USA Duathlon National Championship

A successful trip to the USA Duathlon National Championships in Tucson, AZ, came to a close this morning after posting a new personal best: finishing 6th place in the men’s 25-29, and 27th overall. Breaking the top 30 was one of my goals I had set for myself going into this race.

The race went out a lot faster than last year which was fine by me, but even I was shocked at how fast we went out. As the race started, I was more prepared than last year but definitely lacking on hill training, especially on the run as I have been living in Salina, KS, where conditions are a bit flatter. My race splits were R16:54, T:47, B55:50, T:44, R18:56, Total=1:33.09. This was nearly five minutes faster than last year which was almost completely due to the bike split. To thank for my bike split, I have my amazing new Specialized Shiv bicycle and training. I was extremely excited to see an improved split, as I have cut back on the run training and maintained where I was, while “Attacking My Weaknesses” in the bike. Despite the lack of hill training in the serious heat, my nutritional needs were met by the great products of Honey Stinger as well as my TYR Carbon Kit that helped me beat the heat. The hills were a little easier wearing the fast Brooks T7 racers which have always been my favorite racing flats.

The day before the race I was not so sure how things would go on the bike when I was relaxing in the hotel and a loud shot went off in the room. The tube in my front tire blew from the pressure, causing me to have to change it, but that is much better than during the race. All in all, I am very excited and looking forward to making my 2012 triathlon debut at the KC 5i50 race and seeing if my swim and bike continue to improve as I attack my weaknesses and become a better all-around triathlete.

I want to say thank you to my amazing parents who drove me down there, my coach Jim Hallberg, and my many friends sending their prayers.

2 Weeks

Less than 2 weeks until my first test of 2012. The USA Duathlon National Championships will be held April 28th in Tuscon, Arizona. Yesterday was my last hard long run before the race, and I knew it would be an interesting one with tornado sirens keeping me up most of the night and 35mph winds still roaring as I took off for 11 miles. The 11 finished with a strong head wind but still under 6:20 pace, and I am feeling very confident. Tomorrow morning I will take to the roads for a 2 hour morning ride as I ease into my taper. Looking forward, I am really excited to race and feeling confident in my training. The only element I am concerned about at this point is dealing with the heat of Arizona on the black asphalt. I have equipped myself with the fastest bike on the market, the most comfortable racing flats, and of course a new pair of Oakleys. My training, gear, and faith are as strong as they have ever been, and I am counting the minutes until I leave for Arizona. The past few months I have stuck with my motto and attacked bike and run workouts, as well as spending more time reading my Bible, and looking into fueling myself for races more adequately with the help of my newest sponsor Honey Stinger. I pray that everything comes together for a fantastic race, but the journey to where I am currently is where the memories and the smiles come from regardless of the outcome on the 28th. I appreciate everyone's support, and I will do all I can to represent my friends, family, and sponsors with pride. Good Luck to everyone else racing this spring.



PS, Go out and buy the latest USA TRIATHLON Magazine and on page 30 there is a nice picture of me racing.

Training for Battle

Unlike triathlons, there is a battle that does not have a set date or time. There is no event expo or even a sense of fair play among your competitors. This battle is a battle of faith. My competitor is the devil. He will fight by any and all means, using my mind, friends, even the Bible to fight against me. To succeed in triathlons, I have been putting in many hours of training, and to fight the battle for my soul, I must also spend hours training. I labeled my 2012 triathlon schedule “Attacking my Weaknesses;” this has now become my motto for my faith as well.

To better combat my weaknesses in my faith I must gain knowledge. Proverbs 9:10 says “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” This means more than just reading the Bible; it is understanding and implementing strong morals in my everyday life. When comparing my training for triathlons and my faith, they both involve time, energy, and perseverance. The journey to becoming stronger, to being prepared for battle is not easy. With triathlons I can put off races until I am ready; however, my enemy in faith does not wait for me to be ready. I can go into hibernation and avoid all, trying to make it easier to be strong by eliminating chances for failure, but that does not allow me to truly live the life I was called to live. That is not getting stronger, but instead is hiding, not hibernation. God does not call on us to sit back and live a safe life, but instead he calls on me to live a life full of passion and strength for my Savior. So I ask, “Are you living in fear because you are afraid you might fail?” Go and fight, because evil does not wait. Attack your weaknesses, and use this life that is given because it is flying by. Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Live by these words and you are off to a strong start in the battle between good and evil.

Ice Cream is a must for training.

Attacking my Weaknesses in 2012

USA Duathlon National Championships, Tuscon, Arizona
April 28th 2012

Kansas City Triathlon (5i50 Series)
May 20th 2012

Boulder Sprint Triathlon
June 17th 2012

Loveland Lake to Lake Triathlon
June 23rd 2012

Boulder Peak (5i50 Series)
July 8th 2012

Ironman 70.3 Boulder
August 5th 2012

3K at KU

2012 started off with a post-collegiate personal best in the 3K. Stepping on the new 200m track at KU was exciting for two reasons: first, it is a new surface, and second, I have not set foot on any track in several months. Having had no opportunity for any speed work was a slight worry going into the race, but I knew worrying about it wouldn’t change anything. Before the gun went off, I looked around and realized I was the only non-University of Kansas runner in the fast heat. My plan quickly changed to HOLD ON. The race went off as fast as I thought it would, as I came through the mile at 4:40 and was far from first. Although I did not win, I am excited to see such a result when my running is only getting one third of my training time. After being out of college for two and a half years, there is no doubt that each race could easily be a personal best or a lifetime worst. Hard work and prayer are all I have! With those two tools, I am ready for the triathlon racing season to begin.

2011

As 2011 comes to a close, I want to look back, back at the good and the bad, to reflect, to learn, and to prepare for what I hope may be an even better 2012.

2011 began with an amazing day followed by a flight back to Kansas. Back in Kansas I began what would be my last months as an assistant coach at Baker University. Through the spring I focused on coaching and my faith as I was in a very volatile situation. Luckily, the distance squad I was coaching ran very well, helping lead Baker to its first men’s team conference championship in over 60 years. I then went on to watch five months of hard work pay off for Megan Rosa who ended up 9th in the nation in the marathon at nationals. All in all, it was a fantastic spring of coaching. June came, and I knew it was time to move on. Back in Colorado, I was jobless and very nervous as I wondered where I would be coaching and living in the fall.

My faith had been growing as I had finished my Men’s Fraternity Class, and I was trying to implement what I had learned into my day-to-day life. SOAPing in my Bible regularly, attending great church services at Morningstar, and spending time with strong Christian friends who helped me grow, I couldn’t have been stronger or happier. Granted, there are always setbacks; however, with support and prayer I have done very well moving forward in my life.

Summer came and went with too many workouts and not enough hours with my friends of Buena Park Circle. Being unsure of my future, applying for jobs, and training was very stressful, but Ben Martinez and the rest of the gang kept me laughing and smiling. Most afternoons were spent sunbathing on the front yard recovering from the morning workouts until everyone else was off work. Summer also brought my Golden Birthday, turning 25 on June 25th at the Golden Bee with my best friends there to share it with me. The 2011 racing season went fairly well but left me hungry for 2012. In spite of the negative aspects of 2011, the memories of this past summer are as fond a memory as any summer I have ever had. It came to a close with a fantastic job offer, allowing me to maximize my enjoyment of the entire summer before accepting a position in August.

Much of the fall was stressful, considering I had been hired at Kansas Wesleyan with just one athlete returning. Now, with transfers I have taken the team to six runners and plan to bring in another ten to fourteen next year. Building a program from scratch has its advantages but also has taken so many hours of recruiting and coaching. I have found a church, friends, and some great places to run. 2012 in Salina is already looking brighter now that I have settled in.

While home for Christmas break, I learned that the “green bridge” along highway 24 is about to be demolished. Although it is not the prettiest or most famous landmark in Colorado, it is truly memorable. Almost everyone knows the bridge if you have ever made the trip to Colorado Springs. After many years it is going to be destroyed, and a new larger bridge will be built in its place. Many locals fought to have it moved and used somewhere else but to no avail. I am truly sad to see it go. I have many memories of trekking underneath it, looking at the jail cells underneath and just enjoying the view of Pikes Peak from there. Although it will be gone, my memories remain, just like the year 2011, gone but not forgotten. In all reality, it is not the bridge or 2011 that matters; what matters are the memories and the lessons learned. What also matters is what I do in 2012. Another year has come and gone, and I have achieved my career goal. Now it’s time for new goals. Making the most of my life is very important and seeing how quickly another year has flown by, it shows clearly that time is short, and I want to make the most of it. All that I have achieved has come from hard work and not always waiting for the opportune time but putting my nose to the grindstone and following my dreams no matter how crazy they may be. 2012, here I come!

Numbers in Coaching

A coach always has numbers on his mind. I feel that these numbers are hurting the sport of running.

Stop counting miles and stop worrying about the number of workouts! It can become addicting logging miles. Many runners hit a point where they forget to listen to what their bodies are telling them and instead focus on numbers, ending up injured. Rest is the number one workout that is forgotten by coaches. They are almost always former athletes who have a competitive gene that pushes them to sometimes forget about what is best for their athletes. Therefore, I have a simple point to make that I hope a few coaches and athletes may hear. “It is impossible to improve if you aren’t on the starting line.” Injured athletes may do a great job of recording splits, but that won’t be their goal, and it shouldn’t be mine. I must push my athletes, but I will err on the side of caution, pushing quality not quantity. A healthy athlete will race, but an injured one will be taking splits.



The next number epidemic applies to qualifying standards and personal records. I, of course, love running a lifetime best, just like all runners do, but to be honest, it is taking the real excitement out of running. There are days when it’s cold, days when it’s hot, courses that are long and others short, tracks that are at higher elevation and others on the beach. Whatever happened to the joy of just racing? When we hear the theme from Chariots of Fire, we should feel compelled to run, not for a PR but for the love of running.



Coaching in the NAIA, our national rankings are based on times. I am not a fan of this when so many schools have warm beautiful weather for their whole season, and here in Kansas it’s cold and windy at nearly every meet. It’s really hard to say who is running a true 8k or in what conditions. I am a proponent of regionals being reinstated to assure that the best teams make it to nationals. When it comes to individual performances, I still want my athletes to give everything they have. If they do this, I could care less what their times or places are because their effort would reflect the attitude and character of the runner in which I want to coach. I would trade five sub25 minute 8K runners who never work hard for five who would run 2 minutes slower if they would give everything they have and believe in me and each other. I want my runners to improve, but in a way that is conducive to the love of running.



As a coach, I am forced to also face another number game. That game is known as weight. Weight should not matter. I have seen and raced against all sizes. I am tired of girls and guys thinking that speed and success comes from being thinner. This is not to say that a 300 lb man will have the same success as a 160 lb man. However, if one is running my prescribed workouts and eating sensibly, there is no reason to fret if you are gaining weight. If the day ever comes that I have a runner who is losing a battle because of genetics and can’t stay at a healthy running weight (which is heavier than most think), then they will hopefully talk to me so that they can hear how important their health is and not how important their weight is. An athlete who is living on lettuce and calcium supplements will not be strong enough to survive a full career of college running. Taking these pills may hold off the early stages of osteoporosis and bone deterioration, but not for long. Also, in addition to ones bones becoming brittle and unhealthy, another worry for a coach of girl distance runners is amenorrhea. If a woman loses her menstrual cycle for too long, she faces being infertile the rest of her life. When it’s all said and done, I want my athletes to look at me with respect rather than resentment. As a male coach, I know I must be extra cautious about how I speak to my female athletes. I keep my eyes open for signs, such as cut knuckles, discolored teeth, bad breath, and irregular eating habits.

I hate the numbers games. Simply said, run hard and have fun.