Chicago's Accenture Triathlon

Well, we traveled to Chicago for the largest race in the world, and it lived up to that and then some. First... the event. Oh man... it was triathlon heaven... an HUGE hotel full of athletes and bikes... it was awesome to see so many tri-bikes being wheeled up and down the hallways. So many athletes and gear all in one place. There was a 3 day triathlon Expo in the lower level of the hotel that had everything that you would every need in the sport of triathlon. A major shopping spree.

Sunday morning was a truly remarkable sight... sunrise over Lake Michigan and 9000 athletes ready to rock...

Brandon took off @ 6:04, Trevor and I were not starting until 8:45... I will save everyone the individual race details. But I would like to share the overall experience.

After the Swim start you had about a 1/2 mile run to the transition to get your bike. Sounds pretty simple... but check out the size of the transition area. We could not even fit it into one picture. Its HUGE!

Here is a picture of the finish line area that just seemed to NEVER come any closer while on the run.

I could or should do an entire post just about the race... but I am just not into it right now... maybe in a day or so.

And I guess the rest of the weekend might explain why I feel that way. We got to Chicago on Thursday... we were to meet up with a local triathlon team that was hosting a dinner and fundraiser in our honor. I am still blown away by that. But the evening was incredible. We sat in attendance while the team conducted their business followed by a nice dinner. After dinner I was to give a speech about the meaning of being a Donor Family and basically tell my story... after I finished... Terry (the guy that got my brothers heart) went next. I think the speeches went very well... not a dry eye left in the place and you could hear a pin drop throughout the entire thing. It was great to say the least. I still can't believe how much Libby and her Together We Tri team did for us.

I don't know if I can really put into words how grateful I am to everyone at Together We Tri... without them this trip would not have been possible and they were the nicest people you could ever meet. I will see them again...

At the Expo while on my shopping spree... we came across a booth that said... "Find a Cure or Die Trying". Naturally, thinking that somehow this guy might be doing something similar we asked him what he was all about. Danny has Cystic Fibrosis... he is trying to qualify for the Kona Ironman and will be running a marathon it Milan, Italy soon. He does this to stay in the best shape possible and raise money to find a cure for CF. Danny has about 50% lung capacity... and pushing himself to the limits is the best way for him to combat his disease.

http://www.fightforever.org/

We met another guy along the way. I have emailed him several times in the past... and he decided that he would like to have lunch with us on Saturday. He calls himself Breathin Steven. Steve had CF just like Danny, but 8 years ago he received a lung transplant. He was given the lungs of an 18 year old girl from Iowa. Steven now is that biggest Iowa supporter I have ever seen and is truly living his life in memory of Kari... his donor. After meeting him for a 45 minute lunch and saying our good-bye on a sidewalk full of people... my entire family and Steven were all left wondering what just happened... and why all the tears. It was an unforgettable meeting.

On Sunday... Trevor and I were sitting in the grass waiting for our swim to start... guess who walks up? Ole' breathin Steven... back again wearing more Iowa stuff. It seems like every 5 minutes the guy would tell us that we "rocked" or how "awesome" we were. He sees it more than we do, the effect that we could have while promoting the organ donation... and after hearing that from him. I know we are doing the right thing. Here is a final picture with us, Danny and Steven in it.

How Can I Describe It?

Just got back from the US Transplant Games in Pittsburgh. Here is a little history before I try to put everything that happened into words. From my past experiences with the Transplant Games... I knew this was going to be big. My brothers were going with me this time, we had the magazine article (which was a big deal in the transplant community) and we have the triathlon team going strong. I guess I REALLY under-estimated just how big it was.


We arrived late afternoon on Friday, we had tickets to the Pirates baseball game and needed to get checked into the hotel and get moving over there. We met up with Jenny Klouse.... she is originally from Millington (our little home town) and is a Kidney recipient from Illinois now. Her mom was Chase's second grade teacher. We had a great time with her at the game and walking around downtown Pittsburgh afterwards.


Saturday morning, we were off to the Swimming events to watch Terry and Jerry. This was going to be the first events my brothers would experience. It seemed that the more people we were around, the more asked us about the magazine article. People from all over... South Carolina, Connecticut, Iowa and even New Mexico asked if we were the ones in the article. I was pretty surprised at how many people recognized us from that. We were taking pictures with people from all over and exchanging stories of personal tragedy and triumph. Terry and Jerry both received a medal in their events on Saturday.


Saturday evening was opening ceremonies and this is where things really took off. It starts with about 6000 people being lined up into teams and then living donors and always coming in last is the donor families...and its always entering to a standing ovation. From the first person to the last... it never lets up and is very emotional. The ceremony is always good, and this year Terry was selected to give a speech during it. My brothers and I went with him on stage and were introduced. Here are a couple pictures...




Terry is talking about Chase and holding the button with his picture on it.

Right after Terry finished his speech, a great picture and a great moment. The thing you can't see and definitely can't hear...is the standing ovation by about 20,000 people. It was pretty awesome.

Here is Terry and Trevor leaving the stage... another great picture and even better if you can picture everyone one their feet with tears in their eyes.

The day or so that followed the opening ceremonies were remarkable. We were approached by so many great people sharing their stories, their hugs and their tears with us. We have pictures with people and invitations to visit all over the US. It was remarkable how we were acknowledged after that. A true testament to Chase...

Here is another picture taken during the swim event... it is of us three, Kathy Homan the Team Manager for Team Michigan and Julie... the sister and living donor to Jerry.

I will have to post more about the experience and life lessons learned at this years games. It is so difficult to put this into a blog entry. I am thankful that my brothers enjoyed themselves and really saw what the Transplant Games are all about. I enjoyed spending time with them, I know it would not been the same without them. I will continue to thank God daily for the relationship that we have... and for all the things that they bring to my life.

More soon...

Some Good News and Some Not So Good....

Hello all...

I know that I am not very good at keeping things up to date... But I guess I prefer to give you substance over quantity. At least that is my reasoning.

I was off work all last week and that is never a good thing... yep you heard me right. I tend to work harder around the house. Which again was the case. I also can get distracted by not being in a regular schedule... I think I only ran twice and went on one bike ride. (but it was a 32 miler)

I am getting ready for the Transplant Games in Pittsburgh. I am pretty excited that Trevor and Brandon are going. I think they are going to be just as overwhelmed as I am everytime I go. It is truely amazing and I wish everyone could experience it once. We have some exciting events planned. On Friday we are going to the Pirates vs. Cardinals baseball game at PNC Park. It is supposed to be one of the best places to watch a game. So that is kinda cool.

On Saturday Terry (the guy the got Chase's heart) and Jerry (the kidney recipient on our tri team) swim for Team Michigan. Each will be in their own events but also on the same relay team. The opening ceremonies will also be on Saturday. Terry and I are going to be a part of that. Which is a pretty big deal... maybe 20,000 people or so. It is usually a pretty exciting thing.

Then there is the bad things that happen to good people... looks like my uncle has a long road. He had his first kemo treatment yesterday... We are all praying for the best and know he is a fighter.

A little more news that wasn't so good. We were chosen for a People Magazine article about the Transplant Games and our family. But I found out yesterday that the story was scrapped due to the AP getting the a hold of the story that was supposed to be a People Magazine exclusive. So know I am working with the reporter on getting the story for us and the triathlon team. She says that she is really going to push us getting in...but I need to write something up for the editors and make a presentation.

Family news... Cade was picked to play in an All-Star Baseball Tournament in a couple weeks... he is really pumped up about it. That is the only thing that the kids have going on... well, sports related thing that is going on for the entire month of July. A nice break from running here and there every night.

Big Fish... didn't get away

Well, it's over... and it really happened. I finished my first Olympic distance race. I have to say I was a little freaked out, but overall... I was confident I could finish. I just didn't want to embarrass myself in front of all the people there. For the most part... I am very happy with the race, the day and the first official event for Tri for Life. Here is the race recap....

Saturday - Terry (recipient of my brothers heart), Jerry (kidney recipient) and his daughter Chase (ok, sometimes things get really weird) came into town for a little pre-race get together. We went over to the course and setup the tent and showed them the course layout. After some good food and vi sting... it was off to bed early.

Race morning... Woke up around 4:45, had a bowl of oatmeal and started drinking water... We were out the door by 5:30 or so. We arrived at the park and I took all my stuff to the transition area to get setup. It was then off to the tent to make sure everything was in place and accounted for.

I heard that my heat was going first... first in the water. This is the only course I have done where it is 2 loops on the swim. I think that was a good thing for me. I didn't have to get intimidated by seeing a full 1500 meter swim course. That is a long ways. At about 7:45 I jumped in the water for a little warm up swim. I thought the water temp was perfect and I was suddenly very confident that I could do this. It was going to be a long slow Sunday morning cruise for me.

I was not as nervous when the race started... I started towards the back of the pack and went out pretty slow. I really didn't know what to expect being this was my first Olympic swim distance so I stayed slow and steady. The first 500 meters was a true battle... people pushing and kicking... climbing over, you name it. But I settled in and just cruised. Before I knew it, the first lap was over and I felt pretty good. The second lap was pretty uneventful...except for the couple of sprint wave athletes that were swimming on the wrong side of the buoys, coming head on into me. But I was fine getting out of the water... maybe a little "too" fine. I left a lot in the tank, but being my first one... I know what to expect next time.

Transition 1 - went fine... I have a new bike computer and while pushing the bike out of the transition area... it popped off. So I had to take time to go back and get it and pop it back on. Lesson learned... I can't push the bike by the stem next time.

Bike - I was pretty good on the bike. Although, it is the one area of the race I was hoping to do better. I was hoping for a least an average of 20 mph, I ended up with 19.5 mph. I can understand it... given my philosophy of trying not to blow my legs out before the run. I knew that was going to be a killer. So I took climbing the hills a little easier than I should have. except for the big one... that thing stays in the back of you mind the entire time... and when I got too it... I just blasted up it. So bike was good, not great.

Transition 2 - Smooth and pretty fast. Next time I will keep a small thing of water available and not rely on my bike water bottle. I think I could have been faster if Trevor's crap wasn't in my way. I mean he had a big enough lead... he didn't need to resort to that... just kidding Trev. It feels great when we are side-by-side like that. Looking back, that is a small memorable thing that really sticks out in my mind.

Run - Well, what can I say... I knew this was going to suck. I started out way too fast but couldn't slow down. During our training runs, I ran a 9:15 per mile pace. I told Trevor that if I could run 9:15 on race day, with those hills and follow the first 2 event... I would be ecstatic. The first 2 miles went by pretty quickly, I talked to a lot of people while running was enjoying myself. But after the sprint turn-around, things thin out a bit. I saw Trevor on his way back in, just as I was getting to the hills and he was coming out. The middle 2 miles really kicked my butt and I hit the wall at that point... I was running 9:30 or slower most of the time. I shuffled (or at least it felt like it) back to the park entrance... and I know its deceiving how far you still have to go. So I maintained the "keep some in the tank" mentality. I actually didn't start "running" until I saw the Finish area.

Overall, I achieved my goal of under 3 hours. But more than that, it was a great day. I met and talked to a lot of people. Several people came by our tent. Terry was introduced to the crowd and was well received. He was also able to hand out the awards after the race. What a great way to end the day. Lots of family and new friends on hand to see this. Very cool!

No Training news...

Ok, so I will have to find something else to talk about. No triathlon stuff today.

I will have to tell you about Saturday morning... I was in bed when I hear Dane yell... Dad!..... Dad!... So I get up and walk into his room. You have to picture him lying there on his back... looking straight up at the ceiling. I asked him what was wrong... his response "My hair seems to be stuck in a hole" Confused and thinking he was still sleeping... I said "What?" Again he repeated like any 4 year old... "My hair seems to be stuck in a hole" I love the "seems to be" part. This kid kills me.

After a little more investigation. He had fallen asleep with gum in his mouth and now it has his head stuck to his pillow. See... his hair seemed to be stuck in a hole. Logical now... and funny.

It was my fault, the kids were up late on Friday and I put them to bed without brushing their teeth, so the gum was never discovered. Well, not until Saturday morning.

Maybe you had to be there... but I still crack up when I think about the situation.

Baseball update... Cade had a game Monday and again did really well. He has another game tonight. Riley had practice last night and a game on Thursday that she will have to miss due to Kindergarten graduation. Ok so a little training talk... When the heck am I going to find time to train? Ugh!

Same ole' story...

What can I say... it seems like its the same story over and over... too busy and always trying to find time to train. Well, maybe not exactly the same story. I did a little work in the yard over the Memorial Day weekend... Trevor and I had a brick workout planned for Monday that I was really looking forward too. Except when I woke up Monday morning with a massive headache and an upset stomach... I realized I might have a touch of sun poisoning, at least that is the only thing I can figure.

So, my long weekend of training went by the way side... I was able to run the Olympic course with him on Thursday... and we planned another 25 mile bike and 6 mile run on the Olympic course for Sunday morning. Well... woke up Sunday and guess what... didn't get off the couch until 6:00pm. Another quality training day out the window. I can't afford to be missing these.

That is all the complaining I will do for now... I will have an update on more upbeat stuff later.

Lack of Title due to brain inactivity

I hate when I wait so long to post. But most days I feel the stuff that happens everyday, just isn't important enough to write about. But that defeats the purpose of the Blog. So here is what is up.

Triathlon Stuff - Well training was going great... to be honest I was getting faster and going further than ever. (notice the "was" part) The last couple training days have not been good. I was getting into the pool about 3 times a week. That has been down to 1 day a week. And trust me, my last swim was really bad. Biking - I can't even tell you how that is going... I haven't found the time for a long ride yet. Trevor, Brandon and I went out Mothers Day morning, we had a great time... went a little over 20 miles... but it was more of a social event. Running - for the first time ever... I had to slow down and walk during a training run. UGH! That is just not good mentally. It was only a 3 mile run, but I was just not with it. I walked about 1:15, and was still at an 8:02 pace... that is the only upside. Tonight is my long run night... I am scheduled for 70 minutes, and I WILL do it. I need to for confidence and to get back on track. With the schedule that I have it has been hard to stay motivated to train... so... I broke out the Nair and I am trying to at least look the part in hopes of getting me back on track. I must say the Nair is great stuff.

Team Stuff - We are making final decisions on the Big Fish race. I think we have just about everything that we need for the event. It looks like we are going to have a fairly large following out there. we are pretty excited about that.

Personal - Riley's dance is OVER! Thank god. That is one less thing to do... but it will soon be replaced by baseball for her which will be 2 days per week. Cade is in fully swing with baseball already. And this is the last week of soccer. No wonder my training has been so bad. All that, plus the normal things that people have to do. Mow the lawn... I am having some trees taken out and getting my driveway moved. I also have plans for a retaining wall project.

See... lots of stuff but a pretty boring read. I have some other things coming up that will be more interesting. I promise.