Holloman AFB Duathlon review

    I will have to say that I was really worried about this race to begin with because it seemed very disorganized.  To begin with, both Cody Hanson and I had trouble with our registration.   Secondly, when I arrived at the event other athletes were told that they were not registered.  Once I received my packet, (which was a very cheap T-shirt, race number and a number to stick on you helmet), I went out side and had to move my bike because they decided to move the transition area to a new area.  At this point I was really beginning to wonder about this race and was thinking it would be my last one!  However, after everything was ironed out, it was a wonderful event and the race itself was run well.  There were plenty of volunteers that did a great job and always deserve many thanks because without them races would not be possible.  There were also plenty of signs directing the athletes along the course and plenty of water stations.  Not only was this a great day to race, a bunch of fast athletes were in attendance which is always great for a challenge.
    The 5k run was a flat out and back course.  Originally I was not happy with my time of 27:29 but after seeing my garmin I saw that the coarse was 3.25 miles rather than 3.1.  So my pace was about 8:34 which is not bad for this Clydesdale.  My main competition, Robert Lovett, told me that he had a bad run but he beat me by a full 3 minutes.  He is certainly blessed with the gift of being able to run fast.
    The 30k bike which measured out to be 18.8 miles on my garmin was also flat and fast.  I pedaled hard and chased Robert the best I could.  At the half way point I spotted Robert and had made up some time on him.  By seeing each other we both pushed hard to finish the second half of the bike leg.  I was able to make up two minutes on him but came up short.  He beat me by one minute.  Robert received 1st place in the Clydesdale category and I received 2nd. What a great race!
    Just to mention a few other athletes that I know, Cody Hanson, as always, had a strong race.  I can't say enough about Cody, he is so dedicated and driven.  After the race everyone was enjoying the meal that Holloman provided for the athletes but Cody is so strict on his diet that he had his own food (White chicken and fruit).  How does he do it?  Cody, I take off my hat to you, keep up the hard work.
   Jason McClure is beyond incredible on the bike.  How does such a big guy ride so fast?  Jason who has raced as a Clydesdale in the past decided to race in his age group and received third place.  I am certainly inspired by him to try racing in my age group as well in the near future, if God is willing of coarse.
    Brooks Vandivort, who I just met this year, is an amazing athlete.  He is fast on the run and the bike and received 1st place in his division and 3rd place overall with a time of 1:12:33.
    Flip Lyle, who is a legend Triathlete, always says that he wins because no one else is alive in his age group.  Today there were three athletes in the 60 plus division and Flip finished 1st place, winning by 13 seconds!  Did I mention that just a few months ago Flip had an bike accent in a triathlon breaking several rips and his shoulder.  He is truly and inspiration to all.  I can only hope that I will be blessed enough to be racing at that age.
     Despite the problems that were experienced with registration and the moving of the transition area before the race, I would still highly recommend doing an event at the Holloman AFB.  After the race lunch was provided for the athletes at the Raptors Nest, which was a really nice dinning facility.  It actually felt like smelly athletes did not belong in such a nice place.  As a matter of fact when I walked in the first thing I thought was steak and lobster!  Probably just the mentality of a hungry Clydesdale triathlete. I was a little disappointed that they were not on the menu, however, the pasta and salad that was served was wonderful.
    Thanks again to all who worked hard to put on a great race!  Most importantly Thanks to God who has given me the physical ability to race and for keeping all the athletes safe in today's race.  All of my accomplishments are thanks to God for his loving grace and especially for His Son Jesus Christ who died for our sins to save us.  May it be for his glory that I compete. 

Messia Valley Triathlon review

  As always Tri Sports put on a great triathlon at NMSU.  They supplied the athletes with a technical t-shirt and nice plaques for awards.  This race was a reverse sprint triathlon.  The 5k run was out and back and mostly flat with very slight inclines that really were not noticable.  I was able to run a personal best for the run so I was pleased.  The bike was also out and back, and was a fifteen mile ride with slight rolling hills that were not difficult.  What made the ride a little more challenging is that it felt like there was a head wind through out the race.  Unfortunately, one of my competitors and friends, Robert Lovett crashed on the bike.  He is such a fast runner that I had to chase him on the bike.  To my suprise he had not racked his bike when I reached T2.  The swim was held at NMSU at the Olympic size out door pool.  The total distance of the swim was 500 meters and the water felt great!  I did finish first but was disappointed that Robert was delayed with his crash.  In my opinion the thrill of racing in triathlons comes from the competition. Robert did get 2nd place despite his mishap but I am sure he will be back stronger than ever.
  I would also like to mention that Christy Jones, who is head of the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), got first place in her division.  She is an inspiration as an athlete and most importantly as a  Christian.
  This was a great sprint triathlon and I highly recommend it and sure hope that they will have it again next year.  I especially like the timing that Tri Sports supply.  They provide timing for all legs of the race, however, T1 is included with the bike split and T2 is included with the swim split.
  The South West series Challenge awards were also presented after the race and of coarse the awards were great.  I would just like to thank all who are involved in putting the series together and for all your hard work and also all of the volunteers and workers of the MV Triathlon.

Sully's Super Sprint Triathlon Review

Cody Hanson, John Gardea and Robert Lovett

   The Sully Super Sprint Triathlon is Held in Alpine, Texas and is a great place to visit.  I love this triathlon because it has the cheapest entry fee (35$) of the southwest series and the goody bag is great.  This year participants received a technical t-shirt, a cotton t-shirt of the University, sport beans and honey milk.    The metals for those who place are really nice.  Best of all are the volunteers which are posted at every turn.  I am certainly grateful to the volunteers because without them triathlons would not be possible.
    This race is a reverse triathlon and starts with a 5k run which takes you around the campus with some rolling hills.  The bike is out and back on highway 90 with a gradual up hill climb heading out.  Of coarse that means you get to go down hill on the way back.  The swim is up and back in each lane and totals 360 meters.  This is certainly a small triathlon but I highly recommend it because it is so well organized and the athletes are well taken care of.  The only problem I have is that because it is a small town finding a place to eat healthy can be a challenge.  I highly recommend Driving out to Marfa at night to check out the Marfa lights during your stay, should you visit Alpine.
    The best thing about triathlons is that I have been able to meet wonderful people such as Cody Hanson and Robert Lovett.  Both of these triathletes inspire me to work harder.  How wonderful it is to live a healthy life style when you take up the sport of triathlon.

The Secret to Losing Weight!

At my heaviest weight of 390 lbs plus

    It almost never fails that when someone hears about my weight loss they ask, "how did you do it?  Which diet did you follow"?  There are so many diets to choose from, South beach, Adkins, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Slim-fast the Hollywood Diet, etc... It is very easy to get confused with all the food choices and advertisements making miracle claims.  Some diets require you to buy their foods to lose or maintain weight, so are you going to buy their products for the rest of your life?  The truth of the matter is DIETS DON'T WORK!  All the diets that are out there are all temporary solutions.  Sure you may lose weight initially but once you are off the diet, then what?  You have to make a decision that you are going to make a change in the way you eat for the rest of your life!  You must change your life style for good.  Weight loss does not come in a pill.

Am I awake? sleep apnea kills!

     I know the secret to permanent weight loss! I am always willing to give people the answer, but many times they do not believe me.  I have had people roll their eyes after I tell them.  Please do not sign off and surf away from this blog once you hear the answer.  For your own sake, open up your heart and mind!  The answer to permanent weight loss is to put your full trust in God!  As I mentioned in the first entry of this blog, I asked God, "In the name of Jesus Christ will you please help me lose my excessive weight".  By the grace of God I lost over 180 pounds.  I have kept the weight off, and I know that it will stay off.  Just remember that when you pray it must be in line with Gods will (1 John 5.14-15) with the right motives (James 4.3), with persistence (Luke 11.8-10) and with the spirit of humility (Luke 18.14).  Once you have the blessings of God, He will give you the strength and desire to be successful, you just have to have faith (Matt. 17.20).

My buddy Russell and I after a ride, weight about 315 lbs

    I really do not consider my food choices as a "diet" per say.  I simply try to eat foods that are natural and not processed by man.  A good rule of thumb is if God made it, Eat it. The following is a typical example of the types of foods that I do eat; for protein I will eat meats that are lean such as white chicken or turkey meat, fish such as salmon or tuna.  For carbohydrates, I eat 100% whole wheat bread, long grain wild rice, oatmeal, granola, wheat pasta, or high fiber cereals.  I am not a real big vegetable person put I do try to eat them when I can, and try to eat as many different colors as possible.  I will often eat different types of legumes because I do believe it is a great food for runners (ha, ha, but seriously they are).  I do like fruit and will eat them often, especially as a dessert.  I will say that I do have a sweet tooth and the truth of the matter is, sugar is really bad if you are trying to lose weight.  To get around this and satisfy my sweet tooth, I use stevia (a natural sweetener made from a plant, it is all natural and will not raise your blood sugar level.  It is even safe for those who are diabetic).  I will use stevia in my coffee, tea or sprinkle it on fruit.  Even though many people fear it, fats are an important part of a diet, just eat them in moderation as with any food.  For fats I will eat foods such as, avocados, olives, different kinds of nuts, and peanut or almond butter.  I also eat dairy products such as low fat milk, all natural yogurt, and low fat cottage cheese.  As I mentioned before I always stay away from foods that have been processed by man, such as frozen packaged foods (t.v. dinners, frozen pizza etc...) and no soda including diet soda.  I will not consume any artificial sweeteners and avoid high fructose corn syrup as much as possible.
    Now I do know that we are all human and cravings will kick in from time to time.  It is usually then when one falls off the wagon and dives in to the plate, thus leading to the feeling of guilt and failure.  To avoid this problem, once a week I will eat any food I want (In moderation of coarse).  I will even eat a dessert, but after that meal, its back to business.  Make sure that you do not skip any meals especially breakfeast!  The way you eat is very important!  As the saying goes, "You are what you eat"!   How you fuel your body will affect how you feel and perform.

After the Milkman Triathlon at a weight of 210lbs, my daughter is obviously tired

    Another question that people ask me is, "Do you have to work out to lose weight"?  The answer to that question is, if you want to live a health life, Yes, of coarse you do.  You might be able to lose weight by just dieting alone, but once you start working out and get use to the the routine you are going to love the way you feel.  By eating right and by exercising not only are you going to like the way you feel you are going to have more energy.  I will discuss working out in another post.  Just remember in order to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume.  One of the most important keys to weight loss is to stay consistant in eating a healthy diet and working out.  Once you get use to a routine (which takes between 21-29 days) it becomes much easier.

An Inspirational Weight Loss Journey Competing In Triathlons For The Glory Of God

Before my weight loss holding my youngest daughter

Competing and training for triathlons has helped me lose over 180 pounds. The transformation was a lot of work and a long road, but well worth it. In July of 2008 I weighed 392 pounds and had many health problems because of my obesity. I had sleep apnea, high blood pressure, asthma, bad knees, head aches, dizzy spells and the list went on. I had several visits to the doctors' office and the hospital, as a result of my excessive weight. One doctor who was up front with me said I was a "ticking time bomb". The truth of the matter was that I did not need a doctor to tell me that, it was obvious!
Through out my life I have struggled with my weight. I have tried many times to lose weight and would succeed briefly, but only to gain it all back and more each time. I have been blessed with a beautiful and supportive wife and two precious daughters. Many times my wife would ask me, "don't you love us? If you did you would lose weight". She worried very much about my health. I love my family very much and wanted to lose weight so badly, but it's not that easy. In our society we are tempted in so many ways, ads, friends, family. I know that ultimately I am directly responsible for my own decisions. I did not know how to lose weight and I new that surgery was not the answer for me.

70.3 Ironman Bike Ride

Running in the Chile Harvest Triathlon

I distinctly remember the night when my life changed. It was July 4th 2008 and my family and I were staying with my father-in-law. We had just finished a dinner and of coarse I ate more than my share. I had gone to bed that night feeling miserable and stuffed. I put on my mask from my C-pap machine (a machine that helps you breath when you have sleep apnea) and settled in for bed. While in bed I was deep in thought about my state of health. I knew that I was at the end of my rope and that if I did not do something, life for me would take a turn for the worst. I did not know what to do so I appealed to a higher court and asked God, "In the name of Jesus Christ, will you please help me lose my excessive weight"? Now I can't explain it other than by the grace of God, my prayer was answered. The next day I had a burning desire to change my life style. Its funny how God places people in your life. A month prior to my prayer request I met Russell Shute, who would become one of my best friends and like a brother. We started to walk around the park (that was about all I could do at the time) and swim at a public pool. Russell is a triathlete and asked me to do a triathlon with him. At first I thought it was a crazy idea. Can you imagine swimming, biking and running all in the same day? I knew that God had provided a way for me to lose weight and to this day I am thankful for being so blessed. God is an awesome God!

Ironman 70.3 swim

When I first started training progress was slow because I had so much weight to lose and was in such terrible shape. I consistently worked out and ate a healthy diet. Finally, in April of 2009, I competed in my first triathlon. I entered the race as a Clydesdale (triathletes who weigh more than 200 pounds). I finished last in my division, as a matter of fact I was one of the last to finish. But none of that mattered to me, I had finished my first triathlon and wanted more!  Currently I have reached a weight that I am happy with.  My weight will fluctuate between 205-215 lbs. depending on the time of year.
To date I have competed in twenty five triathlons including two 70.3 Ironman events. I have placed first in the Clydesdale division in seven triathlon events. In 2010 I placed 2nd overall in the master Clydesdale division for the Southwest Series Challenge. Please do not think that I am boasting in myself because all of these accomplishments are thanks to God and are for His glory. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Phil. 4.13