Author: Tim Griepp

A Coat of Arms

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During a recent visit to the Texas Renaissance Festival, our boys set their hearts on shields. These weren’t the high-dollar shields gilded and adorned and safely on display in one of the many weapon shops at the festival. They were the high-dollar cutouts of pine, void of decoration and character. I placated our 8-year-old son, saying I would make him a shield at home. I knew I could easily make a simple shield to match the one he had set eyes on at the festival.  My heart, however, was set on making something grander. In the days that followed I Continue Reading …

Running Retrospective, 2018 Edition

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I recall spending some time reflecting on my 2018 running adventures in the fading days of December. This was largely inspired by a curiosity of what my Strava Heatmap looked like for the year. I have often joked that much of the reason I collect so much data on my activities is I like the pretty pictures that come about as a result. Of course, I am an engineer, and some may challenge my assertion that charts and metrics are a form of high art. The reality, however, is that I am fascinated by the physiological adaptations that come about Continue Reading …

I am a Runner

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There was a time when I did a lot of cycling. I fell into the sport shortly after moving to Texas, drawn into the cycling community through a MS150 cycling team sponsored by my employer. My first training ride was on a heavy mountain bike, which didn’t fare well against the well-tuned road bikes of my companions. Before long, I upgraded my equipment (a couple of times) and found myself logging 100 miles each Saturday morning. As the family grew, the time consumed by cycling became more than I was willing to give and I put the bike aside. A Continue Reading …

A Running Journal, of sorts…

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When going for a long run, one has a fair amount of time to get alone with their thoughts. Sometimes those thoughts are meaningful. There are plenty of occasions, however, when those “brilliant ideas” that come somewhere between exhaustion and exhilaration inhabit a different reality; one that doesn’t squarely align with other moments of the day. These are, nevertheless, seeds that grow over time. As the miles grind on and the days unfold they begin to take shape into a vision of new opportunities and innovations. This blog came about through one of those seeds. We have yet to see Continue Reading …