OrnothLand

 If you know what life is worth, you will look for yours on earth…

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Commitment Ceremony

Preview of the 2026 PMC rider's jersey.

Preview of the 2026 PMC rider's jersey.

Welcome to 2026! A new year has begun, and with it, new aspirations and goals. By far my biggest objective for the year is my 20th Pan-Mass Challenge.

In a sense, this will be my most ambitious PMC ever. Not because of the riding, but because – instead of riding remotely as I’ve done since 2020 – this year I’m undertaking the trip back to Boston to take part in the mass in-person event for the first time since 2014, while also surpassing a lifetime fundraising total of $150,000 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Having never traveled with my bike before, the logistics of getting myself and my bike to Boston, renting a vehicle, securing lodging, and doing the ride are intimidating. That’s why I‘ve done my last five PMC rides solo and remote »more

大成功

Holding the tally board following Austin Kyūdō's 108 Arrows Shoot 2026.

Time for a brief update on my kyūdō practice.

You may recall that after 2½ years of painful struggle and utter failure in this martial art of Japanese archery, I attended a seminar in South Carolina in hopes that our sensei would be able to correct my constant misfiring, which I wrote about at length here.

That was four months ago. So how has it gone?

Pretty well. Putting sensei’s feedback into practice has helped immensely. While I’m still far from perfect, I’d say I’m able to shoot nearly as reliably as anyone around me, which is an amazing degree of improvement.

Which brings me around to yesterday’s practice session: our annual ceremony of shooting 108 arrows to begin a new year.

Ironically, the meaning behind the ceremony is Buddhist in nature, as a way to recommit to overcoming »more

2026-01-04

Austin Kyūdō 108 Arrows Shoot 2026

2025: Ya Gotta Have Heart

Ornoth modeling the 2025 Team Kermit jersey.

Ornoth modeling the 2025 Team Kermit jersey.

Just as 2024 was all about my late-season stroke and return to fitness, 2025 was defined by my heart surgery in March, and my post-op recovery.

Happily, the procedure went well, and after a two-month break, I was able to resume training, taking three months to build up to a successful remote Pan-Mass Challenge ride in August, followed in November by the 100-mile Livestrong Challenge.

In the end, 2025 was a very successful year, and there were lots of milestones and noteworthy highlights along the way. Here’s my year-in-review post to distill it all down to a coherent narrative.

My Original 2025 Goals

Last December 31st, my 2025 New Year’s Eve began with a visit to my cardiologist to schedule my PFO closure heart surgery, which I learned wo »more

2025-12-30

Taking a quick break as a freight train passes Austin's 1947 Amtrak station. Riding past Salado Creek on the Volksride 100k. Friday Truancy group ride on Austin's Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge. Ornoth modeling the 2025 Team Kermit jersey. The Bicycle House ride regrouping at Walnut Creek Park. Ornoth (in his Didi the Devil cap) leading the PMC group ride on Zwift.
Austin currently:

9°C wind N 0 km/h
Air Quality Moderate (58)



Site news:

Site News: Bye Duolingo!
Removed the sidebar link to my inactive Duolingo profile.
Posted Fri Oct 17th 2025

Most recent blog post:

大成功 (888 words)
Time for a brief update on my kyūdō practice. You may recall that after 2½ years of painful struggle and utter failure in this martial art of Japanese arche…
Posted Sun Jan 4th 2026

Most recent cycling post:

Commitment Ceremony (925 words)
Preview of the 2026 PMC rider's jersey. Welcome to 2026! A new year has begun, and with it, new aspirations and goals. By far my biggest objective for the yea…
Posted Mon Jan 12th 2026