Burrito Union, and ...

Burrito Project

Burrito Project from Jon Chou on Vimeo.

Photo: 40-mile ride, 10-mile run, 10:00 am, 50 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 1,000 yds (ytd 11,000 yds.)
Bike: 148 miles (ytd 1,937 mi.)
Run: 36 miles (ytd 516 mi.)

Soggy

Photo: 13-mile run, 8:00 am, 40 degrees, Decorah, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 1,400 yds (ytd 10,000 yds.)
Bike: 131 miles (ytd 1,789 mi.)
Run: 36 miles (ytd 480 mi.)

Photo: 69-mile ride, 2-mile run, 11:00 am, 60 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 1,500 yds (ytd 8,600 yds.)
Bike: 162 miles (ytd 1,658 mi.)
Run: 30 miles (ytd 444 mi.)

Spring cleaning, anyone?

Photo: 29-mile ride, 6:00 pm, 60 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 0 yds (ytd 7,100 yds.)
Bike: 150 miles (ytd 1,496 mi.)
Run: 33 miles (ytd 414 mi.)

29 on the 29'r

Photo: 15-mile run, 15-mile ride, 8:00am, 35 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 1,400 yds (ytd 7,100 yds.)
Bike: 151 miles (ytd 1,346 mi.)
Run: 30 miles (ytd 381 mi.)

Just me... and the deer... and the turkeys... and the turkey vultures.

Photo: 25-mile gravel ride, 6:00pm, 60 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 2,400 yds (ytd 5,700 yds.)
Bike: 139 miles (ytd 1,195 mi.)
Run: 35 miles (ytd 351 mi.)

Confused by the signs, baffled by the weather.

Photo: 38-mile gravel ride, 8-mile run, 9:00am, 45 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 1,200 yds (ytd 3,300 yds.)
Bike: 128 miles (ytd 1,056 mi.)
Run: 33 miles (ytd 316 mi.)

Oh deer.

Photo: 37-mile gravel ride, 6-mile run, 10:00am, 30 degrees, Linn County, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 0 yds (ytd 2,100 yds.)
Bike: 104 miles (ytd 928 mi.)
Run: 28 miles (ytd 287 mi.)

A much-needed breath of fresh air.

Photo: Off-day, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 0 yds (ytd 2,100 yds.)
Bike: 75 miles (ytd 824 mi.)
Run: 35 miles (ytd 259 mi.)

Son, I would trade places in a heartbeat.

Photo: 11-mile run, 21-mile ride, 8:00 a.m., 30 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 0 yds (ytd 2,100 yds.)
Bike: 106 miles (ytd 749 mi.)
Run: 35 miles (ytd 224 mi.)

Photo: 11-mile run, 20-mile ride, 9:00 a.m., 15 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 1,100 yds (ytd 2,100 yds.)
Bike: 105 miles (ytd 643 mi.)
Run: 30 miles (ytd 189 mi.)

The eyes have ice has it.

Photo: 10-mile run, 20-mile ride, 8:00 a.m., 20 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 0 yds (ytd 1,000 yds.)
Bike: 105 miles (ytd 538 mi.)
Run: 31 miles (ytd 159 mi.)

Photo: 21-mile ride, 9-mile run, 9:00 a.m., 8 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 1,000 yds (ytd 1,000 yds.)
Bike: 106 miles (ytd 433 mi.)
Run: 26 miles (ytd 128 mi.)

Sign of good things to come.

Photo: 20-mile ride, 11-mile run, 9:00 a.m., 34 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 0 yds (ytd 0 yds.)
Bike: 100 miles (ytd 327 mi.)
Run: 33 miles (ytd 102 mi.)

Photo: 25-mile gravel ride, 11-mile gravel run, 9:00 a.m., 28 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 0 yds (ytd 0 yds.)
Bike: 101 miles (ytd 227 mi.)
Run: 34 miles (ytd 69 mi.)

I'd walk a mile (or run 11 in the fog) for a Camel.

Photo: 10-mile run, 19-mile ride, 8:00 a.m., -15 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 0 yds (ytd 0 yds.)
Bike: 98 miles (ytd 126 mi.)
Run: 23 miles (ytd 35 mi.)

Photo: 6-mile run, 8:00 a.m., -20 degrees, Decorah, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 1,700 yds (ytd 0 yds.)
Bike: 92 miles (ytd 28 mi.)
Run: 40 miles (ytd 12 mi.)

One hour outdoors with the outlaws.

Photo: 11-mile outdoor run, 20-mile indoor ride, 8:00 a.m., 15 degrees, Marion, Iowa

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 1,000 yds (ytd 67,050 yds.)
Bike: 97 miles (ytd 5,789 mi.)
Run: 37 miles (ytd 1,623 mi.)

Weekly activity log:
Swim: 0 yds (ytd 66,050 yds.)
Bike: 111 miles (ytd 5,803 mi.)
Run: 35 miles (ytd 1,621 mi.)

I had to grab a quick lunch the other day. Too many deadlines and too little time for a workout (besides, the temps were hovering around zero and I'd already been out for an early-morning run in the -20 wind chill. Frostbite twice in one day? Nah.).

So I drove thru the local Taco Bell®, placed my order for six softshell tacos (yes, six) and proceeded to window #2 (#1 was frozen). The Iowa-friendly gal (as in "thanks, hon") then handed over my six softshell tacos (yes, six) and my $.13 in change.

While the six softshell tacos (yes, six) made it into my vehicle, the change dropped to the ground during hand-off. There were cars lined up behind me; the counter to my left prevented my door from opening; and did I mention the temps were hovering around zero? So I drove off, leaving my $.13 behind.

And that's when I started thinking...

There are roughly 195,000 fast-food restaurants in the U.S. (don't ask, I just know these things). At least half of them have drive-thru counters. Now let's assume each of those 97,500 drive-thru lanes sees roughly 50 cars on any given lunch hour. Of those 50 cars, I'd bet 10 of their drivers lose $.13 in the now-dreaded hand-off. I'm no genius, but my little Microsoft® calculator tells me that 97,500 x 10 x $.13 = $126,750.00.

Every lunch hour, guys (and gals) like me are skipping their workouts (cut me some slack, the temps were hovering around zero... did I mention that?) only to toss a six-figure income out the window... every single lunch break.

Tomorrow I'm thinking of skipping lunch to go for a run. In 60 minutes I can jog over to the local fast-food shop and collect $1.30 in dropped change. If I keep it up for another 40 years , I'll bag $18,980. Can I get a "Hell yeah!"

Then again, I hear the temps tomorrow are supposed to be hovering around zero...