My wife and I are off to Lake Placid, NY this morning, where our oldest son Matthew will be competing in his first Ironman triathlon on Sunday. It’s a 2.3 mile swim, followed by a 111-mile hilly bike ride, followed by a 26.6 mile marathon. Yes, insane.
How long will this take? I’m guessing at least 12 hours.
Why is he doing this? For sure, it’s a bucket list item for a competitive athlete like him. But the catalyst was something more meaningful and important, as he shares on his fundraising page:
Nearly 14 years ago, my older sister Hannah was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at just 11 years old. I still remember the night my parents sat me down to tell me – I ran up to my room in tears, terrified that my sister was going to die.
Overnight, even the simplest parts of life became more complicated. Meals and snacks started with syringes and blood checks. Glucose tablets interrupted dance battles in the middle of Just Dance competitions. It became clear that everything was going to change.
Hannah is only two years older than me, but I can’t imagine going through what she did, especially not with the strength and determination she showed. Hannah loves a challenge, and even though this is a lifelong challenge for her and the millions of other people living with Type 1 Diabetes, she attacked it head on. She became an advocate and an educator, going around to local schools teaching the students, who weren’t much younger than she, about T1D. She set about proving people wrong, running two marathons in high school and playing collegiate rugby. And with our family, she began raising money for Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), helping fund the critical research needed to find a cure.
That’s when my journey in triathlon began.
Hannah will be there cheering him on too, and so will his younger brother Noah (his younger sister Rebecca, unfortunately, is out of the country, but she will be cheering him on from afar).
Matthew began training for this Ironman race in January, after he graduated from Officer Candidate School as a Second Lieutenant in the Army. He got out of bed early every day to swim before going to work. After work, he cycled or ran for an hour or two, then he cooked dinner and relaxed before going to bed early. He did this week after week after week until today.
So, whatever happens on Sunday, he’s already won in my book.
Moving on, here’s the supply chain and logistics news that caught my attention this week:
- Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern discuss merger to create transcontinental railroad, AP source says (AP)
- Trump announces tariffs of 30% on Mexico and the European Union (CNN)
- EU prepares list of potential tariffs on US services (Financial Times)
- Battling Tariff Fraud Is a Little-Known Front in Trump’s Trade War (WSJ – sub. req’d)
- FDA to screen all imports, exemptions for low-value shipments revoked (Reuters)
- Port of Los Angeles Sets June Cargo Record Amid Tariff Concerns (gCaptain)
- Daimler Deepens Diesel Engine Focus, Boosts Investment (Transport Topics)
- JB Hunt peak surcharges begin earlier amid trade uncertainty (TruckingDive)
- J.B. Hunt Posts Q2 Profit Dip on Flat $2.93 Billion Revenue (Transport Topics)
- Prologis Ramps Up Plans for New Warehouse Construction (WSJ – sub. req’d)
Okay, since I still have to pack the car and hit the road, I’ll save my commentary for next week.
Have a meaningful weekend!
Song of the Week: “My Hero” by Foo Fighters
