My Worship Revolution

So I said this would be coming last week.  Then Easter hit, and Catalyst West Coast is next week, so it’s been hard to find time to hit the blog like I wanted to.  But as promised, here’s a quick rundown on my last race a few weeks ago.

If you wanna skip all the details, just jump down to the takeaway.  And make sure you don’t miss the bold paragraph at the bottom!

Pre-race
So my friend James is the one who talked me into this one.  Actually, he was kinda the reason I jumped into doing the triathlon thing, and we had yet to race together.  He raced the sprint while I raced the Olympic distance.

It fell exactly 4 weeks before my very first half-Ironman, the Avia Wildflower.  So I figured it fit well into the training schedule.  I was under strict orders from Dan the man to not think about the finish line at all.  This was just another training day and I needed to to be listening to my body and learning what I need to do for the next 30 days.  As you might see in the report, that was tough to do.  Kept going back and forth between thinking about it and not.

*As a sidenote, the biggest thing I came away thinking was, “What in the world was I thinking signing up for Wildflower?!”  Everything I read says Wildflower is an “iconic” race in the sport and one of the hardest long courses in the world.  Oh yeah, perfect race for my first.  Haha.  Needless to say, I was a bit discouraged, but now I’m back on track and fired up for Wildflower.  Now back to this race.

The last couple races I’ve liked to be in the transition area really early to be set up and feel like there’s plenty of time to be ready to go.  I was leaving at 8am, and James at 8:45, and we were staying about 15-20 minutes away.  We decided to compromise and leave around 6:20.  Transition area opened at 5:30am.  When we got there, transition was already PACKED.  I found a place to lean my bike against a fence in a corner.  That was a bit disappointing.  Transition area was way to small and kinda unorganized for the number of people in the event.  Granted this, was also quite a bit smaller of an even than the Tri-california race I did.  And this one is put on my the Tri team Cal State SLO.

Swim/T1 – 50:06.9
For some reason there was only a timing mat on the way out to bike and out to run, so no split on the transition times, so I’ll group em together.  There was actually some confusion on when I should leave.  Based on USAT rules, I should be in the 30 category because I turn 30 this year.  But they had me in the 29 age group.  It was hard to find that out.  Asked once and they said they didn’t have time to check, but I should go with 30.  Went back 10 minutes before start, and they checked the computer and it said 29, and that was my cap color as well.  So I went down to start at 8 instead of 8:05.  Then when the times came out, it had me in the 30-34 age group.  Since there was no mat at the start, that sadly could mean I took 5 min. longer than they think.  Not sure.  But I wasn’t there for time anyway, right? 

It was a deep water start so we all jumped in and warmed up for a bit.  After a while, the guy next to me and I were thinkin it had to be past 8 already.  When were we starting?  And they hadn’t told us where to start from.  Some guys were still out there a ways and we were discussing this when we here them shout out that we start in 45 seconds.  Guys were swimming in to get back in time to start with the rest of us.

Finally we were off.  First mistake, I just took off with way too much gusto right from the start.  A couple hundred yards in I realized it and already started to run out of steam.  A little too excited from the beginning instead ot remembering to just pace myself for a long swim.  Also, this time I was racing with my surf wetsuit on.  I wasn’t sure I really believed Dan and Patty that it was that big of a difference.  After those first couple hundred yards, I knew I was dead wrong.  My arms felt way heavy and I could just feel the weight and lack of mobility in my wetsuit.  I decided for the first time to start the race at the front in the middle of the pack to see what it was like.  Needless to say, it wasn’t long before I felt a wave of dudes swimming right over the top of me.  I knew with my wetsuit and quick start I was in for a long swim.  So I just buried my head and tried to enjoy it.

The other thing I noticed was I need to do a better job sighting for Wildflower.  I kept realizing that people were swimming way to the left of me in this counter-clockwise swim.  So I probably swam the extra .3 miles I’ll be doing in the long course.  That was the plan, of course.  All part of the training, eh? 

I finally finished the swim just as James’ wave went out, so it probably took just over 45 minutes.  As I was jogging to transition, I saw James dad, brother and brothers girlfriend, gove em a quick shout hello and continued on.  Transition took a lot longer than I expected getting into my shoes and all.  But I got everything covered, took some electrolytes, pounded a gel, and it was off to the bike.

Bike/T2 – 1:53:39.3

Bike was pretty normal and actually not too bad.  The 25 mile bike was basically just 2 loops of the sprint course.  There was a pretty steep hill heading out and then again coming back in, so we got to hit it twice.  Even though it was a short steep one, I was glad it was there cause I need some hills to help get ready for Wildflower and Nasty Grade.

Overall, I felt pretty good on the bike.  It was a beautiful ride out there.  There were a few decent hills out there, but nothing really major, mostly cruising alongside Lopez Lake.  One of the goals for this race was also to try out my nutrition stuff which I had just gotten a couple days before from Hammer.  It seemed to work out really well overall and I have since been training regularly with the gels and capsules to have my body ready for them in a few weeks here.

Toward the end on the way in, I kinda wondered if my back tire was going flat by the way it was sounding, but with my momentum and no extra tube on me, I wasn’t about to stop and check.  I had 2 flats in that tire on the ride leading up to this race so I was a bit paranoid.  I forgot to check when I got in or even after the race.  But James brought the bike back from SLO on his rack for me, and it was really flat when I got it back, so who knows.

Got into transitio
n, and being that I don’t have any bike shoes right now, those didn’t have to be changed so not much to do.  Lost the helmet, moved my race number around to the front, pounded another gel, and threw another Hammer flask in my jersey.  Unfortunately forgot to take a few more electrolyte capsules.  not sure how that affected me, but wish I would have remembered.

As an added point, I must say it is a bit discouraging realizing not many people are left to finish the bike and hearing them anounce that the awards ceremony will be starting soon while you’re in transition, all the while knowing you still have a good 6.4 miles to run.

Run – 1:40:29.8
Yup, this was definitely the most brutal part of the race.  You’re reading that number right, and it actually works out to a 14:02/mile pace.  Ouch.

From the very first step, my left knee and my right calf were killing me.  They had been hurting for a while, and I’ve since visited the doctor regarding the knee.  He says it sounds like Runner’s Knee and I’ll be hittin some physical therapy next week to try and at least get it under control before running 13.3 miles at Wildflower.

Toward the start of the run I passed James coming in from the sprint and told him to relax at the finish, cause it was gonna be a while.  Helping out were a bunch of guys in some military outfits.  Not sure what braanch or who they were, but they were actually very encouraging along the way, so that was cool.

I hit the sprint turnaround a bit quicker than I expected and kept on jogging toward the Olympic turnaround.  Pretty much all trails on this run.  And the run to the turnaround was pretty much a long uphill run.  Good training for Wildflower, not good motivation when you are in pain and already feel like you’re sucking.  Kept on running most of the way, at least that’s what I called it, but did have to stop and walk a few times more than I would have liked.  Everyone I passed who was coming back kept saying, “Once you get to the turnaround, it’s all downhill from there.  You’re on the hardest part!”  Pretty much the same thing I told the few people I passed on the way back.  But it selfishly was nice to at least pass someone on the way back.  There were times out there that I seriously couldn’t see anyone in front of or behind me and thought I might be the last one in.

About mile 4 the dull cramp like pain in my right calf became a sharp pain.  I had to pull up for a minute and stretch it a bit.  As I did, a few girls heading the other way said, “No shame in walking!  Just gotta finish.”  I smiled at em and encouraged them as they passed.  Then I thought to myself, sure there is, and started up again at a slow jog just wanting to get back.

I finally got to the finish line to be greeted by James.  He then said to me, “The foods been pretty much cleaned out I think, but there are still a few bananas left I think.”

The Takeaway
Overall, I was glad I did it.  It was an eyeopener.  And even though it wasn’t the most encouraging race, at least after my last Olympic, I can say I properly completed one now.

It got me bumpin up my training for May 2, and I’ve had some encouraging workouts since then.  This tri was definitely tougher than PG was, and it helped me to get my mind off the need to do Wildflower in any sort of time, but rather to go into it with the attitude that finishing my first half-Ironman, especially at Wildflower, will be a success in itself.  Probably a good mindset to be in as I head into this race.

Good experience.  Fun race.  Not sure it’s one I’d wanna sign up for again, but glad I did it, and had a fun weekend with James and part of his fam.

Unfortunately, on one hand, Wildflower will probably be my last tri of the year, and the first of the season for most people there!  On the other hand, that’s because I have something BIG coming up later in the year.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about yet, you will soon.  Hopefully I’ll have the details for that announcement tomorrow, but worst case Monday or Tuesday.  And you’ll wanna hear this one, so please stay tuned!  It involves the whole community here at my humble blog. 

We are all riding to raise money for the cause of hemophilia.  This is a cause that is close to my heart and my family’s.  My cousin has a seven year old son, Zach, who lives everyday with hemophilia.

Check out this video to hear a little bit about the ride and to meet Zach and his family for yourself:

For those of you who haven’t heard of hemophilia, the simple explanation is it’s a blood disorder that causes a person’s blood to be unable to clot.  Because of that, people like Zach who have hemophilia have to take a shot every other day that allows clotting to take place.
There is currently no cure for hemophilia.

The money raised through this ride will go to send kids from 7-18 to a camp where they can be active with other kids just like them with specialized care available at all times.  It will also go to help find a cure for the disorder, as well as to help and care for the families that are a part of these California chapters.

There are 2 ways that you can partner with me to make a difference:

• GIVE
  In order to go on this ride and have a large majority of the money go to the Hemophilia chapters, I need to raise $3500.00 in funds.  This is really a minimum.  I would love to see us obliterate this number to really make a huge difference for the cause.Please visit my Active.com fundraising page to donate and be a part of this effort.  Every little bit helps!  Whether you can give $5, $50, or $500, I need your help.The Active page is the preferred method of giving, but there are 2 other options as well.  If you’d prefer to pay by cash, check, or credit card, email me and I will send you my address and a donor sheet to send in.  All checks should be made payable to HASDC.
  There is also a Facebook cause page I setup as well.  Again, the preferred online method would be Active.com, but if this works better for ya…they’ll take it!  And even if you don’t give there, come join the cause!
• Spread The Word
  CLICK HERE for info on the iPhone Giveaway!
  I need your help to share this with others as well.  I am excited to not only raise funds, but also to raise awareness through this project.  Many people have no idea that there are people living with this disorder and especially what the families go through.  I sure didn’t, until it became a part of my family 7 years ago.  And there’s still a lot I don’t know.So if you have a blog, please share about this race in a post.  Embed the video and send people here to find out more.
  Join the cause on Facebook, and then invite others to be a part as well.
  And share the link to the Active.com page via Twitter, Facebook, blogs, emails, and conversations.  I would love to see hundreds of people be a part of this with us.

Over the next 4 months as I prepare for this ride, I will share the journey here with you at the blog.  As part of that I’ll be sharing pieces of Zach and his family’s story so you can get to know them.
They are the reason I’m riding.
And I can’t wait to share the ride with you as much as possible as it happens via Twitter, Facebook, and of course, this blog.
You can see all the posts about the ride, hemophilia, and Zach here.

Thanks a ton for your support.  And welcome to the journey

Yeah, this is a repeat post for those of you who have been around here for a while.
But every couple of years I gotta share this video again.
It's probably one of, if not the favorite video I've put together.

Created for a Good Friday service in 2005, it's a great reminder what today is all about.
The suffering he endured so that I, so that we, wouldn't have to on this Good Friday.

In addition to that, as a little sidenote, this video kinda has a new sentimental meaning to me now.
As I watch, so many of these faces bring back so many great memories.  Some not so great memories at times too.
But many of the people I still know and love.  People I had very little history with when the video was made.  Now, each face has a story.  Has years of walking with God together behind it.

So tonight I'm thankful for two things.
The sacrifice He made so that He would be glorified.
And the relationships he's blessed me with to share the journey with.
Enjoy, and reflect.

The alarm on my phone buzzed me out of bed at 6:30 a.m.  I noticed briefly that I had no cell service. 
I have T-Mobile.
Didn’t think much of it.

Shortly thereafter, the bedroom door swings open.
Pitter patter of little 2 and a half year old feet enters the room.
I get up.  Toast is made and cartoons are on.
I go to check my email.  Can’t connect to the internet.
We regularly have issues with our web at home, too.  Although slightly frustrated, I get my stuff together and head out to meet Ryan at Bad Ass Coffee.
At least I can get my emails when I get there.

I groggily walk in to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Ryan’s at the counter and I tell him I’ve got it covered this morning.
The credit card machine isn’t working.
She (the barista) informs me that their connection for cards is down, as is the internet, and both the barista’s phones have not had service, at home or there.
Now I’m trippin out.
Ryan and I don’t have service either.

She has some random cell provider.
The other guy has Verizon.
Ryan has AT&T.
I have T-Mobile.
And they’re all out?
How does this happen?!?

I must watch too much 24.  My first response…
I tell our barista this must be a terrorist attack.  They’ve hit us where they knew it would hurt.
She hears on the radio it’s a communication breakdown in Santa Cruz County.
I imagine some ominous voice on the phone with Barack,
“See what’s happening in Santa Cruz?  If you don’t give in to our demands, we’ll hit a bigger area.  Mass hysteria will break loose.  You have 45 minutes.”
(Of course this was at 7:15 because big events always happen on the hour on 24.)

OK.  Perhaps a bit of an overstatement.  But it made me think.
We rarely even leave the ringer on for our home phone.  We have all become pretty reliant on technology.  In a way, it was a bit scary to me that I had no way to really contact Rachel.
If you’re reading this, all is right again in Santa Cruz.
But it kinda made me think.

And one of the first thoughts that went through my head at the coffee counter…
“Oh man…I can’t even Twitter this!”

A few weeks ago I went on a group ride in Santa Cruz.  A guy was asking what I was training for and we started talking Triathlon.  He asked what my strength is.  I told him at this point I'm just mediocre at all three.  I wasn't trying to lie, but I realized later that I did.  I actually kinda suck at all three.

I tend to be slightly perfectionist…in an odd way.  I think I should be really good at whatever I do.  Even if I rarely do it, or have just started.  Tritahlon is no exception.  I'm not exactly good at everything I do, but there is very little I have committed myself to that I wasn't at least decent at to begin with.

This past weekend I participated in my second Olympic Triathlon.  I primarily did it as part of training for the long course at Wildflower. 
It was a tough race.

My race report will come later, but the point is this…at a few points along the run, there was a part of me that seriously wanted to throw in the towel.  It wasn't cause I was hurting (although I was).  It wasn't even cause I couldn't finish, cause I knew I could.  It was cause I was embarrassed by how long it was going to take me this time.  If it were anyone else I'd be the first one to tell em to keep going and be proud of doing it.  But that doesn't seem to be enough for me.

It got me thinking.  Everything I do is ultimately to the glory of Christ.  This scripture came to mind as I was running:

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
-1 Corinthians 2:1-5

So yeah, I know I'm not exactly out there preaching Christ.  But there was still some truth to that passage as it rang in my head.  Christ is made strong in our weakness.  It's the things we don't do well that force us to lean on Jesus and trust Him to get us through.

When I love something, I wanna share it with others.  I've encouraged multiple people to give a triathlon a shot.  It's fun.  It promotes health.  But what encouragement could I be to people if I was good at it from the beginning?  Instead, I can say, "Hey, I did it.  And got better over time.  You can do it, too." 
It's the same way as each of us work out our salvation in fear and trembling.  I'll keep on pressing on, as Paul encouraged, and in the difficult times is when God will be most glorified.

And in the meantime, I guess I'll work on being OK with not being as good as I want.  Such is life.  I'll commit to pushing to get better.  And I'll let God use teach me in the process, and use my weaknesses to point to Him.

Thank you Jesus for using a Triathlon to teach me a small lesson in humility.

This past Sunday was the last week of, The Other Side.
Throughout the series, we invited people to submit their questions about the heaven, hell, angels, demons, etc.  Then for the final week, we had a casual panel discussion sort of atmosphere with the pastoral staff to answer the questions.

So to open up, we taped a little intro out at a local cemetary.
Here’s how it turned out:

Kinda fun to have something a little different to open up the message.
Here’s the message if you’re interested as well:

Here we go, last installment of photos.
Now I’ll get the rest up on Facebook.
And this is the last time…for now…I’ll pimp the photographers.
TenEleven photo.
Get some family portraits.
Have them take them.
They’re good.
Thanks a ton for coming up and sharing your talents guys.

Yup.  Definitely the two cutest little boys on the planet.
And they’re mine.
Sorry.  You can’t have em.

So last night I rolled down to The Catalyst for the first time along with Ryan.  An old friend from Revolution has this band called The Autumn Film.  They were supposed to play at 9pm.  We got there and found out the show was pushed back to 10:30.
Sorry.  I gotta sleep.

Got to say hi to Tifah though.  It was good to catch up.
Promise…there is more of a point to this post.

She is playing an acoustic set by herself at Asana Tea House tonight at 8pm.
I highly recommend it.
Do yourself a favor and head downtown tonight and enjoy some good music.
Enjoy.

A friend pointed out to me this week that I totally missed this last week.
Of course, I knew that.  But I guess it’s good to know someone else noticed to.  I guess I’ll keep it up then. 
I was thinking it’s kinda like high school.  Trying to get the jocks to have lunch with the band geeks, or the waterpolo players to talk to the football player, introducing the worship blogger to a mom blogger, or the leadership blog to the random rants blog, the “mega-blogger” to the friend who has great thoughts about life and faith.

Anyway, time to share some link love again this Friday.

Meet Ben Arment.  I started reading Ben’s blog, History In The Making, after he planted a church in Reston, Virginia.  He is now one of the organizers for the Catalyst Conference, and hard at work on Catalyst West Coast (which I’m looking forward to attending with our staff).

Of course I started reading because of my passion for church multiplication and I wanted to follow his experiences.  But I keep reading now because of his great leadership insights.  Truth is, I have other friends who have great, deep, insightful…and long posts.  I like to read them, but have to wait til I can set aside time to get through the whole post.  The thing I like about Ben’s blog is they are usually bite sized leadership learnings and principles that pack a lot of punch and really make you think.  So go by and check him out today.

What good blogs are you reading that challenge you as leader?

Here’s some pics of Caleb to go with the rest.
One more installment after this of Caleb and Micah together.
After that, back to more than just photo blogs.
Starting with my personal favorite…

What can I say, except…
Man!  My kids are cute!  Good thing I married a good looking woman!
He even looks pretty darn good with daddy’s haircut: