Always Better Together

There are few things in life that are better done alone. Sitting alone drinking some coffee reading a book, editing a video, and going to the bathroom are the only few that I can think of off the top of my head. The fact is most things are done better together.

Like many people I started out running to lose weight, and it worked. I had never really liked running before, and didn't really at the time either but my wife and I signed up for a 5k race when we were finished with our Couch to 5k program. At that first race was when I actually started to enjoy it all. Every race environment I have ever been to is so captivating, and for one reason, people. You feel like you are not alone at a race. You feel like you belong and you are part of a community. It proves the point that things are better together.

I was reminded of this simple point the other day. I have recently started swimming and the first time I went my wonderful family played in the family part of the pool while I swam laps. Well the other night I was planning a date with my wife, the kids were staying with Papa, and KC says, "why don't we go swimming?" Well of course that sounded great to me, and before she could have a chance to change her mind I agreed.

We dropped the kids off that night, ran by the store to grab some goggles for her and drove to the gym. The pool was basically empty and my wife and I grabbed two of the lanes. We swam, we raced, we evaluated each other's swim and had a great training time. I had found the best training partner in the world, the one person I could be around 24/7 and do everything with. Swimming alone that first day was ok, but training with my wife was amazing. At one point she even said she might join me for the triathlon coming up . . . we will see if I can hold her to that.

Anyway I just wanted to take a couple minutes to say, If you find yourself doing all your workouts alone, find someone, ask someone, or be that someone for somebody else. Having people around is encouraging, it helps us keep going.

Here is a quote that my wife showed me the other day. "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, take someone with you" Ok I believe that is how it went, but I can't find it or the person who said it. Have a great day, and get out there and train.

 

 

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Flailing like a cat in water

Yep I started swimming. I have been excited to start training in this area and start real multisport training. It has taken a while to locate an indoor pool in these winter months, but I finally hunted one down 45 minutes away from my house, and it's free with my local gym membership as well. It is a win win situation . . . if I could swim.

This past December I went out and ran the Jingle Bell Run where I live. It was a fun event and it taught me one thing. It taught me that even if I haven't been staying up on training, or really haven't been doing anything for a few months, that I can get out there and run a 5k at a reasonable pace. It felt good knowing that I am still an athlete and still somewhat/pretty fit. The first time in the pool kind of took that thought away though.

My family and I went up to the pool this last Monday. There is a great kid portion at the pool so they can play and have fun while daddy trains. I recently bought some new goggles and was excited to see how I would do in the water, I mean after all I was pretty fit right?

One and a half laps in and I was dead tired. My heart was racing and I soon realized how hard this was going to be. I stood there in the water at the edge of the pool thinking to myself, "can I really do this? I think so . . . but it's tough. I should be able to do more, can I do it?" Then I would press on for one more lap, until I found myself at the other end of the pool thinking the same things.

Soon I found myself back with my family in the family area. I was enjoying the family time, but in all reality I was resting. I did that two or three times, but I always went back for more. Half way through doing this back and forth transition, not knowing if I would be able to go back again, I thought of something. I told myself, "When you starting running you would run 60 seconds, and then walk 90. That was all you could do. Now you can go out and run five miles if needed. So today you will swim two laps."

All in all I probably struggled through 15-20ish laps, but I learned two things. First, this is going to be really hard. I am going to have to slide my running and biking to the back burner for a little bit and work on swimming. Second, I can do it. There is no reason I can't, and so I will keep going and eventually I will be an Ironman. Let's go get that Mdot, 2 laps at a time.

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The Apps I Love

So along with trying to be an athlete, I am also a tech geek. I love technology and gadgets and all of that fun stuff. I am also a big Apple fan, and so if you combine all of those things you get this blog post. Here are all the apps I use with my iPhone or iPad for training, inspiration, health, and blogging.

Nike+ running - Price: Free

This is my personal favorite running app. I feel it does a very adequate job of GPS tracking while running (although dpending on the signal it can have problems). I love the visual appeal of the app and another cool feature is being able to track how many miles you have put on your shoes. All around great app.

 

Strava - Price: Free

Along with Nike+ being my go to running app, Strava is my go to biking app. There are some other choices out there, such as Map My Ride which I have used before, but I like the stats that Strava has and the layout. It works fantastic with road rides and GPS, calculating speed and pace along with elevation and everything you need.

 

Blogsy - Price: $4.99

This is by far the best blogging app I have come accross. It is very simple and integrates with most blogsites. Typing (with the Brydge of course) is a breeze and does a very good job of keeping everything easy for you to post. Pulling pictures from your camera roll, photo stream, facebook instagram or even youtube and vimeo videos are as easy as drag and drop. Another added feature is that you can turn any creation into a HTML email to send to people.

 

USA Triathlon Magazine Price: Free

This app is great even if you are not a USAT member. Basically you download the app, enter your email adress and then you are able to download the last 12 editions of their magazine for free. It's not the best triathlon/athletic magazine, but its free and its not half bad.

 

Bike Repair HD - Price: $3.99

This is a great app for those who are new to their own bike repair and maintenance. It gives you step by step guides to fix many bike problems and fixes along with general maintance.

 

 

 

TriEssential - Price: Free

This app is one of my daily go to's. It is really nothing that special, but still good to have in your tri folder on your phone. Basically each day you can open it up to see an imagewith some words of inspiration, and then look to see a quote and a triathlon tip. Most of it isn't game changing, but then there are some added bonuses as well. These include a Time Projector, Race Checklist (that you can edit), and a PR Keeper. Not a bad little tool.

My Fitness Pal - Price: Free

If you are tryingto lose weight, or even like to watch your calories this is "the app". You let the app do the calculating for you of how many calories you should be eating for your goal, or you take control and put in exactly what you want. Once that is done you start logging your days as you go, and that is so easy with this app, because they have everything. Pretty much anything you would like to search for in their database, from fastfood to restaurants, groceries and even workouts. Youcan also log in your weights whenever you want, and then connect socially with people to say "good job" or encourage them to keep going.

 

The Weather Channel - Price: Free

The name pretty much explains it all. Nice app (very nice looking on the iPad), and works way better than the standard weather app on iOS devices. It is great to use to see if it is an outside day, or if I am headed to the gym.

 

 

 

 

 

Those are the main apps I use at this point in my training/journey. What apps do you use?

 

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My hashtag for 2013

My wife got an idea from a friend of hers last year to have a word for the year. Last year my wife's word was finish. It summed up everything she wanted to really do for the year, and this year hers is Present. This year I have adopted that idea with a twist, this year I will have a hashtag. Why not really, I love technology, gadgets and social media, so a hashtag just seemed fitting. So this year is #Build13.

Ok so what is that all about? Well last year was really the dawn of a dream, it was a launching point if you will for me to become part of the few who can wear the brand of the mdot. This year on the other hand is the real start, its the building, its the meat of what is going to get me there. Each and every training, each and every race will be a building block towards the overall goal of an Ironman.

Let's think of it in this way. Say you are building a large brick wall.The brick wall has a purpose. It is supposed to support the roof, provide structure and shelter. While you are building the brick wall if all you look at is the size and the huge purpose the task can be daunting, hundreds or thousands of bricks. Instead if you start to look at each step at a time and say, I just have to lay this brick, or just this line, then the task gets smaller and you start to see progress.

The problem with looking at each individual brick, or workout if you will, is that that it, in and of itself, can seem tedious and monatonous. You have to do that hundreds and thousands of times over and over again. That is why you keep in mind the end goal. A brick wall that has a purpose. The overall vision of what you are doing. You see you can't just look at the huge wall that needs to be built, but you also can't look just at each individual brick, but instead both have to be in sight in order to get where you want to go.

Therefore my hashtag for the year is #Build13. Its about looking at each indivdual workout, and the next race, but also building on the last and for the future to get where I want to go, to be an Ironman. So #Build13 is the process to Ironman Me. What are you building this year?

 

 

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Counting Down The New Year

As the last day of 2012 comes to a close I wanted to take a look back. This is my favorite thing to do as the new year approaches. Dreaming and wishing and creating resolutions is a lot of fun, but looking back to see how far we have come, what kind of fun we have had, and where God has brought us beats all of that. So here is my countdown to 2013 with my top 10 things in my life in 2012.

Apple: I am sitting here typing this blog on my iPad (with my new awesome Brydge), listening to music through the new great Apple earbuds, and texting on my iPhone. I love Apple products, from the iMacs, MacBook Pros to the Apple TV and everything in between. Thank you Apple for making products I love and a commitment to excellence in what you make.

Friends: This year has been a 5 year wait and prayer. Ever since my wife and I have moved to Grove we have been waiting and trying (although not as hard as we could have been, can you say homebodies) for close friends. This year my wife and I got involved in some study groups and little did we know that these people would become the people who would pray for us and be there for us during our hardest time. We have had fun, had great discussions, shared interests, and prayed for each other. Thank you all!

Parents: Ok so actually this should be up on number 5, but as I started typing things out somehow 8 got left open and I was too lazy to switch them. Sorry Mom and Dad, but you are number 5, lol. My parents have always been some of my best friends, and I am proud of that. I love that my wife gets along with them so well and we do pretty much everything together. Our mini-vacations are always the best, even though we always do the same thing and eat at the same places. Thank you for being such wonderful parents, for always loving and wacthing the girls, and caring for me so much, I love you.

Fitness: This year has changed a lot of my personal goals. This year I actually started to become the person I have always wanted. Not that overweight, insecure boy, but instead a fit athlete. It has been amazing seeing myself go from running for weight loss to spending $1500 on a bike and adopting the goal of an Ironman.

Job: I have the best job in the world! Seriously I do. It is flexible, yet structured. I am needed, yet the church can go on without me. I have the best 2 bosses in the world, my Heavenly Father and my earthly father. Most of all in my job you always are reminded of the point and the purpose. I love it, thank you COS.

Church: It is way more than my Job though. I love my church because it is the church, the body of Christ. I have never been involved in a church like it. People care, people love, people serve others. When I am gone it feels like I am missing something huge in my life.

Banner: Number 4 is such a joy in my life, but yet the hardest thing I have ever gone through. My wife surprised me on her birthday at 3 in the morning telling me she was pregnant! We had been trying for months and we were so happy. We new instantly it was going to be our son. Then on Dec. 18th we lost our baby boy. Before he was ever born, before I ever got to hold him or throw a ball to him. He will always be our son, and always be a part of our family, but he just got to heaven before we did. I love you Banner David Whitney!!

My Girls: My two little girls are my sunshine. They are about to turn 4 and 2 and they amaze me each day. They love playing video games with their daddy, and they love for their daddy to be their prince and go to the ball with them. They make me proud with how smart and well behaved they are. They have grown up so much this year and my oldest will be starting school next year. I love you Kairi and Brayce!

My BOJ: That is short for my Bottle of Joy, that would be my wife. She is my partner in everything and we face everything together. We have grown so close this past year. We have discovered how to be better husband/wife, how to fight, how to love, and how to understand each other more and more. We went through the touughtest time we have ever gone through losing our baby, and we continue to face everyday together. You will always be my joy!! I love you BOJ!!

 

 

GOD: This has been such a great year, and God has been their every step of the way. He is continually showing me who he has made me to be, and changing my own ideas of myself. He has blessed me so much and I continually worship Him, now more than ever. Thank you for creating me, for saving me, and loving me so much God!!

 

So that may not be the most epic list, or even relate to me becoming an Ironman, but those are the best things in my life in 2012. I dont expect them to change much in 2013, but I love that about my life. I am excited to see where 2013 takes me. Unitl next year. See ya.

#Build13

 

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Fat for the Holidays!

Fat for the holidays! Oh I mean back for the Holidays...but I guess both work.

I have not blogged in forever, mostly due to laziness on both blogging and training, but I ordered a Brydge back in November and I said when it comes in I will blog more. So it came in on Christmas Eve and here I am. I have to hold to it or my wife will give me a hard time, and this Brydge makes it so easy to type on the go on the iPad.

The last time I did anything race/training related was for the Duathlon back in October. Needless to say this Holiday season hasnt been the best for my fitness or waist line. There has been really no motivation, except for a day here or there. After the duathlon I looked for races to plan out my 2013 schedule, but most places don't schedule or have information on races until january... I was hoping for some continued motivation from that but I guess not.

Here it is almost January though, and it is time for a new year. It is time for this year to be the year I become a triathlete. As I read through my old posts I become motivated and as I look at the achievements I set for myself after the duathlon I am ready to start.

After the Duathlon I knew that I was entering the offseason. I knew there would probably not be much more except for maybe a 5k, and so I jotted down a list on my phone of things I wanted to accomplish with my training in 2013.

Here they are. When I see that list I see the makings of a good year. I see myself looking back on 2013 and saying that I did something to reach my dreams, but then again only 8% of people actually accomplish their New Years resolutions. That is exactly why this is not a list of resolutions, this is a list of races for me this year. I already know the 10k is in August, the Duathlon is in October, with a 15k in late October leading up to my "A race" of the year, the Half Marathon in November. I will mix in some 5k's throughout the year, and then I just need to find 2 sprint Triathlons and a stand alone bike race. That is my goal for these next couple weeks.

Some may look at this list and see a lofty goal, I see motivation. I see fun and exactly who I want to be in this area of my life. I believe it is time for a great new year!

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What A-Race

      One hour and twenty six minutes on the clock and I'm tired, exhausted searching for breathe and my calves were locking up. I tried to stretch them out but nothing would help. Time to push through or time to give up. That moment is what you train for, what you wait for, what you desire. The point where you test whether you can push yourself beyond where you have gone before.

     My A-race of the year was last Saturday. It was my biggest race, my entry into multi-sport, my first duathlon. I was looking forward to this race more than I have any other. I had been training (although not as well as I could) for this and the day before I had no nerves, no excitement, not much of anything. I was calm and ready, until night came. That night I had to pack up everything for the race. A few days earlier the weather had taken a drastic u-turn and instead of being 72 and sunny it was going to be 43 and rainy. I hadn't prepared for this, I hadn't even ridden in this. I didn't know what to take or what to wear. The stress started creeping in as I packed my transition bag, but no matter what the morning was coming.

     Early race morning my wife and I got up and start getting ready. We got dressed in our warm clothes and made sure we had everything. I started loading up the bike as my wife started to put on her shoes and she got a text from a friend. Her friend was asking why we weren't there yet and she said it was about to start. The questions starting running through our heads; "Did I read the time wrong?" "Are we an hour off?" "Can we still make it?". So we jumped in the car and drove off as fast as we could, and then we got another text confirming she was the one that was off on the time.....wow that was stressful, but we were on our way.

We arrived at the race and KC went and picked up our packets as I went and put my bike in transition. It was calming seeing a friend running my first ever transition. It was cold, but the rain was holding off. You could feel the excitement from everyone, the way it usually feels before a race. We put on our race numbers, aired up the tires and did a final check of everything. Just a few more minutes it was pre-race meeting and race time.

     After some waiting we were in the group and the gun had fired. We were off. The race was a sprint duathlon with a 5k race, 14 mile bike, and then another 1 mile run. There was also a 5k race going on at the same time. My wife was running the 5k, but this was the first time in a race we weren't running together. It was a strange feeling, but I kept on moving to beat my total time of 1:45:00.

The first mile of the run I felt like I wanted to reserve a lot of energy for the bike, and so I wasn't going all out. I got to the turn around and glanced at my clock, it was at 14 minutes and something. I did the math and figured I would come in from the 5k at around 29 minutes and something. That wasn't exactly what I wanted but maybe it would help reserve some energy. Soon after I saw my wife and she stopped to take a picture :) I started to pick it up a little, and as I came close to transition I looked at the clock and did a little double take. It was at 26:40 and I was ecstatic. It wasn't a PR but less than a minute off.

I ran into transition and switched my iPhone over to my bike. I took a long drink, put on my gloves and my helmet and took off. I wasn't feeling as confident about the bike portion. People had been talking about how the hills were pretty killer, and so I started going hesitantly to see what was ahead. I made notes in my head as I hit the first downhill, "This is not going to be fun to come back up". That first big downhill my chain came off and so it eliminated my speed going down as I had to stop. It was hard putting it back on with my gloves, but 20 seconds later and I was back up.

Five miles into the bike ride I was going harder. I wasn't hesitant anymore I was just pushing hard enjoying the ride, until I came to this massive winding hill. As I approached I saw three or for people walking up with their bikes. I went into it hard and soon switched to my low gears. I was going slow but in my head I kept repeating "do not get off this bike". I finally made it to the top and it was great finally seeing a little bit of flat straightish land. I kept riding hard and saw some friends cruise by on the other side of the road and knew the turn around must be coming up.

I hit the turn around and pushed hard. Up every hill and down the others I was cruising. I knew I had more to give and so I did. I passed some people and then came to the hill from early on. It was time to go back up, but I knew compared to that other one, this was nothing. I looked down at my clock and realized I had 20 minutes until my goal time. I didn't know exactly how far away I was, but it was really go time now. I hit the hill with no problem and made quick work of it. I started to come around a curve and saw the orange tape and my beautiful wife there all bundled up ready to take more pictures.

I rushed into transition threw off my gloves, left my phone on my bike and started running. I heard my wife's name over the speakers, and 2nd place following it. So I raised up my hands to cheer. In transition I took off, against my better judgement, without stretching my calves. I had done only one brick workout (going straight from a bike to a run) in training for this and that was the one thing I learned, but I felt good....for a minute. Then my calves started locking up, and I couldn't stretch them out. So I decided, "what the heck, only a mile, run it out in the pain". By the half mile mark I was feeling good again and a sprinted back to the finish. As I approached, there it was 1:34:15.

Crossing the finish line I grabbed some water, took off my timing chip and hugged my wife. What A race! All in all it was amazing. My calves were sore for a couple days, but I finished 3rd in my age and received my first race medal.

So proud of my wife

My Friend Corey and I

My wife got me a pre-race present, with a bike picture frame with my girls pictures in it,
and a biking magazine. She's the best.

My bike in transition