Movie "Up In The Air"
I watched the movie “Up in the Air” this weekend. Not the best movie but George Clooney put in a credible performance. The aspect of the storyline that I did appreciate was the whole exploration of personal isolation within our society. George’s character in the movie has adapted his lifestyle to support his job which requires him to be traveling all the time. Therefore he is estranged from his family, has few friends and even eventually gives up having a permanent residence. I find this premise quite interesting as I believe that there are many parallels between this fictional story and my own life. We all become increasingly isolated as we grow older, especially if you are single and over the age of 50. The windows of opportunity for social interaction become fewer and they also become increasingly difficult as our senses begin to dull. I have a slight hearing loss already which makes it difficult to engage in conversations where there is a lot of ambient noise; like in the pool, while cycling or in a crowded bar. So sometimes I just don’t bother anymore. HIV also does it’s best to ensure my isolation.
As for triathlon training, that aspect of my life is also “up in the air”. I have been getting in some solid runs and rides however I have only been in the pool once this week. This was my inaugural swim since acquiring my frozen shoulder so I took it pretty easy and only swam 1 km. Still it’s a good first step forward in my rehabilitation. Unfortunately it appears that it will take many months until my shoulder is back to normal. I suppose this means that it is quite unlikely that I will be able to race at Ironman St George since it is only 4 weeks away. I have not given up hope completely though, in fact I have booked an appointment at Speedtheory to get my race bike tuned-up next week just in case. The current plan is to try several more swims this coming week and then attempt a long ride Easter weekend to see if my shoulder can manage riding in the aero-position for more than a few hours. If all goes well then perhaps I won’t cancel my hotel reservations in St George just yet. Who knows? Everything is currently ‘up in the air”.
I will rent the movie. I think isolation starts in your mid-40′s!