catching up

Ok, so January was my last time, I have to do better. Let me fill you in on my life and racing. My season opened with the half marathon in Fargo. I was not terribly happy with the result. I didn't feel mentally prepared. I thought the race started at 7:30 but the half actually started at 8:30 so I started the day off with a small mental mistake. During the race my effort was just too high for the pace I was running. I could blame it on conditions or nutrition or hydration and any one of those things could have played a factor but ultimately I am responsible for my own race. So lesson learned. Move on. My next race was the duathlon in Grand Forks. I had an excellent showing for me, finishing 7th overall. I was around an 8:00 pace for my two 3 mile run segments and around 21mph on the bike. So I was happy with that race. My most recent race was a sprint triathlon last Sunday in White Bear Lake, MN. I did very well and took 2nd in my age group. Felt good on all 3 disciplines. My swim was 2nd overall (a little because the elite wave turned too early and had to double back) and I was first in my age group in the swim. Bike was short and sweet, 13.5 miles, around 21 mph. Run I averaged 7:42 over a 5K which is by far my personal best run pace in a race. So I am happy with my races so far. To come I have Lifetime on July 9 olympic distance, Chisago on July 24, half iron distance, the Madison training camp the last weekend in July, Detroit Lakes sprint mid August, and the Ironman on 9/11 in Madison. The season is shaping up nicely and I will do my best to be better with updating.

My son...Nicholas is exactly 5 months old today. He is perfect. I am amazed that I have a child and I am watching him grow up when so much of me still feels like a child myself. Why? I do what I love because it makes me happy. Kids go run around outside and ride their bikes and go swimming. So do I. There is a strange feeling of peace that comes over me when I am training and racing, I forget everything else, temporarily. I didn't know how I would feel when I saw the "Go Daddy" sign that Nicholas so expertly made for me for my races. I still don't know if I know but it's pretty cool and I know he's watching with his Mommy. Can't wait til he can kick my ass!

Something else to talk about...I've been struggling a little at work as of late. I manage a new program, I have new hires I have to train, meetings to go to, people to talk to, endless work to do. Every now and then I suffer a setback and it frustrates me, even makes me angry, frustrated, like I want to give up and go home for the day and just ride my bike, something I can always do the right way. I can't always do everything the right way at work. But that's life. I have the support of a number of great leaders and staff under me who all have a great amount of respect for me, and I couldn't do it without them. I was a little apprehensive about all of a sudden being a manager for people who were my equals in every way before I became manager, people I also consider my friends. I am not going to lie, it was and has not been easy in the least but I am beginning to learn how to balance it. I like to speak in metaphors sometimes because it helps me and so I am going to use a triathlon or racing metaphor for this...imagine right? Anyway, in a race I have suffered setbacks and disappointments of different magnitudes as I have at work recently. The first time these things happen, you might not have a plan for how to correct them or salvage the situation. But if they happen again you have knowledge of how to get back on track. The bottom line is to focus on what you can control and do the best you can to control it. In a race, what can you control? Nutrition, hydration, effort and pacing. If things go wrong in a race, force yourself to go back to these basics, slow down a bit and think your way through it. You can't control a flat for example. I'm lucky enough to have never flatted or crashed in a race, but if I did I know how to fix it even though I can't control it. At work, I need to focus on things I can control and do my best to work through things I can't. Seems like something we've all heard a million times but it works...

So...learn from things, use them to help yourself grow and be better at whatever it is you are passionate about. I am passionate about the work I do and I am passionate about triathlon and I am passionate about my beautiful wife and baby. I haven't always done everything right with any of those things. But all of those things teach me so much about myself and about life. I have learned a lot, but think how much more there is to learn. Bye for now folks!!