Thank you everyone for taking the time to help me cheer Marvin on to a glorious finish that we will not soon forget!!Your support and encouragement throughout our Ironman journey continues to make a lasting impression on us, and we certainly feel the love from everyone! Each of your willingness to do whatever it takes to be part of this monumental event is priceless and much appreciated.
And kudos to our highly spirited IronGlee Club Leader Tony Abisia and the rest of the amazing Ironfamily Team Abisia for contributing your superior cheering skills, getting us to the photo op locations safely, and taking the awesome pics/video of this historical and monumental event that will certainly be remembered now and cherished in the years to come :-)
What an amazing finish and thank you for exposing us to an extraordinary event that showed us that anything is possible when you have confidence in your ability and be tough enough to follow through.
While the distances are truly mind-boggling what’s even more mind boggling is witnessing your extraordinary transformation, remarkable courage and determination to stay committed and focus on balancing multiple life role responsibilities as a loving and protective husband, son, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend.
And though you were coaching yourself for the Ironman which occurred at the same time during our Nike Marathon training program, you made priority to coach athletes from different levels to help us achieve our own Ironman finish and brilliantly designed and launched our team’s inaugural clothing apparel with the Team Abisia Endurance Racing shirt. And the cool part is I know that you are only getting started :-) You are and will continue to be an inspiration to all of us.Your light shines radiantly as an example of living life to the fullest, you are amazing beyond amazing.
You create your own music and encourage us all to have the unquestionable willingness to elevate our life of greater joy and meaning.You are my rock, inspire me to be better, and challenge me for the better. I love you and looking forward to many more crazy adventures together! :-)
Meanwhile...please stay tuned for more as we are still sorting through all the media gathered from the trip! For now, here are some more pictures! MORE PICTURES FROM FLORIDA HERE - ENJOY!
Hello there our loyal readers! Guess what today is? See that spinning yellow star at the top of this page? It tells you that we are within 10 days of Team Abisia's inaugural participation in the Nike Marathon!
We continued our training and preparation for this event in earnest this weekend. We also added two new team members to our roster of Team Abisia train. While this past weekend was quite chilly, we still managed to knock down quite a few miles in training.
See the exciting details about it, including who these two new members are, by CLICKING HERE, and reading our post: "Team Abisia Still Hiring". :)
This post comes about a week late, as we've been quite busy with some seriously long training sessions lately. We hope everyone enjoyed the past Labor Day weekend, either lounging around or out and about with friends or family.
As for us, we spent most of Saturday performing our training regimens for our upcoming races. On Sunday, we blocked out the afternoon to spend time with Dad and Mom as a belated gift for Dad's birthday which was back in August. We started with lunch in Tiburon at a restaurant on the water.
The weather was perfect, and to top it all off, our server threw in a peanut butter oreo cheesecake for good measure...after all, this was a celebration of Dad's birthday.
Afterwards, we took a stroll around the Tiburon waterfront to burn off some of the recently ingested calories, but more enjoyably, to take in the sights and sounds of a beautiful day in Marin county.
After the light stroll, we mosey'd on up the bayside to Sausalito, to view a hidden treasure. Built in the 1960's by the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Bay Model is a huge scaled model of all the waterways and structures that comprise the San Francisco Bay Area, including the delta and the Sacramento river! It was a pretty unique experience, and while computers now perform all the simulations of tides and other water scenarios, for a long time this model was used to study the ebbs and flows of bay water.
Finally, we settled into downtown Sausalito to sit down for some good ol' Lappert's ice cream! A great ending to an awesome outing for Dad's birthday on Sunday!
Labor Day Monday, Jo and Jackie each were competing in the UC Davis Golden Harriers 10K race. This race functioned as a checkpoint race as they round up the last 6 weeks of training leading up to the Nike Marathon. And of course, Team Marv.n.Jo's #1 fans were present to help cheer on! :) CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES FROM THE RACE.
We ended Monday with a nice little reunion dinner with our friends Matt and Liz. It was a nice little reunion, as we have not seen Liz for a year or so, outside of online interaction. Thanks for a great dinner, Matt and Liz!
This past weekend was filled with activities, both family-oriented, and fitness-related. Sunday afternoon was spent celebrating Alex's 13th annual 21st birthday. We started the celebration with lunch at a wonderful little pizza place in Lafayette called Pizza Antica.
They specialize in thin crust, Roman style using dough that proofs for nearly three days before pinning it into pies that are both chewy and crispy. Toppings are seasonal and procured from local artisans: savory cured meats, fresh cheeses, wild mushrooms, tender, organic greens. Needless to say, we had an excellent refueling lunch after our very intense training.
CLICK ABOVE TO PLAY THE SLIDESHOW
In other news, training for Nike and Ironman Florida continues to heat up, and some amazing things have been happening!!! For the latest news on our fitness endeavors...head on over here: http://steel-resolve.blogspot.com
I'm 13 weeks out, and next week starts the "peak" phase where my distances in each discipline will increase dramatically. Thankfully this week was a much needed "rest" week. I limited most of my riding to about 20 miles or less, and the longest swim was 2500 yards. Easing back into running, as I still have a little bit of tenderness from a calf strain from a 2 weeks ago. So I haven't pushed much more than about 6 miles three times since Sunday.
I'm enjoying the calm before the storm, which is just about to arrive...
We hope everyone has had a great week! As we get closer to our rendezvous with destiny in Oceanside, we thought to share with our readers one of the many inspirations that we draw from during our journey through life.
Enjoy...
I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots. But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.
Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and Pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.
Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back Mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. On a bike. Makes Taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?
And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life. This love story began in Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick Was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him Brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.
"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him And his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an Institution.'' But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes Followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the Engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was Anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told. ``There's nothing going on in his brain.'' "Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a Lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed Him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his Head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the School organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want To do that.''
Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran More than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he Tried. ``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore For two weeks.'' That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running, It felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''
And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly Shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon. ``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a Single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few Years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then They found a way to get into the race Officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the Qualifying time for Boston the following year. Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not try a triathlon?''
How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he Was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick Tried. Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud Getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you Think?
Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' he says. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with A cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.
This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world Record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time.
``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the Century.''
And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a Mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries Was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' One doctor told him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.'' So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.
Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. , always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.
That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.
``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''
Please Join Us In Supporting Our Nation's Wounded Warriors!
As many of you know, Marvin has set a goal this year to join the ranks of the rare breed of men and women who have earned the right to call themselves "Ironman". As part of his preparation to achieve this goal, he will be racing at the Ford Ironman California 70.3 in April. This race is exactly half the distance of the full Ironman. Just having the opportunity to enter this race was a big deal...and now that he is racing for a cause to help the injured men and women of our armed forces, the deal has just gotten a lot sweeter!
He's taking on the challenge of a lifetime and needs your help. By donating to his fundraising effort and helping him reach his goal, you will also be helping our fellow Americans with physical challenges realize their dreams.
Team Operation Rebound consists of the men and women of our armed forces who are trying to make a comeback in their lives after returning from the front lines of the battlefield! Your donation will go to Challenged Athletes Foundation's Operation Rebound, an incredible 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides funding and inspiration to hundreds of physically challenged athletes each year so they can participate, compete and live life to the fullest.
We hope you will join us as we help to raise funds to support injured troops who are now waging their own personal war to regain their confidence and competitive spirit by participating in various sports. Just like Marvin, these challenged athletes want to participate in athletics and feel the rush of competition, but they face a major obstacle. They don’t lack fitness, desire or skill. It is only a lack of funding that stands in the way of realizing their dreams.
In these tough economic times any donation is appreciated, regardless of the size. Every dollar will help our recovering armed forces members toward equipping them with the tools necessary to complete their new missions, whether it be prosthetics or a handcycle.
Please join us in making dreams come true. Give the gift of sports and help get challenged athletes get off the sidelines – and get back into the game!
Josephine Abisia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://marvnjo.blogspot.com http://steel-resolve.blogspot.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ____________________________________ "To some extent, we are all labeled by what we're able to achieve. But more importantly, we are defined by what we attempt." --Scott Tinley
"There is no challenge too great for those who have the will and heart to make it happen."
If you are into edutainment(educational entertainment), then this is definitely a must-read for you. Mr. Armstrong does an excellent job of giving the reader a glimpse into the life of a young man raised solely by his mother, who through his adolescent years finds out he has been gifted with a physiology that is custom-built to conquer endurance racing, yet tragically discovers that he has also been gifted with the blight of testicular cancer and overcomes it to learn not only how to harness his inner strength, but to channel it to heights greater than he could ever imagine.
If you have always wondered at what makes a cyclist tick, this book is for you. If you have ever wondered what a person feels when they contract, but ultimately survive a bout with cancer, this book is for you. If you want to know what kinds of trials and tribulations a couple goes through when they opt for in-vitro fertilization, this book is for you. This book is all that and more, and is worth a read for anyone who wants to peer into the heart of a champion. Surprisingly or not, he is just as flawed if not more flawed then the rest of us.
While he waxes on about his triumphs and conquests of his sport, in It's Not About The Bike, Lance Armstrong does not forget to recognize those who have helped him along the way. From the bike shop owner who gave him his first gig, to the nurse who cared for him in the cancer ward at an Indiana hospital, all of Armstrong's "guardian angels" are revealed so that we understand who and what shaped him to the man he is today. Furthermore, he shares intimate details and technical information on nearly every challenge that he had to overcome (cycling, cancer, fathering his first child, and others). For this reason, the edutainment value of the book is beyond measure.
Beginning with his adolescent years, follow Lance through his formation and transformation into a world-class cyclist. The book was published in 2000, and therefore only covers the first two of his seven-race winning streak of the Tour De France. But that is more than enough to inspire hope and courage into all but the most pessimistic person out there. Relive every detail, from his training to his actual races, all broken down into digestible chunks (even minute-by-minute in some cases). You will share in his exhilaration at victory, and agonize with him in his defeats. Experience the life challenges he went through, maintaining a relationship with is wife-to-be, worrying about his mother, and ultimately the joy he experienced at the birth of his son Luke.
So does the hype of Lance Armstrong deliver? Only if you're willing to recognize that this is one man's take on how to turn lemons into lemonade, and that regardless of whether or not you are a world champion athlete, you too were born to become a champion at something. Attitude determines one's altitude in life, and It's Not About The Bike shows some good examples of how this mantra helped one person overcome some of the longest odds that anyone can imagine.
Are you inspired yet? No? Then you might just want to give this book a spin, and see if it gets you thinking of what you are truly capable of.
Sadly, an iconic San Francisco bay area institution is slated to close in the very near future. The Scharffen Berger chocolate factory, purveyor of award-winning chocolate, and in operation since 1994 has joined the ranks of businesses that has succumbed to the reality of our economy.
While it is difficult to say whether this unfortunate turn of events could have been prevented, the closure of the factory is attributable to cost-cutting measures being taken by the parent company of Scharffen Berger: Hershey Co. The plan is to consolidate production of the high-end Scharffen Berger product to the midwest. The fine artisan chocolates will still be available to us, but the novelty of touring the original production facility and getting a free education on chocolate production will be gone for the foreseeable future.
If you have never toured the factory, your only option now is a virtual tour on the website. Surely another cost-cutting measure. We were so fortunate to have not missed out on one of the great hidden gems of the bay area, and not to mention lots of free samples of some of the finest chocolates and truffles in the world! We loved the place so much, that we asked to spend a few hours there with our loved ones as a Christmas present last month. Just in the nick of time, we were able to experience the live tour before they canceled the tours altogether!
Needless to say...there's is no substitute for experiencing this place in person, but if it is any consolation, we fortunately had the foresight to archive our visit. While it is in the form of a Christmas memory, we hope it helps capture the essence of what will be missed when Scharffen Berger Chocolate Factory finally closes its doors.
We hope you enjoy this multimedia capture of our special moment spent with some very special people(Mom and Dad) last Christmas!
Happy 2009 everyone! We hope your year is off to an awesome start like ours! Team Marv.n.Jo is looking forward to another fun-filled and exciting 12 months ahead, filled with many happy memories shared with everyone whom our lives touch along the way. We hope to stay in better touch with everyone...and we hope this blog helps keep you in tune with how we've been.
Drop us a line from time to time as well...we would love to hear from all of you!
Wouldn't you know...we've already got things to talk about for 2009 !!!
Scroll down for more!
New hairstyle for Jo
Yup...that's right! New look...same sharp, fun-loving, awesome woman. Feast your eyes on Josephine ver. 2009:
The evolution of the new 'do...
New goals
Our journey to a happy and fulfilling life continues...and we have started to queue up our goals for this upcoming year (the list is constantly evolving). And of course, it shouldn't be a big surprise that many of them involve fitness milestones, but there are others as well. Some of our goals this year include, but are not limited to:
Continue to build upon our life successes by maintaining and improving ourselves physically, spiritually, mentally, interpersonally, and all other adverbials you can think of!
Continue to expand upon our existing base of fitness-minded and active friends/family by participating in several "group" or "relay" type race events. - Bay to Breakers anyone? :)
Be an example of how anything in life is possible, from fitness to overcoming life's challenges, through positive habits and a positive mentality!
Complete a 1/2 and a full marathon. - Woohoo !
Complete an Ironman triathlon. - Double Woohoo !!
Between all of the above...maybe some traveling....yeah !
New blog
For this upcoming year, we've decided to spin off a portion of our blog to chronicle Marvin's yearlong quest as he pursues his dream of achieving Ironman glory! For more details on this exciting new chapter of the Team Marv.n.Jo storybook, please add this new link to your favorites!
We hope this greeting finds you in great health and spirits! It’s been another exceptional year for Team Marv.n.Jo. And as we prepare for the holidays and are filled with excitement on the possibilities the new year brings, we hope our blog has been instrumental in helping everyone stay in tune with us in 2008, as well as recognizing and celebrating the all-star cast who continues to make a difference in Marv.n.Jo’s lives!!
When 2007 was nearing to an end, we decided for 2008 that our wellness would be top priority and this meant realizing our dream to complete a triathlon! We agreed to do this together and to have fun along the way! And boy what an amazing life journey 2008 has been for us. Together we completed not just one, but multiple triathlons…that is 4 triathlons for 2008 (2 sprints and 2 olympics) and Team Marv.n.Jo was proudly coached primarily by Marvin! Marvin’s physical ability, mental toughness, competitive streak, and anything-is-possible mantra carried us through every race in 2008! Marvin eagerly and willingly took on the challenge of training us with unwavering fortitude as well as a smile every step of the way!
While training for these triathlons throughout the year, we also made time to connect with family and we also forged new friendships with some amazing people who are incredibly supportive and are all always ready for fun, food and laughter!
I want to thank God for blessing us with an incredible life experience every day and for blessing Marvin and I with a wonderful marriage and life together. Our life continues to bring us indescribable joy, spectacular life experiences, and inspiration to live life to the fullest!
Additionally we are grateful for our family and friends who continue to be a source of strength, inspiration, support, and encouragement to us. Your generosity with your time and talent throughout this past year are greatly appreciated!
We hope you enjoy our annual update, and we hope we get to see or hear from you in the near future. Please let us know how you're doing too! We would love to hear from you.
Wishing everyone a joyful holiday season and every happiness in the new year! =)
A Beautiful Day! There was just no other way to describe it!
Nov. 8th 2008, San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island. 1-Mile Swim, 25-Mile Bike, 6-Mile Run
This was the last race of the year, my "A" race that I trained extra hard for. It was such an awesome day, that I was wishing I could go right back to the beginning and play it back again, kind of like when you have a favorite movie that you watch over and over again, trying to memorize the lines.
The day went something like this...
3:30AM
Beep...beep...beep...I hit the alarm, finally annoyed at its constant nagging. I had already been awake at 3:00 anyway...just laying there preparing my mind for what was to come in the next few hours. "Good morning Jo!" I say, as I hop out of bed...a gentle reminder to her that breakfast is but 15 minutes away. I quickly get my compression top and sweatpants on as I prepare our breakfast in the microwave.
Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal, a slice of toast with honey peanut butter, and a cup of coffee...it is the breakfast of champions, which Jo and I eat almost religiously every morning. 250 calories...just the right amount to fuel me for the next 3 hours without overfilling the tank. Don't worry, that bottle of Crown is the "break in case of emergency" bottle. :)
Jo and I like to be prepared whenever possible, and for this day it would be no different. Everything was loaded into the car the night before. Some of my key equipment that I used for this day:
Felt F75 Racing Bike Ironman Instinct Full Body Wetsuit BlueSeventy Skull Cap Pearl Izumi Vagabond Shoes Speedo AirSeal XR Mirrored Goggles
4:45AM
Vroom! We are out the door! Fired up! Ready to go! Jo is such a trooper...to give me time for mental rest, she drove the Tundra. Rain was in the forecast, but thanks to The Man upstairs...we were given reprieve. We only had to deal with a light fog, which would eventually burn off just in time for the race. 35 minutes later, we arrive at our destination, Treasure Island.
5:30AM
Woo-Hoo! We're here, and none too soon. The parking for the event was about a 15 minute walk away through some sparsely lit streets. Thankfully, we brought along our trusty headlamps from REI. Not the coolest looking things, but boy they sure do leave your hands free to gather and setup all your equipment, and THAT is cool. ;) So we gathered everything into a wheeled cart and made our way out to check-in at race registration.
6:00AM
Check! As in...checked-in, official, locked-and-loaded, lllllets get ready to rumbllllllllllleeeee! Can you tell I'm excited? :) Got my eco-friendly "goodie" bag, which includes among other odds and ends:
White latex swim cap (color specific to 35-39 age group) RFID Timing Chip (Used to accurately capture my time on the course) Copy of Triathlete Magazine (WooHoo! This is $5 at the newsstand!) 15% Coupon for Sports Basement (Shopping anyone?)
At this point, Jo and I spent the next hour setting up all of my equipment in advance of the transition stages, getting my race # and age marked up, and then proceeded to the race start area.
7:00AM
Suited Up. The first wave is getting ready to start at 7:15. My own age group does not start until 7:45...so I take this opportunity to don my wetsuit and other essentials, and then ham it up with my mother-in-law Daisy, my cousin Tom, and of course my cheerleader, teammate, and incredible wife Jo !!!
I really enjoy this part of the race. It is the one opportunity that I have to calm my nerves, get rid of the butterflies, and really try to slow my heart rate down. The last thing you want before a race is to have an elevated heart rate. It can spell doom later in the race in the form of "dead" legs and energy-sapping fatigue. Good thing that I have world-class support to make sure I relax and have fun! ;)
7:30AM
Calm Before The Storm. This is the point at which I calmly entered the nice 58 degree water, and allowed myself to acclimate to it. While it does feel quite chilly, the wetsuit and skullcap eventually did their job of warming up the thin layer of water suspended in them which insulates my body from the teeth-chatter-inducing cold of the Bay water.
Click The Picture for VIDEO.
7:45AM
We're off! Chaotic does not begin to describe a wave start in triathlon. Often referred to as the "washing machine", picture yourself trying to swim as fast as you can while being splashed, kicked, and pulled in a writhing medusa of limbs...all the while attempting to swim in a straight line so as not to lengthen the overall distance that you must negotiate between the buoys.
Click The Picture for VIDEO.
I sprinted for a good 75 yards before calming myself down and getting into a rhythm. This is crucial, as I must manage my energy to swim the two 750 meter laps round the buoys. To give you an idea of how far that is, imagine swimming 16 times back and forth across a football field. Undaunted by this challenge, I found solace and energy in the tremendous outpouring of support from our family and friends that day.
As I rounded the buoy the first time, I looked up and saw them...Jo, Alex, Mom, Dad, Tom, Thomas, Venus, Dawn, Dave...and that was only half the crew, the others...Sandy, Jenny, Kristine, Paul, Nikki, Sydney, Karthik...were at the entrance to the transition are as I exited the swim! Thanks for the motivation everyone!
Click The Picture To See Some of My World-Class Supporters! ;)
Roughly 30 minutes later, I say goodbye to the chilly waters of Treasure Island, and make my way to the transition area, where my trusty race horse awaits me. Average swim speed: 2mins/100yds Click The Picture for VIDEO.
8:20AM
Hi-Ho Silver...Away! Hahaha....this is my favorite sport within the triathlon. It is the most exhilarating part of the race, both for it's challenge, but primarily for its speed.
Oh yeah, the danger factor also drives the rush of adrenaline that one experiences with the bike portion of the race. The feeling is so addicting, that I am almost embarrassed to admit that this year alone I've spent nearly 1,300 miles on my bike. Yes, I LOVE this part of the race!!!
Click The Picture to See More of My Favorite Part of The Race.
I was so ecstatic about having a World Class support crew. As much as they did to support me that day, it was such an awesome and uplifting experience to see them each time I came around on the bike. Normally in our past races, Jo and I would barely be seen for about 2 minutes and then we would disappear for an hour or so while we went out and did our bike thing. But at Treasure island, I had the pleasure of seeing my family and friends every 15 minutes as the bike route is a 6-lap loop around the island. And if you saw the kind of support I had that day...you can understand why I almost would wish every race was a looped circuit with many laps !!!
Click The Picture To See More of My World-Class Supporters! ;)
Thanks for the amazing support everyone! I TOTALLY LOVED THE AWESOME SIGNS !!! :)
1 hour and 20 minutes later...I pull into the transition area to throw on my Saucony Progrids for the final stages of this awesome race! Average bike speed: 19.89 mph
9:40AM
Run Forrest, Run! LOL...The home stretch...almost there. Having swam a mile and biked 25....I have but 6.2 miles to run and I'm home free! I quickly exit the transition area after dismounting from my bike. As a matter of fact, I was in such a rush that I nearly forgot to take my helmet off! hahahaha. I DID forget to remove my red compression top, but after my first lap I handed it off to my awesome support crew and was in my blue tri-top for the rest of the race.
Click The Picture to See Highlights of The Run.
Unlike at my previous olympic-distance triathlon in Folsom earlier this year, I felt much more of a spring in my step here at Treasure Island.
Could it have been the beautiful 70-degree air temperature that day? Or maybe I was in much better physical fitness than last time?
While both of these were certainly contributing factors, I truly believe that the biggest determinant was my mental fitness that day. Your mind can push you to truly great heights when you don't allow it to limit you.
And you know what was the biggest mental boost that day? The incredible love and support of my amazing wife, family and friends who came out to cheer me on. If they could only feel the energy they gave me with every ecstatic cheer they exclaimed when I came around, it can only be described as the ultimate high. Even Red Bull can't match the wings that you all gave me that day...THANKS EVERYONE !!! Avg Min/Mile: 8:50
Click The Picture To See The Complete Cast of My World-Class Supporters! ;)
Click The Picture To See The Finish Line Video Captured by Tom!
The next few hours after the race, we jammed on over to the Pyramid Alehouse Brewery and Restaurant, because there's nothing like bar food and a great microbrew to celebrate both a 36th birthday, and an amazing day at the races!
We also took a moment that weekend to recognize a couple of our top supporters for their unwavering support of our races. Mom and Dad have never missed a single Team Marv.n.Jo event, and have earned the title of #1 Fans!
And of course, we could not have had such a banner year in triathlon without our top teammates in tow. Thanks Venus and Dawn for being our #1 teammates. You two rock!
And finally, to cap off an already excellent birthday weekend, Jo's brothers graciously hosted us on my actual birthday for some great eats and equally great conversation. Thanks a bunch Sandy and Jenny for having us over for a little birthday dinner, and thank you Alex and Ida for the Lance Armstrong book...I'm halfway done with it!
Until our next post...the adventure continues... ;-)
P.S. A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who contributed images and videos to make this story possible:
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