Through the eyes of a child.

Just last night at the coaches' BBQ for Kansas Wesleyan, I was admiring the children who were playing. Their energy and imagination is truly a gift that I forget to enjoy myself. Today I was reminded of this fact when I went to the pool to clear my head of stress and anger. I was having a rough day and decided that a pool workout would be a good idea. I went there to be alone, because it gives me time to think. However, God did not want me to be alone and made sure that I would not be alone.
As I started my workout, I noticed a friend of mine was at the pool with his granddaughter. He came over to say hello, but he could see I was upset and wanted to be left alone to train. His granddaughter climbed up on the ropes to my lane, and in between sets,she introduced herself. After finishing my next set, she was still there, waiting for me to come up for air to tell me more about herself and to ask questions. Initially I was a little annoyed as I wanted to be alone, and Dan tried to pull her away. However, she was making a friend and was not to be stopped. Lola told me about her grandparents, how fast she could run, and that I had more hair than her father. As I swam, a verse came to mind, Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 14:19 I changed my workout and made longer breaks to allow myself to become friends with Lola. When it came time to leave the pool, I was no longer bearing the burden that I had when I arrived. I could not thank the workout for this, but instead a young lady who put a smile on my face. I once said, “The day I get too old for fun… dig my grave.” Well, I am not too old for fun, and I am going to make sure I don’t forget that. Sad or challenging news can get the best of anyone, but a conversation with a six year old showed me that God is always working in my life.

I hope that I can look at life more like a child, always wanting to learn, to grow, to understand, and make friends. I am so blessed to have a God who loves me and will do whatever it takes to get through to me.

You may ask how this really pertains to training, and my answer is that the next time there is a distraction in your workout, don’t necessarily look at it as a hindrance but instead an opportunity. I have no proof this will make you faster, but I do promise it will make you happier. Good luck to everyone racing the Kansas 5i50 this weekend!

Cracked Rib

One week away from kicking off the 2012 triathlon season, and my confidence is a bit shaken. What was originally thought to be a bruised rib turned out to be a cracked rib. Joking around with friends ended up with me getting tackled, and now I have spent the last nine days teaching my body better posture on runs and on the bike to relieve any pressure. The most painful thing is not training though, it's when I sneeze. Needless to say, I am learning to deal with a constant pain on deep breaths that may come in handy when finishing a triathlon. My kick off triathlon will be the Kansas City 5i50 Olympic distance triathlon. Hopefully with prayer and a little rest, I will be ready to rock it. This is the time of year I look forward to, as I will be returning to Colorado to train and race. Following this next race, I will have a week in Indiana at the NAIA National Track and Field Championships followed by a move to Colorado for two months.

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.