For that, I'm Grateful

As I write this, I'm currently lying on my couch with it very quiet in my house and reflecting on this past year. And oh what a year it's been! The year started out with the finalization of my divorce and possibly the toughest/darkest thing I've ever had to endure. In fact, I'm still feeling the effects of that whole situation and very well could for a long time. I'm not going to lie; 2008 was quite a tough year for me. It was a year of struggle, humility, change, and fortitude. I look back and see that there were many times that I didn't want to go on, but God gave me the strength to somehow continue. It was a year of realizing that God is truly real and He didn't allow me anything more than I could bear - therefore, I'm grateful. I have to say as tough as things have been this past year, I'm still a very blessed man. I'm thankful for many things past and I'm certainly thankful for my future, my potential, and who I will be through the Lord's merciful refinement of my character. God has been graceful and gentle in His approach to me and my life circumstances. He's revealed Himself through many things and people. For that, I'm also humbled and grateful. Some of the few things that I'm grateful for are:

- My wonderful children - My kids have been THE source of strength, encouragement, and drive to help me get through my "darkness" period. They've been so amazing in how God has used them to speak to me in so many different ways. I've experienced the grace of forgiveness from above through my wonderful girls. Throughout this whole situation and the past year, they still seem to think I'm wonderful and cool. That, in and of itself, is holy forgiveness and a gift that will keep me going for a long time to come.

- My brother Troy - What more could I say about him. This guy is the one guy that refuses to let me go and is there no matter what! No matter the circumstances, he is the guy that has stood by me through everything unconditionally. And throughout everything he has told me that he will love me. THAT is godliness and a reflection of the love of Christ. I don't know that I could or would be that way, but he (over almost everyone else) has shown me the loving realness of our Lord. For that, I'm eternally grateful.

- My parents - I'm so grateful that I have parents that have shown me and raised me in a Christ-centered environment. The older I get, the more I realize how valuable that is. They have planted a seed in me that continues to grow within me in wanting to be closer to Him, be more selfless, and become more giving and understanding. They have instilled in me right and wrong, yet even when I make drastically wrong, unhealthy, and bad choices, they continue to forgive as Christ forgives. Again, something I'm not sure I could do on a regular basis. For that too, I'm eternally grateful.

Lastly, I'm grateful for many other things in my life. Too many to name, but I know that God has special things in store for me in the coming years. I am sure of that. He has allowed me to cross paths with my now good friend Jay Hall. The Lord has shown me that there are good godly people here and ones that are honest, have integrity, and are truly interested and concerned in people and their innate goodness. Jay is one of these men. He has decided to do life with me and I him in return. He's a wonderful Godly man and has helped me physically in so many unexplainable ways - and the funny thing is, I'm not the only one. The Lord has a special place in Heaven for this man. I'm convinced of it and I find myself being drawn to him and just wanting to be around him in order to make myself a better person. For that, I'm forever grateful.

In all, I'm looking forward to 2009 and not looking or dwelling on the past. It's time to move! It's time to change, and I mean change for the better. God is still working on me and that means I have His attention. . . for some reason. And for that. . . . I'm eternally and lovingly grateful!

Late Night, Early Morning

It's currently 9:46 a.m. as I write this. Not necessarily early by my "normal" standards, but early for me in this particular situation. It's sunny outside. Not too cold, and overall just nice. Reflecting on the events of last evening, God is good. Here's why:

Last night, I was watching a movie at home and decided to hit the sack afterward. Just as I was getting settled in, I get a text from a long time friend that I used to work with and write with extensively in the studio. His name is Michael Ripoll (click to see his website) and he now lives in Los Angeles and is the musical director for Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds - yes, THE Babyface. Michael is an extremely uber talented guitarist and artist that has moved out west and become quite successful in his work both on the road as a musician and in the studio as a song writer. He's currently in town to take care of some business and do some writing and after flying in, decided to call me first to see what I was doing.

He texted me at 11:00 seeming like he needed to talk, so I told him to come over to the house. By the time he arrived, it was midnight. We stayed up talking till 3:30 a.m! Come to find out, Mike (as he allows me to call him) is going through some personal struggles and needed some outside guidance and insight. So he comes to me??? I figured that I'd be the last person anyone would come to to try and get some wisdom and get things straight. However, he did and we had a wonderful time talking through some things that we've both struggled with in the past. The wonderful thing in all of this however, is the fact that the Lord allowed me to share some things about His grace and mercy that I've experienced that I believe really spoke to Michael. Without really being able to describe it, it was one of those God moments where He was actually there with us. It was us being real. Us being vulnerable. And us sharing our hearts and God was in the place with us. We could feel it. In fact, we talked about it. It was a special time for me and the funny thing is; I feel the Lord spoke more to me than He did to Michael through me!

I just want to be used for Him, give of myself, and be available. That's been my prayer and last night was a time that God answered a prayer and showed me a glimpse of better days ahead. God is good - all the time!

Now if I could just get some sleep. Training comes later!

Easy Like Monday Morning

I'm on day three with no television because honestly I haven't paid my cable bill and it's not high on my survival priority list. Being without it has actually been a bit liberating as well. I'm doing a lot more contemplating, reading, praying, watching movies, and working out. I've found that the TV only takes up time that could be better spent doing more productive things. I'll say this; it makes for a much more quiet place around here, that's for sure.

I found out that the girls won't get home until after the new year so that means I'll be alone bringing in '09 - unless I find something to do (which is entirely possible). I'm sad about that because we had planned to do what we did last year in bringing in the new year at the movie theater. However, that obviously won't be happening so I have to make the best of my time. Oh well, there's always next year.

Today was a beautiful day outside but a little on the cold side at 55 degrees. Definitely too cold to go for a ride (at least for me). So I decided to punch out a 4 mile run in the sunshine. I felt good. No calf pain. And I took it easy and didn't push too much. I'm determined to get this running as strong as my swim and bike so I can win my age groups. That, to me, is an achievable goal - especially with my athletic background and fitness level. It'll happen. Maybe not this year yet, but it'll happen. Trust me.

Now for Troy. I just received a text stating that he's ready to start all over. He's said he's gained some weight back and is ready to start the fight again. That's good news to me! In my opinion, it's never too late to start so I'll be right there with him to push him. He's also ready to go on a hiking and camping trip so we're going to sit down and talk about when we can make that happen as well. That'll be fun and we'll keep you informed.

This is the verse that I heard yesterday during church that really lifted my spirits and gave me hope:

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and here's to a prosperous New Year.

Descending Into Greatness

Today is not about training, working out, physical fitness, or any of that sort. Although later today, I do plan to get a light spin in. Today is about contemplation. You see, it's very quiet around here. I've decided to give up my television for a good while since all it seems to do is take up needless time when I could be focused on other things. Therefore, the only things to do around here is to listen to music, workout, read, and think - and I say that from a positive perspective. The thing is, I feel God is continuing to strip me of myself. Again, I look at this as a positive and not a negative.

Case in point: I woke up late for church this morning for some unknown reason and because I really have had a longing to be in church and hear the word, I promptly jumped on the computer and logged in to listen to the sermon live. Anticipating our Pastor Steve Berger's sermon, I realized that there was going to be a guest speaker. I was a bit bummed to say the least because I love hearing our pastor speak. At any rate, I stayed tuned in and before I could realize, I was completely enthralled with the message because I felt it was directed at me. The message was about descending into greatness as Jesus did while he was on this earth. It was very convicting and contradictory to what our society teaches. It was exactly what I needed to hear after this past weekend. Some of the things that stuck out to me were:

- Take what you've been given and do something with it that lightens someone else's load, and brightens someone else's life.

- The only way to keep what you have is to give it away. The only way to gain wisdom is to give it away.

- Christianity is the only major religion which has as its central event the humiliation of its God.
Bruce Shelly

All of this hit a bit too close to home and really spoke to me in a major way. Thank you Lord for the healthy conviction.

This message can be heard here via audio or video.

Saturday Easy Run

Today's temperature is supposed to get as high as 70 degrees! However, tomorrow there's a cold front moving back in so I wanted to make sure that I got in a nice easy run workout while the temperature wasn't God-forsaken cold! I decided to do another 4 mile run and ran the course in the opposite direction than what I normally run just to make things interesting and mix things up a bit. I deliberately ran at a slower and easier pace than I did yesterday because I have the tendency to go a bit too hard and my mind wants to do things that my body is not ready for. Therefore I had to mentally prepare myself to go easy so I wouldn't feel the after-effects in subsequent days. I am having to continuously tell myself to ease back into getting your running legs back - even though I mentally want to go out hard every time. This, I know, is to alleviate future injuries and unnecessary tax on the body. Believe me, I'm learning. Plus, I have plenty of time to get everything back into even better shape than I was last tri season. I know my areas of weakness now and I know where I can improve and get even better. It'll happen. This is a marathon, not a sprint!

I have no idea where Troy is in all of this process. He seems content to be where he is with his fitness, training, and current situation of having a baby on the way. I'm not pressing him and he knows that I'm still out there training and trying to get it done. He'll be back I'm hoping. Especially when cycling season rolls back around. I feel like he is too into that to just let it go by the wayside.

Frustration Has Set In!

Yes, frustration has set in and I'm just in a bad place for a number of reasons. This Christmas has managed to be a truly crappy one for a number of personal reasons. Despite how much I try and make the best out of a situation, my faith and patience continue to be tested and it's really wearing on me. Must be a sign from the Lord for me to slow down and focus more on Him.

I'm going to stop right there before I go into more details. It's just not necessary.

The run today was good. A bit slow, but needed nonetheless. It was a great stress reliever and the weather was actually pretty good. The humidity was high which probably accounted for the slowness, but it was good to be out there and working on getting my running legs.

Indoor Cycling

Today I went to a movie with Troy since today was slow and and due to the fact that it's Christmas Eve, there was nothing going on. We saw the movie "Yes Man" and we certainly enjoyed the humorous escape. Afterward, I came home and ended up doing nothing which resulted in some serious boredom. Because of this, I decided to get in an indoor base workout. Not exactly what I call an exciting training session, but at least I did do something. I also got to fit in some plyometric drills and core work and called it a day. The rest of the day was spent watching movies in front of the television. Quite an exciting Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas to all.

Tis the Season

Yesterday was a regular work Monday for most of the business world. However, my Monday was spent at the office of the company that has so welcomed me as one of their own. In this day and time, I feel so blessed to be a part of something that's thriving and I get to do things that I know I'm good at and have done over the many years past. Maxx Tech is the company that I work for and I've been brought in to be an A&R type guy of sorts. For those that don't know what an A&R guy is, it's basically a relationships person that keeps good relations between the company and creative types. That's my job - to foster good working relationships with people outside that we work with along with gathering and creating content. I love what I do and I especially love who I work with. Do I make enough money yet? No. But that's coming in due time and I'm honestly trusting the Lord in that department - truly. I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be both physically and spiritually and I'm happy about that.

It just so happens that Troy is looking like he will be landing here as well after being laid off from his job situation. That would be amazing for me and for the company. Jay, our boss, has so lovingly taken us in and accepted us as family and he's setting up his company in a very powerful way. Troy and I both are fortunate enough to see this from behind the curtain. It's exciting and I'm glad to be a part of the team and it's future. I'm even more glad that it's looking like Troy is going to be on that team as well. I guess I couldn't ask for a better scenerio.

Training has been waining of late due to the weather and hectic hustle-bustle of the season. I'm anxious to get back into a serious training routine, but not until I catch up on the rest that I'm afforded during the days off. I'm enjoying this time of "slow-down". However, I'm ready to kick it into a whole other gear starting in January.

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

- Isaiah 9:6

Very appropriate and encouraging for this time and season.

A Warm Friday

Today was a tough running day due to the wind. However, I'm grateful that I was even able to run at all. This Tennessee weather is absolutely crazy! This morning was rainy and cold and later today at lunch time, it's mid 60's! That's when I decided to hurry up, get my running gear on, and knock out a lunch time run. I'm definitely not in running shape. . . yet. But I will be, and I'm anxious to get back to the regular training routine with good weather.

My run time was a 34:39 over 4 miles. Definitely room for improvement!

This past week has been a refining process for me. I've been learning to TRULY have faith in the Lord and cast my cares to Him and know that He will provide for my every need. In my gross and selfish humanity, that's a hard concept to grasp. However, I'm getting there and the Lord is showing me new things daily.

This was a verse I came across this week in my daily devotion. Another small confirmation that the Lord has me in His loving hands.

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.
Psalms 55:22

Another Gloomy December Day

Today I'm taking as a rest day. Too much to do and the weather sucks! I'm starting to figure that the month of December is just not meant for training and working out. Oh well.

Draw Me Close

It was a quiet, cold, and dreary morning. Obviously, not the type of weather to be getting outside to train in. Therefore, I decided to get in an hour spin on the incumbent bike. Not exactly my idea of exciting training. At any rate, I kept things quiet and low-key. No tv, no training partner, no kids. Just me, my bike, and some music through my headphones to do some escaping. Once again, I found my self drifting to that spiritual zone. The one where God makes himself one step short of visible. I've come to realize this is a very real and cherished thing for me. It's my one-on-one time with my Lord. It's my prayer closet per se'.

With all that's going on in my life, the lives around me, and our society in general, it's easy to get caught up in the problems of self. The Lord spoke to me again about being more giving to other, more selfless, and more aware of others' concerns. This is where I want to go and be. So, as I'm listening to my worship music while I'm spinning and pouring sweat, the Lord (once again) speaks to me through a song that comes on. This was my message:

Draw Me Close
Draw me close to you never let me go
I lay it all down again to hear you say that I'm your friend
You are my desire no one else will do
'cause no one else can take your place
To feel the warmth of your embrace
Help me find the way bring me back to you

Chorus:
You're all I want, you're all I've ever needed
You're all I want help me know you are near

I feel that this is all that God asks and longs for from us. Continuous and personal fellowship with Him. I'm so grotesquely human and I have such a long way to go!

Today Was An Odd Day

Yes, that's right - today WAS an odd day. It all started out normal enough with an early wake up to get the girls to swim practice. I also got in a 43 minute intense swim workout and I felt good about getting it done. I'm so ready for the weather to start warming again (as it we're currently in an ice storm here in Nashville). Anyway, after the workout and some working in the studio, I received some troubling news from Troy that I would covet the prayers of all who may read and see this post. Troy is struggling and I seem to be taking it quite a bit tougher than even he is. I feel that I can endure the hits that life seems to dish out, but it's a different thing when it effects someone that I love so dearly that seems so undeserving of some unfortunate news. Be that as it may, that is what we like to call life. Life isn't always easy and in fact, we're not even promised tomorrow. So I have to concentrate on living for today and having ultimate faith in my Lord and Savior to provide for all my earthly needs. He's watching over me. He's also watching over the ones I love so dearly. This I know.

This is the verse I always pull up in my mind when things get tough. It seems to help me and give me hope. I know that I need to put my faith and trust in the one who provides my daily life and strength.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philipians 4:13

Cold Weather Saturday

As I sit here and write this blog, I'm simultaneously watching the Triathlon Ironman Championships in Hawaii. It's unbelievable! Some amazing stories of perseverence and courage. It certainly makes me feel thankful for the many blessings that I have rather than focusing on my many trials. Watching this makes me want to train harder because of seeing some of these athletes and the adversity that they have to overcome. It's amazing the stories! It's life changing. It's spiritual. And it's a taxing process that you put your body through to see what its limits are. To me, it's a mirror to life and what the Lord allows us to endure in order to sharpen us and make us stronger. That's the thing I love about training and competing in triathlons and that's what continues to help me get through this rough period in my life. Even in the struggles, I thank God that He has a much bigger plan and knows the outcome to my life. He's not finished with me yet and I want to be ready.

Fun Fridays!

I'm freakin' sick of this cold weather crap! I'm so ready to get out and run and bike! I feel like a caged animal trying to break away. It's so arduous to sit on the incumbent bike for a whole hour and not go anywhere. Granted, I can watch tv while I'm spinning, but it's not the same thing to be able to be outside riding the back roads and see the scenery change. Same goes for the running. I never thought I'd miss it, but I guess I've reached that point.

It has been snowing, extremely cold, and certainly not conducive to training out doors. I'm sick of it! I'm ready to live in an all-season area of the country but that's not realistic. So with that in mind, I have to make the best of my situation and keep myself in some assemblence of good shape or I'll be suffering come late March for the Natchez Tri.

I have no idea if Troy is still going to be a part of the reigndeer games, so I continue to trudge along on my own and try to stay self motivated - which is the toughest part. Tomorrow is a new day and hopefully, I'll be able to get in a nice long run. We shall see.

Natchez Trace Sprint Tri

If you've been looking in at the blog, you may have noticed that the upper right corner counter of the blog page shows the counter for an event that I think Troy and I are targeting (Natchez Trace Sprint Tri). Well, at least I'm targeting it. I still don't really know if Troy is in or not. Troy is in a huge slump and may not feel like training or targeting any races. I on the other hand, have this race clearly in my sights and the only hinderence for me will be financial. As you can see by the banner, the race is a sprint tri and is scheduled for late May. This upcoming season I will be training hard for some Olympic and maybe some 70.3 distances, so this race at the beginning of the season will be a nice precursor to some longer distances.

I'm looking forward to the up coming racing season as it'll be my first full one. I'm extremely ready for the cold weather to pass so I can get back outside. I'm feeling the cabin fever at the moment and I hate training inside now that I've gotten a taste of the out door training. I'm having to force myself to workout in the weight room inside. I'd rather just leave that for pushing the weights instead of the overall workout. Oh well, I've got to remain patient. The good weather will be here soon enough.

Psalm 118:14 The Lord is my strength and my song; He has given me victory.

This verse, I find, gives me strength and hope for tomorrow.

Webisode #3 - Goin' Home

As I write this, it's currently 5:45 a.m. and I'm in the process of getting Soul P. out the door and to the airport after a very productive and good time having him here. He's certainly got a gift for what he does and he does it well. I'm glad we had him come in work on some music with Zach and I to liven up the project that we're putting together in order to pitch to corporate and commercial music.

It's been great having him and catching back up with him since we haven't seen each other in almost 2 years. However, I must admit that I'm ready to get back into my regular workout routine because I'm feeling vastly neglected on the physical and training side. It's time for me to get back in the pool, on the bike, and hitting the road because I need that time with the Lord. He's calling!

Webisode #2 - Soul P.

Night number two of having Soul P. and Zach in the studio. Man, we're coming out with some really hot stuff! Check him out on his myspace page. We're still trying to make some hits and pitch the stuff to film, television, publishing companies, gaming companies, etc. We'll see what happens and I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, I'm waiting to get Soul back out of here so I can get back to my regular training routine. From my training scheduled routine, it's been frustrating but I love having my good friend Soul here. We really connect on a lot of levels personally and spiritually and I've loved watching how Zach fits right in. There's something special about this combination that's beyond words and it'll be interesting to see what happens down the road.

At some point, I'll post some excerpts of some of the music that we've been working on. Personally, I dig it because of it's energy.

Tomorrow is back to the training grind! I'm ready! Keep you posted.

Soul P. in the Lab

No training going on, but here's what's happening in the lab - which is my work-world. This is what's going on all week. More updates to come.

Sweating It Out

Have been sick and trying to fight it with real oranges, water, and Gatorade. Shelby is sick as well, yet we both went to her Meet of Champs swim meet so she could swim and I had to work. Bad mistake! It only made things worse for the both of us! I feel so bad for her. She seems to have gotten the worse end of the stick.  As for me, I'm struggling with the achiness and fever but nothing compared to little Shelb. I still didn't learn my lesson. I figured I'd try and sweat out some of the toxins by getting in a 60 minute stationary ride. Again, bad mistake! Guess I'm just going to call it a night and try and sleep all this crap off. Not much else to report.

Convicting verse that I just read. Jeremiah 29:11-15

The above Picture is of my sweet little Shelby swimming the 400 IM. She didn't do as well as she normally does. She was really struggling from being sick and feeling weak.

Indoor Cycling

Today was a rather hectic day. I woke up with the twins this morning to take them to school instead of the standard 4:30 a.m. start for swim practice. They had to stay up late to finish a school project. After taking them to school, I immediately had to go back to the house to do a thorough cleaning for a showing at 10:00 a.m. I can only pray and hope! Anyway, in a nutshell, I didn't get to get in a workout. Our training schedule called for a 40 minute spin with some standard weight training. As you can see, I got in the spinning at home around 7:00 p.m. and it was a pretty good workout. I also got some sit ups and push ups to go along with.

Troy has still yet to get started on our program and I'm feeling that he's rather stressed over work, life in general, and the fact that he has another one on the way in about 9 months! Right now is the perfect time for him to be digging in physically in order to relieve that stress that'll build up and get an unhealthy hold of him. I'm a bit worried about him but don't want to press any issue at this point. He'll get it going and he'll realize it's a much better coping mechanism.

Hang in there T!

Suffering

Today was a day of suffering . . . in a good way. There's a certain attraction to the physical suffering that goes in to training. I think that my body subconsciously knows that it's suffering in order to get better and stronger. I believe that our bodies innately understand this concept better than our minds do. At least that seems to be the case with me. My life, at the moment, is very much a mirror of this concept. I'm suffering in many areas, and even though I know that I'll be okay and stronger in the end, it's hard for me to grasp this concept mentally. When you suffer, you feel alone. You feel like you're on an island. Alone. But that's not the case. That's the devil trying to make you believe that you're by yourself. But there's strength in community and knowing that there's always someone that's in a worse place than you. Suffering is interesting, and even more interesting is how God uses it to bring us closer and more aware of Him.

One of my favorite verses that alludes to suffering is Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

This is obviously much more powerful than the obvious struggle and suffering that training brings to the physical. If we can endure the spiritual and mental aspects of this, the physical aspect should be a piece of cake!

Duped on the Run

It's Saturday rivalry week in NCAA college football. Outside, it's overcast and rainy, cold, and dreary. A perfect day to stay inside and watch tv and do nothing. However, I forced myself to get in a medium length run that I originally thought was a nice easy short run. The above video explains how I got duped!

Lately, I've been really intrigued with how the spiritual and physical go hand-in-hand and the older I get the more obvious it is that they are closely connected. Therefore, I've been casually searching for some things on this subject in the bible. Here's what I found and thought that the translation from The Message was quite interesting. I love this verse and how it talks about the Lord taking care of the birds of the air and how we as His children count more to Him than they do. It's something I often think about when I'm at the beach in Florida at the parents' house watching the many beautiful sea birds around the water.

The verse is: Matthew 6:25-26

If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

Monday begins the off-season program for Troy and myself. I hope he's ready!

A Cold Day's Ride

Doing a yoga workout is certainly no joke! I knew it would be tough and really good for you, but I never realized that it would make me this sore from doing slow moving body movements! I thought, even with a month training layoff, I was in pretty decent shape and able to do just about any workout without much trouble. Well yoga is a different story. It's stretching, slow movements, breathing, and concentration - and it's tough! I can see it being a great addition to the triathlon training that Troy and I are embarking on for next season.

I did a 45 minute yoga workout yesterday and this morning woke up extremely sore. . . again! Because of the soreness and lactic acid build up in my legs, I decided to go for a short 11 mile bike ride. It was my first one in a month, and it was a little tough but enjoyable. The tough part was due to me being out of cycling shape and the bitter cold. I hate riding in the cold! However, it was good for me and I'm glad that I did it. It was one of those days that I didn't feel like doing anything and had to force myself to be active outside. It's certainly a good feeling once you're done.

Attached is the link to the route that I took.
Today's cold ride!

Yoga/Run Combination

Today was the first day back from about a month layoff from any kind of training outside of some occasional swimming. Today was a bit unusual. First of all, I owed my friend Scott Brickell a call back from yesterday that I needed to return. I called him, we chatted, then he convinced me to come out to his place to run instead of me running my “normal” route here at my house. Once I got there, he talked me in to doing this P90X workout that consists of a bunch of home fitness DVD workouts. I chose the yoga workout because I've always wanted to do a legit yoga workout but have never had the opportunity. Now was my chance! WOW! Out of the 1 hour and 30 minutes that it should've taken to do the entire workout, I could only do 35 minutes. It was extremely tough and intense and I loved it! I'm definitely doing it again considering it's a wonderful workout for endurance athletes. At any rate, I've found a new "thing" so I'm pumped.

I later got in a run for the first time in a while as well and it felt wonderful. I slipped into that spiritual zone again and things really seemed to level out. I can tell it's the Lord's way of communicating with me as I get older.

It's the day before Thanksgiving and I have much to be thankful for. Thank you Lord for my life - both the good and the bad, because through the bad you make it into good for your glory!

God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.

Sunday With the Girls

Today was a day of hangin' out with all 3 of the girls because Ashley had something to do today. I certainly didn't mind because I love going to church with all of my little ladies. I get such a fulfilling feeling on these types of Sundays. 

The service was geared toward the whole family. Therefore, I got to sit with the twins in the service and listen to Steve speak about the effects of our culture on us as Christians. He spoke from Revelation chapter 2 and it was one of those messages that hit close enough to home to spark some dialog amongst the girls and myself on our way back home after church. They seemed to really soak it in and understand what was conveyed and agreed with the message from the pastor. That made me feel good and proud in a since that God has His hand on my children and speaks to them in small ways. I pray for them daily and earnestly, and I pray that they will be leaders for Christ in a world of insecure followers.

Today I had the intention of swimming with the triathlon class but it didn't work out exactly how I had planned. I was enjoying being with the girls too much to break away and go do my own thing. There will be other days that I'll be alone and able to train intensely. Today was a day that I wanted to soak in and enjoy before all three of my princesses go away for a week on Thanksgiving break. Today was my Thanksgiving day. I had many reasons to be thankful and I felt compelled to take in every possible minute.

Swim Day

Yesterday, I went to get a swim workout while the twins were at their own swim practice. During my workout, since I'm not able to listen to music or converse with a partner, the scripture passage from Philipians 4:13 came to mind for some reason. It states:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I've heard this passage since I was a kid. In fact, it's one of my favorites that I have memorized. However, the thing that I seemed to dwell on during my swim was the strengthens part. I don't believe that it's any coincidence that there's a direct correlation between the physical and spiritual aspects of training. They are both something that you have to take a lot of discipline in and there's a certain amount of suffering that you must go through to improve. This is something that is extremely interesting and intriguing to me. More on this down the road.

Lance in the Wind Tunnel

Lance Armstrong in the Wind Tunnel

Posted to Bicycling by CM on November 18, 2008

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No Training for the Weary

Today is Thursday the 13th. It should be a really good day for me since my favorite number is 13! However, it's rainy, overcast, gloomy, and that makes for kind or a blah day. I'm ending week 2 of not really being diligent in my workouts. Even though it's been nice not to have all the exertion expended, I find that I thoroughly miss the training, the responsibility that goes along with it, and of course the spiritual aspect. I need to get back out there because I feel like I'm cheating the Lord out of our "friendship" time together. I'm looking forward to after Thanksgiving moving into a regularly scheduled routine. It'll be good for me physically, stress-wise, and most importantly spiritually. I've been battling with some depression of late and I think it's attributed to the fact that I haven't been out there beating the pavement. However, I will and I'm planning on getting in some sort of workout this weekend just to keep my body used to the muscle memory.

I miss Troy and my rides. I miss our workouts. And I miss the pain that my body goes through to become better. I think of that as a metaphor to what the Lord is allowing me to go through currently. I'm enduring a lot of pain to be stronger in the end and that's what He's shown me throughout this triathlon journey.

Tuesday & Gloomy

Okay I'll admit it, I'm in a slump training-wise. Troy, by his own admission, is in a slump too. I don't know if it's because of the season being cold, the actual weather, life circumstances, or what. But the fact of the matter is, we're slumping right now. However, I have been reading and researching a lot about taking some down time and the off-season programs. Maybe this is my subconscious forcing me to take a mental and physical break. Whatever the case, I've read that it's good for my body, my mind, my spirit, and my recovery. So I'm just passing off the fact that I feel a little guilty and unnerved by not doing much training.

I've decided (and not yet discussed this with Troy) that I'm going to continue to take a slight break until after Thanksgiving. After the holiday is when I plan to kick in to high gear for the off-season training regimen. I believe that Troy will be okay with this as he's needed this time to mentally and physically re-group. For that matter, so have I! However, I DO miss the euphoric and spiritual feeling that I get when I'm out in the out doors training on my own or with my brother. It's a special time for me and I'm already anxious to get past the winter and move into spring so I can hone in on the events I want to tackle. I'm preparing and focusing on '09 being a break out year in many respects - starting with my training. It's going to be good. I'm going to see that it's good, and I'm focusing on the fact that it will be good.

God is good - so why shouldn't next year be?

Sunday Soreness

Yesterday I woke up and almost couldn't get out of the bed. The night before (Friday night), I played football with my rec league team who happen to be comprised of some of the Franklin Police force (it's nice to have those friends and connections). At any rate, we unfortunately lost and I paid a much higher price the next morning over a loss. It's amazing to me how my body has transformed from quick-twitch muscle sports to the endurance side of things. The funny thing is, I could've gone out and run 6 miles or biked 40 and not had the residual effects that I had from playing an hour of flag football with a ton of sprints. However, that's exactly what coaches will say is good for the body in training. To always keep it guessing and not let the muscles get used to any one particular thing. That's why they say to do as much cross-training as possible. Troy and my intentions are to do just that - weight training, sprints, interval swims, etc.

It's a constant learning process and that's what I believe keeps us so intrigued. It's a very interesting thing.

Off-Season Training Program

In my research and constant looking to stay up with what's going on in the training world, I put this off-season training schedule together for Troy and myself. I figured I'd share this with the blogosphere to let you see what we're going to be up to while training.

I just sent this over to Troy and haven't yet received his word on what he thinks of the schedule. I think he'll be okay with it, or he better anyway. He doesn't have much choice in that he hasn't been doing a whole lot training-wise. I'm hoping he gets going and jumps back in as diligently has he has in the past. I know it's a bit hard for Troy because we've not yet set a date as to when we're targeting our next triathlon. He works off of clear and set goals as do I. Therefore, we really need to get together and find what we're going to shoot for.

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy looking at what we've got scheduled for the next 16 weeks.

Lance Armstrong Interview at Web 2.0 Summit

Very interesting and educational interview. The most open and laid back interview that I've ever seen Lance give. I'm greatly anticipating his comeback to pro racing. I believe it'll be great for the sport.

Pursuit of Truth

Nothing much to add today due to a number of reasons. If you are reading this, count your blessings daily. Make a conscious effort to choose the right path. Pursue truth or it will ultimately find you.

God is a wonderful, merciful, and restoring god. And as my sweet mother will say: "If you have to time to pray to God, God has time to listen." He will hear you and answer your prayers. You just have to wait on Him. That, to me, is the tough part.

Many blessings.

The Shine From A Different Light

Tonight I spoke to a very close friend who's been following our progress on this blog for some time now. She had some very insightful things to say about what we're doing here. After much thought and contemplation, I think she has some valid points in many respects. You see, this thing has grown to be bigger than Troy or I had ever intended or anticipated. That's not to say that we have tons of viewers; we don't. But we do have more viewers and participants than just our extended family. Therefore, what my friend had to say somehow rang true after my initial offense wore off. You see, with me doing the majority of typing entries and being "on camera," I could see how that could come across a being a bit narcissistic, which is how it has come across to some people. That is certainly not mine nor Troy's intent.

This was all brought to my attention in a very positive way. Not to degrade or demean what I'm doing, but to let us know that we have built a nice platform that could be used for so much more potential. Instead of us always tracking our training program (which is all fine - especially the progress Troy's making with his weight), we could incorporate some educational aspects, some things that involved some socially conscious organizations, maybe some nutritional information, etc. Just some things that could ultimately help people instead of everything being about us! When I think about it, it IS about us and it shouldn't be. We are called to be facilitators of helps to people. We should be giving rather than taking. We could be educating rather than nebulous journaling.

How do we do all of this? I'm not real sure yet, but with Troy's keen brain and my technical abilities, I'm sure we can come up with something. If there's any ideas out there, please write to us in the comment section and let us know. We want to do some good with what we've built here and maybe help others along the way.

Monday Junk Food

Okay, I'm going to fess up and admit that I'm in a slight slump. Am I as excited as I normally am to get out of the house and train? NO! Have I been really stringent on watching what I've been eating? Not even a little bit! Today I ate TONS of Halloween candy that was brought in by different people at the office. However, the one saving grace that I did have is the fact that I got a good workout in this morning. I swam for an intense 35 minutes then worked out on some strength training in the weight room while the twins finished up their practice. It was a good session, but I feel like I've negated everything by "comfort eating" the chocolate and candy.

Today was a bit stressful in that I had a meeting with my financial guy and as those things go, I've never known one to go well. I felt like the sky was falling in due to me not being able to afford to keep my house. I desperately need to sell it or I'm about to be foreclosed on. That is hugely stressful and the market is not letting up in the slightest. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I'm now looking into what's called a short sell on my home. I don't really know what that is, but I'm trying to find out if that may be the best way to go to salvage my credit rating and get rid of the house at the same time. I just don't know, but I'm trying not to let that completely over take and rule me. God is in control and I have to keep reminding myself that on a daily basis. I feel as if I'm getting a bit stronger by the day and that things are looking up, but it's situations like these that remind me that I'm still not out of the hole just yet.

A Message To A Mother

Mom, this one is for you! This is specifically to show you that Troy and I are fine. . . even though we didn't post anything yesterday!

Yesterday was a "chill" day. Troy nor I did anything active yesterday because we're still in the rest period. I find that I get extremely antsy when I haven't done any sort of workout during the day. Does that mean I'm addicted to the training? I don't think so, but I DO get a wonderful feeling out of the training process and I've trained my body over the last many months to respond quite favorably. However, getting to that point has been a very long journey. Troy has gotten (and continues to get) to that same place physically. His weight continues to stay down and he continues to steadily drop weight slowly - which is the best and most healthy way to do it. I feel like this time, after all of the "dieting" that he's done, the hard work will continue to pay off and he'll keep his weight down once and for all. I'm so proud of that guy! He's truly a trooper on so many levels!

Now it's time to go for a long 45 mile ride. We're slowly easing into our off-season training regimen. I'm ready and about to start honing in on our next race. Watch for the count down over to the right.

Post-ride update:

Went on a leisurely 33 mile ride in perfect weather. This was our first ride since the triathlon.

Thursday Morning Swim

This morning was another early wake up in order to get the girls to their swim practice. I too got in another workout, but this time it wasn't a swim AND some weight training. I just swam for about 35 minutes and made a conscious effort not to swim too hard. I had a good workout, took a shower, and got ready by the time the girls were finished. I took them to school and now my day has truly begun. I must say, I'm very tired from being up late last night and could really use a nap.

Troy and I start some light workouts next week to ease into some off-season core and strength building work. Lots of time spent indoors. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I'll take it over the alternative.

A Bit Antsy!

Okay, so I'm a bit antsy. I told Troy and myself I would take a week off to rest before off-season training began. Well, I guess I lied. This morning, I had to take Shelby to swim practice at 5:00 a.m. That meant we had to wake up at 4:30 to get going. I figured that I had to be there anyway to take her to school afterward, so why not get in a workout. It felt quite good to get back into it after a few days of recovery. The workout was deliberately not very intense. Just a nice "get back into the swing of things" type of deal. I swam for 40 minutes then got out and had a light upper body weight workout. It was nice.

Training in the off-season will be more geared toward building strength through weights rather than an in-season type of endurance regimen. Troy and I will do a lot of weight training, treadmill running and sprints, recumbent bike, and some other cross-training types of things. Just a lot of different stuff to keep us interested and motivated and keep the winter fat at bay. Troy's still steadily dropping weight and I want to make sure that we stay diligent in our fitness routine especially through the holidays. That's where you can lose it the quickest!

Still looking for that first triathlon to put on the schedule so we have something to shoot for. We haven't decided yet. However, the countdown will begin soon!

Resting

It's Tuesday and Troy and I are still in "rest" mode. Troy hasn't been feeling too well and and I believe that it's because his body takes a bit longer to recuperate from such a taxing event. We had our culinary "cheat" day and are back on our nutrition plan of healthy eating, but we've decided to take a physical rest period of about a week before we move into our off-season training program. Off-season will consist of a lot of weight training, treadmills, and stationary bikes - along with some swimming mixed in. We're going to be spending a lot of time inside but won't necessarily have to go to the extreme intensity that we've had to go before to get ready for a race.

                                                                

It's a mentality and a lifestyle and one that we enjoy for our physical and mental health. Now on to next season!

The attached picture is of Troy and I just before the Suncoast race. The water was cold, thus the wet suits. We look like a couple of cut-rate, back alley, ghetto-fabulous super heros!

The Journey Home

Okay, so as of current posting time, I wasn't able to get this up for yesterday. It's Monday morning and Troy and I are home safely and have had a full night's sleep. It's nice to be home and comfortable in your own space. However, this trip will go down with tons of special meaning. Quality family time, exercise, competition, Florida weather, the coastal environment, and (most of all) time well spend with our Grandmother whom we rarely get to see anymore. We had a wonderful time with her and a great period of "bonding" time with her in her old age. This trip has really solidified how much my support system and family mean to me. I (or we, I should say) couldn't have done this without the "behind the scenes" support of our family. It's a strengthening and confidence builder. Troy and I now feel that we can go out and conquer anything that we truly put our minds to. We know we have the focus and the drive and it's that support system that we can fall back on when we are feeling weak. That's a wonderful gift that I've truly realized in the past few years from being so selfish. Thank you, triathlon, for being a part of helping me realize my strengths, my weaknesses, my faults, and my iniquities. As Troy and I have often realized, the sport of triathlon is a metaphor to life. It's a long journey that you continue to learn from and better yourself from your mistakes. As I get older, maybe that is why I'm so attracted to the sport. All I know is, it's making me a better overall man - even though I still have a long way to go.

Now it's time for some rest for a few days then on to our off-season workout routine. We'll keep you posted.

Suncoast Triathlon '08

Today was "dooms day"! This is the event that Troy and I have been training for over the last 8 weeks. So, this morning we awoke at 4:45 a.m. and was greeted with some scrambled eggs made by our Dad. That was chased with some Red Bull and our daily GXL supplements. We packed the car with all of our prepared gear and headed to the race site with excitement. Upon our arrival, we immediately jumped into action. Checking in, organizing, and arranging was in full effect from the start until we had to make our way to the starting line on the beach. To top things off, we had to deal with adverse weather consisting of rain and lots of wind. It was not an ideal start of a race. However, the race proceeded as planned and by the end, the conditions ended up being perfect.

Going in, I had a goal in mind. Even though the course was longer than our last tri, I made it my goal to finish in less time than my previous race. My last race time was 01:13:22. I was shooting for a 01:10:00 even with the extra 200 meters in the swim. During the race, I felt good and kept my focus on who I was doing this for and the small benchmarks I had made for myself during the race. Come race end, I was not only able to meet my goal, but better still, to exceed my goal. My official time ended up being 01:07:28 so I'm quite satisfied with my performance and my fitness level and I'm more than ready to find, train, and tackle our next outing.

Meanwhile, (this is Troy writing now) I threw up all over my shirt (that I was actually wearing) when it was over and I passed out in the car on the way home. Nice one, huh? No kidding. This is not exactly the same glowing report that Todd was just able to personally provide, but looking back, I really don't have any regrets at all. My time was 1:24 the last time I did this one. Today it was 1:30. Considering that we had 200 extra yards to cover on the swim than the last time we did this course, I'm actually not very disappointed. My goal coming in was to match my time last time, and with my being a heavier guy and still a "work in progress," I knew it would more than likely take ideal weather conditions to pull it off because my goal was difficult from the outset - just like Todd's was. This is a reflection of 2 things in retrospect upon examining each of our results: 1. That the weather proved to NOT be the ideal conditions that I knew I would need to get this done, but much more impressively, 2. How amazing Todd's preparation and eventual results proved to be. I tip my hat to him. He dropped 6 minutes from last time, while I added 6 minutes - on the SAME course, at the SAME time, and in the SAME conditions. Todd said that the run wouldn't get him this time like it did last time. He was right. I would think that 11th place out of the 65 men in his division would verify that. I close with this comment on a personal note. While Todd placed 11th, and he earned every bit of that ranking, I'm proud to report that I came in 20th place in the "Clydesdale" division. For those of you who are unfamiliar, that's the group of men that you have to be over 200 pounds to be in, which (believe it or not), I actually qualify for. :)

Check back on the blog soon. Our next order of buisness is to identify our next target, set the blog countdown timer, and get going! Yes, you know it, we're going to do it again! (and again, and again, and AGAIN!)

The Day Before Suncoast

As I sit here entering this blog, I find myself in a very peaceful place. I'm with family whom I love and I know who loves me. My sweet Grandmother is here with us and I rarely get to see her. She's 81 years old and my Mom & Dad are currently taking care of her as she slowly succumbs to the years that continue to pass her by. She's a wonderful old lady that still is as feisty as ever. We love her dearly.

I'm at peace with everything right now. I'm ready to go tomorrow and I really want to do well. Maybe even to my own detriment. At any rate, the last half of the day today was spent in preparation for tomorrow morning's race. Troy and I went to get our registration packets, we picked up a new wet suit for the cold water swim, and we have set out all of our gear in order for the transitions. If we're not ready now, we're not ever going to be ready. It's go time! It's time to put up and shut up! It's time to ultimately have fun! Here we go!

The Journey Down

Today was a travel day so we wanted to make a concerted effort to get to Florida early enough to get plenty of rest before Saturday morning's tri. It's an exciting time right now. We're here and we are in anxious anticipation to try and conquer this thing. Troy seems in very good spirits and seems ready. I'm certainly ready and wanting to kick the crap out of this course! I admit, I've put some undue pressure on myself, but that's the way I like it and that's what drives my competitive juices.

Troy and I have decided to document the whole weekend and post it here. Hopefully, it'll be something worthwhile to document.

Tomorrow is our serious rest day and we have to pick up our race packet with our numbers and race info inside. Bill Jackson's here we come, and the excitement continues to build!

Gettin' Ready

Oddly enough, I'm still not used to waking up at 4:30 a.m. every morning. I'm, by nature, a night person and the early morning rises are certainly not a badge of honor. It is however a labor of love for my sweet little girls that are not so little anymore. I find myself drawing strength from them and how strong it seems that God has made them. I do this training stuff, and to better myself mentally and spiritually, for them. This weekend will be for them and with them in mind. I draw a ton of strength from knowing they rely on their daddy and that will be the impetus behind what pushes me. Not because I want them to know that I competed in a triathlon, but because I want them to see that I want to be a better daddy in every way. This weekend's event is just the beginning of the long journey.

Today's workout was a swim, weight training, and a morning run. I'm tapering for the event so the workouts are becoming less intense. Troy and I leave on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday and Friday will be total off days dedicated to rest for Saturday's event. I'm pumped, a little anxious, a little nervous, but definitely excited. I've put a lot of pressure on myself to do well. Now it's time to deliver!

One Last Brick

It's Sunday and there's not a cloud in the sky. An absolute perfect day for training (other than a bit on the chilly side). It was 73 degrees at 2:00, so I decided to make this day the final day for a brick session before the weekend triathlon. It is now officially crunch time! Today was a 20 mile bike ride followed immediately by a 2 mile run. This was done specifically to get my legs and back used to the drastic transition. Ultimately, I felt pretty good with an 8:30 pace on the 2 mile run. Not bad for me immediately after a 20 mile ride that averaged just under 20 mph. I think I'm ready. In fact, I know I'm ready! I'm anxious and I've done a lot of visualizing of the upcoming race in bettering my previous time - even though it's a slightly longer course. I'm fitter, I'm stronger, and most importantly, my endurance levels are much better than they were this past July. I'm ready to finish the season strong, take a short rest period, then start the off-season program. Next season starts in April and I'm anxious to see how we do over the course of a full season (which we have yet to experience).

I'm ready, Troy's ready, and we're both ready to get going down to Florida on Wednesday. It's going to be fun, but Troy and I are going with a specific purpose in mind - to focus and get better. It's a constant refining process! Let's get it!

My personal goal is to come close or beat a 1:13:22. The course is exactly the same as the one that we did this past July except the swim is 260 yards longer. I'm gunning for under 1:10:00. I hope and pray I make it. Okay, there it is! I've thrown it out there. Now I have to deliver!

A Bit Cold

Today is Friday and I've got to be honest, I don't feel like doing CRAP today! Therefore, I'm not going to train at all today. I haven't had a rest day this past week, so today is the day. It's rainy and cold outside and it's one of those days that one doesn't feel like leaving the house for anything. However, I have a job and responsibilities and I'm off to tackle them. It's Friday, my favorite day of the week and I'm going to enjoy the "laid-backness" of it.

Weekend here I come! Going to train hard Saturday and Sunday.

Update from the Big Man T:

The Tri up Hi-O

Ok, it’s me, the guest writer again. I have to say that I appreciate Todd more and more for doing this part each day. I write about 3% of these (if that) and I’m this far into the entry and already lamenting it. Nevertheless, I trudge on!  We’re about a week away and I’m in Ohio right now with my wife and children visiting her family for fall break. Except for my father-in-law who hates me (and most other people too), I enjoy my time with all of her relatives. It’s nice and cool up here right now. I woke up and had breakfast today, checked a few emails, put on my “gear” and was then off for a 40 minute run through a neighborhood I’ve never seen before. I wasn’t interested in breaking my neck for a world record time or anything. I just wanted a nice brisk run under the cool overcast day and to think about all that God has done for me and the love and grace that He has given me. Truly, I am a blessed man. As Todd and I set our eyes to next week, it’s important that we truly try to fine tune our bodies and minds in preparation for our 2008 closing event. I’ll tell you this. Running is still my weak link, but not Todd’s. I can see a look in his eye that the “jogging monster” will NOT get him this time around at the Triathlon. I’m quite curious to see how well he finishes. The being sick thing last week really set me back, but I’m hoping that a diligent 10 days prior to the event itself will prove to be an effective element to help me bounce back and be ready to roll in earnest. I love training up here. The colors have all changed and it’s a beautiful time of year and a good reminder of the glory of God’s personal paint brush. I’m glad I’m not the one in charge! To God be the GLORY!

Troy's Last Ride

Today was Troy's last ride before the Suncoast Triathlon. He's leaving on a business trip and won't return until we have to leave for Florida. It seems a bit surreal that we're this close to the event and I'm hoping that Troy gets in his ample share of training while on the road. I'm sure he will because he knows that value of how important these last two weeks are. He's going to well. I can feel it.

Our ride today was quite nice. The weather was beautiful! The ride was intense, and the conversation was stimulating. If that truly IS our last ride together for the year until next tri season, then that was a spectacular one to end on.

It's time to get the off-season training on and crackin'!

Our New Toy

Yesterday turned out to be quite a fun "training" day. A few months ago, Troy got this crazy idea to get a couple of mountain bikes for us to enhance our cycling addiction. In his infinite unselfishness, he sprung me with the idea that he was buying two bikes and the one he was buying for me would be my birthday and Christmas present (yet again, another act of unselfishness from my little brother). At any rate, the bikes finally arrived from order and we were antsy to test them out. Yesterday was to be that day.

Troy and I both had never been on a mountain biking trail but were eager to give it a shot. So Troy looked up some trails that were close by home and away we went. Not really knowing what to expect, we jumped on our bikes and rode off as if we knew what we were doing on the trails. We never gave it a thought that the trails might be for intermediate or advanced riders. We definitely paid the price - but in a good and fun way. Luckily, our bike riding wind and endurance came into play. Otherwise, we'd have never made it even close to an hour on those trails. It's a whole different workout and routine. It's much more upper body and strength based whereas road cycling seems to be more leg and endurance driven. I'm still partial to the road and the speed, but I can already tell that I'm going to love getting out there and exploring the trails and another sport that has challenged us. It's a great change from the norm.

Today's workout was a very intense and rewarding one. 45 minute swim this morning backed by a 25 minute run. It makes for a nice fit feeling for the rest of the day.



This is a rough shot of the new trail bikes made by Trek (we're partial and loyal to that brand).

Mundane Mondays

4:30 a.m.!!! Good lord! And on a Monday no less! Why can't every day be a Friday or Saturday? At any rate, this morning was no different than last week. Waking up at 4:30, get the twins to their swim practice, I swim while I'm there as well, then wait for them to finish and take them to school. They're committed to being a part of that team and I love and respect that. If it means me sacrificing some sleep in order for them to learn what it's like to be a part of something that takes some commitment and dedication, then I'm more than happy and willing to sacrifice for my girls.

This morning's workout was a 45 minute swim where I swam about 2300 yards. It was intense and good. Especially for a "slow to get started" Monday. My afternoon workout is going to be quite a fun one. Troy, in his endless selflessness, bought the two of us a mountain bike to further fuel both of our biking addiction. It was my birthday AND Christmas present and I can't think of something that I would've liked more (one day Troy, one of these days! I swear!). Anyway, we're going out on our first mountain bike trail here in Franklin. Troy found it online and it's right near our house and we've never even been aware of it. We're both excited to say the least.

I'll post pictures and video of the new gear and the trail after the jump. It should be fun!

Me Lung-butter Long Time

This morning was the first bike ride I've had in seven days. Last time Troy and I rode was this same ride we did last week. However, I've done a lot of swimming and running (if you've kept up with the blog). Troy, on the other hand, has been sick and hasn't had much activity for the obvious sickly reasons. He HAS been itching to get out and get some training in for a solid week though. So as you could imagine, he was antsy to get out and ride this morning - even with some lingering after-effects of his illness. I've gotta say, I didn't expect much from him since he's been under the weather and literally on his back and sleep deprived. But once again, I'm surprised by the circumstances. Not only did he make it the whole way without stopping or getting off of the bike, but he also made it up "Deliverance Ridge" without having to get off of his bike and walk up the climb. That was a surprise to me! He had every reason and excuse to get off and walk up the hill, but he found enough in his tank and dug down deep enough to find the strength to make it up there. Understand, this is no easy climb on a bike! In fact, cars that drive up this ridge struggle a bit. I was taken back (once again) by Troy's determination, desire, and work ethic to power through the extenuating circumstances that lie ahead of him. It's these small glimpses and lessons that I get that show me where I can improve - where my weaknesses are.

Troy is a strong man in every sense of the word both physically and mentally, and I truly value these small nuggets of life lessons that I get through our training and us doing life together. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Freaky Friday

I called today Freaky Friday because today consisted of the two extremes of a really good day, and a really bad day all wrapped into one nice little package. It was good from a standpoint that I got a lot of work done at the office interfacing with various staff to continue to get plugged in to their "system". Much was accomplished and I'm feeling very confident in my building role and my relationships with the current staff. That was the good part that consumed the majority of my day.

However, . . . the back part of the day was littered with some devastating and tough news that has really put me back. No need to expound on it. It's something that will naturally work itself out anyway and I just have to stay reminded that all of this - everything - is in God's hands. He will do with this situation what He feels is the best and I am trying to stay faithful in that. Even when it's hard to.

Troy is just now getting over his illness and it looks as though we'll be riding early in the morning. I'm thankful for that because that's a specific time that we both look forward to and he's antsy to get back out there and be active. . . especially since we only have 2 weeks to go.

Now excuse me while I get ready to go for a long much needed run!

Late Wednesday Entry

It's much too late and I'm way too tired to be writing. The video says it all and I've got to get up at 4:30 a.m. to get the girls to swim practice and to meet Troy at the pool.

Man, this schedule is crazy! I certainly prayed to be more busy and to stay occupied. Be careful what you wish for. You just may get it!

A Lazy Tuesday

Today was one of those "good intention" type days. By that I mean, I had every intention to do something totally different than what my final outcome was. This morning I was going to get up with the twins (as usual) and take them to the swim complex for their practice while I get in a training swim of my own. That didn't happen! I took the girls to practice, and instead of staying to swim, I dropped them off and drove back home to sleep for another hour or so. Out of guilt for not staying and swimming like the twins do, and guilt for not training at my allotted time, I woke up and forced myself to go for a short 20 minute run. The run was short but intense at a relatively quick pace. I still feel as if I should have stayed a swam, but oh well.

I guess the reason for this personal lethargy so close to our race is due to the weather. The weather has slipped into the fall stages where the leaves are turning colors and the temperature is a brisk cold at night and in the mornings. That makes for a lazy demeanor. . . at least in my case. This morning was especially difficult due to the added overcast and rain in the forecast. It was tough making myself do anything physical related. Plus, Troy is feeling under the weather and sick so I knew that he wouldn't be training today. Therefore, I knew I wouldn't have that accountability that I so highly lean on to push me.

The end result was that I forced myself to do something and pushed through the "lazy" wall. And in the end, that's the stuff that'll pay dividends come race time.

A Church-less Sunday

It's Sunday and today I wasn't able to get to church like I normally do. My oldest twin Shelby has been sick so I had to stay home with her while Taylor and Kori went to church with Uncle Troy. I enjoy the church that I go to, so I found myself missing the message and encouragement that I normally get on a weekly basis.

In place of church while taking care of little Shelb, I did a wonderful bible study for my Monday night men's bible study. Then after she fell back asleep, I slipped in a 35 minute run. It wasn't a fast run but it was exhilarating and I got lost in the music that I was listening to. That always makes for a more enjoyable run.

We're now inside of 3 weeks and now is the time to really buckle down on the training and nutrition. It's time to REALLY get serious! Next March is right around the corner for the start of next season! Let's get it!

A Compassionate Ride

Waking up at 5:30 a.m. doesn't agree with me at all. I'm very much a night person. However, this morning's Saturday ride was one of those days of subconscious anticipation. The day was gorgeous, we were anxious to ride, and we were meeting a friend of veteran cycling prowess to ride with us. The only down side was that the weather was too cold for my taste. Well after bundling up and getting the muscles warm, that didn't seem to be much of a problem either.

Spence Smith (who works for Compassion International and is a web guru) met us at 6:45 at our normal launch spot and we were on the road by 7:00. We couldn't have asked for a better time and a better day. We had great conversation and worked hard at the same time.

Today was particularly good for Troy for some reason. Troy was feeling rather "froggy" today while riding. I noticed early that he seemed to have some extra energy that we was trying to release. I didn't think much of it until we arrived at Deliverance Ridge, a hill that Troy always get off of his bike and walks. Today was a different story for the very first time. He made it up the tough climb without getting off to walk and was exhilarated by his accomplishment. He SHOULD feel proud. It's an extremely tough climb! For the rest of the ride, I felt like he was a caged horse waiting to get out and run. Troy should feel proud of himself and the fitness level that he's currently at. He's now to the point that he can hang with virtually anyone we ride with. Constant progression - that's the key!

Renewal Day

This morning was a swim training day and we had a really great and intense workout. With us being 3 weeks away from the Suncoast Triathlon, we're really getting intense with the workouts. Once the Suncoast is over, we'll probably lighten our load on the training side but still keep it going. We're looking to join the Excel Triathlon Swim Training group. It'll be fun and a great experience and training tool. Now all we have left for today is a late afternoon run.

Feeling good and confident.

Wednesday (you know what it is)!

It's Wednesday again and that means another training rest day. I'm going to enjoy it!

The dog in the picture is NOT my dog!

Tuesday Morning Run

As I sit here in my new place of employment, I can't help but think about how I got here and the unbelievable journey that I've been on to get me to this point. It seems amazing, and I certainly can't figure out how I've made it this far without "cashing it in". It's because of the love of friends, family, and most of all, the Lord's unmerited favor. From here, I want to be a Godly, integrity filled, humble man that chooses to take the right paths from this point in my life and forward. That's exactly what I intend to do.

This morning, I woke up to the twins already getting ready for school. Their routine is to wake themselves up at 5:30, take a shower or wash their hair, get breakfast, then off to school. It's a ritual that I've come to enjoy very much. After I dropped them off at their school, I hustled home to change into my running attire in order to get in a run. I ended up running 5.5 miles on an 8:02 pace. Not a bad pace for me, especially when I got lost in some music this morning. The run felt great and my pace was a comfortable one. Still no problems with the achilles and I'm feeling better about my running. However, still trying to be careful too.

Sunday Afternoon Swim

The day was absolutely picturesque today. Troy and I felt like we HAD to do something active training-wise. So we decided to go to the Rec Center pool and do some swimming. What I didn't realize was that there was already a triathlon swim training class going on that was being coached by my former swim coach. She immediately asked me to come over and jump in a lane and go through the hell that she was putting the others through. In some sadistic way, that actually appealed to me so off I went and jumped in the middle of the training. It was great and I was pleased with where my swimming fitness level was because I didn't wane at all compared to the rest of the swimmers. That felt good.

This all happened before Troy arrived because I happened to get there early. When Troy got there, I ended up moving over and swimming with him for another 45 minutes. So in essence, we got quite a workout in. 

It felt great and was arguably our best swim workout to date. Due to that and talking to the coach, I think we may join the class once we've finished our Suncoast Triathlon in late October. It'll definitely help in our technique and overall water fitness. We're really into all this crap! It's actually kind of funny but amazing. It's great to see how much Troy is in to this. He's like a kid in a candy store and he's certainly getting his fill.

The Glasses Half Full

This morning Troy and I went on our weekly 40 miler and the morning couldn't have been more beautiful. It was almost as if the Lord said, "here, have an incredible morning on me." That's exactly what we did. We had an incredible morning! As usual, we talked about a plethora of topics that was stimulating and spiritual all at the same time. It was great.

As Troy mentioned in the video, there's some good news hovering in the camp but we're not ready to divulge it just yet. It's certainly news that's powerful enough to help me out of my somewhat desperate situation. Let's just say, God is good and faithful. I'm feeling empowered. Troy's feeling strong and empowered and I'm sure the devil is feeling threatened. That's when we've got to be the most on the lookout.

It's a new day and a new beginning. Thank you to a dear friend for helping me realize that.

Thank you to Shelby for the accidental "borrowing" of the fashion glasses. :-)