Random thoughts on a Thursday

As I sit here tonight to type up this little ditty it dawned on me that I originally was going to write this up as an insight into my daily thoughts so as to have a way for my daughter to maybe later in her life to understand how her daddy thinks. I guess I have done this in a roundabout way but usually I harp on one issue. Today was just one of those days where there were multiple streams of thoughts and random things that occurred. Enough set up, let’s get to this. First thing this morning after getting the Pod to school was heading straight to WIU to get workout number one done for the day. The weight room at Webber is always a mix of personalities and fitness levels but one thing it always is, it is a workout house and nothing more. Today the head football coach was in there and just pouring sweat. There was also another older man doing rehab with one of the strength and conditioning coaches. As I started my warm up I was talking to the coach and both of us were discussing that we do what we do not to compete with those we coach but to show them that we are willing to put in the work and that we will not put up with any excuses. After an absolutely devastating workout I hustled home for a little lunch. My in-laws just came back from a cruise and gave me a gift set of different sauces. To add a little pop to my leftovers I decided to try one of them today. When the label says “Hell Fire Sauce” one should probably believe it. The flavor was spectacular and so was the heat. After a little three alarm lunch I went through some social networking and I guess since I follow a lot of motorsports people Thursday’s are the day to get random shots of airports, jets, and landscapes. I don’t mind them one bit, maybe I am envious or really just have a dream of being one of the people on the guy all the time, but I really get perturbed that people post so much angst at other peoples’ lives. Why would you follow someone that makes you want to post something rude about their way of life? We follow them because we appreciate their talents. Their talents have afforded them the opportunity to travel differently than most of us and most of the time it is necessity and not just to show off. After looking at people’s posts on headaches, moving, being pissed at somebody from the bar, and hating their exes I would rather look at travel photos anytime. Digestion was now complete and it was time for workout number two. This quick run was actually really fast. It was hot but it was over so fast that time just passed and the next thing I knew I was back at the house and getting ready to go watch Pea Pod at her piano lesson. This is where scheduling came into play today. Not my scheduling but other people’s scheduling. The lesson was fine and as long as she practices she will be okay. The scheduling issue is that the teacher scheduled the recital for one time but needs to change it. No big deal except we, along with most other people in the world, live on a schedule. One day can make a big difference and now there is a good possibility that we will not be attending a recital this year. Oh well, teach her a good lesson about time management and move on to the summer. The lesson concluded with some good advice from the teacher; intensify your practice to get the results you need. I thought that was actually good wisdom. After a quick change it was time to go to the barn. Yes, I know the barn has become our second home. The people are nice and the horses are becoming cooler every day. On the way to the barn I asked the pod what she was going to accomplish today and she stated that she was going to give her boy, Johnnie, the day off. Instead she was going to work with the little mare pony she has been tasked to teach manners to. I really appreciated her thought process and her responsibility towards this job she has been allowed to undertake. The actual stay at the barn had no great stories but I did receive two texts that really gave me two different feelings. The first was from a friend that received some disappointing news. He is so cool because even though he received the bad news he is already looking ahead and has some positive things occurring. Perspective of events on individual levels is always an amazing thing to me. The next text was just a thank you. I wrote something from the heart and the message was received. You never know how what you say or write will affect people. Choose your thought carefully, whether they are positive or negative. By now time has ticked away and dinner was becoming a fast food necessity. McDonald’s was the choice for this evening and it is always a great place to watch people. I never knew that the Sheriff’s office has undercover Hyundai Tuscon’s. Well they do and he pulled over someone in the parking lot while we were eating. The funniest thing I saw today was the gangster women at RaceTrac. She was wearing a bandana, a Chicago Bulls hat backwards, and purchased a 4 Locos for the road. I think I passed her relative while I was driving home when I passed a junked out dude cruising on a 3-wheeled bicycle down the middle of the road. Random thoughts on a productive day and I love the canvas I get to use to create my picture. We all see the same world but our pictures of it always look different. Today’s workouts consisted of two different things. The gym workout was 3 rounds for time of 7 handstand pushups, 9 kettle bell swings, and 11 bar facing burpees. The run was a ladder. For the handstand pushups I used my TRX attached to the squat rack. I wasn’t completely vertical but I am getting closer. For the kettle bells I used a 30 pound dumbbell and I put 35 pound weights on a straight bar to jump over for the burpees. The workout was completed in 14:12. The run was 1 minute on 1 minute off, 50 seconds on 1 minute off, 40 on 1 off, 30 on 1 off, 20 on 1 off, and 10 on. All runs were done at a sprint, or at least I felt like I was sprinting. Today was a good day. Of course it was my choice whether it was going to be good or bad.

How was your Wednesday of your "Short Week"

So it’s Wednesday and everybody is pumped because it is a short week. On the radio, people you see out and about, and especially those people with normal work schedules. Well, Wednesday for me was simply an off day from working out. Nothing to rush for except trying to get the bike done in anticipation of late August. After taking Brianna to school I headed over to the Croley shop (garage) and Jason and I began the putting back together process of what we had dismantled. The shock and forks freshly oiled from their visit to SIX12 Suspension, tires with new bearings, a new set of handle bars, and a new clutch lever were the items to put back on. All was happening in a flash as the day sped on and our work up to that point was just spot on. Getting to a stopping point it was time for a quick lunch at good ole’ Fat Boy’s. Jason and I sat at the table and were solving all the problems in the motocross and off-road world. After a quick bite it was back to the shop to begin another tear down process. I know, I said we were putting things back together and we did, but now we were getting into the engine. Some things were easy and others were just a little tougher than anticipated. The silencer was repacked in about one and a half minutes. This was cool because the last time I had to do this little project it took at least one hour, maybe two. The jug which houses the piston did not go so easily. Jason dropped one of the bolts off the water pump down into the impeller. This could have been catastrophic if it were not for this snazzy little magnetic pole that I happen to have at my disposal. After averting the tragedy we attempted to remove the jug and noticed that it did not clear the frame. We then removed the radiators out of the way and still no jug removal. Okay, this has to come off so what is the next thing we can take apart? Let’s take off the head of the jug. Finally, with some finagling we wriggled it out of it spot and then the jug decided that it would allow itself to be removed from the lower case. We dismantled the carburetor, took apart the sub-frame, and cleaned (chiseled) away the months, okay years, of grime that had accumulated on these pieces. Just for giggles we took off the ignition cover and then realized we were going to need some new bolts. This gave us the excuse we needed for a little shopping trip to our local Tractor Supply. Instead of the silly Yamaha Phillips head screws we have opted for the hex head bolts. Once we got back Senior Croley was there to inspect our craftsmanship and determine if the jug was in acceptable shape for the rebuild. All was well so now we are waiting on three more pieces to hopefully complete the YZ rebuild some time next week. We still need the replacement piston, fuel cock, and hour meter. The last one is because Jason says my maintenance habits need reminded and that I will not be able to ignore the clock. Whatever, as long as I have him in my pits he will be my hour meter. Just kidding, but not really. My day was over at around 5 pm so in reality I had a normal working day. I worked, took breaks, ate some lunch, worked, took some breaks, and then came home. That wasn’t so bad. Well, it is about 9:30 now and the ladies are just settling in from a busy day at the barn. There are always good stories that come from the barn. Today was no different. The ladies are learning what muscles they need to enhance to better post on the English trot and the Western jog. Gentleman, yes your imagination will take control of this vision. The only problem with your vision is that my nine year old daughter has to do these exercises and that is just wrong. It’s now 9:45 and piano practice for the Pod is just about over. Early evenings in this house are nonexistent and I don’t know if I could have it any other way. I don’t have a traditional schedule when I am working and I definitely don’t have one while I am off. At this point in my life I don’t think I would trade it. Okay, if the right job, position, or dream hit me maybe I would think about it but it sure is nice to have off on a Wednesday during everyone else’s short week to work on my motorcycle.

When Is It Time To Leave?

People come and people go through our lives on a fairly normal basis. Sometimes we are happy they are leaving and other times we are saddened by their exit. Even when they are leaving for positive reasons it reminds us that we must move on without them. As a society even when we care for people we are going to look after our own interests above those around us. Today was one of those days that made me realize people do have passions and that at some point they must walk away. I had the opportunity to go to a retirement party for the outgoing Sport Information Director at FSC. He has been with the Moc’s for 10 years now and has decided that it is time to hang up the keyboard, the stat cards, and the microphone. Ten years at one place isn’t the reason he is retiring. It is the 31 years at his previous employer that has gotten him to this point. See, Bill was the voice of the Mules of Central Missouri for 31 years before he came to FSC to do the SID post. Bill is a mild mannered guy who loves sports, especially baseball. Over the years he has become a huge Tampa Bay Ray’s fan. Even though he resided in the Show Me state for over 30 years and he is a fan of the KC Royal’s and St. Louis Cardinal’s he is now a diehard Ray’s fan. This could be because one of the top Ray’s is a FSC alum and made it all the way to the top. Bill has spoken much about his love for the great American pastime. He is so excited about retiring because now he can go to any series of the Royal’s and will not have to worry about whether or not there is a collegiate sporting event that must be covered. This really struck me because if we think about it we are so bound by our jobs in one way or another. We either don’t have the time, money, or risk of our reputation to do the things we want to when we want to do them. He is also excited because in an ironic twist of fate the same apartment he lived in while in Missouri is available. He called the place the palace and even said that since the old place had come available it made the decision to retire even easier. Other things have also fallen into place to smooth the transition. He has the same insurance agent, the same bank, and even an association with his former school. How many times in our life do things actually work out so that when we are moving on to something new the pieces ease right into place. Most of the time we are struggling to find some sort of comfort and anybody that may assist with our new place. The comfort Bill feels has eased his mind and made him even more confident it is time to move on. We see it all the time, people try to hang on for just a little longer and then they never actually get to enjoy what they worked so hard to build. Even though it saddens me to see such a good working friend leave he is setting a fine example for his former colleagues to aim for. Go out on top, enjoy what you want, do things when you want to, and go where you are comfortable. All four of these things are hard to attain but if you do get there you have just hit a walk off grand slam in life. Hey Bill, have a pretzel and a beer for me. Today’s workout was a tough one. 3 rounds of 10 chest to bar pull-ups, 7 power cleans, and 100 meter sprint with 4 minutes rest between each round. All the chest to bar pull-ups were done with 60 lbs of assistance. The power cleans were done with 95 lbs, and the 100 meter sprints were done by running three up and backs in the basketball gym. After a tasty lunch at Subs n Such, go there if you get a chance, it was time to run. The afternoon workout consisted of 3 x ½ mile runs followed by 2:00 minutes rest. Round 1: 4:15.8 Round 2: 4:16.3 Round 3: 4:14.6 I’m getting faster and a little stronger.

Why Only One Day?

Monday, May 28 is supposed to be a somber remembrance of those who have served and lost their lives to protect the freedoms we so much enjoy. I am not going to say that I am the most patriotic flag waving American there is but I have the upmost respect for those who put it on the line every day in order for me to put it on the line when I choose. Most of us will not walk out of our neighborhood at night but those men and women will go to a foreign land and will do things that we would deem as crazy. For that I truly appreciate their choice to become the protectors of our freedom. With that being said why do we choose to take Memorial Day and turn it into a great big sale and party? The year has 52 weekends, we have 2 weeks of vacation, and multiple other holidays to have big parties and white sales. Are we so shallow as a society these days that we cannot choose one extra day off just to take a moment and honor those that have fallen to protect our way of life. I know, that is why we party on days like today, we have that right since they died protecting it. Please, I have a right to carry a gun but that doesn’t mean I shoot everyone that pisses me off. Don’t get me started on the sales. The stores have come to the conclusion that we have the day off and need to drop some cash while we have a spare minute before the coals get hot and the beer get cold. I spout these thoughts being as guilty as the next person. I think a lot of us do because for one we don’t know how to honor them and secondly we value our time so much that those special moments when we have a little extra we really want to get the most out of it. Maybe there is a compromise. Maybe we can find a suitable way to honor them and still have the moment of freedom they fought so hard for. Also, why do we only give the fallen one day? I understand that for logistical reasons we must honor on the one day. It is kind of like celebrating Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and all the other special days throughout the year on that one day. If you are not honoring those special people on more than one occasion then you probably don’t have them in your life in the first place. Whether or not you have military personnel in your family isn’t really important. They are everywhere around us and just want to know we actually give a damn about what they have done for us. Be sincere, shake a hand, buy them a meal, and just listen. Sounds similar to those other days but we do that more frequently. Today is a special day because the one’s we are honoring cannot be here to receive the accolades. Honor the one’s they loved and the other’s who came back and do it again and again. Your sincere thanks will do more than the obligatory facebook or twitter post. I think deep down inside we do care but we just need to be reminded. Maybe we should have Memorial Day once a month, just to remind us. Like I said in the beginning, I am not a flag waving, USA shouting, somber occasion kind of guy but I truly appreciate what has been done by the few to protect my way of life and the things I believe in. I too must find a way to thank those that are still here but lost so much while over there. If we show we care for them they will know we believe in them even when they doubt the reasons why they did what they did. Wow, we could use that reasoning for the civilians in our life as well but that too would mean we would have to not worry so much about ourselves and our precious time. I hope your Memorial Day was what you wanted and while you are at work tomorrow thank the veteran who allowed you to take the boat out on a Monday.

Different Stages, Different Continents but the Same Goals

It is late Sunday evening right in the middle of the Memorial Day Weekend. I wasn’t going to write a story today simply for the fact that it was late and I just didn’t feel like going into it. After some urging from my wife I have decided that I do have some things to write about. First and foremost was that I had a great date tonight with Michelle. We actually allowed ourselves to leave Polk County and have a nice dinner over in Orlando. The company was great and as always it was great to spend some time with Michelle. Once dinner was complete it was time for the drive home and the music that some people listen to you will give you a new perspective on the person you think you know. Thanks to Michelle for a great date and we really should do it again sooner than later. Earlier today after a quick 4 mile run I started the “best day in motorsports” with watching the Monaco Gran Prix. Watching the best at what they do on a circuit that shouldn’t handle cars at those speeds today is amazing. Walls are mere inches from the apexes of the corners and the streets fight the tires for grip at every revolution of the engine. The power and precision just gives me goose bumps. I intently listen to the song of the engines as their echo bounces off the Armco barrier. The scream of an F1 engine is just breathtaking. After an exhilarating finish it was time for the pre-race of the Indy 500. No matter what form of motorsports a racer is into there is an allure to the square oval with a yard of bricks at the start and finish line. Not many races get the hype the 500 receives. The stories of the drivers and their quest for immortality cannot be felt by listening to the stories. You must watch their eyes to feel the passion for this race. Last year’s champion was not there today. He died in a tragic crash at another track last year. The other racers paid respects for who he was and for what he achieved while racing. Then in a blink of an eye it got serious. They had an interview with his wife which included pictures and video of him with his children and wife. It hit me at that moment that we all are going to be gone in a blink of an eye. What we do and what impression we leave on those around us will be the way we are remembered. His wife noted that he was a great racecar driver but that whenever he was around everything else was better. That statement had nothing to do with his skills at 200+ mph but his times with his family and friends. His wife was at the track today. She didn’t hide; she embraced the responsibilities like the past champion would. She accepted his champion’s ring, she hung out in one of the pit boxes during the race, and after the race she was invited and accepted a ride in the pace car around the track with the new race winner. The best way to honor those not around anymore is to keep doing what it was you used to do. Don’t stop moving, don’t run away from what you know, just keep moving and learn to embrace the challenges the love of such danger poses. I felt for the widow today but was so moved by her resilience and the fact that so many honored her husband in such a spirited manner. Watching the races today made me have a couple of thoughts. Racing comes in many forms just like us. We like some forms and really don’t care for others. There are those moments that we put our differences aside and just appreciate what the other forms are capable of. Today on the world stage was one of those days. Racers love their brand of racing but appreciate the talent and skill that are required to do the other types. Racers also appreciate the risks associated with what they do. They all have fears but they push them out of the helmet when the face shield goes down and the lights turn green. Today’s workout was 2 x 2 mile runs. After each 2 miles I rested 5 minutes. For both runs I averaged 8:39 pace. The course was completely hilly with little to no flat areas. I felt very good on the runs today which may be the reason I enjoyed doing nothing much the rest of the day. Who says television can’t teach you things. I guess it just depends on what you watch.

47 songs + 8 for running

What a beautiful Saturday. The women in the house were leaving for the barn at the same time I was leaving for Dade City for Six12 Sports. Heading out again for a little business road trip I thought it would be cool to see how many songs I would go through on the iPod if I just put it on shuffle and played it through while I was on the road. Heading up to Dade City is almost a drive I can do with my eyes closed. Half of the drive is to Lakeland, where I go almost every day for 9 months each year and the rest of a drive is almost as familiar. I’ve raced at Dade City motocross, raced at two ranches just outside of town, played and coached at St. Leo University, watched gymnastics meets at the same school, and bounced off sand woops while riding at the Croom riding area. For such a small little community I sure spend a lot of time in the general area. This familiarity is what breeds weird ideas on such routine trips. One thing I noticed while out on the roads today was how much we, as a society, really embrace classic styling. I saw many classic cars just dotting the roadways and driveways along the way. It is also pretty cool that many of the new cars are utilizing the old-school styling on the newer models. After cruising up 98 towards my destination I took a few quick back roads and a state highway until reaching Bellamy Brothers Road. That’s right; the legendary group grew up in the area and actually has a road named after them. Another great reason to play the music on shuffle while cruising through the country. We may not have Music Row but we do have a music group road. After getting to the Six12 shop I made small talk with the owner and he jumped right in to service the suspension of the ole’ 250. The service was done in a short period of time and that meant it was time to head back towards Babson Park. I got back in the car and had the wild hair to stop by FSC and see what progress had been made on the new tennis courts and what type of progress they were making on tearing apart the former facility. Since I cannot stand going the same way twice I decided to take I-75 to I-4 back to Lakeland. The world moves fast at 75 mph. Construction seems to be a common theme in Florida which makes me wonder why they don’t just make the road they need the first time they make it. The trip back seemed to fly by and all of a sudden I was in downtown Lakeland. This town seems to be a nice weekend visit. People walking around the shops, a little farmer’s market, and a lack of parking make it appear a very popular destination during an early Saturday afternoon. Brianna and Michelle always give me a hard time because I eat at places they enjoy when I am not with them. Today was no different. A man has to eat and since I was in downtown Lakeland why not stop by Jimmy John’s and eat a number 10 with some salt and vinegar potato chips. It was good but it wasn’t the same without the ladies in my life with me to enjoy it. I tell them that all the time and they always cry phooey on me but I truly do mean it. Once the belly was full I headed off the FSC to just get a glimpse of the past and the present. The present looks fairly unchanged but I can visualize the beauty yet fulfilled. The past on the other hand really has gone through some massive changes since Monday. The courts are gone. What was a green asphalt jungle now looks like a massive beach volleyball court. Back on the road it was time to get to Babson Park so that I could see the wifey and go for my Saturday run. Oh yeah, when I parked the car in the carport I looked at the iPod and it was on 47 of 916. During the trip I listened from start to finish Adele, (yes I have a few of her songs) to Willy Nelson and any genre and artist in between. I enjoy doing my running or training when I most likely will be doing my racing. I feel that it prepares me for the conditions I will face while competing. It was freaking hot today for any of you that enjoyed the air conditioning. Today’s run was 3 x ¾ mile runs with 3 minutes rest. I felt real strong during the runs and completed all with a nice ease that I don’t normally feel. The only problem with 3 runs is that you end up ¾ mile from home. Feeling the effects of the heat I tried to text Michelle so that I could be lazy and get a ride home. No luck on my part as she was back at the barn picking Brianna up from her awesome day of horses. Well, walking all the way home was going to take too long so I bucked up and jogged home at a nice easy pace. So my 2.25 mile run turned into a 3.4 mile interval run. There is no shuffle when it comes to moving my big butt while running. Today’s motivating tunes came straight from the rap playlist. Hard beats and bad words will definitely get my feet moving. Recovery was easy and made even easier by playing the Wii with the ladies and dominating in a little Mario Kart. Okay, I dominated 2 out 3 four race series. Days like today really make me appreciate the life I have, the wife I am honored to be married to, and the daughter I am watching become an unbelievable young lady. Tomorrow morning is going to come early. I am going to get my 4 miles of running in before the Monaco Grand Prix comes on at 8 am. After that it is time for Indy and then the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte. If time allows I will watch the DVR’ed motocross races from TX that I missed today. Oh yeah, the racing bug just doesn’t go away.

I've Got Nothing

Sometimes a day is just that, a day. Well, Friday has been that kind of day. I had the privilege of playing a round of golf with my brother and Brad. Playing golf is always a fun way to spend a few hours. I’m not good, like I have stated before but I give it my best. It amazes me that you can put a good swing on the ball and one silly kick can ruin what was a good shot. I have enough bad shots that I cause why do I have to have help from nature when I actually hit it well. Oh well, it was a good time and it is always nice to spend a little time looking at nature. Brianna and I made a mad dash out to the barn to try and meet the farrier. We missed him but got the update on Johnnie and Yonka from Mrs. Kathy. All is good with the two of them so we just waited on Michelle so we could head to Brandon for Little Mikey’s 7th birthday shindig. Michelle and I got the wild hair to stop by the Polk County Administration office to see Brianna’s artwork on the way to Brandon. Why not let the kid see her 1st place art design that has been on display in the corridor of the county’s offices. Guess what, they took it down today and replaced it with some other display. So just to recap; I missed putts and fairways, missed see the horse hoof guy, and missed seeing my daughter’s artwork. After a second of pouting the family cruised to Brandon to the kids Mecca known as Chuck E Cheese. This actually turned out to be really cool. Michelle and I don’t really afford ourselves the chance to go on dates. Tonight turned into an impromptu date night with 200 kids as a backdrop. We played games, held hands, and even gave each other those cute little kisses you give your sweetheart when you first start dating. There were times that the only noise I could hear was the sound of the game we were focusing on trying to beat one anther into oblivion. Michelle and I have fun playing but it always who is going to score more points. We played skee ball, football accuracy games, basketball shooting, pinball, a type of wack a mole, and even a nascar game. It’s amazing to me that she still loves me enough to let her guard down and just act like a kid and play games just to have a little fun. We ended the pizza and game fest by having some family pictures “etched” a one of those cheesy photo booths. They turned out real cool and I will cherish that evening with Michelle and Brianna for awhile. Tomorrow is back to our normal life. Brianna has horse gymkhana in the morning and I am heading up to Dade City to get my suspension serviced. One night of family fun time will have to get us through until the next time we can let our hair down and act the fool. Today’s workout out was box squats and then 4 rounds of rope climbs and back squats. I did three sets of three sets of box squats with 95lbs. They were a little different to me. Since I don’t have a rope to climb I used the lat pulldown machine and attached a towel through it. I put 110 pounds on the rack and knelt on the ground and pulled the towel down with the right arm and then the left arm for 16 reps. I did 10 squats for 4 sets at 115 pounds. Pretty simple workout but the entire four sets were done with no rest.

5 lessons from an average day

Today marked the second day of the tear down and rebuild of the ole’ YZ. After fighting with the lower steering bearing for most of the afternoon on Wednesday Jason and I thought we would try some outside help first thing this morning. At 8:00 am this morning I was waiting on Jason so we could head off to Heath Industries (no relation) to see if they could press the bearing the rest of the way down the shaft. Two minutes after arriving we were back in the car with a pressed bearing. Wow, we spent hours and they did the same task in mere minutes. Lesson number 1 for today was making sure to let people who have the right tools do their jobs. After getting back to the Croley race shop it was time to start on the rear end of the bike. This entailed six sets of bearing which had to be extricated, cleaned, re-greased, and put back into the swing arm. This sounds easy but as Jason opened each seal the realization hit that 4 out of the 6 bearing sets were not caged but free floating. This is where I learned lesson 2 for the day. Certain people have talents and the patience to see those talents through. These bearings are small and must be hand greased and then hand placed back in the rollers. Jason meticulously cleaned the bearings and then placed each bearing back into the rollers. What was more amazing is that he smiled and joked during the entire process. The talent is being able to stay single-minded and work on the tiniest of task like it is the most important thing at the time. The patience is seeing the job through until it is perfect, not just completed. After a few hours, some lunch, and lots of grease the swing arm was re-mounted to the frame. Day two for me was completed as it was time to get Brianna and head to the barn. Brianna and Johnnie had a busy day of riding drills to work on. This gave me lesson number 3 for the day. Lending a hand when needed is sometimes all you need to do. You see, Brianna is not that tall and Johnnie is. It is nearly impossible for her to saddle him by herself. Usually Michelle helps out but she will enter later in lesson number 4. Brianna had finished grooming her steed and was ready to ride. Even though she needs help she is still a stickler for the details. Trying to be a good dad I follow her every instruction and gently place the saddle up on Johnnie’s back even straightening the saddle that was actually straight in the first place. Once the saddle is in the right place I am asked to move so that the girth can be tightened. I did what was needed by me and then asked to leave. Some times that is all we are called upon to do. Just do the job. Now back to Michelle. She was lesson number 4 for the day: Quitting while you are ahead. Michelle and Yonka have been working on ground manners for a week or two now. Today after a very short but successful session on the lunge line I turned around and noticed that Yonka was in a stall eating dinner. I asked Michelle why she was done already and her response was one that every once and a while we should all abide by; “Today was perfect and I wanted to quit while I was ahead.” The day was coming to an end and the family was now at the house to actually have a home cooked meal. This is only amazing because for us this is a rarity and a treat. We eat together frequently just not at the house. Eating dinner together at the house is usually a pretty chill experience. Pull up a seat on the couch, talk about the day, and watch one of our family shows together. Lesson number 5 was actually from the cartoon Phineas and Ferb. Sometimes the silliest things can actually teach you a lesson. We don’t always have to be serious to learn something nor do we always have to enjoy what we are doing to learn. Five lessons woven throughout the day in a variety of environments. Man, if we just go through our days and don’t smell the roses or look at the trees we miss so much. Who knows what I’ll learn tomorrow since I’m playing golf, working out, getting the horses hooves looked at, and celebrating a birthday at Chuck-E-Cheese. I guess that’s lesson number 6. Learn from where you are so you can get where you want to be.

I'm Not A Mechanic, But I Do What I Have To Do, To Do What I Want To Do!

We are how we were raised. Yes, we can change things about our life but for much of who we are we truly want to embrace what we have become. Today I once again began the embracing process for a part of me that will never go away. Today, Jason Croley, my mechanic and friend and I began the tear down and rebuilding part of the YZ 250. This process has been almost a year in the making and it was today the butterflies of anticipation began to flutter like waiting for the horn to sound at the beginning of a race. To say I have racing in my blood is an understatement. My granddaddy was a racer, my dad was a racer, and I too have raced two different types of vehicles. I grew up at racetracks. I’ve met some of the most famous road racers in the world and have been to some of the most famous racetracks in the United States. I’ve witnessed some amazing dances by men doing ballet with pedals and sheet metal. I’ve witnessed when it all goes bad. Guess what? The others keep going. A racer wants to control what shouldn’t be controlled. They want to push the limits of where they are, who they are, but respect the power under them. They respect the fear but do not bow to it. Since I had those examples as a child engrained in me early on I knew that I wanted that as my life. Well, life happened and the road courses that I once dreamed of weaving my own tale on are merely spectator venues for me now but I never gave up the dream of racing. To get my fix I began racing off road motorcycles. I started with a little motocross and over the past few years have really embraced harescrambles and enduros. These races are between two and three hours long and range from 40-70 miles. The racing is exciting and fills the need that has been in me since I was a little boy playing with Matchbox cars in the red clay at Road Atlanta. In August I will hop aboard my YZ250 and hit the throttle in anger for the first time in almost a year. The few months before will be filled with rebuilding the bike from the ground up, training, and riding as much as possible. The new challenge with the racing is my new class. Since I turned 40 I will be racing with other 40 +’s in the Senior B class. We don’t necessarily suck we just are older and have to work on Mondays. The competition is fierce but a little friendlier than going bar to bar with teenagers in the 250 B class. Oh man, I just can’t wait. Parts will come in and fingers will bleed but when you are born with it inside of you sometimes you just have to do it even when others around really think your pursuits are a little silly. To wrap up tonight I found this the other day and feel compelled to steal it. It very much says how I feel about racing. --Racing is something that most people will never understand. It’s not just a sport or something to do on a Saturday night and Sunday. It’s a way of life! Once you are in it, it’s in your blood. Once you make your first run…you can’t stop. The track is home away from home. You smell that race fuel, rubber, and when you hear those engines scream…it’s music to your ears. Today’s workout was intense. 12 sets of 3 push ups every 30 seconds with resistance bands. – completed but struggled at the end. 5 rounds of max rep bench press and max rep pull ups. Round 1 – bench press 115 lbs – 11 / pull ups – 4 Round2 – bench press 115 lbs – 12 / pull ups – 6 with 40lbs of assistance Round 3 – bench press 115 lbs –10 / pull ups – 6 with 55lbs of assistance Round 4 – bench press 115 lbs –8 / pull ups – 6 with 55lbs of assistance Round 5 – bench press 115 lbs – 7 / pull ups – 5 with 55lbs of assistance

What are Expectations and Who's Count?

Think about your last year, the last month, last week, and today. Think about your recent interactions with those you happen across and those you put yourself around. Now, have your expectations been satisfied with the calendar looking back at you? Did the people do as you thought they would? We live by expectations. Some call them goals, stereotypes, happen stance, luck, or even chance. We expect certain situations and when it happens we aren’t shocked, we are relieved that it happened that way. Whether the outcome is good or bad we got what we expected. We are such creatures of habit that at times our expectations are not goals but just realizations of what we already perceived would happen. Think about your standard day. You want to wake up early but you tell yourself you never do, so what happens, you don’t get up early because you knew you wouldn’t. We set our expectations to match our comfort level. As a rule we don’t like being uncomfortable. We wear clothes that are comfortable, eat food that is comfortable, hang out with those that make us comfortable, and as rule don’t do much of anything that regularly takes us out of that comfort zone. Why do we allow ourselves to stay in this spot? Our expectations of what will happen if we change any of those things usually stops us dead in our track. If I change my wardrobe how are my friends going to react. Our expectations of our friends’ reaction and even strangers thoughts weigh heavily on our clothing choices. Why would I change my diet? I am getting older and a little extra weight is expected as I age. Why would I hang out with those people? I bet they don’t like me or won’t accept me. I’ve seen who they hang with and I don’t look like them. Lastly, why would I try something new? We have set limits on what we are capable of (expectations). You want to run; go out and run. So what if you look funny? So what if you are slow? You are right on both accounts. You will never look better or run faster if you don’t start. If you have told yourself that you cannot run you are correct. You have set your expectations and are living up to them. As a coach I set expectations for my team as a whole and for each individual on the team. Many times they are reached but rarely are they exceeded. Part of that is because I set them so high because I want each person to push themselves beyond the comfort level they have set for themselves. Most of the time they have set their own expectations but find it hard to push past that point of comfort to really stretch for what is actually obtainable. We are always amazed at people who accomplish tasks, lose weight, learn a language, move past tragedy, and pretty much anything out of our normal. Why don’t we think these things are normal? Basically because we have such a low expectation level for those we surround ourselves with. Notice that must super successful people (high expectations) surround themselves with others who are also super successful. Now look on the other end of the spectrum at those down in the dumps. They also surround themselves with people who are meeting their expectations. I set my expectations high so that my players will also set their expectations high for me. This causes me much discomfort but forces me not to aim my own goals only a few steps away. Where are you expectations leading you? What does your next year, month, week, and day look like? It truly depends on what you are expecting it to look like. You shape it and then you live it. Speaking of expectations today appeared to be a tough day in the gym and on the run. The workout portion consisted of 3 rounds of 9 dips and 12 front squats. All of this was to be done as quickly as possible without breaking form. Total time for the three rounds was 11:00 Round 1: 7 dips + 2 with 55lbs of assistance and 12 squats at 65lbs Round 2: 1 dip + 8 with 55lbs of assistance and 12 squats at 65lbs Round 3: 3 dips + 6 with 55lbs of assistance and 12 squats at 65lbs After a nice lunch it was time for some sprinting. 3 rounds of 100yds, 200yds, and 400yds Goal is to run each distance and rest the same time it takes to run. This is an intense run by itself and to make it tougher I decided to do it on my dirt field here at the house. My expectation of tough was made whole as I finished the last rep and felt like I actually may throw up. Running in dirt is tough but my expectation is that I am tougher than that and I will not give in to the hype. Okay, it sucked but I will definitely do it again.

Change is painful but sometimes beauty prevails

It is Summer time for coaches so our time around our campuses is limited. The funny thing about that is when we see something every day we don’t notice any change but when we leave for a bit and come back it appears many things look different. That is what struck me today as I went to FSC for a little paperwork day. I stopped by to look at the new Wynee Warden Tennis Complex and wow what a difference a week makes. There are bleachers, lights, the base surface has been laid and it is actually beginning to look like a tennis complex. After gazing out through the construction fence and imagining what the future looks like I went and parked in my standard spot by the back four courts known as the pit. The past right in front of me through the windshield of my car. After a multitude of thoughts of matches past I proceeded to walk to the front and see if any de-construction had taken place on the complex previously known as the Beerman Tennis Complex. Again there was a wow moment when I came around the corner and there were no fences, no bleachers, no nets, and a giant excavator sitting on what was the #1 player’s court. Yep, progress was happening. For so many years the tennis courts have been in the middle of campus which was good and bad. There was always a built in audience but with only five courts a college match could not be played with all matches playing together. That is where the pit came in. The four courts in the back separated from the front courts by Jenkins Fieldhouse. For years coaches, players, and fans had to shuttle back and forth to keep an eye on their favorite player. Great players and coaches have made the walk and complained under their breath or out loud for all those years. As much as a pain in the ass the set-up was it was ours. As a team we embraced our quirky little complex and the nuances it had. When on the back courts (the pit) you had to beware of the 4pm osprey feeding. This included it pooping on the courts while simultaneously dropping the part of the fish it didn’t want on to the surface below. There was also the occasional foul ball from softball and the lack of concentration from the team when the ladies went into the bullpen to warm up the laser fast pitches. The front courts were where the show was. Guys played without shirts to try and get the attention of the multitude of co-eds who streamed by the courts. There were also the times that tennis balls became cannons. Can you hit the pool from here? Can you hit it over the building? Cheering fans were always welcomed even when they cheered during a point. Some players had fraternity brothers that chanted their name, others had a bevy of females that would just come and watch. There were times the bleachers looked like a fashion show or a bikini contest. I am not sure if it was a coincidence but the guys sure played good on those days. I have yet to speak of the giant walls that protected our great fortress. These walls were like a giant pinball machine and the players were the flippers and the big yellow balls were the steel orbs. They caused many stops in play, inadvertent pain from ricochets, and did I mention racket damage. Those walls could obliterate a racket with one fail swoop. I have seen the best players in the country destroy their tools in moments of rage. The walls kept their secrets for many years. The walls are disappearing and they are taking their secrets with them. I’ve only had the privilege of working on those courts for the past 5 years but I truly respect the history that the facility will leave behind. To have progress some things must be torn down. Starting in the Fall of this year I will get to be the first coach on the brand new Wynee Warden Tennis Complex. The facility is going to be beautiful. No more walking around to watch matches. There are going to be no walls, no pit, and no walls. There is also going to be no co-eds, no softball, and no distractions. The crowd will come, the beauty will come from the amazing surrounding built into the new facility, and the history made will begin with what we bring to it. Progress isn’t always what we want but in order for us to grow we must have it. I have embraced the new facility, its location, and the responsibility it brings. I also am very excited that I have a chance to create history that will be around for another 30-50 years.

What's Your Ending...Better Yet What is Your Beginning?

“I believe that an ending is only an opportunity for another beginning.” That was a quote I heard on a television program recently. What a true statement. No matter what you do this happens. As I spoke about yesterday I had a great day celebrating with friends and family. What I didn’t mention was that after the fun Michelle and I went to a different type of celebration. We went to a celebration of life for a lady who is becoming a close friend of ours. The ending of her husband’s life is now a new beginning for her. The outpouring of support and the way he was portrayed made you believe that he would only want all of his relatives to continue on. Honor him but don’t be sad or become stagnant. We have endings all the time. Whether it is a task we are working on, a workout, a relationship, a job, or even a loved one’s life we are always ending one thing and attempting to begin again. We don’t finish working and say, “alright I did my job, I’ll stop now.” No, we find the next assignment and begin the task of completion. Even people that do quit working either by quitting their job of retiring begin looking for something else to do. We don’t workout one day and say, “well, that was nice” and not go back. Even when the workout is one that pushes us past our limits we get up the next day and embrace the pain and push our bodies again. The end of one workout allows us to assess our weaknesses so that we can begin to address them and better ourselves. Relationships are interesting things. We find someone we like. We hang out, hook up, date, move in together and then something happens. What causes the dismantling of what we thought was such a good thing? Who knows, but as we have all been told there are plenty of fish in the sea. We start the entire process over and then one day it ends. The ending is just the beginning of being together in a way you may have desired or even never thought you would want. Marriage is the beginning and your life together becomes the story you get to write the ending to. As a coach I am faced with endings and beginnings every year. Beginning in August my players come back, the new guys come in and we start the process of our season. We know the ending will come in May and how it ends depends on how we wrote the story through the previous 9 months. There are times we are sad because things end and other times we are happy or maybe even thrilled. With any of the endings we have the capacity within us to determine our next beginning and how we will write the story. Maybe it is because I am a coach but I always like endings. Whether it is the ending I had planned for or things didn’t necessarily go my way I know that I am only moments away from beginning the next chapter. Today’s workout was to be a 10k but honestly I am tired of running the same route so I swerved. Instead of running south I took off northwest. Well, after completing my run I realized I only did 5 miles instead of the 6.2 I was supposed to do. You know what, oh well. I was hot, maybe somewhat hung over, and still feeling Dairy Queen in my belly. I ran only a 9:45 pace but with all the hills I am fine with it. I ran, I felt better for it, and I bettered myself. My positive ending and just the beginning of what drives me.

Now that was a great day!

What a day. Simply put, having days like this make it just awesome to be liked or loved by so many. I did get up and workout at 6:15 and then it was time to hit the links. Golf was a blast. I do not think I have laughed that hard in a very long time. I also witnessed my first driven green on a par 4 accompanied by a sunk putt for an eagle. We didn’t win but we did finish only 4 strokes off the lead. For our foursome that was actually an amazing fete. After golf we had a great lunch where I won free golf at Southern Dunes. This was for Brianna because last summer we were supposed to play there and it had to be cancelled. Well, now we have the chance to go for free. Michelle told me that I got a fist pump and an “oh yeah” when she found out. What a cool kid. After a quick shower it was time for the second part of the day. We headed to Manny’s for a family dinner. It was there we picked up the family that hadn’t gone golfing earlier. I received some great cards from the family and we had a great dinner and a lot more laughs. Michelle gave me a great picture highlighting some moments of my past 40 years. I received an old man survival kit from my aunt and uncle, and my mom is restoring something special for me. I must say that direct family and in-laws that I am privileged to be a part of are just incredible. I could not have a better family. Dinner cannot be complete with dessert. Dairy Queen and a blizzard are what I needed to cap off the day of beer, burgers, steak, and whatever else I could find. To cap off the day I am currently watching DVR’d motocross from Hangtown. I don’t have much to report as today was just a great day all around. If I can leave you with anything it would be to appreciate what you have when you have it, who you are around when you are around them, and the fact that every time the sun rises you have the opportunity to make the day the best day you can. Thank you to all that helped me create a day I will not forget for a long time.

Yep, It's That Time

“They say life is short, but it is actually the longest thing you do.” I read that the other day and it made me chuckle. We all know that life happens in a blink of an eye. I still feel like I am 20 years old. The bad thing is my feelings are not reality. I simply cannot just live the way I did when I was 20. Tomorrow when I wake up I will be 40. No matter how you say it, that is a big round number. Currently, my 9 year old daughter and my wife of almost 12 years are working on a fourth grade science project. It is Friday night. What happened to drinking in the groves, leaving for a tournament, or trying to find the next conquest before the dawn broke? Life keeps us in check. I listen to a lot of music and the song “Like A Rock” by Bob Seger really hits home. “Twenty years now, where’d they go? Twenty years I don’t know. I sit and I wonder sometimes where they’ve gone.” It all passes so quickly. It seems that day to day nothing changes but when you look back, wow, how things have happened. What have I done? Have I accomplished what I set out to? Are the dreams different? Am I living my life or one that was chosen for me? I’ve read that you choose your life or it will be chosen for you. If I look at those as a collection I would possibly be disappointed. When I look at the entire body of work I am pleased but not satisfied where I am. Of course the little voice in the back of my mind wants more but do I really. I believe that if you really want something you must be willing to lose everything to attain it. Maybe I am at a point where other things have taken the place of those deep mind thoughts. I still dream and push myself to become better every day. Some of the dreams are just so out there that at my age I feel stupid for hanging on to them. Maybe that is what keeps me young. The idea that you just never know what may be around the next corner. Time is an enemy of everyone and a partner for a few. We have the same amount each day and I try to squeeze in everything I want to do each day. I am not going to lie; there are days where my ass and the couch have a great relationship. These are few and far between but we all have them. I will never complain about my lot in life because I truly believe my decisions have put me where I am. Many of these decisions have been awesome and others, well let’s just say I am still pursuing them. Am I happy to being turning 40 and happy where I am? Yes, the other option is not one I want to greet yet. Also, listening to Michelle and Brianna sing while they bake the next special treat always puts a smile on my face. Do I want more? Of course I do. I feel that if you quit desiring better, along with failing to desire to learn, you probably are dead in a live life form. We all have boundaries that we set and some hold us back from dreams that may be reachable but others keep us out of jail. I turn 40 tomorrow. If the ride is as colorful as the first 40 years I better put on my seatbelt, raise my hands high, and strain to look over the edge because I feel like I am just beginning to hit my full speed stride. To start my 40th out I will be up at 6am to get my workout in. At 9am I will be playing in a golf tournament with my dad, brother, Brad, Uncle Allen, and others who I share some good laughs with. After some down time at the house we are going to finish the birthday at Manny’s and Dairy Queen. That is just how I roll. Today’s workout was a lesson in improvisation. It called for some push jerks and burpees with 600m runs. Well, I was at the horse barn so it went a little something like this: 5 rounds for time with 3:30 rest between each round 5 push jerks—used two fence posts lashed together with motorcycle tie-down straps 10 burpees—didn’t want to fail in push up position since failure would have put me face down in horse poop. 5 600m runs—actually was done by running a lap around the perimeter of one of the 3 acre fields. All completed and happy to get outdoors for some good work. I would like to thank all of you who have been a part of my life for the past 40 years. Whether you affected me in a positive or negative way and me the same to you please know that you were important to make me who I am today. You did your job.

Comfortably Quiet

In the realm of marketing noise is a nuisance. The term noise means that we are inundated with so many messages that we cannot clearly delineate one from another. Think about terrestrial radio, (yes some of us still enjoy it along with our satellite) and those incessant commercials. At those moments we gather our thoughts, try to remember if the light was green or red we just went under, and then wonder what is next on our agenda. After that the next song comes on or the talk-show host begins and we get lost in the noise again. We are surrounded by sounds every day and pretty much all day. Some of those sounds are pleasant and others grate on us like a baby screaming during a play. Those sounds we deem as ill will towards eardrums is noise. Some people like opera and to others it is simply noise. I personally am a massive fan of a nice throaty V-8 racecar. Some jackass with straight pipes coming out of his ’76 F100, not so much. Noise is like beauty, except it is to the ear of the beholder and not the eye. Think about your favorite song, mine would be Comfortably Numb or maybe Simple Man, and think about how you love to crank the volume on your surround sound speakers or roll down your windows and bellow out the tune. The beauty of the sound is just music to your ears. Someone tapping their fingernails, popping gum, or shuffling their feet will almost make you lose your mind. How in the world is that possible? We blow our eardrums out but those minute sounds make our skin crawl and our minds race. We cuss them, yell to them, or just think they are the rudest people in the world for their inexcusable actions. Let’s head back to the racetrack. There was a time recently where Brianna could tell you the different engine notes of a Corvette, Porsche, Ferrari, and Aston Martin. The music tone was like the best symphony to both of us. We sat at the wall of the Sebring International Raceway and listened to the cars go by. The brightly colored machines even brighter due to the echo of sound as they up shifted going under the drive over bridge. To us this was Mozart. To someone who doesn’t enjoy the art of speed this is just pollution; ear pollution. Sometimes a sport can sound beautiful and noisy at the same time. Take tennis for instance. Two gladiators battling it out on the court, both putting every effort into each shot, and the sound of the ball off the racket and the grunts of exertion coming from both competitors. Now, whether or not you play tennis or just like to watch tennis that last sentence can have two meanings. If either one of those competitors is screeching as is the case with some of the female players today your perception of the sound changes. That screeching turns into noise and the interest is at times not worth the level of discomfort caused from continuing to watch. Noise is everywhere. I am not a huge fan of screaming kids but I am a father of a little girl who gets crazy with her friends. Currently, my dishwasher is rhythmically cleaning my dishes while my commercial ice maker chills my beer in the garage. I am not psychotic yet, but I do remember one of my very best friends teaching me about the lost art of the comfortable quiet. I believe we are so used to the noise in our lives that when there is a moment of silence we become uncomfortable and we must fill it with something. Most of the times it’s just noise not beautiful sounds. I’ve had comfortable quiet by myself, around friends, amongst large crowds, and when practiced it sometimes is the best sound around. Today was a rest day for me. I rested by getting hay and feed for the horses, eating lunch with my dad, brother, and Robert, and finishing the evening watching my daughter and the Gnat chorus perform. It was nice to see the family and spend a little time catching up with those I don’t see enough. Yes, there was noise but there was also some good music as well.

Whether You Like or Dislike, Weather is Here

Today was a good day. It rained. It rained while I ran, it rained while I lifted, it rained while my daughter rode her horse, and it is raining while I type this up. Rain is a cool thing to me. Rain is also an interesting element to me. Rain make things grow and at the same time too much of it can destroy what it was growing. We complain because it doesn’t rain and then we complain when it does. If you work outside for a living you probably have become an amateur meteorologist. Those droplets can cause you to lose money, reschedule your life, or even make you realize that you are coming home a little muddy at the conclusion of your work day. When you work indoors rain isn’t such a bad thing. Oh wait, you must carry your umbrella, for the ladies you must worry about your hair, the drivers splashing you with puddles, and what you are going to do when it’s time to leave for lunch. Let’s go back to the umbrella thing for a bit. Can we please admit that the only thing they are good for is protecting your hair and adding to your chances for getting struck by lightning? Really, I believe they are simply overrated. If you really want to protect yourself from rain put on a full rain suite, one of those elderly lady clear head wraps, and some rain boots. Okay, enough of my umbrella rants. There are times that rain is a nuisance, even with my odd view on things. I coach college tennis so from January through very early May I hate when it rains at 2pm through about 7pm. Even I am a fickle when it comes to enjoying rain. I race motorcycles. I cannot play tennis in the rain but I can go slop around for 2 hours through mud, muck, no vision, and soaking wet everything. Some will say that it is fun and there are times I may agree. For me, I’m racing but I am always amazed at the hundreds of people who stand out in the rain to watch us do our thing. Maybe they are amazed at what we are doing as well or maybe funny things happen when it rains. Speaking of playing sports in the rain; we can play or be a spectator of many sports. It’s pouring down rain and the game goes on. The fans stay and even get a little crazy. Concerts go on in the rain. For most things our lives do not stop when it rains. We just complain because it is an inconvenience. Rain is a non-negotiable part of our lives. We can complain because we don’t have enough or complain because we got too much. As we complain someone else is readying to harvest their field. We must have it and at times we must put up with the hassles it causes. If it didn’t rain we couldn’t ski or fish on our great lakes, eat the amazing food we are privileged to have, have green grass to mow (oh wait that part sucks), or have a reason to take your loved one and look up at the sky while holding each other tight and enjoying the moment. Lastly, this precipitation that enables and hinders at the same time must be relevant as it has been mentioned in 5,000 songs since the 1960’s. Think about that for a moment. Now, how many of those songs are dancing like little rain drops in your mind right now. It rained today and that made it a great day. Today’s workout: 3 – 1 mile repeats with 5:00 rest between each. All were done in under 9:00. Yes, it rained but that only made it more special After a 3 hour break the lifting portion commenced 21-15-9 of cleans and dips Cleans were done with 45 lbs. Very little weight but it was my first time and my form was good. Dips were done unassisted and assisted. Round 1: 6un, 4un, 11 assisted with 70lbs. Round2: 6un, 9 assisted with 70lbs. Round3: 2un, 7 assisted with 70lbs. Tomorrow is a rest day!

Failure sucks, but it is how we learn

I read or was told a great quip recently. “You learn from getting beat or losing, not from winning.” Whether you truly believe this little note doesn’t really matter to me. After digesting this bit of information I decided to go back and look at some of the best lessons I’ve learned over the years. Trust me, I want to believe that winning creates winning. We’ve all heard the previous line and really feel that it must be true. If we look deeper the attitude created from winning leads to the positivity that allows us to use the losing lessons. Once we have the taste of winning that’s all we want from that moment forward. Think about it; we eat hot dogs but can always see and taste a succulent steak sizzling on the grill. Once we have greatness we only want that even when we have to put up with crap (getting beat) at other times. Now back to learning the lessons. I’ve been beaten in every sport I’ve ever competed in. In most of those sports I became very good because I got to the point that I didn’t want to taste the hot dog any more. I learned what I could do and what I couldn’t do and mastered what I could and did it extremely well. To this day I haven’t mastered golf. I have figured out how to suck and I hate it. I’ve learned that without major amounts of practice I will never be the golfer I want to be. Does that mean I am quitting or giving up my job to hit the range full-time? Nope, it just means that I play golf for the social atmosphere and for the challenge of bettering myself on each course I tackle. I also race motorcycles off road. When I first started I was quite a few years younger and just knew that I was going to be a pro. Well, as I approach 40 I have learned that I am just not fast enough for that pursuit. The best lesson I have learned is that I don’t suck. I have a good skill set but just lack the raw speed that youth and years of experience brings to the table. As I enter my 40’s the challenges become fresh. After failing to ever win a race and getting pummeled by guys who are better risk takers I am beginning a new chapter. Guys my own age are now my target. Does this lessen the excitement, cheapen the thrill? Hell no, it only makes all those failures more of a driving force for me to want to succeed in my new class. Sometimes failure teaches hard lessons and we need more than one of those lessons to succeed. From the time I was 16-19 I got three speeding tickets. The failures to use speed control became expensive. Since that last ticket in Paducah, KY I have realized how nice it is to be a safe driver. The failures also taught me that the time gained speeding is all lost on a shoulder with some friendly state trooper at 2am. Lastly, I fail repeatedly when I workout. I read recently that “it doesn’t get easier, you just get better.” As comforting as that message is, I really don’t enjoy failing at a particular weight or rep. The losing is actually teaching my body to become stronger. I may continue to fail but if I go back to the old weight and same rep weeks from now it will appear to be a feather I am lifting. That lesson of failure gives me the drive I need to push through each day. Whether it is the embarrassment of pushing 100 pounds less than the guy next to me, my white belly poking out next to the fit athlete, or me sucking air while others look so happy, I will continue to fail because that winning feeling will be one that I never let go of once I have it in my grasp. Speaking of working out: Today’s little ditty was a doozy. 4 rounds with each one timed of 9 thrusters, 12 pull ups, and 15 handstand push ups Let’s just say I failed my way through but I did it to the best of my ability and to failure. Round 1: 4:00 minutes- 9 at 35 lbs, 11 at 70 lbs of assistance, and 15 at 60 degree angle Round 2: 4:32 minutes-9 at 55 lbs, 12 at 85 lbs of assistance, and 14 at 60 degree angle Round 3: 4:10 minutes-8 at 55 lbs, 10 at 85 lbs of assistance, and 11 at 60 degrees and 4 at 45 degrees Round 4: 4:25 minutes-6 at 55 lbs, 6 at 85 lbs and 5 at 100 lbs of assistance, and 6 at 45 degree and 9 flat. Oh yeah, I sucked but I am getting stronger. It’s not just a phrase, it is the truth. Your perspective must change.

Do It...You Know How....I Think

We all teach. Whether we want to believe it or not. We teach because it is our job, we teach by the way we live our lives, the values we hold, and even how we speak to those above us and below us. I have been surrounded by educators and education my entire life. I have seen the good and the bad and have seen how each can affect individuals around each. Sometimes teaching looks like friendship, mentoring, or role modeling. Sometimes it looks like a smile, a scold, punishment, or a simple “you can do it”. At times we teach even when we don’t want to. It is hard to be the bad guy. Lessons are not always enjoyable but if they are not taught they can also never be learned. Why do we teach? Most of the times the recipient will go against the teachings just to try and prove he or she can do it better. When the pupil comes back with their tale between their legs our first instinct is to tell them, “I told you so”. This is not always the best method even though there are times we could. This method is used to validate our own thought processes without the thoughts of teaching another lesson. This is the time we must realize the object of our teaching need us even more. When we step back and allow the lesson to absorb through the crevices we are then teaching. Our first thought is “Why won’t they listen?” Think about that for a minute. Did you listen? No, you learned from doing it wrong. You know the guidelines but if you can skirt them just a little maybe the goal can be attained in a shorter manner. This is why they don’t learn directly from us, because we didn’t learn directly from our teachers all the time either. Today’s thought was provoked from being at the horse barn. I have the privilege of watching Pea Pod teach her 1100 pound thoroughbred what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. She has been trained in what to do and so has the horse. The balance between what he wants to do and what she wants him to do is a dance they both respect; both wanting the other to give in. Brianna has the lunge whip and the round pen to keep him corralled. Johnnie has his enormous size and speed and stubbornness to keep things interesting. My beautiful wife also now has a horse. She is an educator by trade and has raised the little girl we admire in the pen. She has been there for all the lessons, the trainings, and even has the knowledge to assist with all the other riders and horses. Enter her own steed, Yonka, and Oh how things change. He is an adorable horse with an amazingly charming personality. She can put me in my place, ban Brianna from the TV, but when it comes to Yonka the educator becomes mush. She wants to teach but the love is still strong and the relationship is too new to punish. She does it, he fights, she pushes, he fights, she loves, oops that’s not supposed to happen, she pushes, and finally he recants and does as he is supposed to. It is at these times when I wonder who is the educator and who is the student. We can all take a lesson from times like these. Even when we are the educator there are times we learn from those we are trained to teach. What did you learn today? How are you going to spread that knowledge?

Lazy Days and Crazy Dogs

Today was a good day. Lazy is a relative term because my lazy may be a hectic day compared to others or vice versa. First, even though I am a Polk County guy I really enjoy a good Formula 1 race. The Spanish Grand Prix was a great day starter. Now I’ll go back to the Polk County guy stuff. Michelle wanted to eat breakfast so where does a good husband take his beautiful wife on Mother’s Day? Fat Boy’s of course. The only problem is that her little dog, Scrappy, thinks that he is her right hand man and must travel with her throughout her day. After getting him out of the car it was time for breakfast. Fat Boy’s has been a staple for Michelle and me since we started dating almost 14 years ago. She loves sharing an order of sausage and gravy biscuits with home fries. I don’t complain because it is always good and it’s a great way to carbo load for a day of sitting around. After a hardy breakfast it was back to the house for a little R & R before heading to the barn. I had to work on one more Mother’s Day card so Scrappy thought that he would assist and jumped up into my lap while I worked at the dining room table. Nothing crazy about that until he ended up walking around the house with a piece of construction paper self glued to his paws and tail. The lazy day continued as we headed to the barn. Michelle and I stopped at another go to restaurant to have a car picnic. McDonald’s always serves up a fine, okay consistent, cheeseburger and fries. Windows down, music blaring, and the world moving through its paces is how we saw it through the windshield in the parking lot. Harley’s with biker babes on the back, planes doing touch and goes, and a dog doing laps in the back of a pickup truck. We don’t own a Harley or a Jeep but we can cruise with the best of them. Roll down the windows in the Sportage, do 70 MPH, jam the volume on the stereo, feel the wind through your hair…….okay you cannot duplicate the open road in a mini SUV but damn we give it our best. Once at the barn I got to play ranch hand. Brianna and her mommy and her mommy’s mom start the process of riding. I made some cross-tie rings, threw out some hay, helped feed some of the horses, practiced my roping, and generally used my poop kickers like they are supposed to be used. At the barn there is this dog named Bella. She is insane about playing ball with anyone that looks at her. Well, I was the crazy girl’s object of affection today. This dog will find her ball on 13 acres of pasture come hell or high water. She will actually climb to the top of fences, get in trash cans, jump into wheelbarrows, and climb to the top of hay bales to get the damn ball. She has the capability to ruin whatever it is you’re wearing and doesn’t really care because the singular focus is on the ball. Once playtime at the barn was over we had one more stop to make. The family had one more fine meal before the hectic week was to begin. Subway has what we needed. Nothing is too good for our posse. After filling up on the best Subway had to offer we headed out to Crooked Lake to visit with Dad, Stella, and Tyler. Oh yeah, they have a crazy dog who seems to attract crazy dogs to visit. After watching Riley, the crazy dog, chase a rabbit one of her friends decided to come for a visit. He showed us some entertaining break dance moves and thought that at 75 pounds he would be a good lap dog for my daughter. My brother jumped into the craziness and thought that he might try to lasso Riley and Brianna. Well, one thing led to another and they began taking turns trying to rope each other. It got to the point that he had Brianna running in circles attempting to catch her. Thank god he sucked because that face plant would have been painful. After enjoying the final freezy pop it was time to wrap up the fine lazy day. Oh yeah, our own crazy dog has found a new play toy. After the initial pleasantries of welcoming us home he introduced us to his new play toy. For about 20 minutes after us getting home the crazy dog decided to chase a little lizard over the entirety of the house. Hide and seek with a lizard and a dog is a great way to end an otherwise lazy day. Ah, the simple things in life.

Moms, I have mine and others as well

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. Whether you believe it is contrived by corporate America or it is one of the most important days of your year just understand that there are mothers out there who are looking forward to it. I am very fortunate that I have my mother in my life. Actually, she is way in my life. Not only do we live in the same little village, we live on the same street, and heck we actually live right next door to one another. I’ve spouted a couple of times about my mom and she is very worthy. I love her immensely and I think she is aware. We actually celebrated Mother’s Day tonight. We had a great dinner and some outstanding ice cream. Tomorrow, I will celebrate Mother’s Day with Michelle and Brianna at the barn so that mother and daughter can share their love of horses together. I have been around for almost forty years now and have been highly influenced by my mother. I have also been influenced by many other mothers throughout the years. Tonight I am going to speak about them and how, if we just think about where we have been, they have been around me, guiding me for all of these years. Since I was a little kid I have been fortunate to have some great motherly influences. Obviously, my mom has been there for everything good and bad that I have done. I also have the great fortune to have a great step-mom. Stella could have easily resented my sister and me and how much time we demanded from our dad, but instead she jumped into our lives and became an integral part of our growth and maturation throughout our childhoods. Without much of her travel knowledge my tennis career would have been a lot more difficult. It was always pretty cool to be able to hop a plane and check into a hotel all because she had made the best plans for me. I will never forget those 6 in the morning car rides with a pan full of ham and egg biscuits on the way to another tennis tournament. To this day I still crave those biscuits. Family aside, some of my friends’ mothers have been protectors and guidance counselors as well. From elementary school days there were many. How many days did I spend on Lake Hartridge at the Muller’s and Howard’s residences? The moms would feed us, pull us on the boat, take us to the tennis courts, the movies, and wherever else our minds could think of. Mrs. Briggs would feed us, let us dive off the rocks into the pool, and completely overrun her beautiful home. Sitting on the family boat and watching the Cypress Gardens ski show was always an awesome experience. My elementary days were amazing. I went to a small private school and the moms were there all the time. We had amazing field trips, science projects, and theater plays. Yes, I performed on stage when I was a young man. Once we moved to high school the same moms were around but more came into my life. Mrs. Irwin kept me looking good by cutting my hair and understanding that boys would be boys. Hers was a great tennis player and boy could he cut it loose as well. I had the chance to train and work at Lake Region Yacht and Country Club. Maybe it was my charming personality or maybe the moms just thought I was a good kid. Either way that place opened many doors for me. One of the moms that I spent many hours with going over dreams and thoughts was Mrs. Lingenfelter. She is now Mrs. Bostick but those moments with her made me realize that I had much to learn and to never let go of your dreams. I truly enjoyed watching her two awesome children, Scott and Jenny. Those two kids had amazing energy and it was always a pleasure watching them learn from their mom. After high school it was time for college. When I left for Lees-McRae I was somewhat apprehensive. Even though I had spent my life traveling I always had a home base to run back to if necessary. Once in the mountains of North Carolina I was alone. No moms anywhere. In steps Mrs. Gupton, the head coach’s wife. She invited the players over to the house for dinner, to watch tennis we couldn’t get on our campus channels, and how to make incredibly good sweet tea in the microwave. Time passes and I have lost touch with all of the extra mothers I have known. This is one of the weak traits I am cursed with. Even though I don’t speak to them any more I still feel appreciative for their guidance throughout the years. That leads me to the present. I am now married and have gained a mother-in-law, grandmother-in-laws, and mothers of friends of my wife. No matter where I go the influence of motherly guidance is all around. Not only do I have an amazing mother, her network of mothers has been watching out for me the entire time. To all the moms out there, thank you and please know that no matter where you are someone out there is thankful for what you did for them. To my own moms: I love you and Happy Mother’s Day. To my wife: You are an amazing mother and I am so glad that I get to share the growth of our beautiful daughter together. I love you and let’s have a great day at the barn during your Mother’s Day, after a great breakfast at Fat Boy’s!

My Lonely Road Is Never That Lonely

The road just calls my name. I can’t explain it and nor will I try. I just finished my season and now have the chance to just veg out at my house and hang out in my little mecca known as Babson Park. Well, that lasted almost one week and it was time to hit the road again. Although it was only a day trip it was a road trip none the less. I truly enjoy being on the road. I really enjoy seeing the sights and playing the game in my mind as to what people are doing and where they are going. Why is a guy in a Mercedes convertible cruising down a two lane highway dominated by agriculture? Who in the hell is going to buy that old travel trailer? Why is there a semi stopped right in the middle of the road? Just put on some iTunes and let the miles roll along. I have friends, acquaintances, and “facebook friends” who actually despise or feel embarrassed to eat at a restaurant by themselves. I say it is a great time to just people watch. Today I had a fine dining experience at the Hungry Howie’s buffet. Okay, so it’s not fine dining but I did have a nice salad. The family behind me was really enjoying their time together and I am kidding. I thought the dad was going to come unglued dealing with his lovely child that wouldn’t stop playing with the at table video gaming system. What about the senior citizens enjoying an early dinner? (haha) They were talking about the upcoming yard sale and whether or not they were going to be able to squeeze in 9 holes before the community happy hour. It starts at noon. There were the couples heading out to the beach. You could tell because they were already wearing their suits and their cover-ups. That is always the most appropriate clothing for a sit down restaurant not located beachside. It is amazing to me to see the amount of agriculture we have in the state of Florida. Today I passed cantaloupe fields, stake tomato fields sitting empty, orange groves, and cattle ranches. How cool is that I can drive through that and all of a sudden, boom, there is civilization. Then drive a couple of more miles and there is the Gulf of Mexico. The diversity of this state is really interesting. Not only in our population base but in what we have. Where else can you see a guy in a Porsche 911 GT3 passing a school bus with its roof chopped off hauling melons to the market? Florida baby! Roll down your windows and it gets even better. There is nothing odder than seeing a jacked up 4x4 cruising down the highway blaring……….Jay Z. Oh how times have changed. The road can be lonely if you let it. I have traveled by vehicle all over this beautiful state and country. Flying gets the job done efficiently and has its own beauty to be seen but there are just so many things to see from the windshield of a car it’s my favorite way to go. We all have places to go and at times really don’t give a damn what’s outside of the windshield. Those are the times we should really look and see what we can see. You might just get lucky and see the old guy cruising in his Sebring convertible with no shirt blaring Frank Sinatra’s I Did It My Way. You just never know unless you look.

Frickin' Strugglin'

About a month and half ago I ran a 10k. It wasn’t incredibly fast or fluid but it was not the hardest thing I have done. I ran without pause or much pressure and just knocked out the miles. Move forward to today and let’s just say I sucked air. The only thing I had to do today for my workout was five ½ mile repeats. I also got to rest two minutes after each run. Simple running or at least that is what I thought. This is where the frickin’ strugglin’ came in. I fought myself after the first half mile and lost major time from the second one on. I even fought with myself after the fourth repeat and tried to talk myself into calling it a day. The internal struggle we face is one of the most bizarre human emotions we face on a day to day basis. Struggling and succeeding gives us such a thrill but most of the time the struggle just beats us to a pulp. We all struggle with something or multiple things. I am a massive test case for struggling. I am an “athlete” but really struggle hydrating myself properly. I really just hate water. I know I need it but it is such a boring drink. A friend has turned me on to the Gatorade Propel packets and that helps. I still struggle but they have been a boost to me drinking more H2O. I struggle with my own belief system. I know I have a skill set but struggle in the belief that I am good enough to use it. I struggle being a good dad, husband, family member, and friend. I enjoy me time and really have a difficult time opening up or for that matter really letting people I should be close with into my world. Even worse, I really struggle trying to allow myself to enter their world. I am highly introverted, I have been tested, but would rather have a discussion with a stranger who I will never see again because I can forget them and they can forget me once our time together is over. I struggle with an addictive personality. If I am going to do something the only way to do it is to look at the highest level available and make that the goal. This is not all bad except I miss the fun that comes along with the journey. Whether it is tennis, racing, fishing, or even bowling I have the sense that if I am going to do it I might as well shoot for the PBA or the Bass Masters tours. I know, how stupid is that? I can enjoy going bowling and dropping a line but I struggle with just enjoying the moment. I want to bowl better and catch the biggest or the most fish. Struggle can also bring us some of our best accomplishments. When I decided to get my Master’s I struggled with multiple nights of no sleep. The struggle to work, study, help raise my daughter, and start my new job only gave me more determination to get through the task. I have watched my wife, sister, and brother-in-law go through the same struggle and realized that we all have demons that hold us back or push us through those struggles. Struggle also helped me determine I needed to allow my damaged body to be repaired. Once I couldn’t pick up my daughter I made the appointment to get my shoulder repaired. I struggled for 9 months after the surgery to get back to the point I could live a normal day. The struggle was completed the day Brianna ran to me and jumped up into my arms. There was no pain. The struggle was worth it. We all struggle. Some of us give into the struggle. If the gold was in California why did people stop along the route and never continue? The struggle outweighed the reward so they just stopped. A persons struggles have the potential, there’s that damn word again, to make them attempt something they never thought was possible or it can stop them dead in their tracks. I struggle every day. The one gift that I was blessed or cursed with is that I have the ability to never give in, no matter the amount of discomfort or pain my struggle is causing me. I may not win but I will complete the task. We all struggle but it just depends on what we want that determines if we push through the struggle or pull up a chair and let the struggle tie us down. Speaking of struggling; here are my lackluster times of the five ½ mile repeats from today’s debacle otherwise known as a run. 1. 4:34 2. 4:48 3. 4:52 4. 5:04 5. 5:07

Today I Got Stronger

So today I was in my summer home, the WIU weight room and took time to read some of the wall posts that are smattered about. I ran across this particular one and it caught my attention. Not only for what it said but for the mere fact that it was so prominently displayed compared to all the others in the facility. We have all seen signs and in today’s society of pinterest, twitter, and facebook signs just have become something we read with one eye on the next status. Today while warming up I just sat and stared at this particular sign, then read the sign, and then read it again. It doesn’t say anything that I haven’t already been told, found myself in some book, or read on some social board. It wouldn’t have caught my eye today but instead of just a glancing look and thinking, “oh neat a cool motivational sign”, I actually digested what was before me. It is true; doing something consistently and with purpose is a difficult task. Think about the fact that 20% of society is responsible for 80% of the wealth. Companies rely on 20% of their loyal customers to make 80% of their sales. Gym memberships are massively in demand at the beginning of each year. Then about February most of the population realizes that this process isn’t as easily attained as the 30 minute infomercial they watched and got excited about. The second part of the quote was even more heart hitting to me. The part talking about reaching your full potential just hit home. I had a coach that once told me we all have potential. He never mentioned being professional but reaching the full potential of the talents we have. Potential is simply energy that can be released or it can be left at rest. It doesn’t mean it is going to change the world. Using your potential to become the best you can be is all we can ever do. In athletic terms I have met many people who have reached their full potential and others who have simply pissed it away because the effort was too great and the reward was not high enough to them to release the potential. Maybe your potential takes you to the championship of your recreational league, maybe some state competitions, maybe you become recognized on a national level, or even maybe you become the world champion. It’s your potential and we all have talents and all are different. The only thing we can do each day to assure that we reach our full potential and become our best is to put the work in when others are unwilling. I am, are you? Today’s workout actually sucked. I am weak and I know it so my numbers are small. I completed the workout but it truly kicked me in the booty. The first task was to do maximum effort for pull-ups. With no weight assistance I was able to muster 5. With 40lbs of assistance I achieved 7, 70lbs I got 11, and with 100lbs I got 13. Man I have some work to do on those. After a short rest the remainder of the workout was 3 rounds of 9 power cleans, 12 ring rows, and 36 double unders (double jumps with a jump rope). Because I am new to Olympic lifts I am very concerned with my form and I am also not the strongest guy. My weight used for the 3 sets was 55lbs. My form for the 3 sets was pure. I completed the other exercises with minimal problems. I’ll get there and for the rest of the summer I will read that wall every time I walk in the strength room.

Oh, the wonderful word is.....fear

We all have fear. What, not you, I call BS. We are all scared of something. We fear loss; we fear the responsibility of being the victor. We fear being left out or the fear of being accepted once let in. We fear asking the hot girl out on a date, heck, we fear asking most girls out on a date. She may say no or she might say yes. We fear not being loved and we fear the commitment that comes with being in love. We fear the work we have done will not be enough and even when we know we have done enough we fear we are not good enough to do it well. We fear the good and fear the bad. Why then do we go on? Some of us don’t. We allow the fear to hold us back from any chance of breaking free. Whether it is a workout, interview, date, new car, new sport, or a new state we are bound by our fear. We see some out there who appear to have mastered the fear and accomplish the tasks and dreams we only imagine in the far recesses of our mind. Ask those people why and how they did it and they will tell you they were scared not to. They had to because the fear of not doing it was pushing them harder than the fear of not pursuing the great task. Ask a woman why she changes outfits so many times before she goes out. She will answer that nothing looks right. It is not only you she must impress, but all the invisible eyes that may be watching her while out. Ask a guy at happy hour why he comes to drink the afternoon away and he will tell you he needs to unwind after a hard day at the office. More than likely he is fearful of facing the real world waiting as his doormat. Fear is our thermometer. Some people just run a lot hotter than others. That being said, some of us have different levels of fear. For example, I will take my motorcycle through the woods inches from trees and think nothing of it. Pros will go even faster, actually even bouncing off the trees and I watch and think they are crazy. I fear hitting those trees but I am willing to take that risk. Ask me to get on a Ferris wheel or roller coaster and I could possibly turn green. Bungee jumping, skydiving, and slingshots are even higher on that list. I want control. I fear not being able to control what I am doing. They did a research project on race car drivers. Their heart rates spiked when they came in for pit stops. Not during the start, during the race, or even during a crash. This happened because at the time they came in for the stops they lost all control of what was going on. They feared not being in control. Their thermometers run pretty damn hot. Fear is not a bad thing. Fear just determines what we find important and what we are willing to risk. Is it embarrassment, failure, being fat, succeeding beyond our wildest dreams and the responsibility that goes along with it, or is it realizing your thoughts aren’t taking you where you think you deserve to be. Fear is a harness and it is up to you to determine if you say giddy-up or whoa. The whole point of this little exercise tonight is to say I live in a state of fear. One of them is not pursuing the things I want because I am not good enough. Well, I’m overweight, yes I am, and no I don’t wear it well. 200 pounds as of today’s weighing. I have been following Crossfit Endurance and began doing it again today. I will be doing this series of workouts from today until July 29. At that time I will be competing in the Scenic 17 Sprint Triathlon. In between, Michelle and I will be competing at Dirty Foot in a 5 mile obstacle course run. My ultimate goal isn’t a weight goal but a look goal. I want to look like I deserve to have my shirt off and not scare small mammals. Today’s workout was front squats and bar facing burpees. It was a 5-4-3-2-1. I was able to do 65 lb front squats and all the burpees. Later today I completed 10 x 100m sprints with 50 seconds rest. To make them more interesting I did them in the sand behind my house. It’s a start and I am fearful. I now must succeed simply since the fear is pushing me. Fat and pale isn’t how I want to be remembered. Fear, use it or it will use you.