2012 Gary Kirby Triathlon Race Report

The 7th annual Gary Kirby Triathlon was held on Saturday. I competed in this event last year and was looking forward to this year's event. We had great weather conditions with the temp in the low 60's and cloudy.

Arrived at the race site early and proceeded to setup my transition. My friend Dan arrived at about the same time to setup his transition area, so it was good to have someone to talk to. Once transition was setup, headed over to get my timing chip and then body marking. I was competitor number 38. That was unique for me as that is also my age. In triathlons, your competitor number is written in black permanent marker on your upper arms and quads. Then on your right calf they write your age. So I was a walking billboard for 38!

Headed to the pool area at 7:40 am for the opening announcement from Scott Kirby. This race is a great event for your first triathlon as evident with approximately 30% of the participants being first-timers. Scott closed the announcements with a prayer and it was time to line up for the start.

With the temps in the 60's it was a little chilly. All of us were commenting about how we wanted to get started just so we could get the blood flowing and warm up.  I hopped into the pool to get used to the water temp. Dan was starting 3 minutes before me so gave him some encouragement as he started.  At 8:09:15 am, it was time to start as I hear 3..2...1...go! Throughout the swim I felt pretty good, quickly getting into a decent rhythm.  In a pool swim for a triathlon, everyone starts 15 seconds apart.  You never know with this around you if you will have that gap of 15 seconds.  Fortunately the gap between the guy in front of me and behind me stayed the same. This made for a good swim by not feeling any added pressure. Overall swim time time was 5:54 (this includes a 20-25 second run from the pool until crossing the timing mat).  Improved my time by 8 seconds compared to the 6:02 in the 2011 race.

On my way to T1, I heard Dan's wife and daughter cheering for me as well as my friends from the local Chick-fil-a (Katherine, Lindsey and Brandon). Thanks for the support guys. A routine T1 in getting my socks, cycling shoes and helmet on with a 1:00 time and off onto the bike course I went.

The bike course is, in one word, fun! It is 4-laps with each lap being 3 miles. The first part of the lap includes a steady climb and then you hit the downhill section where you can put the hammer down. There are some traffic circles to navigate on the course, which adds to the fun. My goal coming into the race was to improve my bike split from 2011 which was 41:29. I successfully accomplished that goal with a 39:48 split for the 12 miles.  There is also great crowd support on the loop with many residents coming out to cheer you on.  Great to see the support from the community.

T2 was also routine with a 1:03. Changed into my Second Wind shirt, running shoes, grabbed my visor and race bib and I was off.

As with the bike, my goal coming into the race was to improve my run split over 2011 which was 29:58. On the run I felt pretty good. I was keeping a consistent pace throughout and improved my time this year with a 27:31 for the 5K. That is a new PR for my 5K time.

Coming to the finish line area I saw Dan and gave him a high-5 as I passed. He had already finished about 10 minutes ahead of me.

Crossed the finish line with a total time of 1:15:14. That was a 3 minute 57 seconds improvement over my 2011 time of 1:19:11. For my age group, I finished 15 out of 22 and for the over males I was 57 out of 100.

Overall the Gary Kirby Triathlon is a great event. I would recommend this race to anyone and look forward to the 8th annual race in 2013.

Transition

Ready for the Gary Kirby Triathlon

I am looking forward to the 2012 Gary Kirby Triathlon on Saturday. This was a great event last year and I knew I wanted to race it again this year. This race benefits cancer research in honor of Gary Kirby who passed away in 2006.

The race format is a 300 yard outdoor pool swim followed by a 4-lap bike course (12 miles) and then a 3.1 run through the Bedford Falls neighborhood.

I love how on the competitor shirt they have 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 listed which says "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances. For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus". Prior to the start of the race, the Kirby family gathers all of the competitors at poolside and tells about Gary and then opens the race with a word of prayer. A time to reflect on what Gary means to the event and to also allow God into your heart. What an amazing way to start the race.

This year I am looking to improve on last Year's time of 1:19:11. Regardless, I am going to enjoy the day and give all the glory to God.

2012 White Lake Half Ironman Triathlon Post-Race Interview

Post race interview after completing the 2012 White Lake Half Ironman.

White Lake Half Ironman Race Recap

Back at the end of 2011, I set a goal to complete a half ironman in 2012. On December 5, 2011, I took a step towards that goal and registered for a half ironman that would take place on May 5, 2012. The race, the White Lake Half put on by Setup Events. Once registered, my first step was to find a training plan that would work for me. I found a plan that called for 18-weeks of training leading up to the race. So, to begin 2012, my preparation for the race started with a pool workout at 5:30 am on Monday, January 2. After a couple thousand laps in the pool, hours in the saddle, and pounding the pavement for miles, on May 5, 2012 at 2:09:11 PM, I became an official half ironman finisher!

Taking a moment before the race to enjoy the sunrise over White Lake.

As race week arrived, I began to check the weather forecast. The predictions were for hot conditions, and they were right (more on that later). With the heat in the forecast, that meant nutrition and hydration would be even more important than normal. I began to drink 6-8, 16-oz bottles of water daily for the week leading up to the race. I was also in taper mode with my training as I did just a couple of swims and one run in the week leading up to the race. I wanted to be as fresh as I possibly could.

Since White Lake was just shy of 2 hours away, I decided that I would head down early race morning instead of finding a place to stay overnight. My good friend Jon offered to go with me and drive for me so I could rest on the ride. At first I thought that was not necessary, but looking back at that now, I am glad Jon drove. Friday evening I gathered all the gear and essentials for the race and began to pack so I could get to bed early for some rest. Ended up going to bed at 8:30 pm and set the alarm for a 2:00 am wake-up call. Yes, you read that right, I said a 2:00 am wake-up call. Surprisingly, I got a good night’s sleep. I got ready, finished packing the car and headed to Jon’s house. We were on the road by 2:30 am and arrived at the race site at 4:30 am.

Once arriving at the race site, it was time to get the transition area setup. I located my position (race number 260), placed my bike on the rack and then headed over to packet pickup. The activity at this point was just starting to pickup at the FFA Center. Packet pickup began at 5:00 am. After getting my swim cap, race numbers and goody bag, it was time to get the timing chip and body marking. Headed back to the transition area since I had my race numbers to complete the setup process. I knew this was a big time triathlon when I saw the USA Triathlon officials walking through the transition area. One came by me to check my bike and make sure I had end caps on my handlebars (I did, by the way). One item that was left out of the transition area was my wet suit. With the high temps, the lake water temperature was hovering right around the USA Triathlon legal limit of 78 degrees and all of us did not know if the race would be wet suit legal. After having everything setup, I stayed around the lakefront taking in the atmosphere and enjoying the awesome sunrise over the lake. Soon we all heard over the PA, “Now for the news everyone has been waiting for. The race will be wet suit legal.” It is safe to say that we were all pleasantly surprised.

I was competing in the 35-39 age group and we were the second wave going off wearing the white caps. That meant a 7:05 am start. With 25 minutes until the start, I got into my

Swim Start

wet suit and made my way to the end of the dock for the in water start. Jon and I prayed before I made my way into the water. Next thing you know the national anthem was playing. The butterflies were flying a little faster at this moment. Just about time now to start and over the PA I hear, “15 seconds white caps”. No turning back now…3…2…1 and we are off. Immediately those butterflies are gone.

The first 700 m of the swim out to the turn buoy was, lets just say, interesting. I was having to slow up several times, got hit with arms and even had a couple of people swim right over me. I was prepared for that to occur, so not a big deal. Once I did make the first right-hand turn, I was able to find some open water and get into a decent rhythm. Overall swim time for the 1.2 miles was 39:15. It was a long 300 yd run from the exit of the swim to T1, but it was a good transition for getting out of my wet suit and into the biking gear.

The bike course at White Lake is a 56-mile flat loop. I was feeling really good for the first 25 miles. I was able to get into the aero-position and was averaging 19-20 mph. One thing about the road surface was all of the black pavement seal lines that were about every 20 feet. each time you crossed over one, it was a mini-bump. Over time, that jarring took its toll. I have a road bike and not one of those tri-bikes. Many times when I was going 20 mph, I was getting passed like I was standing still. No worries though, I anticipated that happening. My nutrition plan for the bike was to have 5 peanut butter flavored GU’s, 2 bottles of accelerate and the water available at the 3 on-course aid stations. That plan seemed to work well for me.With 30 miles to go in the bike, we made a right-hand turn onto Hwy 53 to make our way back to White Lake. That is where the tide changed for me. We rode those final 30 miles into a headwind. I could not get comfortable in the areo. That headwind took a lot out of me and I could not wait to get back to transition and get off the bike. Arrived back in transition fatigue, but happy with a 3:17 split. I took a little longer in transition on purpose to get ready for the run. Tired and fatigued, I headed out of transition, grabbed a cup of water and saw Jon as I am leaving.

Approaching the finish line of the White Lake Half

The run course was a flat, out and back loop that went around the lake. The most difficult part of the run was dealing with the 90 degree heat. It was miserable! Since I was fatigued from the bike, I could never get my legs going. I knew within the first 200 yards of the run, it was going to be long and tough 13.1 miles. To the point where I decided walk/run was the game plan. At each aid station there were cold towels (which felt great), water, Heed, cola, salty snacks and orange slices. Looking at the othercompetitors, I knew the heat was not only affecting me. It was causing problems for just about everyone out there. I remained positive throughout the run course and had 5 competitors come up to me to simply say thanks for having Isaiah 40:31 on the back of my Second Wind shirt which says “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint”. Nothing better than to have the word of God be an encouragement to those on the course. A couple of those competitors told me that is their favorite verse. The best that I felt for the entire run was the final half mile. I am sure it was all due to the adrenaline that was kicking in. As I made the turn into the FFA Center, I started to get emotional as I could hear the PA announcer and then there it was…..the finish line! As my wife would say to me “Go Feet”. C’mon feet, just a few more steps to that finish line.

7 hrs 4 minutes and 11 seconds after the starting horn, I successfully completed my first half ironman!

I would be remiss if I did not thank all of the staff at Setup Events for a great event. Well done! Thank you to all of the volunteers helping to make this an amazing experience. Every volunteer was so positive and encouraging and that means the world to all of the competitors. I remember one volunteer in particular on the bike course at the turn onto Hwy 53 with about 30 miles to go. She looked right at me, pointed and said “you are my hero”. That may sound corny to you, but that gave me a huge lift at that moment. Thanks to all of the residents of White Lake for your support, as well as the freinds and family members of the competitors who came out to cheer us on. Finally, thanks to my friend Jon for driving for me and supporting me throughout this race. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated that.

Looking back, what an experience. Pushing your body to the limits for a total of 70.3 miles in just over 7 hours…..wow!

TrySports Mayo Lake Triathlon Recap

On Saturday, The Second Wind was represented at the TrySports Mayo Lake Triathlon in Roxboro, NC by my good friend Jon Parks and I.  This is the most affordable triathlon in the area put on by FS Series with a $30 entry fee.  It was also a special race for Jon as he had family in the area and it was also the place where his parents were married.  In fact, the bike course would actually pass the church.

Our day started early with a 3:45 am wake up call.  After fixing  a couple of bagels with peanut butter it was time to head out to pick up Jon for 4:30 am to head up to Roxboro.  This was going to be our 4th triathlon of the season and our second open water swim event.  Once we loaded the bikes on the rack, it was time to start our journey.  We noticed as we were heading down the higway the full moon out in the clear sky.  The clear sky we were seeing at this point was definitely not a preview of what was to come.  More on that later.

Mayo Lake is approximately 10 miles north of Roxboro, not too far from the Virginia state line.  As we arrived just before 6 am, FS Series was getting the final touches in place for the event.  Once we parked and grabbed our gear, we headed over to the transition area to find our bike racks to begin the setup process.  I was #31 and Jon was #147.  Our racks were at opposite ends from each other.

As with all triathlons, it is still amazing to see the flurry of activity in the transition area.  Everyone has their routines they go through for setting up.  There were a lot of triathletes with tri specific bikes, road bikes and a few mountain bikes.  I told Jon that it would be amazing to get an idea of the amount of money just in bikes that were in transition.  If we had to guess, it has to be in the 6-figures!

Transition area setup.

Once we were done setting up, we headed to get numbers written all over us at body marking. It only takes about 3 days to get that permanent marker off your body.  Besides writing your competitor number on both arms and quads, they also write your racing age on your right calf.  It is really interesting and amazing to see the ages of the competitors.  We picked up our timing chips and ankle strap next.  The chip is placed on your left ankle and provides your official splits for the race (swim, T1, Bike, T2 and run).

As we headed back down to transition, we chatted with other competitors.  This is always a great aspect of these events.  You get to talk with people who have raced the event before or maybe it is their first triathlon.  Either way, great conversations.

Since neither Jon or I had been to this event before, we decided to check out the area.  We wanted to get an understanding of where the end of the swim would be since we could not see the lake at this point.  As we walked out of the transition, the first thing we noticed was the rocky soil and a rock path.  There was a green astroturf mat covering the rock path to make it easier on the bottom of your feet, but it still hurt to walk on it.  Past the astroturf mat we followed orange cones leading to the swim finish.  As we followed this path, it became apparent that the transition from swim to bike was going to be long.  Seemed to be at least 200 yards.

Once we got to the lake, it was as smooth as glass.  As we turned around, we were amazed at the hill leading back to transition.  That is just cruel after a 750 m lake swim.  As we were walking back up the hill, I looked at Jon and told him I was a little winded just walking.  The event organizations did add some mats on the ground to cover some of rocks which was going to help.  When we got back to the transition area, Jon's mom arrived and we spent some time talking with her.  As I got back to my bike rack, someone had placed their bike on the outer edge of the rack where I was setup.  They took the liberty to move my transition bag.  My bike was placed at the end of the rack where there was no room for another bike, but I was not going to let that bother me.  Since Jon's mom was there, I asked her if I could leave my bag with her.  She graciously said yes.

It was time to head to the start.  From transition, it was about a .2 mile walk to the start and it was nothing but rocks the majority of the way.  That caused for a slow, gingerly walk.  Several athletes were already warming up in the water.  Since it was close to our 8 am wave start, we did not have time to warm up.  We just stretched until it was time to enter the water.   This race only included four waves.  We were in the first wave for men 39 and under.  We were called to enter the warm water and the first thing you noticed was a slimy feeling on your feet.  You could hear everyone  around us making comments about it.  Let's just say it was not the greatest feeling in the world.  We were all ready to start so we could get away from touching the bottom.  The race director counted us down and we were off.  The first thing I noticed is you could actually see pretty well in the lake.  You could see about 10 feet in front of you, which was helpful to avoid getting kicked.  Everyone was jockeying for position in the first 200-300 m swim out to the turn buoy.  I was getting hit and kicked every once in a while which made it difficult to get into a rhythm.  Once I reached the turn buoy, it was a straight swim all the way to the finish.  For some reason I had no one within 15 feet on either side of me.  This let me get into a good rhythm all the way to the swim finish.  Hopping up to exit the water, I took my cap and goggles off and made the journey up that hill.  I took my time on the jog focusing on the ground to avoid any rocks.  I got to transition, put on my socks, cycling shoes, helmet and grabbed my bike and I was off.  

The bike course was a 16 mile loop of rolling hills with all right-hand turns.  Within the first mile I noticed some really dark clouds.  At that moment I did not think anything of it until it started to drizzle.  That quickly turned into a heavy downpour that would proceed to last the remainder of the race.  This made for an interesting bike course.  As we made the second right on the course, we hit the steepest downhill section.  I was in the aero position and looked down to see I was going 38 mph.  It was at this moment my bike started to violently shake.  I quickly moved my hands off the aero bars to the hoods to try and stabilize the bike.  I could not control the bike at all as the handle bars and frame were shaking left and right uncontrollably.   I thought something was wrong with my front tire, but as I looked down it appeared to be fine.  I began to apply the brakes to try and regain control and that was not working.  My assumption at that point was hydroplaning.  At that moment I was simply doing all I could to hang on.  I said a prayer asking God to get me through this without crashing because I felt for sure I was going down.  Fortunately the Lord provided and allowed me to slow as I reached the bottom of the hill.  Not sure what caused that to happen, but it definitely affected my ride for the remaining 12 miles.  I was hesitant to try and push it for fear it would happen again.  After gaining my composure, I continued on.  The rain continued to fall and was intense at times.  The worst stretch was crossing a bridge over Mayo Lake with about 4 miles to go.  The rain was coming down so hard it felt like needles were hitting you.  I turned and looked at the lake and there were white caps from the wind.  A sense of relief came over me when I could see the transition area and the bike dismount line.  

When I arrived at my bike rack.  I proceeded to take the cycling shoes and helmet off.  As I looked down at my running shoes I got a good laugh as there were puddles inside them from the rain.  When I picked them up it felt like they weighed 3 pounds each.  I did not even noticed how wet they were since I was already soaked.  After putting the shoes on, grabbed my race belt and visor and it was time for the run.

The run was a 3 mile trail run.  For this race, it was going to be a mud run.  The first few hundred yards were on pavement and then you transition onto the trail.  The trail was mostly a single lane trail.  With the amount of rain received, it was extremely muddy and slippery in some if not most sections.  You found yourself dodging mud, puddles and tree roots.  The rain continued to come down in buckets and the thunder picked up in intensity.  About halfway through the run there were some campsites and someone was cooking some bacon....boy that smelled good at the moment.  As I came out of the woods and made a right hand turn, it was on to the finish.  It was great to still see some people out there cheering us on in the conditions.  Crossed the line an overall time of 1:42:07.  

Jon Parks and Brett Ciancanelli at the 2011 Mayo Lake Triathlon.

After I finished I waited with Jon's mom for him to finish.  Once he finished, we both put on our shirts for The Second Wind.  This was the first event that we had the shirts for so we took the opportunity to get a few photos in front of the finish line.  

You can also read a recap from the race that Jon wrote on his website by clicking here.

So this triathlon wrapped up the tri season for both Jon and I.  We are amazed to see the progress we have made over the past 8 months.  We are already planning a schedule for 2012.  In the meantime we will be preparing with The Second Wind for the Run to Rolesville 5K on November 5.

Gary Kirby Triathlon

On Saturday was the 6th annual Gary Kirby Triathlon. What a perfect weather day God blessed us with for this event. Earlier in the week temps were in the mid 90's with high humidity. Saturday started out with a little coolness in the air an low humidity. Perfect conditions for the race.



Arrived to the race site early in order to get the transition area setup. Pretty cool to see all of the different bikes that every has. From one extreme to the other with all types of colors.

I setup my transition sporting an NC State University towel and my Running of the Ears (ROTE) visor. After getting transition setup it was time to get our timing chip and body marking. I was # 49 and the person who wrote the numbers apparently wanted to make sure everyone knew my number....they were huge. No one would have any problem seeing what number I was on the course.

Transition are setup.

At this point the excitement was building. A pre-race meeting was held poolside for last minute announcements. The meeting ended with a word of prayer and it was time to line up for the start. While standing in line you could see the nervousness, excitement and anxiousness of the athletes (including me). This was at an outdoor pool and the sun was shinning down on the pool in glorious fashion. At 8:00 am the first swimmer started. My start time was 8:12 am.



3...2...1...Go!



I was feeling a little sluggish in the swim after the first 100. Not sure why, but just battled through it to the finish. Overall swim time was 6:08. That included probably 20-25 seconds from exiting the pool until crossing the timing mat.

Great photo my wife took of me.

Heading to T1

In T1 I got my sunglasses, helmet, socks and shoes on and it was time to attack the bike course. The bike course was 4- laps consisting of 3 miles each lap. I was wondering as more and more athletes got on the course if it might get congested, but that was not a problem. The course was all throughout a subdivision with several traffic circles to navigate. I used the first lap to get a feel for the course since it was new to me and get an idea for shifting. There was a stretch in the last mile of the loop that was downhill and that was a blast to ride. Throughout the course there was great crowd support cheering every athlete on.

On the bike course.

As I came back to transition for T2 and dismounted the bike, I about dropped my bike running with it. I let go with one hand and the bike drifted out from me. One of the pedals cut the back of my right calf in that process. Overall time on the bike was 41:29 for the 12 miles. Average of 17.5 mph which is about 2 mph faster than my training rides. I was really pleased with the ride.

Cut on the back of my leg from pedal at T2

Read for the run!

Once back at the rack in T2, I just needed to grab my race number and visor and I was off for the run. Felt pretty good in the first part of the run. I was at a 8:30 pace, which was too quick for me. I slowed the pace some in order to make it to the finish. Part of the course was sharing the bike course. Plenty of room and actually pretty cool to see the other bikes while running.

On the run course

As I made my way towards the finish, with about 0.6 miles left in the run I got my second wind.  Great feeling when you get that second wind as this carried me to the finish and as the organizer of the event (FS Series), says in their name....I was able to Finish Strong. My run time was 29:58 for the 5K.

Finished

Overall time for the triathlon was 1:19:11. I was 75th overall for males and in the Clydesdale category I finished 6th out of 14. 

This was a great event and well run. FS Series put on a great race. I would like to thank the Kirby family for their hospitality.

The Will to Overcome

May 21, 2001 began as any normal day. Little did I know at that time things were going to change. After waking up, it was time to take a shower. As I was in the shower, I began to experience dizziness like I never have before. I could not keep my balance and was falling to the left. I crawled from the shower and laid down in the bed. My mother was in town and I told her I was not feeling well so I was going to lay in bed. As the dizziness continued to get worse, I asked mom to get me to the doctor.  After many many tests, an MRI revealed that I had a stroke. I ended up spending 8 days in the hospital back then.

Fast forward to today. Today is the 10th anniversary of that stroke. I wanted to do something today in honor of that day 10 years ago. With my endurance, the perfect fit would be a race of some sort. I wanted to try and find a race with a challenge. As I looked for events on May 21, I came across the Gladiator 5K. I thought this would be the perfect type of race that puts obstacles in your way, just as the obstacle of the stroke was to me.

As with health situations, there are obstacles to overcome. You have to fight through these obstacles and have the will to overcome. The same is true with any race and especially with the Gladiator 5K. Throughout the course there was going obstacles to conquer. There were tests for your balance, climbing abilities to scale 6' and 8' walls, getting low and crawling through tunnels and under cargo nets as well as going through a pool of water. Since today was a warm day, that water felt pretty good.

Being able to complete this challenge with friends and run it as a team made it even that more special. Thank you to my friends Jon, Mark and Brandon....or should I say fellow gladiators. We came, we conquered, we finished the challenge. Thanks guys for being there today. Words cannot express how much that meant to me to have you guys there. 

Here are a couple of photos.  The first is before the start and the second is after the race.

We have challenges in our everyday life. They may be at home, at work or even in a race. God gives us the strength and abilities to overcome all challenges. Thank you Lord forgiving me the opportunity to glorify you today. God provided the will, the determination and the strength to overcome the stroke 10 years ago and he provided for today and will provide forever.

Thank You

Thank you is the best description that can be given to each and every person that has helped and continues to help in the April 16, 2011 storm cleanup.  I am absolutely amazed at the outpouring of people's time and efforts to help those in need.  To many, the people in need of assistance were complete strangers, but that did not stop anyone. 

As you drive around the Raleigh, specifically the Wake Crossroads area, signs of devastation are everywhere you look.  You can see countless numbers of blue tarps over roofs as homeowners try to protect their damaged homes from the weather.  Piles of debris on the sides of streets can been seen for blocks as well as small pieces of debris still all over.  You seen hundreds if not thousands of pine trees that have been snapped 15 feet off of the ground by the tornadoes.

Even with all of this damage, many have lending helping hands.  Soon after the storm, a wonderful organization came to the area to setup a temporary 'home base" to provide disaster relief to those in need.  Samaritan's Purse setup at Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church (WCRBC).  Communications via phone, web, email and word of mouth were sent out to the WCRBC family asking for volunteers to come and help.  The response was simply overwhelming.  Many in the community brought hygiene kits for those who came to the church to take a hot shower.  Others simply arrived at the church each day to volunteer with Samaritan's Purse to go out into the community and help with the cleanup efforts.

What a great example of being the hands of feet of Jesus!  Amazing stories of God's grace have been shared. 

Personally there were three separate instances where I was able to help last week.  The first was the Sunday after the storms.  Due to large (and I mean large) trees being down at that church that knocked down power lines, there was no power at the church.  Sunday services were cancelled.  Instead of just staying home, my wife and I went to help a fellow member of our Sunday school class.  This home was right where the tornado went through.  Several trees were down all over the place.  Soon after we arrived, there were approximately 20 from the church who also arrived to helped.  There was not a single moment where anyone complained.  Each and every person was exactly where they wanted to be helping a family in need.  Just amazed!

Another instance was on a Wednesday evening.  The student ministry at WCRBC was going to the McKinley Mill subdivision to serve dinner to those affected.  The large grill was setup on Serendipity Dr. for anyone who needed a meal.  Several students were in attendance along with many adults.  Groups went around the neighborhood to simply spend time with those in need and to love, pray and care for them.  I probably helped serve about 40 plates that night and it was such a blessing to be there and see the joy on the face of those in need. 

Finally I had the opportunity to volunteer last Friday with Samaritan's Purse.  Every volunteer is given an orange shirt to wear to identify the organization they are working with.  You can see a picture of the shirt in this blog post.  This was also Good Friday, so more than the normal amount of volunteers were here this day.  A total of 175 people showed up that morning to volunteer....amen to that!  Everyone was divided into approximately 10 teams and then headed to a home to help.  The group I was with went to an area back off of a road that was heavily wooded.  Once we arrived, it was hard to describe how many pine trees were down in this yard.  There were 3 guys running chainsaws continuously while everyone else was hauling debris into piles or onto the back of a trailer to be hauled off into a field.  After about 3 hours we were done.  A special moment was when we finished.  Samaritan's Purse will present a leather bound bible to each person they assist.  Each volunteer will sign their name and favorite scripture verse on the inside cover.  It was then presented to the homeowner.  You could see the tears of joy in her eyes.  We then all held hands in a circle and said a prayer before we were on our way back to the church. 

Once back at the church we had a Good Friday service held by the pastors at WCRBC.  That was truly amazing to be a part of as all of the volunteers and several church members attended.

I am just in awe of the love, kindness and support so many have poured out this past week and half.  Again, thank you is all I can say.  Thank you Samaritan's Purse, thank you WCRBC, thank you to everyone taking the time to read this.

My First Triathlon

I can officially call myself a triathlete!

Saturday, April 9 was the Granite Falls Triathlon. This was a sprint distance with a 300 yd pool swim, 10 mile bike and 3.1 mile run. Going in to the event my expectation was to simply finish. I had been looking forward to this day for a while now.

I did not get the best night of sleep. At 4am I simply could not go back to sleep. I laid in bed and just thought about the race and strategy. Got out of bed at 5am, got dressed and then had some breakfast. Put the bike on the car rack and headed to pick up a friend who was also racing.

Once I arrived on scene, headed over to transition to begin the setup. It was definitely cold to start the morning with the temperature at 50 with light winds. After racking the bike and getting the gear setup for the transitions, it was time to get the timing chip and body marking. I was number 61. Interesting how many places you get your number written on you in permanent marker. Then in case you did not know or fogot, they write your age on your calves.

Now it was time to get focused for the race. Headed into the pool area and they had the heat kicking! Instantly thought how much fun coming out into the cold was going to feel after being all wet. I knew I couldn't change that, so I put that out of my mind.

My start time was 8:18:30. You start in the pool and not a start where you dive in. The swim will snake up and back for 6 lanes.

3, 2, 1....time to go!

I started out with a good pace and felt pretty decent. Around 150, I passed a couple of people and then there was more traffic in the final 100. Overall the swim was good. Finished right at 5 minutes. Hopped out of the pool and then it was time to hit the cold. At first it hit you, but then I never noticed it again. Going to T1 we had to climb a bunch of stairs. I was more worried about stubbing a toe on the steps. Once I got to T1, proceeded to get my sunglasses, helmet, socks and shoes on and it was time to start the bike. This was a hilly course so it was a good challenge. I passed a few people and was passed by others, but it was a good ride. Finished the 10 miles in 38:43.

In T2 I knew I would be quick as all I had to do was rack my bike, take my helmet off, grab my visor and race belt. Spent just 33 seconds in T2.

The run course also had it's challenges of hills. Went through a subdivision and the about a mile on a trail. As I came to the finish line there was my wife and two daughters cheering me to the finish. Such a cool feeling to have that support. Crossed the finish line in 1:14:21. Found out later I set a PR for my 5K with a 28:53.

I was in the Clydesdale category and finished 4th out of 8.

What an awesome feeling it was crossing that finish line and then to know that I am know a triathlete!

Triathlon has arrived!

It is time to tri…triathlon that is!


The day is just about here when I compete in my first ever triathlon on Saturday. I have been looking forward to this day for a while now. The excitement has been building over the past 3 months with all of the training. It is amazing to look back at the training that has been logged leading up to this event. Since January I have swam a total of 25,150 yards, rode 147 miles on the bike and 38 miles on the run.

Another great aspect of preparing for this triathlon is to go through this experience with my good friend Jon. He will also be competing in his first triathlon Saturday. We have trained together several times and shared stories along the way. I know Jon is just as excited as I am that the event has arrived.

This evening is packet pickup at TrySports located at Crabtree Valley Mall. Final race instructions have been posted on the website and we now know our official race start time in the pool. I will be starting at exactly 8:18:30 AM on Saturday.

As I mentioned above, there has been a lot of physical preparation for the triathlon. In the same way there is also spiritual preparation that continues daily. I am reminded of what Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27...

24 Do you not know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. 26 Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly, or box like one who beats the air. 27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Run the race to win the ultimate prize!