thought I'd write it down.

So, we grabbed a new to us table for 100 bucks using local Facebook Marketplace. The catch was I had to drive approx 60 miles round trip. Not too bad of a trip. So, I went down, took my boy - 14-year-old, and went to go pick it up. Here's what we got:

With a little research I found this to be an Ashley Furniture table that used to retail for approx $800 in its prime, and now for about $350 full retail. So, in the end picking this up for 100 bux was a solid deal. So, the analogy here. I once was a high school athlete and played some college too. In High school, I was probably average to above average but hadn't truly matured. To that end, I was a bit weathered and overused as I didn't understand what was needed to be that high prime athlete. I played baseball, Soccer, Tennis, dabbled in basketball and water polo, I pretended to golf and would run until I got shin splints.

Anyway, the real work began when we got home. Liz, my wife and I figured let's just get right to work. So, I grabbed some 150-grit sandpaper and got to work. I quickly realized I was a bit underprepared.

Well, we started another project and I got distracted. So here I sit on delay at the SLC airport. I am heading to Orlando and I am following up. I was hoping to get a run-in tonight, but so many triathlon or other fitness journeys are often destroyed on Mondays. So, it goes.

So back to the table. This is like my triathlon journey. When I bought my TT bike, and first started riding I was super excited. Things were great, but I was nearly 245 lbs. So, I got the bike and got right to work and then signed up for a Gran Fondo (CLICK HERE to read my review) . So, the short version, I signed up for the 50 miles, made a wrong turn and rode my first century. At the time, a big learning experience and mistake. I was foolish, undertrained, but excited and stubborn and knew I could muscle through it. I was so shelled. So, the table reminded me of that experience. After getting the table and starting to sand, I went to the store, grabbed the correct sandpaper and slowed down. Did a quick reminder of how to remove a finish from a wood table? I took my time and got to the process. I made sure to be as thorough as possible and made sure to use 80 grit, then 100, then 150, then 320 then 600, then 1200.

The frustrating thing is I did almost the same in both swimming and running too. I kept running fast. I wouldn’t slow down. After my 3rd experience in St George, I started training for a 100-mile run. What and how stupidly foolish was I. To my credit by dec/January I was running 2 hours and 15 minutes ¾ times a week, and 4 days running the 10k central park loop was easy. But the volume and the beating and the stress sucked my soul. So, when we made the decision to purchase a new home to us, and the subsequent move and all the difficulties (Blessings and challenges) that come with that I was overwhelmed, burnt out and just finished. I mean I had all the things and the tools, and the mental space and had accomplished many things, this and the table would be so easy. I was so off plan, I was wrapped up in FOMO (Fear of missing out) – not the way most think about it, but I felt I had to do bigger and more to satisfy my fumbles of triathlon. It had to be easier that way – right? WRONG!!!

Many of us seek a one size fits all approach. A training plan then becomes our deity of sorts. But I wasn’t staying focused, on plan nor aligned with my why’s and what I wanted to accomplish for me. In endurance sports hobbies, we often make choices and some of them take us in the wrong direction. Example, ignoring real responsibilities and putting triathlon first and shouting it from the rooftops letting everyone know just how triathlon I was. I was going in the wrong direction.

Working with the table reminded me of how excited, foolish, naive and underprepared I truly was. Slowing down, being methodical was the way to do it correctly. But I threw that aside, ignored reason, and went to ludicrously foolish (more in triathlon but also with the table) I was able to progress quickly and get to the next stage of the stain. Liz and I couldn't agree on an exact color, but we knew kind of what we both wanted, so we took a chance and combined two colors. Back to the similarities. Liz knew that I needed a change. I knew I needed one. I determined it was triathlon. At first, it worked out well, with only one child Dennis. I was able to find a place to outlet stress and process it and let it go and keep it from my family. I was becoming a better person, then I wasn't. What I misunderstood at this point was the time needed at times to re-calibrate and re-align the plans.

With the table and the color mixed, I was reminded of the learning experiences of doing the 70.3 IM St. George, first with only Dennis then with Juniper and Astrid in tow. Again, Liz and I were feeling out our new color. With the table I did three coats, each coat was meticulously applied, and then we did a 320 and 600 grit sandpaper in between. Liz and I weren't sure about a 4th coat. When she went to bed, I went ahead and did it. What we think happened is that the grey with its black tones was used in the main 3 coats, and the outcome was the table was too grey for Liz. At this point I came to the realization like I did with my 4th 70.3 IMStG. It wasn’t about fast, or getting to the outcome. It was about doing it right, removing all expectations, stressors and enjoying the process. The only expectation was to have a solid 70% effort swim and then be smart and enjoy the rest of the day. What’s more, at the triathlon I was able to do this with a friend. With the table, I was able to do similar with my best friend, my wife.

too grey for Liz

So, Liz and I talked it out a bit and then we determined that the best way to approach this was to sand it back a bit. So, I grabbed some 320 paper and set out to work. Like our decisions for our family and our hobbies, Liz and I have tried to allow each other the freedom to accomplish our personal space and self-care-oriented goals and aspirations. At times, we must come together and talk it through. This happens in triathlon and any sports, health, fitness journey. Sometimes the balcony moment happens in a mirror by yourself or with a coach, or a friend or trusted mentor/advisor. Sometimes, we are late to our own proverbial party - meaning everyone else sees it but b/c we are too close we sense it, we know it, but haven't accepted that the process is driving us to arrive at the same or similar conclusion - arrive at the party. So, working through the recalibration on color, I was able to sand things back and get to a color we both agreed on. This is like selecting events, or training protocols, or when and the cadence and how much. The effects it has on me, her and our family. We have been having to re-learn how to balance it all. Once it goes out of balance, we all get grumpy with each other. It manifests in different ways, but at some point, it goes nuclear.

After sanding and the first coat of varnish

So, this is where things became both boring and tedious, I had to do a high sand sequence up to 1200 grit paper. Remember that time I jumped on my bike to do a 50 miler and did a century? Or that time you didn't swim enough but was determined to survive the swim - b/c you disrespected everything about it, and then was disappointed to receive a DNF even though you finished the whole distance but over time? The only redeeming thing of that day was Tim Don being on course at the last aid station and smacking my butt and encouraging me to not give up and come back and do it right. All these lessons learned and headspace moments flashing through this experience, or was I just high from the polyurethane?

Anyway, suffice it to say, the polyurethane was boring and tedious. At the end of it, the pic above represents the outcome. We only had 3 hairs that got lost behind, and with each sand, the shine and finish of the table were becoming AWESOME for us. Sure, along the way, I may have done things better like my real woodturning friends, but I was able to achieve something cool. I have received many compliments in person and others through the pix we posted. Along the way, it was the journey that has been interesting, just like the newly refreshed dinnertime moment we are having as a family around a newly refreshed and sturdy for us as a family table. A few days later, we have raclette and felt okay to invite friends and we had a great experience - even if they missed the ridiculous joke and brought fresh pineapple on Christmas Eve (thanks Adam and Mark).

Some may not see the idea of transference. The experiences gleaned along the way in triathlon and life came flowing through this experience for me. The major takeaways:

I don't know everything, and others can provide valuable advice and wisdom
Just because I used to know something, doesn't mean new information should be discarded
trust the process
be patient and don't over rush the process
allow space for recovery - with the table to cure
listen to my wife
trust my wife
persist at trying to keep wife happy and pleased
recalibrate along the way
don't look too far down the road, concentrate and be present in the current phase or step
trust in the outcome

So, there you have it. I think I have accomplished for me what I wanted to in writing this. It was a great journey and a great process. In the end for 100 dollars, 20 bucks in paint and stain, and an hour drive, we have a great refreshed table that appears to be ready to serve us for many years to come. Along the way, I was able to replay lessons learned that relate to me and mu personally triathlon journey, I recalled how much I appreciate and love my family and how grateful I am for them.

And there you have it, refreshing a table is like triathlon!

I reserve the right to come back and re-tool this post in as many iterations are required to get this right. LOL

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