It has been so long time since I updated my blog that I don’t know where to even begin. My life has been anything but grounded since I last left Eco-Energy and headed to Miami. A quick recap: My house floods during the Great Nashville Flood of 2010 as I’m trying to pack my life in a U-Haul for Miami, Nursing School falls through the cracks, can’t find a job in south Florida, run out of time and money to stay in Miami, move back to Nashville and join a band, live on a tour bus for 45 straight days, ride an ostrich, summit a mountain, fall in love, ride across Canada in a big rig, explore the California coast, live out of a suit case from September to December, heart break, started a clothing line, new career path in sight…. Yea I haven’t been very busy at all.
I went back and read through some of my older posts. So many things I would write about were warning signs as to how I would feel today. There were lots of red flags and I seemed to miss all of them. I take that back, I was aware of the red flags, I just didn’t take them as seriously as I should. Maybe that’s the lesson to the story. I need to be more aware of what is going on. On the flip side to this, I’m glad things worked out how they did. They journey of growth, change, adversity and hardships create the moments we live in today. I’m blessed to be where I am, at this very moment.
I’m excited to share my thoughts and adventures once again!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Last Day at Eco-Energy....Again!
I decided to make today, April 21, my last day at Eco-Energy. I'll celebrate my independence from a calculator, rail maps and a cubicle desk. Coincidentally, today is also the day that Texas Celebrates it's independence from Mexico in the Battle of San Jacinto. So it's a great day to be free from what you were a slave to I guess! On another note, this is the second time I'm leaving Eco. Well, technically I've tried leaving several times, but I've actually only left twice. The first time I was laid off but they had the grace to bring me back for a victory lap! I've been blessed to work with some of the greatest people and friends I've ever known. At Eco I've worked for two bosses and I can honestly say that bosses don't get any better than Kim and Tim. The Ethanol industry is a really fascinating market to study and I'm glad I had the opportunity to be apart of it.
Today starts a new beginning for me. I begin my journey into a new profession and life. I'm excited about the changes that will take place and I pray that I'll be able to get through any obstacles I may face along the way. I'm going to miss Nashville. I can't believe I've been here for 7 years! Tennessee has become my home but Texas will always have my heart!
To further add to today's excitement, I got row 10 tickets to see Bon Jovi tonight! In the past year, I've got free tickets to see Styx, Fleetwood Mac, REO Speedwagon, Night Ranger, John Mayer, and several Predators games. I'm seriously hated among coworkers and friends because of my luck. I've just got good friends... but I guess that's a pretty lucky thing to have!
Today starts a new beginning for me. I begin my journey into a new profession and life. I'm excited about the changes that will take place and I pray that I'll be able to get through any obstacles I may face along the way. I'm going to miss Nashville. I can't believe I've been here for 7 years! Tennessee has become my home but Texas will always have my heart!
To further add to today's excitement, I got row 10 tickets to see Bon Jovi tonight! In the past year, I've got free tickets to see Styx, Fleetwood Mac, REO Speedwagon, Night Ranger, John Mayer, and several Predators games. I'm seriously hated among coworkers and friends because of my luck. I've just got good friends... but I guess that's a pretty lucky thing to have!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
ADPiathalon
I had my first triathlon of the season this past weekend. The race was held on the MTSU campus and was hosted by the Alpha Delta Pi Sorority. I chose this race over the Trideltathon that I did last year in Knoxville because of its close proximity to Nashville. My primary goal for this race was to practice going through the transition areas on a much smaller scale to better prepare myself for the half ironman this coming weekend. The swim distance was 300 meters, snaking down 12 lanes with 5 second interval start times. There was a 50 yard run from the pool to transition area 1 where the bikes were set up. The bike distance was 10.32 miles and was really flat. The run was a little longer than a 5k at 3.14 miles (think alpha delta PI!)Just like the bike, the run was really flat and fast.
I started the swim 1:10 after the first person jumped in the water. Last year I did a pool sprint during the Trideltathon and I started in the middle of the pack. I learned my lesson from last year and started closer to the front. This helped out considerably. I didn't have too many issues with people getting backed up on the walls trying to duck under the lanes. My time was 5:07 for 300 meters. My pace was 1:42 per 100. It's definitely not where I want to be but it is a huge improvement over last year. Almost one year ago from this race, I averaged 2:15 per 100 in a 400 meter race.
Running into T1 went really smooth. My transition time was pretty fast given where my bike position was on the rack. I especially wanted to do well on the bike. The course was pretty flat and I wanted to prove to myself that I could average over 20mph on the bike. I averaged 23.38 mph for the 10.32 mile ride. The first 5 miles out were a little slow. There was definitely a head wind and some false flats that snuck up on me. The 5 miles back to campus were fast. I kept a blistering pace where I really didn't fall beneath 26 or 27 mph. If this course was stretched out longer, I think I could maintain 22 mph over a 56 mile course. I didn't feel like I put 100% into the bike but I think leaving a little on the bike set me up for a good run.
The bike racks in the transition area were built about a foot too tall. That meant your bike hung off the ground and it made the rack unstable. I ran in full speed to T2 and tossed the bike on the rack. The force made the rack tip over and I caught it just before it crashed to the ground. I probably wasted about 15 seconds trying to get the rack back together.
The run course didn't have mile markers so I had trouble gauging how fast I was running. I haven't done any training for a race that required me to sprint after I finished biking so I had trouble judging my speed. I decided to keep my pace fast but not so fast that I might get injured or affect my fitness level. In all seriousness, I was a little worried about that part. My "A" priority race is Lonestar 70.3, not a short sprint triathlon. I caught a few people on the run and maintained a good pace for the 3.14 miles. I averaged 6:08 minutes per mile which allowed me to finish 1st in my age group and 4th overall.
I have really improved a lot since last year. I need to keep reminding myself that I've only been doing this sport for a year. I've started from scratch in both the swim and the bike and I continue to increase my speed and endurance. Right now I feel pretty confident in my ability to perform this coming weekend at Lonestar Ironman 70.3
I started the swim 1:10 after the first person jumped in the water. Last year I did a pool sprint during the Trideltathon and I started in the middle of the pack. I learned my lesson from last year and started closer to the front. This helped out considerably. I didn't have too many issues with people getting backed up on the walls trying to duck under the lanes. My time was 5:07 for 300 meters. My pace was 1:42 per 100. It's definitely not where I want to be but it is a huge improvement over last year. Almost one year ago from this race, I averaged 2:15 per 100 in a 400 meter race.
Running into T1 went really smooth. My transition time was pretty fast given where my bike position was on the rack. I especially wanted to do well on the bike. The course was pretty flat and I wanted to prove to myself that I could average over 20mph on the bike. I averaged 23.38 mph for the 10.32 mile ride. The first 5 miles out were a little slow. There was definitely a head wind and some false flats that snuck up on me. The 5 miles back to campus were fast. I kept a blistering pace where I really didn't fall beneath 26 or 27 mph. If this course was stretched out longer, I think I could maintain 22 mph over a 56 mile course. I didn't feel like I put 100% into the bike but I think leaving a little on the bike set me up for a good run.
The bike racks in the transition area were built about a foot too tall. That meant your bike hung off the ground and it made the rack unstable. I ran in full speed to T2 and tossed the bike on the rack. The force made the rack tip over and I caught it just before it crashed to the ground. I probably wasted about 15 seconds trying to get the rack back together.
The run course didn't have mile markers so I had trouble gauging how fast I was running. I haven't done any training for a race that required me to sprint after I finished biking so I had trouble judging my speed. I decided to keep my pace fast but not so fast that I might get injured or affect my fitness level. In all seriousness, I was a little worried about that part. My "A" priority race is Lonestar 70.3, not a short sprint triathlon. I caught a few people on the run and maintained a good pace for the 3.14 miles. I averaged 6:08 minutes per mile which allowed me to finish 1st in my age group and 4th overall.
I have really improved a lot since last year. I need to keep reminding myself that I've only been doing this sport for a year. I've started from scratch in both the swim and the bike and I continue to increase my speed and endurance. Right now I feel pretty confident in my ability to perform this coming weekend at Lonestar Ironman 70.3
Monday, April 12, 2010
Good Weekend Training
I love to schedule my training around weekends that will have perfect weather. The high this weekend was in the mid 70's, no wind and not a cloud in the sky!
I started my saturday off with a Cross Fit session. Teams of two, male/female combinations, had to complete each run together but could split up everything else. Having a female partner makes the weights or body weight exercises extremely tough.
Saturday Morning Workout:
800m Run
175 35lb Kettle Bell Swings
400m Run
300 Body Weight Squats
800m Run
200 Pull ups
250 45lb over head press
400m Run
Here's part of the group doing the over head press. I had already finished!
This is pretty normal to see after the workouts are finished. Let the bodies hit the floor!
After Cross Fit I drove out to the Lake. I have been keeping an eye on the water temperature at Percy Priest Lake over the past few weeks. The lake temperature finally got over 60 degrees and I felt it was time to try an open water swim. With Lone Star Ironman 70.3 in two weeks, I needed to get comfortable swimming in something other than chlorine! I practiced sighting and controlling my breathing under cold conditions.
After the swim I realxed by paddling around in the kayak. Less paddling, more floating and getting a tan to be honest!
I finished out the day with a fast brick. I rode for 36 miles and averaged 21.9 mph on hilly terrain. I have embedded a map on my blog that shows the elevation changes. Unfortunately the scale on the elevation makes the ride seem pretty flat. Trust me, it's not! Total climbing was around 750 feet. I focused my run on race pace and I was pretty close. Ran 5.3 miles in 38 minutes which is a 7:10 per mile pace.
I'm feeling pretty confident about the bike portion of the race. My swim still needs some work and my run will depend on my speed and nutrition on the bike. I think I can put together a solid race with how I've prepared. I have to remind myself that it's only the second half iron man I've ever done and I've only been in this sport for a year and two months. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be the best and sometimes I have to remind myself to take it easy.
I started my saturday off with a Cross Fit session. Teams of two, male/female combinations, had to complete each run together but could split up everything else. Having a female partner makes the weights or body weight exercises extremely tough.
Saturday Morning Workout:
800m Run
175 35lb Kettle Bell Swings
400m Run
300 Body Weight Squats
800m Run
200 Pull ups
250 45lb over head press
400m Run
Here's part of the group doing the over head press. I had already finished!
This is pretty normal to see after the workouts are finished. Let the bodies hit the floor!
After Cross Fit I drove out to the Lake. I have been keeping an eye on the water temperature at Percy Priest Lake over the past few weeks. The lake temperature finally got over 60 degrees and I felt it was time to try an open water swim. With Lone Star Ironman 70.3 in two weeks, I needed to get comfortable swimming in something other than chlorine! I practiced sighting and controlling my breathing under cold conditions.
After the swim I realxed by paddling around in the kayak. Less paddling, more floating and getting a tan to be honest!
I finished out the day with a fast brick. I rode for 36 miles and averaged 21.9 mph on hilly terrain. I have embedded a map on my blog that shows the elevation changes. Unfortunately the scale on the elevation makes the ride seem pretty flat. Trust me, it's not! Total climbing was around 750 feet. I focused my run on race pace and I was pretty close. Ran 5.3 miles in 38 minutes which is a 7:10 per mile pace.
I'm feeling pretty confident about the bike portion of the race. My swim still needs some work and my run will depend on my speed and nutrition on the bike. I think I can put together a solid race with how I've prepared. I have to remind myself that it's only the second half iron man I've ever done and I've only been in this sport for a year and two months. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be the best and sometimes I have to remind myself to take it easy.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Rudy Project Wingspan Aero Helmet
When I got home from work yesterday, I only had about 30 minutes to test out my new Rudy Project Wingspan Aero helmet. I was like a kid who runs home from school to test out his new baseball glove before he goes to practice. I tore off my clothes at the door and quickly got into my tri suit. I pulled my bike out into the street and hopped on for a ride. In my mind I had built up the speed that would come from this helmet. I was going to fly like a bullet! I could tell a noticeable difference over my regular road bike helmet. The ride was a lot louder from the wind moving around the helmet. It was a loudness that I had not experienced before. I couldn't tell if I was actually going faster because of the helmet or if it was the speed work I had been doing over the past few weeks. Lately I've been making some big gains in my biking abilities and it's hard to distinguish between physical gains and gains made my mechanical upgrades. I've read online how the best investment that maximizes speed per dollar spent is in an aero helmet. So when faced with the decision to invest in a Zipp wheel set or an aero helmet, I went the cheaper, more efficient route. I know the helmet is making a difference. I think the difference can be seen in my power output. I don't have enough background knowledge to tell if the aerodynamics of the helmet increased my power output by X percentage. I know that I biked pretty fast yesterday and I could feel the wind flying past my helmet. But that's all I can really say at this point. I don't have a negative thing to say about it. The only definite positive that I can state is that it's light weight and it's not bulky in size. Once I ride a few more times with it on and switch it out with my old helmet, I'll update my thoughts and opinions.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Tunica
I went to Tunica for a friends Bachelor Party. This will be a short post because I've been sworn to not give any details.
This was my first time to a casino. I probably slept a total of 3 hours a day. If I wasn't playing black jack, I was eating at the buffet. Our group was comped every meal so I just ate and gambled. Little did I know they pumped oxygen into the Casino. Looking back that made so much sense! You could smoke inside the casino but yet, it didn't smell very smokey. Also, it was so easy to stay awake and gamble from 12pm to 8am... yea that's right! Thursday through Sunday I gambled till 8am! I can see how it is addicting. I'm glad Tunica isn't any closer than it is. This may explain why I I could get addicted... this is after 2 days of non stop gambling. I think the picture is taken at 9am which explains why I look like I've been ran over! I started with $200 and here is about $1,800!
This was my first time to a casino. I probably slept a total of 3 hours a day. If I wasn't playing black jack, I was eating at the buffet. Our group was comped every meal so I just ate and gambled. Little did I know they pumped oxygen into the Casino. Looking back that made so much sense! You could smoke inside the casino but yet, it didn't smell very smokey. Also, it was so easy to stay awake and gamble from 12pm to 8am... yea that's right! Thursday through Sunday I gambled till 8am! I can see how it is addicting. I'm glad Tunica isn't any closer than it is. This may explain why I I could get addicted... this is after 2 days of non stop gambling. I think the picture is taken at 9am which explains why I look like I've been ran over! I started with $200 and here is about $1,800!
here's where I stand
Since February 15, 2010 I have logged 25,700 yards (16.06 miles) of swimming, 565 miles of biking and 140 miles of running. In less than three months, Nashville has had some really bad weather. We had a cold winter that made running and biking outside nearly impossible. I refuse to run on a treadmill and I definitely couldn't afford an expensive bike trainer. Most of my miles have been logged the past month and a half. We are starting to have excellent weather and I'm excited to train outside. I have a small sprint triathlon at MTSU next Sunday and Lonestar Ironman 70.3 in Galveston, TX the following Sunday. I purposely scheduled the small sprint tri the weekend before my big race because I want one trial run of going through T1 and T2. It's only a 300 yard pool swim, 10 mile bike and 3 mile run. I don't want to absolutely kill the course in fear that something may happen and would cause me to drop out of the IM 70.3. I just needed something short and quick, this was it.
As it stands, I think I'm capable of doing a 4:45 half ironman. My first half IM last year was a learning experience and I was happy to finish at 5:35. I'm faster than I was last year and a lot smarter. I've learned from my mistakes and have capitalized on every opportunity to improve myself as a triathlete. I think I can go 36 min on the swim, 2:30 on the bike and 1:40 on the run. With transition times and hopefully being conservative in my estimated finish times for each category, I think 4:45 is reachable.
After that race is finished, I have one more week in Nashville then it's off to Miami. The training down there will be epic! I'll be able to get some long, flat, windy rides in that will prepare me for IM Florida in November. I've got a good feeling about this sport. I don't want to over shoot myself but I've only been biking and swimming for a year now. My running has always been good but now I've got to teach myself to run better off the bike. I like where things are going. Who knows, maybe I'll be in Kona one day fighting to keep Crowie and Lieto off my heels!
As it stands, I think I'm capable of doing a 4:45 half ironman. My first half IM last year was a learning experience and I was happy to finish at 5:35. I'm faster than I was last year and a lot smarter. I've learned from my mistakes and have capitalized on every opportunity to improve myself as a triathlete. I think I can go 36 min on the swim, 2:30 on the bike and 1:40 on the run. With transition times and hopefully being conservative in my estimated finish times for each category, I think 4:45 is reachable.
After that race is finished, I have one more week in Nashville then it's off to Miami. The training down there will be epic! I'll be able to get some long, flat, windy rides in that will prepare me for IM Florida in November. I've got a good feeling about this sport. I don't want to over shoot myself but I've only been biking and swimming for a year now. My running has always been good but now I've got to teach myself to run better off the bike. I like where things are going. Who knows, maybe I'll be in Kona one day fighting to keep Crowie and Lieto off my heels!
Better Nashville
One of my friends from College, Kacy Hagerty, is the host for WSMV Channel 4's Better Nashville. She asked me to come on and talk about triathlons and how I got started in the sport. She was doing a series of talks about how people can get back in shape and make something of their lives. I was a little nervous about accepting the role because I would be on live TV. My nerves quickly calmed down because I was talking about a subject I loved and 9 times out of 10, the conversations I have are triathlon related. The night before my big day on TV, I practiced some of the things I wanted to say. Kacy wanted me to stress the importance of fitness and how it can improve your life. I've already given this speech to lots of people who seem to be struggling in their current situation, so I was comfortable with what I would say.
I had to get to the Channel 4 studio early that morning. The news room was less cluttered but every bit as cold as I thought it would be. Here is a picture of the set we filmed the show on.
Once I got in my chair and Kacy was ready to go live, my heart really started to pump. This was way more difficult than it looks! Kacy was having to not only keep the conversation flowing between us but she was having to listen to people talk in her ear about what to do and how long she had left. That has to be stressful! Within the first few minutes something happened that made me really uncomfortable. While I was talking to Kacy, I guess the camera turned off of her and was looking right at me. Evidently there was supposed to be pictures on the screen behind me of some of my races and they weren't showing up. People started to walk towards Kacy and were asking her questions while I was trying to focus on what I was saying. I didn't know what was going on. I thought maybe I had something in my teeth or I was talking about something completely off topic and I didn't realize it! So many things were going through my head it to really threw me off! They finally got whatever it was fixed and the camera panned back out to show Kacy listening attentively when only moments ago, it's seemed like chaos for a second!
The interview went really good I think. You always think of things you wanted to say after the fact but I think I got my point across rather well. Here is the link for the show http://www.wsmv.com/video/22379605/
This is a picture of me and Kacy after the taping was finished. I had a great time and it was fun to share my story with whoever happened to be listening that day!
I had to get to the Channel 4 studio early that morning. The news room was less cluttered but every bit as cold as I thought it would be. Here is a picture of the set we filmed the show on.
Once I got in my chair and Kacy was ready to go live, my heart really started to pump. This was way more difficult than it looks! Kacy was having to not only keep the conversation flowing between us but she was having to listen to people talk in her ear about what to do and how long she had left. That has to be stressful! Within the first few minutes something happened that made me really uncomfortable. While I was talking to Kacy, I guess the camera turned off of her and was looking right at me. Evidently there was supposed to be pictures on the screen behind me of some of my races and they weren't showing up. People started to walk towards Kacy and were asking her questions while I was trying to focus on what I was saying. I didn't know what was going on. I thought maybe I had something in my teeth or I was talking about something completely off topic and I didn't realize it! So many things were going through my head it to really threw me off! They finally got whatever it was fixed and the camera panned back out to show Kacy listening attentively when only moments ago, it's seemed like chaos for a second!
The interview went really good I think. You always think of things you wanted to say after the fact but I think I got my point across rather well. Here is the link for the show http://www.wsmv.com/video/22379605/
This is a picture of me and Kacy after the taping was finished. I had a great time and it was fun to share my story with whoever happened to be listening that day!
Buying Speed
I finally had to say good bye to the Quintana Roo. It was a good beginner bike but was giving me lots of issues. It got me through several small triathlons, a half ironman, 3 bike wrecks and no flat tires over 1,500 miles of pavement! The QR has found a new home though. I found someone to buy her who is training for their first triathlon so I know it's in a good place!
Bikes are a lot like relationships. You ride em' till their too old and then you trade em' in for a new one! I'm kidding... that's wrong to say that... but seriously though. I used the old QR for all it was worth and it was time I upgraded to something that would meet my needs. Here she is!
I found a good deal on Craigslist for a Giant Trinity A1 Triathlon Bike. It fit my budget and had all the options I wanted. Handing the guy that much cash was a little scary but after I rode it for the first time, I knew I had made a good decision. I've increased my bike speed so much! I know it's not about the bike but honestly, upgrading the equipment has been a major part of my increased speed. Since I'm averaging well into the 20's on every ride I do, I felt like it was time for an additional boost in speed. After lots of research, I broke down and got an aero helmet. Here's the new Rudy Project Wingspan!
Bikes are a lot like relationships. You ride em' till their too old and then you trade em' in for a new one! I'm kidding... that's wrong to say that... but seriously though. I used the old QR for all it was worth and it was time I upgraded to something that would meet my needs. Here she is!
I found a good deal on Craigslist for a Giant Trinity A1 Triathlon Bike. It fit my budget and had all the options I wanted. Handing the guy that much cash was a little scary but after I rode it for the first time, I knew I had made a good decision. I've increased my bike speed so much! I know it's not about the bike but honestly, upgrading the equipment has been a major part of my increased speed. Since I'm averaging well into the 20's on every ride I do, I felt like it was time for an additional boost in speed. After lots of research, I broke down and got an aero helmet. Here's the new Rudy Project Wingspan!
A new direction
First of all, my posts have been so erratic because I do not have a home computer. Yea, that's right. In fact, I haven't had one since my sophomore year of college when I let my family have it. I simply haven't had a big need for it. I blogged the most when I was employed at Eco. Not on company time of course ;) That will change very soon because I am buying a Mac Book Pro in a week or so! Since January, this is what I've been up to.
The same company that laid me off hired me back! Basically I got a four month paid vacation! I was hired to help out the Strategic Director on a project till May. The structure has helped immensely. But with that structure came some hardships. It was the first time I had to wake up before 7am and use my brain for more than a few hours at a time! I was so tired that I would come straight home and fall asleep at 7pm! Doing something other that accounting has been a wonderful change. I always thought that I wanted to be an accountant but I've learned that it's just not for me. The job tasks that I currently have assigned to me are much more appealing. They allow me to use some of my best strengths like problem solving and creativity. Knowing this, it will be hard to leave a profession that I love so much.
I've decided to take a step in a new direction. After the major earthquake in Hati, I tried and failed to get on several mission trips to help with disaster relief. I was denied every trip because I did not have medical experience. I thought to myself, how can I make this happen? Why not go back to school and get my nursing degree (BSN). To myself and most everyone else, it seemed like a drastic change and maybe border line irrational to be so impulsive. I've got a good job and I can do a lot with my accounting background. Going back to school means more student loan debt and having to deal with paying bills without an income. Also, I feel like I should be more settled at the age of 25 and the thought of getting out of school at 28 seems scary. Those of you who are a lot older than me, 28 probably seems very young. And I'm sure it is but it's difficult for me to see that at this point.
I think there is something to be said for knowing what you don't want to do in life. It's an invaluable thing to know. I'm glad I stuck with the degree I did and pursued a career that allowed me to use what I learned in school. Now that I've given it a go, I can honestly say that it is not for me. There is nothing about accounting that I find exciting or beneficial. I don't want to sit at a desk crunching numbers just to get a pay check every two weeks. I am better and have more to offer than that. I love to help other people, travel and come home at the end of the day feeling like I made a difference. I can make all these things happen if I become a nurse. I'll constantly be in situations where I can make peoples day better by what I do. I'll have the option of being a travel nurse where I can go anywhere I could possibly dream of. The work hours are great and will also allow me to have several days off in a row to do my ironman training and travel. I also have the option of advancing my career within nursing to anesthesiology which would bring in a large income with the same time off as a nurse.
I'm currently scheduled to move from my home of 7 years in Nashville to Miami. I have the opportunity to live rent free for a while and get my pre-requisites out of the way in one of the coolest (hot) places in the US. I'm single and have zero obligations so this seems like a great opportunity. It's scary moving to a new place and pursuing a new career but I'm more focused and dedicated than I was in college and I know that if this is something I really want to do, I'll make it happen. I never would have thought I'd do a half ironman last year, let alone find the time train for it. But I did. I've proven to myself that if I want something bad enough, I can get over the obstacles and make it happen.
I've got a month before I move and still have a long list of things to finish and accomplish. The next three weekends I have a sprint triathlon, a half ironman and a wedding. My job takes up the majority of my day and any left over time is dedicated to preparing for the half inroman in Glaveston, Texas. I've still got to move out of the house, filter out what I'm taking to Miami and what stays here in Nashville and get my student loan situation figured out for my classes. Needless to say, I'm going to have a lot to write about. It's a good outlet at least.
The same company that laid me off hired me back! Basically I got a four month paid vacation! I was hired to help out the Strategic Director on a project till May. The structure has helped immensely. But with that structure came some hardships. It was the first time I had to wake up before 7am and use my brain for more than a few hours at a time! I was so tired that I would come straight home and fall asleep at 7pm! Doing something other that accounting has been a wonderful change. I always thought that I wanted to be an accountant but I've learned that it's just not for me. The job tasks that I currently have assigned to me are much more appealing. They allow me to use some of my best strengths like problem solving and creativity. Knowing this, it will be hard to leave a profession that I love so much.
I've decided to take a step in a new direction. After the major earthquake in Hati, I tried and failed to get on several mission trips to help with disaster relief. I was denied every trip because I did not have medical experience. I thought to myself, how can I make this happen? Why not go back to school and get my nursing degree (BSN). To myself and most everyone else, it seemed like a drastic change and maybe border line irrational to be so impulsive. I've got a good job and I can do a lot with my accounting background. Going back to school means more student loan debt and having to deal with paying bills without an income. Also, I feel like I should be more settled at the age of 25 and the thought of getting out of school at 28 seems scary. Those of you who are a lot older than me, 28 probably seems very young. And I'm sure it is but it's difficult for me to see that at this point.
I think there is something to be said for knowing what you don't want to do in life. It's an invaluable thing to know. I'm glad I stuck with the degree I did and pursued a career that allowed me to use what I learned in school. Now that I've given it a go, I can honestly say that it is not for me. There is nothing about accounting that I find exciting or beneficial. I don't want to sit at a desk crunching numbers just to get a pay check every two weeks. I am better and have more to offer than that. I love to help other people, travel and come home at the end of the day feeling like I made a difference. I can make all these things happen if I become a nurse. I'll constantly be in situations where I can make peoples day better by what I do. I'll have the option of being a travel nurse where I can go anywhere I could possibly dream of. The work hours are great and will also allow me to have several days off in a row to do my ironman training and travel. I also have the option of advancing my career within nursing to anesthesiology which would bring in a large income with the same time off as a nurse.
I'm currently scheduled to move from my home of 7 years in Nashville to Miami. I have the opportunity to live rent free for a while and get my pre-requisites out of the way in one of the coolest (hot) places in the US. I'm single and have zero obligations so this seems like a great opportunity. It's scary moving to a new place and pursuing a new career but I'm more focused and dedicated than I was in college and I know that if this is something I really want to do, I'll make it happen. I never would have thought I'd do a half ironman last year, let alone find the time train for it. But I did. I've proven to myself that if I want something bad enough, I can get over the obstacles and make it happen.
I've got a month before I move and still have a long list of things to finish and accomplish. The next three weekends I have a sprint triathlon, a half ironman and a wedding. My job takes up the majority of my day and any left over time is dedicated to preparing for the half inroman in Glaveston, Texas. I've still got to move out of the house, filter out what I'm taking to Miami and what stays here in Nashville and get my student loan situation figured out for my classes. Needless to say, I'm going to have a lot to write about. It's a good outlet at least.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
catching up
I've been absent for the past few months. Honestly, my life has been a chaotic train wreck. Not having a job or schedule has sent my life in a spiral downward. Don't get me wrong, there have been some amazing adventures and life changing events but the lack of structure is beginning to take it's toll on me.
In summary, these are events that have recently taken place...
10th place overall at the Tri The Lakes Sprint Triathlon.
A 3 week trip to the Keys and Miami filled with surfing, swamp tours, snorkeling, porsche convertibles, and alligators.
A week long mission trip to Cozumel.
Panama City Beach, Florida for the Florida Ironman
Backstage, VIP tickets to the see Styx, REO Speed Wagon and NIght Ranger
Family Christmas and Thanksgiving in Texas
Predators and Titans games
Job hunting
and going out for 38 or 39 days straight
I hope to have some of these events typed out with some pictures.... but at the rate i've been going, it's doubtful
In summary, these are events that have recently taken place...
10th place overall at the Tri The Lakes Sprint Triathlon.
A 3 week trip to the Keys and Miami filled with surfing, swamp tours, snorkeling, porsche convertibles, and alligators.
A week long mission trip to Cozumel.
Panama City Beach, Florida for the Florida Ironman
Backstage, VIP tickets to the see Styx, REO Speed Wagon and NIght Ranger
Family Christmas and Thanksgiving in Texas
Predators and Titans games
Job hunting
and going out for 38 or 39 days straight
I hope to have some of these events typed out with some pictures.... but at the rate i've been going, it's doubtful
letter to my church
In 2009 I set a goal to go on a mission trip and witness first hand the positive works of Jesus Christ. Your generous support enabeled me to make this goal possible. With the Harpeth Hills Church of Christ congregation in Nashville, Tennessee, I experienced my very first mission trip to an orphanage called Ciudad de Ángeles in Cozumel, Mexico.
Each year, thousands of tourist come to Cancun or Cozumel on vacation. Most visitors do not see the unemployment and poverty, nor learn about the inadequate education that exists in the non-tourist areas of the Yucatan. Children in Mexico do not have the social safety net that exists in most developed countries. A need exists for alternative childcare options, through private funds, to provi for these children. This also affords Christians an opportunity to teach children about God.
Ciudad de Ángeles provides a safe and healthy environment based on Christian principles for orphaned, abandoned, abused, and needy children living in Mexico. The home raises children to become Christian adults who are responsible citizens in their local communities.
Ciudad de Ángeles is a Christian children’s home on the island of Cozumel, just off the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. The home provides total care for all of the needs of the children – physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual. Ciudad de Ángeles strives to be a permanent home for these children.
Ciudad de Ángeles currently resides in four houses with a total capacity to serve 32 children, and children are being added as God continues to bless this work. The long-term vision is to develop the campus with individual cottages to house over 80 children.
The majority of our time at Ciudad de Ángeles was spent painting two of the four houses. Each house is approximately 2000 square feet of concrete with wrap around porches. Since Ciudad de Ángeles does no have electricity, the houses are engineered to remain cool year round with high vaulted, ventilated ceilings that create a draft through large, mesh lined windows. The rough surface of the concrete made it very difficult to paint. As the paint rollers covered the walls and ceilings, paint would spray everywhere. Depending on the house you were painting, you could be covered in yellow, blue, or white paint. In my case, I looked like I went to battle against all three colors with the paint being the victor!
Walls were built around the perimeter of Ciudad de Ángeles for security purposes. When we arrived, the walls were finished but needed a gate. We installed a gate to the main entrance and moved several tons of sand to elevate the low lying area to be flush with the bottom of the gate.
When our group was not working, we spent time with the children. Our main time for interaction with the children was between dinner and and their bed time. The evenings were spent doing group devos in spanish and helping the children with their English or school work. Interacting with the children was my favorite part of the mission trip. Each child has a different background and story about how they got to Ciudad de Ángeles. Even with all their differences, everyone accepted each other unconditionally. I was even more surprised at the children's display of affection towards our group. You could see in their eyes that they were genuinely excited and happy to have us as visitors.
On our second to last day, we spent all day with the children. Our group performed a short VBS which included singing, a skit of the Good Semaritan, and thank you cards to the local fire department. We sang the kids favorite songs in Spanish and taught them a few new ones on English. In the skit of the Good Semaritan, I played the role of the Good Semaritan. I think my Spanish was decent because they laughed in the parts that were funny. However, it's highly possible that they were laughing a my improper Spanish grammer and comical antics!
After our skit, we helped the children make thank you cards for the fire department. Once the cards were made we walked down the street and delivered the cards to the fireman. They taught the kids how to slide down the pole and let everyone have a chance to try it. The kid in me was really upset that I couldn't slide down the pole because we had to leave!
That evening we celebrated Halloween by conducting carnival games in the city square for the children of Ciudad de Ángeles and anyone else that wanted to participate. Overall we had close to 100 kids playing games and filling their bags with prizes and candy. Halloween is celebrated much differently in Cozumel than in the US. Going door to door trick-or-treating is not an option nor is it safe. I think this was a major highlight for the children in Cozumel and a Halloween they won't forget.
On our final day we attended the local church that the Harpeth Hills Church of Christ helped to establish. I was able to sing along in Spanish with the song book but I couldn't tell you what the preacher talked about! After church we brought food down to a large cabana overlooking the ocean. We served the food to all the children, families and workers at Ciudad de Ángeles and swam in the ocean. The children do not receive many opportunities to swim in the ocean and you could tell they enjoyed every second of it. The kids were also entertained by my failed attempts at flips and dives off a nearby cliff into the water.
That evening we said good bye to all the children, took lots of pictures with everyone and spent time reflecting on the impact we made on their lives and the impact they made on ours. My heart was touched in a way that it had never felt before. For people that live very poor compared to our standard of living, everyone was happy. It goes to show that money is not the key to happiness and the Holy Spirit can be found in the most remote and poverty stricken areas on earth. I am very blessed and thankful for the opportunity to witness the good works of Christ and the unconditional love that was shared to our group. Without your support I would not have these life long memories and for that, I am most grateful.
Each year, thousands of tourist come to Cancun or Cozumel on vacation. Most visitors do not see the unemployment and poverty, nor learn about the inadequate education that exists in the non-tourist areas of the Yucatan. Children in Mexico do not have the social safety net that exists in most developed countries. A need exists for alternative childcare options, through private funds, to provi for these children. This also affords Christians an opportunity to teach children about God.
Ciudad de Ángeles provides a safe and healthy environment based on Christian principles for orphaned, abandoned, abused, and needy children living in Mexico. The home raises children to become Christian adults who are responsible citizens in their local communities.
Ciudad de Ángeles is a Christian children’s home on the island of Cozumel, just off the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. The home provides total care for all of the needs of the children – physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual. Ciudad de Ángeles strives to be a permanent home for these children.
Ciudad de Ángeles currently resides in four houses with a total capacity to serve 32 children, and children are being added as God continues to bless this work. The long-term vision is to develop the campus with individual cottages to house over 80 children.
The majority of our time at Ciudad de Ángeles was spent painting two of the four houses. Each house is approximately 2000 square feet of concrete with wrap around porches. Since Ciudad de Ángeles does no have electricity, the houses are engineered to remain cool year round with high vaulted, ventilated ceilings that create a draft through large, mesh lined windows. The rough surface of the concrete made it very difficult to paint. As the paint rollers covered the walls and ceilings, paint would spray everywhere. Depending on the house you were painting, you could be covered in yellow, blue, or white paint. In my case, I looked like I went to battle against all three colors with the paint being the victor!
Walls were built around the perimeter of Ciudad de Ángeles for security purposes. When we arrived, the walls were finished but needed a gate. We installed a gate to the main entrance and moved several tons of sand to elevate the low lying area to be flush with the bottom of the gate.
When our group was not working, we spent time with the children. Our main time for interaction with the children was between dinner and and their bed time. The evenings were spent doing group devos in spanish and helping the children with their English or school work. Interacting with the children was my favorite part of the mission trip. Each child has a different background and story about how they got to Ciudad de Ángeles. Even with all their differences, everyone accepted each other unconditionally. I was even more surprised at the children's display of affection towards our group. You could see in their eyes that they were genuinely excited and happy to have us as visitors.
On our second to last day, we spent all day with the children. Our group performed a short VBS which included singing, a skit of the Good Semaritan, and thank you cards to the local fire department. We sang the kids favorite songs in Spanish and taught them a few new ones on English. In the skit of the Good Semaritan, I played the role of the Good Semaritan. I think my Spanish was decent because they laughed in the parts that were funny. However, it's highly possible that they were laughing a my improper Spanish grammer and comical antics!
After our skit, we helped the children make thank you cards for the fire department. Once the cards were made we walked down the street and delivered the cards to the fireman. They taught the kids how to slide down the pole and let everyone have a chance to try it. The kid in me was really upset that I couldn't slide down the pole because we had to leave!
That evening we celebrated Halloween by conducting carnival games in the city square for the children of Ciudad de Ángeles and anyone else that wanted to participate. Overall we had close to 100 kids playing games and filling their bags with prizes and candy. Halloween is celebrated much differently in Cozumel than in the US. Going door to door trick-or-treating is not an option nor is it safe. I think this was a major highlight for the children in Cozumel and a Halloween they won't forget.
On our final day we attended the local church that the Harpeth Hills Church of Christ helped to establish. I was able to sing along in Spanish with the song book but I couldn't tell you what the preacher talked about! After church we brought food down to a large cabana overlooking the ocean. We served the food to all the children, families and workers at Ciudad de Ángeles and swam in the ocean. The children do not receive many opportunities to swim in the ocean and you could tell they enjoyed every second of it. The kids were also entertained by my failed attempts at flips and dives off a nearby cliff into the water.
That evening we said good bye to all the children, took lots of pictures with everyone and spent time reflecting on the impact we made on their lives and the impact they made on ours. My heart was touched in a way that it had never felt before. For people that live very poor compared to our standard of living, everyone was happy. It goes to show that money is not the key to happiness and the Holy Spirit can be found in the most remote and poverty stricken areas on earth. I am very blessed and thankful for the opportunity to witness the good works of Christ and the unconditional love that was shared to our group. Without your support I would not have these life long memories and for that, I am most grateful.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Miami Adventure: Take 1
I have two good friends and room mates that live in Miami, Florida. Paul is a professional photographer and David is... well David just works. They came to crash at my house the day before I left for my triathlon in Arkansas and when I got back I was going with them to Miami.
The trip took FOREVER! But it wasn't that bad because I slept a lot and when I wasn't sleeping I was driving Paul and David crazy or playing on my iphone. I'm pretty sure about an hour outside of Nashville, they wanted to leave me on the side of the road. Actually, they tried leaving me at every single gas station or they would hide and make me think they left me!
After almost 16 hours of driving, we finally made it to Miami!
The trip took FOREVER! But it wasn't that bad because I slept a lot and when I wasn't sleeping I was driving Paul and David crazy or playing on my iphone. I'm pretty sure about an hour outside of Nashville, they wanted to leave me on the side of the road. Actually, they tried leaving me at every single gas station or they would hide and make me think they left me!
After almost 16 hours of driving, we finally made it to Miami!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Jail Break Triathlon
When I got laid off, the weather was crap for two straight weeks. I thought I was going to be outside everyday and play. I was wrong! It rained all day long, everyday for two weeks. I was doing a brick work out at the Y (for those that do not know me, I hate training inside. I hate spin bikes and equally hate treadmills!) on another rainy day when an employee came up to me and asked it I was triathlete and I said yes. He said there was another person training at the the Y today that was a good triathlete and that I should meet him. He introduced me to this guy named Rob. He told me about a triathlon that he was wanting to do but needed a team mate. Naturally, having so much free time on my hands, I offered to be his partner. The race was 3.5 mile canoe, 8 mile mountain bike and a 2.5 mile trail run. You and your partner start off in the canoe and then they combine your total times for the bike and run to get a final combined time.
Race Day: This race is called Jail Break because it's held across the street from a prison and the inmates come out and get to help at the event! I'm sure some of us in our tights looked more like jail bait to some of these guys!
The river was up about 10 feet because of all the rain. The excess rain also made for some extremely muddy conditions. The rain definitely did not let up for the race. It was a complete down pour for the entire race! We were in the 3rd group to start the canoe because of our mountain biking experience. This would turn out to be awful because two groups were already in front of us making a complete mess of the course. Me and Rob came in 1st place out of the canoe and then carried our canoes up a long hill to the transition area. By the time we got to the transition area, it had filled up with 6 inches of rain and mud! The bike started off with this 60 degree hill with rocks and tree limbs all over it. You're bike just slid all over the place. I had mud in my teeth from the very start. Just imagine jumping into a mud pit. That's what I looked like. The course was exceptionally difficult on the steep hills. I had to unclip from my pedals and run my bike up the hills. Sometimes even having to crawl on my hands and knees to make it to the top. I caught up and passed almost everyone in group two on the trail. When I started the run I knew it was going to be difficult because it went over the first 2 miles of the bike trail. If I wasn't slipping all over the place I was on my hands and knees again crawling up hills and grabbing onto trees to pull myself forward. I caught and passed several people from the first group on the run and finished with a really good time. We ended up taking 3rd place overall out of 100 teams. We only got beat by two teams that were professional mountain bikers. If I had more experience riding trails, I think we could have won the entire race.
Experiencing this type of race really made me want to try Xterra races. Xterra races are similar to road triathlons but they have a mountain bike and trail run instead of a road bike and run.
The rain finally stopped at the end of the race and the sun actually came out! I had a blast at this race and will definitely do it again next year. Except next time, I'm winning the entire thing!
Race Day: This race is called Jail Break because it's held across the street from a prison and the inmates come out and get to help at the event! I'm sure some of us in our tights looked more like jail bait to some of these guys!
The river was up about 10 feet because of all the rain. The excess rain also made for some extremely muddy conditions. The rain definitely did not let up for the race. It was a complete down pour for the entire race! We were in the 3rd group to start the canoe because of our mountain biking experience. This would turn out to be awful because two groups were already in front of us making a complete mess of the course. Me and Rob came in 1st place out of the canoe and then carried our canoes up a long hill to the transition area. By the time we got to the transition area, it had filled up with 6 inches of rain and mud! The bike started off with this 60 degree hill with rocks and tree limbs all over it. You're bike just slid all over the place. I had mud in my teeth from the very start. Just imagine jumping into a mud pit. That's what I looked like. The course was exceptionally difficult on the steep hills. I had to unclip from my pedals and run my bike up the hills. Sometimes even having to crawl on my hands and knees to make it to the top. I caught up and passed almost everyone in group two on the trail. When I started the run I knew it was going to be difficult because it went over the first 2 miles of the bike trail. If I wasn't slipping all over the place I was on my hands and knees again crawling up hills and grabbing onto trees to pull myself forward. I caught and passed several people from the first group on the run and finished with a really good time. We ended up taking 3rd place overall out of 100 teams. We only got beat by two teams that were professional mountain bikers. If I had more experience riding trails, I think we could have won the entire race.
Experiencing this type of race really made me want to try Xterra races. Xterra races are similar to road triathlons but they have a mountain bike and trail run instead of a road bike and run.
The rain finally stopped at the end of the race and the sun actually came out! I had a blast at this race and will definitely do it again next year. Except next time, I'm winning the entire thing!
Another Statistic
On Tuesday, September 8 I became another statistic for the exceedingly high unemployment rate in America. With Monday off from work, I came into work with tons of stories from my Half Ironman race for everyone in the office. I was always known for having story time every monday from my weekend adventures. Everything started off the same way it did every morning. Nothing seemed different. I got a message saying to meet in the conference room for a meeting. It was a random group of people in the conference room but this was normal sometimes when making company wide announcements. The CEO and President came in and said, you're in here because we are laying you off. Me being a clown, I almost laughed out loud and said, this is a joke, right! Good thing I decided to wear my "professional pants" to work that day. Basically, 20% of the company was laid off. It was a business decision that would put the company in a better financial situation. I was in disbelief. This actually happened to me. We were told that we could not go back in to the office. Someone was collecting our belongings at our desks and we could exit the back door and our stuff will be in brown bags in the first floor lobby. I was upset that I couldn't say good bye to anyone. After working for almost two years with everyone, you develop some close relationships. Leaving the building for the last time felt like a scene off the Breakfast Club. I knew I probably wouldn't see some of these people again and everyone was going off in their own directions. I was the only one that left with a smile on my face. I had been praying for a change. I knew this was the blessing in disguise that I had been hoping for. I immediately knew that I had no excuses anymore for not pursuing my dreams and finding a job that I was happy with. I'm glad that my boss chose me out of our department to be let go. She knew that I wasn't happy and it was evident in my face as I worked. Out of everyone in our company, I was the one that people thought shouldn't be sitting at a desk looking over spreadsheets. It's just not me.
Bright side is, I have tons of time to train and do some adventurous things. Not to mention the nice severance package I was left with! Thanks for the memories Eco-Energy and good bye ethanol and biodiesel fuel tax laws!
Bright side is, I have tons of time to train and do some adventurous things. Not to mention the nice severance package I was left with! Thanks for the memories Eco-Energy and good bye ethanol and biodiesel fuel tax laws!
Great Illini Half Ironman
When I first started training for triathlons this year, I did not think a Half Ironman would be possible. Prior to this race I've only completed two sprints and one olympic distance triathlon. I proved to myself that anything is possible with hard work, dedication and even making major changes to the life you used to live.
I was relatively at ease with the thought of racing for 70.3 miles until I got to the check-in tent the day before the race. It's an anxiousness that I always felt when I ran track and cross country in high school. Everyone looks like they're capable of doing a low 4 hour Half and the swim course looks longer than 1.2 miles.
I don't have many pre race rituals yet since I'm fairly inexperienced at triathlons. As I write this, I have completed another two triathlons and there have been a few things that seem to be a pattern. I like setting up an area in my hotel room that will be similar to my transition area the day of the race. Then I like to stare at it and visualize myself coming out of the water into T1 and what I will need to get, in what order and any other variables that may change what I do. I do the same thing for T2 and eventually I fall asleep dreaming of me racing.
Race day came with no surprises. The course was pretty flat and the weather was overcast and cool. I warmed up with no music this time because my ipod decided to die on me. One thing that I did not anticipate was rain. The weather man forcasted a 10% chance of rain. He was 100% wrong. Rain started coming down a few minutes before the gun went off!
Swim: I had been practicing open water swims several times a week. Specifically, I focused on going out really fast for the first few hundred yards then settling into a rhythm. This technique was supposed to get me out in front and keep out of the chaos of people fighting to get around the first buoy. When everyone got in the water for the swim start, I made sure I was in front and right in the middle. The gun went off and a madness of arms and legs thrashed the water. I got absolutely brutalized. Nothing went the way I had planned. I literally got swam over for the first 500 yards. My breathing was off, I tensed up and I felt awful during the swim. The swim was a two loop course and starting the second loop, I felt absolutely horrible. I swam about 10 minutes slower than I am capable of and when I got out of the water, I knew I had expelled too much energy during the swim. This was going to be a long day.
Bike: The first 10 miles of the bike I focused on warming up my legs and getting mentally prepared for the rest of the race. In training I had only gone over 56 miles a few times and it was usually a coin flip on whether I felt good or not. I was hoping that today I would be feeling good after the bike because I had not ran anything close to 13.1 miles after a long bike! The bike course was also two loops so I knew that how I felt at the turn around would be a good indication as to how hard I could push it. Around mile 15, I was taking a right hand turn off this gravel road (yes, gravel roads! skinny tires and rocks everywhere is no bueno!) and two people tried to pass on my inside right. I don't know if there is an etiquette rule about passing on 90 degree turns in a race like this considering you're going to be on the bike for a long time. Pass after the turn! I took my turn out wide and as I was turning I realized that I was heading into a loose gravel strip and I could see the writing on the wall. Wet roads, loose gravel, and skinny tires do not play well together. I ate the pavement going around 20 miles an hour and absolutely killed my entire right side of my body. My arm was bleeding really bad and it looked like huge rocks were stuck in it. To make matters worse, when I'm in the arrow position on my bike, all my weight is on my front forearms. This made the paid excruciating. Even with the bike wreck, I still managed to avg 19.9 mph. That was a personal best for me and I was pretty excited about it.
Run: It's now time to run 13.1 miles after swimming 1.2 miles and biking 56 miles! I started off my first mile at a 6:45 pace which felt really good. Then I got to mile two and all hell broke loose. I started having the feelings of a cramp coming up in my right quad. Then my left quad. Then both decided to fire off at the same time that made me stop dead in my tracks. I tried walking them out for a minute till the pain subsided and began running again. A few minutes later it happened again. This time my hamstrings began to cramp and I had to lay flat on the ground because I could not move or everything would cramp up. I felt like my legs were pulling on muscles in my neck. That's how bad my muscles were cramping. Long story long, I had to fight this back and forth pain for the entire race. I finished up averaging 8:30 miles. I was completely bummed out.
Even though all three parts of the race went bad, I still finished the race with a huge smile on my face. It was a smile of relief, disbelief and accomplishment. I finished at 5 hours and 30 minutes and got second place in my age group. I was about 20 minutes slower than I wanted to be but it gives me some motivation to train harder for next year.
I was relatively at ease with the thought of racing for 70.3 miles until I got to the check-in tent the day before the race. It's an anxiousness that I always felt when I ran track and cross country in high school. Everyone looks like they're capable of doing a low 4 hour Half and the swim course looks longer than 1.2 miles.
I don't have many pre race rituals yet since I'm fairly inexperienced at triathlons. As I write this, I have completed another two triathlons and there have been a few things that seem to be a pattern. I like setting up an area in my hotel room that will be similar to my transition area the day of the race. Then I like to stare at it and visualize myself coming out of the water into T1 and what I will need to get, in what order and any other variables that may change what I do. I do the same thing for T2 and eventually I fall asleep dreaming of me racing.
Race day came with no surprises. The course was pretty flat and the weather was overcast and cool. I warmed up with no music this time because my ipod decided to die on me. One thing that I did not anticipate was rain. The weather man forcasted a 10% chance of rain. He was 100% wrong. Rain started coming down a few minutes before the gun went off!
Swim: I had been practicing open water swims several times a week. Specifically, I focused on going out really fast for the first few hundred yards then settling into a rhythm. This technique was supposed to get me out in front and keep out of the chaos of people fighting to get around the first buoy. When everyone got in the water for the swim start, I made sure I was in front and right in the middle. The gun went off and a madness of arms and legs thrashed the water. I got absolutely brutalized. Nothing went the way I had planned. I literally got swam over for the first 500 yards. My breathing was off, I tensed up and I felt awful during the swim. The swim was a two loop course and starting the second loop, I felt absolutely horrible. I swam about 10 minutes slower than I am capable of and when I got out of the water, I knew I had expelled too much energy during the swim. This was going to be a long day.
Bike: The first 10 miles of the bike I focused on warming up my legs and getting mentally prepared for the rest of the race. In training I had only gone over 56 miles a few times and it was usually a coin flip on whether I felt good or not. I was hoping that today I would be feeling good after the bike because I had not ran anything close to 13.1 miles after a long bike! The bike course was also two loops so I knew that how I felt at the turn around would be a good indication as to how hard I could push it. Around mile 15, I was taking a right hand turn off this gravel road (yes, gravel roads! skinny tires and rocks everywhere is no bueno!) and two people tried to pass on my inside right. I don't know if there is an etiquette rule about passing on 90 degree turns in a race like this considering you're going to be on the bike for a long time. Pass after the turn! I took my turn out wide and as I was turning I realized that I was heading into a loose gravel strip and I could see the writing on the wall. Wet roads, loose gravel, and skinny tires do not play well together. I ate the pavement going around 20 miles an hour and absolutely killed my entire right side of my body. My arm was bleeding really bad and it looked like huge rocks were stuck in it. To make matters worse, when I'm in the arrow position on my bike, all my weight is on my front forearms. This made the paid excruciating. Even with the bike wreck, I still managed to avg 19.9 mph. That was a personal best for me and I was pretty excited about it.
Run: It's now time to run 13.1 miles after swimming 1.2 miles and biking 56 miles! I started off my first mile at a 6:45 pace which felt really good. Then I got to mile two and all hell broke loose. I started having the feelings of a cramp coming up in my right quad. Then my left quad. Then both decided to fire off at the same time that made me stop dead in my tracks. I tried walking them out for a minute till the pain subsided and began running again. A few minutes later it happened again. This time my hamstrings began to cramp and I had to lay flat on the ground because I could not move or everything would cramp up. I felt like my legs were pulling on muscles in my neck. That's how bad my muscles were cramping. Long story long, I had to fight this back and forth pain for the entire race. I finished up averaging 8:30 miles. I was completely bummed out.
Even though all three parts of the race went bad, I still finished the race with a huge smile on my face. It was a smile of relief, disbelief and accomplishment. I finished at 5 hours and 30 minutes and got second place in my age group. I was about 20 minutes slower than I wanted to be but it gives me some motivation to train harder for next year.
Catching Up
I wish I had a good excuse for not updating my blog, but I have none. However, in my defense, I have not been sitting on the couch with nothing to write about. This has been the busiest and most crazy part of my year so far. Here's what I've been up to...
My first Half Ironman Race
Getting laid off from my job
An off road triathlon
A sprint triathlon in Arkansas
and a road trip to Miami, The Keys, and The Everglades that has lasted a month
Today, I will attempt to make up for lost time and tell some pretty cool stories about my past trips, races and epic adventures.
My first Half Ironman Race
Getting laid off from my job
An off road triathlon
A sprint triathlon in Arkansas
and a road trip to Miami, The Keys, and The Everglades that has lasted a month
Today, I will attempt to make up for lost time and tell some pretty cool stories about my past trips, races and epic adventures.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Heart Rate Training
I've been approaching every training session the wrong way. Come to think of it, I've been training the wrong way my entire life! After reading an article by Mark Allen -6 time Ironman World Champion- on heart rate (HR) training last week, I made the decision to buy a HR monitor. Here's a link to the article if you're interested in reading it http://www.duathlon.com/articles/1460
I am a self inflicted victim of over training. Actually, I shouldn't say I'm a victim. Being ignorant doesn't make you a victim. It just makes you uneducated. Anyways, back to my point. This is a common occurrence in most Type "A" personality types and endurance athletes. I know from experience that the old school train of thought to achieve optimal performance was to go all out, every time that you trained. I can remember back to high school when I ran track and cross country. Every single practice was a high tempo, all or nothing workout, day in-day out. I remember getting so frustrated with my times because I was pushing it so hard everyday but not getting any better. If I had known then what I know now, my 4:45 mile could have been much faster. The Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda's (it's a good book- read it!) in life won't get you anywhere. So here's what I've learned and how I'm going to make sure I don't hit the same walls in my training again.
HR training is broken out into five different zones. Training in each of these different zones will give you different results.
Zone 1: 50-60% of Max HR This is the safest, most comfortable zone, reached by walking briskly. Here you strengthen your heart and improve muscle mass while you reduce body fat, cholesterol, blood pressure, and your risk for degenerative disease. You get healthier in this zone, but not more fit -- that is, it won't increase your endurance or strength but it will increase your health.
Zone 2: 60-70% of Max HR It's easily reached by jogging slowly. While still a relatively low level of effort, this zone starts training your body to increase the rate of fat release from the cells to the muscles for fuel.
Some people call this the "fat burning zone" because up to 85 % of the total calories burned in this zone are fat calories which is equally as important.
Zone 3: The Aerobic Zone 70-80% of Max HR In this zone -- reached by running easily as an example -- you improve your functional capacity. The number and size of your blood vessels actually increase, you step up your lung capacity and respiratory rate, and your heart increases in size and strength so you can exercise longer before becoming fatigued. You're still metabolizing fats and carbohydrates at about a 50-50 rate which means both are burning at the same ratio.
Zone 4: The Anaerobic Threshold 80-90% of Max HR Here you get faster and fitter, increasing your heart rate as you cross from aerobic to anaerobic training. This is where you "feel the burn." You can stay in this zone for a limited amount of time, usually not more than an hour. That's because the muscle just cannot sustain working anaerobically (this means without sufficient oxygen) without fatiguing.
Zone 5: The Redline Zone 90-100% of Max HR This is the equivalent of running all out and is used mostly as an "interval" training regiment -- exertion done only in short to intermediate length bursts. Even world-class athletes can stay in this zone for only a few minutes at a time. It's not a zone most people will select for exercise since working out here hurts and there is an increased potential for injury.
I pretty much live my entire life in Zone 4 and 5. It's just my nature to do everything at full speed! After testing out my HR monitor this past weekend on a bike ride and run, I realized that I was always in Zone 4 and 5. I did a 9 mile run and my average pulse was 167bpm. I'm burning a lot of carbs but It's not the most effective training method for extended periods of time. Ideally you want to train in the aerobic stage 3. By training within your aerobic threshold you're burning a higher ratio of fat to carbs. Fat burning is the most efficient source of fuel in your body so if you can teach it to primarily burn fat, you'll be a more effect athlete.
I am a self inflicted victim of over training. Actually, I shouldn't say I'm a victim. Being ignorant doesn't make you a victim. It just makes you uneducated. Anyways, back to my point. This is a common occurrence in most Type "A" personality types and endurance athletes. I know from experience that the old school train of thought to achieve optimal performance was to go all out, every time that you trained. I can remember back to high school when I ran track and cross country. Every single practice was a high tempo, all or nothing workout, day in-day out. I remember getting so frustrated with my times because I was pushing it so hard everyday but not getting any better. If I had known then what I know now, my 4:45 mile could have been much faster. The Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda's (it's a good book- read it!) in life won't get you anywhere. So here's what I've learned and how I'm going to make sure I don't hit the same walls in my training again.
HR training is broken out into five different zones. Training in each of these different zones will give you different results.
Zone 1: 50-60% of Max HR This is the safest, most comfortable zone, reached by walking briskly. Here you strengthen your heart and improve muscle mass while you reduce body fat, cholesterol, blood pressure, and your risk for degenerative disease. You get healthier in this zone, but not more fit -- that is, it won't increase your endurance or strength but it will increase your health.
Zone 2: 60-70% of Max HR It's easily reached by jogging slowly. While still a relatively low level of effort, this zone starts training your body to increase the rate of fat release from the cells to the muscles for fuel.
Some people call this the "fat burning zone" because up to 85 % of the total calories burned in this zone are fat calories which is equally as important.
Zone 3: The Aerobic Zone 70-80% of Max HR In this zone -- reached by running easily as an example -- you improve your functional capacity. The number and size of your blood vessels actually increase, you step up your lung capacity and respiratory rate, and your heart increases in size and strength so you can exercise longer before becoming fatigued. You're still metabolizing fats and carbohydrates at about a 50-50 rate which means both are burning at the same ratio.
Zone 4: The Anaerobic Threshold 80-90% of Max HR Here you get faster and fitter, increasing your heart rate as you cross from aerobic to anaerobic training. This is where you "feel the burn." You can stay in this zone for a limited amount of time, usually not more than an hour. That's because the muscle just cannot sustain working anaerobically (this means without sufficient oxygen) without fatiguing.
Zone 5: The Redline Zone 90-100% of Max HR This is the equivalent of running all out and is used mostly as an "interval" training regiment -- exertion done only in short to intermediate length bursts. Even world-class athletes can stay in this zone for only a few minutes at a time. It's not a zone most people will select for exercise since working out here hurts and there is an increased potential for injury.
I pretty much live my entire life in Zone 4 and 5. It's just my nature to do everything at full speed! After testing out my HR monitor this past weekend on a bike ride and run, I realized that I was always in Zone 4 and 5. I did a 9 mile run and my average pulse was 167bpm. I'm burning a lot of carbs but It's not the most effective training method for extended periods of time. Ideally you want to train in the aerobic stage 3. By training within your aerobic threshold you're burning a higher ratio of fat to carbs. Fat burning is the most efficient source of fuel in your body so if you can teach it to primarily burn fat, you'll be a more effect athlete.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
11.6 mile run
Trying to see if this works. Here is the run I do twice for a total of 11.6 miles to train for the hills at Atomic Man Half Ironman. My first loop has been about 43 minutes and my second loop I try to do 41 minutes. I'm mentally making myself run slower the first lap so I can push the last lap really hard. Overall it keeps me between 7 and 7:30/mile pace. Not that bad for the terrain. If you click on 'View Elevation' I think you can see the elevation changes on the run.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Streak Is Broken!
I have not had any fast food or soft drinks for over 9 months.... until today. In the midst of self pity and loathing, I drove to Wendy's. It was definitely premeditated. It's not like I was driving down the road and was lured in by some fancy billboard picturing a large burger and fries. It was 10:30 in the morning and I said, screw it! I am eating my feelings today! To commemorate this epic moment, I couldn't just order in the drive thru. I was going to dine-in as if it were a fancy restaurant. I ordered three double stacks, cheese only, large fries, and a coke! Then I got four big cups of ketchup, napkins, and a straw. By this time it was only 10:45am and I had the entire place to myself. The quietness of the restaurant made the music very easy to hear. This was a problem. As I walked around the floor trying to find an area that was furthest from a speaker, I noticed that Wendy's strategically places all their speakers so that each section of tables has a speaker above them. I finally picked a spot by the window where the sun was shining in. I methodically set up my eating station, yes- I said, my eating station. When you have so much food that it takes up an entire table, you need to be organized. It's no longer a table but an eating station. I unwrapped my first burger and I could smell the beef (I think it was at least) and the soft bread. I dipped a side of the burger in ketchup and took a huge bite. I took a deep breath of relaxation like a smoker would after craving a cigarette all day long. But a combination of Celine Dion blaring over me, the warm sun shining through the window on my skin, and the fatty trans saturated heavenly bliss I was slowly consuming, ultimately led to a very depressing feeling. Is this what it's like to eat your feelings? I had become weak and vulnerable. My selfish urges got the best of me today and won. I'm already admitting defeat and it's only 12:15pm. I'm definitely not practicing what I preach. I hate my job right now, I want a career change, I really don't know what that career change is, and I'd rather just take the easy way out of things. And today, I did just that. I took the easy way out and got fast food. Nine months of resisting temptation is down the drain. Hopefully tomorrow will be day #1 of eating healthy again.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
slow down...?
A few months ago I signed up for a Twitter account. I basically keep track of all my current events in the triathlon world through this. Also, I usually update what I'm doing or post an interesting article I've read recently. There is an application for Twitter that tracks the words you use most often, hours of the day you've posted comments, who you've responded to, ect. ect. I have sent out 455 tweets or updates on Twitter to date. Of those 455 tweets, the top 5 words I've typed are: work, swim, going, training, and time. In a tie for 6th and 7th place were the words run and bike! For the first few seconds I laughed and thought that it was funny. It's been sitting on my mind now for the past hour and I'm not sure I'm okay with this. Do these 5 words define me as a person? No, I don't think they do. However, the lifestyle that I live closely resembles those words I use most often. The common theme between those 5 words are Go, Go, and Go. I'm constantly on the go. I'm either working, or swimming, or training, or doing something for time. It's pretty clear that I'm out of balance. I'm investing all this time trying to stay busy. Am I taking the time to stop and appreciate what I've been given? This simple thing today has raised so many questions.
Take Back the Beep Campaign
Annoyed with the 15 second voice mail instructions you receive after you listen to the persons voice mail speech? Cell phone companies are making $620 million dollars off of these 15 second caller instructions! This is 2009, we don't need instructions to leave a voice mail! I'm already being redundant so just click the link below. It's worded better than I could write it!
http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/the-mandatory-15-second-voicemail-instructions/#more-1313
http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/the-mandatory-15-second-voicemail-instructions/#more-1313
Monday, July 27, 2009
Inspiration
NBC re aired the 2008 Ford Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii this past weekend. Kona is the place where the Ironman began. A 2.4 mile swim in the ocean with strong currents and waves, a 112 mile bike with wind gusts that can topple a biker over, and a marathon where the pavement can melt through the rubber on your shoes is no walk in the park. However, for the select few, it is the mecca for any triathlete on their quest to compete amongst the best in the world. I don't see how anyone could watch this event and not be inspired. Everyone at Kona has a story to tell. They all have a purpose. To see amputees, cancer survivors, armed forces, professionals, and those who are racing for the dreams of someone else, give every last ounce of energy humanly possible is an eye opening experience. These people are a living testament to determination and heart. The perseverance it takes to just train for an Ironman is astonishing. But for a lot of these people, the training pails in comparison to the personal struggles they've had to face. Hearing all their stories put life in perspective for me. These people didn't quit when they were told they wouldn't walk again. They didn't let obesity stand in their way. They pushed through years of chemo therapy to prove to themselves and the world that they aren't quitters. These people stood up to impossible odds and proved that you can really do anything you put your mind to. All my petty complaining is so pointless and I'm reminded that there are other people who have endured far more than I may endure in an entire life time. They inspire me to do the best I can with what I've been given and to have faith so strong that it can move mountains. This is the story of the father and son team who did Ironman together a few years ago. I hope you enjoy it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDnrLv6z-mM
Ironman training update
I have 64 more days until I have to complete a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and a 13.1 mile run. It's no longer a question of "if" I can do this. I already train at these distances during my work week. More importantly, it's a question of "how fast" can I complete the 70.3 miles of pain. Last week I successfully logged 6,100 yards of swimming, 120 miles on the bike, and 20 miles of running. My main focus on the swim and bike has been distance and endurance while my running has been focused on speed. With September 27 rapidly approaching, I am feeling more confident about beating my estimated goal of 5 hours and 15 minutes. My outlook for this week: I am keeping my swim and bike distances the same as last week but increasing the miles I run from 20 to 35. I want to sustain the same work rate in swimming and biking while increasing my running miles. My brick work out, a long bike followed immediately by a run, will increase to a run that is 20% of my bike. Comparatively this will be closer to what I'll experience in the half Ironman. A 13.1 mile run is 23.39% of a 56 mile bike. I'd like to work up to this ratio so my training closely mirrors the fatigue I'll feel on race day. I think in the next 3 weeks I'll top out and begin to taper. Until then it's full steam ahead!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Moving a Pool Table
My bachelor pad has been lacking one imperative ingredient... a pool table! My room mate and I found a good deal on an 8 foot pool table on craigslist a few weeks ago. It was valued new at over $1500 and we talked the seller from $250 to $150. The seller warned us several times that it was extremely heavy and would take several strong men to move the pool table from their second floor to my house. Being the confident optimist, I was positive that a few guys could easily get this monster pool table home. Once I assembled my "army" of three men, we loaded up in my truck and headed over to get the pool table. **If this were a movie, the current scene would freeze and the narrator would walk in front of the camera to let the audience know something the actors didn't. It's this little bit of insight that keeps the viewer engrossed in the train wreck that's about to unfold.** So.... we get to the house and are greeted by the seller and his wife. They take us upstairs to their game room and we see this magnificent and gigantic pool table. Nobody really says anything at first. We walk circles around the pool table as if we're stalking our prey and sizing it up for dinner. Words need not be spoken. An occasional eye contact with the person across the table said it all. Everyone was thinking the same thing. What did we just get ourselves into!? The entire pool table had to be disassembled down to the nuts and bolts. Fortunately that was the easy part. Figuring out a way to successfully get the 800 pound slab of slate down the stairs and into my truck was the catch. We did not have enough man power to do this safely. The slab was so heavy that we couldn't pick it up in the horizontal direction it was on the pool table. Otherwise, the slab would buckle right down the middle. We had to carry it vertically down the stairs to avoid breaking the pool table in half! After 2 1/2 hours of brainstorming, dismantling, and narrowly escaping being crushed by an 800 pound slab of slate, the pool table was in the back of my truck and we were headed home. It only took about half the time to reassemble the pool table as it did to take it apart. Four hours later, two boxes of pizza, and one hundred times "i'm so sorry ya'll," the pool table was finally in it's new home! Moral to the story is: Do not ever buy a pool table unless you have professional movers to do it for you. The juice definitely was not worth the squeeze.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Shoes and Women
Yes, women love shoes but this has nothing to do with what is currently on my mind! Allow me to explain. Have you ever tried to be so careful not to make a mistake that you end up by making a complete mess of everything? If so then allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ryan Carter and I am the king of making messes. I keep envisioning a scene where the last thing you're told as you carry the cake to the table is, "whatever you do, don't drop it!" You focus so hard on not dropping the cake that you overlook some rather obvious signs that scream, you're going to drop it stupid! I've recently run into this situation and it's a lonely feeling to drop the cake. This reminds me of the lyrics in a 38 Special song from the early 1980's, "hold on loosely but don't let go, if you cling to tightly, you're gonna loose control." I remember as a kid we would usually get a new pair of shoes at the start of each new school year. I would be extremely diligent to keep the shoes as white as possible. I'd avoid puddles, wet areas, dirt, mud, and grass. I would try so hard to keep the shoes as spotless as possible. Even with the attention to detail I was giving the shoes, the inevitable would always happen. When I least expected it, a huge stain would seem to fall from the sky and land on my spotless shoes that I tried so hard to keep clean. I can still picture the look on my face and the feeling I felt each time this happened. You see, when I go shoe shopping, I am looking for the pair of shoes that personify Ryan Carter! And when I find those shoes, I am so proud of them because to me, they're perfect and I don't want anything to happen to them. Eventually they become scuffed and worn. However, even with their blemishes, I still think they're perfect. I've noticed that I've inadvertently treated some of my relationships like this. I know that I'm about to tie together shoe shopping and dating so I apologize for the predictability of where this will go. But seriously though, I'm picky about my shoes and women. So when I actually find a girl worth spending my time with, I'm really excited about living in those moments. And it should be exciting. It's like getting a new pair of shoes. However, I try really hard not to mess things up and I end up by doing exactly that. I dropped the cake. I held on too tightly and I lost control. That's usually where things end for me and it's rare that I recover fast enough to do anything about it. Therefore, the impression I've given is not accurate nor is it a predictor of how things will be in the future. I usually loosen up and let things move around more freely but it's difficult at first. If my relationships ever get past this stage, the wind is in my sails and things move along just fine. Overtime you'll have arguments, disagreements and the person you once thought of as perfect has a few annoying qualities! The shoes will get a few grass stains on them and their pretty white color vanishes but the feelings and reasons for choosing them still remain. I think this is an important aspect to keep in mind as your relationships progress and mature. Long story long, I drop a lot of cakes. Fortunately the local grocery store has an endless supply of cake mixes...and that keeps me looking forward and staying positive.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
84 Days to Atomic Man Half IronMan
Distractions. My life has recently been filled with a lot of distractions. Between concerts, late nights, trips to the lake and relationships, I can't find a steady rhythm. It would help if I had someone to keep me accountable for my training but I'm the lone captain of this ship. Overall my training has been sub par. Sure, I train everyday but it hasn't been the quality workouts I've desired. This week I need to swim 6000 yards, bike 110 miles, and run 30 miles. It will be a major test of will and desire to pull out these numbers. My motivation is at an all time low and I'm having to fight back the urge to quit with all my might. I need a spark. Something or someone to light a fire under my ass and get me going again. For the past 6 moths I've got up at 5am to run, swam on my lunch breaks, and biked in all sorts of horrid weather conditions in the evenings, all by myself. My recent feelings toward training are a direct correlation with how everything else is going in my life. I don't really know what to do with anything- my job, career, relationships, future, and my seriousness towards Ironman events. I think the day in day out mental breakdowns in my training are getting to me. I need to regroup and get my head back on straight. I'll be more disappointed with a poor performance in my half ironman race in September knowing I didn't put everything I have into it. That should be motivation enough to keep me going.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Watch out for that....VAN!
I'll skip straight to the climax of the story.... I got hit by a van Friday morning on my run. And that's about where the story ends. After my bike ride I went for a 6 mile run and as I was rounding the back side of Lipscomb University, a green van pulled out of the parking lot and didn't see me crossing. I jumped at the last second, landed square in the middle of the hood and rolled to the other side where I rolled a few more times on the pavement. The lady driving the van just looked at me and drove off. She probably didn't have insurance and wasn't an American citizen. Somehow I got up with not scratches at all! I did get the last laugh however. My butt made a large crater on the front of her hood! It should be pooling up with water every time it rains! Now that I know what it feels like to get hit by a vehicle, I'm really not scared of getting hit again. I dare someone to actually. Go ahead, hit me, and then you can pay for me to get new truck, pay off my college debt and maybe even pay for my kids college one day. I just need to get hit by someone with a lot of money. Not an illegal alien. My desk at work has proved to be more lethal (skittle bump blog post)!
4th of July minus fireworks of any kind
It's been years since I could say I had a really fun 4th of July. As a kid growing up in Angleton, our family would meet several other families from church and watch fireworks from the parking lot of Academy in Lake Jackson. I can remember throwing around a football and probably driving our parents insane with all the running around. The only time we sat still was when the fireworks began to go off. I don't remember anything after the grand finale though. I'm sure it has something to do with expending so much energy in anticipation that when the show was over, I was out like a light. My parents were probably very grateful for this. In fact, somethings never change. I feel as though I am still like this today. I get so excited about a certain event or anything really, that when it's over I'm completely exhausted. This years 4th of July started off on a good note but ended rather anti climatic. Since I had Friday off from work, I went to the IMAX theatre to see Transformers 2 and then proceeded to play the guitar till really late. On Friday I went for a 30 mile bike ride followed by a 6 mile run. I rested for about an hour and met my friend for a cross fit training session. We jogged 2 miles down to the gym, did circuit weight training with 3 half mile jogs, and jogged 2 miles back home. Overall I ran 11.5 miles! Then I headed down to Tim's Ford Lake to spend time with a friends family and wakeboard. The family who owns this lake house is very nice. They make me feel like I'm family every time I go down there. My 4th of July weekend quickly became an early Thanksgiving my first night at the lake. We had Fajitas, grilled corn, queso, blackberry cobbler and ice cream, chocolate brownie pies, cup cakes, and all the lemonade your stomach could handle! After a good night sleep I woke up and did an open water swim for about 30 minutes. I know I didn't get a mile in because I was swimming rather slowly. New territory always makes me a little weary when I'm swimming in the middle of a lake with boats. Once I got back from my swim, breakfast was no different than dinner the night before. I felt like I was at Cracker Barrel! We went back out on the lake again and called it a day around mid afternoon. Once I got home I began to feel guilty for just sitting around. So I put on all my bike gear and started to head outside when the bottom opened up. Not wanting to mess with biking in the rain, I crawled back in bed and watched TV for a few hours. I was supposed to head downtown to a roof top party overlooking the fireworks area downtown. However, the rain was still coming down and the thought of having to navigate all the traffic and get rained on didn't sound appealing. However, a friend of mine convinced me that I was being a woman and this would be a big mistake on my part. So I took a shower, ironed out some clothes, got dressed, walked out the door only to turn right back around and go inside. I just wasn't feeling it this year. SO... I ordered a monster pizza from Domino's and watched tv alone in the dark. The weekend definitely had potential to be incredible but Saturday evening was the buzz kill that rained on my parade, literally! Even though sparks didn't fly and fireworks didn't explode on my Saturday night, I did make good use of my free time. I ate a lot of food, spent time with good friends and rested well. That in itself is pretty great in my opinion.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Honduras Mission Trip
I've been making a serious attempt at working on myself this year. 2008 was horrid and I never want to wake up again and wonder, why have I wasted another year?! I understand the importance of living the life of a servant but I don't understand the potential impact it can have on me. I work with Nashville Inner City Ministries and have seen first hand the unfortunate situations that these kids are raised in. Unfortunately, I have not seen the worst of how our world lives. Most kids would be grateful to have the lives that some poor people have here in America. That's how bad the standard of living is in some countries. About two months ago, I made the decision to go on my first mission trip outside of the U.S. This is a big step for me. In the past 8 months I've made the decision to stop making excuses for not living a purpose driven life. I will accompany the Harpeth Hills congregation to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. We will be building two houses and working with the children in the village. One area of concern is the current situation in Tegucigalpa. If you've been watching the news recently, the Honduran president was kidnapped and sent to Costa Rica. The new president has been appointed the power to lead while negations are being made to return the previous president back to power. The new leadership has begun approving constitutional changes that will start to turn Honduras into a military state, at least temporarily. If the new leadership proves itself to be too aggressive or if the Venezuelan leader (Hugo Chavez) makes good on his threat to forcibly place Zelaya back in power, we may have to make a serious adjustment to our plan. Please be praying about this situation and for all of the people caught up in it in Honduras.
Impulsive Decisions
A few weeks ago Southwest had a deal to celebrate their 35th year of being in business. To commemorate this day, they offered $35 dollar tickets to almost every Southwest destination. When I saw that I could fly from Nashville to Chicago for $35 dollars, a brilliant idea came to mind. Why don't I buy a ticket to see a day game at Wrigley field and fly back in the same day! Completely genius! After about 5 minutes of searching for a day game that would fit my schedule and the designated dates on Southwest, I had purchased 2 round trip tickets to Chicago and set a date for the game! I am flying to Chicago on July 30th to see the Houston Astros play the Chicago Cubs. Here's the dilemma... what team do I root for? I am from Houston, Texas and have always been an Astros fan. There's no dilemma in that statement but here's the kicker. There is a girl... it's been the root of all my problems since puberty! Kidding but half serious though! Back to my point, there is a girl that i've been interested in for sometime and things have progressed where I asked her to be my date for the game. She is also a huge Cubs fan and knows everything about them. As much as I'd love to root for the Astros, I wouldn't want to be heckled by all the Chicago fans (which I hear they can be rather fiesty!) and my date for the day (which I'm learning rather quickly that she can be pretty feisty!) Also, my dad is a St. Louis Cardinals fan. Not just a fan, a walking encyclopedia of Cardinal baseball facts. He can roll off every world series championship year without pausing, their starting line ups and other random facts about players. Evidently Cardinal fans and Cub fans hate each other. It's a rivalry that has been going on for decades. I'm sure my father knows why but I really don't. Adding to the excitement of this trip is one other detail that will potentially make this the best decision i've ever made. A lot of people dislike the fact that I am always getting in front row, free concert tickets, CMT events, music videos, and sporting events (yes I was just bragging). I don't know how or why it happens. It just does. I just happen to know a lot of important people! When I was at dinner before the Fleetwood Mac concert (tickets were free w/ VIP back stage passes!) the CEO of our company mentioned to me that he has contacts that could get me great seats to the Cubs game. I couldn't pass this opportunity up! These weren't just great seats, they're amazing seats. It's a private box on the 3rd base side behind the cubs dug out! My luck is beginning to be pretty awesome! I'm getting on a plane with no luggage at all, taking a girl who has never been to Wrigley and loves Cubs baseball that I like a lot, sitting in a private box for the game, and flying back to Nashville in the same day! Another epic trip in the works!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Fleetwood Mac Concert
I've been getting a lot of cool opportunities to do some some exciting things. Two weeks ago, the president of our company invited me to see Fleetwood Mac in concert that evening. Believe me, I wasn't his first choice as the girl he was taking bailed on me. Honestly, who cares if I was second choice! I was going to see a classic group perform and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to see them. I met our president, the CEO and his wife out for dinner and drinks at a restaurant/bar called Lime. We started off the night with a bottle of wine that was several thousand dollars! Then we had a private car chauffer us to the stadium for the concert. Our seats were incredible! About midway through the show, one of their managers came over to our seats and gave us backstage VIP passes to meet the band after the show. Evidently the owners of our company and the manager for Fleetwood Mac go way back. Once the show was over and people cleared out of the arena, we went backstage and hung out with the band and a few others guests. The night ended with access to a private bar downtown that is a haven to well known political figures and people of status. Not really my kind of hang out spot but I did meet some rather influential people there. It's always interesting to hear another persons story on how they got to where they are today. All in all, this was another adventure I won't ever forget!
Eric Clapton/Steve Windood
My dad bought me a ticket to see Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood in concert last Wednesday night in Houston, Texas. Fortunately I had a free round trip on Southwest to use or otherwise I would struggle with the funds to purchase the flight home. To say I witnessed two of the greatest musicians ever would be an understatement. As a guitar hobbiest, I have a great appreciation for musical talent. Especially when it's music that is about music. Not the current and trendy pop crap we hear today. Although a short trip, it was the break I needed to clear my mind and return to Nashville refreshed. This concert also marked the half way point through the year. I've made it my goal to not let a day go by where I don't take advantage of opportunities to really live. Reflecting back on previous postings, I think I've done a good job at living each day to the fullest.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Skittle Bump
Whenever I get really excited about something, I attack it with full speed. Today, I dropped a Skittle on the floor below my desk. Not just any Skittle, the last red one! And what did I do? I attacked the front of my desk... with my head... at full speed! I either completely forgot about my desk being there or I underestimated the size of my forehead! I let out a grimace that gradually got louder and ended with, "oh no! I think I'm bleeding!" I had created a nasty gash on the front of my head and it was proceeding to bleed everywhere. I had half the office hovering around my desk while 2 ladies administered the office first aid kit to my wounds. My headache was greatly overshadowed by the beating my pride took. I'm 24 years old and I just chased a red Skittle to the point where I split my head open. That's what a 5 year old does. Unfortunately, these incidents happen quite often to me. Nobody was surprised that it happened. It's only a matter of time before I freeze my tongue to frost on a metal pole. To further inflict pain on my open wounds, I was supposed to go to the CMT awards that night. My headache was so bad that I had to miss the show all because I let my 5 year old self loose and it attacked my adult body with full force. I hate it when that happens!
Monday, June 15, 2009
back in action
Life has finally settled down to where I can train effectively and efficiently again. The past month has been filled with an olympic distance triathlon, labor day weekend, moving, and my brother's wedding. Now that my trips are shorter and less strenuous, I can reclaim my drive towards my first ironman. This past week I gradually eased into a structured training schedule. The intensity of my workouts were moderate at best. Summarized: swim- 3 pool swims focusing on form and alternate breathing. Bike- 1 high paced, short distance ride, 1 spin class, and 1 long and slow, 40 mile ride. Run- 3 runs immediately following each bike ride. I wouldn't normally include 3 brick workouts in my training regimen. However, after taking a three week break from training, I needed a good test at what my legs could handle over the next month. As I begin a new week, my legs have recovered well from Sunday's workout that lasted over 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Looking forward, I am increasing my mileage each week for the next four weeks. This will help build my base up. Then I'll taper down for one week and build up for another three weeks. I'll reach a season high max of swimming 6,500 yards, biking 140 miles, and running 40 miles in a week. Taper back for a week and work on quality and speed for the next two weeks. At this point in my training, Atomic Man 70.3 will be in three weeks. I'll change my diet to include fat intake of 35-45% (sounds weird but I'll elaborate in another post.) This diet along with shorter, race pace workouts will teach my body to use it's stored energy more efficiently.
I've designed my training to give me a chance at breaking 5 hours. More specifically, I've dialed my time down to the minute to get a top 10 finish in my first Half Ironman. I'd estimate that proper training gives me about 75% of what I'm capable of enduring come race day. The other 25% includes variables that aren't foreseeable until I'm racing. Some variables can be reduced by pure knowledge and effective training. For example, understanding what my body needs nutritionally and can handle during an endurance race will allow me to make better decisions as I compete. Also, any technical issues that I may encounter like transistions, flat tires, blisters, and chafing (yikes!) can be less threatening if I know how to effectively deal with them. I have purposely left out one factor that can completely throw away an entire race. The only thing that can overwhelm all the hard training and technical knowledge is the voice inside of your head that tells you to quit. Mental strength is by far the number one most import aspect to any endurance event. That's why it's important to train like you're going to race. The more times you put yourself in mentally straining situations during training, the better off you'll be when you experience it during a race.
I'm eagerly waiting for 5 o'clock to roll around so I can leave the desk job and start pushing my training. It starts today!
Looking forward, I am increasing my mileage each week for the next four weeks. This will help build my base up. Then I'll taper down for one week and build up for another three weeks. I'll reach a season high max of swimming 6,500 yards, biking 140 miles, and running 40 miles in a week. Taper back for a week and work on quality and speed for the next two weeks. At this point in my training, Atomic Man 70.3 will be in three weeks. I'll change my diet to include fat intake of 35-45% (sounds weird but I'll elaborate in another post.) This diet along with shorter, race pace workouts will teach my body to use it's stored energy more efficiently.
I've designed my training to give me a chance at breaking 5 hours. More specifically, I've dialed my time down to the minute to get a top 10 finish in my first Half Ironman. I'd estimate that proper training gives me about 75% of what I'm capable of enduring come race day. The other 25% includes variables that aren't foreseeable until I'm racing. Some variables can be reduced by pure knowledge and effective training. For example, understanding what my body needs nutritionally and can handle during an endurance race will allow me to make better decisions as I compete. Also, any technical issues that I may encounter like transistions, flat tires, blisters, and chafing (yikes!) can be less threatening if I know how to effectively deal with them. I have purposely left out one factor that can completely throw away an entire race. The only thing that can overwhelm all the hard training and technical knowledge is the voice inside of your head that tells you to quit. Mental strength is by far the number one most import aspect to any endurance event. That's why it's important to train like you're going to race. The more times you put yourself in mentally straining situations during training, the better off you'll be when you experience it during a race.
I'm eagerly waiting for 5 o'clock to roll around so I can leave the desk job and start pushing my training. It starts today!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Marriage
June 7, 2009- Clinton Thomas Carter: Friend, Brother, Braves Fan, Outdoor Enthusiast. He was survived by 9 groomsmen who were with him through thick and thin, his family, backpacking pack and track spikes. Sadly, Clint made the decision to hang up those track spikes and box away the backpack. He made the daring move from bachelorhood to the last legal form of slavery. He is beginning a journey that many men have started but sadly, only few have stood by their vows of "till death do us part."
That sounded very depressing but I do not apologize for the somber tone reflected in the above paragraph. Although exaggerated for an emotional reaction, the tone is not far from the stigma that marriage undeservingly receives. Who do we blame? Pop Culture that airs the dirty laundry of our favorite actors and actresses who seem to make a living bouncing from one marriage to the next? Maybe it's our generations way of rebelling against common practice and basic moral principals? Or should the blame be found closer to home with, O! dare I say it, our own Parents? Either way you spin the wheel, our current culture isn't placing an emphasis on marriage preservation. Surprisingly though, divorce rates are at an all time low since the 1970's. In fact, fewer people are getting married. In 2005, despite a population increase of 2.9 million, total marriages were down by 50,000 from the prior year. Further, the U.S. has seen a 13% decrease in percentage of population that is married. In 1970, 72% of the U.S. population was married while in 2002, only 59%. One would think that an increase in population and total marriages would be a direct relationship. In fact, we are seeing an inverse relationship between these.
I think it's a cultural shift in the perception of marriage and our personal priorities. Before our parents' time, it was acceptable for a woman to marry young, not get a college degree and be a stay at home mother. Currently, advances in women's liberal rights have given them the same opportunities as men (which they should have). There are more career opportunities for women than there have ever been in our time. Now I'm not saying that marriages are down because we're giving women more career opportunities than just being a stay at home mom. That would be a ridiculous statement. I'm simply presenting changes in our society that play a roll in our relationships. Further, it's possible that the desire to have a successful career has taken priority over a life time, committed relationship. I find that more men and women want to be financially stable and independently set in their careers before making that life long commitment. We've all seen how money and career changes can adversely affect a marriage and it's no wonder why we desire to have those things firmly in place.
After witnessing high divorce rates among our parents, I believe that many people don't want to go through the same things our parents did. For those who have seen first hand the emotional scaring that comes from divorces, it's not wonder so many people are afraid of getting married. Unfortunately, it's a trickle down effect to the way kids treat relationship today. In a recent Men's Health magazine, it polled a shocking but not surprising number of college students who opted for the "friends with benefits" status instead of developing long term relationships. Their outlook, who wouldn't want to have sex with no commitment involved. It's ideal for the self serving way we live our lives. It's no longer about someone else's feelings, it's about mine. And it's that selfish mind set that carries into our personal lives. We've basically cut out the entire middle section of a relationship. A long, long time ago, keeping your virginity till marriage was more sought after than it is today. Instead we skip out on feeling heart broken after a few years or even months of puppy love and skip straight to the fun stuff. It's like getting a book assignment from your teacher and reading the first chapter and skipping to the climatic ending. You see, there is no break up and no divorce when you keep a surface level relationship. In fact, a 2005 statistic shows that 8.9% of coupled households consisted of unmarried, heterosexual partners. That percentage is up almost half of what it was 10 years ago.
What started with a funny intro that would lead into my brother's bachelor party and wedding extravaganza has turned into a ranting and raving, strictly opinion based monologue of where I think marriage is today. I am fully aware that there are many things that affect our opinions and views of current marriages and that not everybody is so doom and gloom about finding someone special to spend the rest of their lives with. Most of my opinions come from the conversations I hear both single and married men having about their current relationship and their views on marriage. So it's not just me with these same views. I'd be curious to see how these trends hold over the next few years.
That sounded very depressing but I do not apologize for the somber tone reflected in the above paragraph. Although exaggerated for an emotional reaction, the tone is not far from the stigma that marriage undeservingly receives. Who do we blame? Pop Culture that airs the dirty laundry of our favorite actors and actresses who seem to make a living bouncing from one marriage to the next? Maybe it's our generations way of rebelling against common practice and basic moral principals? Or should the blame be found closer to home with, O! dare I say it, our own Parents? Either way you spin the wheel, our current culture isn't placing an emphasis on marriage preservation. Surprisingly though, divorce rates are at an all time low since the 1970's. In fact, fewer people are getting married. In 2005, despite a population increase of 2.9 million, total marriages were down by 50,000 from the prior year. Further, the U.S. has seen a 13% decrease in percentage of population that is married. In 1970, 72% of the U.S. population was married while in 2002, only 59%. One would think that an increase in population and total marriages would be a direct relationship. In fact, we are seeing an inverse relationship between these.
I think it's a cultural shift in the perception of marriage and our personal priorities. Before our parents' time, it was acceptable for a woman to marry young, not get a college degree and be a stay at home mother. Currently, advances in women's liberal rights have given them the same opportunities as men (which they should have). There are more career opportunities for women than there have ever been in our time. Now I'm not saying that marriages are down because we're giving women more career opportunities than just being a stay at home mom. That would be a ridiculous statement. I'm simply presenting changes in our society that play a roll in our relationships. Further, it's possible that the desire to have a successful career has taken priority over a life time, committed relationship. I find that more men and women want to be financially stable and independently set in their careers before making that life long commitment. We've all seen how money and career changes can adversely affect a marriage and it's no wonder why we desire to have those things firmly in place.
After witnessing high divorce rates among our parents, I believe that many people don't want to go through the same things our parents did. For those who have seen first hand the emotional scaring that comes from divorces, it's not wonder so many people are afraid of getting married. Unfortunately, it's a trickle down effect to the way kids treat relationship today. In a recent Men's Health magazine, it polled a shocking but not surprising number of college students who opted for the "friends with benefits" status instead of developing long term relationships. Their outlook, who wouldn't want to have sex with no commitment involved. It's ideal for the self serving way we live our lives. It's no longer about someone else's feelings, it's about mine. And it's that selfish mind set that carries into our personal lives. We've basically cut out the entire middle section of a relationship. A long, long time ago, keeping your virginity till marriage was more sought after than it is today. Instead we skip out on feeling heart broken after a few years or even months of puppy love and skip straight to the fun stuff. It's like getting a book assignment from your teacher and reading the first chapter and skipping to the climatic ending. You see, there is no break up and no divorce when you keep a surface level relationship. In fact, a 2005 statistic shows that 8.9% of coupled households consisted of unmarried, heterosexual partners. That percentage is up almost half of what it was 10 years ago.
What started with a funny intro that would lead into my brother's bachelor party and wedding extravaganza has turned into a ranting and raving, strictly opinion based monologue of where I think marriage is today. I am fully aware that there are many things that affect our opinions and views of current marriages and that not everybody is so doom and gloom about finding someone special to spend the rest of their lives with. Most of my opinions come from the conversations I hear both single and married men having about their current relationship and their views on marriage. So it's not just me with these same views. I'd be curious to see how these trends hold over the next few years.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Why I Tri
In 2008, after a series of life changing events, I had a breakdown moment. I said, enough is enough, Ryan. I will no longer make excuses for not living a meaningful life. I had become a waste of space and a complaining, whining, "the whole world is out to get me" person. I had become the person I said I never wanted to be and it took me losing some important things and people in my life to see this. Like my previous post, I took inventory of everything in my life. I made the decision to get rid of the clutter and cut the fat. I also wrote down what I am really passionate about and the God given talents that i've been blessed with. Physically writing these things down on paper was the best thing I could have done for myself. I wanted to use everything I had been given and incorporate everything I love into something meaningful so that I would no longer be a wasteful human being. I realize that a great sacrifice was made for me and to let some of my gifts go to waste is completely unacceptable. My list clearly showed that I had a love for the outdoors, extreme sports, and pushing my limits. What better way to incorporate all these things than to start training for Ironman's. It's not that I love swimming, biking, and running. I actually hate running, i'd rather be on a surfboard than swimming and why bike when you can just drive! The fact that I promised myself to not be wasteful with the life i've been given is what drives me to train for these ironman races. It's the ultimate testament to what i've been blessed with. I have the natural ability to excel at endurance sports and I love being outdoors. I think triathlons are the perfect combination of these two things. The training has also completely changed my lifestyle. I am more conscience about my health. It's not just watching what I eat but how I live my life. I've cut back on a lot of excess things I was doing to myself. 1cor. 9:24-27 talks about training for a race. Everyone else is running a race for material items, but i'm training for a prize much greater that any worldly possession could ever offer. In a nut shell, that's why I tri. Triathlons have been a great tool for me to use myself in a way that is pleasing in God's eyes. And that's what I strive for everyday.
"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say 'I used everything You gave me'" -Erma Bombeck
"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say 'I used everything You gave me'" -Erma Bombeck
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