Utah Half Ironman Triathlon

The Utah Half Ironman triathlon was this past Saturday.  It was a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run.  Although, after talking with Jared Jones, my buddy from church who does tri as well, he told me that the swim was about 200 meters more than it should have been.  He knows because he was the one that set up the course and the buoys. 

I did the race with Don.  I signed up months ago so Don signed up later to do it together.  It was awesome to do it with him even though he went his super fast pace coming in 21st overall compared to my slow pace where I finished 119th place out of 340 athletes.



Before the race with Don and Dad.  It was cool that Dad came early to see his two boys off.




Just finishing the swim

I finished the race in 5 hours 49 minutes, about 47 minutes after Don.  Overall, I was happy with my performance although I know I can do better now and I know where I need to improve.  It was so fun to get the "half" triathlon completed and under my belt.  I accomplished my goal with the swim and the bike, but not on the run.  My goal with the swim was to come out feeling good even with a possible slower time than I usually do.  I get so sick in the open water that I just wanted to come out not puking.  And, after the motion sickness pills and ear plugs, I did just that with a pretty slow 50 minute swim.  In the pool, I usually am swimming that distance in about 35 minutes.  But, I was okay with it.


in the transition from the swim to the bike

 

 I felt the best part of my race was the bike.  I averaged just under 3 minute miles for the entire 56 miles.  I was stoked with that!  That was such a huge improvement for me.  I went from averaging just over 15.5 mph on my last Olympic distance race, which was only 28 miles, to just barely over 20 mph for 56 miles.  That was almost 5 mph faster this time than last and on a course twice as far.  I felt awesome and great.  I kept up with a lot of the top athletes.  I have been concentrating my training lately on the cycling aspect, so I have gotten better on the bike.  My bike split was 2 hours 46 minutes 50 seconds.

 

Don in his stylish blue attire



So, the area where I need to improve more will be the transition from bike to run after biking higher volume miles.  When I just run, like in my last marathon where I averaged a 7:49 mile pace over 26 miles, I do fine on the run.  You throw in the biking aspect, and it was a different story.  The first 6 miles of the run were okay with about an 8:15ish time, but the last 7.1 miles I just bonked.  My legs were spent, but I think it was mainly mental where I just wanted it to be over.  Plus, I unfortunately lost about 10 minutes while using the bathroom.  My stomach was killing me and super upset from all the food I was taking in.  Plus, running is a natural laxative.  I could have easily have finished with about 15 minutes faster and topped the Top 100 list, but I just decided to just enjoy the race this first time.  All in all, I had a blast and it was a great experience.  I definitely want to do the "half" distance again!

Coming into the finish line...yeah!!!

After the race with the gang



"Heavenly Father created me"

We went to Nichole's parent's house yesterday after church.  We went there with the idea of having dinner with cousin Morgan who was to be starting up at BYU today as a freshman.  We spent the evening together playing Rook after eating taco salad.  I had to show up a little later after finishing up with some church assignments, so I had the other car with me.  Well, at the end of the night, Ava and Jake wanted to come home with me in the black car while everyone else went with Nichole in the Expedition. 

 

While driving home, Ava was sitting in the middle back seat and I had the mirror down a little bit pointing at her.  She just looked so beautiful, so I asked her, "how is it that you are just so beautiful?"  Her response was amazing.  She smiled with a huge grin and said, "because Heavenly Father created me."  She just said it so innocently and so sure of its veracity.  Testimony is borne so purely from the lips of little children.  It really touched me.  It made me feel that something was sinking in of what was being taught at home and at church.  It was cool because at church yesterday, one of the discourses was referencing our "connection" with God and being able to teach that to our children.  Well, Ava knows at her young age of 4 that she is literally a daughter of God.  It was amazing!

 

 

Jake was sitting in the front seat.  After asking Ava why she was so beautiful, I asked Jake why he was so handsome.  He did his usual little smirk and just shrugged his shoulders almost in a kind of embarassment saying, "I don't know."  He shrugged off the question, but I am confident he knows that he came from Heavenly Father's presence as well.  He is pretty photogenic, though.  I sure love my little kiddo's.

 

Ava sleeps on her own!

 

Our little girl is almost 5.  So, it is time to celebrate.  She finally goes to sleep on her own.  All she needed was a little persuasion.  She said she would sleep on her own if she got this little pillow pet.  With her little pillow pet that she's named "Bria," she lets mom and dad have their own bed and she sleeps on her own.  Bria shines with stars in the dark in different colors.  I've loved our nights together cuddling and hugging and telling stories, but it was time to cut the knot and let her go.

But, it is still okay to have a brother sleep with her once and a while!!  fun times!

 

precious moment

It's times like these that it's fun to be a parent.  Eli clamped his little mouth onto Nichole's finger and fell asleep sucking her thumb.  He's so cute!

Jake is 10!

Jake has hit the double digits.  He got a few gifts but we forgot to take pictures.  So, these were taken earlier before his party.  For his birthday, Jake requested one of his favorite meals, shepherd's pie which Nichole made.  She also made garlic bread to go along with his meal

Jake chose the colors for his cake, yellow icing and the red sparkles, based on the colors from a mermaid's tail on a show entitled "H2O"...he's so funny. 

 

 

Eli's first meal

Our little guy has finally graduated from eating just a bottle.  He's moved onto cereal.  Way to go big man

"I am a happy boy now that mom and dad finally feed me!"

 

Ava's costume

Ava got her costume the other day for this year's Halloween.  This little fairy would be a cute red hair girl

 

 

 

 

2012 - 1st day of school

First day of school of 2012 for Brad and Jake and their 2nd year over at Lakeview Academy.

 

 

 

Brad is going into 6th grade and Jake is going into 4th.  They are wearing their school "uniforms."

VA PVHS mini reunion

Wow...so much fun!!

Stephanie - Me (with Eli) - Caya

Stephanie - 1992

 

1990 Homecoming

1991 Prom

Spring 1991 - Someone Who Cares

 

A couple nights ago, I got together with 2 of my closest friends from high school, Stephanie and Caya.  It was so fun to see each other and reminisce and catch up on old times.  Nichole had to stay behind and help Ethan out with his driving school.  I brought Jake, Brad, Eli and Ava with me.  Caya brought her youngest daughter Gracie and Stephanie came solo.  We stayed for nearly 3 hours at the chuck-a-rama in Draper from 7 to 10 just gabbing.  This was the first time I had seen Stephanie in about 18 years.  The sad part about that # is that for the past nearly 10 years Stephanie has been here in Utah just a few miles away from my house and only a phone call away.  I am a horrible friend!  The last time I saw Caya was about 4 years ago.  She currently lives in Idaho so I have more of an excuse, but it's still not good.  I have always been horrible at keeping in touch with anyone.

The deep respect and care I have for these two is beyond words as they helped me out so much during my younger years and were such great friends.  I can still recall talking endlessly with Stephanie about anything and everything especially during my junior year when I was struggling a lot.  We were close.  Caya was always so much fun to be with as we did, as it seemed, everything together.  She was fun but also caring.  We had so much fun that we're going to try and get together again in October and hopefully get in touch with more of our VA buddies who may be in the Salt Lake area. We'll see how it goes.  

Chick-Fil-A

A funny thing happened the other day.  The following conversation happened between Nichole and Ava.

Ava - I want to go to Chick-Fil-A.
Nichole - no, you need to wait.  You can go there on a daddy daughter date
Ava - begrudgingly says in a long sad cadence, "okay"

Then, a couple hours go by and I get home from work.  The three of us leave in the car together and while driving...

Ava - I need to go on a date with dad.  It's been a long time since I've been on a date with daddy.

Nichole starts laughing, stares at Ava and says, "you just want to go to chick-fil-a."  And, Ava starts smiling and laughing.

Ava knows how to get what she wants already at a young age.  She tries to work in the daddy daughter date thought to get what she wants...so sneaky.

So, it looks like I may just have to take our little girl to chick-fil-a

Stand Up And Shine (SUNS)

Our girls went to girl's camp last week.  I was able to go up on Thursday with Steve and Matt and spend some time with these young women.  Their theme was "Stand Up and Shine", or SUNS.  We had a very spiritual testimony meeting that kind of centered around the theme of being a good example and being a light for others to help and uplift others and offer hope and friendship, otherwise, anything positive in enabling these girls to nourish their relationships with their Heavenly Father and Elder Brother.  They went up to Payson Lakes, and it was so pretty.  I shared an experience with them that I had when I was a 14 year old boy.  The young women were talking about the importance of girls being good examples to other boys to help them stand up for the right.  Well, my experience related pretty well to their topic.  So, I'll share it here

Throughout junior high and high school, one of my best friend's name was Caya.  She was not an LDS girl but was rather a Jew.  All children of God are blessed with the light of Christ and know the difference between good and evil regardless of what religion one belongs to.  And Caya, although not of my religion, was one of these individuals that was really good and Christlike.  And, Caya knew I was a mormon.

Caya and I shared PE class together our sophomore year, and we were playing some basketball.  The game we were playing was getting pretty competitive and intense.  As we were playing, I let out some swear words.  As the game came to a halt for a minute, I started walking over to her at the bleachers.  While I was walking towards her, she asked me, "AREN'T YOU A MORMON"?  That self-reflective question tore me up as it hit me to the deepest core of my soul, and it hurt.  I was completely ashamed of myself.  I was not being a good example or doing what I knew to be right.  Caya knew what mormons stood for and she knew that I was not doing it.  It was amazing to me that someone not of my faith seemed to know more about the values of my faith than I did.  I am eternally thankful to a friend who helped me realize the importance of being a good example.

From that moment on in my life I always strived to be better with my language and the example I set, not only as a mormon but as a follower of Christ.  It was because of the influence of a righteous young woman, even though not of my faith, that helped me stand a little taller and be a little better.  Caya made me be better.  So, here in Utah where many of the teenagers are members of the church and know the morals that the church teaches and stands for, these girls can help these teenage boys stand up for what is right and do what they know to be right that these young men can become what Heavenly Father wants and needs them to be. 

From that point on, I always tried to be a better example, and especially around her.  I always wanted to share the gospel with her but found it extremely difficult to do so because of being so ashamed of the bad example I set years earlier.  I wanted to and just couldn't until we were seniors after graduation.  Upon graduation, Caya and I got together one night and were discussing our futures.  She was going to head to the army and I was going to go on a mission.  We talked for a while, but at the end, I gave her a present.  I told her not to open it up until I had left her house because I was still afraid of what she might think.  I wrapped up a Book of Mormon.  She did not open this "gift" until I had left.  She went to the Army and I left for my mission.  It was while on my mission, after a few months, that I received the letter from her letting me know that she had read the book and that she was going to be baptized into the church.  Her question to me was both a blessing to me and to her.     



Jazz Basketball practice facility

Ethan and I toured the Jazz practice facility with his basketball team.  I think it's called the Zion's Basketball Center.  They have 2 basketball courts, a weight room, cardio workout bikes, a medical area with spa, sauna and ice tubs and massage areas, a game room, conference rooms, offices for the coaches and a theater.  It was pretty cool.  I think I could stay in there all day if I could.

Inside the locker room, I was shocked to find out that they still don't have separate showers.  I thought for sure they'd at least have that.  All the rooms throughout the facility have super tall doors like about 9 or 10 feet tall to allow for the taller NBA players.  Enis Kanter had his shoes sitting on his chair and I compared my shoes to his.  I have a size 12 shoe, but after comparing my shoe size to his, it was pretty intimidating.  They had to be at least a size 16 or 17

The jacuzzi (7' deep!), 2 hot tubs and 2 ice tubs

Purple chairs in the theater.  They have a lot of space between the rows and the screen (not pictured) is humungous.

The game room...of course it has a pool table!

Development Center

Every year, as a church group, I get the opportunity to visit the Utah Developmental Center across the street from the Mount Timpanogos Temple.  We make two visits during the same week with them going to church on Sunday as the first visit and a Mutual night during the week in which we will have a party and a dance.  These individuals and patients we visit are disabled and handicapped, otherwise incapable of taking care of themselves.  It's a wonderful opportunity and blessing to be with these beautiful individuals in which their spirits are strong but their bodies are frail.  The last 2 years I visited patients who were restricted to wheelchairs only.  This year was a bit different being able to attend to patients who could actually walk during the Mutual night.  Tyson and Brittany, who are here from Arizona, came with Ethan and I.  Tyson had such a great time that he was awarded the "Most Enthusiastic" award in which he was rewarded with a Snickers candy bar.  Last Sunday, during the first visit, it was pretty neat.  Ethan had a cute embrace with a cute handicapped lady who is restricted to a wheelchair.  She just kept looking at Ethan, holding his hand and smiling.  It was cute to see that as well as listen to Ethan say the opening prayer during their Sacrament meeting.

swimming time

I spent a few hours today with these 4 hooligans while Ethan went and played basketball.  Ava kept dunking me and calling me a "crazy woman."  I'd say I'm not a woman and for some reason, she just kept laughing, so she kept saying it literally about 50 times...silly girl.

My cute baby Eli

I sure do love this little 3 1/2 month old boy and his cute smile!!

And he's starting to roll.  You're half way there, bud!

The new bike

After 2 years of trying to save for a bike, I finally did it! Nichole got an email from a cycling store advertising sweet deals on year end clearance bikes, and it was too tempting for me.  So, this past Tuesday night I went in to take a look.  I was so excited because it had all the components I wanted within the price range I needed.  I got a Fuji SL-1 LE Pro. I bought it the last day of July, so it was definitely Christmas in July for me

Day 1 with the new bike...wreck #1 with the new bike...really!! I was riding on the west side of Utah Lake where the road had no shoulder.  I was getting used to the components on the new bike and not paying real close attention when I swerved into the gravel off the shoulder.  When I tried to get back on the asphalt, the front wheel got tweeked on the edge and flipped me over...rookie mistake!.  I landed on my head (thank goodness for the helmet) and rolled on my back.  My shoulder got a good gash down to the bone and a little road rash to go along with it along the other side of my back, and also on both my arms and right leg.  Wow, I feel like an idiot

Cousin week

Aunt Jill left their kids at our house for a few days because Don was in the Dominican Republic for work and she had to go to girl's camp.  Reagan wanted to get matching shirts for her favorite cousin...our little Miss Ava.  Aren't they so cute?!

Whitney and Jake got matching survival bracelets. 

Nick got the same thing, a couple bracelets, for him and Brad

A beautiful rainbow

While we were over at grandma and grandpa Merrill's house, one of the kids yelled at us to come outside to see the pretty rainbow.  Utah is always full of beautiful scenic nature views

Youth Dance

July is always so fun for Nichole and the kids.  The cousins from Texas and Arizona come in and get together a lot with the family and spend around 3 to 4 weeks here.  Ethan, after just getting back from Snow College and youth conference in the morning, went later on at night to a dance with a few of his cousins.  Dances are always fun even though I was never blessed with that talent.  Nichole likes to laugh at my way of dancing in the car when I bob my head back and forth...smooth rhythm.

Brittany - Ethan - Tyson - Lexi