Humility.....

If there's one thing that I've learned so far in the early stages of triathlon/marathon training, it's HUMILITY! And this is especially true with cycling! Cycling, for me, has been a real eye opener in exposing my poor cardiovascular fitness. Of course, I knew how terribly out of shape I was before I started training. I am reminded how difficult preparation for these events is going to be every time I sit on the bike. I guess I am going to pay for all those years of living an unhealthy lifestyle. I look forward to feeling better and better during these workouts as time goes by.

Swimming has gotten a lot more fun recently. I think it has more to do with confidence in the water than anything else. I have had a few rough swims; but, for the most part, everything has been OK and I am slowly but surely building endurance in the water.

Running is really not something that I ever see myself excelling at, although I am certain that at some point in the near future I will begin to enjoy it again. Starting over building a running base is not a fun task! My Sunday run this last weekend was probably about as miserable as a run can be. It was 96 degrees outside when I got out of my truck at 3:30 in the afternoon right before I went out! Definitely not ideal running conditions. I also battle my heart rate constantly and have considered putting the heart rate monitor away for a couple of months. I constantly struggle to keep my heart rate below 170-180 bpm. There seems to be no "in-between" for me. Either I am taking a brisk walk with a heart rate in the 115-120 range or a slow run with a heart rate > 170- and when I say slow, I mean Sl-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-w!!!! In fact, I think I am that guy that we've all made fun of at some point in our lives that we see running and have trouble deciding whether we can actually call what they are doing running. Amanda will attest to the fact that I am probably the slowest runner she has ever seen.

My weekly training schedule looks like this (if you were wondering):

• Monday- short swim and short bike ride
• Tuesday- rest day
• Wednesday- long swim
• Thursday- short run
• Friday- long bike ride
• Saturday- rest day
• Sunday- long run

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Deb Benson, one of the co-founders of Grateful American Coin, had donated to my fundraising efforts for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF). Deb and her husband have created a nonprofit which sells "thank you" coins to give to service members. The proceeds from the sale of these coins go to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation or Paws for Patriots. The buyer of the coins chooses which of these charities their purchase benefits. I bought a couple of the coins and got a great email from Deb. I responded and let Deb know that if she knew of anyone interested in donating to SOWF through my marathon fundraising campaign to pass the message on. The next day, I was surprised and excited to find that she had given a very generous donation. I encourage everyone to check out Grateful American Coins and consider giving them to family and friends who are service members. They deserve our thanks and gratitude and what better way to thank them than with a token that they can keep forever that reminds them how much you appreciate what they have done for us.

On the great news front, I was excited to find out today that Cain has gone home from the hospital. I know that Brad and Catherine have got to be beside themselves that they finally get to get their family back home. I know that they've had a stressful last couple of weeks and the trip home must have been awesome!

Also, if you are interested in donating to one of the two great charities I will be running the marathon for in January, please click on one (or both) of the Firstgiving boxes on the right side of the page. Also, you can click on one of the following links.

Children's Heart Foundation

Special Operations Warrior Foundation

Thanks so much to all of the following people who have already donated!!