Lots to cover

Lots to cover indeed we are now less than a month away from the Nation's Triathlon in Washington DC!!! Alot has changed over this season and there is still a good way to go, but for me this triathlon really is about the journey not the destination. Admitting weakness isn't easy for anyone (especially me) and doing what it takes to surpass that shortcoming is even more difficult.

This weekend I was out of town so I didn't get to put on a single piece of spandex, no spandex at a bachelor party crazy I know. So feeling guilty I set off for a pretty tough ride/run workout last night, pulled up to Texas Motor Speedway and left the radio on (ok blaring) as I situated my gear. Well a few minutes later a guy pulls up next to me and is getting ready for his ride, when he heard my music he stopped and did one of those full body turns in my direction. That's when i realized I was jamming out to KISS! the worst. I love 80s glam rock as much as the next guy but portraying my self as a die hard Kiss fan, so much so that I had to rock it out with the car doors open as I aired up my tires was well a little embarrassing. I would have felt better about it if I was jamming out to Katy Perry's Popsicle song, at least then he would KNOW I'm an idiot and not have to wonder.

It was a cool 87 degrees last night with a nice wind AKA the first time I haven't been about to pass out from just standing outside in about a month. I rode 15 miles on the bike then ran 5, some days I really like those long hard workouts by your self it forces you to think about stuff you normally just drown out with Kiss or Katy Perry music. For me last night it was mostly about how I have gotten to the point in my life I am currently at and how I could have never gotten here alone.

Here comes a cheesy analogy. When riding a bike wind can make a huge difference, when riding into a head wind or cross wind you really have to bear down and pedal like there is no tomorrow to maintain any momentum, and the whole time you're doing it all you can think is how the dang wind is slowing you down. Then you make a right turn and all of the sudden you feel like the strongest man alive! You jump into the hardest gear and crank those legs as hard as you can...all of the sudden you forgot about the wind (that is now at your back) and you have convinced yourself you're the next Lance Armstrong.

My point in this little cheesy antidote is it is very very easy to find something, someone, or anything else to blame when things are challenging and we always quick to jump to who or what SHOULD be helping us through this challenge. Then when things finally start going your way, its easy to have no one to thank but yourself. After all your pedaling. For me its been a long crazy journey to where I am right now, after an unsuccessful career choice I have jumped around trying to find the next great job for me. It has been the most challenging thing I have ever gone through, and alot of times I think of it as just that. Something challenging I am going through and how fortunate I feel that I am starting to make some nice headway. Well that could not be more far from the truth, I am very blessed to have a supportive family, that has always pushed me to pursue my dreams and be the best I can. I want to thank my mother, my father, my brothers and my sister in law for everything they have done for me I don't know where I would be without yall. Probably living in a van down my by the river! I also have some of the greatest friends anyone could ask for and its easy to take that for-granted, I appreciate the people in my life and the impact you all have made on me is unmeasurable.

A friend of mine asked me yesterday "why I got into all these crazy sports" I told her to prove to myself I can. But, the more I think about it that's not the right answer. The real answer is I got into this stuff to prove that with the right support, even the most daunting challenges can look like a "swim in the park". We all have alot of potential and today its high time I thank those that have helped me create this potential.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma helps those that are taking on a challenge much greater than anything I could imagine, and its not a challenge they signed up for. LLS provides that support they so desperately need; from counseling family members and patients on what to expect during the treatment process, to financial support for cancer victims that are rocked by the sheer cost of trying to stay alive, to supporting the medical field that fights as hard as they can everyday to make the lives of others a little better. Your donation to LLS makes a world of difference, every single dollar counts so take a second and make your donation.

My Fundraising Page

I also will be co-hosting a wine tasting (ok drinking) party on Saturday August 28th at 8pm. All the proceeds will go to our LLS fundraising efforts. The cost for you to join me is $10 to El Wine Chateau to cover his costs AND a minimum of $10 donated to LLS. If you are interested let me know ASAP, seating is limited and the deadline to sign up is this Saturday.

Why we really do this...

So today is the day I make my final commitment to raising the rest of my fundraising goal and make my final push to actually completing this triathlon. I wanted to take a few minutes to share why what we do with Team-in-Training really matters. Above is a video ESPN ran a few weeks back about Garrett Karp a High School senior who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. What is the most impressive to me (besides his 3 pointer) is his unbelievably positive attitude, we could all learn a lot from that. For me it seems like everyday I run across some challenge that makes me just want to give up, Garrett shows us that for some challenges giving up simply can not be an option. Near the end of this video his friend sums it all up with this:

"If he can do this, what can I do?"

The money we raise for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society goes directly to help fight the disease Garrett has. Please take this opportunity to support this amazing cause however you see fit.

My Fundraising Page:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/ntx/nattri10/russellt484

-Russell

Ya but it looks good on you....

So a couple of my friends got a boat a few weeks ago, which by the way is a great idea, not buying a boat but being friends with more people that own boats. Anyway we went out this weekend after my Saturday tri practice (more on that later) and what happened within five minutes of getting this beast in the water? me frantically greasing up with spf 50 sunscreen? Ya but that's not it. I dive in the lake and lose my sunshades! I've been around the lake my whole life and have worn glasses even longer but there is something about sunglasses that just begs you to break them, lose them, scratch them or otherwise render them useless in a timely manor. I always try and keep a spare pair of shades on stand by. So for now its back to the aviators I'm pretty sure I stole from Courtney a couple years ago, but more than likely I'm going to be back in the sunglasses market soon....which is a very interesting one.

Why is it sunglasses can be so defining of an individual? There are a million different variations of the simple invention intended to shield your eyes from the bright sun. I can tell you if I'm going to not like a person within 3 seconds of seeing their shades. Hey, "huge white frame, blue lens shades worn upside down on the back of your head while inside guy"! you look like an idiot. (I'm looking at you host of Dinners, Dives, and Drive-Ins) In today's culture we don't make fun of these people enough, we've gone soft. People tell them they look cool, or even worse they tell them it looks good on them. (which almost always means I think you look like a D-Bag) At this rate the overly tanned affliction t-shirt guys and bleached blonde girls in heels that are to tall are going to take over....oh wait.

I will probably get some new sunglasses off steepandcheap.com (awesome site) but I might buy something ridiculous and you know what people will then say to me? I couldn't pull it off but it looks good on you. I will become delusional and tell myself that's really what they think but we all know it isn't true. One of our friends on the boat wears uni-lens girl sunglasses and that's what we told him. Is that really what we think or has the spiral of lies gotten so out of control that we don't even know anymore??

Sunglasses were not the only thing in jeopardy during my nearly perfect dive-splash-kick thing I also had on a yellow bandanna, luckily for that 3x3 piece of fabric it remained intact. I have worn bandannas pretty much since freshman year of college, you are just as likely to see me in a bandanna as you are a baseball hat. However, since we are on the subject, do you know what people have told me the last 7 years? I couldn't pull it off but it looks good on you! ---uh oh!

Training:

I swam with the team for the first time on Saturday and I'm pretty sure the coaches thought I was a hopeless swimmer but they stuck with me and I'm getting better. Tonight I went for a swim at the Y and there was only one open swim lane; a 16 year old kid that probably swam 5 miles non-stop the entire time I was there, a chubby little Asian kid, and me. After about 10 minutes I had the Asian kid on my side as we plotted the demise of the successful swimmer, lets call him Steve. Didn't take long before me and my Asian buddy were both flopping around on opposite sides of the pool trying to stay a float, I don't think Steve much appreciated our futile attempts to keep pace with him, but what's he gonna do about it? That's what I thought, Steve.

Fundraising:

Thank you Chip Seale for making your second contribution to LLS, next will have him training for a marathon!

Did you know a mile is 35 laps in a pool (70 lengths)? That's basically how far I have to swim just to start this triathlon in September! "Join TNT, raise $3,500 dollars towards the research and treatment of Leukemia & Lymphoma, Go to DC for a triathlon and drown before you ever get on the freakin' bike." I might make that into a T-shirt!

In all seriousness this is a big week for my fundraising, I have three months until the event and my goal is to have $1,000 raised by the end of the week (I'm just under $600 right now) so please read this silly blog, laugh at my ridiculous stories but then take the extra 3 minutes of your day to visit my fundraising site and see what this is all really about. Every donation is appreciated, by me and more importantly by those that the money goes directly to help.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/ntx/nattri10/russellt484

-Russell

San Diego Marathon & Unathletic Swimming

San Diego Marathon - Complete!

Well it wasn't pretty but its over! On June 6th I finished my second marathon - and more importantly I got to experience the thrill of "running" 10 miles with every muscle cramping from the waist down!

A couple of notes about the race:

• I broke my current half PR (1:55)
• Stayed on pace to run a sub 4 all the way till mile 16!
• Fastest mile split 8:12 (mile 5)
• Slowest mile split 18:56 (mile 21) - Wheels had completely fallen off at this point - had to stop at the medi tent
• At mile 23 some So-Cal girl was handing out those old school Popsicles that come in the plastic tube - I have never tasted anything so good in my life!
• Words of encouragement from fellow TNTer when she sees me an hour later than expected at mile 25.5 "well your almost done" haha

Team in Training had over 4,000 participants from across the country compete in this marathon, all total they raised over 12 million dollars for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! How awesome is that? Proof that every single person has the opportunity to push themselves to a whole new level and make a difference in the lives of others, every single day. So get involved in stuff, turn off the bachelorette and do something you never thought you could. For me right now its learn to breath and swim...not at the same time.

join me in our fight against blood cancers. Visit my fundraising site now to donate
http://pages.teamintraining.org/ntx/nattri10/russellt484

A Special Thanks to:
Kathy Turman - See ya in DC!
Grant & Leanne Knight - We cant all run like the knight family so cut us some slack
David Turman
Kenneth & Pat Turman
Granny
Papa
Fletcher & Linda
Robert Wilson with Screens Plus Inc

Thank you all for your support!

GO TEAM!!

Things College Teaches You

HOW TO PROCRASTINATE

I am flying out tomorrow morning at 8am bound for San Diego for my 26th birthday and 2nd marathon. the current time: 12:05am. the amount of items packed: zero. my stress level because of this: minimal.

Why?

Because College taught me its OK to procrastinate! College taught me its OK to print off that homework assignment you didn't do 10 minutes before class. There will be ten people you know in the computer lab coping each others answers, hell its only a completion grade anyway. (GET YOUR GRADES UP!) College taught me not to worry now, the library is open 24 hours a day for finals. College taught me to only look in my backpack on Sunday nights after Family Guy, Deadliest Catch, and Flavor Flave were over.

Procrastination isn't a bad habit, its a highly developed skill. It helps you react quickly under pressure and teaches you to be confident in your decision making. I'm proud of the level of productivity my procrastination produces. It just doesn't last very long

A big thanks to David Hene for making a $50 dollar donation to my LLS fundraiser! I am very excited about my Marathon on Sunday which marks the end of one Team in Training season and the beginning of another! My Summer marathon team raised well over $40,000 for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society! Now won't you take a few minutes to join my in my mission to finish a triathlon and and make a difference in peoples lives effected by blood cancers?

Fundraising Site:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/ntx/nattri10/russellt484

Russell

PS thanks for the birthday wishes!

Wait! What? I thought a Triathlon was a drinking game

I've never really been the kind of guy to just sit around and do nothing (unless I just ate my weight at Double Dave's) and luckily for me about a year ago I figured out if you wear shorts that are entirely to short and pin a number to your shirt you can run down the middle of the street sweating and panting like a crazy person and not only do people accept you, they come out in droves to cheer for you. They even bring you free stuff! water, Gatorade, gummy bears, and even t-shirts, medals, and beer once you decide to stop running. The greatest part about it is people sincerely feel your pain and cheer with all their heart as if this great suffering we are in the middle of isn't self inflicted and altogether avoidable! HA jokes on them! no one is chasing me (accept slower runners) and there is nothing preventing me from just stopping once I get tired.

I have no philosophical reason on why I run. trying to figure out why I run is not even top 10 on my "What the hell did you do that for" list....but that's a story for another day.

We only get one shot at this life thing and I don't know about you but I plan on making as big of an impact as I possibly can. I have had the privilege of training with two incredible marathon teams with Team in Training and have now joined my first triathlon team. What inspires me even more than my fellow crazy teammates are the survivors of Leukemia & Lymphoma I interact with on a weekly basis. We could all learn a lot from their never fading positive attitudes, passion for life, and unbelievable desire to help others.

After all isn't that what it's all about?

Please take a minute and visit my fundraising site and be a part of the $3,500 I will be raising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society this season: http://pages.teamintraining.org/ntx/nattri10/russellt484

and a huge thanks to Chase Brecheen for making the first donation to my second annual fundraiser. Please save this blog, I will be updating it as often as I can. I will also be sending out periodic emails to keep you updated on my swimming err sinking progress as well as OUR fundraising efforts...

Disclaimer: if you do not wish to receive these emails in the future tough $*it

-RT