Joy In The Journey

My attempt at Bohemian

2011-08-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

A while ago, I decided to forsake civilization and live off the land out in the wilderness. So, I sold all my belongings and went into the woods to live the bohemian life, like Thoreau. I built a lean-to shelter, covered myself with bark at night to keep warm, fished out of a nearby stream for food and dug a latrine outside my camp. I also befriended the local wildlife including a little squirrel I named Snickers (because he stole my last snickers bar) and a magpie I named Maggie. Yes, this was going to be a great new life! After a while (about 5 hours), I realized that my new home was only about 20 feet from a footpath in a suburban salt lake city neighborhood, and only about 200 yards from a city park. It turns out that Maggie had actually been run over by a cement truck a few days earlier and tossed into the bushes by a pedestrian. Now I started to understand why she was so friendly and didn't fly away when I would pet her. I thought my heart was going to break. After these heart rending realizations, I decided to give up and drive back home in time to grab an In-N-Out Burger and catch the season finale of “24”. That’s the closest I’ve ever gotten to forsaking civilization and living in the wilderness like Thoreau. I have so many fond memories of my experience. I still think about Maggie sometimes and smile.

Oh, My Soul Hungered

2011-07-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

This song perfectly describes how I'm feeling today:

Oh, my soul hungered,
My heart cried out:
"Please Lord, release me
From pain and from doubt."
Oh, my soul hungered
The moment I knelt down to pray,
And felt all my doubts Wash away.

Oh, my soul hungered,
He heard my cry.
The voice of the Lord
Spoke peace to my mind.
Oh, my soul hungered-
Things that were old became new
When I learned to feel
What I already knew.

With all my heart,
With all my soul,
I wrestled before the Lord
To make my life whole.
He filled my hunger-
He fed my soul.

The truth that belonged
To everyone else
Is now a sacred part of myself.
Oh, I found out what I could not find,
When I heard with my heart
What I knew in my mind.
With all my heart,
With all my soul,
I wrestled before the Lord
To make my life whole.
He filled my hunger-
He fed my soul.

Oh, my soul hungered.

Excerpts from letters written in the final months of my LDS mission.

2011-05-29T17:07:00.000-07:00

Victoriaville, Quebec April-June 1998

Dear family,

... the work is going great. And I was correct. The Lord was preparing this area for something big... Can you believe all these things that are happening?! Now I know why the adversary was pulling me down. These experiences have really fortified my testimony, especially after conference. I feel like shouting Hallelujah each time I think about all these things. There is a prophet! There is a GOD! Isn't it wonderful?! No matter how hard to understand or how great are the mysteries of GOD, this doesn't destroy the fact that it IS true. And what a miracle it is! "Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing Let the dead speak forth anthems of Eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free! I love this work! I love this gospel! DO IT! OK! I love you all. Be good.

-----

How lucky I have been to serve in Quebec for 2 years. This is where I was supposed to come, and I feel that it is the only mission that could have changed my heart so much. My mission might not be the best 2 years of my life, but it certainly has been the best 2 years FOR my life. Last thursday, I was in a little interview with President Froerer, and we were discussing the work I've been doing, my personal life, my thoughts and feelings (as we always do in our once-every-two-month interviews). He said something to me that I will never forget "You're a changed man, brother." I was moved, almost to tears, as I realized it. All this time, I had been focusing on the things I couldn't do and my weaknesses. I had completely ignored to notice how much I have grown and changed. Not of anything on my part, for I owe it all to my Savior. I think that we, as humans, have a tendency to get down on ourselves. We need to notice the strengths we have and use them to overcome our weaknesses. I have learned so many profound truths in reading the words of the ancient prophets, as well as modern prophets. I am reminded of when I was in my first area. I had been praying to be closer to the Lord, to have a stronger testimony, etc... One morning, I woke up, and I heard a voice in my head which said, "Where much is given, much is required". Ever since then, I have tried to sacrifice for the Lord in order to receive his promised blessings..

-----

We are teaching many people right now. Lise is still hanging in there. She has a hard time understanding the importance of [priesthood] authority... She LOVES the Book of Mormon. She knows it is true. I just have to help her understand what that means when the Book of Mormon is true.... The power within the pages of that book is more powerful than anything else on earth... The Lord is blessing this area despite my many weaknesses in this work. I truly feel unworthy of all the blessings the Lord has poured out on me these past few months.

-----

Well, I'm loving every moment of my mission. I owe a great debt to my Savior for making all this possible. Amber, put your faith in Christ always. Live pure and expect that the Lord will bless you. Search him. Seek to get to know him. He is a being with feelings and thoughts and emotions. He knows you. He knows everything about you. Get to know him a little more. I know you will. I love you.

-----

My faith in the Lord has never been tried so hard in my life. To tell you the truth, I was very very close to denying my testimony altogether. But as it says in the Book of Mormon, we don't receive a witness until after the trial of our faith. I have learned that this is true. I know that the Lord's hand is in this work. I know this. We are his tools. When I was in my first area, Elder Hales, my trainer, told me that there would be many times on my mission that I would say that the church can't be true. At the time, I thought to myself, "Yeah right!" He was right. I have never been tried so hard and tested in my life. I have been so close to just throwing my arms in the air and saying, "Forget! I give up!." The adversary works hard on missionaries. I want to tell you, my family, I know GOD lives. I know Christ lives! I know they have a plan for our happiness. Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration. He opened this dispensation which has the fulness of the gospel. Gordon B. Hinckley is a prophet of GOD. It is all true. It is all good. And I love it. I love the Book of Mormon with all my heart. I cherish the Bible. I was reading in the Book of Mormon, and I learned a profound truth in Alma 34:14-16 Look at it. We need to always look unto Christ. Look unto Christ and live. He is the master teacher, the master healer. This is my testimony. I will not deny it. I cannot deny it. I love you all so much. Be good and always remember to look unto Christ and live! Think about Ephesians 2:8-9. Just to clear up any confusion on the subject, I will be finishing my mission 29 July 1998. Please keep me in your prayers. I know you will.

-----

And I try to be worldly,
but I just can't cut it
because
Well, because it's like I know about what is what. About the fig tree lumber and the nails that were much larger than sixteen penny
And I've smelled
the wet straw that became a cradle.
I've feasted
When there was nothing
and caught a descending dove.
When there was need of repair,
I've called the carpenter's son
who stripped all the old paint off my house, and
gave me a new many-colored coat, free of charge (because I was a friend), and then I try to be worldly, like I can forget who I am or where I came from or something, but I just can't cut it because I know what is what.

The Inevitability of Melancholy

2011-04-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

"I've been looking out a window for 18 years. Dreaming. About what I might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?"

"It will be."

"And what if it is? What do I do then?"

"Well that's the good part, I guess. You get to go find a new dream."

About 6 months ago, I began to think about my next big challenge. MBA? Done! Ironman? Threepeat! Another masters degree? Now I just might be able to get behind that idea. So, I started getting my papers together to apply to the MAcc program at the U. I talked to some counselors and decided I'd give it a whirl. I applied as a non-matriculated student so I could enroll and take care of some prereqs before starting the program in the fall. I was all ready to start classes when a good friend told me about an opportunity to audition for a community play in Draper called "An Ideal Husband" by Oscar Wilde. I memorized a couple monologues and showed up on the audition day, hoping to at least land a minor role...

...I got a lead role. Rehearsals commenced and it came as no surprise that I couldn't act. I dedicated the next 3 months of my life to this play. I ate, slept, drank Lord Goring, memorized literally hundreds of lines. I studied English accents, tried to get inside Lord Goring's head to understand what made him tick. Learned to tie a bowtie, apply stage makeup, and through it all became a close family with my fellow cast members. As the performances began, I soon realized that there was something beautiful and exciting about this acting thing. A feeling I had never felt before, and I caught the bug. We did 12 performances in all. On our last performance on March 26, 2011, I couldn't help but experience an intense feeling of melancholy. I had grown so close to the entire cast, the performances and the reactions of the audiences were an addictive drug, and I didn't want it to end.

Now, I'm over a week removed from our last performance. The melancholy has passed, but the memory remains. What is life but a series of adventures in which we dare to dream, pursue our dreams, experience incredibly intense emotions in the experience, the adventure ends, and the inevitable feeling of melancholy ensues...then the process starts over and we find new dreams, unexpected dreams, hidden talents. What a tragedy life would be to reach the end and realize that we had not lived. We had not taken a chance, risked it all on one hand and taken a chance to chase a dream. You might fail...and so what? You might not! So go for it! It's all in the making of a character.

Anxiously Engaged

2010-05-13T22:36:00.001-07:00

I have to make a few comments about this past week. I competed in Ironman St. George a couple weeks ago. It was my first full Ironman since Kona in 2007. Some are saying that IM St. George has raised the bar for Ironman races around the world by being the hardest...even harder than Kona. I'm still not sure about that yet, but I will say that it was a dang hard course. Tons of climbing, and strong headwinds. Fortunately, the weather was largely in our favor. They had been predicting rain for race day, but the weather gods were smiling upon us as race day dawned clear and calm. Just a few comments about the race: The swim was COLD, but that didn't stop me from posting my best swim split ever - 1:06. The bike was extremely HARD, but that didn't keep me from finishing with a respectable time of 6:23. I had never been more eager to get off the bike and run a marathon. My marathon time wasn't great, but I still posted a time under 5 hours and beat my best Ironman time ever - 12:36:43. For my 3rd Ironman, it was probably one of the most empowering things I have ever done. There will definitely be many more. It was so nice to have my family there for support. My Grandma made a special trip down, and it was so so nice to have her there. I can't express the feelings of love I have in my heart for my family and their amazing support.

6 days later, I graduated from the University of Utah with a Masters in Business Administration. Definitely one of the most empowering days of my life. Once again, my family was there. My dad and brothers drove through the night and spent the bulk of the following day at graduation festivities. I was so happy to have them there. This has been quite a week!

Photo Courtesy of Deseret News

Now, I'm sitting here a few days after finishing my best Ironman ever and earning my MBA degree and wondering what's next. Ah, there will always be more adventures to pursue, my friends! Much love.

TARP - a few random thoughts 18 months later

2010-04-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, in some cases, it's better to let the free market be the free market, and sometimes markets fail. Let's just assume that they didn't pass TARP. What would have happened? Yes, there may have been a major collapse of the large investment banks, and yes, there may have been a lot of pain...in the short term. We don't know how bad it would have been, however I don't think it would have been as bad as the so-called experts predicted. On the other hand, what message has the government sent to Wall Street with TARP and all the bailouts? The message is that excessively risky behavior is OK, and if we take on too much risk? No worry. The government will bail us out again. So where does it end? By bailing out the largest investment houses, the government has simply reinforced the bad behavior, and now there is no incentive to discontinue it. TARP did nothing but reinforce the excessive risk taking....a problem that the government got us into in the first place with easy money from GSE's like FNMA and FDMC. TARP has only delayed a much greater collapse down the road. A collapse that will be infinitely greater because "Helicopter Ben" seems to think that printing money to increase the FED's balance sheet is just fine as long as there is short term liquidity in the market. In my opinion, inflated currency and China owning our debt is a much worse long term scenario.

The current financial reform legislation in congress is also going to ensure large companies that are "too big to fail" will continue to receive bailouts indefinitely. Again, reinforcing risky behavior and making private enterprise too heavily dependent upon the government. Something the founding fathers, especially Thomas Jefferson railed against.

After TARP passed, I remember hearing Bush say that he had to "abandon free market principles to save the free market". Totally incredible, and a complete load of crap in my opinion....

To be fair, I will say that Paulson's idea (TARP) was much better than Geithner's (buying preferred stock in the large investment banks). I hate the idea of the government owning majority interest in private corporations. Buying the illiquid assets due to the market failure was a better idea, and much more "market friendly" than the preferred stock route, which is what we eventually did with most of the TARP funds. Now what is the current administration doing? They're criticizing banks for tightening their lending standards, even though the loose lending practices are what got us into this problem in the first place.

There are a lot of really good resources on this, but for simplicity, I've pasted 2 NPR reports here. They give a relatively succinct and unbiased explanation of what caused the whole thing. Each episode is an hour long. Definitely worth the time, though.

Click on "stream episode".

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/355/the-giant-pool-of-money

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/365/Another-Frightening-Show-About-the-Economy

2010-01-31T21:36:00.000-08:00

There is a way to be good again.

2010-01-31T15:35:00.000-08:00

It has been on my mind a lot. I've been thinking a lot about restitution and redemption. I have decided to write down a few of my thoughts.

In the book "The Kite Runner", the main character, Amir witnesses the rape of his faithful childhood friend, Hassan. (Hassan and his father, Ali, are servants in the house of Amir's father.) After the rape, Amir is racked with guilt for not having done anything to save Hassan from being assaulted despite Hassan's "guileless devotion" to Amir. Amir eventually can't handle the pain, so he lies and tells his father that Hassan stole his new watch. Ali and Hassan must leave and Amir never sees them again. The Soviets invade Afghanistan in 1979, and Amir and his father flee to America where Amir marries and becomes a successful writer. After his father's death, Amir receives an unexpected call from his father's former Afghan business partner, Rahim Khan, asking him to come to Pakistan because "there is a way to be good again."

It is this phrase, "there is a way to be good again", which has caused me to experience a myriad of poignant thoughts and emotions recently.

Amir makes the journey to Pakistan and meets Rahim Khan where he learns that Hassan is dead and his son, Sohrab is in an orphanage in Afghanistan. Rahim Khan also reveals to Amir that he is actually Hassan's half brother. Amir's father slept with Ali's wife, and she bore him a son they named Hassan - a secret Amir's father took to the grave. And now, Rahim Khan tells Amir that there is a way to be good again. A way to make restitution for his father's sin and for Amir's cruelty to Hassan when they were children. At this meeting, Rahim Khan gives Amir a letter which was written by Hassan before he was killed by the Taliban.

"In the name of God the merciful, the compassionate. Amir Agha with my deepest respects.

My wife and son and I pray this letter finds you in fine health and in the light of God’s good graces. I’m hopeful that one day I will hold one of your letters in my hands and read of your life in America. I’m trying to learn English. It’s such a tricky language, but on day, Agha. I miss your stories. I’ve included a picture of me and my son, Sohrab. He’s a good boy. Rahim Khan and I taught him how to read and write so he doesn’t grow up stupid like his father. And can he shoot with that sling shot you gave me! But I fear for him, Amir. The Afghanistan of our youth is long dead. Kindness is gone from the land, and you cannot escape the killings. Always the killings. I dream that God will guide us to a better day. I dream that my son will grow up to be a good person, a free person, an important person. I dream that flowers will bloom in the streets of Kabul again and music will play in the samovar houses and kites will fly in the skies. And I dream that someday you will return to Kabul to revisit the land of our childhood. If you do, you’ll find an old faithful friend waiting for you. May God be with you always.
Hassan."

Now Amir has a chance to find the restitution and redemption he's been seeking since he was a child. A way to make right so many wrongs which have plagued his soul for so many years. He must go into Afghanistan and rescue Sohrab from the brutal Taliban.

I believe in restitution and redemption. I believe that there IS a way to be good again, and that nothing has to be final. As a Christian, I believe that restitution and redemption can only come in and through the Savior Jesus Christ. He can make everything good again. Only HE can put away the old and make all things new again. Whether it be a convict who has spent 19 years in hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread or a young Afghan whose childhood friend died before he could make amends for past wrongs. There is ALWAYS a way to be good again through Christ.

"Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation"
-2 Corinthians 5:16-18

This is the final scene of the movie "The Kite Runner" in which Amir has returned from Afghanistan with Hassan's son, Sohrab. Beautiful reconciliation.

Sucking the Marrow out of Life!

2009-10-31T22:58:00.000-07:00

I often feel like Thoreau when he wrote...

“I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, To put to rout all that was not life and not when I had come to die Discover that I had not lived.”

I was able to get out on the bike today. It's been a few weeks. Being the last day of October and a miraculously gorgeous day, I decided to ride up the canyon in search of some cold mountain air. I rode to Alta, surprising myself that I had that ride in my legs, since I'm really extremely out of shape right now. Alta is at the top of little cottonwood canyon, the hardest climb along the Wasatch Front. It's a full hour of suffering. It felt great to get out and breathe through every pore in my body, especially after a freaky stressful week at work and school. The temperature at alta was just over 40 degrees which made the descent marvelously cold. The pain makes me feel alive!
For me, there is nothing more purifying than riding up a high mountain pass or through a beautiful canyon and inhaling the thin mountain air and loving life. When I'm on the bike, it's like time atands still and the world temporarily falls silent as the only sound I can hear is the sound of my own breathing and the whir of my tires on the pavement. At that moment, the world is perfect. That's it. That's why I do it. It's something I will do until the day I die.

PS. Yeah, I also ride so I can eat anything I want. For example, I ate an entire box of chocolate dipped strawberry creamies today....no guilt, friends. No guilt!!

Rough Race

2009-06-21T02:32:00.000-07:00

I raced in the Boise Half Ironman last weekend. The forecast was for scattered thunderstorms, but it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day until the starting gun fired. The water was marginally choppy as the wind started to blow across Lucky Peak Reservoir. Made it through the swim no problem, but the rain really started coming down on the bike. At one point, I thought it was hail because the rain was coming down so hard it was painful. Easily the most miserable and probably slowest bike split I've ever had...(I take that back. The bike at the Ironman in Hawaii was much more miserable. ) My brother, Brian, was also racing that day, and he posted a faster bike split than me. Off the bike, my running shoes and socks in T2 were already soaking wet. At the run turnaround, Brian was only about 1/2 mile behind me, which motivated me to speed it up. At the end, I posted a time of 5:35, just 12 minutes ahead of Brian. Overall, the race was a mild disappointment for me, but that's relative because any day I get to race is a great day. Looking forward to the Utah Half Ironman in August.

UTAH!

2009-05-01T21:51:00.000-07:00

Since I've been out of school for my 3 week break before summer term starts, I've had the chance to get some good hard training in. Last Wednesday, I did the south mountain loop in which I ride south past the new Draper Temple, up and over the blistering Traverse Ridge road down into Utah County and back past point of the mountain on the frontage road into Salt Lake. It was a 2 1/2 hour ride with a brutal head wind the entire way back. I was pretty spent by the end of the ride when I flatted 4 blocks from my house. Since I was so close, I just decided to walk barefoot the rest of the way, leaving my shoes clipped to my pedals (it's extremely awkward to walk on concrete in bike shoes). No more than 30 seconds after I started walking, a nice couple pulled up next to me in a minivan and asked if I needed a ride. I thanked them and told them I was only a couple blocks from my house. After they drove off, I got to thinking what a great place Utah is. I've ridden my bike all over the world and the United States, and I can safely say that the people of Utah are the most caring and compassionate people I've ever been around. There have been times when I've been stranded in the middle of nowhere after flatting on my bike, and there is always someone willing to lend a hand. One such time was a few years ago on the west side of Utah lake. I flatted and couldn't get my flat fixed, so I started walking. Within minutes, a couple guys drove by in their pickup and offered to give me a ride all the way back to Provo. I have never experienced a kinder, more caring population in any other state of this great union. While I'm not a native of Utah, and home still means Nevada to me, I love this state and the people in it. So here's to Utah! The state with the best economy in the nation, lowest unemployment, most stable real estate market, and most charitable people on God's green earth. I couldn't be more grateful for the great people of this great state.

A Little Common Sense

2009-04-24T23:46:00.000-07:00

A Patriots Manifesto

2009-04-15T22:01:00.000-07:00

I attended one of 2 tea parties held today in Salt Lake. There were at least 500 people there protesting the Bush-Obama push toward socialism. There were about 2 dozen passionate speakers of all ages and backgrounds at the event. I stand here today to proclaim that I reject the reckless spending of Washington! I reject the inflation of our currency! I reject confiscatory taxes! I reject the federal government taking control of private enterprise and financial institutions! I reject the redistribution of wealth! I reject the fairness doctrine! I reject cap and trade legislation and "global warming" hysteria! I reject Obama's claim that we are merely a nation of citizens and not a Christian or Jewish nation. I reject socialism and central planning! Now is the time to stand up and be counted. Stand up for liberty and economic freedom over socialism and tyranny. Stand up for a strong national defense. Stand up for strong borders. Stand up for strong American and family values! Now is the time to stand up for these things. If we wait too long, there will come a day when we speak fondly of the days before socialism and government control. Call your congressman, read the Federalist papers, read Thomas Paine, and share the principals of economic liberty with your friends. It's time to put government back on the side of the people.

An Ironman's Manifesto

2009-03-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

I was reading last month's issue of Inside Triathlon Magazine, The Ironman Issue. The Manifesto by TJ Murphy epitomizes what I've been unable (maybe unwilling?) to express to those who have been questioning my sanity since I started Ironman racing 7 years ago. Perhaps it's a "pearls before swine" thing which has prevented me from being able to adequately express to those who ask between gulps of 32 oz sodas and reruns of "The Bachelor" why I do it.

"One steaming summer day in Iowa a long time ago-I had just finished high school-I was running a six miler at a pretty good clip. The sun was burning me up, but as midwestern athletes can tell you, if you've adapted to hot, sticky weather, running in it is a tremendous feeling. If you haven't adapted, you suffer like a dog, but at the time I was over the hump of acclimating and loving every step.

I recall the run because while I was ascending a short hill, two friends of mine, neither one of them athletes, passed by in a car and screamed hellos. I waved back and continued on. Later they expressed their astonishment at my smiling while I must have been in pain. They lived with the assumption that exercise was agony. That someone could run, bike or swim for long periods of time and enjoy it was, to them, an unfathomable mystery.

Such assumptions are common from those outside the world of endurance athletics. Often I've listened to people as young as 20 or 30 explain how they could never complete a triathlon, a long bike ride or even the shortest of running races. With a mindset like this screwed into place, it can be a waste of time to tell stories about 70-something triathletes finishing Ironmans in less than 13 hours, or 60 year old triathletes recording Ironman times less than 10 hours, or all the other myth-busting triumphs over the myriad boundaries long assumed to be grim realities of aging and life.

Triathlon has become a place to escape the trap set by society that largely counts on turning people into television addicts and super consumers. Even in the TV broadcast of the Olympics, you sense the message directed at the citizenry, that being an athlete is off limits; you might as well give up and lose yourself in a Quarter Pounder. Let the Olympians fly in the rarified air; commoners should stick to pushing limits on credit cards and waistlines. For those of us clinging to it, triathlon is more than a sport. It's a refuge where we can cast aside labels and breathe in the fitness lifestyle. It's our sacred underground where everyone is welcome regardless of age, talent or background."

Amen TJ Murphy!

My Passion Play

2008-12-31T12:42:00.000-08:00

Who was I kidding? You can take the athlete out of the Ironman, but you can never take the Ironman out of the athlete. 4 months ago, I decided to hang up racing for a while and concentrate on grad school. After 1 semester, I've realized that I'm not cut out for this sedentary lifestyle. Grad school is still my priority, but no matter how much I try to ignore it, Ironman is in my soul forever. For me it's more than a race. It's a metaphor for life - the eternal struggle between spirit and body. Subjecting the body to the will and awesome power of the spirit to accomplish something great. The desire to be proven herewith. It's transcendent. It's spiritual. Set against the backdrop of life, it is my passion play.

May the question never be posed again: Why?

What's wrong with the world today?

2008-12-12T22:37:00.000-08:00

2008-11-08T19:49:00.000-08:00

This is seriously the coolest thing I've ever seen

Happy Birthday, Karate Kid

2008-11-04T21:59:00.000-08:00

I am dedicating this post to the hero of my childhood, Ralph Macchio - The Karate Kid. Today is his birthday. Happy Birthday, kid. Mr. Miyagi and I are thinking of you today and smiling....

Mraz, Mindy and Me

2008-11-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

Hanging with Jason Mraz.

Capitalism and Freedom vs. Socialism and Bondage

2008-10-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

As we have seen a resurgence in the argument for socialism in this presidential campaign, I thought I would posts excerpts from the late Milton Friedman's 1962 treatise, "Capitalism and Freedom".

"The preservation of freedom is the protective reason for limiting and decentralizing governmental power. But there is also a constructive reason. The great advances of civilization, whether in architecture or painting, in science or literature, in industry or agriculture, have never come from centralized government. Columbus did not set out to seek a new route to China in response to a majority directive of a parliament, though he was partly financed by an absolute monarch. Newton and Leibnitz; Einstein and Bohr; Shakespeare, Milton, Pasternak; Whitney, McCormick, Edison, and Ford; Jane Addams, Florence Nightingale, and Albert Schweitzer; no one of these opened new frontiers in human knowledge and understanding, in literature, in technical possibilities, or in the relief of human misery in response to governmental directives. Their achievements were the product of individual genius, of strongly held minority views, of a social climate permitting variety and diversity."

(From the 2002 preface)"The climate of opinion received a further boost in the same direction when the Berlin wall fell in 1989 and the Soviet Union collapsed in 1992. That brought to a dramatic end an experiment of some seventy years between two alternative ways of organizing an economy; top-down versus bottom-up; central planning and control versus private markets; more colloquially, socialism versus capitalism. The result of that experiment had been foreshadowed by a number of similar experiments on a smaller scale; Hong Kong and Taiwan versus mainland China; West Germany versus East Germany; South Korea versus North Korea; But it took the drama of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union to make it part of conventional wisdom, so that it is now taken for granted that central planning is indeed The Road to Serfdom, as Friedrich A. Hayek titled his brilliant 1944 polemic."

Mindy, Mraz and Me

2008-10-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you combine Patrick Byrne, CEO of Overstock.com, and Jason Mraz? No, it's not a fundraiser for school vouchers. It's a private party for Patrick, and Jason Mraz is going to be there. My good friend, Mindy is really tight with Mr. Byrne, and she invited me to go. I'm pretty confident it's not a naked short selling party, so George Soros won't be invited. Maybe I could dress up as Soros and freak everyone out. That would be the scariest halloween costume ever.

Fight for the Ideals and Character of a Free People!!

2008-10-17T22:51:00.000-07:00

Over the past months, I have come to realize that the American dream is slowly slipping away, and if we continue to complacently sit back, we may lose it. I feel like we are in a struggle to preserve this great republic and I am ready to fight for it! I'm ready to fight, my friends. I've never felt more passionate about anything in my life. I often feel like the great prophet Nephi praying in his garden tower, lamenting the wickedness and blindness of his people. While I know that the majority of the American people are good and decent freedom loving people, I fear that freedom and privilege has led to unparalleled complacency never before seen. Are we willing to fight for liberty the way our forefathers did? Or will we allow the devil to lead us away into carnal security, whispering in our ears that all is well in Zion?! It's time to stand up and fight for what's right. I'm an American and I choose to fight! McCain gave a brilliant speech in Miami today. McCain wasn't my first or even second choice during the primaries, but I am increasingly convinced that he is the right man to lead this country at this challenging time. Here are some excerpts from the speech.

The response from Senator Obama and his campaign yesterday was to attack Joe. People are digging through his personal life and he has TV crews camped out in front of his house. He didn't ask for Senator Obama to come to his house. He wasn't recruited or prompted by our campaign. He just asked a question. And Americans ought to be able to ask Senator Obama tough questions without being smeared and targeted with political attacks.

The question Joe asked about our economy is important, because Senator Obama's plan would raise taxes on small businesses that employ 16 million Americans. Senator Obama's plan will kill those jobs at just the time when we need to be creating more jobs. My plan will create jobs, and that's what America needs.

Senator Obama says that he wanted to spread your wealth around. When politicians talk about taking your money and spreading it around, you'd better hold onto your wallet. Senator Obama claims that he wants to give a tax break to the middle class, but not only did he vote for higher taxes on the middle class in the Senate, his plan gives away your tax dollars to those who don't pay taxes. That's not a tax cut, that's welfare. America didn't become the greatest nation on earth by redistributing wealth; we became the greatest nation by creating new wealth....

What America needs in this hour is a fighter; someone who puts all his cards on the table and trusts the judgment of the American people. I come from a long line of McCains who believed that to love America is to fight for her. I have fought for you most of my life. There are other ways to love this country, but I've never been the kind to do it from the sidelines.

I know you're worried. America is a great country, but we are at a moment of national crisis that will determine our future. Will we continue to lead the world's economies or will we be overtaken? Will the world become safer or more dangerous? Will our military remain the strongest in the world? Will our children and grandchildren's future be brighter than ours?

My answer to you is yes. Yes, we will lead. Yes, we will prosper. Yes, we will be safer. Yes, we will pass on to our children a stronger, better country. But we must be prepared to act swiftly, boldly, with courage and wisdom.

I know what fear feels like. It's a thief in the night who robs your strength.

I know what hopelessness feels like. It's an enemy who defeats your will.

I felt those things once before. I will never let them in again. I'm an American. And I choose to fight.

Don't give up hope. Be strong. Have courage. And fight.

Fight for a new direction for our country. Fight for what's right for America.

Fight to clean up the mess of corruption, infighting and selfishness in Washington.

Fight to get our economy out of the ditch and back in the lead.

Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.

Fight for our children's future.

Fight for justice and opportunity for all.

Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.

Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. America is worth fighting for. Nothing is inevitable here. We never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.

Now, let's go win this election and get this country moving again.

Conference Weekend

2008-10-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

So I met my best mate, Cory Neill at the conference center Saturday and we spent the entire day together, attending conference and talking to the protestors. By far, my favorite protestor is Ruben Israel, a painting contractor from Southern California. I've been following Ruben's proselytizing efforts for several years now, and though I don't agree with his assertions about Mormonism, I respect him for his courage to preach repentance every year amongst the revelers at Mardi Gras, Las Vegas, and other such places. He supports capital punishment and travels around the country to support the state sanctioned execution of murderers. He is also a strong conservative who stands up for Christian and American values. Though there are minor doctrinal points that may separate us, there is much more that brings us together in a common purpose to strengthen individuals, families, communities and nation through the teachings of Christ. Ruben's son recently graduated from UCLA, and he couldn't be more proud. Next time you see him at conference or anywhere else, stop by and say hello and thank him for his efforts. Click here for a video of him preaching in Las Vegas last New Year's Eve.

Cool Hand Luke

2008-09-28T14:20:00.001-07:00

I gotta say I was shocked when I heard the news yesterday that my hero Paul Newman had passed away. Even though he was a lib, he was still a good man. I first became aware of this man at the age of 14 when I first saw my favorite movie of all time, "Cool Hand Luke". If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it.

I have to comment on this financial crisis. I am highly disappointed with our incompetent government, democrats and republicans, for allowing the credit markets to get so out of hand that there is no longer market value for mortgage backed securities. The root of this problem goes back over a decade, but most recently, the push to give out mortgages to everyone, regardless of ability to pay it back is the direct cause. I'm highly disappointed by the attempt by the majority party in congress to blame the minority party simply because their party is in the White House. It was the democrats who, in the name of compassion and equality, pushed to give mortgages to minorities at the lowest income levels. The administration has also gone along with this in the name of "bipartisanship" and for many years boasted of record home ownership in this country. It was all a ruse, and now everyone is suffering because of the political pursuit of power and money despite the risks to the country's economic well being. The finger-pointing and blame for political expediency isn't encouraging. This bill will pass in Congress this week and will be signed by the President, and it will be a national tragedy. Some say the taxpayers will make money on this bailout, but I say once the government gains a little power, it rarely gives it up. What scares me even more is what an Obama presidency would do with this increased power and money.

If the democrats gain the White House this November, and larger majorities in Congress, the blame should be placed squarely on the shoulders of the Republicans and the Bush administration for abandoning conservative principles in the name of bipartisanship over the past 8 years. They will have gotten what they deserved. I am still a strong conservative and still firmly believe that the democratic party is the party of Lucifer, but I'm also ashamed to call myself a Republican. If we do lose in November, it will be a long awaited wake up call for conservatism. It took a Carter to get a Reagan. Perhaps it will take a disastrous Obama to stimulate the rebirth in strong conservative principles. In 1999, President Gordon B Hinckley said "there is a portent of stormy weather ahead." I'm afraid he was right. This country doesn't realize the sore trials that await her. God help us.

Family Trial

2008-09-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Our thoughts and prayers are with my Brother Brian and his family at this difficult time. Check out their blog www.ourmagnumopus.blogspot.com for more details and updates on little Ezra Nolan McCombs.

Race Pics

2008-08-14T19:13:00.001-07:00

Moments before the swim start. I think Brian had been eating powdered donuts.

The End of an Era?

2008-08-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

After months of training and planning, we all took the starting line at Utah Lake in Provo, UT -- Monte Johnson, Brian, Geoff and Chris McCombs. I had been nervous all morning as my mind kept telling me to not start the race. When we got to Utah Lake State Park, Monte was looking strong and confident, and it made me feel much more confident about the race. We all setup in transition, got suited up in our wetsuits and walked down to the water. Brian and I swam to the starting line just minutes before the starting gun fired at 7 am. Right before the gun went off, Brian and I grabbed hands and wished each other a good race. Ahead of us was over 70 miles of unknown. How would our bodies respond to the rigors of this event? Would anyone have equipment problems? Would we all make it to the finish line? I think the unknown contributed to the fear and excitement. Here are the results from the day:

Swim:
Geoff McCombs - 38:41 Place: 57
Chris McCombs - 42:11 Place: 111
Brian McCombs - 44:47 Place: 147
Monte Johnson - 1:57:18 Place: 272

Bike:
Geoff McCombs - 2:35:46 Place: 57
Brian McCombs - 2:40:52 Place: 86
Chris McCombs - 2:47:47 Place: 127
Monte Johnson - no data

Run:
Geoff McCombs - 1:59:14 Place: 60
Brian McCombs - 2:03:43 Place: 80
Chris McCombs - 2:50:45 Place: 223
Monte Johnson - no data

Total Time:
Geoff McCombs - 5:16:48 Overall Place: 45
Brian McCombs - 5:32:19 Overall Place: 72
Chris McCombs - 6:25:00 Overall Place: 184
Monte Johnson - 8:38:02 Overall Place: 260

Brian had an impressive result for his first half ironman. He totally smoked the bike, passing Chris and was nipping at my heels by the end.

Chris struggled on the run due to foot injuries, but he still pulled through with a respectable time. He had an altercation on the bike when another rider accused him of drafting, to which Chris responded, "Hey, I have an idea - SHUTUP!"

I was 24th overall on the bike at the halfway point, but I flatted just after the turnaround and got knocked back 50 places.

But by far, the greatest story of the day was made by Monte. 340 people took the starting lane and 260 finished. Monte was the last one to cross the finish line. 80 people abandoned during the race, but Monte showed to have the strongest will of the day. He just would not quit. He got out of the water and had to convince the officials to not disqualify him. He headed out on the bike for a long lonely ride. The volunteers had all left and closed up the aid stations by the time Monte got on the course, but he did not give up. He finished the bike when most had already finished the entire race or were in the last few miles of the run and he did not quit. He headed out on the run with the very real possibility of finishing after the 3pm deadline. He kept going, and the volunteers kept the aid stations open for him. We awaited his arrival at the finish with great anticipation. When we saw him turn the corner and start down the last stretch, we all jumped to our feet and cheered him to the finish. His perseverence was inspiring to us all. Way to go Monte! You're a Half Ironman. Beat that, Johnson brothers!

While I was suffering on the run, I began to wonder if this race would mark the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. I start Grad School in 2 weeks, I'll be working full time, and there won't be much time to train. I'll run the Top of Utah Marathon next month, and then I'm going to hang it up for a while. While I'm looking to the future with optimism, I can't help but reflect on the past 6 years of racing. Here's my top 10 list:

10 - My first Half Ironman in Guerneville, CA

9 - Getting hit by a car on a training ride, flipping over the car and totaling my bike, yet not suffering any serious injuries.

8 - Blacking out on "corkscrew wall" in the World's Toughest Century

7 - Only 15 minutes away from qualifying for Kona at the 2003 Utah Half Ironman. My best result ever!

6 - Escape from the Rock Triathlon in which I swam from Alcatraz and had to pull out after the swim due to hypothermia. Thanks for rubbing the life back into me, Mom!

5 - April 2004: Ironman California, Driving a moving van to Nauvoo, World's Toughest Half Ironman, Salt Lake City Marathon...all in the same month!!

4 - Ironman California 2007 when my parents came to Oceanside, CA to support me and then attending Priesthood session of conference with my dad.

3 - Full Vineman Ironman, August 2003 with my best friend and mentor, Rick Bird

2 - Utah Half Ironman, August 2008 with Brian, Chris and Monte

1 - Hawaii Ironman World Championships, October 2007

Grad School Roller Coaster Ride

2008-08-05T23:00:00.001-07:00

SO, I was accepted into the MBA program at the U a couple of months ago, but my acceptance was contingent upon my retaking the GMAT and scoring above a 50 percentile on the quantitative section. Evidently, quantitative is a fancy schmancy way of saying Math. Why don't they just say math? Anyway, I studied for a month, putting my Ironman training on hold to learn how to do algebra, geometry, fractions, and long division again. I didn't even touch the verbal material in my studies because all I cared about was getting a 50 percentile in math. I took the test on Saturday and scored 30 percentile on the math, 81 percentile on the verbal. I think I may have had a better result if I had studied the verbal and not touched the math. When I saw my results, I could literally see my hopes of getting my MBA go up in smoke. I wanted to cry, so I went out and killed my body for 2 hours on my bike to vent my frustrations. It made me feel much better, even though I threw up in my mouth twice and almost passed out from heat stroke, but I digress. After my ride, I emailed the admissions committee to tell them what an idiot I was for not doing better on the math and that I'd hope to see them before my 50th birthday. I also made sure to mention my high verbal score. :) Today, I got the best birthday present of all from the admissions committee when I received the following email:

Geoffrey,

The Admissions Committee has had an opportunity to review your circumstances and previous coursework. They feel you have much to offer the program and are willing to welcome you into the PMBA program on the condition you maintain a 3.25 GPA during your first semester. The GPA condition is in lieu of your quantitative results on the GMAT. I have attached a contract and ask you to return it by the end of the week. Please let me know if you have any questions.

University of Utah Admissions

Did you notice the part about me "having much to offer the program"? I wonder if they're referring to my fantastic leg shaving abilities.... Now if I can just figure out how I'm going to pay for this, I'll be in business. Anyone know how to count cards?

10 days and counting...

2008-07-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

The Utah Half Ironman is just 10 days away. Here's what's been going on...

Brian is ready to go. We ran 11 miles last week in 1:20. A couple weeks ago we did a 1.2 mile open water swim at Lake Tahoe. About 2 months ago, Brian and Chris did a 135 mile ride and finished strong. It was a major confidence booster for Brian. A 56 mile ride is just an afterthought compared to a 135 mile monster from Reno to the shoe tree on Highway 50. Unlike the rest of us, Brian has actually gained weight! Don't ask me why. He currently weighs in at 180 lbs. Unfortunately, Jami isn't going to make it to the race to watch Brian compete. She's in the final month of her pregnancy, so she needs to stay close to the home base in case there's any news from the front.

Chris is ready to go. He's been following a training plan that Chanika put him on a couple months ago. He's lost 8 lbs and is looking lean and mean. He's been struggling with some ankle pain lately, so there may be some walking out on the run course.

Monte took a couple weeks off when Megan was born and was able to get some good hard training in. Like Chris, he's lost about 10 lbs, and feels confident about the bike and run. The swim is another story. While he has shown major improvements in the water, he's still not able to do the distance. I'm a little concerned that he may not be ready for the swim. 1.2 miles in open water with a few hundred other athletes can really make a person feel vulnerable, especially after being kicked in the face. When they get to Provo, I'd like to see them do a practice swim on the course at the Utah Lake Marina just so Monte can feel comfortable with the course.

Cody isn't going to make it to the race this year. He and Jen are moving to Vegas the following week, and they realized that there was just way too much to do, and the Ironman had to be cut out of the schedule. We'll really miss having Cody at the race.

I've been training hard all summer. Recently, however, I've been studying for the GMAT, so I haven't been able to get the necessary last minute training in. I feel weak in the water and on the bike. I'm feeling strong in my run training, though. Additionally, I'm going to be out of town on business a week and a half leading up to the race. I won't be able to get the necessary training in, but I'm still planning to attempt this race. As long as I can avoid my frequent abdominal pains and throwing up on the bike or run, I think I'll be ok.

Half Ironmans are HARD. Though I've done more of these races than I can even count or remember, it's always a mental and physical struggle to push myself beyond the limits of pain. This race won't be any different. Race morning will be full of excitement and fear and anticipation as usual, but it will be particularly sweet to have my family there, not as spectators, but as fellow participants. I've been inspired by them and their desire to take on such a daunting challenge, and I am honored to race with them. It will be a great day.....oh yeah, and I'll see you at the finish line, boys!

VIVE LE TOUR!

2008-07-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

There are few things on this earth more beautiful than bicycle racing. The perfect combination of man and machine - the crashes, the humanity, the drama, the sportsmanship, the suffering. It's like NASCAR without all the explosions. I am passionate about this sport. SCREW THE DOPERS.

Beautiful Doctrines of the Gospel

2008-04-24T20:17:00.000-07:00

On April 3, 1836, 3 heavenly beings appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland temple and restored sacred keys pertaining to the everlasting priesthood.

...the heavens were again opened unto us; and Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north. After this, Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed. After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said: Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come— To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—

D&C 110

"Elias" appeared in the Kirtland temple on this occasion and "committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham". What is the gospel of Abraham? Why was this key restored to the earth? What does it mean that "in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed. "

This quote from Russell M. Nelson is amazing.

Whenever I look at stars in the sky, I am reminded that about 4,000 years ago Jesus the Christ (then speaking as Jehovah—God of the Old Testament) made a covenant with Father Abraham. Included was the promise that the Savior of the world would come through Abraham’s lineage and that his seed would be multiplied “as the stars of the heaven.” In addition, Abraham was told that through his seed, “all the nations of the earth [shall] be blessed” (Gen. 22:17–18). This covenant was to be everlasting—even through “a thousand generations” (1 Chr. 16:15). Abraham was promised “that this right shall continue in thee, and in thy seed after thee … even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal” (Abr. 2:11).
From scriptures we learn that this covenant “should be fulfilled in the latter days” (1 Ne. 15:18). Then the fulness of His gospel would be preached and many would truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
In 1836, keys of “the gospel of Abraham” were conferred (D&C 110:12). In 1843 the Lord declared to the Prophet Joseph Smith that “Abraham received promises concerning his seed, and of the fruit of his loins—from whose loins ye are. … This promise is yours also, because ye are of Abraham” (D&C 132:30–31).
Brothers and sisters, you may also claim the supernal blessings promised to the faithful lineage of Abraham. The Lord explained that blessings and responsibilities of His priesthood are yours because of your faith, works, and lineage—the lineage declared in your patriarchal blessings. You “are lawful heirs,” He said. “Your life and the priesthood have remained, and must needs remain through you and your lineage” (D&C 86:9–10).
The ultimate blessings of the Abrahamic covenant are conferred in holy temples. These blessings allow us to come forth in the First Resurrection and inherit thrones, kingdoms, powers, principalities, and dominions, to our “exaltation and glory in all things” (D&C 132:19). The fulfillment of the ancient Abrahamic covenant is feasible only because of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is He who has made it possible for us to dwell with God, with Him, and with our families eternally.

Swim Training

2008-04-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

My training partner, Natalie, and I filmed each other swimming yesterday so we could find ways to improve our form. It's really hard to improve on your swimming technique without a coach or training partner. Natalie has really helped me improve over the past few months. She's improved as well. It's been really satisfying to watch her evolve into a great swimmer.

IT'S ON!!!

2008-04-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

Winter is officially over and with the spring thaw comes a new challenge. All the men in my family - my brothers in law, Monte Johnson and Cody Reeder, my brothers, Brian and Chris and myself - are going head to head this summer at the Utah Half Ironman in Provo, Utah. This will be another chapter in our family for the history books! I'm so excited to be able to race with all these great and inspiring men. Over the next 4 months, I'll be documenting our training for this event.

Swim 1.2 miles, Bike 56 miles, Run 13.1 miles!

Cody was "prescribed" the right running shoes by the good people at Salt Lake Running Company. It turns out he over pronates, so hopefully a medium stability shoe will correct the problem.

Monte just bought a wetsuit that turned out to be too big. Right now, he's most concerned about the swim, so he's going to spend a lot of time in the pool over the next few months. Since we're swimming in Utah Lake, you might want to get a tetanus shot along with all the swim training, Monte!

Brian has commited himself to this event, and it's looking like he'll be the most prepared. His swim times in the pool are looking good, and he's started running again after taking it easy for a couple months due to a foot injury.

Chris has slated 7 hours as a good finishing time. Hey Chris! A couple words of wisdom - Eat a fudgesicle right before the race and when in doubt in the water, flip onto your back and remember "monkey, tree, rocketship"! You'll get it done.

As for me, my only new years resolution this year was to try and eat more ice cream. So far, it's going well. That's all you need to know.

Because it's there Mallory said, to an audience of misunderstanding reporters. The world has long thought that George Leigh Mallory meant the elusive summit of Mt. Everest, but perhaps he was referring to the mountain buried deep in the soul of every human being, that deep primal desire in each of us to be proven, not to the world, but to ourselves. In this, one can even hear echoes of similar desires expressed in our enthusiastic acceptance of a plan presented to us all before the world was made, a desire to be "proven herewith". Now we are here and the desire expresses itself in peculiar ways. Always the inward searching question of "would I have made it" when stories of suffering, trials, and valor are recounted. Or, the drive to climb a high mountain in some far off country. And, of course, for many it is expressed by an entry into an amazingly difficult race where the individual must transcend the physical body to draw upon deep wells of hidden mental and spiritual strength to finish. To any who desire to be so tested, the question may be posed: "why do you want to do this hard thing?" the answer is always the same, "Because it is there" the Moriah in each of us which must be climbed and conquered that we may in fact conquer ourselves"
-Brian McCombs

Finish line video

2007-11-11T19:55:00.000-08:00

I just received my official race video. Click below to check it out!

Some reflections on the Ironman

2007-11-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

To understand Ironman training, one must understand that it's all about the bigger picture. It's easy to become so anxious or excited about such a huge undertaking that it causes some to push too hard too early on in their training, not focusing on the long term goal. Others will let their training slip, and then try to make up for it with highly intense yet sporadic training sessions. Neither approach is ideal and will lead to burn out, injury or premature "peaking". Rather, proper Ironman training requires a constant, concerted and consistent effort over the course of several months and years. Training sessions should be tailored to a particular athlete's own fitness level, taking into account their own strengths and weaknesses. Thus, each individual's training program will vary. If a relatively inexperienced athlete assumes a training regimen that is overly aggressive, they risk injury and sickness. On the other hand, if a more experienced athlete plans a training program that doesn't challenge them, there will be very little growth.

A moment with the legend Mark Allen. He begged me for a photo, so I obliged.

Surprisingly for me, training for the Ironman was a lesson in moderation. It may sound crazy that such an extreme event could be characterized as moderate. It is nevertheless true for the reasons I have noted above. It required patient dilligence over the course of many years to get to the point where I was capable of enduring the rigors of such an event. It required an incredible amount of long term focus and sacrifice. It required thoughtful planning of an effective nutrition program. It's amazing how much I learned about my body during this whole process. What foods my body needed to go the distance. How much physical strain my body could endure. How much rest was required, and rest was a very important aspect. In fact, it was probably the most crucial element of the whole process. Mosiah 4:27. I never trained on Sunday...ever. It was a perfect day to rest my body, and in the end, it made me stronger.

Could my sisters get any freakin' cooler?!

When I was finally able to put all that training aside and actually focus on the reason for which I had trained so hard, I was confident because I knew I had done the work required. The week leading up to the race was a very thoughtful time for me. I went to Hawaii a week early, and I was alone for 5 days before my family arrived. This allowed me a lot of time to reflect on my life, my training, and everything that had led me to that point. I was able to process within myself all the reasons I was there. I realized that for me, it was more than just a race. It was a celebration of life and the beauty of human achievement. More importantly, the opportunity filled me with an indescribable sense of gratitude for all my blessings. My life, my family, my health, my faith, my opportunities, my strengths, my weaknesses. I knew that the race would test me mentally and physically more than I had ever been tested in my life, and this reflection was all part of that mental preparation.

Start of the swim. I'm in there somewhere!

The night before race day was sleepless as usual. When I awoke at 4am race morning, my family was ready to go, and I wanted to puke. We drove into town together, and my dad and brothers followed me through body marking and into the transition area where I finished my preparations. I walked with my dad to the sea wall and said goodbye to my family one last time before the race. The sun was rising over Hualalai volcano just as the starting gun fired to start the 2007 Ford Ironman World Championship. I had the best swim of my life. I felt great. When I reached the turnaround boat, I glanced at my watch..30 mins had passed. I felt a surge of excitement when I realized I was already halfway through the best swim of my life! The swim back to the pier was even more crowded than the outward leg. I had my goggles ripped off, and someone elbowed me in the face, immediately giving me a fat lip. Toward the end of the swim, I got a terrible cramp in my leg, and I really thought my race was over.

Final bike adustments before the race. Thanks, Brian!

Once I got onto the bike, and headed out into the lava fields for a 112 mile bike ride, the pain in my leg made it very easy for countless negative thoughts to creep in. This lasted for a couple of hours as I kept thinking that I wanted to quit. It wasn't until I recognized what I was doing that I was able to block the negative thoughts and focus on all the reasons I was out there. I thought a lot about my family and close friends who were supporting me. I prayed a lot, too. This helped tremendously as I realized that I had way too many reasons to keep going, and only 1 reason to quit. It made me forget about the pain in my leg and more able to endure the brutally hot and windy conditions. By the end of the bike, I had been riding into a strong headwind for the last 40 miles, and the cramp in my leg still hadn't subsided. I think it posed more of a mental challenge than a physical one for me.

Mile 4 of the marathon

The thought of starting a marathon at that point was stifling, especially because I wasn't fresh, and my leg was still killing me. As I laced up my shoes in the Transition area, my leg kept cramping each time I bent my knee. The volunteers noticed my condition and asked if I wanted to continue. I didn't even have to think about it. "Of course I want to continue!" Even If I had to walk the entire marathon, I was going to finish. I walked the first 4 miles of the marathon until I was confident that my cramping leg would be able to endure the rigors of running a marathon. Thanks to the support and encouragement of my family at mile 4 of the marathon I decided to start running. I can't describe the power of a positive word in that situation. My family's encouragement was an incredible boost. I ran from mile 4 to the finish That's 22 straight miles with a cramping leg. But the cramp didn't bother me, and with each mile, I felt stronger and stronger until I couldn't run fast enough. I knew the strength was not my own, and the words of my dad's blessing from the night before kept repeating in my head that "angels would be pushing me". I knew that promise had been realized, because I had never felt so strong in my life. The final 10 miles of the marathon were absolutely amazing. I felt so good. As I drew near the finish, I could hear the crowd and the music. I knew that I would soon be greeted by my family, and that feeling was totally exhilerating! It made me push even harder. If my family hadn't been there, there would have been no reason to do that race. Had my family not been waiting for me at the finish line, I never would have been motivated to finish. It was the singular thought of seeing the people I love at the finish that pushed me to keep going, faster and faster. As I crossed the finish into the warm and loving embrace of my father, mother and siblings, I was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude and love and accomplishment that was unparalleled. I can't describe the feeling. The first thing I said to my mom as I hugged her at the finish, "Mom, I'll never do this again. You don't have to worry". Her response, "Good".

My amazing parents. I owe them everything.

Life after the Ironman?

2007-10-28T20:15:00.001-07:00

The thousands of athletes and cheering fans on Alii Dr. have all gone home. The chafe wounds, blisters, sunburns and sore muscles have all healed. There is nothing left but the memory of an incredible journey which began many years ago and finished on a mystical October night in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The night I became an Ironman forever. I'm beginning to think about life after the Ironman. That's the purpose of this blog, and I've called it Transition3 for that reason. The transition from Ironman life back to reality. The one where there are bills and bosses, successes and failures, highs and lows. But that's all part of the journey, and we wouldn't be able to appreciate something like the amazing rush of running down the final 100 meters on Alii Dr. at the Ironman World Championships if it didn't take a whole lot of sacrifice and determination and passion to overcome our own weaknesses and insecurities to get there. So this is where I find myself. Reeling from the successful completion of the Ironman World Championships and wondering what's next. Enjoy the journey because we're only getting started. As one of my dearest friends always says, "Today is a great day to be alive!" Enjoy the journey, my friends!