It's Time to Resurrect the Blog!

It's Time to Resurrect the Blog!

A lot has change since my last post. As I have continued along this path of life I am starting to get more perspective on things including family, sport, work and myself. 

I have never been a great writer and sure as hell do not understand all the rules on punctuation and grammar. These have always been excuses or road blocks for me for continuing my blog or getting my thoughts out there.  Well I now think it is worth the risk! It might not be perfect, but what use are my thoughts if I cant express them.

I thought about journaling and getting my ideas and thoughts out that way. The more I thought about it, the more I debated if that would help me. The conclusion I came to is yes it might help me, but what impact would that have on society. Depression is a huge issue in society today. Like most things we just want a pill or a quick fix to make it go away. Let's keep things bottled up, take a pill and not address the real problem through talking or writing. If getting my thoughts out there helps 1 person in society to open up or make a change then putting my thoughts out there is worth it. Hiding in the dark helps no one!! 

My wife was reading a book recently called "The Saint, The Surfer and The CEO" The Saint, The Surfer and The CEO. Since we were on vacation two weeks ago, I needed a book to read, so I picked it up. I am not done with it, but the ideas I am learning about in the book have given me lots of things to ponder. The book talks about how we need to get back to our inner child. The time in our life and we cared less about outside influences, when we were our purist. Did we really care what others thought of us back then?  I think we did not, but our parents might have. As we have grown up several things influence us on a daily basis to act how we do whether it is social circles, family, beliefs or caring how others view us. I am now learning to look at this and ask myself, why should I care. Am I cheating myself by acting a certain way because of outside influences. WHY can't I just be like that little kid, simply pure and care free. 

 As a parent we are tasked with a great challenge in life. Raising a child is a huge job with no true road map. It is a lot of trial and error on our part as a parent. The influence we have on shaping our kid is incredible. The one thing the book brought to light is do I influence him to do or act a certain way because I am worried how others perceive me as his dad. I am changing him from being his pure self, not because it's bad for him, but because I feel it's bad for me. What a concept!!!! I can't change the past, but I sure can have perspective on the future and  make better choices in parenting that is for sure. 

My goal is to be the best person I can be in this short time we have on earth! This means starting some new paths and outlooks on life. To be a better husband to Kirstin, father to Oscar and a more pure person to my myself. I look to post on this blog frequently and get my thoughts out there for the world to ponder. 

What happens when the flame dies.......

I cannot believe it has been almost a year and a half since my last post. Lot's of things have happened since then for better or worse. One of the biggest things for me right now is finding my way. Yes, that is pretty abstract, but I think everyone deals with this daily in some degree or another.

As I have grown in the past year or so, my outlook has changed I believe. What was once something that I wanted to do has now became something I dread doing. What has happened? That is the question that I am constantly asking myself now.

After pondering this the past few months, I think I have some answers. People change, motivations change and our desires change..... So how have I changed is my new question and is it for the better? One thing that has changed is my involvement in my family and their lives.

Oscar is growing so quickly that it is hard to believe he turns 10 next week. He is turning into such a well rounded young man. Spending time with him has become important to me. We can share the love for being outside and active. I will only have this chance once with him and want to make sure I take it all in. Later in life I will have time for me and my goals.

Kirstin and I have grown also in the past few months. It has been a real surprise in a way. With our careers and own goals in triathlon and such, we have been happy, but maybe not fulfilled. She has taken on a new career as a college professor and this has changed her outlook some. With that change it has made our relationship better as well. More quality, stress free time together. Now we get to enjoy each other's company and do things together instead of always talking in passing or right before the other falls asleep. 

So what has happened to my flame? Did it die or just start to burn differently? I think it's more of the latter. My outlook has changed a lot over the past year and it has definitely been for the better! If your flame is starting to die, I challenge you to look at what makes it burn in the first place. If it is not fun or not burning the way you would like, change the direction of the flame then. Life is to short!!!

Family Racing Weekend

Family Racing Weekend

This past Sunday Oscar, Kirstin and I traveled to Ohio for my cousin Andrews wedding on Friday night. Once we decided to go to Ohio, I started searching for other things going on for the rest of the weekend. Turned out that a triathlon was happening in Mason, OH which is the town my in-laws live in. After looking at the race website, I saw that it was not only an adult triathlon, but also a kids triathlon as well. Kirstin and I have never signed Oscar up for a sport unless he bought in. After being around the sport for the for the past six years, Oscar decided this was the time to give triathlon a shot.

After picking up our packets, we headed to my in-laws five miles from the race site. Race morning was a little different. The women started at 7:30 am, the men went off at 9 am and Oscar's race started at 11am. Kirstin and I headed to the race site early. Oscar was able to sleep in and joined us by 8am. Nice when grandma and grandpa live close. We got the transitions setup and waited for Kirstin's race to start.

Kirstin was cool as a cucumber 

While Kirstin was out on the bike Grandma arrived with Oscar. We had a talk about the race and discussed the transitions and mount/dismount lines.

Kirstin had a blast! I was able to watch her out on the run, but had to miss her finish due to the men getting ready to start.

 As I lined up, Kirstin came by and gave me a kiss before I was time for me to start and ready set go!

 After my race was done, Kirstin and I were ready for the main event. The main reason we decided to do this race was for Oscar to race his first triathlon. Two down and one to go!

Kirstin and I started to get Oscar focused on his goal. We went back over to transition and made sure all of his things were ready to go.

 

Once he was set and ready to go, it was off to the pool!

He looked liked a season pro in the swim. 100yds complete and out of the pool he sprung. Off to transition he roled.

Oscar got the legs churing and starting going to town on the bike. Passing kid after kid. 3.1 miles went by in a flash and off the bike he flew. He did a awesome flying dismount that made me so proud!

Rolling out of T2 he looked like a man on a mission. He started out really fast!

 We all know what happens when you go out to fast.

SIDE STITCH!

 Oscar pushed through the side stitches and finished a kick ass race, 3/4 of a mile in the books.

Afterwards he wanted the pain in his belly to go away. This got me a little choked up! He now knows what Kirtsin and I put ourselves through when we race. After some stretching and cooling down he was golden!

Nothing could take the smile off my face for the rest of the day! Kirstin had a strong fourth place in her AG, I was second in my AG and Oscar was 1st in his AG and 4 in the 8-10 year old group.  Considering he is only 8 and first thru third were 9-10 year olds, I was stoked!

FAMILY OF RACERS!

Big thanks to my inlaws for letting us stay at there house. We enjoyed the visit. My father inlaw took over 600 pictures, hence the photo heavy blog. Thanks to my parents and my Aunt Carol and Uncle Jim for coming to watch us all race. It was a great adventure and we are planning the next one already.

Rev3 Williamsburg Race Report

June 21st kicked off an awesome weekend for me. It was the inagural Rev3 Williamsburg triathlon. This race had been on my schedule since it was announced. Nothing like having a big event in my backdoor. 

Friday afternoon Oscar and I headed down to Williamsburg for the evening. Kirstin was going to meet us there when she was done working. We arrived around 3:30 and were greeted by my teammate Tara Martine. She took the awesome picture of Oscar and I.

I worked the Rev3 Booth with my other teammates and the best part was having the Biotta Juices tent next to ours. The beet juice is the bomb. Check out Laura's blog for a great article on beet juice and the athlete. Rev3 put on a team dinner which was fantastic. We hung out with the staff and other teammates and their families. After dinner, we headed to the Glow Run.

Oscar is the blur out front. Thanks Tara for the Picture

We headed home afterwards and prepared for Saturday. Great thing about a race in your back door is sleeping in your own bed. We kicked off the morning with the Rev3 Team Picture and swim. 

Afterwards we headed back to the expo and hung out till bike check in. 

Once it was time to check in my bike I headed over to T1. With this being a point to point race, T1 and T2 were not together. This was my first point to point race and I loved it. When I rolled into T1 the volunteer asked if he could take my bike and show me to my spot. I felt like I was at a wedding or something. I asked him if I had to tip him and he laughed. 

After checking in my bike and talking with friends, I went home to rest up for the day ahead. Got all of my thing layed out and put into the right bags. Set the alarm and went to bed early. Laying it bed I could hear rain on the sky light. One thought was running through my mind, the humidity is going to be high in the morning.

Race morning came early since I stayed at home. The alarm went off at 3:45 and I was out the door by 4:15. Opened the garage door and to my surprise, it was still raining. My cousin Stefanie and her husband Matt had came from Ohio for the race. Matt was racing the Olympic in preparation for his first HalfRev at Cedar Point later this year. They met me at the rest stop and followed me to the race. Along the way we picked up a hitch hiker, I mean teammate, Chis Garges. He was in town from Bethlehem, PA and though it was a good idea to let his family sleep in. Glad I could help out. 

The swim has always been my weakest leg. One off season I need to focus solely on swimming and get my act together. The swim kicked my ass! It was a river swim with a out, over and back in setup. I was in a bad place mentally after the first turn bouy. My lack of fitness was starting to show. After I hit the last turn bouy, I just kept telling myself to keep going. Since I decided to wear my wetsuit for the swim, I decided to remove the whole suit before I got to shore. Figured it was going to be easier to run the 1/8 mile to T1 without the suit on. Once I hit the shore, my mindset was to DNF. With everything I had been going through the last two months, I felt exhausted. Looked at my watch and was shocked at how long the swim took. One lady in the crowd yelled don't worry everyone's time is slow. This hit me like a ton of bricks. Started to run to T1 and was getting my wind back. Matt was coming out of the swim from the Olympic as I was coming in and we ran to T1 togther. Told him good luck on the bike and got refocused. 1.2 mile plus swim done.

Transition went well and off I went on the bike. Having lead two prerides on the course over the past two months, I knew what to expect. I started to settle into my groove and get my nutrition going. It was still over cast from the morning rain and this helped a lot. 

Saw many familiar faces on the bike. Coming in from the bike, I felt good. The sun was starting to shine through and I know the run was going to be a cooker. Got my last bit of nutrition on board. Thanks Powerbar for the awesome products!! Turned out to be a good bike split for me. 56 miles complete 

Came into T2 and found my race pretty easy. Oscar and Kirstin came running over to check on me. Told them I was good and gave O a high five and Kirstin a kiss. Started out steady on the run. Got a big grin seeing Magic Mike (John Stevenson) at the first aid station. Have to love my Rev3 teammates!

My run turned into a mental battle with myself. Just focused on keeping my legs going. It was great to see so many friends out on the run. This is one of the nice things about a two loop run course. Came back by T2 and saw my family and friends. Got some encouragement and headed out for lap two. At each aid station I grabbed two sponges, water and a cup of ice. Nothing cools the body down like dumping ice down your pants and into your jersey. Thanks to the awesome Pearl Izumi kits we have, the ice stays in place. 

Coming up the last hill, I took in the noise from the crowd. Looked for my family and grabbed my son's hand for the finish line shoot. I told him that we were going to finish this journey today together. 13.1 miles complete.

Looking back I learned a lot during the race that I will be able to use in future races. Was glad that my body cooperated and lasted for the whole day. Rev3 rocked another stellar event. Cannot wait to come back next year!