My retirement bucket list ...

As you close in on retirement, the inevitable question is: What will you do and how will you spend your time? During the past months my answer has been general - sleep, exercise, and read more. In the past three weeks (after my Summer guiding gig) I have begun to put more flesh on that skeletal outline.

So, I have read 4 novels in the past three weeks, as opposed to an average of one every 6-7 weeks while I was headmaster. I have the JFK 50 miler, and the Lake Placid 50k Loppet in my sights. Last week I ran 51k on hilly trails, soon to be 60, then 70, then 80k. (You have to leave some time for yoga, bouldering, and the ergometer!)

I have taken a nap every day - one of my key retirement goals - and I have also signed up for my first free Harvard online course. There are 140,000 people enrolled, however when you are chatting or email your "study group," it feels more intimate. The videos and readings are top notch, and the content fully engaging. Hopefully, my brain will not rot or atrophy.