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