Just Finish

Panama City, Florida

Florida has been on my mind for nearly a year now.  I finally made it today and this is the view that greeted my brother and I as we touched down tonight.

It was interesting on the plane.  I'd say that about half of the passengers at least looked like they were competing in the Ironman this weekend.  There were all types of people...older, younger, male, and female, but they all had a couple of things in common (besides the Ironman backpacks and associated gear/swag).  They had on running shoes and they looked ripped!

It was also pretty cool that I saw and recognized Mirinda Carfrae--a professional triathlete and Ironman World Champion--on our flight.  She is going to be doing the race as well!  I guarantee she'll probably be twice as fast as I will be!  

I thought that I was in halfway decent shape for this race, but now I'm not so sure.  I guess when you spend as much time as you need to spend for this type of endurance race, you get that lean, fit look.  I'm not so sure anyone would have mistaken me for an Ironman competitor if I hadn't been wearing an Ironman sweater and toting an Ironman St. George backpack.  (Several people on the flight, however, and the girl at the rental counter booth asked if my brother and I were twins though!)

Brothers and seatmates--but not twins...

It's fun to be here with with my brother.  It would be great if I could keep up with him so that we could do a chunk of the race together.  Doing the marathon portion of Ironman St. George in 2012 was one of the highlights of my life.  It would be great if we had a chance to do it again on Saturday.

Dinner tonight was at a Southern style pit bbq place.  Maybe I was just hungry, but it was good!  I attacked my plate with a vengeance and cleaned it up so that there was not a single crumb left.  I had the pulled pork.  My brother had the brisket.  We both agreed that I got the better end of the deal.  The bbq sauce was outstanding as well!  (Sorry, no pics of dinner because my phone was almost out of juice and the food just didn't last that long!)

I can't wait to see the course tomorrow.  I don't have any big goals for this weekend.  My only goal is to just finish the race!

Hitting 400!

"High Five!"

Hitting .400 is the Holy Grail for any major league baseball player.  It hasn't been done since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941.  A couple of players have come close--including one of my heroes, Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres in 1994 (.394).

I'm not a major league baseball player, but tonight, I did something that I had never done before...I got over 400 miles on a single tank of gas.  I fueled up in Flagstaff, Arizona and didn't have to stop for fuel again until Nephi, Utah...422.5 miles!  That worked out to 35.7 mpg.  

Even when my car was brand new, I was never able to achieve that mark.  As the gas gauge dipped lower and lower, I felt a bit like Kramer test driving that car in the Seinfeld episode "The Dealership."  Unlike Kramer, however, I didn't run out of gas.  :-)

Not too shabby for 259,000 miles and 9+ years of service...I guess my car may still have some life left in it!

Nearly two gallons to spare!

"When I Run I Feel His Pleasure"

Eric Liddell - 1924 Olympic Gold Medalist

I ran the St. George Marathon yesterday.  There is a lot that I could say about the experience.  Running for 26 miles gives you a lot of time to think about things and to ponder.  I appreciated and am grateful for many things about yesterday and I feel like it is important to note them so that I can remember them and remember the experience.

Weird as it may seem, running the marathon yesterday was a spiritual experience for me.  And I don't mean "spiritual" in the sense that I felt closer to nature because of the scenic beauty along the course.  (And it is spectacularly beautiful--red cliffs, white rock formations, volcanic cinder cones, and wide open desert vistas.)  For me it was spiritual because I feel like it helped me feel closer to my Heavenly Father.

At about Mile 11 or 12, the following quote popped into my head from the movie "Chariots of Fire:"

• "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." --Eric Liddell

I'm not saying that I'm fast.  In fact, I'm not.  There were 2,789 people that were faster than me yesterday.  But I did feel like I felt loved by my Heavenly Father.  We all faces trials, challenges, and adversity in our lives.  At times, it may seem overwhelming.  Certainly a marathon is a microcosm of life in that adversity can be crammed chock full into the 26.2 mile course, but it is a blessing to feel a confirmation that we are literally children of a Heavenly Father, that He knows us personally, that is aware of our individual circumstances, and that He loves us.  And I am grateful for that experience yesterday.

My Brother

My brother and I at the starting line...brrr...it was cold!

I also did the race with my brother.  This is not the first race that I've done with him, but as we get older and are now farther apart geographically, I've realized how important it is to treasure these opportunities.

S. was not even going to do the race.  Neither one of us was prepared--although he was a lot more prepared than I was.  As I drove down to the race, by myself, I placed one last call to him.  I got his voice mail and told him that it wasn't too late to come and that I hoped that he'd do it with me.  I told him that I had a hotel room reserved and that he was welcome to share it with me.

S. was concerned that one or both of us would get hurt and that we would not be able to finish the Ironman Florida (IMFL) race next month.  I admit it was a valid concern and it did worry me a bit, but I wanted to do the race and committed to listen to my body.  I pledged to myself that I would stop if it felt like my body was telling me that it was in trouble.

Well, miraculously, S. had a change of heart.  I was certain that he was not going to make the 5 hour drive to the race, but he did!  Unfortunately, when the packet pick up line closed at 9 p.m., S. was still en route--nearly 2 hours away.  I somehow managed to persuade the race officials to let me get his race number (which saved us some time the next morning) and I was excited when I heard him opening the door to the hotel room--even though I had just gone to bed!

The next morning, I saw S. for about the first 30 seconds of the race.  The runners thronging the start line left quickly shifting gaps and very little room to maneuver.  S. went right, I went left.  And then he was gone amongst the sea of runners surging over and beyond the finish line in the pre-dawn darkness.  I knew I had to run my race and hope that he could run well.  For the entire race, I looked for him in case he had to drop off the pace or got hurt.  I never saw him.

At the end, I just hoped that I hadn't missed him somewhere along the way because he was hurt (or hurting).  Turns out he had a spectacular time--finishing in 3:41 for his first marathon ever.  I'm proud of my brother and that he did so well.  And next time, I'm going to be motivated to keep up with him!

Relieved to be finished!

The Volunteers and Spectators

The people of St. George are wonderful.  They come out and volunteer in droves.  They line the roads along the route and cheer for us.  The ring loud cow bells.  And their kids stretch out their hands to give the runners five as they zip on past.

The volunteers and the spectators inspired me.  They held signs in the cold--many of them wearing parkas, hats, and gloves.  I'm not sure that I could do it!  The signs were great--many were funny most were inspirational.  I really enjoyed the signs cheering on grandma or grandpa.  One of the funniest signs that I saw simply said: "Worst parade ever.":  We were a motley crew!

I saw Ryan Cuff handing out water at one aid station.  Ryan Cuff was one of the best high school basketball players in the history of the State of Utah.  But he is also a good human being and consummate teammate.  He had no idea who I was, but I was proud to tell him that I remembered him and that I had played hoops with him.

I also saw my niece Elizabeth L. handing out water along the course.  I think that her high school cross-country teammates were helping to support the event.  I was really happy to see her (even if she was surprised to see me there) and told her to say hi to her parent for me.  Her family has always been so kind to me and I was grateful to see her.

Utah's Governor Gary Herbert came out to support the marathon runners

The groups that lined the course were so cheering so loud that I turned off my iPod so that I could appreciate the moment.  I tried to make a point of thanking the spectators for coming to cheer for us and thanking the volunteers for handing out water, Gatorade, Clif bars, vaseline, bananas, Gu shots, and other essential items.  It was inspiring to see volunteers raking up empty cups that had been thrown to the side by the runners.  It made me try harder to hit the trash can!  ;-)

But beyond a general "feel good" sort of inspiration, I drew tangible strength and energy from the spectators.  As I ran along the rope line at one point, I looked down at my watch and saw that my pace had quickened by nearly 30% as I ran along the line giving high fives to all the little kids.  It made me worry that I might have expended too much energy--but the fact was that the spectators made me faster.  Literally.

Post race with one of my favorite missionary companions

One of the spectators was an old mission companion of mine.  I hadn't seen him for nearly 14 years!  After the race, he graciously invited me to his home in Diamond Hills and to dinner with his cute family.  Renewing this friendship was yet another thing to be grateful for that came out of the event.

I've blogged about St. George and its volunteers in the past.  They did not disappoint today.  What a great city and what great people!  I'm certainly grateful for you!

My Fellow Runners

Snow Canyon along the route

I'm also grateful for my fellow runners out there.  I felt like you "pulled" me along even when I didn't know if I could keep going myself.  The list is long and distinguished, but here are a few that I remember:

• Daniel. R. and his brother - An attorney colleague from back home.  You inspired me by actually doing the run with your brother and I'm glad that I kept up with you for a bit.  We talked jobs, families, and running.  I hope I get to bump into you at another race in the future!

• Varls - This may have been your first marathon and you bounded past me with a surge of energy and enthusiasm.  Thanks for tapping me on the shoulder.  I didn't see you when I past you, but congrats on finishing!  And I hope to see you in San Clemente or at a BYU game soon!

• David Tanner and his daughter Cheyenne - David was running while carrying a large American flag.  I looked up and saw his flag and was inspired to catch up to him.  We ran together for a few miles.  His daughter was doing her third marathon in 3 weeks!  I thanked him for his patriotism and for his willingness to inspire his fellow runners.  I saw him at the finish line too and thanked him again.

• Ken Duke, Andy, and Richard - Ken is blind and was running his 56th marathon!  Richard and Andy were his two guides that ran alongside him.  I noticed Andy at about Mile 14.  He had pulled out his cell phone to take a call and said: "Hey, I'm doing a marathon.  I can't talk now, but I'll call you later!"  Andy was on his 18th marathon, I think.  He was also wearing a BYU hat.  I knew there was a reason I liked the guy.  It was fun to run with Ken and his guides for a few miles.  I had to push myself to catch up to him.  Once I did, I thought that if I blind guy could do this, so could I!  How could you not be inspired by someone like Ken or by his guides?

There were many more that I haven't mentioned, but I really appreciated the comaraderie of my fellow runners.  Thank you for pushing, pulling, and inspiring me!

The Result

I'm also grateful for the result.  I had people (beside my brother) tell me to skip the race and not to do it because I really have not had much time to train.  There a lot of reasons for that, but they are all excuses.  If I were to do the race, I had to do it and not make excuses.

I'd love to say that I lowered expectations, but I didn't.  I honestly did not know what to expect.  I really could not start training for this race until literally two weeks ago.  The longest run that I have done in the past month and a half was only 6.2 miles.  I really did not have any business starting the race--much less have any expectations for it.

I started the race and was still unsure of what I could do.  At one point, I was about ready to drop back when Daniel R. pulled up beside me and kept me on pace.  I walked for a brief half mile stretch on the big hill just past Veyo.  My thought process was to conserve my energy and not be a hero.  This was Mile 8 and I was still just hoping to finish in less than 6 hours and not get hurt.

By the halfway point, I was still feeling strong and starting to realize that I had a lot left in the tank.  My 13.1 mile time was 2:04--not great, but not terrible either.

Every finisher medal is unique

Mile 18 was where the wheels came off the train for me two years ago in this race.  There is a long hill just after the aid station and it can be discouraging and demoralizing.  In my case, it was two years ago.  This time, as I approached that same spot, I got a little emotional.  I realized that I still had enough left in the tank to finish and to finish strong.  I think it was at this point that I finally realized that not only was I going to finish, but I was also probably going to PR (set a new personal record).  My Garmin data actually shows my heart rate spiking at that point.  It was exciting to realize that I was going to meet my goals for this race and set new marks to shoot for in the future.

With about 3 miles to go, I realized that I had a chance at breaking 4 hours for the race.  I've always wanted to run a marathon in less than 4 hours and I tried to push harder.  Unfortunately, it was too much.

My final time was 4:03 and I couldn't be more thrilled.  It beat my time from 2 years ago by about 23 minutes.  I know that I gave it my all on that course.  I also know that there is room for improvement if I am willing to put in the training and time in the future.

Thank you St. George Marathon for such a fun event!  Hope to see you next year!

Carrie Underwood - See You Again

Carrie Underwood

Wide Open Spaces

Wide Open Spaces

I made it to my storage shed today.  Everything looks like it made it.  :-)  As I left to head home, I noticed the mountains above.  It reminded me of this Dixie Chicks song that I've always loved.  And it made me happy that I'm living in such a beautiful place.

Across the valley, you can see Mt. Timpanogos on the left and then to the right of that is Y Mountain (and BYU).  I have many memories of driving up to Salt Lake as a kid in our big blue suburban with kids piled everywhere.  We would excitedly look for the "Y" on the mountain (not so easy to see the white "Y" when the mountain was covered in snow!) and then "Timp" always reminds me of the legend that says Timp's peaks hold the outline of a sleeping Indian princess.

Then, if you look south, you can see Utah Lake.  I love that a thunderstorm seems poised to sweep through the south end of Utah Lake in this photo.

The view to the South...

To the North, I can Point of the Mountain (which is steadily being chopped away by the companies mining sand and gravel from it) and the Adobe building in Lehi.  Wide open spaces, indeed...

Point of the Mountain is to the left...

The movers did a good job with the storage unit.  This is what it looked like when I opened it up:

Can't hardly wait to unpack this...NOT!

The main reason for going there was to get my passport, which I need for my first day of work tomorrow.  I opened up one box and didn't see it.  Then I realized that I was in trouble--because I really need my passport to verify my employment eligibility and I didn't want to spend all day hunting through boxes!

I said a quick but sincere prayer.  Then I opened another box:

Eureka!

Or perhaps more appropriately, Hallelujah!  It was literally an answer to prayer!  And I was so grateful.

I am so excited to be here that I couldn't stop myself.  I'm staying with my sister and her husband for a little bit and I couldn't help but notice a couple of items that needed a quick fix.  Luckily, I had my toolbag and set about trying to make myself useful.  Here's a partial list of some of my projects today:

• Fixed the shower knob (this was total self-interest...It was working, which forced me to have a cold shower last night.  I didn't want to have another one tomorrow!)
• Fixed the toilet paper holder in the master bathroom
• Fixed a slow draining sink in the guest bathroom (out of respect for my sister, I am NOT posting pics of the clog)
• Fixed the towel rack in the guest bathroom (it was pulling out of the wall because the builder hadn't used drywall anchors or drywall screws)

That was all before dinner.  Dinner was at one of my sister's houses (J.--I have 5 sisters!).  She put on quite the spread!

We finished off the evening by going to visit 3 more of my sisters...it totally felt like a family reunion!

Three of my cute sisters

New city...new job...lots of stuff to do...but I feel like I'm off to a good start.  I've traded the beach for the mountains, but I'm loving the wide open spaces!  :-)

End of an Era

I recently had the text exchange above with a friend of mine here in town.  It is true...I got a new job and it's in Utah.  Unfortunately, that means that I have to leave Southern California. I grew up in the North Coast area of San Diego and we have lived for the past 9 years (almost) here in southern Orange County.

That's a long time.  The new job was pretty much a fluke.  I happened to see a job posting online that intrigued me and the process moved swiftly along.  I feel like it was pretty much a miracle, but since I accepted, I've been rushing to get the Big Move completed.  It hasn't been easy.  Fortunately, it's almost over.

This San Clemente sunset is a metaphor

As I have contemplated leaving California, I have had to come to grips with all the great things I love about living here and will miss after the move.  Of course there is great weather.  And the beach.  Beautiful scenery. Not to mention year-round warm temperatures.  But I have come to realize that I will miss the people--both friends and family--the most.

As I sat in church on Sunday, I realized that it was my last Sunday in that ward (i.e., congregation).  I looked around the chapel and saw many individuals and families who had done countless acts of service and show true Christian love for me and for my family.  It would be impossible (not to mention incredibly ungrateful) to not be humbled by the sheer volume of acts of kindness, goodness, and generosity that have blessed us during our time in San Clemente.  And it will be impossible to repay them.  But those selfless acts have formed a bond that will link us together even though we may move many miles away.

The view from my favorite "room" in my house

But enough of this sappy stuff...

The move itself has gone as well as it could go, I suppose, but that isn't saying much.  I hate moving.  The packing, the junk, the garbage, the carrying of boxes, the dust, the feeling that you would never have imagined that your house could have crumbs and dirt and lost toys littered under every piece of furniture and in every crevice and corner of the house.

It's embarrassing to have the movers come in and see the disorganized state of chaos.  I have consoled myself by being convinced that our house is not "as bad" as other houses that they may see on a regular basis--since they are moving "professsionals" after all.

I may be right (that there are other houses in far worse shape), but that isn't really saying much.  The whole moving process makes me feel like I should be a candidate for the tv show "Hoarders."  I take a perverse pleasure in throwing stuff out.  It would blow your mind some of the stuff that I "found" while going through the packing process.

I feel a bit like Mark Twain, who has been famously credited with remarking that he would have written less, but he didn't have more time.  (Meaning that it takes time to refine, rewrite, and edit good literary prose.)  It takes time to pack less stuff.  Time that I didn't have.  So I just told them to pack it all.  #everythingmustgo

It didn't all fit...sadly

Here's some of the other stuff that I've been doing to relieve some of the stress from moving....

Saturday:

Poor Visibility at T Street Beach

The visibility was crappy on Saturday, but I wanted one more day at the beach.  I have noticed that since I grew up here and live here, I don't go as much as I should.  I figure I can go whenever I want, so I never do.  Sad but true.

So I took a break from returning crap, packing, and making about 37 trips to Goodwill to go down to the beach real quick.  There was a layer of coastal fog, but the water was surprisingly warm.  In part, my new Oakley wetsuit/rash guard probably helped keep me warm.

New Oakley Surface Tension Jacket--Hapari Compression Shorts

I caught some really decent waves while bodysurfing.  Maybe bigger than I ever have before.  One of the nice ancillary benefits of doing triathlons is that I'm a much better swimmer than I ever have been in the past and I think that helped. I've never been--and still am not--a surfer, but I enjoy bodysurfing.  There is something awesome about the power of the ocean as those waves propel you toward the shore.  It helps give you some perspective on things.  Plus, even though the sun wasn't out, the beauty of the waves and the ocean is undeniable.

I may have to try and sneak away from work this week for one more excursion to the beach before I pack up the car and head out.  Don't tell my boss!  I will definitely miss this, but I'm glad that I can still come back to visit. :-)

Monday:

#43 is officially retired

I know that I said that we won the championship last week--and we did--but a new season started and the first game was on Monday night. I felt like I could use (yet another) break from packing, so I asked if I could play one more time.  My Latham teammates seemed happy to have me back.

This is what my finger looked like today...one day later

It was a fun night, even though I jammed my finger pretty severely in the first few minutes of the game.  It hurt a lot and I had to be conscious of it--dribbling, shooting, giving five to my teammates--for the rest of the night.  It's been a while since I've jammed a finger that bad, but it's an occupational hazard of basketball.  There is definitely some bruising and it may be a while before I can bend my finger properly, but I wasn't going to let it ruin my night.

Brooks' Dodgeball Injury Had Him Passing Out in the Ambulance

I can tell you what I didn't do.  I didn't "pull a Brooks" from the Bachelorette last season.  Brooks tweaked his finger playing dodgeball and had to be life flighted in a helicopter to the E.R.  He passed out along the way, but I think that may have been due more to his embarrassment at having to wear those ugly dodgeball uniforms.  Still it was disappointing to see what a wimp he was.  I guess it foreshadowed his ignominious exit from the show.

Like I said, I didn't have the time to summon an ambulance for a mere finger injury.  I soldiered on and we won the game 65-47.  After the game, I asked the scorekeeper how I did.  He told me: "38 and 17."  I had to ask him again because, while I thought I had played decently, I didn't know what he was referring to.  Turns out I had 38 points and 17 rebounds.  I feel like that's a pretty solid effort and an opportunity to go out on a high note.  :-)

Since I don't know when, if ever, I'll play organized hoops like that again, I am posting the box score from the game:

Last dance?

Gratuitous Kids Shots:

I've rambled enough.  Somehow, some way, this move has happened.  I admit to feeling overwhelmed at times, but I've had some good help.  Most importantly, J. and her mom put in a ton of work sorting stuff into the "KEEP"; "JUNK"; and "GOODWILL" piles.  I can't thank them enough.  

I've also had friends bring food, cookies, and even offer to let me stay in their homes (since all the beds have been gone since last week!).  Apparently it does take a village to move all of our family crap.  I'm just grateful that we live in an awesome village.  

Now for the kids:

M. looking for his blanket in the dryer.  I don't think I can really call him Baby M. anymore!  :-(

We're both exhausted.  And this doesn't happen nearly enough.  

The System

This is the newest book on my Kindle.  It has two chapters that were recently excerpted in the DesNews.  If the rest of the book is as good as these two chapters, this may well be one of the best books that I've read in a long time:

Kyle Van Noy:

Kyle Van Noy Awaits the Snap...

Kyle is one of the best linebackers in the country last year and this year.  He is likely going to be a very high draft pick in the NFL draft this Spring.  He basically won BYU's bowl game last December (against San Diego State) single-handedly--even though he is a defensive player--by blocking a punt, intercepting a pass which he returned for a touchdown, and forcing a fumble which he then returned for a touchdown.

For a defensive player to score two touchdowns in a bowl game is almost unheard of.  He's had a great career at BYU...but he almost didn't come to BYU.  Here is the backstory behind Van Noy's decision to come to BYU:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

Kyle Van Noy is one of the reasons that I love BYU and I love BYU football.  No he is not perfect, but none of us are.  His decision to sit out an entire season so that he could come to BYU is admirable (and almost beyond belief).  It would have been very easy for him to go to another school and tell himself that he was going to make the changes necessary to get his life back in order at that other school.  But he didn't do that.  He knew that he was supposed to be at BYU and he made the necessary sacrifices so that he could attend (and play for) BYU.

I'm excited to see what Van Noy can accomplish at BYU this season, in his NFL career, and in life.  But in the meantime, I'll feel good cheering for him (and the rest of the Cougars) this Fall.

Bronco Mendenhall:

Bronco shows some emotion on the sidelines

How can you not like Bronco Mendenhall?  First of all, he's got a great name.  Second, he is loyal.  Third, his teams play with energy and passion.  I remember when he was first hired as BYU's defensive coordinator, I used to root for his defense to take the field because Bronco's defense at BYU was more exciting to watch than BYU's offense.  At a school known for its high-powered passing attack like BYU, this represented a fundamental paradigm shift.  (Of course, this was in the Gary Crowton years when the offense was a bit stagnant).

Here's the excerpt about Bronco from the book:

• "The True Story of How BYU Came to Hire Bronco Mendenhall"

I love that Bronco was loyal to his friend Gary Crowton.  I love that Bronco's players were loyal to him and went to the school's administration to support him.  And I love that one of the first things that Bronco did after getting hired was to get on his knees and pray.  (I can relate to feeling so overwhelmed with a new assignment that I felt like I needed to pray for guidance.)  

Anyway, I'm grateful that it's football season and I'm grateful for the opportunity to cheer for the Cougars.  Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll actually be able to see a game this season.  In person.  Go Cougs!!!!