Challenge Atlantic City 70.3

It has become apparent with work and training etc that this blog has somewhat taking a lapse.  I apologize to the readers.  I need to get back in the swing and on this fine Sunday afternoon accompanied by a delicious Iron Hill pumpkin beer I begin to catch up.

First things first we tackle the “race report” for Challenge Atlantic City 70.3.  I put race report in quotations because I do not plan to give a play-by-play style report.  I just want to give you some highlights and how I felt along the way. So on we go.

The weeks leading up to AC 70.3 I was getting tired.  I was training a lot. More than I was typically used to but in my head, I was going further than I was used to.  I vowed to be mindful of over training this season so I purchased a plan from a coach.  Unfortunately it was a “can plan” so I made the best of it.  The final week before the race I was tapering down in beautiful South Carolina.  This was quite possibly the best way to stay calm and collected and unstressed leading in to a race, until the trip home.  I came home Friday, race was Sunday.  AC is a short car ride for me from home so coming home Friday was going to be fine.  I would grab my car, bike etc and head to AC.  Well that was before my flight was delayed a solid 6+ hours, thanks Spirit Airlines.  Once I did get home I made the choice not to leave until Saturday morning, thank god this was an option for me.

Upon Arrival on Saturday I met up with my buddy Brandon and we did our shake out.  After shake out, we hit the expo, grabbed some stuff etc.  It was all business as usual for us at this point.  Him more than me but having someone there who had been there before was super helpful.  While on the bike it started to drizzle, little did we know they were calling for hurricane like conditions.  Down pouring rain,  howling winds, the whole bit.  I was worried about my bike but there was nothing I could do.  I filled my belly with food and hit the hay.

When I woke up I was a ball of nerves but luckily I don’t have a race breakfast that is too hard to consume so I could get some nutrition in me.  We got to the start and I checked the bike, all seemed good. It was go time, my VERY first 70.3.

Swim was the swim, I need so work there and that is my goal this off season.  I headed into T1 and I saw all these people ducking under the ribbon to get to their bikes.  I figured well if they are ducking I am ducking.  Go figure I duck and this guy starts yelling.  Next thing I know he is in my face telling me he will DQ me and that he was going to talk to me team about me.  I laughed at him, went back under the rope and then grabbed my bike and was off. I didn't even pay him any mind because I knew it would spike my heart rate and getting me all worked up when I didn't need that.  15 minutes into the bike I went to take in some nutrition.  Nothing came through my straw.  I could feel my heart rate immediately spike.  What was going on.  I realized because I use powder nutrition some powder got stuck in the straw.  Ok no biggy.  I figured it out and kept rolling.  The bike on this course is beautiful and I really enjoyed it.  I made some new friends and joked with some guys along the way.  Overall I really enjoyed this leg.

On to the run and I left T2 feeling great.  One of the guys I was on the bike with all day Chris (read his blog here) gave me some props on the ride and then he took off.  As much as I wanted to hang with him on the run I knew I couldn’t hold that pace.  This is super important when it comes to longer distance racing!  The run was a little touch and go.  It’s just about 100% on the Atlantic City Board Walk.    It is scenic and fun but also stressful because people can be inconsiderate.  I was holding on great through mile 7-8. Then I hit a wall and went in to survival mode.  I think one of two things happened or a mixture of both.  I did not fuel enough on the bike to store up for the run and or didn’t drink enough on the run.  Whatever the case I was sucking down coke and chews like my life depended on it.  Luckily because this course is on the board walk I got to see Jamee, Brandon and Brandi multiple times and they kept me going. I don't think I have heard Jamee scream this much before, ever!  Also to the girl who would give me a shoutout with every pass on the run course, thank you!

Coming down the finish chute it felt like I was on top of the world, yes I just traveled 70.3 miles on my own, but it was more than that.  It was months of hard work all wrapped into one moment.  The announcer gave me a super nice shoutout but unfortunately I could not hear it.  Either way many thanks! I wish I could have taken in the finish chute a bit more but live and learn.  I also probably should have gone for an IV because I know that would have helped with how I felt, again more knowledge for next time. 

All in all this was a phenomenal first 70.3 for me and I couldn’t have asked for a better support crew along the way.  All of my readers and followers for cheering me on along this journey.  My family and sponsors for enabling me to do what I love to do and most importantly Brandon, Jamee and Brandi for your assistance through the whole weekend.  It was incredible and I can’t thank you enough.

Next up for me is the Jersey State Olympic Distance championship race.

Until then, all for now

Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself.

I don't post on here daily but feel free to find me else where!

Jersey State Championship recap

Onward and upward.  There is no rest for the wicked.  For me I only have a few weeks and it was back to racing again.  This time it was Jersey State olympic distance.  This was a race that I did last year and I did very well here so I was pumped to go back. This is a very competitive race and I was really ready to go out there and drop the hammer coming off of my fitness from 70.3 training.

This was an olympic race, I had been here before and I was super excited.  I had a few race nerves but I was ready to go.  I knew which restaurant I was having dinner at, we got to the hotel. Everything went well.  En route to the race we passed a tree down in the road and I didn't think anything of it.  Little did I know this was right in the middle of the bike course so this meant a shortened bike course(foreshadowing for a later decision fyi).

I got suited up and headed over toward the swim start.  I watched my buddy go off with the elites and I just couldn't believe how some of those dudes were flying through the water.  Next thing I knew it was my turn to go.  So waddled down like a penguin in a flock getting ready to jump in.  I jumped in and did a few strokes up to the line.  The water was great and it was go time.  I could hear my Dad whistling for me from the start, I had no idea they were coming so that was a pretty rad feeling. The gun went off and there we went.  Swim felt great.  I didn't crush my time from last year but it was right around the same but this year was without a wetsuit which made me feel pretty good.  I still have a lot of work to do on my swim though.

From there it was off on the bike. I knew that the course was shortened by three miles and I decided to hammer my bike and just hold on for the 10k.  Well hammer I did. I think at the end of the day I held somewhere around 24-25 mph for the bike leg of this race.  I hammered it alright and I wasn't even ready for the pain of this run.

The pain came and it came quick.  The heat was almost unbearable, I am not using that as an excuse because everyone had to battle the heat, however I did not fair well.  It became clear that I was not going to PR this run very early on so I went into survival mode.  I poured ice anywhere and everywhere I could, I drank water and I covered myself in towels.  Thankfully Stefan found me from earlier.  He pushed me along for a few miles and was very helpful.

Stefan however faired much better than I on the bike and so he lost me soon after.  I crossed the line and felt defeated.  Not in a good way though but in the man, I just messed that one up and I shouldn't have done that kind of way.  But hey you live and you learn, I realized that my the nutrition attack I had for this day didn't work, I realized I couldn't push the bike that hard in the heat and most important I realized I had an amazing support system in people I might only see at races.

Thank you John and Stefan for helping me through this run, Thanks Mom, Dad and Jamee for coming out to support again and thank you to my sponsors and supports for enabling me to do something I love!

Next up is Atlantic City International Tri and I'll give you a sneak peak, its a good one!

Until next time my friends,

Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself.

I don't post on here daily but feel free to find me else where!

Escape The Cape 2015

Hello all you beautiful people! I am currently sitting in the airport on a 4hr delay thanks to Spirit (never again) but thats another story for another time.

In just two short days I will be toeing the line of my first 70.3!! Challenge Atlantic City half is on sunday and I am a ball of nerves/excitement.

The race season does not begin there however, it began two weekends ago at the Escape The Cape triathlon down in Cape May NJ.  Many of you may have heard of this iconic race where the start is from the back of a ferry boat! Its pretty sweet, a little scary and a ton of fun all at the same time!

I was wondering how this race would go because I have been training a lot different that before.  For one I had a plan, normally I would just swim bike and run three days a week and rest one but it wasn't really structured.  The other thing was that I was training for a half and that was WAY different than training for short course racing.

The morning started a little rough with a down pour.  I was in transition and I remember saying to myself this sucks and I started letting it get to me and I stopped. I knew I couldn't let myself get that negative on race morning so I just embraced it.  Unfortunately we had about a 30min delay getting out of the terminal.  When it comes to the swim I made two key mistakes again this year.  Mistake number 1 bring more food.  I had breakfast at 4:15 and then one cliff bar 4 hours later.  For me that isn't enough. Number two get off the boat early. Once the international athletes start jumping I need to be down low on the dock and ready to go (more on that later). Either way, amazingly fun way to start a race and you honestly cannot beat it!

Now for the bike.....eh is my feeling on my performance here and it is mostly due to rain and crowds. Because I was in the back of the pack on the boat, most people were out on the bike course along with the international athletes.  On top of this the course was wet. I am not a risk taker on the bike, its just not my style. I race, I push but I will always reach for my break going into a turn and there were people who didn't want to do that.  I remember this guy specifically who would pass me on the outside at every turn and then I would get him on the flat.  Coming into one of the final turns he took it way too high, lost control, crossed into the on coming cyclists and then into the guardrail he went.  Just not cool and that made me hold back on the bike a bit more than I wanted to.

On to the run and I'll be honest with all of you about this run course because I love you....It SUCKS!  There are two sand runs for the sprint course and I am not talking nice flat hard sand runs, NO! soft sand, high dune, full suck runs.  I was holding a good pace on the flats but those sand runs just punished me.  I could remember looking down at my watch and just thinking man this isn't gonna cut it today.  The owner of my company has a house right along the run course though and it was super rad to hear him yelling out there.  I could remember hit the turn and heading back and thinking I couldn't let him see the struggle! Pull it together!!  I got back on to the road and I knew I had 800 meters to go and I just dropped it and went for it.  I almost collapsed after crossing the line and that's how it should be.

Once I handed in my chip and got some water and settled it was time to hit the results tent.....Well it was time for someone else to hit the results tent.  For whatever reason I like the element of surprise so I have someone check it for me and let me know if I need to stay for awards or not.  I knew I had to stay but I had no idea where I stacked up against my field.

They went through the international awards first and then went from oldest to youngest.  I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.  I knew in the back of my head I was going to get my time on the stage but I just wanted to know if I was going to get to step on that RedBull podium for top 3! Finally my AG came up and I made my way towards the stage. They started with 5th, not me, then 4th not me and I knew right there I would get to stand on the podium. I took 3rd overall and I was happy.  I wanted to have times closer to 1st and 2nd but I had to tell myself that training for long course is way different than training for the short course. I was satisfied with my times but for my later season short course stuff I really need some speed work and hard runs off the bike if I want that top spot!

For now it is on to Challenge Half in a few days and like I said at the start I am just a ball full of all kinds of emotions.  There are a lot of unknown factors that come with a new distance but I am sure that I followed my plan and it will just be another day at the office on Sunday.  If you are interested in tracking me you can find me on the other social media forms!


Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself!

Feeling Off in the Off Season

It's March and as I sit down to write this my entire town is covered in ice scratch that, we are now covered in 7+ inches of snow.  If you know anything about me, you can only imagine the effect this has taken on me haha.  It is killing me, but March comes in like a lion right? I can only hope so.

So let's get to it.  It's the off season.  It gets cold, it gets dark, it gets just down right miserable here on the east coast.  I had a plan to combat this though! I was doing more racing this past season so that I could make a bit of a name for myself and apply for a team this off season.  Going into a new season with a new team, a team that I always dreamed of would give me that "high" to carry me through this off season and get me to the spring ready to rock.  As you may have guessed things did not quite go as planned.  I applied to two teams. I will not put the teams on bast but one straight up denied me and the other "never got my application".  One of the teams is one that I have had my eye on since I started this sport.  Maybe it's a sign, maybe it's not right but nonetheless it was a hinge moment for me.  A moment that made me reconsider a few things and a few different approaches.

As you may know I had a GoFundMe account set up at the end of this summer to help off-set the cost of a new bike.  So I began to focus on that and how I could maximize the amount of support I received from family and friends.  It was absolutely incredibly how supportive people are and I am still, to this day, beside myself and cannot thank everyone enough.

Between the let down of not getting on to two teams again and the training break I took after the Marine Corps Marathon things started to spin out of control.  I ended up loosing interest in my training among other things.  Luckily enough I caught myself and I could right it before things got completely out of control and get back on track!

One day a good friend said to me "Yo man, why don't you apply to Xterra Wetsuits to be an ambassador."  I figured hey it couldn't hurt so I did. I applied to them and heard back pretty quickly and after talking with the East Coast regional manager I was in!  This got my brain working.  I started thinking of brands I use and love and I started reaching out to them.  Some I heard back from and others I did not.  It got me back on track though! I am now an ambassador for Xterra Wetsuits, Delmo Sports Elite Events, and Infinit Nutrition.  All brands that I know, use and love and I couldn't be happier with the results.  If anyone has any questions or needs help I would be happy to assist in any way that I can.

Now at this point you may be thinking wow, this guy is certainly tooting his own horn here.  Confession time.....not my intention at all! I am using this for two reasons, first, according to a very smart man, Jon Acuff, I had what was called a hinge moment.  Something was going on that I didn't like and I had to change it.  I had two options, I could really let this get to me and just hang it up.  Say you know what forget it, I don't have what it takes to make it on these teams so why am I even doing this.  As much as I don't want to admit it, that thought crossed my mind a time or two.  My other option was to find a better way.  That's what I did. I took the advice from a friend and I ran with it.  You have the same choice.  It could be with your job, relationships, training, or all of the above.  Whatever it is you may do, sit down, think about it, bring it up to people you trust and really put some thought into it.  I promise things will work out if you put the time in and take the time to figure it out.

As for training, Monday marks the start of a 16-week block leading up to my first 70.3 race in Atlantic City.  I am anxious, nervous, and excited all at the same time.  I can't wait to get things moving and I can't wait for this season to really get under way.

Thanks for reading and thanks for the support!

All for now.

Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself

Demons....

Well post Broad Street run things have seemed to take a turn.  My posts are typically about how things went well or how I can at least take something away from them.  Everyone loves reading about people getting better and good news but this news is not good.  After my weekend away for golf I have not gotten in the training that I know I need to be hitting.  I have been making excuses and shying away from challenges.  The most frustrating part is, I have no idea why.

We all have demons, demons that we live with day to day that have come from various experiences.  As athletes we learn to deal with these challenges and face them head on.  For some of us, me included the training helps rid these demons from our lives.  For whatever reasons these demons have made a triumphed return.  They have affected my training and my mood lately.  I don't train the way I used to and when I do, things seem to go on a downward spiral as the training progresses.

For me it is race week as of today.  In less than seven days I will be taking on my very first olympic distance triathlon in Cape May, NJ.  I have a buddy who always tells me "trust you training and just do what you know how to do."  This is right but without the training I have nothing to trust and I am starting to get nervous about this race.  I know that I can finish the race, but I am not just a finisher.  I need to earn that medal.  I started this journey because for once I can be competitive in something and run with the "big dogs" so to speak.  I am just hoping that come race day I will be able to hang with the big dogs still.

As far as demons go, these race demons seem to come around for every race.  The doubt of can I do this? Will my body hold up? Do I really have what it takes?  I have goals in mind for myself, just as anyone else does.  For this race however I am not going into it with too many goals.  It is my first race at this distance, I need to see how things go on race day.  I know what I have done in training and I will repeat that on race day.  I have had some physical demons that I have been battling in racing and I am just hoping to work the kinks out and really use race week to chill out and get my mind right.

Mock race of .5mi swim, 15 mi bike 3.1 mi run

As for everything else in life, things are going very well.  Memorial Day weekend has just passed and things were awesome.  I had a great weekend with old friends and made some new ones.  This past weekend the weather was beautiful and I had more awesome times and there are sure to be some great times on the horizon.  Aside from being incredibly busy and not having much time to train for racing things are going spectacular.  I know that when I leave for the race on friday all of these things will be gone with the wind.  Has anyone else experienced things like this?  How do you combat these demons? Just know that you are not alone in this and everyone has demons that they must battle in some way, thats what makes this sport as amazing as it is.


Until next time, thank you as always for reading, sharing and commenting!



All for now
Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself










I do not post on here on a daily basis but you can follow my training and other posts here!

Marine Corps 17.75K race recap

For those of you who know me or have been following for awhile you will know that when I have a plan in my head, it needs to be executed in that way and nothing else.  When things don't go according to plan, well let's just say that it doesn't end so well(foreshadowing.....hmm read on).

That being said I participated in the Marine Corps 17.75k this past Saturday.  Upon completion of this event, you get guaranteed entry into the marathon in October.  Everything is centered around the year 1775 because that was the year in which the Marine Corps was founded.  I got in luckily(race sold out in 9 mins) and I selected this race because I got in through the lottery for Broad Street in May and I did not want to try my luck again for the marathon.  So it was prep time.  I did two long runs and some speed work prior to this weekend and went in feeling really good.

9:00 for 9 miles and I was thrilled!

Friday rolled around and it was go time.  I took a half day at school and I was gone.  It felt like the morning dragged on but finally lunch hit and it was time to do my shake out stuff and get on the road.  The race was down in Virginia and I had about a three hour car ride ahead of me.  So I went to the gym, got changed and went outside for my shake out run because it was beautiful.  

Garmin portion of the run.

Then it was back inside for a light 15 min swim and off I went.  I stopped and filled the car with gas, got some soft pretzels to start the carb loading and headed south.  I got to Maryland and just as I was about to get on I-95 south there was an accident, DETOUR...Ok no big deal.  I turned around and found a different route and before I knew it I was off.  I could take a breath and just settle in for a bit, or so I thought.....Somewhere around an hour in I hit traffic.  I thought hmmmm maybe it is just an accident. From there on I was in on and off traffic all the way down 95.  My eta on the GPS just kept going up and up and up.  My three hour ride turned into a six hour journey.  Yes you read that correct SIX HOURS in the car the day before a race.

I arrived at my hotel somewhere around 10pm and I just wanted to find some pasta and go to sleep.  My car ride didn't go so well, why did I think that was ever going to happen.  All the local places that would have pasta were closed, so Pizza Hut it was.....I put in my order and they told me that I would have it by 11:15.....ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! I had to be up at 4 so that I could get to the race site and pick up my packet, I was not about to wait that long to eat.  I got in my car and drove to McDonalds, got food and came back home(more on that decision later). 

After finishing my food I went to bed, I had to put this day and road trip behind me and go to sleep.  Luckily I had a gorgeous hotel room in a brand new and quite hotel so I could get some sleep.  When my alarm went off at 4am it was not the same feeling as any other race day.  Normally I am excited and ready to go, this morning felt a bit different though.  I felt like I was just going through the motions.  I gathered my stuff, mixed up my gel and water and went down to the car.  I knew I had to get on the road because I had a lot to handle yet.  

I arrived at the race site, grabbed my packet and put my bib on.  Unfortunately we were shuttled over to the start because there was no parking right there.  I have a weird superstition that you do not wear your race shirt until you have completed your race.  You get it and you put it in your bag, don't try it on, don't wear it to the race until you earn it.   It all stems from nothing new on race morning.  It is a new shirt and you have never run in it before so don't run in it on race day.  Well I couldn't take it back to my car because the shuttle wouldn't have be back in time so I had to have it on me while I ran.  Luckily I could tuck it in the band of my shorts and not wear it.  

Now to the race.  We went through opening ceremonies, national anthem and all that good stuff.  Heard some very inspirational stories of people who were 70+ years old doing the race, some who lost 100+ pounds and who were looking to do the marathon etc.

Snapped this just before I set off.

Now to the run itself.  It was through a beautiful corse in the Prince William County Forest.  The first 2 miles were on a trail and then we turned off onto the road.  As we were approaching the first mile marker I could see the mile marker for the 10th mile at the bottom on a hill.  I thought hmm that's strange.  As I went on I realized, we were going to climb that hill at the start of the last mile.....As I was running I felt good, didn't look down at my watch and let it control my race, I was just running.  Things were a little congested through the first mile but then it opened up.  Somewhere around mile 4-5 I felt this pit in my stomach.  Not a pit like I needed to hit the next Porta John or find a tree but one that was saying "Hey dumby you didn't carb up enough."  That was when I knew McDonalds the night before had caught up to me.  It was a stupid choice, but it was out of my control.  Had my plan worked out and I made it to my hotel in three hours like I thought, I would have had a nice pasta dinner on my beautifully balcony and enjoyed the sunset.  But instead I watched the sunset from 95 and was forced to make the decision I did.  I hit mile 6 and decided to look at the garmin...I was going slightly slower than I wanted.  I tried to pick my pace up a bit but when I pushed I could feel my stomach saying no.  I sipped my perform and gel combo but it didn't help much.  I was just trying to survive at this point.  I hit mile 10 and I knew that hill was just around the corner.  As I approached the hill I could hear a guy say to the girl he was running with, "don't worry this is out last hill!" I was amazed at the number of people who were walking the hills.  I am not sure if it is because of my journey or what but I have always told myself that no matter how slow I run, I will NEVER walk during a race.  Today I did just that, no matter how slow I climbed those hills I did not walk one time and I am very happy about that.  As I conquered this hill I thought about what that guy said, I was done with the hills.  As I rounded the corner though and made it a little further I found myself facing another hill!!  I looked for the same guy as if to say "You son of a gun you lied to me!!" I may have even laughed out loud as I started to climb this hill.  After that I knew that I was in fact done with the hill.  Coming out of the forest I caught a guy and stayed next to him.  I told myself no matter what he was not going to beat me to the finish line.  Well he must have told himself the same thing because it was a foot race to the finish from there on out.

As I was coming down the finish shoot I got chills, this immediate swarm of emotions took over my body.  It was the same rush last year at Broad Street and Atlantic City.  It was a swarm of I did it, I am done, another race, I made it, I can't believe this.....A million things all at once.  In an instant I thought of every person who made fun of me, every fat joke, and every person who has supported me along the way.  I had a time goal in my head and a placement goal in my head.  My time goal was 1:30, my placement goal was 10th or better for my age group.  Unfortunately neither were reached.  I crossed the finish line at 1:44 on the nose and ended up missing 10th place by 2 mins.  I took 11th, but more importantly I learned a lot from this race.  It's funny because as I was talking with someone about this race they said "well all you need to do is finish" and yes they were right, the main reason I selected this race was for the entry to the marathon, but it is still a race and I still want to give it my best.  Maybe that is just my mentality.

Garmin report from the race.

Now let me side track for just a moment and comment on something that I was not so thrilled about.  Upon crossing the finish line I grabbed a bottle of water and looked for the voulnteers handing out medals.  I have grown to love race medals.  They are a sign of accomplishment, you get to wear it around after and it shows you did it!  I didn't see anyone so i got in line to grab more water and some food.  As I went through the line I was still searching for my medal......nothing.  As I exited the tent I found some marines and this is what they were giving out

A chip......REALLY?! I was slightly annoyed and almost offended.  I wanted a medal, I just completed my race, I ran 11 miles, give me a damn medal!  Sorry rant over.....

I learned that sometimes things don't go according to plan and you need to plan for the worst.  I learned that I need to train for hills a lot more than I did and most importantly I learned or reaffirmed that nutrition can be your best friend and your worst enemy all in the same day.  I will continue to work with my nutrition and practice my hills through workouts.  My next race is the 10 miler in Philadelphia and my time for 10 miles this past weekend way about 5 mins faster than last year there so I am excited to see what happens there.  As for now it is back to my normal training schedule for this season.  For a rather unplanned race I can't be too upset about the out come.  Not to mention it's 11 miles and a rather successful 11 miles if I can say so for myself.  I said to a friend last night "I have come a long way and things aren't going to happen over night" this is very true and it is the one piece of advice I can offer to anyone on a similar journey.  Things take time, it doesn't happen overnight and there will be setbacks or days where things just don't go according to plan.  That is my take home message from this race.   

As for now it is another day of recovery and then back to training.  I was tight today but felt surprisingly well considering.  I would just like to take a moment to thank everyone for their support, the countless texts, comments and messages of motivation I received.  You guys rock and I really appreciate it!  Next Up is Broad Street!! Until then......

All for now

Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself!

I do not post on here on a daily basis but you can follow my training and other posts here!

"March" Your Way Out Of Here

A beautiful Saturday, I ran outside, in shorts at that.  Got sweaty and was almost hot...Almost. Today I wake up and the ground is covered in snow.  I am curse that stupid groundhog today, Old Man Winter and everyone else I can for teasing me like this.  I have been riding my trainer all winter, I can ride it for a bit longer, but it is really not nice to tease me like that!

This off season has not been particularly as good as last years.  Last year I was just getting started, everything I tried went well and I was loving the results.  Sure if you go back through the posts, you'll find something that threw me off, the struggles of going paleo at first and the wonders of plateauing during weight loss.  Overall though, things went very well last year and I am pleased with the results.

This year, its been, well different.  Through student teaching, injury and over training, lets just say I need some warm weather.  Student teaching was rough on my training schedule to say the least.  After the Atlantic City race, training took a back seat to everything else that was going on.  After graduation it was GO time!  I was back in the weight room, I was swimming, I was biking, I was running.  If it was a form of exercise, I was participating in it.  Not so fast killer....Next thing you know the injuries started popping up.  I was told to ease back in and I didn't.  I got hurt and I was told to take it easy......I didn't.  I paid, and I paid big time.   I had to take some serious time off, I had to get my back healthy and then I needed to reevaluate my training and what I was doing.  My first tri isn't until June....I needed to dial things back and so I did.  The other thing I did was something I hate doing, but knew I had to....I began to seek the advice of a coach.  Eduardo from Bodyfeed was awesome in helping me get back on my feet.  He wrote personalized training plans for me based on my goals and he checked in with me on a daily basis.  Better yet, it was FREE!!!  He is willing to do the same for anyone else as well, he is confident that if you are not satisfied you can leave at any time but you can get up to 3 months of training for free.

Once back on my feet, I began to feel healthy, happy and back to where I needed to be.  Not all of my training has gone exactly as planned but I am feeling good about it.  There have been days I have not wanted to do my workout for that day, there have been days where I have skipped but there is still no doubt in my mind that this is something I love! One of the groups that has helped my push through these times and led to some great workouts is Further Faster Forever.  It is a group on Instagram and twitter that is centered around triathlon and pushing/ supporting each other through training.  You can join on their site and check out all of the positive and motivating pictures on Instagram!

On Saturday post run I was leaving the club and someone at the desk asked me what I was doing.  It was a Saturday on St Patty's weekend so I guess they were expecting something along the lines of going out to blackout and not remember the night before and spend my Sunday laying around nursing a hangover.  I simply responded with well I am not really sure yet.  Their next response was the one that caught me slightly off guard though "Can't you just go out and do something fun for once?"  I didn't think I was a lame person.  I like to go out and have fun with my friends, I do enjoy going to the bar now and again and I think if you surveyed my friends they would say I can be a pretty fun guy.  I just thought that it was strange that because I wasn't going out to the bar they felt as though I wasn't doing anything "fun" Maybe I am lame and not fun anymore because I don't go to the bar every weekend and I am ok with that.

Sunday meant brick day for me, another reason I did not go to the bar Saturday.  Something tells me riding 15 miles on the bike followed immediately by a 5K would be anything less than splendid while nursing a hangover.  So I got home in the afternoon after AM water workout and running some errands.  I fired up the trainer and threw on some Walking Dead.  After my 10 min warmup I got into the groove and just started pedaling.  I did not want to shift gears or do 1 min in this gear and 1 min in that because I have a different day set up for intervals.  I spent this time trying to get used to being in the areo position and focus on my pedal stroke and play with my nutrition a bit.  I hit my 15 miles and it was immediately off, throw on my Newton Running Motion and grab my Powerbar gel.  I had my Garmin set to multisport mode so all I had to do was hit lap and it went right into the run mode.  The watch was covered just enough for me to see the distance, I wanted everything else to be off of feel for this run.  I did my 5K and when I hit the distance, I had no idea how long I have been going for.  I hit stop on the Garmin and excitedly pulled my sleeve up to see the time.  25:45!!  For those of you keeping tabs, this was maybe 1:30 off my PR time at most.  I was ecstatic!  It was a great way to finish out my weekend and I got to run outside to boot!  I was using Osmo hydration while on the bike and when I jumped off to go run I had a gel with me.  As I started running I had a stomach ache but nothing serious and after I took my gel it came back a bit.  Obviously it didn't effect me too much since I had a great run but I am not sure what it would do on a longer run.  That's why you practice your nutrition in training!

Today things are light, I have a swim, probably in my wetsuit since I like to do that once a week and some strength intervals.  Sticking to my plan and keeping things simple.  Light days are meant to be light so the hard days can be hard.  Hope everyone is enjoying their training thus far, can't wait for race season coming up!  I really appreciate all the support and look forward to hearing about your training and racing.


All for now
Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself



I do not post on here on a daily basis but you can follow my training and other posts here!

Changes...

Changes...everyone goes through them. Sometimes they are wonderful, sometimes they are hard, sometimes they completely turn your life around. The one thing that all changes have in common is that they are inevitable. They will always be there and they will always come at some point or another. Some people experience changes that challenge their faith, some that challenge a relationship. Whatever your change is, it is your fight to fight, you can not compare it to someone else. Everyone has their own battle and it is YOUR battle, don't compare it to something that someone else is going through.

Change can come at any point and time, it can show up with absolutely no warning and it can be triggered by just about anything. It can feel like your world is crashing down around you, it can feel like there is a giant rain cloud over your head and it just won't budge! Usually we can't pin point when this change starts or what sparked it, the events, the people or what have you (like I said, usually) but some times we can.  For me, at the beginning, it felt like I was in a hamster wheel.  I was going and going and going, but wasn't getting anywhere.  At times I wish I could go back now and just tell the old me, hey keep going, there is a light!  The plateaus, the off weeks, injuries, hard days all consume your head.  Some times it seems like when you're working so hard towards something, the only thing you can focus on is the bad.  Even if the good far out weighs the bad.

Today I look back at that person who I used to be, before the journey, before the fight, before the change and there are things that I miss.  Some parts of the fight have left me shy, timid or scared in certain situations, new situations.  It takes me time to warm-up in new situations now, whereas before I was always "warm." I miss that person who could walk in to a room of strangers and be the center of attention thats for sure.  In the today, I would much rather hang on the outside and just watch.  Is it necessarily a bad thing? No, it is just a changes that is the result of the actions of others.  You live and you learn I guess.  I forget birthdays from time to time, I don't necessarily love going to a packed bar on a saturday night and I would much rather eat pizza and drink a beer with some friends.  Some may think I have become a bad friend or a different friend and I don't necessarily argue that point.

There are other times where I look at the new person in the mirror and I smile.  When you stand there and look at that person, it is like a canvas.  This canvas has been painted with a beautiful picture.  Just as an artist goes through blood, sweat and tears in order to make the most beautiful work they can, you too make sacrifice in order to have something beautiful as a result.  So when I look at my canvas, my painting in the mirror, I just can't help but smile.  Whether it be in a new shirt, in a race picture, or just when I am brushing my teeth...I look as an artist admiring their own work.  As the artist, I must say although the work is not complete, I like the way it is coming along.

The only thing better than admiring your own work is when someone else sees it and they can admire it with you.  Most recently this happened to me while at work one morning.  I was in between clients and there was a woman who always has her daughters there.  I have become friendly with her because it feels like she is there nearly as much as I am.  So as I pulled my lunch container out (it is a 6 Pack Bag so EVERYONE comments on it) she said "you know I have been meaning to tell you, you are awesome.  I think that what you have done is awesome, your determination is admirable and you look absolutely amazing.  I have be wanting to tell you this but you are always busy when I am here!"  Man if that doesn't make you feel good, I don't know what will.  It feels great when you can look on and admire you own work, or see your results from change.  When someone else can see your work and admire it with you it is a great feeling.

From time to time it feels like this change is causing you so much pain or so much hardship.  It can seem super frustrating or like things are going to break.  Then there are times where change is beautiful.  All change can be helpful and wonderful, it depends on how you want to look at it.  It can be hard to see positives at times, believe me I know.  Surrounding yourself with people who build you up will help aid in changes and things like this, weeding out the bad ones will make it even easier.

As for my training there have been some changes there as well.  I have dialed things back significantly in order to get myself healthy again.  I dropped my yardage in the pool, dropped my running back and completely cut out lifting.  I realized that I wanted too many changes at once and my body was not ready.  Realizing when you are trying to force things is huge and everyone needs to do it.  I am just a few days over a month away from this season first race and it is hard to believe that things are right around the corner.  I am excited for whats to come and I thank you all for your support!

As for today, there is more snow on the ground, things are canceled and schools are closed, I am so far over winter and ready for this season to get on some CHANGE!! It is a rest day for me here and I plan to take full advantage of that!  Thanks for reading and I'll catch you next time!

All for now.
Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself




I Do not post on here on a daily basis but you can follow my trainer and other posts here!

Snow, Snow and more freakin SNOW

Take your time, breathe, slow down, it will come when it is time...Ever heard any of this before?  Has it come at a time where you have wanted to hear anything but that?  Some times things happen in order to make you stop and take your time because if you are anything like me, when you want something, you want it NOW.

Winter.....It's not my favorite time of year, I hate being cold, I hate the snow and most of all I HATE training indoors.  If I could pick up and move somewhere to train outside year round, I would be there in a second.  That being said, I have always made due during the winter months.  I suck it up and jump on a spin bike or treddy until we get a decent day and I can go outside.  It has never been ideal but never has it been like this!  This winter has just been an absolute mess!

               There is a pool under there somewhere.....

That being said, my off season has been just about as messy as this wonderful winter weather.  After the race I kept up my training as if I were going to another race in a few weeks.  That did not fair well for me, my body did not like it and I had to shut things down for about two weeks around Christmas because my IT band was crazy inflamed.  From their things just began to snowball (pun intended) into more injuries.  I have had a locked sacrum, threw out my back, knots, tightness, pain...just about everything you could possibly think of.  None of it has been serious but it is just ANNOYING.   While I was talking with a good friend and my personal athletic trainer last night, he warned me that my body could STILL be getting used to everything that has happened over the past year.   Although that is not what I wanted to hear, the more I thought about it, the more I knew he was probably right.  I practically lost an entire person that I was carrying around and I trained hard for a triathlon.  My body is probably in something just short of shock.  My joints and muscles and everything else are screaming back "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! ARE YOU INSANE?!"  As much as I want to jump right in and do an Ironman tomorrow, I know now more than ever that I really need to take my time.

Unfortunately I have learned the hard way that it is very important to train you body and to train your WHOLE body, not just the parts you want to change.  One of the areas that I have neglected the most was my core.  I never dedicated days to working my core and I am paying for it now.  It is called your core for a reason, it holds everything up and you need to take care of it, much more than I have!  I felt myself getting stronger in the pool and on the bike, meanwhile I did not realize I was destroying myself by not following the basics.  Learn from me, train your core and don't neglect it, you use it way more than you think when swimming, biking and running.

As of now I am nursing myself back to good health, just trying to take it easy, do some light training and keep myself in shape before I really start ramping things up.  Our Youth Tri Club has started and I am coaching the swim sessions which I am super pumped about and having a blast.  Along with the youth I will be helping with the adults, especially when spring arrives(is it ever coming back?) and we begin training in open water.

Just to follow up from last post, I have not shared this page with the adults I have been helping.  For one I am unsure on how to bring it up and so I have just avoided it all together.  On top of that, I have not had a session with them for a few weeks now due to this horrible weather around here.  If anyone has an recommendations on how to do this please feel free to contact me or post a comment here!

All for now
Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself


I don't post on here on a daily basis but I do on other social media!

Day in, day out

It's Saturday October 12 and I find myself reflecting on the past along with looking forward to the future. On Monday my younger brother will turn 21....weird for me to think about. I can still remember the days when I was a senior in high school, running the show with my group of friends and he was a tiny little freshman. It brings back memories of high school, old friends and much more. It also brings back memories of my 21 birthday which feels like it was literally last summer. What an amazing weekend that was from start to finish and I wouldn't change a thing about it, I'd still go back to EVERY second of that weekend if I could and do it all again. 

With the past comes thoughts of the future. Race season is over, but what's next. As many of you may know the Ironman World Championships are currently going on in Kona today. It's got me thinking, got me dreaming....got me wondering... There is also a local race tomorrow that I was kicking around. Unfortunately the race was $150 when I looked it up last week and I just couldn't bring myself to spend that kind of cash for such a small race so I guess I am officially in my off season. 

I have a lot on my radar for next season. I am 100% going back to AC again next year and I can't wait for that race. My tentative plan is to hit a small sprint early in the year being as I now have a wetsuit :) Xterra was running a special so I scored a suit for 50% off which was awesome!

From there I want to hit Escape the Cape which is another Delmo race. Delmo did such an amazing job with AC so I know this would be a great opportunity for my first Olympic race. From there I'm looking into Philly TriRock and some other small races.  AC will definitely be the big one on my list because I want to better my time from last year. From there I am not sure what else is next. I am just going to take it as it comes. I am trying not to take things too fast. I want to do a 70.3 very bad and I also want to become part of a tri team. These are both things that take time. I am not good at waiting, I want things right away and I can't have that. I need to take my time, train properly and get my name out there and prove myself in this world of triathlons!

Last Monday I check my email and to my surprise the staff newsletter was sent out. I opened it up and here is what I saw....

My own shinning face right there on the first page. When people said I should write my story down for them my response was that I would do it if they asked me. I wasn't going to write it down and just give it to them or ask them to put me in it. It's not in my personality and I was going to wait for them to ask me. Well they did so I wrote a small story and then took a picture of me to send out to everyone. Since then I have had people approach me and say "hey awesome story, keep it up!" This is an absolutely incredible feeling. People have told me I am an inspiration to them or their motivation to get going. I have never gotten this sort of recognition and it is only adding fuel to the fire of training for next season! I can't thank the people of HAC enough for everything they have done for me!

As for life right now, it is just a day in and day out grind. I get up, I go to school and teach, I go to work and I some how squeeze training in when I can. I don't go out, I don't see friends and I hate it. I CANNOT wait to have my life back in December. It will be a different life, but it will be back to semi normal. It's not that I am not enjoying my teaching or anything of that nature. I am just trying to find a balance of essentially doing a 40 hr a week internship and still working to pay bills etc. Until then, it's going to be crazy but these last few weeks are going to fly. 

I don't have much more for you, my life right now is ver mundane to say the least. I miss the way things used to be in many areas and I am excited to get back to training and hopefully teaching in my own classroom! I miss everyone and thank you for your constant support through all of this!

All for now. 

Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself

It's Been too long....

Where have the days gone? It is October 1st.  My first race is here and gone. School, work, lessons, planning, training...everything is in full swing and it doesn't seem to have a brake pedal anywhere to be found. 

Things have been interesting since post race weekend here.  As I said, the school year is in full swing and so balancing teaching and training has been hard.  I wanted to do one more race for this season before I clean and rack the bike but I don't think that is in the cards.  Balancing time to train in with work and school is tough.  I know this is a taste of things to come but at the same time it will be different.  Trying to find that balance shall be a challenge though.

After the success of the first race, I cannot wait to get to the next and the next and the next.  The entire weekend was absolutely amazing and the support from everyone made it even better.  People have been asking what my goal distance is and where I want to be.  Ultimately I would like to complete a half Ironman, preferably Miami.  Unfortunately there are too many unknowns for me at this point in my life to make a commitment to something that big.  First the cost...My bike is too small and needs work, or I need to get a new one.  It is $300 to register for the race...travel expenses etc.  I also have no idea where I will end up after graduation.  This is ok with me though because I do not want to take things too fast.  I want to take my time and ensure I am prepared and ready for what I am going to do.  I do not want to take too many steps or too big of a step. Next season I step up to an international and then 2015 is a half!

I know I have said it 1,000 times but I can't thank you all enough for the support I have received on this journey.  Both from long time friends and people who I have never met in my life.  It is incredible and I thank you.  I was talking with a friend a few weekends ago and he said "You know man you are just out there doing your thing.  You didn't need a pitty party, you didn't need any crazy products, you put in the hard work and you did it up man.  Keep going!" My man Heem! Such a stand up guy.

As for Atlantic City....call me selfish but I can't help but be honest and say that I was scanning the entire bike and run course, transition and finish chute for one person.  Not to take ANYTHING away from the incredible people who were there in any way shape or form.  They were incredible throughout the entire race and I'll never be able to thank them enough.  I was looking for one person in particular though...who never did show....guess something came up, or they just decided not to for personal reasons.  It sucks but hey I can't do anything about it.

I did have a 5k race last weekend but I will do an entire post on that because it was for a special cause and I have a good bit to say about it.  As for now, it is just swimming, biking, and running.  I can't wait to get my life back in December when this nonsense is finally over!!  I feel like I just wrote a bunch of fluff but didn't really say much in this post.  Bottom line is I am having difficult balancing time, can't keep my head straight and I just want to do another race so bad!  Other than that, my life is boring right now.

I am going to sign off and try and get it together.  Thanks for reading


All for now
Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself


ps. There has been a rule in place for the blog and people ask me why.  If you know me in person, you may not ask questions about any of the posts.  I have no idea who reads this, it does not tell me who the views are from and unless you drop something in the comments, I have no idea that you were ever here.  I appreciate all of the views and love the support, it means the world...There is something to be said about not knowing though.  If I knew who all of my readers were, I would tailor posts dependent upon who was reading them.  I do not want to do this...I want everything to be there out in the open so that people can see, I am just a real, average guy who is doing this.  There will be hardships on the way, however if you keep your eyes on the prize, you will grasp what you are reaching for.  If you have asked me a question already and I answered you, no worries, it probably wasn't something that was too big of a deal...just FYI :)

It's not always rainbows and butterflies...

I find myself reflecting as I lay down here in bed.  I find myself going back in time, far back in time.  Not just weeks or months but a few years back.  A time where things were very different, I was very different.  I didn't have a care in the world, about anything.  I was a teenager, I enjoyed simple things and I loved life.  I was so naive about life, love and the pursuit.....

As I lay here I wish I could go back in time and talk to that person I was.  Tell them(OK maybe scream in my face) that there are bad people in the world, bad things do in fact happen to very good people and yes you can and WILL get screwed.  People are going to talk about you, people are going to look on and judge like they know you when they probably don't.  There are more bad people than good and there are going to be times where it feels like there is a rain cloud stuck right over your head.  There will be times where it feels like the world is crashing down on your shoulders.  There will be times where it feels like no one understands. There will be times where it feels like people treat you like dirt and you just won't understand how they can do that.  It was a time where I thought I was on top of the world and nothing could ever possibly happen.  I was very wrong and I think  had I gone in knowing that these things could happen, it would have been different.  Maybe things wouldn't have gotten so out of control so fast, maybe things would be different.  Then again if if's and but's were candy and nuts, everyday would be Christmas right....The person I was is not the person who I have become however...

Things are very different now that is for sure.  I am certainly different than I was both inside and out.  I wouldn't change things for the world.  I have come so far and learned so much over the past year.  Things are turning around and beginning to become different, but it is a good different.  I find myself getting excited about things I would have only dreamed of in the old me.  If I have learned one thing that would sum it all up it would be that nothing is going to be handed to you.  If you want something, you are going to have to go out and get it.  If you sit around and wait for things to happen, it won't, bottom line.  When you work for something so hard though and you get to where you want to be it is quite possibly the most rewarding feeling in the entire world.  The last thing I learned is that there are going to be people who come and go in your life.  There will be people who come though and never go.  Those people will be there day in and day out.  Those are the people who will ALWAYS be there.  The trick is finding who those people are and hanging on to them for dear life.

If you are reading this, you probably found it via twitter, facebook, or instagram.  We also probably share some of the same interest, from swimming, biking, running, or all three.  Eating healthy or working out to better yourself.  Regardless of why you are reading this I would like to say thank you for one.  People like you are the reason that I can keep going.  Support from people who read and like my posts means everything in the world.  The second and last thing I want to say is that everything isn't always going to be rainbows and butterflies.  Although I would like it to be, as I am sure you would to, its not.  When things get tough, you have two options, you can throw your hands up in the air, quit, walk away and say screw this I am not doing it anymore.  OR you can step up to the plate, bat in hand and give it your best swing.  If you never try though, you'll never know whether you could do it or not.  So why not step up and try?  No it is not going to be easy, yes there will be times that suck more than anything, but it's a fight and when you win that fight you'll be so happy!  On top of that, you'll be ready for your next fight and whatever that may be. 

I thank you all for reading and if you are in a place right now where you don't know if you want to fight or flight, I highly urge you to fight on.  Things will get better and that sun will come up to push that rain cloud away I can promise that.  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and have a productive week!

All for now.
Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself

Tomorrow is my birthday!

August 12th....it is always bittersweet when this day comes around.  It is sweet because it is my birthday, obviously that is exciting as always!  However it always indicates that the end of summer is near.  I am excited for the end of this summer for so many reasons.  I start student teaching in the fall and it means I am in the last stage of college.  It is the final stage, something I have been waiting for, for the longest time.  I know I still have a long road of job hunting after I graduate but it is one step closer to teaching.  The other reason I am excited is because my race is in September as you already may know.  It is what I have been working my tail off for since September of last year and I will finally be put to the test!

 This past week was another one which wasn't too exciting.  I worked and I trained.  No sailing this week because I took over at my buddies house to babysit his three dogs and they left early so I didn't want to leave them for that long.  I have continued to lift two days a week and I can definitely feel myself getting stronger in the weight room.  For whatever reason when it came to to my bike and run this week though it was very difficult to get myself going.  I think taking so much time off last week definitely hurt me.  I also did not swim this week, which I don't like but I will be back in the pool this week, I can promise you that.

My buddy who I am house sitting for was a personal trainer and is still into working out and staying fit.  One morning when I woke up I found an omron machine in the bathroom.  I decided to fire it up and plug in my info and see what it had to say.  I could see the little lines blinking across the bottom and the anticipation was building.  When the numbers popped up I had to rub my eyes and look at it again.  It told me I had 18% body fat.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME 18%!!  I didn't have one of these machines when I first started so I cannot give you an exact number for where I was, but it had to be somewhere between 25-30%.  I couldn't believe it...I was beside myself. 

Last week I was talking with a guy Brandon who I work with at my health club.  I used to see Brandon when he would come in to swim when I first started working there and I was super inspired.  I knew he was a triathlete and I knew that, that's what I wanted to become.  He has definitely been an inspiration throughout this whole thing and he has helped me more than I could ever imagine.  When I was talking to him, I told him that I wanted to get better and faster on my bike.  I am averaging about 15 mph on every ride when I go out but I want to be faster.  I also can feel how I am still a little hesitant when it comes to descending hills.  This is obviously something I need to work on because there are so many hills where I ride.  After talking awhile he said "it will come with time man, don't worry about it!"  This is so true....I constantly need to remind myself that I have just entered into this new world of triathlons.  I did not run or ride before I started.  I am basically starting from square one and he is right, it will come with time and practice. 

Today I woke up and grabbed some coffee before I went to church.  I knew after church that I needed to do a brick workout.  I was just delaying the inevitable.  I grabbed my water bottles, my Powerbar gel and I was off.  I started my ride and it was hot.  Not nearly as hot as a few rides I have done, but the sun was definitely beating down.  As I was descending one of the first big hills I went to change gears and my chain totally locked up.  I couldn't pedal and I immediately started freaking out on the inside.  I knew I just had to make it to the bottom of the hill.  When I got there I jumped off and started fooling around with the chain.  For whatever reason it had popped off.  As I said before I am totally new to this and I had to idea what to do.  I was over 6 miles from my car and I have no idea how far I was from home.  I wanted to just call it quits, call my friend to come get me who lives right in the town of Oxford and go home.  I finally figured it out and jumped back on the bike.  I rode some more and as I was descending another hill the same thing happened.  Luckily this time it was easy to fix because I knew what to do.  I popped the chain back on and finished my ride.  It was just over 17 miles.

Strava report from my ride.

When I got back to my car, I popped the wheel off and switched my shoes and started off for my run.  I headed over to the park across from where I parked my car and my legs felt like jello.  For my first mile it felt like I wasn't even moving.  I got through two miles in around 18 minutes and I knew I had to finish....I had to hit my 5K just for myself.  I was already over an hour into my workout and my legs were dead. In this moment I wanted to quit so bad.  As I was running I thought of a picture that I posted on my instagram last week and it pushed me to keep going.  I finished my 5K and although it wasn't my fastest time, I some how managed to go 8 min on my last mile!

Strava from my run with my first negative split!

As I said multiple times in this post, I am entering into an entirely new world here.  I am someone who wants things instantaneously.  I see something and I want it right then and there.  I have become better about this on this journey however.  If you go back to previous posts or check out my twitter(ForYourself15) You will see how I have gotten faster since I started running at the end of last year.  I know that I am getting better and better with each training sessions.  I can see my body changing and adapting to everything I have been doing and I am so happy with how far I have come.  I would have never thought when I started that I would be where I am today.  2-3 years ago....HA! I would have never even dreamed of doing what I am doing right now.  Still is it selfish of me to want more, to want to be faster?  No I don't think so....I have never wanted something quite as bad as this and I can promise you that I will stop at nothing until I get there.

I am not sure how you found this blog but I can tell you that I have found some amazing people through instagram who have been incredibly inspiring.  If you are on there or not on there, you should check it out and find me if you want to put a face with the blogger (doing_it_for_yourself).  People post their story and their progress and it is awesome, I love it!  It is insane how your body responds to the pressure you put on it!  

This week is a busy week coming up, yes tomorrow is my birthday but to me it will just be another day.  I am going to train, I want to swim and honestly I wouldn't have it any other way.  I had a great dinner with family tonight and I am so thankful for them. They have been absolutely amazing through this journey and I would be truly lost without them.  Wishing you all a wonderful week and I hope you enjoy what is left of your summer!

All for now

Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself