Fall Fun

Hello Readers!

It is the first week of November now. I am hoping everybody is doing well. It once again has been a while since I posted but want to let everyone know that training is going well. I am right on schedule for Little Rock. I actually ate lunch this week with my great friend who will be running with me Jen and we are both excited for March 4th. Recently I have been providing updates of what I have been doing, but I find this to be slightly boring for my readers. I always tell people to live life hard but I rarely let anybody into my own personal life. I let everyone know about my training but this week I will let people know I am actually a real person and do enjoy my life and live it as hard as I preach.

First I just wanted to mention that this is the busiest season for half marathons and other races. About three weeks ago was the KC Half Marathon and Marathon. This was a rare occasion when I didn't participate in a race I actually went out and watched runners. That day reminded me just why I love running so much. Runners support each other. I ended up seeing about 20 people i knew on the course and really enjoyed seeing each of them reach their own personal goals. Congrats to everyone!

As I mentioned earlier, I do love living life to its fullest. I always speak of my training and believe me this is important but I think it is truly important to let people know I also love living and there is so much more to my life than just working out. The past few months have been difficult on me from work perspective, but this has not let me stop living. I wanted to mention that I passed my AAP Exam which is an important and difficult certification. My friends have kept me busy, we have had Halloween parties, we went to see my favorite teams play such as the Monday night Chiefs game agains the Chargers, the Sporting KC Eastern Conference playoff game against the Houston Dynamo, and my trip to Phoenix for the Mizzou/ASU game. Thanks to my brother and all my friends for taking my mind off of daily stresses and reminding me of why I put in all my hard work.

A couple weeks back I mentioned that one of the reasons I am doing a spring marathon is that I want to make sure I hold myself accountable during the holiday season. I wanted to remind everyone that daylight savings time rolled back yesterday. This makes for a difficult time of year as the days are shorter and many of us are saddened by this. I am also this way, but this means it is time for us to increase our activity. It is very easy to slack off as it is dark so much of the time, do not let this happen! Listen to my advice here, switch up your routine but find something to keep you active as you will be tempted during this season to eat more, drink more and be inactive due to the weather. Live life hard and make the most of every day.

LIfe is short, live it hard!

Ryan

Week One Marathon Training in the Books

Hello Readers!

As promised I wanted to get out here and post a little more timely this time. I can tell everyone that week one of marathon training is officially in the books and it was a hard week! I pushed myself very well. I did my standard Monday - Friday workouts, but then on Saturday I decided to really push myself. I started the day with an awesome 35 mile bike ride called Tour de BBQ. This was an awesome event that benefitted the Lance Armstrong Foundation. I rode with some of my great friends from the "Y" Larry, Chip and Joel. We toured all of Kansas City and got to stop and taste BBQ at five different delicious joints. I found a few places I had never been, but will go back even though they aren't legendary in this BBQ town. At the conclusion of riding, I met my good friend Rachael for a 7 mile run. I hadn't done 7 miles at one time in quite a while and my legs were already exhausted from the ride, but she didn't allow me to use that as an excuse and when I stopped to rest she lit into me making sure I finished strong. Time wise I was very happy as I completed the run in 63 minutes which kept me on a strong pace considering.

Many people have come up to me and asked since I have already completed one marathon, why on God's green earth are you doing another? I thought I would dive into that subject a bit this week. For me there are a few simple reasons: first, the holiday season is coming up. With the holiday season comes two fo my favorite things to do in life eat and drink! By knowing that every Saturday or Sunday for the next 5 months I am accountable to run no less than 8 miles this will allow me to enjoy the finer points of the holidays eating and drinking and not feel as guilty. Secondly, I saw a phrase that I feel summarizes everything with the marathon. "The Pain is only temporary, the Pride is forever". I was looking at my picture from San Antonio and it just brings so much pride to me. I want to recapture that moment and the feeling I felt at that moment. Lastly, most people know that my true goal is still to complete the 70.3 half ironman next year. If I am in the shape to run a marathon, then continuing my training and being in shape for the 70.3 should be very attainable.

I mentioned in my last post that I don't much enjoy failure, and by not being ready to do the 70.3 this year I felt I failed myself and everyone else who expected that of me. Needless to say I will not let this happen next year! It is important that we all keep are expectations high, and always strive for excellence. Week two of training will see me continue the same work. Hopefully everyone has a great week of training!

Life is Short, Live it Hard!!
Ryan

Expectations and Good Times Ahead

Hello Readers!

It has been far too long since I have posted. I apologize to you readers for that. I am going to philosophize just a bit here. People who know me know I put extremely high expectations on myself. Sometimes my expectations get the better of me, whether on the tennis court where I feel I should never lose and can be seen giving myself stern pep talks, or in running where I feel I should run a faster race every time. The fact is there will be times when we can't meet are expectations. I have learned that in reality not meeting expectations is not a failure. It is actually something that can be used as a tool to push ourselves to new limits.

My summer ended as crazy as it began. I have been extremely busy getting myself back in good shape. I think after I ran my two triathlons I let my fitness slip a bit. There was a bit of time there where my motivation lacked, the good news is this has passed. I feel that in that period I forgot what my own slogan on life is and that is "Life is short, live it hard". This is a slogan I refuse to forget in the near future.

The funny thing is I was reminded of the slogan when teaching in Girls on the Run. It is absolutely amazing the amount of energy and zest for life these 3-5 graders have. This is only the third time I have worked with my group but they come to class every Wednesday ready to go. They are always eager to learn the lesson for the day and they really want to hit the track. In a class where I am supposed to teach them about life, they remind me every time no matter how tough times are that in reality life is good!

I am ready to attack this fall season and winter with new zest. In the past couple weeks I have been back to my crazy two a day workouts. I have been running 3.5 miles every day at lunch then I mix in boot camp Mondays, 2000 Yard Swimming Wednesdays, Volleyball Thursdays, 2000 Yard Friday's, 25-35 mile ride Saturdays and Les Mills body pump class, and finally 2000 Yard Sundays. This mad training will all lead to the ultimate prize, I will be running my second marathon in March of 2012. The plan right now is to run Little Rock, this is something Jen, Jeremy and I have been talking about for a while and I look forward to completing this challenge with my friends!

I will talk to everyone soon, I hope everyone continues to be motivated and most importantly make sure they live life hard, it is short!

Ryan

Long Hot Busy Summer!

Hello Readers!

I am sure most of you probably think that I have forgotten about my blog, but no I haven't I just have been extremely busy. Sometimes summer is the most difficult time to keep up on your exercise as it is so hot and humid outside. I want everyone to know I have not slipped up, I have been extremely busy with several events. I will say this may disappoint many of you but my training schedule didn't allow me the time to prepare for the 70.3 in Branson. I do still intend to run the sprint triathlon there that weekend but training for a 70.3 is almost like a second job. No worries it is still a long term goal of mine to complete and you will see future posts on my quest.

When I say I have been extremely busy this summer I mean it!! I have completed many great achievements for me the first and foremost being the Shawnee Mission Triathlon. I did the long course which was 1000 meter swim, 18 mile bike and 4.5 mile run on a day in KC which reached over 100 degrees. This event was extremely special for me as my mother was able to attend. This was the first distance event she has had the opportunity to watch and it meant the world having her there. My great friends Jen and Jeremy competed and were also there to cheer me on to my finish. Thanks also go to Marquita my boss who came out to support on a brutally hot day. I have also completed two other tri's this summer, one in Leavanworth and one in Cameron.

Triathlons are not the only thing which have kept me busy this summer, thanks to my "Y" friends I have gotten into biking. I competed in my first road race by doing a 32 mile ride around the city with my great friends. The "Y" folks also really helped me to push my boundaries with a 2 mile lake swim on the 4th of July. This was a great challenge and I was happy to accomplish this feat. With summer in full swing I have had to be much more creative in training as running has been near impossible due to the brutal heat but have no fear I will be back at it in full effect soon as I plan to do the Cerner 15K and be ready to pound a half marathon in a matter of two months.

This past weekend I aged another year, but I have not let that effect how I go about my life. This has just inspired me to continue to push my boundaries. This last weekend was pretty special for me though as I was able to celebrate doing the things that make me happiest with the people who make me happiest my great family and friends. Thanks to Jay for making it down from Iowa for a great round of golf, Ocean's of fun and then Dinner. Saturday the celebration continued as I competed in the Warrior Dash which is a 5K obstacle course. Lets just say this was totally crazy!! Then was the annual Dive 2 Survive Charity VB tournament which my team may not have won, but I can promise we had as much fun as any team!

As summer is near ending, I want to say to everyone reading continue having fun, exercise smart in this brutal heat. Most of all remember my slogan Life is Short, Live it Hard!!

Ryan

Very Busy Spring!!

Hello Readers!

It has been a very busy spring for me which has kept me from getting my updates out here more frequently. I figure I will try to keep you up to date with my latest happening and what has been keeping me so busy.

First thing was my first triathlon of the season in Ft. Leavenworth. This was a great experience for me. I ran the event with my good friends from the "Y" Chip and Joel. Both of them have provided me with great inspiration in targeting and hitting goals. The results of the race were extremely positive. I completed the course in a time of 1 hr and 23 minutes. The swim was a little bit short for my liking but fun nonetheless. The bike on the other hand was the most difficult 14 mile bike of my life. The hills on the base are absolutely insane. This all led to what is normally my strength which is the run. Lets just say I was so tired from the bike that my run was pretty weak. I won't complain as this is only the second time my 5K time has been recorded under 30 minutes but I was slow compared to normal.

With getting into Triathlons I have suddenly gotten very into biking. This is still by far the weakest part of my triathlon but it has been keeping me very busy as every weekend I ride around 25 miles with my friends from the Y. They have also gotten me into some mountain biking let me just say this is crazy and extremely difficult as well. I was told by Larry that 10 miles of mountain biking is equivalent to 20 miles of road riding and I believe this!! I challenge everyone reading this to get out and give either kind of biking a try the results are so positive and will help break up some of the monotiny of running.

Something else which has been keeping me extremely busy is my girls on the run coaching and other charitable work. This culminates this weekend with the 5K run. This experience has been as rewarding as I had hoped it would be. I work with 7th and 8th graders from Antioch Middle School in Johnson County. These girls have taught me a good deal about how to remain positive and truly appreciate life and all it has to offer. I hope that I have been able to be as good a role model to these young ladies as they have been for me. I am anxious to tear up the course with them on Saturday and see the excitement for many of them in completing their first 5K.

My Relay for Life team has had a few events and we have done a great job in raising money for the fight against cancer. We hosted a casino night the evening before Easter which raised over $1000. We will be having the annual walk on the first full weekend in June. My team's fundraising culminates with the annual Dive to Survive Volleyball tournament on July 30th. I am very excited as this is always a highlight of my summer.

As you can see time has been flying but I will do a better job of keeping people informed of all my progress. Next weekend I am finally taking a little time to catch my breath with a full weekend of R&R in Florida hanging out with Josh, Dev and my brother. Can't wait for the fun boys!!

Life is Short Live it Hard!!
Ryan

Achieving Goals, let the fun begin!

Hello Readers,

It has been a while since I have posted readers. I wanted to touch on one of the goals I had mentioned in my beginning of the year blog. I mentioned that my running has been getting better and better, well I achieved a great milestone goal that I had set early in the year. A personal goal of mine for this year was to break 2 hours on a half marathon. Last weekend with my girlfriend Joy, a great deal of my closest friends and my family out supporting me at Kansas City's Rock the Parkway Half Marathon I was able to achieve this goal. I crossed the finish line that glorious Saturday with a time of 1:57:51. This was a new personal best for me by over 8 minutes, which may not sound like much but in running time is an eternity. This averaged out to under 9 minute miles. If you consider even a year ago at this time I was averaging about 10:30 miles for my half marathon times this shows that hard work really does pay off. Every person has the ability to reach goals and limits that they may never have thought were possible.

Last week I worked out but for me took a week off to refresh my legs and get prepared for what will be the most difficult but most rewarding journey of my life. Yesterday began the official training for the 70.3 in September. My friends at the "Y" got me started with a nice long bike ride. This is by far the weakest part of my triathlon is the biking. Every Saturday or Sunday from now on I will be completing at least a 25 mile bike ride building to where I will be able to knock out over 50 miles rides easily. I will also begin biking to and from work when the weather permits. As readers I need all of your assistance making sure I stick with my training and help push me through any walls and road blocks I come across during the training.

In my title I mentioned let the fun begin, in the next coming weeks I will be posting about my Relay for Life team the NiteCrawlers. We will be hosting several events as a way to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Last year I was lucky enough to get to experience what Relay for Life is and have vowed to make this a part of my life every year. Cancer is a disease that has affected and will affect each of us in some capacity in our lifetimes. I will be sending an email out to many and placing a link on this blog in the upcoming weeks asking for donations. I know this has been a very tough economic year, but ask that if you can spare any sort of donation it is greatly appreciated by myself, my team and the American Cancer Society. I want to mention the first event we are hosting, it is Saturday before Easter we will be having a casino night at the Agriculture Hall of Fame in Bonner Springs. I will be working the Roulette table it will be a blast and if you have any free time that night I wanted to invite anyone and everyone out.

Happy Exercising this week, remember life is short live it hard!

Ryan

Helping a Good Friend

Hello Readers!

This week I wanted to focus in on charity. Many who read this know how important charity is to me and how much I like to be involved. My great friend Jen is need of some assistance from anyone willing to help. She is running the Boston Marathon in six weeks. She has been raising money for an incredible cause for the race. The cause is the Childrens Hospital of Boston. The race has provided a way for her to get donations that is extremely simple. I am putting the inforamation below but assistance from anyone is greatly appreciated. As a member of the running community I have seen how everyone is willing to bond together and assist people. This is a simple way to assist and help some great children. All donations mean so much and help a great cause.

Official Instructions:
As the official team sponsor of The Miles for Miracles Team, AT&T is offering a wonderful texting donation option! Supporter can text in $10 donations using their mobile phones by texting the word 4HOPE and then Jen's runner ID (RJ0153) to 20222 $10 will be billed to your phone bill and her fundraising account will be credited.

For those of you who are golfers, Jen also has another opportunity for you. She is putting on a charity golf tournament the second weekend in April. This tournament will be played at night at Minor Park which makes me happier because my game can't be any worse than it already is. Anyone interested in joining my team for this tournament contact me. If you are interested in creating your own foursome or just playing they are accepting solo players as well and will place you in a foursome. Contact me and I will forward your information to the proper people to get you registered.

In other updates concerning charity, I am super excited as this week begins my journey as an assistant coach. I found out the school I will be working with is Belinder Elementary School. I have taken a class and am ready to begin this journey. I must say I am a bit nervous as it very easy to give advice on a blog but actually having 15 girls between 3rd and 5th grade listening to my advice is slightly intimidating, but I know they are just as excited to learn as I am to teach!

This week I officially signed up again for Relay for Life with my team the Nightcrawlers. You will see me post information about some fun fundraising events we will be promoting like our annual sand volleyball tournament in the upcoming weeks stay tuned!!

Happy Exercising this week, remember Life is Short, Live it Hard!
Ryan