Running Caniac

TrySports Mayo Lake Triathlon Recap

2012-01-01T17:30:00.000-05:00

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

2011-06-05T12:00:00.001-04:00

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

2011-05-21T21:48:00.000-04:00

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

2011-04-27T08:04:00.000-04:00

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

2011-04-10T07:00:00.001-04:00

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!

2011-04-08T16:00:00.003-04:00

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!

Run to Win!

2011-03-27T07:35:00.000-04:00

I went to Barnes & Noble this weekend looking for the book "Run to Overcome". This is the story of long distance runner and 2009 NYC Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi.

On the inside of the book jacket is the phrase "running is like life". In addition is 1 Corinthians 9:24 which says, "Don't you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize."

All of us are not world class athletes that have the chance to win every race we enter, but we all race to win. We may want to set a new PR for the distance or simply finish, but in any case, achieving the specific goal we set for the race....we will have won.

The same is true in our daily lives as we run with God. We should all race to win. By glorifying God by making disciples of all nations, we are that world class athlete leading the pack to the ultimate finish line in Jesus Christ.

Tobacco Road Half Marathon

2011-03-22T12:36:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday was the 2nd annual Tobacco Road Marathon weekend. I was entered in the 2010 half marathon, but due to an injury I had to defer my entry until the 2011 race. I was looking forward to this race as it is flat for the most part, especially on the American Tobacco Trail.

The morning started early, with a 4:15 am wakeup. I was out the door by 4:30 am and on my way to the offsite parking about 10 minutes away from the start/finish area. They had coach buses to take all of the runners to the start/finish area. I was on the bus at 5:15 am and we were on our way. On the ride over I prayed that God would give me the strength to finish the race, the knowledge of His word and the wisdom to share His word.

It was a cold morning with temps in the lower 40's, but that was perfect for running. Race start was set for 7:00 am for the half with the full marathoners starting at 7:15 am. At 6:40 am they made the announcement for all half marathoners to make their way to the corrals. As I was standing in my corral, I began to speak to this guy next to me named JT. As soon as we started talking he asked me about the Team 413 shirt I was wearing. JT wears a silicon band that has Philippians 4:13 on it. We ended up talking for the remaining time until the start. What a great time of fellowship this was.

The start was delayed about 15 minutes as all of the buses carrying the runners had not arrived to the starting area. Once all of the buses had arrived, it was time to go. I wished JT all the best and it was time for the journey. I had a goal in mind leading up to this event of wanting to crack the 2:20 mark for a half. My PR in the half is 2:23 and I figured 2:20 was attainable due to the swim and cycling training I have been doing preparing for the sprint triathlon on April 9. As we started, we had a series of rolling hills for the first 3 miles. I was feeling really good during this stretch going between 9:30 - 10:00 min per mile pace. Just before the 3 mile mark, the lead marathoners were coming through. Those lead runners were really moving. Probably at a 5:00 min per mile pace. At the 3 mile mark we made a turn onto the American Tobacco Trail. I had heard a lot about this trail, but this was going to be my first time ever running on it. As we started on the trail, a guy came up on my right side who was as tall as me. I asked how he was doing so far and he said he was doing well. He followed that up and said it was tough for big guys like us. That is so true in what he said as when you look at someone who is 6'-4", we just don't look like runners. He was also running at a pace that was just perfect for me as I was able to get a great rhythm going. I stayed with him for the majority of the 7 miles on the trail.

All throughout the run, God was glorified. I heard more words of encouragement from wearing the Team 413 shirt than I have before at any other race. There was even a time right in the first 2 miles of the race where I heard a couple of ladies behind me talking about Romans and then Philippians when they saw the shirt. What a blessing! Then as I was in the final 2 miles of the race, I had 3 separate instances where people came along side me and thanked me for the encouragement the verse had given them. One lady said she was about to quit, then she saw the shirt and knew she could do it. I told her God is always with you no matter what and He will pull you through. The final encounter was with less than 0.5 miles to the finish and a guy thanked me for the encouragement and how it also pulled him through. Those are just a few encounters I had of how God was glorified all throughout this event.

As the miles were clicking down to the finish, I knew the goal of break 2:20 was in reach. I made the right-hand turn to the finish line 100 yards away and I could see the clock showing 2:17. I started to get a little emotional inside as I knew I was going to set a new PR. I crossed the line with an official time of 2:17:08 and a new PR by 6 minutes!

There was also another inspiration story that took place at this event. Amazing story of endurance, discipline and determination. Army Captain Ivan Castro was injured in Iraq. A result of his injuries is that he is blind. The marathon was his 15th he has completed. Just look at this quote from Army Captain Castro, "You know we all have a cross to carry. The Lord decided that this was my cross. He wouldn't give me this cross if he didn't think I could carry it,"

This is true for each and every one of us. The Lord would not give us all He has unless He didn't think we could handle it.

Discipline

2011-03-15T17:20:00.000-04:00

Discipline….When you hear the word discipline, what comes to mind? Do your immediate thoughts go to the military, to school, to your parents? That is what comes to mind for me as well. Discipline is a way of life for many. As a runner, and soon to be triathlete, I found out right away that building endurance requires discipline. I think it is safe to say that most of us just cannot go out and run a marathon, ultra-marathon or an ironman triathlon with no training. Each one of those events is an endurance challenge that takes a tremendous amount of discipline.

As we see in the beginning Hebrews 12, we have the call to endurance in verses 1-2.

1 Therefore since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God's throne.

As athletes, we endure a lot of pain and suffering in our training and our races. None of it can compare to the pain and suffering Jesus endured for each and every one of us. Jesus paid the ultimate price for each of us that we may live and glorify God by making disciples of all nations.

This is why I endure the hard work to reach the finish line….to serve Him. Hebrews 12-11-13 says.

11 No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but healed instead.

I don't know of any race where you will not find spectators. These are family members and friends who are not only cheering on loved ones, but also providing encouragement to other athletes. I can tell you, that means so much to have the support from people I will probably never see again. In return, running for Jesus with Team 413, I am yielding fruit before the spectators as they see God's word proclaimed, in the hopes that they will be trained by it as we read in Hebrews 12:11.

The kind of disciple it takes to train for endurance challenges is the same kind of discipline it takes in our spiritual challenges. Therefore, be disciplined . . . to lay aside the sin that weighs you down, and to run with endurance the race God sets before you . . . all for His glory!

Broken and Lifted Up

2011-03-09T21:41:00.001-05:00

This evening my wife sent me a text message about a listener who called into K-Love who was broken. Once I got home this evening, I turned on K-Love and also went to their Facebook Fan Page. A man by the name of Eric called in the station this evening as was contenplating taking his life by jumping off of the Golden Gate bridge.

Many all over the world who were listening at the moment heard this man reaching out for help. He was broken and God led him to reach out to someone. That someone was Scott & Kelli at K-Love Radio. At that moment, Scott prayed for Eric and many who were in cars returning home from work, church or simply listening at home also prayed for Eric. The are several posts on the fan page about Eric and how everyone is praying for him. Prayer is powerful!

I know Eric will probably never read this post, but I pray that all of the prayers for him tonight are answered and that he will find strength and comfort in the Lord. We all face times where we are broken and go through the storms of life, but it is at those times that we can become the strongest and find comfort in the Lord. I am reminded of the chorus to Praise You In This Storm by Casting Crowns.

And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

Jesus loves you Eric!

The Secret of Being Content

2011-02-27T13:51:00.000-05:00

This morning our Sunday school lesson was on the secrets of being content. For the past 3 months we have been going through Philippians and today we ended our study on Philippians covering chapter 4, verses10-23. As we come to the end of Paul's letter, it is good to take a step book and look at what Paul says in Philippians 4:9. Paul says that we are do what we have learned, received, heard and seen in him. So the question becomes what has Paul taught us in this letter? There are several things we have learned and here are some of those things:

Rejoice in the Lord always (Phil 4:4)
Put the past behind and look forward (Phil 3:13)
Stand firm in the Lord (Phil 4:1)
Do everything without grumbling and arguing (Phil 2:14)
Look out for the interests of others (Phil 2:4)
Do nothing out of rivalry (Phil 2:3)
Watch out for evil workers (Phil 3:2)
Boast in Christ and do not put confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:3)

Paul learned to be content in whatever circumstance he was in. As Paul says in 4:11-12 "I have learned to content in whatever circumstance I am. I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content - whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need." Do you find yourself being content when you have little or you have a lot?

Being content is nothing that just comes to you at the snap of the fingers. This is learned over time. Just as Paul learned, we too are learning and with learning comes wisdom, knowledge and understanding

Paul follows up his secret he has learned of being content with a verse that has a huge impact in my life. Paul says in Philippians 4:13..."I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." He did not say some things....Paul says ALL things. We all have hardships and trials we go through everyday. Paul also had hardships and trials. Even while in prison he learned to be content, rejoice in the Lord and know that it is the strength of Christ that is above all else and got him through these times.

The same is true in my life. The ministry of Team 413 has changed me from the inside out. It is a transformation that all goes back to one. It is not about me, it is about glorifying God in all I do. Christ is the vine and I am one of the branches using His word to help proclaim the Gospel. In all of the running events I have been a part of since January 2009, I have worn a Team 413 shirt. It is amazing to see how God breathed a single verse that is such an encouragement to many. I hear comments of gratitude from fellow runners how that verse helped them finish the race set before them. Just like there is a finish line at the end of a marathon, there is also a finish line in our spiritual life and that is Jesus Christ.

God blessed me with the opportunity to spend a few minutes in front of my Sunday school class today to talk about the impact Philippians 4:13 has had on my life and how I am running for Christ with Team 413. I knew God would provide by giving me the words to say. I told the class how the strength of Christ gave me the courage and ability to stand up in front of the class and speak. It was such a blessing to see the response of everyone as I stood up there. I know it was truly God at work.

Seeds have been planted and I pray that God will continue to use me to help in planting more seeds in order to see His fruit flourish.

Thousands compete in Krispy Kreme challenge

2011-02-06T13:00:00.007-05:00

In my previous post about the Krispy Kreme Challenge, I mentioned that I was interviewed by ABC 11 and News Channel 14.

I made the news for ABC 11 and I wanted to share a link to the video.

Thousands compete in Krispy Kreme challenge

Enjoy the video!

Krispy Kreme Challenge

2011-02-05T17:30:00.007-05:00

Today was the 7th annual Krispy Kremem Challenge in Raleigh, NC. This event has grown each year and this year there were 7,500 runners brave or maybe more appropriate...crazy enough to take the challenge. I was challenged by a friend to sign-up for the race. I figured, why not. I couldn't back down to a challenge.

Looking at the weather forecast, I knew it was going to be cold and wet as we have been getting soaked the past 2 days. In watching previous years video on this event, I knew to expect all kinds of outfits. So I figured with the rain, this would be the perfect the event to wear an umbrella hat. Figured I would fit right in.

The rain at times was coming down pretty hard. I am glad I had this umbrella hat. As I was standing with a friend under a tree, a cameraman from the local ABC TV station came up to me. He introduced himself and said my hat was the best one he has seen today and asked if he could interview me. I said absolutely. I ended up being interviewed by two TV stations at the same time (ABC 11 and News Channel 14). It was a lot of fun as they asked if this was my first time running the event, what my strategy was for eating the donuts and of course where I got this umbrella hat. My friend Mark was taking pictures of the interview.

Now it was time to head to the starting line. It felt like you were in Times Square on New Year's Eve with the wacky outfits and especially when with 10 seconds until the start, everyone did the countdown. It was time to run for donuts. The race started at the NC State Bell Tower and worked its way to the Krispy Kreme 2.25 miles away. I ran a faster pace than normal in order to run with my friend Mark. As we approached the Krispy Kreme, he pulled ahead of me by about 20-30 seconds. I picked up my box of donuts and found Mark. When I got to him he had already eaten 6 donuts! I was not surprised as he can eat 20 pancakes at IHOP when they have all you can eat pancakes. He proceeded to finish and head on the way back. I in-turn had a ways still to go.

My strategy for donuts was to smash the donuts together. I started with 1 donut and then I smashed 2 together and for the remaining donuts I smashed 3 at a time. I had a cup of water to help. It probably took me about 15 minutes to get through the dozen. So, the first challenge was accomplished. Now it was time for the second challenge. Could I make the 2.25 miles back without depositing the donuts on the route??? I figured I would take my normal pace for the run back. I felt really good and I was able to make it back with no problems. I could see some people struggling, but for the most part everyone was able to make it back.

This was also a first time event for Team 413. I had a few people speak to me that were encouraged by the verse "I can do all through Christ who strengthens me". One gentleman spoke with me while we were eating the donuts. He had Philippians 4:13 on a dogtag he wears. Another gentleman on the run back to the finish came up along side me and said he was praying for me. Great to see God at work even during such a challenge as this.

Overall it was a fun event. I've had a lot of people today ask me how it went, but the number 1 question everyone waht to know was if I threw up. I can say that I did not throw up. I was able to eat the dozen and keep them down. So I consider that a success.

As I said to my friend Mark as we were walking back to the car when talking about doing it again. I said that I think I will pass....been there, done that and got the t-shirt!

Here are some pictures from the race today.

NHL All-Star 5K

2011-01-29T19:00:00.001-05:00

Today was a great event out at the RBC Center as the NHL All-Star 5K was held. It was a cold start to the day, but a good turnout of 2,000 runners. As expected, the Hurricanes were well represented with several people wearing jerseys for the Caniac Nation. Besides the Canes, I spotted jerseys from Boston, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Vancouver, New Jersey, Ottawa, Team USA and Hartford.

The course took us on a tour around the RBC Center then past Carter-Finley Stadium before heading out onto the roads before making the turn back to the RBC Center. The finish line was right in front of the lawn outside the arena.

It was great to see Hurricanes play-by-play announcer John Forslund service as host and leader for cheering every runner to the finish. He made sure to recognize everyone he could. He gave my wife a nice shout-out as she approached the finish line. I was cheering her on from one side and she had friends on the other side cheering for her too. Forslund proceeded to say to her, "Number 187 is the crowd favorite". That was great to hear.

I ran the race with my good friend Jon. We booth ran wearing Team 413 shirts. Started out on a good pace and took advantage of an early downhill stretch to pick the pac up. As we made our way past mile 1, we started up Trinity Road which is nothing but a steady incline all the way to mile 2. After making the turn onto Westchase Road heading back to the finish line, I looked at my watch and knew breaking 30 minutes was reachable if I picked up the pace a little. I proceeded to put in a little extra and was able to cross the line in 29:30. My buddy Jon was also able to break 30 minutes.

Overall this was a great event and I have to say thank you the NHL, the Carolina Hurricanes and NC Races for putting this on. It would be awesome to see this turn into an annual event. Even though the All-Star game will not be here, we could still have this event.

Below are a couple of pictures from today's event and the medal given to the first 500 people that registered for the race..

The Sutter Soar!

2011-01-27T20:28:00.000-05:00

Forty-one years ago during the Stanley Cup Finals in 1970, Bobby Orr scored the cup clinching goal in dramatic fashion. It was an OT goal in game 4 to complete the sweep of the St. Louis Blues. The celebration of that goal is probably the most well-known photo in all of hockey. What a moment captured in time to see Orr completely horizontal to the ice...like superman flying through the air.

This past Monday night during the Hurricanes vs. Maples Leafs game, Brandon Sutter scored on a great hustle play. After racing to the puck on the half wall, he passed it back to the point. He then headed straight to the net. After the shot from the point, the rebound came right out the hustling Sutter who produced a great goal. The following photo (by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images) shows amazing similarity to Orr's famous one forty-one years ago.

Granted, Sutter's goal was not a Stanley Cup clinching goal, but amazing to see the similarity of him flying through the air just like Bobby Orr in 1970. This is a perfect example of Sutter's grit and determination as there is so much Sutter brings to the game that does not show on the scoresheet. His is outstanding on defense in killing penalities, applying the forecheck and in the faceoff circle. One day Sutter should win a Selke award as the best defensive forward in the league.

Maybe one day we will see the "Sutter Soar" again as he lifts the Stanley Cup horizontal to the ice!

It's beginning to look a lot like....

2011-01-25T21:58:00.000-05:00

You probably figured the last word of the title for this post would be Christmas. Well, normally you would be correct. In this particular case, the rest of the title is "the All-Star Game".

As I went to have lunch with friends today, I drove threw downtown Raleigh. You see more and more signs of the All-Star festivities that begin on Friday and continue through the 58th NHL All-Star game on Sunday.

As I passed a hotel, there was a coach bus with the NHL 2K video game plastered all over it. Then you get a look at the RBC Tower with the All-Star window treatments. Then, as I headed south out of Raleigh, the logos for the Fan Fair at the convention center could be clearly seen.

This is going to be an exciting weekend for the NHL, the Carolina Hurricanes, the city of Raleigh and all of the Caniacs out there. I know I am excited to see Raleigh shine.

Looking forward to seeing who Staal and Lidstrom draft on their teams Friday night. This a great twist to the format this year. You can check out the fantasy draft on Versus at 8pm EST Friday.

Then on Saturday there are a couple of great events. First of all is the All-Star 5K. I am looking forward to running in this event with my wife and good friend Jon. Should be a blast with all of the Caniacs and other NHL fans who will join us in the 3.1 mile run. Look for a post on my blog soon after the event highlighting all that happened.

Then later Saturday we have the SuperSkills Challenge. Should be special to see all of the skills on display. I am amazed at what these guys can do.

On Sunday it all comes to an end with the game. Some of the big names will be unable to play due to injury (Crosby and Malkin), but this will still be a great event.

Enjoy this awesome celebration everyone. For everyone who is not here in Raleigh, I hope you will tune in to Versus to watch.

First Swim

2011-01-17T18:19:00.000-05:00

Today was my first day in the pool in a very long time. I believe the last time I put in an actual workout in the pool was when I was in 8th grade. That was when I was on a swim team. Come to think of it, I still have my towel from the Stingrays with my name embroidered on it. Doing the math, that was 23 years ago....yikes!

I knew it would be a little difficult so I took it easy on actually following a workout. I wanted to get in the pool and swim freestyle for some laps to get familiar again with that stroke and my breathing. I could not believe how poor my stamina level was. I know with time it will improve and I am glad I have 12 weeks until the triathlon. The plan I am following calls for 2 swims a week. I also swam a few laps of breaststroke and backstroke just to change it up a bit. Felt like I was actually equal in my breaststroke speed compared to the freestyle...:-)

It was also nice to be at the pool this morning and have it entirely to myself. The Granite Falls pool is a great facility and I found myself trying to visualize how the swim portion of the triathlon will be setup and the exit to the first transition area to head out on the bike. At this time they do not have the course maps finalized.

Overall I swam for 30 minutes with some breaks. I had a hard time counting my laps, but it was approximately 14 laps (350 yards). I am looking forward to my next swim and utilizing a swim plan my friend Jon provided to me. Jon is getting ready for this triathlon as well and I passed him on my way to the pool today as he was out running. Keep it up Jon!

NHL All-Star Game

2011-01-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

The NHL All-Star Game is quickly approaching and yesterday the NHL announced the players that will participate in the event.

For Canes fans, we have come to associate the appearance of Eric Staal at the All-Star game an annual occurrence and that is the case again this year as Staal will make his 4th appearance. This year will definitely be different as the Hurricanes are the hosts. In talking to the media yesterday Staal said, "You want to be recognized among the elite in the league and for me to be a part of that this year is an incredible honor, especially being in our home building in front of our fans."

Making his first All-Star game will be goalie Cam Ward. In my opinion, probably the most under-rated goalie in the league. This is a well deserved selection as Cam has played outstanding this season. He is the Canes all-time wins leader. As Ward noted, "It'll be my first All-Star appearance and that's one thing, and then to have it at your home building is going to be a special experience and I'm really looking forward to it."

Rookie Jeff Skinner was selected as one of the 12 first-year players for the SuperSkills Competition. This is going to be special to see Skinner showing off his skills that we have seen throughout the season so far. Skinner is leading all rookies in scoring at this point in the season. Think back to when you were 18, can you imagine being in the position he is? Absolutely amazing!

Caniacs, this is going to be an exciting time at the end of this month. With the draft January 28 live on Versus and TSN, I wonder if Staal and Ward will be on the same team????

Registered for my first Triathlon

2011-01-07T16:30:00.004-05:00

As a new year begins, it seems everyone makes new year's resolutions. Well, I am no different than anyone else. For many months now, I have been watching the Ironman triathlons online. You can watch them on Ironmanlive.com and they will show the entire race from start to finish. I remember watching the World Champions from Kona last fall and was just amazed at what these athletes can do. I told myself, that one day I want to compete in a triathlon. I know I am not ready for a full Ironman, but I know I could start small with a sprint distance. So, competing and finishing a triathlon became one of my resolutions.

On January 3, I officially entered my first triathlon that will occur in April. This is a sprint distance and a great way to get into the triathlon world. I had been talking about this with my good friend Jon Parks and he also wanted to compete in a triathlon. So, we both signed up for the Granite Falls Triathlon on April 9. This triathlon has a 300 yard pool swim, 12 mile bike and 3.1 mile run. We are both really excited for the challenge!

BeginnerTriathlete.com has been a great resource for information related to all aspects of triathlons. From the forums, to the articles, to the race calendar, this has been extremely helpful in answering any questions. I have also found great training plans that are available for any distance. I will be following a 13-week sprint distance plan that will begin next week and lead me right up to the event on April 9. I am really looking forward to preparing for this event. The one comment I have heard about triathlons is that once you get involved, you will love it and the triathlon community is so supportive.

Here is a picture of my Fuji Roubaix 3.0 road bike.

Good luck to other first time triathletes out there as you have marked 2011 as the year to "resolve" to compete in a triathlon.

WDW Marathon Weekend

2011-01-06T08:04:00.000-05:00

As the 2011 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend arrives, I can't help but think about how much fun this event is. I am excited for the 60,000 + runners who are competing in the half, full or are just plain Goofy!

If this is the first time running any of these races, you are in for a treat. This is a first class event from the expo, the volunteers, the crowd support and the race directors. It has to be if it is at the happiest place on earth, right?

Personally, I am not running this year. I wish all of my Running of the Ears (ROTE) friends all the best and have a great time. I will be thinking of you guys this weekend.

For Chris and Kiki Gillespie of Team 413. I pray that God is glorified by each and every person who comes in contact with Team 413, whether this is by coming to the booth at the Expo or seeing a shirt this weekend during the races.

It seems that the weather forecast is much better than it was for the 2010 race. Temps are projected to be in the 60-70's for daytime highs with lows in the 40-50's. I will never forget last year when heading to the starting corrals for the half marathon and looking up into the lights and seeing snow fall. Definitely a rare occurrence for Orlando. Then on marathon Sunday it was even colder and I never shed any extra clothing I was wearing that day. I had 3 layers on with a pack of hot hands inside of the 2 pairs of gloves I was wearing.

I wanted to share a few if the memories from the 2010 race weekend. Once again good luck to everyone this coming weekend.

Remember, you will finish with more "character" than you started with.

Finisher Medal Display

2011-01-03T18:44:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting a way to display my finisher medals instead of them lying in different places around the house. If you would like a unique way to display your accomplishments, I would recommend checking out Allied Medal Displays from Redmond, WA. Frames start at $39 and they will work with you on the design of a custom frame. These frames are a great way to show your accomplishments! I contacted them to see if they would be able to design a custom frame based on Philippians 4:13.

Allied Medal Displays provided several "mock ups" of frames and what they would look like with the verse on them. I shared them with my wife and she ordered one as a birthday present for me.

Here is this great looking frame mounted on the wall prior to the addition of any finisher medals. The "I" has been replaced with the silhouette of a runner.

Here is the frame with the finisher medals I have received the past 2 years. The only medals not on the frame are the Disney medals as they are already in separate shadow boxes.

Here is a close-up of the runner that replaced the "I".

Thank you Joel at Allied Medal Displays for your assistance and I could not be happier for how this turned out.

Busy Day at WDW

2010-12-29T07:08:00.000-05:00

Tuesday was a busy, but fun day at Walt Disney World.

The day dawned as another cold morning with temps in the 30's. That meant another day of layers to stay warm. At least the forecast was for warming during the day and the winds were down.

Our day began at the Magic Kingdom as we had reservations to eat with Winnie the Pooh and friends at the Crystal Palace. They always have a great selection on the buffet. We all enjoyed the visits by Pooh, Piglet, Eyore and Tigger. After breakfast we hit some of the attractions before the lines were too long.

After a little rest at the hotel it was time to head to Epcot. We had dinner reservations in Morocco and then the highlight of the night was getting to see the Candlelight Processional. This was absolutely fantastic. The celebrity narrator was Marlee Matlin with the assistance of an interpreter. She did an outstanding job of telling the story of Christmas and our savior. Seeing this done in sign language was amazing. The choir and orchestra were wonderful and I highly recommend seeing this if you are visiting Epcot during the holidays.

The night ended with the always awesome Illuminations. This is a great fireworks display to end the night.

As you can see, it was a busy day. Off to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios today.

2011 NHL All-Star 5K

2010-12-11T08:36:00.000-05:00

This January the NHL All-Star Game will be coming to Raleigh! This is going to be a great way for the Caniac Nation to show how enthusiastic we can be and why we have the reputation for the loudest "house" in the NHL.

Announced earlier this week, NHL All-Star Wide Open will take place January 28-30.

The “all-star” line-up will feature hockey’s best and a free Friday night show at the Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater from Three Doors Down.

•NHL Fan Fair - A hockey fan festival featuring interactive games and attractions, special appearances, Hockey Hall of Fame trophy and memorabilia displays, live TV and radio broadcasts, pin trading and trading card zones, music, food, official NHL All-Star merchandise and dozens of other dynamic activities in the Raleigh Convention Center (Friday-Sunday, Jan. 28-30).

•All-Star Live at the Amphitheater: A series of free concerts featuring Three Doors Down (Friday-Saturday, Jan. 28-29).

•All-Star Streets: A street party on Fayetteville and Cabarrus Streets in the style of the popular Raleigh Wide Open spectaculars (Friday-Saturday, Jan. 28-29).

•All-Star 5K - A charity 5K run/walk through Raleigh, starting and ending at the RBC Center, to benefit the Carolina Hurricanes Kids ‘N Community Foundation (Saturday, Jan. 29 at 9:00 am).

The 5K is a great addition to this outstanding weekend. I wonder if any of the all-stars will take part in this event? I have already signed up and you can't beat a $25 entry fee with no processing fees.

Anyone interested can sign-up by going to http://www.ncraces.com/.

What a awesome way to actually showcase the name of my blog. I am a huge Hurricane fan and love running. Having the All-Star game and a 5K is perfect for the......Running Caniac!

Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon

2010-10-26T20:54:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday was the inaugural running of the Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon. Overall this was an outstanding event. I would recommend adding this race to your 2011 race calendar.

It all started with 3 great events on Saturday. The first event was the Coastal 5K. My wife completed this race as I stayed on the sides cheering her on to the finish along with our two girls. So proud of her for completing her second ever 5K.

There was even a guy who ran the 5K juggling the entire distance. From what I understand, this guys also ran the half marathon juggling the entire distance too! It is hard enough to run, let alone trying to juggle at the same time.

After the 5K there was a high heel run. This was interesting as there were 15 participants. I say participants instead of ladies because there was one guy running the race (no, it was not me). He ended up finishing last, but he made it. He was interviewed after the race and was asked why he entered this event. He said it was because of a dare. Pretty funny to see.

The final event on Saturday was a Doggie Dash. There were many participants who ran with "man's best friend" for the 1.5 mile course.

On to Sunday and the Mini Marathon. The course was to take you by many landmarks at Myrtle Beach by starting at Medieval Times at Fantasy Harbor. After crossing the Intracoastal Waterway we would make our way past Coastal Grand Mall and on to Broadway at the Beach. After leaving Broadway we would make our way to Ocean Boulevard and finish on the brand new boardwalk on the beach.

Prior to starting the race there was an important challenge that had to be decided....what knight would get the honor of starting the race. The only way to settle this was a duel. There were 6 knights who battled it out with sparks flying from their swords and shields. We eventually had a victor and it was time to pound the pavement.

Working up the biggest hill on the course just before mile 2 on the bridge crossing the Intracoastal Waterway, you had to look up to make sure the Spirit Airlines jet was not landing on top of you in the final approach to the airport. That took your attention away from the hill, which made the climb to the top easier.

As the miles progressed I was looking forward to seeing the family at Broadway around mile 8. As I approached, I started looking for them and spotted them at the 8.5 mile mark. It was great to see them and get that extra encouragement. As I passed, my youngest daughter who is just shy of turning 2 wanted to run with me. My wife had to stop her and as she did, she drops to her knees and starts crying saying, "daddy, wait".....too cute!

The final stretch in the race is just spectacular as you make your way down the new boardwalk. Awesome view of the ocean on your right.

As I came to the finish line there were a couple of great moments for me. I was coming to the line by myself so on the loud speaker they called out my name as well as recognizing Team 413. That was a first to actually hear my name being called out.

The second was giving Bart Yasso from Runner's World a high five as I crossed the finish line. Bart was there all weekend and was supporting everyone. That was so great to see that support. In the photo below, you can see this.

As you can see in the last photo, the finisher's medal is huge! This is a surfboard with a shark bite. The shark bite can actually be used as a bottle opener. They added a large magnet to the back of the medal for anyone who wants to stick it on their refrigerator.

What a great event!

Caniac Nation....It Is Time!

2010-10-05T21:40:00.001-04:00

The NHL season has arrived.

The Hurricanes open the season on Thursday in the NHL's Premiere in Helsinki, Finland against the Minnesota Wild. This is a homecoming for Jussi Jokinen, Joni Pitkanen and Tuomo Ruutu. Tuomo Ruutu played for the club team in the arena where the NHL Premiere game is being held prior to coming to North America. In the off season he lives only a few minutes away from the arena. After a long off season, the Hurricanes and all of you Caniacs out there should be eager to get the season started.

This year the Hurricanes are led by captain Eric Staal as he begins his first full season as the captain with the retirement of Rod Brind'Amour this summer. I am looking for a big season from Staal. The Canes also had a youth movement this off season and it will be interesting to see how the young guys perform. A lot of eyes will be on first round draft pick Jeff Skinner and he has even been mentioned as a possible Calder Trophy candidate.

The Canes have also brought back a couple of veteren defensman in Joe Corvo and Anton Babchuk. Corvo was traded to Washington at the deadline last season and Babchuk returns after a year playing in Russia. The Canes have some youth on defense as well, but I am looking to the leadership of Tim Gleason, Joni Pitkanen and Joe Corvo to bring the young guys along.

Last season was a difficult one for goalie Cam Ward. He had issues with his back and then received a nasty laceration on his leg from the skate of Rick Nash that kept him out for several games. I am looking for Cam to regain the form he had when the Canes won the Stanley Cup in 2006.

No one seems to give the Canes much of a chance this year of making the playoffs. Well, this Caniac sees the Canes making the playoffs and contending.

We get to see this Thursday what the Canes will be bringing to the table....or should I say ice.

Let's go Canes!

My NEW 13.1 Car Decal

2010-09-22T07:30:00.015-04:00

Since my first half marathon back in May 2008, I have had a 13.1 decal on my rear window of my car.

Last month after completing my 7th half marathon at the RnR Chicago Half, I asked my wife if she could create a new decal with her Cricut. As she started to think about it, she thought that the Destinations cartridge would be perfect since the Chicago skyline was one of the images.

Once she had this cartridge, she added it to her Gypsy and her creative mind went to work. She took the basic Chicago image from the Destinations cartridge and added a runner image from the Sports Mania cartridge. Then she added 13.1.

All three of the images were merged together and cut out on white vinyl to create this awesome customized 13.1 decal.

Thanks honey!

God is my co-pilot!

2010-09-20T17:00:00.015-04:00

Have you ever had one of those mornings when you couldn't find something? I am sure we all have been there. Today was one of those mornings for me.

Before leaving for work today, I could not find my bible. I searched the kitchen, the living room, and the bedroom. It was not in any of those place. Then I searched my car and it wasn't in there either.

As I was driving to work this morning I kept trying to think of where I could have left it. I remembered walking out of church last night carrying my bible to the car. On my way to work this morning as I was sitting at a stoplight waiting to turn it hit me. When I put my daughter in the car last night at church I sat my bible on top of the car. Then my wife and I started talking to another couple for a few minutes. Once we were done talking we headed home. I realized this morning at the stoplight that I never took my bible off of the roof of the car last night.
After realizing this, I got even more upset because 1) I had left my bible on the roof of the car and 2) I had lost my favorite bible.

As I pulled into the parking lot at work this morning, I think to myself that maybe by the grace of God He kept my bible safe on the roof of my car. As I pulled in to a parking spot and got out of my car, I immediately turned and looked at the roof of my car and started to laugh. My bible was in the exact spot I had left it! My bible rode on the roof of the car for approximately 10 miles at speeds of up to 45 mph and it never budged an inch.

What a great example of how strong the word of God is!

God is definitely my co-pilot!

Tanger Outlet 5K

2010-08-31T22:09:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday, I completed the Tanger Outlet Family 5K in Myrtle Beach, SC. This was no ordinary 5K for me this time. This 5K had extra special meaning as this was my wife's first ever 5K. I was looking forward to this race for a while and I was going to stay with her the entire race to help her make it through.

She was nervous and excited as the day arrived, but she definitely had one major item taken care of....her wardrobe for the race. I just have to highlight the brand names she was wearing for the race.

Shoes - Saucony
Socks - Under Armour
Compression Pants - Nike
Running Skirt - Reebok
Shirt - Adidas

She definitely made sure she had the major brands represented.

Here is a picture of us prior to the race.

There were 2 goals for the race. The first was to simply finish the race and the second was to break the 45 minute mark. She knew both were attainable and we were going to do it. As the race started, we began with a comfortable jog and took it easy. We would take walk breaks as needed and the run some more. We had a good walk/run pattern going throughout the race. The 5K course was 3 laps around the outlet shops. As we passed by the finish area completing lap 1, we were making great time as being just under 14 minutes. She knew the 45 minute finish could be attained. Then after we passed the finish area, we heard clapping as the first person finished the race. This guy was flying to finish that fast.

After our second lap we were still making great time. We were on pace to finish in less than 45 minutes. I kept reassuring her that she could do it and as we rounded the final corner she was off to the races. She left me in the dust on her way to the finish line!

Here she is crossing the finish line. Her official time was 41:54! She blew the 45:00 minute goal out of the water. I was so proud of her.

A little tired after the race but I knew she felt great. Way to go honey!

The Eagle has Landed!

2010-08-30T16:00:00.001-04:00

On Sunday I had the opportuinity to play a round of golf at Thistle Golf Club in Sunset Beach, NC. Lately, I do not get out on the golf course, so I was looking forward to the chance to play a round. It had been many years since I had played at Thistle. If you have not played there, I highly recommend it. Great looking clubhouse and great course conditions.

My day did not start out the best right off of the first tee on the MacKay course. This is a par 4 with water down the left. I hit my drive right and my second shot had the ball about a foot above my feet. When you have this scenario, you are going to hit a hook on the shot. It didn't help that I aided the hook by pulling it and as Bill Murray said in Caddyshack, it went right into "the lumber yard" (water for those who may be wondering what the lumber yard reference is). Before you know it, a nice 7 was added to the card. Nice way to start a round with a triple bogey. I followed that up with a bogey on the next. It was time to regroup and I started to get it back together and pared a few holes.

We came to the 7th hole which is a dogleg left par 5. I hit a good drive down the corner on the left. Played a 200-yard layup shot and had 110 to the hole. For me that is an in-between yardage for PW or SW. I decided to playe a choked-down PW. I put a good swing on the shot and it was tracking right at the flag.

The ball hit 6-inches from the hole, popped up and dropped staight in for an eagle 3!

It was awesome to be able to see the ball drop into the hole and not where the bottom of the flag was blocked from a hill.

In this first picture you can see how close the ball landed to the hole as I am repairing the pitch mark.

In this picture I am picking the ball out of the hole.

I proceeded to follow-up this eagle with a birdie on the next hole. So, I made up for the 3 shots I lost on the first hole with this eagle and birdie.

Just goes to show that you always need to continue "digging". Even when you have a bad hole, keep a positive attitude and put it behind you. It is just one hole and you have plenty of chances to make it up.

Brooks Glycerin 8

2010-08-27T18:40:00.000-04:00

After building the miles it was time to replace my Brooks Glycerin 7's. I have been running in the Glycerin 7 shoe for the past year. I do not log a ton of miles and I have gone through two pairs. After researching, I decided to stick with the Glycerin model.

I am running a 5K on Saturday, so that will be a good test. So far, the shoes feel great and I can already feel the added cushion in the heal from the Brooks DNA. Looking forward to that feel in a race.

Tomorrow it is off to the Tanger Outlets on Highway 501. This is the 2nd annual Tanger Outlet Family 5K fun run in Myrtle Beach. I will post about the race over the weekend. You can't beat a 5K at the beach. Since it is at an outlet mall, maybe I can look for some deals while running.

Good luck to all running races this weekend.

First Day of School...Part 2

2010-08-25T07:55:00.000-04:00

Well, today starts the first day of school for the traditional calendar schools. It was obvious that was the case as I drove in to work this morning. Before I was even 1/2 mile from my home, I had already passed two school buses and kids waiting on the corner for the bus.
The traffic was also busier than normal today. That should get better as time passes, but it definitely caused for a slower commute in to the office.

This is not only the first day of school for the kids, it is also the first day for my wife. She teaches math at a local high school. As all teachers know, they love the break during the summer and I am sure she did not want to go in this morning. I bet the snooze button was a popular choice of teachers around the country this morning. Just 5 more minutes.....

I still go back to the lines from Finding Nemo. They are so appropriate for the first day of school. Ready to learn and get some knowledge. As Mr. Ray sang...

"Oh let's name the zones, the zones, the zones.
Let's name the zones of the open sea.
There's epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathyal,abyssopelagic
All the rest are too deep for you and me to see"

"Oh, let's name the species, the species, the species
Let's name the species that live in the sea
There's porifera, coelenterata, hydrozoa, scyphozoa, anthozoa, ctenophora,bryozoas, three! Gastropoda, arthropoda, echinoderma, and some fish like you and me. Come on, sing with me. Oh...!

Just the girls this time. Oh, seaweed is cool. Seaweed is fun. It makes it's food with the rays of the sun...
"Oh, knowledge exploring is oh so lyrical, when you think thoughts that are empirical."

Come on, sing with me! There's porifera, coelentera, hydrozoa, scyphozoa, anthozoa,
ctenophora, bryozoas, three!

"Oh, seaweed is cool. Seaweed is fun. It makes it's food with the rays of the sun"

Have a great first day of school everyone!

First Day of School

2010-08-16T08:07:00.000-04:00

Ready to learn and get some knowledge. I can't help think about that line from Finding Nemo as my oldest starts 1st grade today. She woke up this morning eager and ready for school. She could not wait to get to school and start 1st grade with her friends.

As I acted like Marlin from the movie yesterday and today, I could just hear my daughter responding just like Nemo by saying, "daaaaaaadddddddd."

It is wonderful to see how excited she is to start school. Even though that means the end of summer, she is ready for school. Last week we took her to school so she could find out who her teacher is and who would be in her class. She was really excited to see several of her classmates from kindergarten would be with her. I am sure that will make things easier on her to having that familiarty.

As she left the house today, she had about 800 pounds of books in her back pack. OK, maybe it was only a few pounds, but I am sure my daughter would say it weighed a lot more. I was waiting for her to fall backwards on to the floor, but that did not happen.

So as 1st grade begins, my daughter is ready to learn and get some knowledge. At least she did not ask for 5 more minutes like Nemo did.

CHA Supershow

2010-08-09T18:15:00.001-04:00

Most of my posts have revolved around running. This is one of those posts that has absolutely nothing to do with running.

While in Chicago I attended the CHA Supershow with my wife. CHA stands for the Craft and Hobby Association. This was a huge craft show in Rosemont, IL. I don't even know if huge is the right word to describe this show. There were 12 aisles of crafts.

My wife is a huge scrapbooker and this was right up her alley. After I went to the RnR Chicago Expo at McCormick Place, I met back up with my wife at the show. She had met a new friend as part of the Cricut Circle and was walking around the show with her. Wait, let me clarify....she was not walking around the show, she was only on the first aisle 1 hour in to the show opening. I met up with her on aisle 100 at the Provocraft booth.

I could not believe how many people were at the Provocraft booth. It was all about the Cricut Imagine as it was unveiled during the show. In addition to the Imagine, Provocraft also had the Cricut Cake, Cuttlebug and Yudu on display. Why do I know so much about these Cricut products you ask? My wife loves these products and I support her. Plus they are pretty cool. You have to like a machine that can cut out cool items to make a cake. Maybe one day they will make a Cricut Wood. As a guy who likes to work on a scroll saw, that is the next best thing. I hope Provocraft sees this comment (LOL).

Here are a few pictures from the Provocraft booth. Now, when it was time for a drawing for some great prizes, look out. The booth was packed with everyone hoping they would win a cartridge or maybe a Cricut Cake. I was hoping I would win a prize to give to my wife, but no luck. I tried!

I took some pictures as we walked around the floor. I never knew there were so many companies out there.

One of the neat moments for me was having the opportunity to meet Robyn (My Pink Stamper). I felt like I already knew Robyn from all of the videos I watched with my wife on her blog. My wife had the opportunity to meet her earlier in the day and when we went by her booth, she introduced me to Robyn and Karlee (Karle Krafts). Plus, Robyn is a runner so we were able to talk about running. I think if Robyn knew the RnR Chicago Half marathon was on Sunday, she would have entered that race. Maybe next time Robyn. Great to meet you Robyn and Karlee.

Throughout the day I joined my wife in making various crafts. Whether it was cards or 12 x 12 scrapbook pages. It was interesting to see the reactions when a man sat down at a table to make some crafts. One booth in particular had to get a picture of me making a card. Here is the picture taken at the Paper Crafts Magazine booth.

Overall, this was a great experience. I really enjoyed spending the day at the show. Would I go again? Yes!

Thanks for a great time Leigh!

Rock N Roll Chicago

2010-08-02T07:00:00.001-04:00

On Sunday, I completed my 7th half marathon at RnR Chicago. This was my first Rock n Roll series race and this was a great event. I also set a new PR by finishing in 2:21.

Over 25,000 runners took part in this race. Great race, great course, great city!

This first picture was prior to entering corral 18 at 6:00 am. The race started at 6:30 am and I did not cross the starting line until 7:00am. What was really neat about this wave start was each and every corral started separately. When it was time for my corral to start, I was at the front and it felt like you were an elite runner being at the front with no one in front of you.

As I passed the Willis Tower (formerly know as the Sears Tower), the crowds began to increase. As I arrived at the Art Institute at mile 5, the crowds were really thick as we made our way on to Michigan Avenue. It was at this point as my wife was able to catch a few pictures as I passed by.

Once I reached Columbus Street and the finish line was in sight, I kicked it in a bit. I look at the following picture and the word "determined" comes to mind. My goal was a 2:20 finish but with .4 of a mile remaining as we rounded the Shedd Acquirium, the pace slowed and I knew 2:20 was not going to happen.

After finishing there are photo stops to have your picture taken with your finishers medal. While getting this taken by ASI, my wife was able to get a good photo.

After finishing the race, I took the time to get one last picture with the Chicago skyline.

Ready to Rock!

2010-07-31T17:23:00.000-04:00

It is the day before the Rock n Roll Chicago half and I am ready to rock!

On Friday I went to the expo at McCormick Place for the packet pickup. The runner's shirt is a cool looking Brooks grey shirt with the Chicago skyline.

For the race, I am in the 18th corral. That is right, I said 18th. At least I am not in the last one, there are a total of 29 corrals. I would guess once the race starts at 6:30 am that it will take me approximately 20 minutes to get to the starting line. Reminds me of the size of the Disney Marathon.

The great part about this course is the run past some of the great Chicago landmarks. We start and finish in Grant Park near Buckingham Fountain. We work our way across the Chicago River, pass the Art Institute, Chicago Theater, down Michigan Avenue and by the Willis Tower. It is still hard to call it Willis Tower...it will always be the Sears Tower to me. Maybe I should say, "what you talkin' about Willis" as I run by there?

We work our way south and pass Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears. Still looks like a UFO landed in the stadium to me. We will go on an out and back stretch for a while and just before the finish, we pass the Shedd Acqurium. Then it is on to the finish back in Grant Park.

The weather forecast looks pretty good with lows in the mid-60's and a high of 85. Sounds great to me for running compared to the weather in NC for all of my training runs.

Are you ready to Rock?

I Think I Can....I Think I Can

2010-07-27T08:08:00.000-04:00

As everyone knows, there is a physical side to running. Everyone has to put in the training miles in order to prepare our bodies to go the distance. Whether that is a 5K, 10K, half or full marathon.

One of the biggest hurdles to a successful race is the mental side of running. As Henry Ford described, "If you think you can do it, you're right. If you think you can't do it, you're still right". These words are so true in what they mean. Having a positive attitude and thinking "I can" gives us the motivation to push through those final miles to the finish.

Just think about the adrenaline boost we get when the finish line is in sight. We may be cramping or completely exhausted at this point, but our mind sees the goal an you instantly turn in to an "I can" thinker. The next thing you know is you have crossed the finish line and you are overcome with the joy of the accomplishment.

As I prepare for the Rock n Roll Chicago Half Marathon this Sunday, I am beginning to prepare mentally. I am visualizing the race and the goals I have in mind. As the saying goes, "seeing is believing".

I can see all of the crowd cheering each and every runner on and I have to tell you, that makes a huge difference. Each one of those spectators is saying "you can". You will not hear any negative comments. They are all helping with the positive waves to push you through.

I can see the finishing time I have in mind that I would like to achieve. If I am not able to achieve that time, it is ok as I know I will have tried and just finishing is an accomplishment.

I think I can....I think I can.....I KNOW I can!

I'm Offically Goofy Now!

2010-07-17T17:00:00.010-04:00

Last week I posted pictures of my Disney Marathon Weekend shadow box. A friend of mine contacted me with a tremendous offer. She and her husband also ran both the half and full marathons at Disney as part of the Goofy challenge and received Goofy Medals. I had ran both the half and full marathons, but was not officially part of the Goofy challenge. Therefore, I did not receive a Goofy Medal.

She was contacting me to offer me one of their Goofy medals. I was absolutely blown away by her generosity! She let me know that her husband actually surprised her by purchasing a frame while they were at the expo during the Disney Marathon Weekend. This frame included medals from all 3 races. Since they now had 3 Goofy medals, she offered the extra one to me.

I want to take the opportunity to say thank you Steve and Melissa.

Here is the updated marathon shadow box which now includes the Goofy Medal.

Here is a close-up of the Goofy medal.

Countdown to Rock n Roll Chicago Half

2010-07-14T13:00:00.001-04:00

Tick tock....tick tock....

Less than 3 weeks away now from the Rock n Roll Chicago half marathon. This will be my first Rock n Rock series event experience and I am really looking forward to it.

Last week I received an email with the final race instructions and to download my confirmation sheet. The race is sold out and there will be over 25,000 runners in the event. I have a predicted finish time of 2:20:00 and I am in corral 18. It will probably take 15-20 minutes once the race starts at 6:30 am on August 1 in order to actually cross the starting line. Reminds me of how it was for the Disney Marathon.

What a blessing it is having the opportunity to glorify God throughout this event via Team 413. Throughout these 13.1 miles, I will encounter many fellow runners who will see Philippians 4:13 on the back of the shirt and that will aid as motivation to them helping them pull through to the finish. Our God is an awesome God! We exist to glorify God and make disciples of all nations! I pray that Team 413 will have a large impact in Chicago.

I have not run a race since the Disney Marathon this past January, but I can still remember all of the times throughout the run where fellow runners would tell me how that verse helped them get through a difficult stretch in the race. I recall one lady at mile 24 that came up to me and said, "thank you for wearing this shirt. That verse is just what I needed to see right now to help me push through these last miles." God was truly at work at that moment.

Tick tock....tick tock!

Marathon Shadow Box

2010-07-11T11:45:00.000-04:00

I was finally able to get around to putting my medals from the Disney Marathon Weekend in to a shadow box. I decided to go with a simple approach to what is displayed.

As you can see, both the half marathon and full marathon medals are the main focus. In the center is a copy of my finisher's certificate from the marathon. After downloading the certificate, instead of printing it as 8 1/2" x 11", I printed it at 5" x 7".

Surrounding the medals are the smaller version pins I purchased from the expo.

WinShape Camp C3

2010-07-10T12:00:00.003-04:00

This past week our church (Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church) hosted a WinShape Camp C3. What an amazing week it was for all of the students leading the camp, the volunteers and especially all 182 children involved. This was our second year we have hosted this camp and we had 3 times as many participants this year as we did last year. What a blessing!

Here is a link to a video regarding the camp.

Our daughter attended the camp and had an awesome week. She was an Ocean Tiger Shark! Everyday when she would come home from camp, she would talk about it from the time she walked in the door until she fell asleep each night. She learned a lot about living for Christ!

WinShape Camps C3 (Camps Connecting Communities) is a one week day camp that was started by WinShape Camps in 2008. In the inaugural year, WinShape Camps had 3 C3 Teams that traveled to 9 communities around the country, going to a total of 27 cities. In 2009, WinShape Camps C3 went to 36 Communities, and in 2010, WinShape Camps C3 will travel to 45 different communities across the country.

WinShape Camps C3 combines track times such as Fastfood, Drama, Flag Football, Soccer, Painting, Crafts, etc., High energy worship, intentional bible study moments, and unbelievable recreation to provide a one-in-a-lifetime Day Camp Experience in your community.

The students that travel each week leading these camps are amazing Godly people. They are truly a wonderful blessing.

I heard several parents make comments at the Chick-Fil-A Family Fun Day on Friday that they wished they could have gone to camp. I have to agree with them.

Ocean...Ocean....Ocean.......Woooooossshhhh!

Runner Ornament

2010-06-24T12:07:00.006-04:00

I wanted to share a runner ornament that I made out of wood. This is a silhouette of a runner that my wife (My Scrappy Journey) made for my Disney Marathon scrapbook pages shown in my previous post. What makes this ornament so unique is how creative my wife was by adding Mickey Ears to the runner. Based on the shape of the silhouette, it was the perfect size to create a wood ornament.

This first picture is a close-up view of the silhouette.

This second picture gives you and idea of the size of the ornament as I am holding it by the string. Overall the ornament is 4" tall and 4" wide at the stride of the runner.

By having the silhouette painted in all black allows for easy personalization using a paint marker.

2010 Disney Marathon Scrapbook Pages

2010-06-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

I am able to relive the excitment from the 2010 Disney Marathon Weekend back in January all over again. My wonderful wife made these two scrapbook pages. It is funny to look at the photos and see how bundled up we were because of the weather. There were actually snow flurries falling as we made our way to the starting line for the Half Marathon. The snow flurries turned in to rain which did not help.

Then on Sunday, the wind chill was in the teens as we work up. The temp did not get much better throughout the day, but no need to complain. As one of the pages is titled, I was "Getting Goofy"!

This first page is the overall 2-page spread called "Getting Goofy". The page contains the course map for both the half and full marathon. At the expo, there was a both that had some 12x12 paper with the Goofy logo which added to the page. I am also an ambassador with Team 413. This is a running ministry dedicating to spreading the Gospel to all. I heard comments all throughout the weekend as I was running the races showing encouragement for spreading God's word. Several fellow runners took the time to tell me what an inspiration the shirt gave them as they read the verse on the back....I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me...Phillippians 4:13.

Here is the left side of the Gettin' Goofy page.

Here is the right side of the Gettin' Goofy page.

The second page is a great layout showing my accomplishment of completing my first full marathon. Hard to believe that I actually did it, but as the Disney finisher certificate states, "Congratulations on completing the most magical 26.2 miles!" I really like how this one shows my bib from the race and incorporates all of the character stops along the way where I had pictures taken. My wife added a few silhouettes of running that she slightly altered using her Gypsy. Notice anything special on top of the runner's head? The runner has his very own set of Mickey ears! That is a really cool touch.

Here is the left side of the Marathon page.

Here is the right side of the Marathon page.

Toy Story 3

2010-06-21T07:44:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, on Father's Day, I went with the family to see Toy Story 3. Another great movie from Pixar! In the third installment of the series, Andy is going to college and the toys don't know what is going to happen to them.

This has a great storyline and we are introduced to new characters such as Lotso and Ken.

For those of you who have not seen the movie, I will not spoil it for you by telling you more about the movie.

For those of you who have seen the movie, I would like to hear your thoughts/comment on the movie?

To infinity and beyond!

VBS

2010-06-15T22:25:00.004-04:00

It is VBS week! What a glorious time for praising God! The children attending VBS have been having a great time so far! We are rounding up questions and gettin' answers!

Need Answers? Ask God!

James 1:5

Chicago Blackhawks: Under Cover

2010-06-11T08:19:00.001-04:00

Here is a great video of the old time Hawks and the current Hawks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qyq3VOBQzM&feature=youtube_gdata

Chicago Blackhawks Goal Song

2010-06-11T08:08:00.002-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wchH7xL4tdE&feature=youtube_gdata

Stanley Cup Champions

2010-06-10T06:39:00.002-04:00

After 49 years of waiting, the Chicago Blackhawks are Stanley Cup Champions!

What a great and entertaining game 6. The Hawks came out strong with 17 shots in the 1st period. The refs were calling the game tight from the start and that was evident regarding some holding and interference penalties. In the 3rd period the Hawks had a 1-goal lead. You knew the Flyers were going to bring a ton if pressure. All Hawks fans were clock watching hoping somehow the time would speed up. With approximately 3 minutes left in te game the Flyers got the tying goal off of Scott Hartnell. For the remaining time in the 3rd period, the pressure continued. Antti Niemi was spectacular. He made an amazing save on Jeff Carter. That saved the game and helped get it to OT.

In OT, you just never know what will happen. Well, Patrick Kane gets the game winning goal and everyone except Kane a few others knew the puck went in. A minute or two later and the celebration was on. 2010 Stanley Cup Champions!

Jonathon Toews won the Conn Smythe as the playoff MVP. He tied the Blackhawks record for the most points in the playoffs with 29 (tied Denis Savard from 1985). Toews has had one heck of a year. Wins the gold medal with Canada in the Olympics, wins the Conn Smythe and then the Stanley Cup!

Game 6

2010-06-09T06:36:00.002-04:00

Stanley Cup Final - Game 6 is tonight!

As Game 6 approaches, here are some points to note.

1. Pressure - the Hawks need to have the pressure they showed in Game 5 throughout Game 6.

2. Elimination - even though this is an elimination game for the Flyers, that is the mindset the Hawks must have in this game.

3. Forecheck - the Hawks need to constantly forecheck. They need to be all over the Flyers.

4. Home ice trend - this is the perfect time to break that home ice advantage. So far all games have been won by the home team.

5. Antti Niemi - enough said

This should be another great game. I expect the Flyers to come out strong at home in the 1st period. The Hawks just need to be able to withstand it. Hopefully they will and get a goal quickly to quiet the crowd.

I also need to point out a checklist for tonight.

1. White gloves
2. Hall of Fame Sport Coats
3. NHL Tablecloth
4. The Commissioner
5. A certain silver trophy 3 feet tall weighing 35 pounds
6. A team ready to hoist the cup after 49 years!

Enjoy game 6!

Let's go Blackhawks!

The Cup will be in the House

2010-06-07T06:39:00.002-04:00

What a great comeback game by the Blackhawks after losing 2 in a row in Philly.

This, by far, was the best played game of the series by the Blackhawks. Dustin Btfuglien had his best game of the series. He was a dominant player out there. He scored a couple of big goals and delivered some crushing checks.

There was also great support from the rest of the team. I could name the entire team, but great play from Kane, Ladd, Sharp, Toews and Hossa was outstanding. Speaking of Hossa, he continues to shine. He is one heck of an all around player. Just look at the drive and determination on that play to hustle back and then he dives to get his stick in there to break up the play. Great effort!

Antti Niemi was stellar again between the pipes. The Flyers missed some point blank chances, but that happens. When they did get the shots on net, Niemi robbed them. You could just see the frustration on Mike Richards face when Niemi got the right pad on his open net chance.

Now, you will not hear me complain about officiating. The reason is they have such a tough job. I am amazed at what they can catch because if the speed if the game. We have it easier due to replays. I thought they did a good job in Game 5. They were making the right calls. Were some penalties missed, sure they were, but they were missed on both sides.

Travel arrangements are being finalized for Lord Stanley to be in the house Wednesday night. The Blackhawks will have the chance to win the cup for the first time since 1961!

I am expecting the same type of rush like we saw in game 5 to begin the game by the Blackhawks for the Flyers in game 6. They are going to bring it on their home ice to delay the celebration one more game.

I have a feeling the Blackhawks will reverse the trend in this series and win the cup on Wednesday!

Let's go Hawks!

Up For Grabs

2010-06-05T08:20:00.002-04:00

Well, the Stanley Cup is up for grabs now. We are down to a best-of-three series now. Game 5 is Sunday night at the Madhouse on Madison. The UC will be rockin!

The Flyers played well in Game 4. The Hawks just were not generating much on the offensive end. On the defensive end a couple of mistakes and before you know, down 2 goals. On the second goal the puck was cleared from in front of the net directly up the slot to a wide open Flyer who basically saw the Grand Canyon to shoot at. Later in the game there was another defensive breakdown where a Flyer was left alone who camped out on the right post. He received a pass and had another wide open net.

Good comeback by the Hawks to make it a game. It would have been interesting if Duncan Keith was able to keep that puck in the zone to see if they could tie it with the extra attacker. As we know that did not happen and a 5-3 win by the Flyers was in the books.

Off to Game 5!

Let's go Blackhawks!

Game 4 - Stanley Cup Finals

2010-06-04T10:30:00.002-04:00

Looking forward to game 4 tonight. It will be interesting to see how the game is called from a referees standpoint. Since game 3 there has been a ton of talk about the "calls" and "non-calls".

With any Final, you expect physical play...especially in front of the net. The battle between Pronger and Byfuglien has been fun to watch. There was a point in game 3 where Pronger cross-checked Byfuglien to the ice (which is not easy to do), then a few seconds later Byfuglien is called for slashing. Yes, he did slash and break Pronger's stick, but the cross-checked should have been called too. Just some consistancy is needed, that's all.

I am hoping Andrew Ladd is inserted in the Hawks lineup tonight. If he is, my guess is Adam Burrish will sit. Even though Kopecky replaced Ladd, he has played well, so keep him in the lineup. Getting Ladd out there will add another physical presence the Hawks can use. Right now it is just mainly Byfuglien providing that presence in front of the net. With Ladd in, now you add a second presence there on a different line. The Hawks need more traffic in front of Leighton since the point men are taking a lot of shots.

More traffic is also need in front because of the attention Hossa is drawing. Sometimes you see 2 and 3 defenders on him. When that happens, that opens lanes for the goalie to see the shots, thus more screens are needed in front of Leighton.

On the other end if the ice, Antti Niemi has been fantastic. He seems to be getting more and more comfortable as the series moves on. He continues to make stellar saves. The defense in front of Niemi has also be great in blocking shots.

I am expecting another great game tonight.

Let's go Blackhawks!

Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon

2010-06-01T10:19:00.002-04:00

I have not posted in a while and I figured it was time to provide an update.

Last night I registered for the innagural Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon. This is going to be a great race! It wil begin at the Waccamaw are in front of Medieval Times. The course will work it's way over the Intracoastal Waterway and then to Broadway at the Beach. From there the course will head for the beach for a finish along the new boardwalk.

The finisher's medal is huge. It is asurfboard with a shark bite. They say it is 8" in length and the shark bite will work as a bottle opener. Not sure that I would want to use my medal to open a bottle, but a neat idea nonetheless.

The entry fee just increased to $70. Check it out!

www.runmyrtlebeach.com

Chicago...here I come!

2010-04-16T11:55:00.005-04:00

Looking forward to the Rock n Roll Chicago half marathon on August 1. I grew up in Chicago and it will be great getting to run throughout downtown and by the lake shore. Just about 12 weeks away from the race at this point. Time to kick the training in to gear.

2010 Disney World Marathon Start

2010-01-16T16:15:00.004-05:00

Here is video from the start of the 2010 Disney World Marathon!

Marathoner...Yes I am!

2010-01-11T23:06:00.003-05:00

I am officially a marathoner!

I braved the extremely cold weather in central Florida and successfully completed the WDW Marathon this past Sunday.

This was an extremely difficult task and the weather made it that much tougher. The alarm went off at 2:30 am to get prepared. Checked the weather to determine how many layers to wear. The temp was around 30 and the wind chill was in the 20's. It was definitely going to be a cold one.

I met up with friends in the lobby at Pop Century and we got on the bus to head to Epcot at 3:45 am. Once we arrived it was time to head to the corrals for the start. I was in corral E and part of wave 1. Everyone was ready to get started so they could get a little warmer instead of standing around.

The start was truly magical...would you expect anything less from Disney! Seeing the fireworks was great...even for 5:40 am. So we were off....

I took the time to take in all of the sights and sounds throughout the race. Great atmosphere and I cannot say enough for the awesome spectator support. You would never have known with the temperatures like they were, it was freezing out because there was tons of support. They helped push not only me, but all of the runners to the finish line.

With the freezing temps, who would have thought you would have to deal with black ice. Well, at the majority of the water stops there were plenty of slick spots. You had to be careful and the volunteers were great in warning all of the runners about the ice.

For the race I wore a Team 413 shirt. On the back on the shirt is Phillipians 4:13. This shirt provided to be an inspiration for many during the race. I had some many people that came by me during the race thanking me for the message. One person told me she was struggling in the race and when she saw the verse on my shirt, it lifted her spirit and gave her the strength to move on. God's grace and mercy was with all of us during the race.

Special shout out and congratulations to the following:

Anthony, Melissa, Steve, Nick and Kjirstin. Congrats on those completing the Goofy Challenge and successful first marathons. Great time getting to meet, know and hang out with you guys over the weekend.

To all of the ROTE group, you guys are awesome! What a great group! Thanks Jeff, Chris and Tracy for hanging out some on the weekend. I look forward to the next encounter.

Overall this was a great experience. It is a great feeling to know the I am a marathoner.

Disney Marathon Weather

2010-01-06T08:21:00.001-05:00

Well, just 5 days to go now until the Disney Marathon. It will definitely be a cold race this year. Decisions, decisions on what to pack and plan to wear for the race. Looks like a high right around 50, but it will be much colder during the times of the race. Temps will be in the low to mid 30's until around the halfway point of the race. Then they may get in to the low 40's thru the finish. I will probably be wearing some type of long sleeve compression top under a race t-shirt. I will probably stick with shorts for the race (at least that is the plan right now). I will be wearing gloves and I have some hot hands to use to keep me warm while waiting for the start.

Marathon Week

2010-01-04T07:34:00.002-05:00

It has finally arrived! Hard to believe marathon week is upon us. I am heading to WDW on Friday and when I arrived, I will be going to the expo to pick up my packet and check out all the merchandise.

On Saturday, I will probably watch the half marathon and root on my fellow ROTErs and other friends.

Then the big day is Sunday!

Mickey Medal

2010-01-02T09:40:00.003-05:00

As the Disney Marathon slogan states, "finish with more character than when you started". Here is the marathon medal that will be waiting for all finishers. Great looking medal! I will wear this medal proudly after earning it for completing the marathon.

ROTE Running Gear

2010-01-02T09:36:00.003-05:00

Here are the ROTE hat and visor for the marathon. I will probably chose the visor to wear during the race.

8 Days away from 1st Marathon

2010-01-02T09:33:00.001-05:00

The countdown continues until my 1st marathon. I am looking forward to the challenge. Hard to believe it is almost here.

2010-01-01T08:27:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! Completed my own individual Resolution Run this morning. Distance was 4.90 miles is 53:20. Good way to start the new year. The Disney Marathon is just 9 days away now!

2009 Disney Half Marathon Start

2009-12-31T15:40:00.005-05:00

As the 2010 Disney Marathon weekend is quickly approaching, here is video I took at the start of the 2009 Disney Half Marathon. Looking forward to my first marathon!

2009-12-30T22:58:00.001-05:00

Just 10 days remaining until my first marathon at Disney. Looking forward to the challenge of completing my first marathon. My ultimate goal is to finish the race and I hope to complete the distance in under 5 hours.

End of Week 2 - Long Run

2009-02-02T17:33:00.002-05:00

On Super Bowl Sunday, I completed the end of my second week of the 10 week plan I am following leading up to the Bank of America Raleigh Rocks Half Marathon on March 28. I ended up going just 6 miles on this one. My legs felt pretty sluggish as I went on a new route with some tough uphill grades. The weather was great with bright sunshine, temps in the 50's. Averaged 10:41 per mile with an overall time of 1:03.

Shadow Box

2009-02-01T06:48:00.005-05:00

I wanted a way to capture the memories from the 2009 Disney Half Marathon in a way where I did not have my medal and other items stuffed away in a closet. I went to my local Michael's and purchased a 12" x 16" shadow box. Inside the shadow box I put my finisher's medal, bib and several photos I took during the event. Overall I feel it turned out really well and will be a great addition to the wall at home. This was an inexpensive alternative to buying a frame from one of the vendors at the half marathon expo.

End of Week 1 - Long Run

2009-01-25T20:36:00.003-05:00

Today marked the end of my first week of the 10 week plan I am following leading up to the Bank of America Raleigh Rocks Half Marathon on March 28. The run today was a 7-miler and overall I felt really good. It took 2 miles just to warm up with a slight breeze and the temperature at 32 degrees. Once I got warm, I was feeling great! Averaged 10:45 per mile with an overall time of 1:17.

Disney Half Marathon Scrapbook Layout

2009-01-24T21:45:00.006-05:00

My wife created a 2-page spread for me with several of the pictures I took during the 2009 Disney Half Marathon. She is a big time scrapbooker and I love how she created this cool memory for me. As you will see from a prior post, she has created another 2-page layout for me on the City of Oaks half marathon I completed in 2008. Great way to display my Disney Half Marathon memories.

Snow, Snow, Snow

2009-01-21T06:57:00.002-05:00

Well, we have snow here in Raleigh, NC! Now, Raleigh has seen snow before, but most times it is a dusting. Yesterday we received 6 inches of the white stuff. A nice little winter wonderland. Now that puts a wrinkle in training runs around here because the roads are not treated as the DOT lets mother nature take care of them. The silver lining is it will be close to 60 degrees on Friday and this will all be gone.

Scrapbook Page

2009-01-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

My wife is a huge scrapbooker and she took the time to scrapbook on of my half marathons. She did an outstanding job with the layout and utilizing the colors on the pages to match what I was wearing for the race. The event she scrapbooked was the City of Oaks Half Marathon from November 2, 2008. She even created a sleeve on one of the pages that holds the race program and my bib. You can see my wife's blog located at http://www.myscrappyjourney.blogspot.com/ to read her post regarding the half marathon scrapbook page and many more. Here is a picture of the 2-page layout she created.

First Day of Training

2009-01-19T15:52:00.002-05:00

Today began my first day of training since the Disney half marathon on January 10. I am now training for my next half marathon which will be the Bank of America Raleigh Rocks (March 28). It was a perfect day for the run with temps in the mid-40s. I completed 4.2 miles in 41:20. I pushed the pace for my first run and I felt really good. It was good to take the week off from running after the race. It makes a huge difference having the rest.

Post Half Marathon at the Magic Kingdom.

2009-01-17T18:47:00.003-05:00

Following the finish of the Disney Half Marathon, I made my way back to my hotel to get cleaned up and rest. After resting, I headed to the Magic Kingdom for the remainder of the day. I was wearing my half marathon shirt and Donald finisher medal. As I entered the gate, one of the cast members wanted to know what I got for winning the race. I got a good laugh out of that and informed her that I did not win and that I simply finished. Made me feel good there for a few moments.

It was great day with not a single cloud in the sky. I took several pictures throughout the park with medal. Here are a few of them.

The day ended with the spectactular fireworks display called Wishes! What a great way to end the Disney Marathon Weekend.

Post Half Marathon Recovery

2009-01-17T18:42:00.003-05:00

A week ago today I competed my 3rd half marathon at Disney World. As the race was concluding I was feeling the normal pains you would expect after running 13.1 miles. I could feel my legs getting tight and the bottom of my left foot was hurting. The first few days after the race I still had the pains, but as each day passed, I felt better. I am now ready to begin an 11-week training plan leading up to the Raleigh Rocks half marathon on March 28.

Walt Disney World Half Marathon

2009-01-15T06:39:00.010-05:00

On Saturday, January 9, 2009 I completed my first Disney half marathon. This was an absolutely amazing experience!

The day started very early with a wake-up call at 2:00am. By 3:00am I was waiting for the bus at Pop Century to take me to the start located in the parking lot at Epcot. It was definitely a cool morning for Florida with temps in the 40's. I was amazed at how many people, the lights and the music playing for 3:30am.

As I arrived I proceeded to the R reunion tent to meet up with fellow http://www.disneyrunning.com/ members. Wait....let me get that right. I met up with them at the "Arrrrrr" tent! It was great getting to meet and talk with the members. The excitement was starting to build for the race. At 4:30am they made an announcement to make our way to the staging area. Once in the staging area you quickly realized it was porta potty heaven. I took everyone's advice and got in line. Soon after, we started to head to the starting line. I was walking over there with a fellow Disney Running member and it seemed as though we walked at least a mile to get to the starting corrals.

I was in Corral B and I was able to get right to the front. The 80's music was blarring and it was amazing to see all of the costumes people were wearing. Plenty of fairy costumes and one guy I saw dressed as Peter Pan. The anticpation for the start was definitely there. I could not wait for the countdown. The last song I remember them play was Dancing Queen from Abba. Talk about a song to have in your head for a race.

As Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy counted down from 10 to 1, I started to get goose bumps knowing the time had finally arrived. As the start arrived fireworks were shot into the air and a roar went up for the crowd.

The first few miles seemed to just fly by. Everyone was just getting themselves into a grove and looking to finally warm up. As we made our way down World Drive the monorail zoomed by taking spectators from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom.

The crowds at the Transportation and Ticket Center were amazing. There were people 4-5 deep on both sides. That was definitely an adrenaline boost!

As we made our way to the Contemporary results we came upon the steepest hill on the course, which was just before mile 5. Supprising there were no backups on the hill as everyone was running. At this point I was running with the 2:15 pace group.

No we are approaching the highlight of the entire course. Even though it was still dark out, Space Mountain and Cinderella's Castle never looked better. We entered the Magic Kingdom via the cast member entrance which is on the backside of Main Street. At this point I was now able to see the lights on the buildings as we entered Main Street. Making the right-hand turn on Main Street was simple awesome. Hearing the crowd and then seeing the castle was awesome. My mother was going to try and find a place on Main Street so I began to scan the crowd to find her. Just before making the right-hand turn towards Tommorow Land I spotted her. She was able to get a quick photo of me as I passed.

Once in Tomorrow Land we made a left-hand turn towards Fantasy Land. Here I was able to stop and take a picture with the Mad Hatter and Alice in Wonderland.

It was now time to head towards the highlight of race - running through the castle. Approaching the castle the trumpets were playing and everyone was cheering loudly. The photographers were all over the place. It seemed to go by so quickly as I was in Frontier Land before I knew it.

Prior to the water stop near mile 7, I stopped and took a picture with Captain Jack Sparrow and his mates. Amazing how much Jack looked and sounded like Johnny Depp.

As we made our towards the Grand Floridian, the crowds were sparse. Right around the entrance to the Floridian, there were plenty of spectators. Did not matter who you were or what pace you were running, they were cheering you on.

Things were calm from this point until making the final turn to head towards the parking lots at Epcot. Just over a mile to go when I entered the Epcot lots. Plenty of crowd support just past the 12 mile marker sign.

As we entered Epcot I remembered taking a video and saying I was 12.4 miles into the race. I was passing Spaceship Earth at the time heading towards the Seven Seas Lagoon for the turnaround point. After making the turn and heading away from Spaceship Earth you arrive at Disney's last surpirse with a gospel choir singing.

You are now in the last tenth of a mile and you see the grandstand and the finish line. The final kick of adrenaline sets in and pushes you to the finish.

I had a PR of 2:23:35 and I could not have been happier. What a great experience. Here is to the 2010 event.

Reindeer Romp 5K

2008-12-14T11:28:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, December 13, I ran in the Reindeer Romp 5K in Cary, NC. The conditions were perfect for running with temps in the high 30's and not a cloud in the sky. The course followed the trails through Wake Med Soccer Park and overall it was a great event. I felt pretty good out there since I have not been able to train for the pasr few weeks due to the arrival of my second child. I finished in a time of 30:52.

Next up is the Walt Disney World Half Marathon on Saturday, January 10.

City of Oaks Half Marathon

2008-11-09T07:53:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, November 2, I ran in the City of Oaks Half Marathon. This was my second half marathon as I ran my first back in May in Greensboro. This was a perfect day for running with temps in the 40's for the start. As I arrived I had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman who was greeting ready to run in 27th marathon. What an accomplishment!

As the starting time grew closer and closer to the start, the anticipation of everyone was growing. As everyone was making their way to the starting line, they took a moment to play the national anthem. Approximately halfway through the anthem, it started to speed up. Apparently they knew everyone were eager to start. :-)

The course did an outstanding job of showcasing many points of interest throughout Raleigh. We started out on Centennial Campus of NC State University. We then headed towards downtown. Once in downtown we saw the newly finished RBC Tower that now is the tallest building in the city. We then headed down Fayetteville Street past the Capital Building and worked our way to Glenwood South. Once leaving the downtown area, we headed out to the State Fairgrounds to a turn-a-round point at the 8 1/2 mile mark. After the turn, we headed back to Centennial Campus for the finish.

Now, the course had it share of tough hills, but the toughest point was at the 12 1/4 mile mark going uphill on Western Blvd. Everyone was struggling with this hill.

Just past the 12-mile mark I heard a police car behind me letting me know a full marathon runner was coming through. I was hoping to finish before a full marathon runner passed me, but oh well. Those guys are amazing at the pace they were running. Outstanding job!

Once passed the tough stretch on Western Blvd, it was downhill to the finish. Time to kick it up a notch and finish strong. The crowd support along the finish was great. So many people lined the street cheering every runner on.

I crossed the line with a chip time of 2:25:45. I was extremely pleased with this time as just finishing is an accomplishment in itself.

Thank you City of Oaks for a great event! Now time to train for the Disney World Half Marathon in January!