Scott's Journey

Coaching & Hiring My Coach

2012-02-19T13:37:00.002-08:00

I think sometimes in life we all search for our calling or place in this world. Some people are fortunate to know exactly what they want to do and end up really enjoying their chosen career. The reality is many people search their whole life trying to find something that fuels their soul.

Ever since I started giving swim lessons at 13 yrs old I've always really enjoyed teaching and coaching. Over the last 15 yrs. I've had several different jobs teaching and working in Public Health, however I've come the realization that ultimately coaching is what fuels my soul. I feel blessed I was given the gift to share my passion and expertise with others. I can't express how much I enjoy inspiring and helping athletes of all ages and ability levels to reach their goals.

As the 2012 triathlon season kicks off and Team Blaze Spokane Triathlon Club now has over 200 members it's great feeling to know that my wife Tristin and I started the club in 2004 with the idea of providing an opportunity for people that share our passion for endurance sports. We're so fortunate to be surrounding by so many positive people, great sponsors and members that truly support each other.

Again this year I'm coaching 10 athletes for IM CDA, 20+ athletes for Boise 70.3, Boston Marathon and several other races. I truly enjoy being able to share my knowledge, expertise and passion with others. Ultimately I hope to one day coach full time as it's something that fuel my soul and helps give my life direction as I can help people change their lives.

So, why would I hire a coach? I've had a few people ask me this question recently. I obviously realize I don't know everything and most professional athletes have coaches as left to their own judgement they get injured.

Motivation has never been an issues for me and I've always stretched my talents in any sport through consistent hard work. I came to the realization that after 10 yrs in triathlon/running that after I went through heart surgery last year I wanted to hire a coach. I hadn't been coached since I swam in college in 1995 as I thought I could do it all on my own. I reached out to friends over the years for guidance, however I've basically coached myself and set all my own schedules reaching many of my goals with solid results until 2009. At this time I started to notice my cycling was really not improving any more and unfortunately the injury bug struck me several times. So, I figured if I was going to train and try to do my best I would look into hiring a coach.

It was difficult decision to accept and trust the feedback from someone else. I looked into several options and decided to ultimately hire someone I knew that has been an excellent example of working hard to achieve his goals. My coach Aleck Alleckson with Summit PC in 5 years has gone from +80 lbs overweight to multiple Hawaii IM qualifier (9:26!), which is impressive, although it was the fact he's a father and works a full time job too that is really impressive.

It's easy to be drawn to hiring a fast triathlete to coach you, however hiring someone that understands how to balance family, work and training is key. Consistent communication and access to your coach for more than just workouts is critical to effective coaching. If in doubt ask questions about the details of the coaching.

My initial observations have been positive as I started the training with a calf injury and I know left to my own judgement I would probably still have a calf injury. He's provided me with great feedback to be able to get me healthy again and now I'm back to running pain free! I've also realized I wasn't biking nearly enough and my biking intensity was seriously lacking. I've spent the last 2 months doing more quality riding and volume than I would ever do on my own which I feel has also helped my running.

I now more clearly understand the feeling of looking forward to the workouts for the week and accountability associated with having a coach. It's great to have someone to discuss both the highs and lows of training/racing that really understands what it's like to juggle everything to make it happen. I'm looking forward to the season ahead as Boise 70.3 is 16 weeks away!

If you're looking for a reasonably priced coach that truly understands how to balance family, work and training I encourage you to send me an email (coachscottroy@gmail.com) and check out my coaching web page for fee structure/testimonials from athletes I've coached.

http://www.teamblazespokane.com/scotts_site/index.html

Healthy training,

Coach Scott

Training & Life Balance

2012-01-06T12:15:00.000-08:00

New Year's Run

I'm often asked how I balance family, work, coaching, and training. It's a lot to juggle, yet worth it to me. It makes the journey more rewarding when you share it with others. It's a cool feeling to have my 6 yr old son ask, "how was your workout dad?" I enjoy involving Reece in the process by taking him swimming or riding bikes.

As we wake up each day we have thousands of decisions to make that impact our lives. Some of these decisions are simple, "what to eat for breakfast?" and others more complicated regarding, "how to balance my day?"

If you have a family, get kids ready for school, prepare for work, etc., I've found you have to be VERY organized with your time. As I stated in my previous blog post you have 168 hrs in a week and 24 hrs in a day, so how will you manage it? I've struggled with developing an effective schedule to try to not impact family time since we had Reece in 2005. For me it's about finding a schedule that works for me and my family. The saying, "if mama ain't happy nobody is happy" holds true. I'm fortunate to have a spouse that has done IM and run marathons, so she understands the time commitment and supports me. This still doesn't help with the guilt I felt in 2008 while training for IM Canada.

Polar Bear Plunge 2012

Let's face it, training for an Ironman or 70.3 can be a selfish venture. It's a huge undertaking and requires more communication within the family than ever before. I recommend althetes share their training schedule with their spouse in order to maintain the balance at home.

I've completed 4 Ironman triathlons since 2004 and coached 250+ athletes to Ironman/70.3 finishes since 2005.  This personal experience has taught me many lesson about managing time and ultimately helping others learn to find time they didn't know they had to reach their goals!

Five key tips include:

1) Maintain Life Balance

Making time to spend with your family will make the experience mean more to you. Prioritize your family time, work and training. Remember the things that really matter in the overall scheme of life. You are never want to look back one day in the future and say, "I wish I would have gone to my son's game." If you have kids remember they are only young once. Training for an Ironman/70.3 triathlon takes a lot of time away from the family and friends, however if you set a realistic schedule you can maintain life balance.   It's important to remember to do the best you can with the time that you have available to train.

2) Being Realistic

When I trained for my first Ironman triathlon I had already complete 75+ races including 3 half ironmans and run 4 marathons. I swam in college, so I knew that I could do it, although honestly looking back I was training out of fear of the unknown. I knew a regular marathon was really hard, yet I'd never biked more than 70 miles.  Fortunately I was able to figure out how many hours per week I needed to devote to training. You have to take into account your family commitment, work and other time commitments. I recommend setting your triathlon training program around the hours that minimally impact your family schedule.  Trying to train more than fifteen to eighteen hours and work full time isn't realistic unless you're super structured with your time.

Try training in the morning when everyone is sleeping, use your lunch break to squeeze a run or swim and train early on the weekends. In worst case, ride your bike trainer at night after the kids go to bed.

3) Specific Training

I realize everyone has limited time, so the key is to plan out your workouts and communicate the schedule with your spouse. Use a family calander to set a master schedule as this will help keep the peace at home and allow you to avoid stress.

Be specific with workouts, use a plan and stick to the plan. Don't train out of fear or feel you need to do want everyone else is doing to reach your goals. Training with purpose is far more important than just putting in the miles. For example, many people training for IM think they have to do a certain number of 100 mile rides or run so many 20+ mile runs. Remember you're not a pro and you want to enjoy the journey!

4) Consistency

Staying consistent is the key to reaching your life & triathlon goals. I've found most people that sign up for longer triathlons are motivated individuals, however sustaining this motivation is key to achieving our goals. I feel how consistent you are is directly related to how organized you are with your time.

5) Enjoy the Journey

I've found over the years that having fun and surrounding myself with positive people is key. I encourage peopel to train with others by joining a triathlon club like Team Blaze Spokane www.teamblazespokane.com or Ironheart Racing Team www.ironheartgroup.com. By adding a social element to the training you'll have more fun, learn a lot and be inspired by those around you.

I can honestly say that I enjoy the training with friends as much as I do the races. I feel enjoying the journey is about life experiences, developing positive relationships with others and helping to inspire others to reach their goals. At the end of my journey I know I'll remember the special life experiences and friendships that developed along the way more than the results.

June 9th

My training for Boise 70.3 started on Monday! I'm really looking forward to having a coach (other than myself) for the first since swimming in college. I know I'll be focusing more on biking than I have in past and look forward to seeing where training takes me in 2012!

All the best in the 2012 triathlon season! I encourage you to follow these 5 steps to maintaining balance and reaching your goals! I look forward to family time, coaching, training, racing and enjoying my journey in 2012!

Thanks for reading!

Turn Dreams into Reality in 2012

2011-12-31T15:13:00.000-08:00

Beautiful sunrise in the Columbia Gorge

The New Year is always a time of hopeful new beginnings! Whether you call it a New Year's resolution or goal it provides an opportunity to look at your life and assess the path you're choosing. The challenge for many people is taking an honest, yet realistic look at their life to determine the life changes or dreams and how to make those dreams a reality.

For me last year this process was completely different than in past as I was recovering from heart surgery and honestly completely starting over. I felt so blessed to finally have some resolve and be able to feel like I was living my life again instead of feeling trapped inside a body that was failing me. I learned in 2011 not to take life for granted and enjoying the journey for me was all about giving back more than I take. I feel completely blessed to have my 2nd chance to share my gifts with others and help to inspire other people to reach their goals.

In 2011, my goals were simple.... start living again, spend time with family and help/inspire other people through my situation by showing people that even though life doesn't go as planned it is truly how we respond that defines us. I feel I accomplished these goals proving to myself I could participate in triathlons and running races even if I wasn't as fast as before I heart surgery. I truly learned to appreciate the participating and enjoying the process no matter the result. I was just thankful to be able to participate again. I proved to myself and others that anything is truly possible as I completed the Ironman only 6.5 months after heart surgery!

I believe that anything is possible, although so many people put limits on their dreams and unfortunately they never become reality. I feel many goals are about having the mental confidence and consistent dedication to make it happen.

So, what is holding you back in 2012? Many people have fear of taking risks, although dreams can never become reality if we don't take a risk. The risks I speak of vary from person to person based on our individual goals. It's all about priorities and perspective.

In 2012, my primary goals include....

Staying Healthy (Being consistent and listening to my body)
Maintaining Life Balance (Prioritizing family, exercise, coaching and work)
Giving Back (I feel that giving more than I take truly fuels my soul)
Inspiring (Use my experience and passion to encourage others)
Enjoying the Journey (Focus on the process and keep it fun)

My secondary goals include:

Improve my cycling! (I need to bike more with purpose)
Boise 70.3 ~ 6/9/12 (Train consistently starting 1/1)
Ironman AZ ~ 11/18/12 (Race to my potential and enjoy the journey!)

So, why no time goals? One of the many things I learned recovering from heart surgery is that time goals only matter to me (so I'll post them on my mirror =)), although motivating they can also add extra pressure. The challenge with time goals is the variables involved are out of our control. If you want to qualify for the Boston Marathon time goals are key, however otherwise enjoy the journey knowing you did all you could in training to do your best!

Over the last 12 yrs. since I started this endurance journey to the lose the 40 lbs I gained after swimming in college my best results have come when I know I did all I could to consistently train to prepare both mentally and physically for the challenge.

I recommend writing down your realistic goals and placing them on a mirror so everyday you have the reminder of your goals to fuel your motivation. Set mini goals between your big goals to keep you motivated.

For example many people want to lose weight, however establishing a mini goal of walking 3-5x week for 20-30' is more realistic than losing 20+ lbs. Weight loss needs to involve lifestyle changes! Don't fool yourself into thinking you're going to realistically lose more than 1/2-3/4 pound per week and keep it off. The Biggest Loser is inspiring, but let's be real as some people are juggling many balls with family, work, and other unpredictable life challenges.

I recommend getting active, eating healthier, drinking more water, and sleeping more consistently. Surround yourself with positive people that motivate you and rid your life of toxic energy draining people! Connect with reliable training partners and workout first thing in the morning when you can control the time before the day gets chaotic.

What road will you take in 2012?

So, what does it take to turn dreams into reality?

It takes time management! I hear so often from people, I don't know how you do it as I don't have time. Really? If you figure there are 168 hrs in a week and you subtract 48 for work which includes prep, commuting etc. You now have 120 hrs left and if you subtract 56 hrs for sleep you now have 64 hrs left. Now subtract 21 hrs weekly for eating, 22 hours for family/TV/social time, you're left with 20 hrs!

The above scenario can be very realistic, however many people waste more time than they realize. I encourage everyone to set up their life in the 168 hr example above and you might be surprised at how much time you have available to make your dreams your reality in 2012!

Thanks reading and supporting! Remember to enjoy the journey in 2012!

As the sun sets on 2011, what dreams will you make a reality in 2012?

2011 Recap

2011-12-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

Reecer the elf was looking cute as could be on his last day before the two week Christmas break. The night before the last day of school Reece decided he wanted to make all the other Kindergartners in his class bell necklaces. It was one of those proud moments as a parent when you see that your child even at 6 yrs old is starting to get it and understand that it is important in life to give more than you take. He felt so good about giving all his little friends a holiday bell necklace.

This year he has been an absolute trooper with me recover from heart surgery, yet he's been such a great kid and continues to bring joy to all those around him. He's physically grown so much this year, lost not two but three of his top teeth and three of his bottom teeth. At one point I called him "gummy", although as Christmas approaches he now has a mouth full of new permanent teeth!

He started Kindergarten this year and really loves school! He actually listens really well according to his teacher! (we're still working on this at home=)) This last year was highlighted by Reece's new house/play structure in the back yard (thank you Grandpa Fred), playing soccer, completed 3 triathlons, catching his first fish and snorkeled/surfing in Hawaii.

Reece's big catch!

Tristin's 2011

The year started with Tristin taking care of me as recovered from heart surgery, which was not an easy task. I'm not a very good patient as I don't handle being sick or injured well, although she wouldn't let me get down and continued to encourage me to focus on the positive. She would consistently remind me that I needed to take it one day at time and focus on my life ahead.

Tristin taught full day Kindergarten, although unfortunately her job was only one year and ended in June. She continues to amaze me with her persistence in trying to get another teaching job. As everyone knows the job market is terrible, yet she continues to stay positive while substitute teaching and look for a full time job.

Family mtn biking in December proved to be a fun, yet cold experience.

Hopefully 2012 will bring Tristin the opportunity to inspire and shape the lives of young people again through full time teaching job! Reece & I are very fortunate to have such an amazing wife and mother in our lives. She is truly a positive light to all those around her.

Team Blaze had 32 members take on Ironman CDA 2011 and all finish!

My year began in recovery mode after my heart surgery to replace my mitral valve I began the road to recovery with the support of my family, friends and inspiration from Team Blaze Spokane Triathlon Club members. In February when I finally received clearance to exercise again I couldn't even lift my right arm above my shoulder and my first swim I looked at Tristin after 50 yds. and said, "I have long way to go". In her always glass half full response said, "you now have all the time in the world".

Going through and recovering from heart surgery provided me with endless life lessons about what is truly important. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I learned how truly blessed I am to live the life I do. It's so easy to take everything for granted until it's all sudden almost all taken away. Life doesn't always go as planned, however I've learned the only thing I can truly control is attitude by finding the positive in every situation.

Team Blaze members training in Hawaii (Gretchen, me, Tristin, Kim, Tobin, Lora and Diane)

In April we took a Hawaii "trication" with Team Blaze friends was exactly what I needed to get me back on my feet again! We spent 8 days training and playing on Oahu and built some amazing memories! It was on this trip I started to reflect on goals for 2011, yet some of them seemed crazy even to me.

I've always been determined and willing to work hard to overcome. At a young age I've always been so internally driven to win and push the limits, yet when I was recovering from heart surgery I was truly starting over with so much uncertainty. I knew I couldn't jump back into my old life, although I needed to have some goals to start living again. So, I wrote down three goals and kept them to myself which included: 1) Inspire and help others #2)complete the Ironman triathlon again #3) Run the Portland Marathon (ideally in under 3:15 again). As I coach and athlete I feel goals are key to motivation and focus in staying consistent with training, however after just having heart surgery 3 months before who was I trying to kid or convince? I was determined to prove that anything is possible!

Goal #1-Inspire & Help

In order to reach my first goal I needed to view my heart surgery as a blessing. This was initially challenging as I spent day after day sole searching as to why this was happening to me, yet over time I came to accept and understand everything happens for a reason. Once I came through heart surgery I realized god was giving me a 2nd chance and I needed to make the most of it. I made the decision to use it as vehicle to inspire others and connect with groups like Ironheart Racing Team. I was able to turn my situation into a positive and share my passion for helping others through my gift of coaching to give more than I take. I continued to help people quit smoking through my job as an Outreach Specialist at Alere Wellbeing and help people reach their fitness/life goals through coaching triathlon.

Some the amazing members of Team Blaze Spokane Triathlon Club giving back to our community though volunteering at 2nd Harvest Food Bank.

Goal #2~ Ironman

After getting my doctors to give me their blessing so long as I didn't "race" the Ironman, now the only thing left was to convince my wife. I was pleasantly surprised when she said OK as long as you take it easy.

The only problem was that I wanted to complete IM CDA which was only 6.5 months after heart surgery and I only had 6.5 weeks to train. I had more than one person question my sanity. "Did you have heart surgery or brain surgery one person ask?" I knew this was just the challenge I needed! I was already coaching +30 athletes and club members participating, so why not get out there with them and enjoy the journey? I had a great time training with everyone the last 6.5 weeks before the races and surprisingly arrived on race day in decent shape.

Norma and I after IM CDA

The IM CDA 2011 was my 4th IM, yet unlike any other as I wasn't racing it, but instead I was supporting, encouraging/inspiring others and living my life again! I truly learned during my 140.6 mile adventure why people do the IM. It's all about the journey or process and everyone has something different that motivates them to persevere through the challenges of the day. When successful these inspirational people of all ages and ability levels join this select group by reaching the white line in the middle of road at mile 140.6 to call themselves an Ironman. It's an emotional and amazing experience to finish an IM, although when it's all said and done it's the process and journey that leave a lasting memory. I will never forget this amazing experience and friendships that developed along the way!

Goal #3-Marathon

So, I had completed goal two and now I was super motivated to start training for the Portland Marathon, although I had no idea what to expect as I was now entering uncharted waters. Training for IM CDA was actually simple as I wasn't trying to go fast. Now I had time goals and I didn't really know what was possible. Everything was going great training and I ran with my neighbor who just happened to be an athlete I was coaching so it worked out great. My times were getting faster and training volume was solid. My confidence was the highest level it had been in 15 months then I strained my calf 3 weeks before the marathon. Hindsight is 20/20, yet now I realize I should have just rested after the injury until all the pain/tightness was gone, but of course I didn't and somehow convinced myself that running the marathon was a good idea.

I actually felt great running with the 3 Team Blaze athletes at the beginining of the marathon and then all of sudden my calf was tight by 13 miles and by mile 18 I was reduced to a painful run/walk, although I was determined to finish what I started no matter the result. In retrospect I probably should have stopped at mile 13 and avoided tearing my calf in two places which resulted in yet another recover period of no running for 8 weeks. Now that my claf has healed and I look back I'm glad ultimately that I finished the marathon to partially meet goal #3 albeit much slower than planned. In the future I learned that if I'm injured the only way to get healthy is REST.

As 2011 comes to a close I'm hopeful that my roller coaster ride of health challenges and injuries are now behind me. Life doesn't always go as planned, however I've learned the only thing I can truly control is my attitude. I feel truly to blessed to be surrounded by some amazing people that support and inspire me to be a better husband, father, friend and coach.

Ironheart Racing Team members and I signing up for IM AZ. All of us have gone through heart surgery and plan to participate in Ironman Arizona on Nov. 18th, 2012

In looking forward to 2012, I'm motivated to continue to set and achieve new goals. (still thinking about those now) I want to inspire and encourage others to reach their goals by realizing that anything is possible if you consistently dedicate yourself. Remember to live life to fullest without limits, keep it positive in 2012 and enjoy the journey!

Happy Healthy Holidays and thank you for supporting!

Bionic Birthday!

2011-11-15T07:09:00.000-08:00

At 7am on November 15th, 2010 I kissed my wife good bye and I literally put life in the hands of someone else. It was truly the first time in my life I had reflected on my journey with honesty. Today marks the 1 yr anniversary of my heart surgery or as my wife likes to say the day I become "bionic" with my new St Jude mechanical mitral valve. This has truly been the most difficult yet rewarding year of my life. I've learned to appreciate all the blessing in my life. I reconnected and opened my heart to my faith in god. I have spent endless hours sole searching and trying to remain positive enlight of some dark days. I'm so fortunate to come through surgery and regain my zest for life. As those close to me know I'm passionate about family, friends, healthy living, challenging myself through endurance sports and helping others.

Words can't begin to express how I feel about these two special people is my life. My wife Trisin is my rock and she always sees the glass half full, supports me in all do and lifts me when fall. She's an amazing mother and friend. Everyone that knows Tristin is fortunate to be blessed by her spirit and compassion for helping/giving to others. My son Reece is so full of life and continues to make me a better person. He was so young he didn't really understand all I was going through, yet he was always there to help provide the that full of life spirit I needed when I was recovering from heart surgery.

Team Blaze Spokane Triathlon Club which Tristin and I started in 2004 is an amazing extended family. I'm truly grateful to all of you that came to see me in the hospital, sent me positive messages, called and inspired me to start living again through contagious spirit within the club. This group has now blossomed to 180 members of all ages and ability levels. I feel blessed to be able to coach and share my gifts with such a fun group of people that support and encourage each other.

I also feel so fortunate to have connected with Ironheart Racing Team and meeting David Watkins who is an amazing guy that has so much energy and passion for life that it's contagious! Ironheart Racing Team has now grown to over 150 members throughout the world. This group does amazing things to raise awareness about heart health, supports several charities and provides free heart screenings for high school students. This next year several of these athletes including myself are planning to race Ironman Arizona in November of 2012 as we continue to raise awareness and inspire others to live life to the fullest! I encourage others to check out this awesome group. http://www.ironheartracing.com/ and http://www.ironheartinspire.com/.

Team Blaze Ironman CDA 2011 group provided me with truly a once in a lifetime experience. I was 4.5 months post heart surgery and coaching most of the 31 members participating in IM CDA when I went Hawaii for a week on a "trication" with other Team Blaze members and upon my return to Spokane I decide to sign up for IM CDA. It was crazy idea, but hey you only live once. I only had 6.5 weeks to train, which is less than ideal, yet I was super motivated and inspired by all these amazing people.

IM CDA race morning! I can't remember how many people ask me on race morning if I actually going to participate. Yes, although after that frigid swim I had my doubts, Wow, it was cold!

I felt I had good plan for the day and it wasn't about me. It was about supporting and encouraging these amazing people that had supported and inspired me, although some of them didn't realize all they had done to encourage me to start living again.

My IM CDA race day pacer! Norma is an amazing lady that I've had the pleasure to coach over the last 5 yrs. She has made amazing improvement as she's a model of consistency and become a good friend! IM CDA was a special experience as it was something we did together and finished the journey! I was so impressed by the determination that all the Team Blaze athletes displayed as all 32 athletes that started finished!

These picture above represent another milestone for me which involved racing my first triathlon since heart surgery which was a sprint triathlon in Chelan. This was fun weekend with multiple races and camping other club members. It was fun to race again and watch Reece do another kids triathlon!

Annual trip to Green Bluff to get some pumpkins! We ended up with a 35 lb monster pumpkin!

Roy family Halloween photo! We always enjoy dressing up and the Monster Dash kids run provided a great opportunity to have some fun.

Reecer is now 6 yrs old and thriving in Kindergarten! He continues to keep me young as he's full of life!

As many of you know I've traveled down a bumpy road this last year, however last year they told me this picture wasn't possible any more. I'm living proof that anything is possible. We can all do more than we think we can. I want to continue to the best person I can be. In 2012, I want to continue to inspire people , coach and share my gifts with others. I've learned so many lessons, feel truly blessed and hope to continue on the smoother road this next year.

Ultimately, we all only get one journey through life and although at times it may not seem fair or feel overwhelming I truly believe that god has a plan for all of us. He doesn't give us more than we can handle and through us we share can share his love with others. I've believe that he sends special people into our lives that help guide us, believe in us and lift us back on our feet. I'm blessed to have so many of these amazing people in my life. I want you all to know I appreciate you and I wouldn't have recovered the way I did this last year without you.

During the last year of my life I've truly learned the importance of not taking it all for granted. I've learned to slow down, be more observant and give back to others as we all can make time to support those around us. Thank you to my family and friends for helping to lift me up when I needed you most!

Thanks for reading & remember to enjoy the journey!

Another lesson learned ....

2011-10-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

I recently ran the Portland Marathon after suffering a strained calf three weeks before I knew running this marathon was a gamble, although it was one I was willing to take. I had been training since July and really felt ready to run a solid marathon again as I was running times I had run when I was healthy! It was such an amazing feeling to be able to train at higher level again and challenge myself. I even got use to and looked forward to the super early morning runs with my neighbor that has a crazy on call schedule and some mornings I think he only got a few hours sleep after bringing new life into the world delivering babies in the middle of the night.

I knew when I went to see our Team Blaze Athletic Trainer before the marathon for an assessment and she recommended running with real caution and encouraged me to drop out if I felt pain it was a gamble, although I really felt much better on Wed. through Sun. morning with no pain. Unfortunately, when I got to mile 10 it felt tight and after going up the St Johns hill to mile 18 in the marathon my calf was done, so I walked and jogged back to the finish.

Should I have quit? What would you do?

I personally have always felt that once an athlete starts dropping out when the going getting tough it makes it easier to quit in the future. By the same token if I had quit at 13 mile maybe I wouldn't be injured or maybe I would be and then regret the fact I didn't finish my journey. In retrospect I'm glad I did the race as it was my opportunity to run a marathon less than 11 monhs after heart surgery and as my wife reminded me, you finish in 3:48 and so many people would love to run that time! Thanks babe for always supporting and giving me the glass half full perspective!

Of course hindsight is always 20/20 and I now realize I was really fooling myself to think my calf would hold up for 26.2 miles. Unfortunately, after training since July and feeling better throughout the week I decided to roll the dice and now I'm paying for it. My challenge since heart surgery is that my motivation and passion for challenging myself has impacted my judgement. So, now I rest, let this heal effectively and build the solid foundation to hopefully support me in 2012 and beyond without ongoing injuries!

After visiting two doctors in the last two weeks....

I had an ultrasound and the specialist said I tore the muscle in two places (inside of mid-calf and near my shin) and another Dr. confirmed it today, although he said it wasn't as bad as he thought based on the ultrasound relative to how it looks. It still hurts really bad to walk, so he set me up with boot and said NO RUNNING, which should be a given as I can't walk without pain. I can swim with a buoy and do core/upper body exercises, however I must reduce all weight bearing activities if I want this to heal.

What did I learn through the experience.....

* I learned that sometimes it's better to sit on the sidelines and support others.

*I learned once again that even if I'm in pain and obviously going to run slower than planned I can't quit. So, in the future I need to use better judgement instead of letting my motivation cloud my judgement.

*I learned that although this sucks and I'm now chilling for the next 4 weeks that it could always be worse.

*I learned why I do all this crazy stuff. I truly love the challenge and resting to effectively recover from this will in time help me. As my wife always tells me, "in time this will be a small bump that will pass."

*I learned that I'm going to really focus in 2012 to build an effective foundation to hopefully stay healthy and enjoy the racing again!

* I learned that for Halloween I 'm going to be a cardiac storm trooper as I already have the heart pillow, spirometer and now the walking boot so why not just grab my afro wig and try to have fun with this latest bump in the road. Remember to enjoy the journey and keep the faith!

Thanks for reading!

Portland Marathon 2011

2011-10-11T20:53:00.000-07:00

The 40th annual Portland Marathon last weekend was my 21st marathon since 1998 and honestly meant a lot to me. It was less than 11 months ago that my future was very uncertain as I was going through heart surgery. Sure, I knew god had more plans for me, however I didn't know if I would ever swim, bike, and run again. I viewed the Portland Marathon as my chance to finally run a solid race on this course, unfortunately it wasn't my day, although it's this challenge that will drive my motivation this winter to challenge myself as I look forward to IM AZ 2012!

As I began training for the Portland Marathon in July I knew I had a long road and many miles in front of me to get back to where I wanted to be. I was actually surprised after 4 weeks of training just how much fitness I regained. My confidence and fitness continued to build through the training to the point I was running times I ran before heart surgery! I was running more 45-50 mile quality weeks than ever before, so I thought I was really ready to run a solid half marathon in Sandpoint on 9/18 and then I proceeded to go out too fast which lead to me going symptomatic with a heart rate of 182. I also experienced tightness in my right calf that continued through the race. I was disappointed with the results, although I realized this was completely self inflicted. In retrospect I should have rested more right after this race instead of trying to get back to training again.

Unfortunately in the 3 weeks following this race my right calf never recovered even though I tried every treatment approach I knew. I rested, iced, elevated, compressed, used anti-inflammatory meds., aqua jogging and even resorted to the goofy compression sleeve. The week before the marathon I ran 12 miles to test the calf and felt great for 10 miles, but then the calf tightened again. So, I decided to take the entire week off running and aqua jogged/swam before the marathon as I thought it was my only hope of running a solid 26.2 miles.

On marathon morning I actually felt great with no pain or tightness for the first time in 3 weeks! As I arrived at the starting line and saw other Team Blaze members (Daniel, Scott and Gretchen) it great to be there again taking on the marathon challenge! We'd all decided to run together for the first part of the marathon, which work really well. I went through the first 10 miles in a comfortable 7:15 pace and my HR was only 162, however my calf was starting to tighten, so after stopping to stretch it I told Daniel to go ahead as I knew couldn't maintain that pace without pain.

I stayed fairly steady through mile 16 until the 1.5 mile climb up the St. Johns Bridge which lead to my calf balling up. As I reached mile 18 I thought about throwing in the towel as I knew the cramping wouldn't stop and my pace was slowing with a jog/walk approach. I soon realized that I was better off to keep going as I was closer to the finish by pressing on. During the last 8 miles I had time to reflect and search for motivation to keep going to the finish, unfortunately my left calf and hamstring were now cramping too, so I would jog about 1/3 mile then walk/stretch to prevent cramps.

At mile 24 for the first time in 21 marathons I came to a table and sign that read, "free beer". I thought to myself why not, I'll take two cups please. I had to laugh when one of the guys I was walking with ask if he could have the whole pitcher. After drinking a few shots of beer I pressed on to the finish, although I kept cramping which resulted in more walking. Once I was 1/2 mile from the finish my new goal became running under 3:50, so I pressed on to finish in 3:48.

I was pleased to learn other Team Blaze members had great races with many new PR times and first time marathoner! It's a great feeling to help guide others to achieving their goals and frustrating when I see athletes I coach that I know trained really hard experience a day similar to mine when it doesn't go as planned. We all desire those days when it all comes together, however as anyone knows that has raced many races that things don't always go as planned.

What did I learn through this experience?

1) If I continue to stay focused I will continue to improve my fitness.

2) Learn about the injury by going to the Dr. right away instead of trying to manage it myself.

3) Rest means complete rest from running or the injury won't get better.

4) Take responsibility for your injury and stay positive as feeling sorry for yourself doesn't help you recover.

5) Maintain a positive attitude as research shows this will in fact help your recovery!

6) Get support from others which is something I learned during heart surgery and still attribute to my quick recovery.

7) Set appropriate goal- I learned that although I know I can run sub 3:15 again that I need appreciate bring able to participate and not focus on old times. (This is really tough for me.)

8)Maintain my fitness through cross training activities like swimming, cycling,aqua jogging, elliptical, pilates etc. is key to keeping my sanity.

9) I learned once again I can finish what I start when the day isn't going as planned. This is a tough decision as I feel sometimes athletes should stop before risking further injury. I was basically at point the marathon of no return as I had an 8 mile walk back to the finish either way so why not finish.

10) I need to listen to my body and rest so this doesn't become an ongoing injury.

So, my new post heart surgery marathon PR is 3:48, which as my wife reminded me is a time many people would love to run and I just had heart surgery less than 11 months ago. I really appreciate all the support, encouragement and perspective from everyone. My whole life the challenges I've faced have always driven me to work harder and continue to persevere on my journey.

As I finished the marathon the first thought that came to mind wasn't I never want to run another marathon, but instead it was focused on when my next marathon will be to establish a new PR! My new goal right now is to run the marathon in Ironman Arizona Nov.20, 2012 faster than I ran Portland!

Thanks for reading!

11 months and 11 years

2011-10-08T06:43:00.000-07:00

Tristin, Reece & I

As I sit here typing I’m reminded of my last 11 months since I underwent heart surgery. Some days I almost forget and then I hear the tick, tick, tick in my chest. There is not a day that goes by since Nov. 15, 2010 that I don’t thank god for giving me more time on the rock to live my life. I’m so truly blessed to be given a 2^nd chance at living an inspired life and trying to in turn inspire others.

Over the last 11 months my life has followed a bumpy road, although I truly feel god doesn’t give us more than we can handle. I’m so fortunate to have an amazing support system in my life that has truly helped me smooth my bumpy road. My wife (Tristin) has been a key in this process. My son (Reece) makes me laugh and reminds me daily to enjoy the little things in life. My family has been there with me every step of the way. My friends and athletes I’m so fortunate to coach have inspired me more than they will ever realize to keep living and maintain my passion for living a healthy life. Special thanks to Dr. Daniel Zwiesler for helping to keep me motivated during the Portland Marathon training with too many 5:30 am runs and 50 mile weeks to count. (you've done the work so now make it happen!)

My parents and I after my first Portland Marathon 1998

As I toe the start line tomorrow for the Portland Marathon, I will truly let my heart lead the way as I feel blessed to be at the starting line again. I’ve learned over the last year that it’s more difficult sometimes to get to the start than the finish. My training for Portland started in July with minimal fitness, however I’ve been able to continue to improve each week and feel as fit as ever. I had reached almost all my fitness goals and then on 9/18 while running the Sandpoint Half I strained my right calf. Although at first I chalked it up as my own overzealous attempt to run faster than I should have run the first 5 miles and general soreness, it’s turned into another bump in the road. I ‘ve basically been forced to take the two weeks off running and aqua jog/swim as I had to give myself the best opportunity to get to the starting line in one piece.

I’ve spent the last two weeks trying to stay positive, use every injury treatment tip I know and honestly reflect on why I do all this crazy endurance stuff. The answer is simple: I LOVE the challenge of pushing myself mentally and physically. It’s the mental challenge with the marathon that keeps drawing me back. For me this Sunday it’s about me vs. the Portland Marathon course. This will our 5^th battle and unfortunately the score is not in my favor, however I’m hoping all my hard work training over since July will lead me to my solid day. I know I need to take a more patient approach and really listen to my body.

Trisin & I in Maui, HI after getting married on Oct. 10, 2000

This Monday, Oct. 10^th will also be another special day as it’s our 11^th wedding anniversary! It’s amazing Tristin has put up with me this long and feel so blessed to have her in my life. She’s always maintained her unconditional love and support for me. She has been there to pick me up when I fall or just listen when I need to vent about the bumps in the my road. She is truly a special person that touches the lives of others with her positive spirit for life. You’re an awesome wife and mother to Reece! We’ve made so many awesome memories and I look forward to years of adventures as our road hopefully takes a smoother path.

The future with endless possibilies!

All of this has taught me to more clearly understand the idea of success being measured by getting to the starting line. I continue to strongly believe in the importance of enjoying the journey and looking forward to the future as I take on new challenges!

Thanks for reading and supporting!

Sunset in Seattle

2011-09-28T23:56:00.000-07:00

Mount Rainier, Qwest Field, Safeco Field

On Monday I left Spokane early in morning and flew to Seattle for work this week. Fortunately I don't usually travel a lot for work, so I'm usually home every night to see my wife and read my son our nightly book and tell him a story. I'll be honest I fully expected to come to Seattle and spend the week in the cloudy & rainy Emerald City, however today I pleasantly surprised when the sun came out!

Usually when I come to Seattle I always bring my running shoes and really enjoy running along the water as the views are amazing. Unfortunately, I strained my right calf, so I decided to stay with my patient plan and go for long walk instead of running after dinner to enjoy the sunset. As you can see from my cell phone pics it was simply amazing!

During my 30 minutes sitting at pier 62 I had time to reflect on my life and especially the last year of my life. Now that I'm a father to my 6 yr old son and I've gone through heart surgery I'm more patient than I use to be, although I still have to work at it. I encourage everyone to take time to reflect on their life and evaluate the path they are choosing. Remember to not take life for granted!

Somedays when I struggle with sort out the answers to "why" or "what's next" the spirit in my heart calls me to open up to believe and find the positive. After heart surgery I truly feel more connected to god than any other time in my life. I've always believed in god, however I now see and feel signs of his presence in my life. Tonight is perfect example of something calling me to walk down to the pier and experience the awe inspiring beauty of the sunset. I truly believe god has a plan for all of us if we open our hearts to follow.

Enjoy my sunset in Seattle!

Remember to take the time to enjoy the sunsets and reflect on all that is good in the world. I'm really looking forward to getting back home on Friday to see my little buddy Reecer, my wife and our three rascal dogs Scooby, Barkley and Lulu!

Thanks for reading and supporting me!

Reece at the movie Dolphin Tale in 3D. This is a great feel good movie and 3D was really cool too!

Bubble boy! Reece is truly a blessing in our life and loves to have fun!

Blessed Runner

2011-09-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

Scenic Half Marathon 9-18-11

This was my first longer running race since heart surgery 10 months ago even though I've been training consistently and specifically since July. I was really looking forward to this race and thought based on the training that 1:28 was very realistic, unfortunately my poor race execution cost me. I appreciate the fact I was able to participate, although I feel this excitement led to my somewhat frustrating day.

The weather was wet on the 75 min. drive to Sandpoint, however it stopped raining by the start of the race! The course is tougher than I expected with several short rolling hills during the first 6.5 miles, so after over 100 races and too much motivation to contain my patient pacing approach I went out too fast and paid for it. Here's my splits/HR, which obviously explain why I felt dizzy at mile 5 and had to walk to regain my senses. A little scary, but self inflicted!

1=6:27 @164

2=6:35 @ 176

3=6:45 @ 181

4=6:45 @ 182

5=7:51 @180 (dizzy and walking-Thank you Daniel Zwiesler for talking me into common sense)

6=7:30 @174 (Right calf cramping)

7=7:06 @ 179

8=7:02 @ 179

9=6:44 @ 178 (downhill HR still high?)

10=7:05@ 179

11=7:05@180

12=7:12@180 (HR still too high & right calf super tight)

13=7:24@181
13.1=1:33 (Average HR 178) (Ouch!) *2nd Age Group/17th Overall

*My hat award says "winner" on the back which definitely made me laugh/smile.

What did I learn? After over 100 races I still always learn something. Even though I'm running tempo runs at 6:30-6:40 and track intervals at 5:30-6 min. pace on the flats since heart surgery I can't run the hills at that kind of sustained effort or pace. Today all the short climbs on the way out left me feeling really dizzy and somewhat puzzled as how my HR during 400 intervals could be 178, yet today my average pace was 7:05 and HR 178. I obviously need work into pace and be more patient during the Portland Marathon as I really feel the fitness is there to run a solid race, however I need race smart!

I need try to continue to not to focus on old best times, although I'll be honest it's really TOUGH. When I train consistently/specifically for something I expect to see race results that match up to the training and today it just didn't happen, although it's the individual mental/physical challenge that I love about endurance sport!

As I was driving back to Spokane from Sandpoint reflecting as I always do after every race I tried to remind myself that I need to be thankful I can still run at all as less than one year ago I was told I couldn't continue to do all this endurance stuff. I know I need to focus on new PRs, so I guess the positives definitely outweigh my internal competitive wiring which is completely based on my own previous best times. As I was driving back I thought to myself, wow, how did I ever run a 1:23 half or 2:59 marathon? Well, I trained consistently for 6 years to become a better runner and need to remind myself I'm in much better shape now than when I was 24. At that time I ran 1:50 half and 4:55 full marathon and weighed +200, so there is always some positive to be found!

Great job to all the Team Blaze athletes that participated today and continue spread the positive Team Blaze vibe!

This is a very well organized event! Every athlete receives a nice medal and cool shirt. They had plenty of volunteers, consistent aid stations, tons of food/drinks at the finish and free massage! It was fun to come home, ask my son about his cycling race today and then give him my medal!

I recommend this race as it provided me with the perspective I needed moving forward to the Portland Marathon on Oct. 9th and beyond. It was great reminder of the fact I've made a great deal of progress in the last 11 months, yet I still need to listen to my body and race patiently! Most importantly I need to remind myself how blessed I am to be running, healthy, able to participate and help other achieve their goals.

God has given me another chance to inspire others and help them live healthy lives which is much more rewarding now than it ever use to be. At the end of my journey it is very important to me that I know I gave back more than I took.

Remember to enjoy the journey!

Thanks for reading and supporting!

My Marathon Adventures

2011-09-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've been ask several questions about how to train for the marathon and run your best race. First off I'll say the marathon is one of those "love/hate" experience for some, bucket list items for others and measuring stick for me. When I began my fitness journey back in 1998 after gaining 40lbs after swimming in college it all started by training for a marathon.

That's me on the right in 1996 while traveling in Spain with my friend John
"Woodsy" Coats. I had hair and +40lbs of extra love I had gained.

Why would I take on the crazy marathon challenge? Well, it was in large part due to the fact my Dad's Uncle Dave encouraged me to do it. I was in awe of all of his running feats with +40 marathons completed, several Boston Marathon qualifying runs and positive outlook on life through running. Back 1998 when I toed the line at the Columbia Gorge Marathon at 24 yrs old I had no clue what I was doing. Uncle Dave was 64 at the time and I thought if he could do it then I had no excuse. One slight problem, he not only knew what he was doing, he always trained and ran +50 miles a week vs my 15-20 miles weekly. Even though I was way out my league I though what the heck let's do it!

My next monumental mistake was to select a course that climbed +2000 over the first 9 miles and try to run with Uncle Dave. After feeling like I was done at mile 8, I had to walk the first of many times. As I was excited to see family and friends as I came down into the town of Mosier at mile 16, however I wasn't quite sure how I was going to run or even walk the next 10 miles as my shoes were too small and my feet were blistered. I decided at that point my survival strategy was to run from road sign to another and walk in between. As reached mile 26 mile Uncle Dave was there to encourage me to the finish. As I finished I was absolutely spent, I lost my two big toe nails and Uncle Dave had beat me by over 45', although I learned many valuable lessons and I was HOOKED!

Ultimately, following a consistent and specific training program is going to lead to the best possible outcome. I jokingly say to athletes on occasion that "magic doesn't happen on race day", so with that in mind it all comes down to training with purpose and finding an ideal race weight to set you up for success!

Let me again mention I didn't run in high school or college, I swam which although great for triathlon doesn't help me on the run. I weighed 164 while swimming college and then gained over +40 lbs the year after college which made running both painful and challenging. I started running again in 1997 as means to lose weight and obviously it has worked, however I've learned in order to improve in any discipline you must CONSISTENTLY and SPECIFICALLY train that sport.

Here's an example of my marathon history and weight:

*1998 Columbia Gorge Marathon (time=4:55/weight 185 lbs)

(This was a hilly course, however I was heavy and only completed one run of 10 miles or longer. I survived, lost both big toe nails and I was determined to take the marathon challenge again.)

*1998 Portland Marathon (time=3:45/weight = 172 lbs)

(Big PR and I was hooked!)

*2000 Portland Marathon (time=3:35/weight = 168 lbs)

*2002 Portland Marathon (time=3:25/weight = 166 lbs)

*2002 Honolulu Marathon (time=3:19/weight = 164 lbs)

*Trained really hard, however humidity and bad blisters did me in at mile 20)

*2003 Las Vegas Marathon (time=3:14/weight =164 lbs)

(Brutal +20 mph winds which blew over all the aid stations made for a rough day)

*2005 Portland Marathon (time=3:11/weight = 162 lbs)

(I went out in 1:26 (stupid) and bonked big time with a +40' last 5K. I had to have 2 IVs at the end. Lesson learned: magic doesn't happen on race day and hydration is key!)

*Jan. 2006 Las Vegas Marathon (time=3:11/weight = 162 lbs)

(Cramped at mile 24. )

*Feb. 2006 Phoenix Rock Roll (time=3:11/weight=161 lbs)

(Cramped at mile 25 right as I thought the Boston time of 3:10 was finally in my grasp.)

*Oct. 2006 Chicago Marathon (time=2:59/weight = 160 lbs)

(The best race of my life! I trained smart by doing all the right things, figured out my hydration challenges and focused of running at specific pace in training with quality intervals. I negative this marathon running 1:30:30/1:29 with a 20:20 last 5K! I finally qualified for Boston!)

*April 2007 Boston Marathon (time=3:04/weight = 160 lbs)

(I only ran 3x per week due to the weather and family health challenge, however I made every run count and keep my weight down in the winter! Boston was an amazing experience with horrible weather.)

*Oct. 2009 Portland Marathon (time=3:17/weight = 168 lbs)

(I hurt my knee in the winter by falling down some stairs and I couldn't run for 6 weeks. When I started training I weighed 178 lbs and my fitness level was zero. I felt like I need another 4 weeks of training to be ready and it showed over the last 4 miles when I lost about 50" per mile over the first 22 miles.)

Ironman Triathlon Marathons include:

2004 IM CDA (time=3:58/weight = 165 lbs)

2005 IM CDA (time=3:35/weight = 162 lbs)

(Excellent pacing on the bike and run pace/training lead to a big PR)

2008 IM Canada (time=4:00/weight = 167 lbs)

Granted the Ironman marathon is much different, however feel the many of the same principles for success apply.

*You MUST train the bike if you ever expect to run a solid marathon in IM.

*Don't over bike in the IM or run will suffer.

*Run consistently in training, however don't run mega long runs at slow pace or you become a slow runner during the IM.

*Being patient in the IM on the marathon is key!

So, why did I share all this information? I want people to understand some key factors to running a solid marathon or IM marathon. As I mentioned above I never ran XC or track in high school or college, I was a swimmer that taught myself to run through trial and error over the since my first dreadful marathon in 1998.

I've done tons of research and experimented with my own training/races and weight to determine the best approach for me, however the most valuable lesson I've learned is that NOTHING can replace consistent and specific training to lead to positive outcomes.

There are no short cuts!
Here is one of great resources I've used to really help me to improve as a runner & coach. I encourage everyone to follow this guideline to marathon success!

http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/ru/ruhome.htm

http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/marathonpredictors.htm

I know some people may question my sanity when I say the IM is easier for me mentally than a stand alone marathon, however I've found that when I'm racing a marathon at higher heart that the last 3-4 miles is what keeps me coming back for more. I've now run 15 marathons and one ultra marathon since 1998 and through all these races I feel I've only had one race that went as I planned. In 2006, when I race the Chicago everything came together and I felt like I floating to the finish the last 5K (20:20) with a negative split run and sub 3 hr marathon. As I prepare to toe the line for Portland Marathon Oct. 9th with my new found perspective after going through heart surgery I'm searching again for that great day I experienced in Chicago in 2006. I'm focused running my new PR, which involves running a smart, steady 26.2 miles based on all the lessons I've learned and enjoying the journey!

Let me know if you have any questions or interest in letting me help guide you to a new PR!

http://teamblazespokane.com/scotts_site/index.html

Healthy training,

Coach Scott

Thanks for reading!

My heart 9 months later....

2011-08-31T22:59:00.000-07:00

Reece & I at the Dirty Dash!

When I think about my life journey and reflect on the importance of 9 months it always brings me back to endless possibilities. Once I watched a funny movie called, "Nine Months", which albeit full laughs further terrified me about the though of becoming a father. As soon we found out Tristin was finally pregnant with Reece, I was full of overwhelming joy at the thought of meeting this child in 9 months that would carry a piece of us.

Nine months ago after heart surgery

During the last 9 months I've learned to deal with taking my blood thinning pills called "warfarin" everyday which is key to keeping me healthy. When I had heart surgery I had to decide whether to go with a biological or mechanical valve. After weighing the pros vs. cons I opted to go with the mechanical valve, although with this decision came relying on taking a blood thinner the rest of my life and testing my blood every week. This process has been an adjustment and sometimes a hassle but compared the alternative it's something I must stay consistent with in order to avoid clotting. A normal person would have an INR or blood thickness of 1, however my blood is now 3x thinner than normal. I've only experienced one bloody nose and several bleeding cuts to the shins, however now the my INR is stable I'm feeling much better about the situation.

Benefit of being the coach!

Somedays I almost forget I have the St Jude mechanical mitral valve and then I'll hear the tick, tick, tick or sometimes Tristin will hear it too. It's crazy to think about the thought that a device the size of a quarter that open and closes with every beat is keeping my alive.

Reece & I after heart surgery

Once again I find myself reflecting back on the last 9 months since heart surgery with many lessons learned and feeling completely blessed to be healthy again. I've had several people ask me through this experience how I've been able to stay so positive and maintain my spirit? I've done some serious sole searching since I literally placed my life in the hands of another. It was through this process I learned to appreciate all the wonderful things in my life. I connect with the power of god in my life and through this journey I've learned to trust the path that is chosen for me. I've realized I don't have to have all the answers, although I can ultimately control my attitude and work each day to inspire others.

I've come to realize that god does answer our prayers and although we sometimes don't have all answers immediately to the why? or why me? thoughts, I realize that in time all things do become clear if you maintain the faith. I truly believe god has plan for all of us. In my situation, I feel that I have been blessed with the physical gifts and given a 2nd chance to share those gifts and inspire others to live a healthy life.

Team Blaze IM CDA 2011

Did I feel I'd be running again? Most definitely, however I had no idea I'd be able to run at the level I use to run. I had prepared myself and learned through this process to appreciate the opportunity to just be active again. As I've spent the last 9 weeks specifically training for the Portland Marathon on Oct. 9th it has brought me back to where this fitness journey began in 1998. At that time I was probably in the worst shape of my life as I had gained 40 lbs since swimming in college and even though I didn't realize it at the time I was already following the words of Ironheart Racing Team and "Racing for my life!"

http://www.ironheartracing.com/

During the last 9 weeks I've realized just how resilient the body can be with consistent and specific training. As I began training in July, although I'd just completed the IM CDA my fitness was no where near where it use to be. At this time I came to the realization that I needed to focus on where I was going and not where I had been. As a lifelong athlete and someone that has always been very competitive (especially with myself) this was difficult to do. The training has reinforced to me how truly blessed I am as I'm now running times and distances in training that I ran before heart surgery!

Reece & I at Chelan Tri 2011

I recently completed a block of training running 46, 51, 53 miles in three consecutive weeks and realized that I'm healthy again! During the time I was reminded of the importance of maintaining the bounce during the long run. This is significant in running as anyone that has run a marathon, half marathon or long distance triahtlon soon realizes that once the "bounce" is gone from the stride and you begin to shuffle, you're done! Next time you're out on a run and start to fatigue just remember to "run with a bounce" and you can fought off the dread shuffle.

Nine months after heart surgery!

I'm so thankful for all the supportive friends and family in my life. I'm blessed to see life as place I'm going with lessons learned based on the experiences and challenges I'm overcome. Ultimately, I realize the one thing in my life I control is my attitude!

Remember to enjoy the journey and live an inspired life!

Thanks for reading!

Journey to my 20 yr The Dalles High School Reunion!

2011-07-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

The Dalles High School Graduation 1991

As I reflect on my 20 yr high school reunion and 38th birthday this weekend I'm reminded about the special people and place I grew up. Growing up in the small Columbia Gorge town of The Dalles, OR. created an ideal opportunity for me to develop into the person I am today. The interesting thing about TD is that no matter where I've traveled or lived since 1991 someone always knows someone from TD. I think that says a lot about the character of the people that live there. The Dalles is the kind of place where almost everyone knows everyone, which sometimes I dreaded growing up as mom worked for the school district and coached swimming.

I can honestly say all my lifelong best friends and many special people that have positively impacted my life are from The Dalles. Growing up we complained about the fact there wasn't much to do, however we always had tons of fun. I wasn't able to attend my 10 yr reunion due to the fact we were living in Hawaii, so this will be the first time in 20 yrs I've seen some of these special characters. I know over last 20 yrs some of these special friends have been there for me through the highs and bumps in the road we call life. I appreciate your friendship more than you know and look for celebrating our lives 20 yrs later. Cheers to the weekend ahead!

TDHS 1991 (Mark, John, Jess, Scott, me, Eric, Todd, Brett & Brian)

TDHS Senior class of 1991

In life I feel there are times in our life where we reach a crossroads. I can recall as a young kid feeling that I could physically accomplish almost anything and I was born with the competitive fire to always do my best. It was great to learn at young age if I trained hard, set goals and gave it my all I could be successful. I can remember the joys and how proud I felt to help others succeed at a young age too. I'll admit it, as youngster I struggled with losing as I took it personally. If my team lost I felt I should have done more. I feel so fortunate to have had super supportive parents that always encouraged and never tried to relive their lives through me.

My parent and I after my first Portland Marathon in 1998.

My parents both helped me to understand that success shouldn't be defined by wins and instead it should be about the process knowing at the end of the day you gave your best. My mom taught me to swim at young which was clearly a turning point as I developed a lifelong passion for swimming and helping others. My dad was always there to patiently play catch or take hard bounces to the shins and support all my athletic endeavors without ever pressuring me. He taught me so much about hard work without saying a word. The turning point moment I remember from dad was to finish what you start, which I feel has helped me through many tough situations throughout life. He would say, "if you don't want to play next year I support you, however you're going to finish out the season."

My mom Carlene and I after winning another high school district swim championship!

I remember one defining turning point when I was in 1st grade as I was one of the biggest/most athletic kids at my age, however I couldn't read. For all the success I experienced in physical activities, school was a huge challenge for me. The turning point moment was the end of my first grade year of school when my teacher felt I should probably repeat 1st grade due to the fact I was way behind learning to read. My mom at that point took it upon herself to inform the teacher that she would work with me all summer to help me to catch up. I give mom all the credit for encouraging me through my frustrations with school and helping me to learn to read. I remained in special reading classes through 8th when I finally felt confident with school. I truly feel everything happens for a reason and my academic success in high school came through my struggles at an early age. School never came easy for me, however I learned to persevere and apply the same approach I took with sports. If I studied hard I could overcome the challenges.

My dad Joe Roy & I rafting in the summer!

The next huge turning point in my life was going to college. I never imagined after not swimming from age 13-16 yrs, due to pursuing other sports that I could swim in college. So, my senior year when I experience some success and I was recruited to swim at Linfield College it was a blessing. I was able to attend a small college and play a sport which was the best of both worlds for me. I learned so much about myself as a student athlete in college. I have so many positive memories from this experience.

I was always very fit growing up and maintained this positive approach to my health while swimming in college. After graduating from college in 1995, I returned to finish my student teaching and experienced one the most important turning points in my life. I spent the year drinking too much beer and eating out waaaay too much fast food and before I knew it I had gained over 40 lbs in one year.

John Coats on the left and me on the right in Europe. I was living large as I weighed 205 lbs!

As I prepared to leave for my trip to Europe my mom, said "how much do you weigh". I think I jokingly said how much do you weigh? She then pressed me to get the scale and to my amazement I was 205lbs. I thought to myself that can't be right, how did that happen?

I recall going to Europe to visit one of my lifelong friends John Coats and getting off the airplane in Spain to hear him, say "wow, man you've put on some weight". This was a defining moment as I realized I had become a lazy person and I needed to make some life changes. This started by traveling through Europe and living on bread, water, fruit and beer for 3 weeks. I lost 15 lbs in 3 weeks and then when I got home and developed my pictures only to see the person I didn't want to be. So, I decide to set a goal to lose the weight and run my first marathon. I was able to lose about half the weight and I survived the super hilly Columbia Gorge Marathon in 4:55. I lost both big toe nails, finished 45 min. behind my dad’s uncle Dave who was 62 at the time and the one that credit for getting me into run marathons, yet the experience changed my life. He was a total inspiration to me without even realizing it. I hope to be able to have his passion for lifelong fitness at 62 and beyond.

Tristin & I after the Portland Marathon

The next turning point for me also occurred on a run when a friend invited me over to Tristin's (my wife) house for pizza and movies. I had been single for the longest time in probably 10 yrs and honestly feeling sorry for myself due to the way my previous relationship ended. Tristin and I immediately hit it off! As it turned out were both training for the Portland Marathon in 1998! She was recently divorced and I think we were both really drawn to each other as support. We both shared a passion for exercise, teaching and life.

Tristin & I following Ironman CDA 2004

After dating for about 7 months I decided it was time to take the big step and propose! I first needed to get ring and I had no clue what to get??? So, I started be asking her about rings in a joking way as I was trying to get feedback. Soon I had been looking for weeks online and finally found a ring that I thought she would like and I could afford on my modest teacher/coach salary. Now the next question was how do I ask her to marry me?? Then one day while running I had an awesome thought, I could take the tulips that we had planted together, write "will you marry me?" on a trail of pedals that lead to the pink tulip in the middle of the vase that held the ring inside! Thank you god for giving me a creative and unique approach. She said, YES!

Tristin & I married in Maui, Hawaii 10-10-2000

In 1999, I was finally able to go from substitute teacher/coach status to full time teacher/coach status. I was hired at my The Dalles Middle School which was my old school in 8th grade; although it was strange teaching with my old teachers I was really excited about the opportunity. Soon the school library was condemned and I rolling a portable classroom from room to room, I taught in the lunch room, gym and random small rooms. Eventually I got my own portable classroom which was less than ideal. I learned many lessons that year while teaching 7-8th grade Life Skills and coaching swimming/tennis, however I wasn't really happy.

1st day of my first job!

We now started the crazy discussion of when, where, how, who etc. to get married. We both also were looking for a change to start our lives together, so we discussed going in the Peace Corp, however we couldn't get placed together so we decided to move to Hawaii. We also decided to get married in Maui, HI on the Kaanapali Beach, which was a great idea! Small wedding with family and close friends.

Tristin & I married in Maui, Hawaii 10-10-2000

After the wedding we spent the next couple weeks in Hawaii and started planning to move there! When we returned to The Dalles we had our large reception with about 400 family and friends! Good times!

In 2000, now it was time to sell the house, pack the house, sell our cars and take the leap of faith to move to Honolulu, Hawaii! We put some of our belongings that we didn't sell in storage, loading the rest in a container for Hawaii, however it would take 30 days for it to arrive. We flew to Hawaii on the November 13th with only a suit case each, no jobs and no car for 4 months. Yeah, some would say crazy, however it was an awesome adventure which brought us closer together.

Eventually we got teaching jobs and bought our first house in Mililani. We met our good friend Chet “The Jet” Blanton and joined/coached Team Jet Hawaii Triathlon Club. I remember when we moved into our house we had 10 friends with trucks, vans etc. come to our condo and move everything to our new garage in 2hrs, now that’s how to move!

My 30th birthday with Hawaii friends!

Chet, Rie, Tristin & I in Hawaii 2003

Our time in Hawaii was an amazing experience. It was during these 3 years that the people of Hawaii taught me a very valuable lesson about ohana or family, friends and giving to others. The people of Hawaii embraced us and made us feel welcome. I can see us living back in Hawaii again in the future.

Diving off the 7 Sacred Pools in Maui,Hawaii

Top 50 Highlights/Life Changing Experiences

1) The Dalles High School friendships, sports and graduation in 1991

2) Swimming scholarship to Linfield College 1991-1995

3) Linfield College graduation ~First in my family to graduate 4yrs of college in 1995!

4) Traveling to Europe with my good friend John “Woodsy” Coats in 1996.

5) Listening to Pope speak in Europe in 1996.

6) Gaining and losing 40lbs in one year! Never doing that again as it was tough to run at 205lbs.

7) Getting my teaching license 1996.

8) Coaching high school swimming with my mom1997

9) Traveling in Europe with Dr. Danica Clark ~way different traveling with an ex-girlfriend. Do I ever want to get married?

10) Bungee jumping 500 ft in the Swiss Alps! Wow, what a rush!

11) Running my first marathon the Columbia Gorge Marathon 1997

12) Summer 1998 going to Tristin’s house for pizza.

13) My first real job 1998-1999 ~teaching middle school & coaching swimming/tennis

14) Proposing to Tristin 1999

15) Getting married in Maui, HI. Oct. 10, 2000 & wedding reception in The Dalles, OR.

16) Wedding reception in The Dalles, OR.

17) Moving to Oahu, HI. November 2000

18) Coaching Team Jet Hawaii and Chet “The Jet” Blanton ~ Thanks bro for inspiration & good times!

19) Qualifying & participating in Xterra World Championships on Maui 2002

20) Tristin & I coaching and racing Hawaii Half Ironman 2003

21) In 2003, I got a job and we moved to Spokane, bought a house, next came our first two children “Scooby & Barkley” cairn terrier/poodle mix.

22) Participating/completing the Ironman Coeur d’Alene with Tristin in 2004.

23) Starting Team Blaze Spokane Triathlon Club in 2004 http://www.teamblazespokane.com/

24) Completing the Ironman Coeur d’Alene in 2005 with 10:25!

25) Birth of Reece Olson Roy on July 12th, 2005.

26) Reece being born pre-mature 6.5 weeks early and spending 4 weeks NICU. Thank you god for our little buddy.

27) Qualifying for the Boston Marathon in Chicago Marathon in 2006 after running a 2:59 marathon!

28) Reece learns to walk at 13 months! Life has never been the same. =)

29) Tristin overcame near death experience due to complication from a miscarriage developing toxic shock, acute respiratory distress and emergency hysterectomy in 2007. Thank you god.

30) Dealing with the fact Tristin could never have any more children 2007 to present.

31) Running the Boston Marathon in 3:04 in 2007.

32) Completing Alcatraz Tri and IM Canada with my friend Brett Peterson in 2008

33) Traveling back to Hawaii each year 2004-2011

34) Moving back to the Columbia Gorge in 2008. Beautiful area, however we missed Spokane.

35) In 2009, our home didn’t sell after 15 months, so we moved back to Spokane.

36) Finding jobs again in Spokane was a test in patience.

37) Boise 70.3 Triathlon in June 2010 and passing a kidney stone on the run. Wow, I can’t even begin to describe the pain associated with that nightmare.

38) Coughing up blood in June 2010 while running and realizing something was seriously wrong.

39) Spending 3 days in Sacred Heart Medical Center trying to figure out what was wrong with me.

40) Learning in July 2010 that I may possibly have HCM, fortunately not the case.

41) Summer of 2010, I was given every heart test available to determine what was wrong. This was probably one of toughest times in my life.

42) Diagnosed with severe mitral valve prolapsed/regurge which meant blood was pooling in my lungs.

43) Fall of 2010, reality of heart surgery.

44) November 15, 2010 heart surgery to replace my mitral valve.

45) December through February 2011 was all about recovery and staying positive. Joining Ironheart Racing Team was just the inspiration I needed. http://www.ironheartracing.com/

46) March 2011, I began my long road back to health & fitness.

47) Trip to Hawaii with friends in April 2011

48) In June 2011, completing my 4th Ironman with Norma Myers, age 64 and 31 other Team Blaze members only 6.5 months after heart surgery! Anything is Possible!

49) “Lulu” the mini-schnauzer our 4th child arrives.

50) Reece turns 6yrs old.

Reece's 4th Kids Triathlon 2011!

Reece's first bike race 2009!

Reece & his brothers Scooby & Barkley 2008!

Reece loves Santa & Thomas the Train!

Reece & Tristin riding on the Harvest Train!

Family picture August 2005 right after Reece got out of the NICU!

Reece & I hiking Manoa Falls in Hawaii 2006!

My dad (Joe), sister (Brandi) & I rafting on the Deschutes 2004!

Reece & I at the Honolulu Zoo by the Rainbow Tree in 2005!

Over the last 20 yrs since high school I've learned many great training tips, completed endless workouts, gained/lost 40 lbs and undergone heart surgery. The key training principles that have been my stability point are focusing on consistency and keeping it fun! The birth of our son Reece has taught me to be more patient, understanding and learning to laugh at the simple things in life. Thank you buddy for teaching mommy and I the daily lessons that only children can teach their parents about loving each other while not taking life for granted.

Reece & I in Hawaii 2005

Racing in Hawaii!

As I approach my 38th birthday this Saturday, I’m once again reminded that life truly is a journey with unexpected twists and turns. It's how we respond to these bumps in the road that define the us. My life over the last 38 yrs has been an amazing ride and I feel truly blessed. The picture below describes how I look at the next 20 yrs and beyond with endless possibility! I have big plans, endurance challenges, professional goals, places to travel and people to inspire! I feel that it is important for me to remember all the time to enjoy the journey and give back more than I take!

Thanks for reading and supporting!

Swim, Bike, Run and Family Fun

2011-07-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Reece, Tristin, Lulu & I in Chelan

Summer of 2011 has been super busy as usual for the Roy family with triathlons, sun, bike rides, camping trips and arrival of your 4th child "Lulu". Some of you are probably thinking, wait a minute you only have one child? Well, that is somewhat true as Reece just turned 6! He decided for his birthday he wanted a dog, so he and mommy wore me down by introducing me to our cute little mini-schnauzer. We decided to bring Lulu home to join Scooby & Barkley our other two dogs. So, now we have 3 dogs and 20 fish in our backyard pond.

Lulu

Our dogs are big part of our family especially considering we can't have any more children of our own. Recently one of my friends, said "how did Tristin get you to go for another dog? " Basically it was either another dog or another child. I honestly feel everything happens for a reason and I really like our family dynamics now. So, we have 4 children in the non-traditional sense.

Tobin, Suzanne, Me, Reece, Tristin, Lulu & Becky

Chelan Multisport Weekend 7/16-7/17

We headed to Lake Chelan, WA. for a weekend of camping and racing. This is an area we really enjoy with the usually great weather and beautiful clear lake! We decided this year to once again camp and really enjoyed the clean Bebee Bridge park campground right along the Columbia River with it’s nice warm showers, bike/walking paths, huge grass fields and kids play area.

Reece & our new tent!

It was fun to camp with other Team Blaze athletes/friends Tobin, Suzanne and Becky. Thanks Becky for getting the camp site!

The Chelan Multisport weekend begins on Saturday with a Half Ironman Tri, Olympic Distance Tri, Half Marathon and 10K. Team Blaze was represented by Becky (70.3), Tobin, Tammy, Greg and Kris in Olympic Tri. It was fun to see everyone out on the course pushing through to the finish. Everyone did great with several new PR results!

Reece & Lulu playing tug-o-war

On Sunday, Team Blaze had Inga (1st tri), Tristin, Suzanne (3rd relay), and Reece racing the sprint and kids tri. The weather was perfect as the lake was flat and perfect temp, which was refreshing after last year with 2 ft chop and IM CDA’s freezing water.

Once again we really enjoyed the weekend of camping and racing at Lake Chelan! Each year we've gone to this race and built a life long memories! This year we had a smaller group from the club, however it was still a fun weekend. Saturday Becky raced the 70.3 in a PR 6:30, Tobin got a PR in the Olympic Tri and Greg, Kris and Tammy raced the Olympic too. Yesterday Tristin & Suzanne finished 3rd in Sprint Tri relay. Reece did his 4th tri and once again had a blast finishing with a big smile!

Fast looking bike, but still need work on the engine!

This was the first triathlon since heart surgery where I've really pushed it on the bike & run which felt great! I ended up finishing 3rd overall and 1st age group, so I was thrilled with the result, although I realized my running at higher HR is still not quite back yet. I forgot how tough it is running really hard after biking and running hard first. Wow, my first half mile felt slow, but as my support wife reminds me daily I need to be patient and thankful to be healthy. This race was another step for me in realizing I'm going to beat this bump in the road and return to life long health!

Reece & I Chelan Awards!

Chelan post race awards!

Tristin & Reece Chelan Tri

Chelan Multisport weekend provides an opportunity for all ages to participate in some healthy fun, so Reece was up for some swim (run in the water), bike, run and fun. This was his 4th triathlon and he did great! It is really important to me that he learn that exercise can be fun. He loves to bike, his swim is improving and although running isn't really his favorite I was so proud of him as he ran the whole way including the big hill at the finish! He kept, saying "I will never quit, I will never quit", which warms my heart.

Reece biking at Chelan Tri!

Reece & I doing the run together!

Reece Chelan Kids Tri

Another cool feature of this race is free finisher photos! Reece got another medal, which really fuels his fire and plenty of yummy snacks at the finish! He had a blast and proceeded to crash out in the car for the next 2 hrs drinving home.

Tired little triathlete!

He rallied up for some fun play time in Coulee City. I feel it's so important for kids and adults to have the balance of healthy fun!

I highly recommend the Chelan Multisport weekend as it provides the perfect healthy balance camping, racing and run! This weekend further reinforces some of the lessons I've learned over the last year regarding importance of life experiences, frendship and family. Ultimately, we remember our relationships with ours and experiences/memories along the way!

Medical Lake Practice Tri 7/20

Another big part of our lives is Team Blaze Spokane Triathlon Club which has now grown to over 160 members! The club really has become like a big family and provided us with an avenue to share our passion for health and fitness with others. The Team Blaze spirit is truly contagous as the members of the club truly know how enjoy the journey!

Race the River Sprint Tri 7/24

This has now become the one of the largest sprint triathlon in the Pacific NW with +800 athletes. It isn't a race I had planned to do, however when one of the club members couldn't race after signing up and Tristin hurt her heel, I decided why not do another sprint tri! It was fun to see +25 Team Blaze members participating as everyone did great!

I knew this race was unique with a river current swim and 3 loop bike, however I didn't know the run had a nasty little hill in the middle, but the pancake flat course is hard to find. Ever since heart surgery running the hills has been more challenging than I remember, but I not complaining as at least I get to participate again.

My race started off in the 3rd wave which meant I starting +33' behind the speedy elite athletes and 3' behind the 29 and under group. I started the swim off great and soon found myself out in front weaving through the masses of beginner swimmers as I exited the water and looked at my watch it read 9:20! I felt great and decided to take my wetsuit off and slip on my Crocs down by the water as we had a long run to our bikes. Once I arrived at my bike I had a smooth transition of 45"!

On the first loop of the bike I realized the road was rough coming back, however I was riding steady and most importantly I felt good. As I finished loop #1 I noticed the road was now crowded with people in the later waves. Even though they tell people ride to the right, when you have so many beginners they were riding 4 wide and saying on your left was getting no response. After loop #2 when the 2 guys drafting behind me the whole way decide to pass (ride your race people) I noticed the road was now really crowded especially on the turns. As I came back on the bike I was starting to get tired as I'm just not use to riding that hard, so I backed off a bit to spin the legs and bring the HR down before the run.

As I came into transition I was pleased to again get in and out of there quickly (25")! I always figure transitions are "free speed", so I need to use my race experience to my advantage! As I started the run my legs were feeling OK, but I just couldn't find the next gear with my turnover I've been seeing on the track lately. My goal going into the run was to run faster than last week. When reached the turn around on the run I was just trying to keep it steady when a guy in my age group passed me. My initial thought was to gowith this guy, however my body told my mind not today. As I made the turn and headed up the short steep hill I was just trying to keep steady and seeing Mason's awesome sails sculpture provided a nice distraction! I tried to run fast back down the hill and I soon saw Team Blazers Bill, Rob and John which provided a nice lift for the last 1/2 mile. When I ran around the pond toward the finish I was thinking I hope no one else passes me as I'm tired! I was pleased to run 20" faster than last week!

I ended up finishing in 1:02, which was faster than I expect! I finished 5th in my age group and 23rd overall! This race was competitive and once again provided the perspective that I need, which relates to chasing new PR's and enjoying the journey.

Tristin, Reece & Lulu

I honestly feel blessed to be able to participate again! Although as much as I try I'm just wired to be competitive and especially with myself. (= It's hard to detach from old times. My loving and supportive wife told me yesterday, "you just had heart surgery 7.5 months ago and I bet you were the only athlete there that can say that." She's right as much as I don't like to say it. I need to focus on celebrating my health, inspiring others and not old times/pace.

Enjoy the journey!

This picture was taken on the way to Chelan and reminds me of how blessed I feel to be healthy, enjoy quality time with great friends and loving/supportive family. In my mind this photo reflects the endless road and sky filled possibilities that are before all of us. I have so many things I want to see and do! I also I have so many people I want to inspire to want more from their journey and enjoy living a healthy life!

Thanks for reading and supporting!

IM CDA - It's all about FINISHING the journey!

2011-06-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

The Ironman race morning began early as I didn't sleep well as usual, however this time it was different I wasn't worried about my own race, but instead I was worried about everyone finishing. I know all that goes into the journey to become an IM, so I didn't want anyone to experience the empty feeling of not reaching the white line in the road mile 140.6. I was having crazy dreams all night which some I won't share, however one of them was so real it almost happen which involved the always humorous Kim Dotson and her awesome pink cowboy hat she wore at the finish. I dreamed Kim was running down the finish line with cowboy hat blinking and rope in hand ready to dance and celebrate in style which is almost exactly what she did as they said, "Kim Dotson #654 YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!"

This picture above represents the beginning of one of the most memorable days of my life when I felt proud of who I was and ability to inspire others to make their dream a reality!

One of the many pre-race pictures as Jay, Kimberly and I just got body marked by Team Blazers Debbie Jahn and Jerry Gray! It was so awesome to see so many club members volunteering and giving back to the sport we all love to participate in. The volunteers are a key piece to the IM race day experience!

This is my pre-race IM cookie that Melissa Salazar made for me. It was great to see Max & Melissa and all the other Team Blazers out on there all day long providing a ton of encouragement to all of us. I was so looking forward to eating this cookie after the race and it was delicious!

These pictures represent the swim start which is always crazy in every IM. This day was par for the course. I had to swim through some guys that should have been in the back the first 100 yds, although after that I was in a nice pack and felt great! Once I reached the first turn buoy I noticed I had missed the lead group and I was caught in small pack of 4 swimmers that unfortunately took a wrong turn as the 2nd turn buoy was actually farther out than the first. (Reminder lesson: make sure you sight as the group probably swam 50 yd off course)

As I came around for the first loop my watch read 28:10 which I was happy with especially enlight of my detour. The only problem was that my hands had gone completely numb and although I tried to shake out my arms and clap my hands I couldn't feel anything. The 2nd loop I felt like I was moving my arms and going no where fast. I did manage to stay with a group and draft, although I really started to feel dizzy and disoriented as I approached the beach in time of 1:01 which was slower than I planned but today was all about the finish!

When I exited the water my hands were so numb I couldn't get my arms out of my wetsuit, so thank goodness Team Blazers John Martinek and David Lund were there to help me out.

This picture represents the true feeling within Team Blaze where everyone supports everyone and on this day John & Mason both helped me to regain my sense of focus. I spent the next 22 minute in the warming tent which I should have stayed longer but I wanted to see some of the speedy Team Blazers on the bike.

As I got on my bike I was still cold, but in good spirit as I saw my wife Tristin's awesome sign in the background. It was such great feeling to be getting on my bike to do another IM and I had forgot all the amazing support you recieve!

The 112 mile bike ride was totally different than any of my previous 3 IM races. This time my total focus was on making sure every Team Blaze athlete made it to the run. So I pedaled easy for the first 40 miles as most of the 32 club members past me. It was awesome the see the excitement on their faces! When I reached mile 40 it was what I thought was short pee break pit stop, however it turned it an hour long break. I soon found myslef talking to some of the volunteers I knew, encouraging Team Blaze members, helping the volunteers to rack bikes and I also went pee 3X so obviously I was hydrated. I asked the medical volunteers if they could check to see if Kim, Karen, Brandi and Norma made it out of the swim, however they wouldn't help me. Instead they told me about all the people that got pulled out of the swim due to hypothermia which didn't help the situation. Finally after about 40-50', I saw Kim, Karen & Brandi. Then right as I was about to ride away as my watch read 1hr of waiting I saw Norma! I was so relieved they were all still in the race and their dreams would become reality!

As we rode the 2nd loop we traded positions at different times, although I was trying not to ride too close to them as they needed to ride their pace. It was fun as Kim blazed past other tired riders on the downhills with me in toe I would yell , "on your left" as I was worried someone would wreck into her. When we reached mile 90 I tried to encourage all of them as in my mind I thought the bike cut off was 5pm when it was really 5:30p. So, rode the last 20 miles fast as I wanted to make sure I made the bike cut off. My total bike time was 8 hr14 min (actually ride time of 6:05 which isn't bad for 6.5 weeks of training) and now I waited hoping they would all make the cut off.

After my 30 min. T2 pit stop Norma and I headed out on the run. The sun was shining and I was excited to finish this journey. I knew Norma was really fit and we could probably run 10:45 pace. We actually did run 10:45 pace, however like any IM sometimes things are out your control and unfortunately Norma experienced serious GI issues. She was absolutely as tough as nails out there as I'll save everyone the details other than to say she went to the Honey Bucket at least 15X.

This picture represents a small snap shot of how the Team Blaze spirit was on full display with 32 atheltes started and 32 finishing! Norma and I are starting out and Bill was completing his first loop!

Many people would have quit, however Norma kept pressing on until about mile 21 when we discussed the fact we had 2hrs to go 5 miles so lets just walk.

We were actually walking at 15 min. pace, although I have a new respect for those after dark finisher as it got cold!!

Norma and I finishing at 16:01! She recieved an award for 4th in her age group! It was a tough day for the older athletes as 12 women in her age group started and only 6 finished. What an amazing journey we've had together over the last 5 yrs! She's a model of consistency in training and has reaped the benefits by qualifying for the Boston Marathon, 70.3 World Championship and now she's an Ironman! She's an amazing person, athlete and friend. She once again taught me that through consistent training, belief in yourself and perserverance to keep going even in through VERY difficult circumstances with severe GI & stomach issues you CAN finish the jounrey. I'm so proud Norma and all the athletes that I get the opportunity to coach.

This picture is pretty funny and another perk to finishing after dark! They give you a whole pizza! This pizza really wasn't very good, but I was so hungery as I've never done anything that long before. My previous IM races were in the 10:25-11 hr range, so I was going on some serious borrowed time. In addition, I really only trained 6.5 weeks for this IM, which I totally don't recommend as it's still 140.6 miles.

Another great picture of my awesome wife Tristin and her huge IM sign!

My 4th Ironman and my journey back to full health is probably one of the biggest highlights of my life to date. Words can't express how truly blessed I feel to have the opportunity to do what I love to do again and share the gifts I've been given with others. Each one of these Team Blaze members have inspired and taught me about the most important aspect of any IM which is enjoying and most importantly finishing the journey!

I have a whole new appreciation for those athletes finishing after dark. Yes it's still 140.6 miles, however it's a completely different experience when you go from chasing 10 hrs to trying to make the cut off times. I learned from this group of people that finish after 15 hrs that they seem to really appreciate the race, encourage instead of yell at each other on the course and actually thank the people that make the IM possible which are the thousands of AWESOME volunteers.

When you finish after dark you get treated like a rock start! It also gets really cold and dark along the lake once the sun goes down. They hand out shiny beads, glow sticks and warm chicken broth! As I ran down Sherman Ave with Kim in front of Norma & I my heart was filled with unbelievable amounts of joy! I felt like I was floating to the white line at mile 140.6 and slowed Norma down at the finish to truly savor the moment! The crowd was so loud I felt like we had just won the IM, which we had won because we proved anything is possible! I know that when I had heart surgery I never really thought I would ever do IM again and certainly not 6.5 months later, although again anything is possible if you tell yourself you CAN!

IM is so much more than swim, bike, & run. The family/friend support, volunteers and teammates are so key to making this special journey complete. I'm so grateful to have shared this experience with the athletes I coach. Ultimately it truly is all about about FINISHING the journey!

My finish video can be seen through link below by forwarding to 9:35-10:35.

http://www.khq.com/category/195686/video-landing-page?clipId=5998228&topVideoCatNo=73331&autoStart=true

Thanks for reading, supporting and inspiring me to be a better person!

24 hrs to IM CDA 2011

2011-06-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

The anticipation for IM CDA has been building as +30 athletes in Team Blaze Spokane Triathlon Club finish their finally preparation for the big day. We all met up yesterday at the swim start for some last minute discussion and tips about the swim. The water was choppy which I'm hoping won't be the case on Sunday, it was cold initially which it will be on Sunday and everyone is ready to ROCK! These amazing individuals have trained some of them for years to get to this point in the IM journey. Some couldn't swim just a few years ago, some didn't really know how to ride a bike and most only dreamed they could one day do the IM after like me watching it on TV.

The IM CDA dinner was inspirational as usual with one athlete competing in his 121st IM! An 18yr old kid racing with broken hand/great sense of humor, 7 athletes over 70 yrs old racing, athletes that have lost weight, cancer survivors, athletes living with MS, and athletes like Phil Sandifur & I that have had major heart surgery. The motto for IM which is "Anything is Possible" was on full display.

I hope my story has both inspired other to move foward in life through challenges and learn to never give up!

Recently in an interview I was asked, what this IM means to me and if it meant more now? Without hesitation my answer was "YES", I'm not chasing 10 hrs anymore, I'm out there truly enjoying the journey and appreciating my health, my 2nd chance to live my life and hopefully positively impact the lives of others.

Thank you to KHQ & IM for allowing me to share my story.

http://www.khq.com/category/195686/video-landing-page?clipId=5988986&autostart=true

http://ironman.com/columns/ironmanlife/kevin-mackinnon-profiles-some-inspiring-athletes-competing-this-weekend?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ironman%2Ftopstories+%28Ironman.com+Top+Stories%29#axzz1QICcMQC8

All this has taught me life is about living and truly following your passion, so tomorrow I wish everyone especially my teammates and athletes I coach all the best in follow their passion and seeing their dreams become reality! You're all racing as individuals, yet you'll stand strong through the challenges of IM and support each other to the finish! Be steady, patient and positive on your journey to the white line in the road! Remember you're stronger the you think you are and you can do more than you think you can!

Make your day truly special as it's not about the finish time it's all about the journey to the finish! Enjoy the journey my friends!

Lastly, this picture of my awesome wife Tristin says it all. She spent most of the day creating this amazing Ironman sign in support of all the Team Blaze athletes participating in IM. She's always so giving and supportive. When I think of how to describe an ideal friend, spouse and partner I would say someone just like my wife. She's the glue that positively impacts so many lives and makes me want to be a better father, husband and friend. I love you babe and don't worry about me on Sunday as I too will become an IM for the 4th time!

Thanks for reading!

Twas the week before Ironman

2011-06-20T06:56:00.000-07:00

Twas the the week before Ironman and all through house not creature was stirring not even our two hyper dogs Scooby and Barkley. Ok, I'll spare everyone the rest. I had someone ask me recently why or how could I even imagine doing my 4th IM only 6.5 months after heart surgery? Is that even possible? I responded, "yes, it's possible and I wouldn't want to live any other way." I know this lady is still probably shaking her head thinking this guy needs brain surgery not heart surgery I think they made a mistake.

In all seriousness though, anyone that knows me realizes I've always been driven and super competitve (marriage & fatherhood has helped me tone it down), although I'm always up for a challenge. So, May 12th I signed up for a big challenge which was to complete the IM only 6.5 months after heart surgery with 6.5 weeks of training. Good thing I know how to swim! I feel it is through these challenges in life that we truly learn about ourselves. As IM CDA is only one week away I'm excited about the opportunity to be free to live my life on my terms and use my god given gifts to inspire others to want more from their lives too.

During an interview recently with KHQ, I was asked why are you doing this again and what does it mean to you? I replied, "because I feel it's my 2nd chance and I'm blessed to be able to give back to others by hopefully inspiring someone that is facing a life challenge to NEVER give up as anything is possible!" The ability to do IM in my mind means I'm free and healthy again because as a funny friend once told me, "god has a plan for all of us". This question also prompted an emotional response as I honestly never thought I would be able to swim, bike and run about year ago when they first told me my heart wasn't working any more. Now that was a tough day, yet here I am IM CDA racer #1359 ready to take on the challenge. Yes, I expect IM day will tough and emotional, yet hopefully I'll be able to inspire others to live life to the fullest too.

Father & Son Triathlon

This journey to IM has been like no other as I've learned so much about the fact that as we give we truly shall receive through trying to be a good father, husband, friend and coach. I feel truly blessed to have the ability to help other people to guide their lives in a positive direction. My son continues to teach me patience and make me proud of all I learned from my parents about caring about people and taking the time to experience life together. My wife has taught me that the glass can always be half full and it's ok to not be first as long as you try your best. My friends have taught me that years and miles can't take away the bond of true friendship. Lastly, the amazing athletes I coach have inspired me to want to get back my fitness and share my gifts with others.

Recently we had out annual IM pre-race dinner at our house, we were fortunate to have two professional IM triathlon champions Hillary Biscay & Maik Twelsiek attend and generously shared their stories, tips, and pose for many photos. Hillary has completed 48 IM races around the world and Maik orginally from Germany had the fastest bike split in Kona last year with amazing 4:26! These two truly represent all that is good about the sport of triathlon where pro athletes are just regular people with extrodinary physical gifts and passion for life. Pro triathletes don't make a ton of money, but they get to live out the child like passion every day by swimming, biking, running and traveling the world! Thank you Jim Kozak with CycleMetrix http://www.cyclemetrix.com/.

Reece (5yrs) & I at the finish!

On Father's Day I got chance to complete a kids triathlon with my little buddy and we had blast! Reece as most of probably can imagine has been around triathlon and has attended workouts, races since he was a baby, so when he heard he could do another race he was super excited. He completed the 25 yard swim with his life jacket although he did put his face in the water, biked +1 mile, ran 1/3 mile and most importantly he finished with smile on his face. During the race he even tossed out a little train trash talk that made me laugh when he passed two kids on the bike and said to himself, "they can't catch me slow coach". (I had to remind him it was just a race against himself) After we finished he immediately ask me if he could get a snack and then he won a Cars slip and slide!

I believe that if want something in life you should go for it as the one of the many things I've learned is that life is both short and unpredicatable. Thank you to all my family, friends and athletes I coach coach for inspiring me to be a better person. I feel blessed to have my 2nd chance to truly enjoy the journey!

If you're not doing anything this coming Sunday I encourage you to come to IM CDA and support the 32 Team Blaze Spokane Triathlon Club http://www.teamblazespokane.com/ members participating!

Thanks everyone! I plan to truly enjoy this IM! I feel this video represents all that this journey means to me. Remember when you feel you can't go another step remember you CAN!

http://www.youtube.com/IronmanTriathlon#p/c/12431359D3D527B7/0/GRHxHapwirw

Thanks for reading!

11 days to Ironman CDA!

2011-06-15T14:35:00.000-07:00

As my 4th Ironman race approaches and I now have my race (#1359) I'm probably more excited about this IM than any other! This journey to IM and the white line in road has been completely different than the others due to my heart surgery. I've had probably the most challenging year of my life, yet I feel fortunate as I've grown and learned from my experience. I feel so blessed to be healthy again and able to participate again! It feels like a 2nd chance and I'm truly greatful for the opportunity to further share my passion for fitness and coaching gift with others.

One day after heart surgery. Wow, they really messed up my already big lips!

It took me along time to look at this picture as I was honestly scared I'd never be able to do all that I love to do again. I've had a long road to IM CDA 2011, which involved heart surgery only 6.5 months ago. As some of know I was told I would/should never swim, bike and run again back in July, which as you can imagine was not something I was willing to except. Being active and challenging myself has always been a huge part of my life. So, when my heart surgeon and cardiologist explained that replacing my mitral valve would allow me to be free to exercise again I felt a huge relief, although as with anything in life, there was no guarantee.

My son Reece & I (3 days post surgery)

About 1.5 weeks after surgery I thought I was feeling better so I decided to walk/jog Turkey Trot with my son Reece, which went OK except I was in a world on pain for the week following. It was another good lesson in patience, which is something I've always struggle with. After that I spent the next 10 weeks not able to do much and the highlights of my days involved seeing my family, coaching/talking with athletes and walking to get the mail.

By the end of January, I had passed all the follow up tests and I was told I could get back to light physical activity. So, I began by going to the pool. I got in and soon realized I couldn't really use my right arm as I had been protecting it for months as this is where they made the incisions to do my surgery. Tristin stood over the end of the pool worried that I going to sink as I swam about 500yds mostly with my left arm. I remember thinking and telling her, "wow, I've got a long way to go." She responded in her usually glass half full way and replied, "you now have as much time as you need." She and Reece (my son) were definitely my rocks that pulled me through the dark days.

I soon started to use the elliptical trainer/bike as I began with 15 min. and worked my way up from there. I joined other Team Blaze athletes for Sunday groups runs and although I had lost all fitness I didn't forget how to run. It was just great to be out there with everyone again. All the athletes I coach truly inspired me more than they realize to want to get my fitness back!

In April, we went to Hawaii and it was an amazing trip training with our friends/teammates and showing them the place we love! We spent a week on Oahu, which began with a practice triathlon with our old club Team Jet Hawaii http://www.teamjethawaii.com/. I was really excited to get out there and try to race again, however I learned another valuable lesson about patience during the practice triathlon. I felt great swimming, solid on the bike and then I ran about 1.5 miles only to feel really dizzy with my heart rate way too high. This really shook me mentally as I felt good, so why couldn't I just go out and race like before. Probably because I had just had heart surgery 4 month before, so I spent the next few days just appreciating being able to workout with the athletes training for IM CDA. Again Tristin, reminded me to be patient and enjoy being free to exercise.

It was during this week in Hawaii that I started thinking, "wouldn't it be cool if I could do IM CDA again this year?" I kept these thoughts to myself as I knew everyone would say, "you're crazy, wait until next year etc."

So, after wrestling in my mind with the idea and continuing to exercise I finally brought the idea up with my wife. I didn't really know how she would respond as anyone that has done IM knows it's a huge family commitment and if you don't have support from family you shouldn't take on the journey. She somewhat surprised me when she said, "you can do it, IF you take it easy."

Now the question was could I do the IM and take it easy? I felt confident that I could it as I had learned to be patient, so on May 12th I decide to sign up! The only problem was I only had 6.5 weeks to train, however I had tons of motivation and no illusions of trying to go 10hrs. My training has been great and I'm in much better shape than I was in April!

This journey to IM has been all about supporting others that have truly inspired and encouraged me through my recovery. It's also about proving to myself and others to never give up! As they say in IM, "anything is possible".

As I look forward with 10 days to go I feel calm and excited to be able to challenge myself and inspire others to realize life should be lived without limits. If you want something and you're willing to put in the training, you can do it!

I look forward to joining/supporting the athletes I coach and fellow Team Blaze Spokane Triathlon Club members in their IM journey to the white line in the road. Remember you're stronger than you think you are and you can do more than you think you can! Enjoy the journey!

Thank you Tristin and Reece for supporting me!.

Thanks for reading

Chasing the New PR

2011-05-21T22:11:00.000-07:00

Ironheart Classic Run

I've learned so much about life, faith, family and friends over the last year. As many of you know last June my journey through life took an unexpected turn. I had coached and trained with 20+ members of Team Blaze Spokane Triathlon Club for the Boise 70.3 Half Ironman. I felt the training went great and I thought I was ready for that "great day" we all search for in triathlon when all your hard work comes together. Unfortunately, my day didn't go as planned. I make no excuses as when we train and race we hope for the best and sometimes things happen like strong winds or kidney stones in my case that we can't overcome. It was during this race that my life and perspective about life truly changed. While completing the run during Boise 70.3 IM, I sudden began to feel a sharp pain in my side/lower back that didn't feel like a normal side stitch and continued to become more painful moving to my groin. This was obviously not the way I had envisioned my day, however even though I was struggling I thought I should finish even though it was an hour slower than planned. I learned at young age through my parents to always finished what you start, so I pressed on and finished albeit literally in shock.

About a week later after returning to training I began to feel short of breathe and dizzy, which I ignored due to my competitive drive. I should have listened to the warning signs, however fortunately for me about a week later I started coughing uncontrollably and began to get dizzy again at Team Blaze practice tri. I was frustrated and when I returned home I realize I was coughing up blood and my wife said, "we're going to the ER!' After arriving at the ER, again fortunately the ER Dr. noticed irregular EKG and I was admitted to the Sacred Heart Hospital. I spent the next 3 days in the hospital as they tried to figure out what was wrong with me.

Fast forward to Nov. 15th after months of frustration and fatigue, I was scheduled for mitral valve repair heart surgery, which ended up resulting in mitral valve replacement surgery. I spent the next 10 weeks unable to do anything except recover and reflect on life. I learned to have a greater appreciation for the gifts given to me. It was during this process that I realized to be truly happy and fulfilled in my life I needed to share my gifts and inspire other to live an inspired life!

My recovery has been a long slow process and taught be to be patient. I began my road back to "Chasing the New PR" at the end of February. At this time I couldn't lift my right arm above my shoulder, so my comfort and stress reducer which had always been swimming was even challenging. I began with 15 min. elliptical workouts, 20 min rides, floating/kicking/single arm swimming in the pool and before I knew it my fitness started to improve! I then took a trip to Hawaii in April with family and friends training for Ironman CDA, on this trip I realized I had a long way to go and during the week I actually got stronger!

Upon returning to Spokane, I started thinking about the possibility of racing again. I was told last July to forget about triathlons and running races as it would be selfish of me to continue due to the risk. Fortunately, I had been given the misdiagnosis of HCM (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy).

I decided through this process to get involved with organizations like Ironheart Racing Team http://www.ironheartracing.com/ and Nick of Time Foundation http://nickoftimefoundation.org/ to raise awareness about heart health and screening in young people to prevent sudden cardiac arrest.

On May 21st, decided to participate in my first race since heart surgery to support these awesome organization and test my fitness. I decided to run the 4 miler, although after recently deciding to sign up for IM CDA knew I needed to run longer than 4 miles. So, began the day with a longer than normal warm up of 4 miles, which basically involved running the course. I thought I could comfortable run 7 min. pace and actually didn't even wear my Garmin, so I would have no idea of my pace. I decided to run by feel considering I was in fact "Chasing the New PR!" I was pleasantly surprised to be running with the faster group, so I figured I must be doing OK! After I reached the 2 mile turn around I realized they were all running the 8 miler, so I was in 1st place. When started heading back all the other runners were cheering me on including my wife (Tristin running) and son (Reece riding his bike). As ran back I too encouraged other runners in return although when I reached mile 3 mile I was getting tired and mustered only a wave. It had been almost 1 year since I'd felt that deep in your gut burning feeling of knowing your pushing it! I was trying to focus on turnover and breathing while not getting caught. As I approached about 1/2 mile to go I looked back and saw another guy trying to run me down, so my competitive juices kicked and I decided if I put a surge on thinking I could maybe trick him into thinking I wasn't tired. (Oh the mental games we play when we're tired!) When I could see the finish I looked back and realized I was going to run a solid first race back at 6:20 pace and win the first running race of my life! As I told a fellow Team Blaze member recently, when you win or PR you cherish it as we can't control who shows up instead we can only control our own training and effort.

It really felt great to be chasing the new PR! Now I need to keep the fire burning as I only have 5 weeks to IM CDA and I'm excited to truly enjoy the journey!

Thank you to my family and co-workers at Alere that came out today to support this awesome event. Great job David Watkins for putting on a great first event with the Ironheart Classic http://ironheartracing.com/ironheart-classic/. Our family enjoyed our trip!

Thanks for reading! Remember to enjoy the journey and live an inspired life!

Balanced Life Recovery

2011-05-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

Life can get busy sometimes and I can't believe it's been over a month since my last blog post. I continue to feel blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life and feel like life is finally returning to a balanced state of normal.

I've recently had some great adventures with family and friends! We took an trip to Oahu, Hawaii in April as a family with friends in our Team Blaze Spokane Triathlon Club joining us for an awesome vacation! We were able to do all the things I love which include: exercise, laugh and spend quality time together in paradise!

Each morning we got up early and I worked out with some of the athletes I coach. It was fun to be out there again training with others and enjoying the warm weather! It was during this week in Hawaii that I started to feel the my fitness and health was finally returning after heart surgery. During the week I regained motivation to exercise as I finally started to regain fitness and it didn't feel like a struggle!

Reece & I sharing one of our favorite family activities going to the water park. I'm amazed at how brave my little buddy can be! Now that he continues to grow like a weed, he's tall enough to go on the scariest slides in the park! He continues to keep Tristin & I on our toes and bring so much joy into our lives. Being a parent as most of you know isn't easy, but kids can literally touch our heart like nothing else.

Team Blaze bike training in Hawaii! We had some great rides, laughs and life memories!

It was during this week I started to think maybe I could try to do IM CDA 2011? I kept this thought to myself for about a month, yet continued to feel something pulling toward the white line at the end of the IM 140.6 mile journey. I realize some people will say Scott/Coach Scott, you're crazy you just had heart surgery in November, so wait for next year. Yes, I know but....

Reece's Red Lion Soccer Team

I decided this Spring that my life wasn't busy enough, so I decided to coach Reece's soccer team as I wanted him to have positive experience with being part of a team! The Red Lions are a fun group of 5-6 yr olds that had never played soccer before, however in the last 6 weeks the kids have really improved! Our focus is on having fun and learning that exercise can be fun, however they have been developing skills, scoring lots of goals and winning too! (oh wait, we're not suppose to keep score =)) This experience has once again taught me that in life by giving we shall receive joy in return. Good times!

Tobin, Suzanne & I @ Race for the Cure 5K

After we returned from Hawaii, my wife Tristin had organized a Team Blaze Race for the Cure Team! We all know someone that has been impacted by cancer and recently this has unfortunately impacted the lives of our family and friends. Tristin unfortunately got sick before the run with a bad cold, so I decide the night before to run the 5K in pink with one of the athletes I coach and show my support.

Last weekend as we usually do, we tried to cram in family fun! Reece had always talked about wanting to go fishing, so we signed up for Kids Fishing Day through WA Fish & Game. As you can see by the photo Reece was super proud of his big catch! I think the Rainbow Trout was at least 16-18" and 5 lbs, which will provide great memories and conversation for years!

(Norma my IM CDA 2011 race partner, Tristin & I )

Norma (an athlete I coach and inspiration), Tristin & I. At the end of June Norma will be one of the 18 athletes I'm coaching this year for IM CDA. I plan to complete the bike and run with her as it will her first IM and my 6 month anniversary of my heart surgery!

As I mentioned earlier in my blog post I've thought about participating in IM CDA 2011. Yes, I know some of you are thinking is Scott/Coach Scott crazy???? Well maybe..... however I was told last year I could never swim, bike and run again, so completing this IM for me is my way of saying life should be lived on our terms. For me this is another step in my life to feeling free to live and possibly inspire others along the way!

When you fill out a the IM race application they ask you serious of questions which really got me thinking about the "why?". So , here is my reasons for wanting to take on this 140.6 mile journey to the white line.

Significant Personal Achievements

Returning to full health and recovery after mitral valve replacement surgery in Nov. of 2010.

Why have you sought Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene entry?

In 2010, I was told I could never swim, bike or run again due to an initial diagnosis of an enlarged heart and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which fortunately was a misdiagnosis. I was however diagnosed with severe mitral valve prolapse and regurge. This required robotic heart surgery in Nov. of 2010 to replace my mitral valve with a mechanical St. Jude mitral valve and require that I take coumadin the rest of my life. The IM CDA 2011 will be about 6 months after surgery and reinforce to me that I'm living on my terms again. I want to inspire others to enjoy the journey through life, never give up and follow their dreams/passion for living! I feel blessed to be alive, healthy and inspire others to realize anything is possible!

Interesting facts about you

Father, husband, coach to 150 athletes 27 of which are racing IM CDA 2011!

Please share significant information relating to your Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene training or participation

I had heart surgery on Nov.15th 2010, so I began this IM journey with zero fitness when I got clearance to start exercising again in February. As I began to exercise I couldn't even lift my right above my shoulder and running 1 mile was tough as I had lost all fitness, although I had some tough days I always remained optimistic that if I took the right approach I could return. Over next three months I became inspired by all the athletes I coach and decided I wanted to support and share the journey with them. So, on June 26th I'll be out there completing the IM journey to reach the white line in the road.
It's been encouraging to see how the fitness has slowly come back as last year I was told to forget about my old life of endurance sports, which I refused to accept. I'm swimming as fast if not faster than before, although I've been really consistent and specific with swimming 3xweek. I really haven't biked that much 2x weekly (one interval/one longer aerobic ride), however two weeks ago I rode 60 windy miles averaging solid pace and HR. The running has FINALLY (test in patience) started to come around as I ran 6.5 mile @ 7:15 pace yesterday and recently ran 15 miles run @ 8 min. pace!

The nice thing with doing IM this way is that it hasn't been hanging over me, plus I have no pressure to go faster than I should and end up having a suffering negative experience. Instead I can support other club members especially on the run! I'm truly looking forward to the joining the other 27 Team Blaze athletes that inspire me as a coach and athlete more than they realize. Ironman like life is truly a journey with highs and lows, however after you complete the journey you learn many life lessons along the way!

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Sunday, June 26, 2011

2.4 mile swim / 112 mile bike / 26.2 mile run

IM CDA race day for me isn't about chasing a PR, instead it's going to be a long day of enjoying the experience and supporting those that have supported and inspired me through a challenging last year of heart surgery. I better start training, as I only have 6.5 weeks until IM! Remember to enjoy the journey and live an inspired life!

Enjoy the journey and remember to live an inspired life as anything is possible if you mind to it.

Thanks for reading!

Why....

2011-03-05T15:08:00.000-08:00

Wes Leonard, 16yr old , Michigan student/athlete

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/41901127/ns/sports-other_sports/

As I went about my morning routine of watching ESPN yesterday, I heard another heart wrenching example of life ended all too soon. Wes Leonard was 16yr old truly a student athlete and All American kid who had just hit the game winning shot in a basketball game and soon collapsed on the court. He had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and died on the court due to an undiagnosed enlarged heart. In my journey through life, I’m always in search of answers to the “why” questions. I do believe god has a plan for all of us, however sometimes I struggle with the rationale behind unfortunate life ending situations.

As many of you know I went through my own challenges and fortunately I’ve come out of it all with a positive health outcome. I’m now back to coaching, swimming, biking, running and skiing. It feels amazing to be free again to live an inspired life! I feel truly blessed to be able to share passion for health, fitness, and life with others. I’m thankful, yet reminded daily about how precious life can be.

Recently, my uncle David recently went in the Dr. with a bad cold only to find out it was more serious, his health began to worsen by the day and after weeks of hospitalization, drugs and sedation he wasn’t improving. It saddens me to say he passed away this week. I realize as does my wonderful aunt Rita that he’s in a more peace place, but it again leaves me wondering “why”. He was husband, father, grandfather and cancer survivor. I don’t feel we should live our lives in bubble, although with family members diagnosed with repeated cancer battles and pulmonary distress, I often think how much should an individual be expected to perservere through in life? It truly inspires me to see the will and courage that some people display through their individual life journey.

Uncle David with his grandson Sawyer!

I now have a different perspective of life and faith relative to my own journey. I’ve always believed life is
worth living to the fullest. If you want to do something in this journey through life you should do it sooner than later in order to live life with no regret.

As most of you know the early detection of potentially life threatening heart conditions is near and dear to my heart. I'm now part Ironheart Racing Team and looking for ways to raise awareness to help prevent and protect people through early detection. www.ironheartracing.com

This is happening all too often, and as many of you know, this is something that I take personally as I was one of the lucky ones as they caught my heart issues last June after I began coughing up blood and feeling dizzy. The only reason they caught my heart condition was through an echocardiogram considering I didn't have a heart murmur. Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the sudden onset of an abnormal and lethal heart rhythm. SCA is the leading cause of death in the U.S., afflicting over 300,000 individuals per year (more than breast cancer and AIDS combined). SCA is also the leading cause of sudden death in exercising young athletes.

I'm trying to do something about it and I need your help. On May 21, The Ironheart Racing Team http://ironheartracing.com will host the Ironheart Classic, http://classic.ironheartracing.com a 4 mile fun run/walk and an 8 mile run to benefit the Nick of Time Foundation. http://nickoftimefoundation.org.

With your help, the Nick of Time Foundation will continue to educate and assist students, parents, teachers, coaches and community leaders by providing free youth cardiac screenings, on site assessments, readiness drills and educational resources in an effort to reduce and prevent sudden cardiac arrest. Schools are responsible for a dense population of children and adults, and are frequently the site of sporting events and other community gatherings. Studies suggest that up to 1 in 25 schools will have a cardiac medical emergency on school grounds each year.

Just last week, the Nick of Time screened over 200 students at South Whidbey High School. Of those, 9 were found to need further monitoring and 2 students were identified as needing immediate follow-up due to a potential life-threatening cardiac abnormality (and are now being seen at Seattle Children's Heart Center. Similar results were seen at their screening at Jackson High School in Mill Creek, Auburn High School and numerous schools in the Seattle Public District. Bottom Line: The Nick of Time is saving lives. One of these could be that of your own child, neighbor, nephew, niece or friend.

I encourage you all to take a quick look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHD_uSlYZfQ. This will give you a snapshot as to who the Nick of Time is and why they do what they do. Because these are free screenings, they run on donations and fundraising. This is where the Ironheart Classic and Nick of Time needs your assistance.

There are a number of ways to help:

Pass the registration link and/or this email to all of your active friends, family and colleagues. We need their help also. http://classic.ironheartracing.com

Can't make it, but would still like to make a contribution? There are two ways, either at http://www.active.com/donate/ironheartclassic or your can donate directly through Ironheart Racing at http://www.active.com/donate/ironheartracingteam1 . All donations are tax deductible.

I wish I had the answer to why young people like Wes Leonard and hundreds of other young student/athletes are taken from us all too soon, although I do feel that this is another example of why organization like Iron Heart Racing Team (www.ironheartracing.com ) and Nick of Time Foundation are so important in early detection.

Remember to enjoy the journey by maintaining your faith, positive outlook and passion for living life. I continue to learn the importance of living an inspired life and giving back by inspiring others. The older I get the more I realize that life should be lived and not taken for granted.

Are you living an inspired life? Are you enjoying your journey?

Thanks for reading!

Reflection & Resolution

2011-01-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

I've had many days to reflect on my journey through life over the last 7 weeks while recovering from heart surgery. During this time not a day went by that I didn't think about how fortunate I am be surrounded by a wonderful family and life long friends that have lifted me up and inspired me through a challenging time in my life. It's impossible to thank everyone, however I truly appreciate all the emails, calls, visits in the hospital and prayers.

(Reece & I in 2005)

As I reflected on everything I took the time to check out all the old pictures that truly warm my heart with amazing memories. Some people say a picture is worth a thousand words. When I think about my son Reece and the fact he was born 6.5 weeks early I think about how fortunate we are to have this amazing little man in our life. He spent 4 weeks in the NICU and then came home on monitor for the first 3 months. I learned as all new parents do there is nothing like hold a baby on your chest and falling asleep.

Reece, Scooby and Barkley 2005

(Reece at 1yr)

This is another picture that always makes me smile when I think about all the love he's brought into our life. He was an relaxed baby that was always smiling and laughing. A baby's genuine laughter represents all that is good in life.

Reece and Tristin in Hawaii 2006

(Reece & Tristin 2006)

This was Reece's first trip Hawaii. We've already decided he needs to go college at UH so we'll have reason to come visit every year. Who knows we may end up back in Hawaii someday full time?

(Chicago Marathon 2006)

This was an amazing family trip to Chicago. I was fortunate to be part of the New Balance Global Centennial Team which provide an all expenses paid trip to run the Chicago Marathon. The entire experience was like a dream come true as I had trained for 6 months and I finally ran under 3 hrs! After 3 previous attempts I finally qualified for the Boston Marathon in April of 2007. I'm so glad I was able to share this with Tristin, Reece and my mom. Thanks for all braving the frigid cold and supporting me!

(Team Blaze members at the Turkey Trot 2007)

This photo is significant it represents some of the special people in our lives that have become good friends, enjoy having fun and triathlons! It was almost exactly one year after we thought we were having another child only to learn that life doesn't always make sense. We not only realized we weren't having another child as planned, but instead my beautiful wife and wonderful mother to Reece almost died in the process. This was probably the most helpless I've ever felt in my life as I watch my wife go from 100% healthy to being admitted to the hospital with unknown complications related to an internal staff infection that wasn't responding to antibotics. Tristin was so brave and courageous as she had to have multiple surgeries and staying in the SHMC for 6 of 8 weeks. Unfortunately, we learned we could only have one child, however the positive result was finally Tristin was healthy again. It made us both realize how fortunate we are to have Reece. I will never forget the support provide through all our Team Blaze friends!

IM Canada 2008

Ironman Canada was my 3rd IM distance adventure since 2004 and provided a great family trip to the beautiful Penticton BC. Tristin, Reece, my parents and Team Blaze friends all came to Canada too, so it was great to have an awesome support team! If you're looking for an amazing, unique and challenging IM course this is the race for you!

Reece's first bike race Sept. 2009

Chelan Triathlon (July 2010)

This picture represents another special weekend where Tristin and I raced a triathlon together after I was told I could/should never do another triathlon again after being diagnosed with a heart condition. I had strict order I had to let Tristin set the pace, so after the swim we rode and ran together! Reece also compete in his first kids triathlon and rocked the bike with no training wheels! This had to be one of the highlights of my summer as we camped out for the first time as a family with other Team Blaze athletes and families!

October 2010

During my year of bumps in the road Reece was such brave and helpful little man. He would always try to make me feel better. Wow, how he has changed over the last 5 yrs! Tristin was always there to lift me up and help me sort through my life changing before me. I now look forward to all life experiences and memories that are in front of us!

(Reece & I running together in Coeur d'Alene on January 1st)

I'm so glad I have picture to represent my first run back after heart surgery. As many of you know I have passion for my family, exercise and helping others achieve their goals. I feel blessed as I look forward to 2011 with unlimited possibilities and experiences ahead.

I recently went back to my follow up with my heart surgeon and cardiologist to hear the great news that all the test indicate that I'm headed in a positive direction! Now I just need to regain my fitness and mojo for exercise as I'm out of shape! Oh well, one day at time as I'm just blessed to be free and healthy again!

What are my resolutions for 2011?

I'm not sure. I'm still sorting through my new found freedom to live my life again and enjoy it one day at time! I know that I won't take my family, friends and health for granted. I'm happy to report I've now complete my first week of light exercise and I feel great! I plan to continue to look for ways to give back and inspire others!

Here is one great group I'm working with in 2011 called Ironheart Racing Team. http://www.ironheartracing.com/ I really want to try to use my situation as a way to encourage early detection and testing to raise awareness with athletes of all ages regarding healthy heart living!

Live life with no regrets! Remember to enjoy the journey!

Thanks for reading and supporting!

Thankful, Inspired & Blessed in 2010

2010-12-24T15:42:00.000-08:00

As 2010 comes to a close, I reflect and celebrate all that I'm thankful for this year. As many of you know I've had probably the one of the most challenging, yet inspiring years of my life. I started the year with great health, loving family and supportive family/friends.

Unfortunately, life has a way of not always going as planned and I experienced a few bumps in the road. My health challenges began in June during the Boise 70.3 when I started to pass a kidney stone on the run and soon realized all my goals were now out the window, however I felt it was important to finish what I started and get to the finish time. As I was recovering from this experience I began to notice shortness of breath as I tired to run. I told my wife I thought something was wrong and she said, "go to the doctor", so I did and they took some blood, etc., sending me on my way feeling everything was fine.

Two days later I realized everything wasn't fine as I attempted to participate in a practice triathlon with Team Blaze Spokane Triathlon Club (http://www.teamblazespokane.com/) which is an inspiring and support group of people who I get the pleasure of coaching. As I got off my bike to run as I had done a thousand times before I began to cough and cough while feeling light headed I finally had to stop after 2.5 miles. Needless to say I was frustrated and knew my body well enough to now something wasn't right.

As I returned home still coughing and I notice that I was coughing up blood. I was somewhat concerned, however Tristin was persistent that we go to the ER. So, before I knew I was being admitted to Sacred Heart Medical Center for follow up tests. It was during my 3 days at SHMC that an Echo Tech noticed my Mitral Valve wasn't closing properly, which could explain some of my symptoms.  This set in motion probably one of the most difficult times in my life when I felt like my future was out of my control. I was initially diagnosed with possible HCM or Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Mitral Valve Prolapse. This caused me to react the only way I knew how which was to learn as much as I could about the unknown. It was a scary time to think I was being to told to never swim, bike or run again and triathlon were now part of my old life.

I was frustrated and needed more answers. I feel so blessed to have connected with Dr. Eric Anderson as he didn't realize it at the time, however the :45 minutes he spent with me made huge difference in my mental outlook on the situation. He's not only a great sport medicine doctor, he's also a father and amazing athlete. He could relate to me desire to continue to be active and offered to facilitate my care if the heart tests were inconclusive. In small world twist it turns out Dr. Anderson is my neighbor, however hopefully I'll only see him that capacity in the future! Thank you Tom Deheart and Heidi Peterson for the referral.

In October, after what seemed like an eternity of more questions than answers I completed my 5th heart test and I now had some answers as to why I was experiencing fatigue and my body wasn't allowing me the freedom to do all that I enjoy. The interesting aspect of now having the answers relates to the fact that now I had to make some decisions about my future.  As this process began in June when I first met with the cardiologist the thought of surgery was something I strongly resisted, however as I learned more about the process I realized at 37 years old I desired the ability to live a long and healthy life free of restrictions. So, the reality of having robotic heart surgery was becoming more realistic.

I remember feeling more nervous than at any other time in my life when met with the heart surgeon for the first time. He asked me if I was prepared to sit on couch like a normal person and let all this exercise go?  My response to him was again a question, do you feel like this is living?  After that brief exchange we began to discuss my options. Unfortunately, my Mitral Valve was so compromised to the point that a basic repair might not be possible which I'll admit was tough to hear. Tristin asked the Dr. Swick about how confident he was that he could repair the valve? He paused for longer than I would like and replied that he was 70% sure he could repair it.

As many of you know that have supported me through this journey through heart surgery, I ended up having to make difficult decision which I felt 100% confident with my mechanical mitral valve put in if the repair didn't work. Other than having to take Coumadin the rest of my life and hearing a slight ticking noise when I exercise, I feel so thankful to be on the road to recovery, healthy and alive.

(The amazing piece of art created by team Blaze member Mason McCuddin (Thank you!) was an ideal reminder with the names of all the club members inscribed as to how many people were lifting me up and supporting my through my surgery! It is also a reminder as to the fact I literally put my heart, my life in the hands of god and through him was Dr. Siwek was successful with my surgery. I'm so thankful to be on the road to recovery!)

As a coach of several athletes I feel fortunate to be able to guide on their individual journeys in setting and reaching goals. Recently, I had the pleasure of coaching and being inspired by two amazing athletes that I also consider good friends. They both accomplished different goals and helped me to maintain a positive spirit through their actions.

(Norma with Tristin and I)

Recently, Norma qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater and finished 10th in her Age Group. She continues to set goals, improve and inspire with her focus on consistency. Over the last few years she has qualified for the Boston Marathon and 70.3World Championship! I look forward to coaching her for IM CDA in 2011!

(Chet#10459 is standing next to me after the Honolulu Marathon and Charles Dias on the far right)

Chet recently lived out his dream and repeated his 20 x Ironman effort from 12 yrs ago. Chet contacted me about a year ago and ask me to coach him through this amazing event. Starting on November 13th and concluding on Dec. 12th, he completed a 48 mile swim, 1200 mile bike and 524 mile run! Chet did an excellent job of losing +30 lbs and finished what he started! He proved to many that anything is possible if you stay positive and focused as the mind is a powerful thing. As an example of the good in people, Charles also pictured above supported Chet everyday for 28 days taking time off work and away from family to assure the Chet accomplished his goal.

(Ultra Marathon finish March 2010)

In closing out the year, I've learned so many valuable lessons this year about faith, positive mental focus, friendship and family. Life isn't fair and no one every said it would be, however I feel if we all just take time to reflect, support and give back to each other the world becomes a better place. In life we will all experience bumps in the road, although I truly feel it is how we respond or react to this challenges that defines us. I knew that during this journey the only thing I could control is the ability to maintain a positive outlook and spirit. This wasn't easy, however through faith, friendship and family I knew I wasn't alone. Words can't expressed how much I appreciate all the support and encouragement provided to me through this bump in the road.

As I look forward to 2011 with wide eyed optimism I'm reminded through my 5 yrs. of all the good and simple things in life. Each day he's learning, growing and inspiring! Thank you little buddy!

Words can't express how much I appreciate my awesome wife for blessing my life with unconditional love and support! You're my best friend, partner in adventure and wonderful mother!

All the best in 2011 and remember to enjoy the journey!

Team Blazer Fun November 2011

Thanks for reading, encouraging, inspiring, and supporting!

Road to Recovery

2010-11-24T18:41:00.000-08:00

Words can't begin to explain how good it feels to be alive and on the other side of this surgery. Of course I always try to think positively, however with any major surgery there is no guarantee. I prayed for the best case scenario which in my case would have been to get my mitral valve repaired. I knew going into the surgery the valve function wouldn't allow for a routine repair due to the fact I had mitral valve prolapse and mitral valve regurgitation. I had prepared myself for both the repair and replacement options.

After 4hrs of surgery the surgeon came to my wife (Tristin) and explained he wasn't pleased when they tested the valve function after the repair. The valve function had improved, however he wasn't sure it would hold up over time. So, he confirmed with her again that I would in fact want a mechanical valve. He also gave the option of taking up golf and just changing my lifestyle completely, which Tristin quickly informed him wasn't an option. Thanks honey for being my #1 support!

My surgeon headed back into finish the mitral valve repair. So, all together my surgery took about 6 hrs and they stopped/started my heart twice. (crazy when you think about it!) I did put my life in someone else's hands and feel fortunate to have Dr. Siwek in Spokane. He's an amazing surgeon, however I hope to have to never use his services again!

Once I finished surgery on Nov. 15th, I spent until 9pm at night with tube down my throat (probably the worst part of the whole experience). I stayed in the ICU overnight and then at 8am the next day they wheeled my upstairs to my own room.   I was so thankful to be making progress, although the first day everything was moving slow. It was great to have so many family and friends visit me in the hospital. I knew I had many amazing people in my life, however this experience once again confirmed it.

On Nov. 16th, I think I walked 150 ft twice during the day, my throat hurt worse than anything because of the tube irritating plus I had fat lip too, but I wasn't complaining as I was glad to be feeling alive! I didn't have much of an appetite, coughed all night and popsicles/ice were amazing treats. I used the spirometer and spend most of the day sleeping. I was coughing a lot (painful!) and running temperature. That night sleep was rough due to the sore throat and coughing. The highlight of my day was seeing family and friends throughout the day!

On Nov. 17th, I didn't sleep well due to the coughing/sore throat and multitude of tests, although it was again great to see family and more friends come to visit me. I really start feeling better and walked more the double the distance of the day before. I tried to eat, but that was limited to jello, pudding and apple sauce. As the day progressed I continued to run a temperature of 100, although they did remove the big tubes from my neck!  I started to look forward to all the little things that indicated I could get out of the hospital! At the end day three I thought I might end up there until Friday due the fact I still had a few tubes in my chest, although I just kept trying to do as they instructed and found the coughing did finally start to subside!

On the Nov. 18th during the rounds the PA said they were going to try to get me out of there today! I was pleasantly surprised and now I just need a few chest tubes removed! I was finally able to get out on the hospital and home by 2pm!

It's hard to imagine that one week ago I had heart surgery, although I pleased to report I'm getting stronger each day! Yes, I'm tried and sore, but more importantly I feel blessed with life! I'm realistic and I know I have a long road of recovery ahead of me. I've been getting a ton of rest and I've had time to think about all the fun adventures that I want to plan in the coming years.   My #1 goal initially is to make sure I'm completely healthy before I jump back into my active life too soon.

I'd like to share two amazing resources I came across through this process to help me during this experience. I found people that are dealing with a similar surgery too provide amazing perspective and support. If you know someone that is dealing with any life changing decisions regarding heart surgery I encourage you to share these two websites. http://valvereplacement.org/ http://www.cardiacathletes.org.uk/forums/index.php

My road to recovery is just beginning, yet my life is fulled with endless possibilities. I've learned so many lessons through this process about myself. I only hope to continue to grow as husband, father, son, friend and coach to live my life in a way that inspires and supports others. I realize that I want to live a life of giving more than I take.

In moving past this bump in the road I realize the challenges of life have a way of providing insight into the true character of people and importance of family & friends. Thank you all for supporting, encouraging and inspiring me through this process!

Enjoy the journey!

Heart Surgery

2010-11-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

In life we all come to a crossroads or point in life where we need to trust that the decisions we make are the right ones. For me that decision like this surgery has mentally weighed me down for months, although fortunately I've had family and friends to pick me back up. My surgery and decision is now only days away.

My surgery is scheduled for a robotic mitral valve repair which now has become more routine (so I hear) although this is my heart and I really hope the repair is successful. Before I go into surgery I have to let Dr. Siwek (my heart surgeon) know if I want a biological or mechanical valve if the repair doesn't work. I've read endless research articles and talked with others, although this is my decision. The list of Pros vs. Cons has consumed my thoughts lately. The reality is that I won't know until I wake up after surgery of the outcome, so I've tried to prepare for both outcomes.

So, what would you do? I hope everyone reading this doesn't ever have to decide. I can go with biological valve and probably be fine for the next 10-15 or so years, although it would eventually have to be replaced. Ultimately just like anything in life there is no guarantee. I could get the mechanical valve and it might last the rest of my life, although it might not. If I decided to go with mechanical valve I'd need to take blood thinners for the rest of my life and I already don't like to take anything. This really is the most difficult decision of my life and I hope by Monday morning I can make the decision with more confidence than I have now.

I've had so much on my mind lately that I feel I'm running the race of my life mentally everyday. This surgery is serious business and as much as I'm trying to pray for positive outcomes my life will literally be in the hands of another. Scary thought! I know the surgeon is excellent, however like anything in life there is no guarantee.

I find myself for the first time in my life truly reflecting on my journey through life from a different perspective. I'm asking myself questions that I've never really thought much about due to the fact this major surgery and I have more anxiety than I've had at any time in my life. I've tried through this process to maintain my spirit, focus on the things I can control and come to understand that god truly does have a plan for all of us.

But the questions are still there.....Why me? What am I suppose to learn from this? What will I change in my life moving forward? How did I go from feeling in the best shape of my life in June to heart surgery? How can I use this experience to help others? Are my parents/wife/son/family and friends proud of me? I know the answers to some of these questions and plan to resolve others after surgery.

OK, OK.... enough of these questions. My point is that I think all of us take life for granted at some point and forget to enjoy the little things or small successes along the way. I know I have a long life to live, so I pray god will let me continue to inspire and touch the lives of others. It may be through supporting my family or helping teach people to live a healthy life of balance with goals to be all they can be. I encourage everyone to find a way to give back and take time to enjoy the journey through life.

Did I think at 37 yrs old I'd be having heart surgery? Of course not, however one thing I've learned through this process is that life is completely unpredictable. All I can do is maintain a positive outlook and spirit as I put my life in the hands of others.

I'm going to Sacred Heart Medical Center on Monday, Nov. 15th at 4:45am to prepare to have surgery at 7:15am. I'll be in the hospital for 3 to 4 days. Thank you to everyone that has supported me through this bump in the road journey through life. I feel so fortunate to have such an amazing support system of family and friends that will here for me when I wake up after surgery.

Thanks for reading and remember to enjoy the journey!

Patience, Heart & Spirit

2010-10-13T09:51:00.000-07:00

I recently celebrated my 10th wedding anniversary with my amazing wife by running the Portland Half Marathon on 10-10-10! We spent a fun weekend with family and friends. Despite all the rain during the run we were able to share another special experience together.

As we drove back to Spokane after the run I reflected on the last 10 yrs with all the highs and lows knowing how fortunate I am to be with someone that loves and supports me. My wife has taught me to be patient and realize what is truly important in my life. She is a wonderful mother, friend and she has special spirit that is contagious.

After we returned to Spokane the reality set in that my appointment with the surgeon to discuss my future and literally put my heart in hand was here. I've had about 6 weeks to reflect on the news provided through my last visit to the cardiologist that I needed mitral valve repair surgery. As my appointment with the surgeon became a reality today and my anxiety was at new high. I'm ready to move passed this bump in the road, however when I was waiting to meet with the surgeon I had so many thoughts about the future racing through my head. When the surgeon came in and ask about the how I felt about sitting on the couch the rest of my life I immediately responded by saying I didn't feel that was living. All I want is the ability to be free to live a long healthy life. If I can do triathlons and run marathons again that would be a bonus, although I just want to live without restrictions.

The surgeon explained that I had a few options....
#1) Robotic Mitral Valve Repair Surgery
#2) Robotic Mitral Valve Replacement Surgery if the repair doesn't work

How is robotic heart mitral valve repair different from traditional surgery?

Three tiny incisions (holes or “ports”) are made in between the ribs

The robotic arms and a tiny camera are placed through the ports

Motion sensors are attached to the robotic “wrists” so the surgeon can control the movement

Instruments are placed in the robotic arms

The surgeon sits at a computer and looks through two lenses, one for each eye, connected to two cameras inside the patient. The surgeon has a three-dimensional and magnified view inside the patient’s body. The surgeon uses pedals to control the cameras and the surgical view. The surgeon’s hands are used to control the tiny instruments inside the patient. The surgeon is always in control and there is no chance the robotic arms will move on their own.

When my ever questioning wife ask about the odds the repair would be successful the surgeon put my odds at 70%. I would love to have heard 100%, although the reality is if I don't have surgery my life will only become more limited. It's surreal to think I felt in the best shape of my life in June and now I'm praying that this surgery works to allow me maintain a healthy quality of life.

I've learned so many lesson through the last four months about maintaining a positive spirit and outlook. I figure I only have one journey through life and I want to feeling like I'm living. This experience has completely tested my patience, expanded my view of faith and provided me with life perspective. I appreciate all that I have in my life and look forward to all my life that is before me. My heart may be in need of repair, however my spirit will remain strong.

My surgery is set for Nov.15th. I can't express how fortunate I feel to have such an amazing support system of family & friends that continue to help guide me through the next phase of this life changing journey.

Thanks for reading!

The Glass Half Full

2010-09-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

Reece (1st day of school age 5)

I've always been fascinated by the mind-body connection and how that impacts all areas of life. As I continue to sort through the reality that my body isn't going to heal itself I've reached out to various means to help me deal with the mental side of these new physical limitations.

I'm so fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing support system of loving family and friends to pull me through the days when my mind will run a race that has no end. The one thing I've realized through this process is the importance of being thankful and appreciative of all the wonderful aspects of my life. The last 3 months has been tougher mentally than I could have imagined. I've gone from feeling in the best shape of my life with the freedom to push my physical limits to wondering what the true meaning of my life involves.

I've never really bought into the spiritual side of life. I believe in God, although I've never felt the need to go to church as a means to show faith. Is this wrong, maybe or maybe not. My point is that I feel everyone has to believe and live within their comfort level. My comfort level has never been through going to church every Sunday and especially when I felt that was forced upon me. This summer I've found through reading more about examples of faith and talking to friends that I'm more at easy with some of the "why" questions.

I learned that God does have a plan for all of us and although sometimes it seems he gives people more than they can handle if they are willing to open up he will guide them through their faith and lead them to the answers. I've read two great books recently...."One Month to Live" (Thank you Kim for sharing this great book with me as it's really helped to bring my current life into perspective) and "Running on Faith" is the other book I'm currently reading which I also highly recommend for anyone that has any doubts about what is truly possible in life. The book is close to my heart as it relates to the parallels between endurance sports and life through the perspective of someone that was guided by his faith to overcome all physical barriers in life through his will and mental strength. Ok, I'm not going to ruin it for anyone, however I encourage you to read these books as they've really helped me to refocus and feel like I'm still living my life albeit through a different lens.

This has never been more clear than through my recent Cardiology tests and appointments where I was told that my mitral valve in heart was in fact in need of repair. I've tried not to live in denial this summer, although I must say when I went in for this last test on August 30th I had almost convinced myself that I was feeling better so my heart must have just healed itself this summer due to my relative inactivity. I was hoping they would say everything looks great and you can go back to living your life with no restrictions. Unfortunately, I didn't hear those magic words and I feel I didn't initial hear the "glass half full" message either. It took me a good week or two after talking to family and friends to realize that having surgery with a good thing. Thank you all for the inspiring words and perspective as I needed to hear it.

The reality is that in my situation the glass is half full. The Cardiologists now know what is wrong with my heart and the surgeon can hopefully fix it! I went back to my Cardiologist today and he explained the next steps in this process involve going to see Dr. Siwek (Cardic Surgeon) that has come highly recommended by all my doctors and friends in the medical community which is reassuring. So, now I wait to meet with the surgeon and discuss literally putting my heart in his hands.

Life is truly a journey and each day I try to learn something from those people that touch my life. Recently I've learned that although sometimes the news isn't what we want to hear in my case the glass is half full and my spirit and faith is stronger than ever. I can almost see light at the end of this race to overcome this minor life detour. Enjoy the journey!

Thanks for reading!

My Life, My Roller Coaster Ride

2010-08-30T23:20:00.000-07:00

I've always been a fan of roller coasters as I live for adventures and experiences, although this summer my life has been on a roller coaster ride with more twists and turns than I have ever imagined. The last 10 days have continued this unpredicatable journey I've come to know as my life.

On 8/20, I was excited to get off my heart medicine in preparation for my upcoming heart test. I don't like taking anything and especially considering the medicine makes me feel fatigued/sluggish I'd rather not take it. Maybe it was psychological, however I've felt better the last two weeks than I have all summer. I felt so good in fact I started to run again, albeit only 3-4 miles at a time. I felt like I was living again! I decided that I should sign up for the 1st Annual Priest Lake Mtn. Bike Triathlon, however I had strict orders to keep my heart rate below 150. Usually in a normal triathlon this would be relatively easy as I found out earlier this summer in Chelan.

The triathlon started with a super short swim(350m) in Priest Lake. As my wife (Tristin), myself and 5 of our Team Blaze friends stood at the edge of the lake and waited for the start my wife reminded me this was not a race for me. I agreed, although deep down I wished I could push myself and race again like I have done all my life. As the race started I opted for a self compromise, I would swim hard for the first 100m and then cruise realizing the rest of my day I had to be smart about my heart rate. When I reached the beach after the short 5 min. swim to my surprise I had a 30 sec. lead. I must say with all I've been through this summer it felt great to hear the cheers and soak in my short lived moment.

After the swim, instead of racing to the transition and starting the ride as quickly as possible I took my time. Once I got on the bike I soon realized with a mile climb up 750ft. it was going to be tough to keep my HR to 150, however I reminded myself this wasn't race for me, so I needed to be smart and take it easy. The bike was hilly, but it was beautiful and I felt a sense of calm to be participating again. I think the 20+ athletes that passed me on the bike were somewhat surprised when I encouraged them on as they flew passed me, although this why I love triathlon as everyone is out there giving there best on that day. As I finished the bike I was surprised as how good my legs felt!

Starting the 5K not knowing what to expect due to the fact I really haven't run all summer, I was pleasantly surprised to realize I could still run! I was able to run at 7:30 pace at 150 HR! I was even able to pass 8 athletes on the run! It my great to see Tristin and all the other Team Blaze athletes out on the course and be able to participate again! I truly enjoyed the experience and felt like I was living again without limits.

I woke up Sunday morning and felt great with no soreness! Tristin and I then joined our awesome neighbors Daniel & Kimberly to a run on the Bloomsday course which was my longest run of the summer! I can't begin to explain how great it felt to be living life on my terms again.

Now fast forward today (8/30) and my heart test. I must say I was hopefully optimistic as I've been feeling much better lately and I had hoped they would say everything has really improved over the summer. Unfortunately, my roller coaster didn't go the direction I had hoped. After the TEE, I was told that my Mitral Valve is worse than they thought and even at lower heart rate the valve wasn't functioning properly. So, what does this mean? Two cardiologists have recommended that I have surgery to correct/repair the valve. I'll be honest this is tough to take as I've always lived my life knowing I could just train harder or study longer to overcome challenges my life, however now my roller coaster and my life are at the fork in the journey. My will to overcome this challenge isn't possible. I have my next cardiology appointment on 9/17 to determine my options for surgery. Did I ever think that my life at 37yrs old would involve heart surgery? Of course not, however there is nothing I can do about it which is frustrating, scary and unfortunately my life as I know it.

I truly appreciate all the support and inspiration from my wife/son, family, friends and ahtletes I coach. I have realized that life truly is a journey full of highs and lows, although it's a challenging time I can only try to press on with a positive spirit. Enjoy the journey and don't take life for granted!

Thanks for reading.

My Puzzling Summer

2010-08-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

Reecer finished his first triathlon! (July 2010)

I recently celebrated my 37th birthday which was a great weekend with family and friends. As get older and hopefully wiser I'm reminded of the simple things in life. If I forget I have my 5 year old son to make sure I know all about cartoons, trains, snacks, naps, night time bedtime stories and wet pull ups. If life was only that simple forever.

Reece Kids Triathlon 8-8-10

My summer health diagnosis continues to leave me and unfortunately the experts puzzled. As I went back to the Cardiologist last week his first words to me went something like this, "Hello Scott, my puzzling patient". Ok, now when your Cardiologist (somedays I still can't believe I have one) refers to you as puzzling patient it doesn't do a lot for the confidence. Oh well....that is my life currently.

I've had so many tests performed on me this summer I feel like an anatomy project. Due to my puzzling diagnosis I have to go in for another test on 8/30 which is basically a combination of two other tests I've already been through called a Dobutamine Transesophageal Echocardiogram. The Cardiologist is trying to determine why my Mitral Valve isn't functionng the way it should when my heart rate is above 150.

Here is what my puzzling summer has involved. I love taking vacations days off work to go have tubes stuck down my throat, however hopefully is almost over.

http://www.texasheartinstitute.org/HIC/Topics/Diag/ditee.cfm

I've been trying to research and consult from NJ to California due to my original diagnosis of HCM or Hypertrophic Cardiomypathy. I'm not in the clear yet and currently trying to get Stanford HCM Center to look over my medical record as I have some symptoms, however not the genetic history. I can honestly say all of this has truly given me a new perspective on not taking life for granted. Does it make it easier to accept, deal with or understand? Absolutely not, however I owe it to all those that love me to not try to act like it's all ok by putting myself at risk.

As I sort through this puzzling journey I've been on this summer I've learned many things about the importance of the simple things in life, the strength of my family and importance of great friends that although scared for me, they call, email, text and continue to be there for me. Thank for you all and remember life should be about the simple things!

Thanks for reading and enjoy the journey!

Scott

Chelan Man Triathlon "Participating vs Racing"

2010-07-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

My life has been on physical and emotional roller coaster ride since June 12th, however this weekend really helped to again put my new life perspective in place. I've been somewhat programmed since my first swim race at 5 yrs to be very competitive. I've always enjoyed the challenge of racing and trying to do my best in all areas of life. I've found recently that I wasn't sure how I would handle "participating" as opposed to "racing" as my health and new heart condition diagnosis have left me with little options. As I prepared for the Chelan Man Triathlon I found myself for the first time at total peace with the idea I wasn't trying to win the race, my age group or even focus a time. All the factors that have motivated and helped me to set personal goals for the last 30 yrs were now completely irrelevent. My journey was now about supporting my wife by participating with her for the first time in over 100 triathlons instead of racing for my own personal goals. I must say I really enjoyed this special experience. I plan to support Tristin by participating with her in the future!

Now on to our great family weekend at Lake Chelan. First off this was the first time we've camped as a family and after some initial challenge with our HUGE borrowed tent it was an awesome weekend. I think everyone in the club at our campsite could have fit in there as it was like 10 X 16, so we had plenty of room.

Chelan is a beautiful area for a race and we enjoyed the weekend of multiple races. I coach most of the 10 TB athletes in some capacity that participated in the various races, so I enjoyed seeing all them race and most importantly have fun! Everyone did such a great job and all the athletes went faster than I predicted!

As for my race, I truly enjoyed the journey. I signed up for this race before I knew about my heart condition, however I still wanted to participate, so Tristin (my wife) agreed if I raced with her I could still do it! As we approached the swim it was CHOPPY! I'm glad I don't have problems with the rough water as this was a rough swim. I started out at solid pace for 200 and then backed off as I remembered I'm not racing so I need to slow down and swim easy. I came out of the water and started my :07 T1, I must say it was great to take my time and not feel like I had to rush! When Tristin exited the swim without her wetsuit I was nice relaxed and ready for a ride with her.

We did the ride together for the first time ever which was really fun! Tristin rode like a champ and averaged 22 mph! We were passing many athletes in wave 1 and each other the whole way! As we approached T2 it was awesome to have so much Team Blaze support from our fellow club members that raced on Saturday!
We had a speedy T2 and started our run together. I was trying to push Tristin just enough without pushing too hard. We had a nice steady run as we tried to figure what place she was in. During the run it fun to see other Team Blaze athletes the Lund family competing as relays out there battling as David and Nicole ran with their kids. As we came to the finish on the downhill we had Reecer run to the finish with us which was great to finish as a family!

I truly enjoyed the journey and felt great at the end with an average HR of 125! I highly recommend the Chelan Multisport weekend as a must do race. If you camp it's very affordable and fun to stay with other club members. Although we might stay at the camping area a little closer to to the start/town, which you must reserve early as everything fills up fast. If you want to do any of these shorter triathlons you need to sign up early as they all filled up about 6 weeks before race day.

After our race, Reecer did his first tri which provided great fun for all as most of the Team Blaze members stayed and supported him as he flew the Team Blaze colors wearing his little jersey. He did an awesome job and most importantly he had fun! He finished and said he wanted to do it again to get another medal, so we knew it was positive experience for him.

I learned once again this weekend to enjoy the journey through participating vs racing!

Thanks for reading!

Perspective from the heart

2010-07-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

This post has been written is my head so many times it's hard to put into words, however here I go one word at a time. Just like how I plan to live my life one step and one day at a time as I continue my journey.

I started this journey into lifelong fitness when my mom taught me to swim at 4 yrs old and signed me up for The Dalles Swim Team. This fueled my internal fire to challenge myself and I soon realizes I was competitive. I've always been fortunate to have enough physical ability to work hard and reach my goals. Initially after swimming in college and gaining 40 lbs after college I just wanted to lose the weight, however my first dreadful Columbia Gorge Marathon in 1998 only fueled my fire even more. I lost the weight and felt great! Over the last 12 years I've raced all over the country while completing over 100 triathlons including Xterra World Championships, 3 Ironmans, 15 marathons including Boston and 1 ultra marathon. I've truly lived life and enjoyed the journey my way. I feel so blessed to have accomplished my goals and most importantly meet some incredible people along the way. You see life isn't about money, race times or material things it's about the experiences and special people we meet along the way.

As I reflect on this new life perspective I've felt literally like I've had a gut wrenching last 4 weeks. It all began while I was training and coaching for the last 6 months with all my awesome Team Blaze http://www.teamblazespokane.com/ friends. I felt like I was back to the fitness level I had worked so hard to get to after a bummer knee injury I suffered last year after I accidently fell down a spiral stair case and thought I tore my meniscus only to find out I had 3 deep bone bruises and needed to take time over to let it heal. So now I fast foward to the week of June 7-12th.

I'm trying wrap my mind around all of this as 4 weeks ago my good friend/training partner and I were doing 400 intervals with my HR at 172 and I was able to even carry on a conversation. We were talking about our Boise 70.3 goals, race strategy and current fitness levels. We were planning for our summer race adventures. Everything indicated that I was more fit than ever!

Then Boise 70.3 arrived on June 12th. I felt great and really enjoyed coaching and racing with 20 other Team Blaze athletes. As some you of realize at Boise the wind was brutal on the bike blowing 25-30mph, although I still felt great through mile 50 then I realize, uh-oh I didn't hydrate well as I approached T2 to start my run my hamstrings locked up with cramps and thought oh-no this is going to be a rough 13.1 miles. Little did I know that was the least of my worries as I started to feel pain in my side right as I started to run this didn't feel like side stitch, it felt like a knifing pain where someone stabbing and twisting a knife inside. I continued to try to run/walk and soon the pain became more than my mental toughness could handle. I was frustrated, light headed and short of breathe. Little did I know when I reached the finish line albeit about an hour slower then planned that my world was about to change. As reflect back on Boise, I'm glad I finished the journey and completed the race. I taught me again about never giving up.

A week after Boise I really thought everything was moving in the right direction and I felt much better after a few days off, however I then started having a few challenges while running. This situation became more serious on Wed. night June 23rd during a Team Blaze practice tri when I felt fine swimming and biking trying to take it easy and then I took 10 steps on the run and started coughing and as I tried to run around Medical Lake I was coughing up something orange and ended having to walk the last 3/4 of mile. My legs felt heavy, I was frustrated and light headed, although my awesome team mates were there to walk with me and get me some water. I coughed all the way home and noticed in the shower I was actually coughing up blood. So, my amazingly supportive wife said we're going to the ER now! So, I was admitted to SHMC for few days last week having every test done try to figure out what is going on with my body. They came to the general conclusion that my mitral value has a leak which isn't life threaten although scary all the same and I also may possibly be experiencing SIPE (Swim Induced Pulmonary Edema). I received an inhaler, they scheduled another test on 7/1 to check out a leaky mitral value in my heart and look into a rare condition called SIPE (swimming induced pulmonary edema) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15302723

As many of know I went in for a stress test yesterday and honestly had an prayed that the ECHO I saw at SHMC was wrong. Unfortunately that wishful thinking was wrong. As they gave me the drugs to speed up my HR to 156 I soon realized the test confirmed my worst fears. This was again the intial diagnosis.

In basic language for some reason my heart isn't able to function like it should when my HR is elvated above 150. My heart has thickened over time and my Mitral Valve in my heart isn't effectively closing like it should which has lead to me to where I am now. Basically I've experienced almost all of these symptoms since Boise 70.3 on 6/12.

https://health.google.com/health/ref/Hypertrophic+cardiomyopathy

It's my understanding that the test on 7/6 will confirm this initial diagnosis and check for other issues.

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/cardiac-catheterization

I'm trying to stay positive as it's the only way I know to deal with this situation. I've ask myself a 1000x why and why now? My answer so far is that things happen for a reason and although I still searching for my reason I do know I'm loved and supported through all of this as I sort through the future. As we all know life has no guarantees and we all experience bumps in the road which I feel give us incredible perspective and guide on our journey to understand who we really are deep down. Is all this fair, no, but one thing I learned while playing sports is that life isn't fair and hard/positive attitude doesn't always get us to the finish level with our goals met. Does it mean we failed, no, it just means for some reason it wasn't meant to be.

I truly appreciate how fortunate I am to have family, lifelong friends and awesome athletes that I consider friends/family that are supporting me and my family! You see my son Reece is so small he doesn't really understand about the reality of this situation which is probably for the best. All he know is my engine isn't working quite right. You see kids help give us perpsective and bring us back to reality with their honesty, innocence and spirit. Years from now I hope to swim, bike and run with him as I'm not going to let this change my spirit.

Thanks everyone for all the support and providing me with much appreciated perspective. As I told Reece I'll be ok and my engine (train talk) just isn't working like it should. So, I'll press on trying to hold on to my positive spirit, loving family and supportive friends as we all should do trying to do our best to be the best we can be one day at a time.

Hawaii 4/2/2010

My life is a journey and my heart has truly given me perspective as I move forward on my journey one step and one day at a time. Stay safe, be positive and remember to enjoy the journey!

Watching an Ironman

2010-06-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

What I love most about watching an IM is pure and genuine determination that is on display for all to see. You see in an IM there is no where to hide as it's your journey, your race done at your pace.
If you haven't done IM you'll soon come to understand the many parallels to a roller coaster with many highs and lows as you make the journey to the white line while Mike Riley says those four famous words, "You are an Ironman!"

What I learned at IM CDA 2010 is that no matter how tough conditions with heat, wind, chop on the lake people press on with the heart of champions no matter the pace, no matter the place. If the bike won't shift (sorry Lora) or the seat falls off or watch dies on the swim(sorry Gretchen) or the dreaded stomach issues/knee pain intensify (sorry Beth) people find a way to dig deeper than ever before and finish the journey. Some luck on race day doesn't hurt either!

I also observed that no matter how much you prepare and plan sometimes things are out your control. Yes, unfortunately Steve's journey was cut short after getting hit by a car on the bike course at mile 40, however his spirit wasn't broken and he stayed to end to support all his follow Team Blaze members. The most important thing is Steve is OK and I know with his positive outlook and spirit he'll finish the journey some day.

Once again I learned that IM is not about the swim or bike, instead it's all about properly pacing the swim and bike to set up the best 26.2 mile you can! I've found the last 7 yrs. racing and coaching IM that :10 too fast on the bike and poor hydration/nutrition usually leads to :45-:60 slower on the run if you blow apart at mile 18. So, again a fast swim or bike time mean nothing if you're walking at mile 18. Race smart and have plan the reflects your training!

Watching IM every year truly motivates me to be a better husband, father, coach, athlete and friend. It reminds me to be thankful for all the wonderful freedoms and positive/supportive people that are in my life.

John Collins the founder of IM once said,

"There’s a little voice in the back of your head telling you that it’s okay to stop. If you keep on going you win, if you listen to that voice, you lose."

IM is truly a physical and mentally journey that will test your limits but teach more about yourself and the goodness in people than you ever realized when you had crazy plan to pay $600 for chance to take a ride on the IM roller coaster.

Enjoy the journey!

Coach Scott

Boise 70.3 Finishing What We Start

2010-06-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

The journey while training and racing the Boise 70.3 Half Ironman was one I'll never forget for many reasons. As I was suffering through the run I kept remembering something my parents taught me long ago which I will pass on to my son which involves making a commitment to do your best and finish what you start! This experience reinforced many parallels of life as we al know life doesn't always go as we plan, however I feel we learn much more about ourselves through the trying times.

Where do I begin....the good, the bad or the ugly?

We had a great group of friends in Team Blaze Spokane Triathlon Club (http://www.teamblazespokane.com/) began the journey training for the race over 19 weeks ago. Everyone trained consistently through wet, cold weather weekend after weekend and arrived on race day ready for the 70.3 mile challenge ahead!

As for Boise, everyone did great considering the conditions on the day and all 21 TB athletes finished through broken bones, Kidney Stones, dehydration and cramping! Kimberly, Kevin, Bill, Anne and Tia completed their first 70.3! Anne, Gretchen and Staci all placed in the top 10 in their age groups!

As a coach I'm very proud of the consistent effort, commitment and determination all of you showed in training for Boise and racing in brutal windy conditions on the bike! In 10 yrs. of racing triathlon/marathons I've only raced in conditions that windy once at the Las Vegas Marathon in 2003 and the porta potties/aid stations all blew over!

I truly appreciate the support and encouragement all of you provide to me as an athlete and coach. Seeing the improvement in all of you motivates me. Thanks Brett & Tobin for all the great workouts! Maybe we can all turn it around at Chelan!

As for my journey....
I felt really prepared and fit for this race, however as many of you know things don't always go as planned even when we train and follow a realistic plan.

I had an OK swim and bike through 50 miles, although the wind was brutal 25-30mph the whole way, I obviously didn't hydrate enough. I ended up with both hamstrings seizing up off the bike and severe pain in my right Kidney. As the run progressed the pain worsened until finally the last 5k I could only walk while short of breath/light headed and hold my side to manage the pain. After being taken to the med. tent the doctors determined based my symptoms I was passing a Kidney Stone, which explains the intense pain and other related symptoms. It's very frustrating as I really felt ready for a good race, however I hope everyone can take away the importance of hydrating consistently in hot and windy conditions. I don't want this to worry anyone, however instead reinforce that triathlon hydration/nutrition is as important as swim, bike and run. Adjusting to the conditions on race day is key!

I'm sore, disappointed/frustrated, however I'm appreciative of all the support shown to me during the race. Thank you Penny/Tristin/Gretchen for trying to get me to run with you, and everyone else for the positive thoughts. I tried to stay positive at the end, however I was in complete survival mode.

We truly have a great team made of athletes that continue to encourage and support one another. As for me, I'm went to the Dr. yesterday which reinforced the what the Dr. at the race sight diagnosed I was passing a Kidney Stone during the race. I get the rest of the lab results back tomorrow, so hopefully I'm through the worst of the ugly side of this experience. My pain has starting to subside, so I'll be back in the pool and on the bike soon! As for running, I'm going to give it a week as I'm having flash backs to a painful 13.1 mile experience I hope to never repeat.

I try to learn something from every race or journey preparing for race. This experience was definitely reflective of the good (all the great friends in TB), the bad (tough race conditions), and the ugly (my 13.1 mile painful nightmare at the end of Boise 70.3).

Lessons learned.....
*I truly enjoyed the journey training more than the race.

*I need to learn someday to hydrate better on the bike!

*Kidney Stones are brutal and I don't ever want to experience that pain again!

*The results don't always match up to the training/fitness.

*After I regroup mentally and physically I plan to race fun short triathlons the rest of the season.

*I know I can get through any tough race or workout and finish what I started!

Healthy training,

Coach Scott

Enjoying the Journey

2010-06-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

I'm finally setting up my Blog. It's only taken me 2 yrs, however I'll start to share more about my journey.

I recently was able to get my Team Marathon powered by Snickers sponsorship renew from the 2007-2008 seasons. (http://www.marathonbars.com/) Last year I hurt my knee, which was a major test in patience as I couldn't do anything for 3 months. So, I feel blessed to be healthy again, living back in Spokane and coaching an awesome group of supportive triathletes in Team Blaze Spokane Triathlon Club. (www.teamblazespokane.com )

I often talk to athletes about keeping life in perspective and truly enjoying the journey! We all have different motivations for heading out the door to the pool, lacing up the shoes or climb on the bike on a rainy day. The key thing I've learned over the past 10 yrs while competing and coaching triathlon is that we all need to not take the journey for granted. Keep it all fun through adding social elements to your training. Triathletes by nature are fun and social group. I enjoy sharing in the journey with others.

A few years ago my son Reece was born premature and hospitalized for his first 6 weeks of life,then I almost lost my beautiful wife to complications during a life change miscarriage, last year my father-in-law battled and survived a major cancer scare. Recently, I've had a childhood and lifelong best friend who's mom was always such sweet and kind person to me growing that lost her courageous battle with cancer. She will always be close to me as I observed how she managed tragic life challenges while staying strong keeping life and family as the priority. You will be missed by many lives you touched and your sweet nature will live on through your daughters and grandchildren.

My reason for sharing this life touching information is due to the fact it all reminds me to keep my own life in perspective. Enjoying the journey to me takes on many meanings, however one thing I know for sure is life should be lived to the fullest as you never know when you will see your last sunset! Hold your little ones/family close and love each day like it was your last!

All the best to my friends racing Boise 70.3 & IM CDA! Thanks Brett, Tobin and John for pushing me on the bike! Thanks to all my athletes I coach for inspiring me everyday! Thanks for my wife & son for always keeping life fun!

Enjoy the journey,

Coach Scott

Test

2008-09-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

I'm a blogger rookie, although I really enjoy sharing and reflecting on my journey through life.

Scott's Journey

Coaching & Hiring My Coach

Training & Life Balance

Turn Dreams into Reality in 2012

2011 Recap

Bionic Birthday!

Another lesson learned ....

Portland Marathon 2011

11 months and 11 years

Sunset in Seattle

Blessed Runner

My Marathon Adventures

My heart 9 months later....

Journey to my 20 yr The Dalles High School Reunion!

Swim, Bike, Run and Family Fun

IM CDA - It's all about FINISHING the journey!

24 hrs to IM CDA 2011

Twas the week before Ironman

11 days to Ironman CDA!

Chasing the New PR

Balanced Life Recovery

Why....

Reflection & Resolution

Thankful, Inspired & Blessed in 2010

Road to Recovery

Heart Surgery

Patience, Heart & Spirit

The Glass Half Full

My Life, My Roller Coaster Ride

My Puzzling Summer

Chelan Man Triathlon "Participating vs Racing"

Perspective from the heart

Watching an Ironman

Boise 70.3 *Finishing What We Start*

Enjoying the Journey

Test

Boise 70.3 Finishing What We Start