TGIF, Motherf***er.

There are few axioms more tritely corny than Thank God It’s Friday. (Is that an axiom? Is that even a well constructed sentence?) I used to get offended when people said that to me. Thank God It's Friday, they'd say all smiling as if it were this big inside joke. You know, you’re riding down the elevator on a Friday afternoon minding your own beeswax, completely ignoring the one or two others sharing the elevator space with you, when all of the sudden the woman on the other side of the elevator looks at you with a glare in her eye and says “Thank God Its Friday, huh?”

I've managed to refrain myself from rolling my eyebrows at these moments. What I usually do is just look at her in silence, smile an ever-the-slightest grin and nod, while all the time thinking “you really don’t like your job at all, do you? You really can’t stand your daily existence, can you? You need to refocus your life, lady. You need to take a step back and look at it all. For Godsakes woman, you need to be happy every day, not just Fridays! For the love of God, do me at least the smallest of favors and smile on a Monday for once, wouldya!! Don't worry, be happy - why don't you try that worn out saying on for size instead!!” (Clearly I've become very bellicose in my happiness.) I’m not sure if that whole dialogue really gets relayed through my trivial grin and snobbish nod, I’m guessing – and probably hoping – that it doesn’t. Because if it did, I’d be sticking my foot in my mouth right about now.

You really learn how to understand the true meaning of TGIF when you train for Ironman or some other similarly ridiculously absurdly idiotically difficult event. Cause the training, though sublime in it's own unique way, gets to be very over-powering when trying to balance other things - like, for instance, a life.

Nobody trains seven days a week - it's not healthy. Training every day of the week is a one way ticket to injury. In fact, one of the most important parts of training is rest. Yes, rest. Everybody needs at least one day off to be at your best. Think of it like sleeping. You can't possibly stay awake all day every day and expect to perform at your peak. You need to sleep in order to revitalize your body and your mind. Exercizing is the same. Rest is where the rebuilding occurs and where the revitalization occurs. Rest is where growth happens. Friday, as I'm sure you guessed by now, is my rest day. After six days of non-stop run-swim-bike-lift-rinse-repeat, I can’t be more happy to have Friday peek it’s beautiful head through the clouds and softly tap its hand on my shoulder as it whispers lovingly in my ear, relax today, young man. Today is your day.

On Fridays, I get to sleep in. (Granted, I still wake up at 6am, but there's no alarm clock involved in this wake up call.) On Fridays I don't have to pile on my clothes, cram some food down my mouth and head out into the cold within 35 minutes of opening my eyes. On Fridays there is no bike to straddle, no cold water to jump into and no pavement to pound. On Fridays, there is only rest.

And so here I am on Friday afternoon. I’ve been running around like a madman for the past two weeks. I’ve been trying to close outstanding business, transitioning my job responsibilities and maintaining the level of involvement I need to keep my clients happy as I exit out of the company while at the same time getting my life together and focusing on the future, writing my resume, talking to headhunters, interviewing for jobs and escorting in the next chapter of my life. These past two weeks have been a whirlwind – until today. Today is Friday. Today I shall rest.

Rest is good. Friday is good.
Thank God.