I went out for a run today for the first time in a month. Between the Marathon being such a mental and physical drain on the system, I also needed to tend to many other things that were on the back burner.
Today was a short run. I really did not want to do it but I knew the feeling I would get once I got out there. The same feeling of comfort that I have every time I get out for a run, bike or swim. Endurance sports have been a saving grace for me since the day we lost Adam. Three years today....it still dose not seem real. At the same time it feels like he has been gone longer than that. Once you get over the idea that he really wont be coming over you get used to life. Not a life that I would like to get used to. One of the many reasons endurance sports is such a blessing is the perspective you can find. As with life not everything goes according to plan. It's not all how YOU would want it. Training and racing are a mirror to that, and it reminds you all most daily that you can choose to like what you have and where you are at and build from there. Or you can sit in the situation, that you don't like to begin with, and stew.
I have been one to stew in the past and there is nothing good about it. My first training season with "Team In Training" taught me one of the greatest lessons I have ever learned. ALWAYS BE POSITIVE! Even when things don't go your way. Keep moving and do your best with what you have now. Push yourself to understand what you have, where you are at and make it better. Never ignore the truth, just make it/yourself better. It is usually not easy to do but the feeling you get when you get there is worth every drop of effort.
Today I got up early for that run that I did not want to take.
After I located all the stuff I needed and hit the road,
I found what I knew was out there.
Peace, and the ability to feel free.
To look out over the landscape and know that God is so big. That I am so small yet He loves me more than anything else in the world.
Getting out is a challenge but if you want to find peace and perspective you need to take the first step. My father has been making that choice for months now and I could not be more proud of him. He is starting to look like a different person.
I am going to shower up and suprise him at work today so I can spend the day with mom and dad at work today. It's just something I feel I need to do.
God bless you today. May He make the difference for you today. It is His love that has kept me going. His love gave us the strength we needed to cope with Adams cancer and it is His love that holds us while he is gone.
No one knows the loss better than Him. Today we are all blessed.
Make the choice to find His peace today and every day. He sacrificed everything to give it to you.
Find your place where you can accept it.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Long Awaited
No good excuses for not getting to this post sooner. Here it is none the less. If you don't want all the mental blather and would rather just read about the race forward down to "long story longer."
Twin Cities Marathon with "Team in Training." So as the tri season ended last July I needed one last fundraiser to put me over the top for the Lifetime race with TNT. The annual "Cornhole" tournament did just that and then some. Never wanting to miss a race I joined the TNT marathon group to do the Twin Cities race Oct 4.
It was a fair challenge going to high miles on the run right away but my legs were mostly ready for it having done two half marathons and a half Iron this season.
I went into the training wanting to post a "Boston" qualifying time and if I felt good during my high miles in training to push for a three hour finish.
I took training very seriously and really enjoyed it. I was lucky enough to have the majority of my trainings fit around work and home schedules. The biggest challenge for me was learning to enjoy the long runs by myself without distraction (music). I grew to really love it putting in solo runs of 17, 19, 21, 19 and 17. I really learned how to better pay attention to my body and its stride. My position, my breathing, nutrition and how each thing is affected by the other.
The biggest benefit I had this training season was training with the team. Coach Jan Ochocki from TNT has more running experience than I will ever have and she really pushed me and gave me incredible valuable training tips to make a three hour marathon goal a reality. Group runs, track workouts and hill repeats with the team are always my favorites and everything together made for a perfect race day.
Race day, providing the weather is fair, is typically a reflection of your training and your mental state of mind. The weather was just right Oct 4 and I have raced enough to prepare myself mentally and physically for a good race, but one thing put me over the top.
As race day drew near I neglected to finish my fund raising and put out a last minute email to raise the last dollars for TNT for my race. I was overwhelmed by the generosity of my fellow teammates that I have raced with in the past. It was so touching to know they had my back and carried me to the "fund raising finish line." With one of those donations came my mental focus from Emily Selenski whom I raced the Phoenix marathon with Jan 08.
"Good luck, Andrew! You've been able to accomplish so many goals, I know you'll make this one. Think 3...1 hour for Adam, 1 hour for Dan, 1 hour for McKenna. We're cheering for you!"
Emily Selenski Wed Sep 30 07:55:19 EDT 2009
I can honestly say that her formula was the key to my success. Racing is 80% mental and work coming into the last two weeks before the race was crazy busy. I had little time to relax and less time to reflect on anything mental. Not good coming into a race but you cannot control everything, so you just have to go with what you have. Emily's encouragement brought it all into focus.
Long story longer....
Race morning was beautiful and my dad was kind enough to drop me off at the Metrodome early so I could warm up. It was a great start to the morning having his support and not having to worry about picking up a car later because the race is a point to point race and finishes in St. Paul. I meet Dan D a good friend from TNT for a early morning jog/warm-up, then we went into the dome to meet the rest of the group. It did not hurt that the Twins were in the middle of their miracle season ending, so seeing the field was a definite inspiration.
As I was reading the night before the race in the "couse info book" I noticed that there was not a pace group for runners less than 3:10. I was mentally banking on not having to think much and just following a pack of runners and pretending like I belonged. Not having this, really threw a kink in my plan so I quickly learned to like the thought of not knowing what was going to happen.
I made my last stop at the "Biff" and headed to "corral 1" for the race start. I moved my way to get just in front of the 3:10 pace group and looked around for someone that looked willing to chat. I found that there are not too many people up front there and even less of them looked willing to chat. No matter. I asked the guy next to me what he was planning to run it in and he said that last year he did 2:55 and planned for the same this year. He assured me that he always starts very slow and about half way through he starts to slowly speed up until the finish. I said "great" and asked if I could try to keep up, he said "sure" and we were off. I did my best not to be a shadow to him. It was a great relief for me to have a pace setter. Of course his "slow" pace was a 6:50-7:00 minute mile :)
My legs felt good and the run felt fast but comfortable. I knew I could do it but we were just two miles in. About mile three you come around the Walker Art center and turn up behind a good hill. I love hills so I really had to keep myself in check as we came down around lake of the Isles I realized I needed to really get into a mental zone. I recalled Emily's hourly encouragement and began my mental race.
Hour one was for Dan. I needed to start with Dan because he one of the most impressive people I have ever known. His example in my life set the spiritual and moral frame work for me at a pivotal time in my life. As life sometimes happenes Dan lost his fight with cancer at the age of 32. Hour one with Dan was key for my to set the frame work of my day and reflect on God's love for us no matter what. Finding joy no matter what...knowing that it is not about us....loving and serving others above ourselves. Hour one was great and the time flew.
I was keeping pace with my pace setter but I really had to focus on being relaxed so not to over compensate with the rest of my body. I tend to tense up and that burns a lot of energy.
Hour two was going to be crucial. I gave that hour to the memory of McKenna Johnson our honored team mate who was lost to cancer during our Phoenix season. What an honor it was to be inspired by McKenna for hour two. She was a bright light in the world that was taken too soon. I have had the privileged to get to talk to her parents a few times since the Phoenix marathon season and they have been an incredible inspiration choosing to continue to work with TNT, fund raising and racing multiple races now. I cannot say enough about them and how they have inspired me. As I would reflect on them and loosing a daughter at such a young age. My mind would quickly jump to my family and the tenderness of childhood, the gift it is and the difficulties of so many that loose their children so early in life. That hour went the quickest. The half way point came and went and I felt great but I knew from my first marathon in Phoenix that those feeling would soon be fleeting. I did my best to end the hour on and inspirational note and did just that as I saw my pacing partner slowly start to pull away.
Time for work...hour three!
Hour three was a no brainier.....Adam. The embodiment of hard work, no nonsense, just do it stupid! His example of ignoring pain during his struggle with cancer has always been a weapon for me in endurance events. I needed Adam for hour three and he did not let me down. I had no doubt that I could keep a 7 minuite pace for the race but realizing that I needed a 6:50 pace just a couple days before the race put a new spin on things. That is where the mental game comes into play.
So my pacer is long gone now. I did my best to keep him in sight but he did just as he said and was really motoring my mile 17-18. I was solo now and coming into the hardest part of the race, miles 19-21. Mile 20 starts the St. Thomas hill. I love that hill, I have run it so many times but only once at mile 20 of a run, and when I did that one, I cramped up bad! What would race day bring me? Be smart listen to my body and "just do it stupid" as Adam would have said. I had been hitting my water and nutrition to that point perfectly and so when I came to the top of the St. Thomas hill feeling half way decent I felt like I had just won the race! I knew there was a long way to go but the major hill challenges were done and I was on pace for my 3 hr finish according the crowd. I headed up the steady gradual climb of summit doing my best to keep relaxed and just keep my wheels turning. I reflected on child hood memories ...skiing... climbing.... fishing... working...playing, often checking my watch to make sure I was keeping pace. As mile 23-24 came I realized that my pace was slowing and it was getting harder to keep even a 7 min pace. The mile markers seemed to get further and further apart and the legs were ready do be done. Mom and dad were at mile 22 giving me a huge boost, all though difficult to keep my emotions in check seeing them while focusing on Adam, I know they believed in me and that they were proud of my efforts no matter what and that made me want to dig deep and finish strong. Each mile now was an eternity and thankfully Janet and Jayna where there after Mom and Dad to give me a much needed boost. There were so many TNT team mates there in the later miles that gave me encouragement. What a gift! I never once wondered if I would make my goal of 3 hours. I just wanted to do my best to keep pace and whatever happened, happened. At mile 24 I made small goals. Knowing the course I told myself to just get past the bridge...then just make it to the church....then just keep that pace around the corner....and once you get to the top of Summit turn the corner it's all down hill! I wish it would have been that easy. It seemed like forever to get to the top but I made it. I knew I kept a decent enough pace to that point, and someone on the side made my day and said "keep it up your under three hours." Just 1.2 miles to go all down hill. The most beautiful part of the course going by one of the most beautiful churches in the country and finishing at the beautiful capitol. Problem is I have come to realize that I do not run faster down hill. My body enjoys going up better than going down so it was a lot of work to keep pace even going down hill. I was so thankful I was going down but it was not as easy I has anticipated. The crowd was loud and lifted my spirits at that point your are running on the clouds but all I could think about was Adam and how much I missed him. I really did not care that I just broke three hours...I missed my brother... but I was happy. I keep racing because he never gave up and neither will I. My goals are not to break records but to do the best I can, whatever that means.
I was able to finish under three because of the people around me. The people that partner with me to help families cope with cancer. I finish strong because of my team mates that I train and race with. I finish strong because the people that are closest to me love me and believe in me and just want me to do my best, what ever that is.
I can honestly say that her formula was the key to my success. Racing is 80% mental and work coming into the last two weeks before the race was crazy busy. I had little time to relax and less time to reflect on anything mental. Not good coming into a race but you cannot control everything, so you just have to go with what you have. Emily's encouragement brought it all into focus.
Long story longer....
Race morning was beautiful and my dad was kind enough to drop me off at the Metrodome early so I could warm up. It was a great start to the morning having his support and not having to worry about picking up a car later because the race is a point to point race and finishes in St. Paul. I meet Dan D a good friend from TNT for a early morning jog/warm-up, then we went into the dome to meet the rest of the group. It did not hurt that the Twins were in the middle of their miracle season ending, so seeing the field was a definite inspiration.
As I was reading the night before the race in the "couse info book" I noticed that there was not a pace group for runners less than 3:10. I was mentally banking on not having to think much and just following a pack of runners and pretending like I belonged. Not having this, really threw a kink in my plan so I quickly learned to like the thought of not knowing what was going to happen.
I made my last stop at the "Biff" and headed to "corral 1" for the race start. I moved my way to get just in front of the 3:10 pace group and looked around for someone that looked willing to chat. I found that there are not too many people up front there and even less of them looked willing to chat. No matter. I asked the guy next to me what he was planning to run it in and he said that last year he did 2:55 and planned for the same this year. He assured me that he always starts very slow and about half way through he starts to slowly speed up until the finish. I said "great" and asked if I could try to keep up, he said "sure" and we were off. I did my best not to be a shadow to him. It was a great relief for me to have a pace setter. Of course his "slow" pace was a 6:50-7:00 minute mile :)
My legs felt good and the run felt fast but comfortable. I knew I could do it but we were just two miles in. About mile three you come around the Walker Art center and turn up behind a good hill. I love hills so I really had to keep myself in check as we came down around lake of the Isles I realized I needed to really get into a mental zone. I recalled Emily's hourly encouragement and began my mental race.
Hour one was for Dan. I needed to start with Dan because he one of the most impressive people I have ever known. His example in my life set the spiritual and moral frame work for me at a pivotal time in my life. As life sometimes happenes Dan lost his fight with cancer at the age of 32. Hour one with Dan was key for my to set the frame work of my day and reflect on God's love for us no matter what. Finding joy no matter what...knowing that it is not about us....loving and serving others above ourselves. Hour one was great and the time flew.
I was keeping pace with my pace setter but I really had to focus on being relaxed so not to over compensate with the rest of my body. I tend to tense up and that burns a lot of energy.
Hour two was going to be crucial. I gave that hour to the memory of McKenna Johnson our honored team mate who was lost to cancer during our Phoenix season. What an honor it was to be inspired by McKenna for hour two. She was a bright light in the world that was taken too soon. I have had the privileged to get to talk to her parents a few times since the Phoenix marathon season and they have been an incredible inspiration choosing to continue to work with TNT, fund raising and racing multiple races now. I cannot say enough about them and how they have inspired me. As I would reflect on them and loosing a daughter at such a young age. My mind would quickly jump to my family and the tenderness of childhood, the gift it is and the difficulties of so many that loose their children so early in life. That hour went the quickest. The half way point came and went and I felt great but I knew from my first marathon in Phoenix that those feeling would soon be fleeting. I did my best to end the hour on and inspirational note and did just that as I saw my pacing partner slowly start to pull away.
Time for work...hour three!
Hour three was a no brainier.....Adam. The embodiment of hard work, no nonsense, just do it stupid! His example of ignoring pain during his struggle with cancer has always been a weapon for me in endurance events. I needed Adam for hour three and he did not let me down. I had no doubt that I could keep a 7 minuite pace for the race but realizing that I needed a 6:50 pace just a couple days before the race put a new spin on things. That is where the mental game comes into play.
So my pacer is long gone now. I did my best to keep him in sight but he did just as he said and was really motoring my mile 17-18. I was solo now and coming into the hardest part of the race, miles 19-21. Mile 20 starts the St. Thomas hill. I love that hill, I have run it so many times but only once at mile 20 of a run, and when I did that one, I cramped up bad! What would race day bring me? Be smart listen to my body and "just do it stupid" as Adam would have said. I had been hitting my water and nutrition to that point perfectly and so when I came to the top of the St. Thomas hill feeling half way decent I felt like I had just won the race! I knew there was a long way to go but the major hill challenges were done and I was on pace for my 3 hr finish according the crowd. I headed up the steady gradual climb of summit doing my best to keep relaxed and just keep my wheels turning. I reflected on child hood memories ...skiing... climbing.... fishing... working...playing, often checking my watch to make sure I was keeping pace. As mile 23-24 came I realized that my pace was slowing and it was getting harder to keep even a 7 min pace. The mile markers seemed to get further and further apart and the legs were ready do be done. Mom and dad were at mile 22 giving me a huge boost, all though difficult to keep my emotions in check seeing them while focusing on Adam, I know they believed in me and that they were proud of my efforts no matter what and that made me want to dig deep and finish strong. Each mile now was an eternity and thankfully Janet and Jayna where there after Mom and Dad to give me a much needed boost. There were so many TNT team mates there in the later miles that gave me encouragement. What a gift! I never once wondered if I would make my goal of 3 hours. I just wanted to do my best to keep pace and whatever happened, happened. At mile 24 I made small goals. Knowing the course I told myself to just get past the bridge...then just make it to the church....then just keep that pace around the corner....and once you get to the top of Summit turn the corner it's all down hill! I wish it would have been that easy. It seemed like forever to get to the top but I made it. I knew I kept a decent enough pace to that point, and someone on the side made my day and said "keep it up your under three hours." Just 1.2 miles to go all down hill. The most beautiful part of the course going by one of the most beautiful churches in the country and finishing at the beautiful capitol. Problem is I have come to realize that I do not run faster down hill. My body enjoys going up better than going down so it was a lot of work to keep pace even going down hill. I was so thankful I was going down but it was not as easy I has anticipated. The crowd was loud and lifted my spirits at that point your are running on the clouds but all I could think about was Adam and how much I missed him. I really did not care that I just broke three hours...I missed my brother... but I was happy. I keep racing because he never gave up and neither will I. My goals are not to break records but to do the best I can, whatever that means.
I was able to finish under three because of the people around me. The people that partner with me to help families cope with cancer. I finish strong because of my team mates that I train and race with. I finish strong because the people that are closest to me love me and believe in me and just want me to do my best, what ever that is.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Summer's End
The official end to Summer is Tues so I hear. What a Summer is has been here at the Prest house!
The kiddies are growing like mad and discovering so many things in their wonderful world. Janet is still being challenged by working part time and taking care of the house and us kids. The house is still for sale and we have decided to let it go for a lesser price than it is worth but that is the economy right now and feel we would come out even with what we could purchase. We just have to find someone to want to live her first.
I myself am winding down from a long season of training with TNT. My original intention was to be done training and fund raising with TNT after the Lifetime Triathlon last July 11 but had just enough extra fund raising money to join the Twin Cities Marathon team. That race is two weeks away on Oct 4 and I am very excited to complete another race for TNT. I am however $275 short of my goal and would love it if you would consider joining me in the fight and fuel my race with a dollar a mile. I need just 10 people to join me with a $26.2 gift to TNT. With this race I will have raised over $20,000 for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society since 07.
I have been training to complete the race in approximately three hours. I would like to race the Boston Marathon next April 1. Qualifying time for Boston is 3:15, but I want to see if I can crack the 3 hr mark. The training for this has been fun but very challenging, rather hard on the body compared to Triathlon. If you are in town here it would be great to see you on the course cheering on our TNT team! If you are intrested in joining my race with a donition just click the link at the top of the page and follow the directions.
Here are some pictures from all the fun we have been having around here that has kept me from putting up regular posts.
Pa Pa Victor with Armand at the Fendelet Family Reunion
Janet golfing w/sister Jen and Vanesa in PA
Us with Grandpa Victor and Grandma Bernice in PA
Last tri if the year at Green Lake
Baby Armand not such a baby any more
Hiking on the North Shore
Down time at home
The kiddies are growing like mad and discovering so many things in their wonderful world. Janet is still being challenged by working part time and taking care of the house and us kids. The house is still for sale and we have decided to let it go for a lesser price than it is worth but that is the economy right now and feel we would come out even with what we could purchase. We just have to find someone to want to live her first.
I myself am winding down from a long season of training with TNT. My original intention was to be done training and fund raising with TNT after the Lifetime Triathlon last July 11 but had just enough extra fund raising money to join the Twin Cities Marathon team. That race is two weeks away on Oct 4 and I am very excited to complete another race for TNT. I am however $275 short of my goal and would love it if you would consider joining me in the fight and fuel my race with a dollar a mile. I need just 10 people to join me with a $26.2 gift to TNT. With this race I will have raised over $20,000 for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society since 07.
I have been training to complete the race in approximately three hours. I would like to race the Boston Marathon next April 1. Qualifying time for Boston is 3:15, but I want to see if I can crack the 3 hr mark. The training for this has been fun but very challenging, rather hard on the body compared to Triathlon. If you are in town here it would be great to see you on the course cheering on our TNT team! If you are intrested in joining my race with a donition just click the link at the top of the page and follow the directions.
Here are some pictures from all the fun we have been having around here that has kept me from putting up regular posts.
Pa Pa Victor with Armand at the Fendelet Family Reunion
Janet golfing w/sister Jen and Vanesa in PA
Us with Grandpa Victor and Grandma Bernice in PA
Last tri if the year at Green Lake
Baby Armand not such a baby any more
Hiking on the North Shore
Lake Superior
State fair 09!
Down time at home
Adison's 4th Birthday
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
!
What a month. I just looked at the date on my last post (if you can call it that) ONE MONTH. If you were to measure time by the things you have done, that was the entire summer in one month.
I'll have to come back to much of it for details, but here are the bullet points.
> TNT Lifetime race week.
What and experience. Every TNT race is so fun and special in it's own way. The cause and the people make it that way. This race I was honored to be the speaker at the pre-race Pasta Party. Pasta parties are, in my opnion, just as exciting as the race. The message I has prepared was decent and then the night before, while I was going over things, I was inspired to go deeper. It is a special thing to be used to convay a message that God wants others to hear.
Race day was great! The team finished well. Everyone finished! My race was solid. I felt good on the swim, but lacked the ability to swim a strait line. The bike felt fast and powerful, but was not much different than last year. Happy for sure. The run gave me problems on the first lap around Lake Nicomas due to a painful stomach issue. Most likely due to consuming a expired Power Gu during the bike. Lesson learned. I was able to run through it and pick up the pace for the second lap. A super race none the less.
I did come close to placing third (by a long shot!) but fourth in the age group was a suprise and it would have been great to get TNT more attention by placing but the difference between 4th and 3rd was pretty huge. My favorite part of the day was jogging the run course in reverse after I finished to cheer on and encourage the rest of the team on the course. What and inspiration to see the determination and the effort put out by everyone. A proud moment to be part of something so much bigger than the race!
>Cornhole 09
What a blast to put on a party the day after Lifetime on Adams Birthday. Sunday July 12 was a day to remember Adam. Play, eat and reminice. A picture perfect day. No big fan fare, just a relaxing day with 70 friends and family doing what Adam loved.
Thank you all for being part of a special day and supporting our family through the years. Thank you also for helping me to reach my fundraising goal for this year with TNT. I was able to reach and exceed!....more to come on that.
>Canada Trip 09
The following Thursday from the Cornhole party Janet and I purchased a pop-up camper and headed to Canada for nine days. So many great memories made. We camped on night on the way up at Turtle Mountian Provential Forrest. Bijou and I swam in Adam Lake and Armand and I ran all the paved roads we could find.
The Fendelet family reunioun was next in Hafford Saskachuan. A super fun weekend meeting many new faces on Janet's dad's side of the family. 120 plus people in a small town makes for good times.
Next on the list was Prince Albert. Lots of time with Janet's sisters, Dad, Mom, and all the cousins. What a blessing it was to see the kids play together. Janet has three sisters and they each have two kiddies also. All close to the same age with exception to Rene who is 11 I think and one yet to be born but all the rest are close. What a blast. I was able to golf with the brother-in-laws once and got a couple of runs and bikes in myself but the best part for me was being with the kids for a whole week. Morining to night dad, mom and their kiddies for nine days. What a blessing that was. Makes one think about priorities. We are blessed.
It was fun to seen Janet spend quality time with her sister and her mom and dad. What a sacrifice she makes living here in Minnesota. What a blessing she is to so many.
Coming home was long but full of new family memories and lots of great experiences in our new pop-up camper.
>CBC Reunion
We were lucky to squeze in dinner with some college frineds from Covenant Bible College where Janet and I meet back in 1994. Faces we had not seen since then. What a blessing to reconnect with great people from such a life shaping time.
>Green Lake Tri 09
We started a new tradition with a new Tri race in Spicer MN last year with "Team Swenson"
It will most likely signal the end of the Tri season as it did last year and this year. Laura Swenson grew up close to the race start on Green Lake and her grandparents have a cabin on the lake so it makes for a wonderful time spent with the kiddies wives and us guys giving it one last hurrah as training leading up to the race is pretty much non existant. We all finished our seasons well this year giving it all we had. I had another good race this year. Struggling on the swim because I had not been in the water since the Lifetime race July 11, and really struggled on the run because I have been training for Twin Cities Marathon and so long miles and tired legs were not much good for a short six mile sprint. Not a complaint at though. I was able to place in my age group for the second year in a row placing 8th overall and 3rd in my age group.
>Another Race
As I had mentioned in the part about my fundraising during the Cornhole touranment. You all blessed me with enough to jump into another race. Crazy fool that I am. Lot's of thing inspired this one. Twin Cities is local. I am over half way to my fundraising goal, with another $800 to go (if you want to help me get there go to the link at the top of the page). We had wanted to do a TNT garage sale to help ration down our possessions anyways. So more to come on that fundraiser. I wanted to do a marathon this fall to re-qualify for Boston next April. I was able to qualify when I ran Pheonix with TNT in 08 but did not have the money to get out there the past two races. Now that Sun Country flys to Boston it is affortdable for Janet and I to make it a weekend out there.
So it is my goal to raise more money for a cause that I am passionate about. Qualify with a good race time and run Boston before I run out of gas and quit with all this training. You never know I may get sick of it?
So many pictures to share but my computer is having issues and I have not been able to link to add them for some reason.
So many thoughts to share along the way over the past month but they come and go ank there will be more to come in that department.
I'll have to come back to much of it for details, but here are the bullet points.
> TNT Lifetime race week.
What and experience. Every TNT race is so fun and special in it's own way. The cause and the people make it that way. This race I was honored to be the speaker at the pre-race Pasta Party. Pasta parties are, in my opnion, just as exciting as the race. The message I has prepared was decent and then the night before, while I was going over things, I was inspired to go deeper. It is a special thing to be used to convay a message that God wants others to hear.
Race day was great! The team finished well. Everyone finished! My race was solid. I felt good on the swim, but lacked the ability to swim a strait line. The bike felt fast and powerful, but was not much different than last year. Happy for sure. The run gave me problems on the first lap around Lake Nicomas due to a painful stomach issue. Most likely due to consuming a expired Power Gu during the bike. Lesson learned. I was able to run through it and pick up the pace for the second lap. A super race none the less.
I did come close to placing third (by a long shot!) but fourth in the age group was a suprise and it would have been great to get TNT more attention by placing but the difference between 4th and 3rd was pretty huge. My favorite part of the day was jogging the run course in reverse after I finished to cheer on and encourage the rest of the team on the course. What and inspiration to see the determination and the effort put out by everyone. A proud moment to be part of something so much bigger than the race!
>Cornhole 09
What a blast to put on a party the day after Lifetime on Adams Birthday. Sunday July 12 was a day to remember Adam. Play, eat and reminice. A picture perfect day. No big fan fare, just a relaxing day with 70 friends and family doing what Adam loved.
Thank you all for being part of a special day and supporting our family through the years. Thank you also for helping me to reach my fundraising goal for this year with TNT. I was able to reach and exceed!....more to come on that.
>Canada Trip 09
The following Thursday from the Cornhole party Janet and I purchased a pop-up camper and headed to Canada for nine days. So many great memories made. We camped on night on the way up at Turtle Mountian Provential Forrest. Bijou and I swam in Adam Lake and Armand and I ran all the paved roads we could find.
The Fendelet family reunioun was next in Hafford Saskachuan. A super fun weekend meeting many new faces on Janet's dad's side of the family. 120 plus people in a small town makes for good times.
Next on the list was Prince Albert. Lots of time with Janet's sisters, Dad, Mom, and all the cousins. What a blessing it was to see the kids play together. Janet has three sisters and they each have two kiddies also. All close to the same age with exception to Rene who is 11 I think and one yet to be born but all the rest are close. What a blast. I was able to golf with the brother-in-laws once and got a couple of runs and bikes in myself but the best part for me was being with the kids for a whole week. Morining to night dad, mom and their kiddies for nine days. What a blessing that was. Makes one think about priorities. We are blessed.
It was fun to seen Janet spend quality time with her sister and her mom and dad. What a sacrifice she makes living here in Minnesota. What a blessing she is to so many.
Coming home was long but full of new family memories and lots of great experiences in our new pop-up camper.
>CBC Reunion
We were lucky to squeze in dinner with some college frineds from Covenant Bible College where Janet and I meet back in 1994. Faces we had not seen since then. What a blessing to reconnect with great people from such a life shaping time.
>Green Lake Tri 09
We started a new tradition with a new Tri race in Spicer MN last year with "Team Swenson"
It will most likely signal the end of the Tri season as it did last year and this year. Laura Swenson grew up close to the race start on Green Lake and her grandparents have a cabin on the lake so it makes for a wonderful time spent with the kiddies wives and us guys giving it one last hurrah as training leading up to the race is pretty much non existant. We all finished our seasons well this year giving it all we had. I had another good race this year. Struggling on the swim because I had not been in the water since the Lifetime race July 11, and really struggled on the run because I have been training for Twin Cities Marathon and so long miles and tired legs were not much good for a short six mile sprint. Not a complaint at though. I was able to place in my age group for the second year in a row placing 8th overall and 3rd in my age group.
>Another Race
As I had mentioned in the part about my fundraising during the Cornhole touranment. You all blessed me with enough to jump into another race. Crazy fool that I am. Lot's of thing inspired this one. Twin Cities is local. I am over half way to my fundraising goal, with another $800 to go (if you want to help me get there go to the link at the top of the page). We had wanted to do a TNT garage sale to help ration down our possessions anyways. So more to come on that fundraiser. I wanted to do a marathon this fall to re-qualify for Boston next April. I was able to qualify when I ran Pheonix with TNT in 08 but did not have the money to get out there the past two races. Now that Sun Country flys to Boston it is affortdable for Janet and I to make it a weekend out there.
So it is my goal to raise more money for a cause that I am passionate about. Qualify with a good race time and run Boston before I run out of gas and quit with all this training. You never know I may get sick of it?
So many pictures to share but my computer is having issues and I have not been able to link to add them for some reason.
So many thoughts to share along the way over the past month but they come and go ank there will be more to come in that department.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Time crunch
Thank you all so much for making my TNT "tri" season such a sucess.
Ending the year with a party in Adam's memory on his birthday was special beyond words. Thanks to all who joined us that special day.
More to come soon. I need to get pictures downloaded and such.
Can't wait to up date you all on...
Armand's birthday
Pacific Crest Half Iron
Nine year Anniversary
Lifetime Tri
and of course the Cornhole 09 tournament.
More to come soon
Ending the year with a party in Adam's memory on his birthday was special beyond words. Thanks to all who joined us that special day.
More to come soon. I need to get pictures downloaded and such.
Can't wait to up date you all on...
Armand's birthday
Pacific Crest Half Iron
Nine year Anniversary
Lifetime Tri
and of course the Cornhole 09 tournament.
More to come soon
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Cornhole 09!
The day is fast approaching. Pacific Crest Half Iron is June 27. Lifetime Olympic tri here in Lake Nicomas is July 11 and my TNT season is over. What better way to celebrate the end of another great year of fund raising and racing than have one more big bash on Adams birthday, July 12!
So, if you are reading this you are invited! We will have a super fun time doing all the things Adam loved to do most.....eat and play games!
It is designed to be a fundraiser for the Leukemia, Lymphoma Societies "Team in Training," for whom I have been racing for since the summer of 07. Of course it is a voluntary fundraiser. To play in the bean bag (cornhole) tournament there is a fee (donation).
The food and drink donations are suggested. I do want to raise as much money for cancer research and family support but know that not everyone is as excited about that as I am, and not everyone is in a position to give. That's plenty fine around here.
The reason for "Cornhole 09" is to remember an amazing man, my brother Adam Prest.
So come one come all. Give some, give lots, give none, let's all just have a great day doing what he really loved to do. I will have lot's of stories about this years training and racing. There will be many of my TNT mates there if you want to talk to others about TNT.
Enough blabbing....here are the details.
When: July 12......Let's say 1:30 food and fellowship...games start by 2:30
Where: Prest house....18641 Dayton St. Dayton, MN. 55327
What to do next: RSVP by making a donation via my safe TNT web site at
http://pages.teamintraining.org/mn/pctri09/aprest it is $10 per person, so $20 per team of two. If you have a team of two leave a comment with your team name. If you are solo, great! We will pair you up. That will secure you spot in the games and help me to know how many boards to have for game day.
If you are not playing or donating please RSVP via my email at drewprest@gmail.com
so we can get a estimate on who all is coming. Yes you can show up unannounced. We want you there RSVP or not!
There will be suggested donations of $5 for a food plate and $5 for a drink cup. We will have pop, water, beer, wine and a variety of other libations.
There will be prizes for winners and loosers of the tournament.
Bean bag game sets will be available for a $110 donation to LLS
You can also make this purchase via my online donation site. Just make comment that your donation is for a set of boards and they are yours! custom paint jobs available.
One set will be raffled off. Tickets available at the party or you can get your name in via the web with your online donation. $2 per ticket.....$10 buys you 7 tickets. Note in the comment box that your donation is for the raffle and your in. Do not have to be present to win.
Most of all we want to relax and remember our friend Adam so come out and enjoy the day.
If you have a dish or desert you would like to contribute let me know via the e mail and we would love to add your dish to the spread. drewprest@gmail.com or Andrew @ 763-286-5874
So, if you are reading this you are invited! We will have a super fun time doing all the things Adam loved to do most.....eat and play games!
It is designed to be a fundraiser for the Leukemia, Lymphoma Societies "Team in Training," for whom I have been racing for since the summer of 07. Of course it is a voluntary fundraiser. To play in the bean bag (cornhole) tournament there is a fee (donation).
The food and drink donations are suggested. I do want to raise as much money for cancer research and family support but know that not everyone is as excited about that as I am, and not everyone is in a position to give. That's plenty fine around here.
The reason for "Cornhole 09" is to remember an amazing man, my brother Adam Prest.
So come one come all. Give some, give lots, give none, let's all just have a great day doing what he really loved to do. I will have lot's of stories about this years training and racing. There will be many of my TNT mates there if you want to talk to others about TNT.
Enough blabbing....here are the details.
When: July 12......Let's say 1:30 food and fellowship...games start by 2:30
Where: Prest house....18641 Dayton St. Dayton, MN. 55327
What to do next: RSVP by making a donation via my safe TNT web site at
http://pages.teamintraining.org/mn/pctri09/aprest it is $10 per person, so $20 per team of two. If you have a team of two leave a comment with your team name. If you are solo, great! We will pair you up. That will secure you spot in the games and help me to know how many boards to have for game day.
If you are not playing or donating please RSVP via my email at drewprest@gmail.com
so we can get a estimate on who all is coming. Yes you can show up unannounced. We want you there RSVP or not!
There will be suggested donations of $5 for a food plate and $5 for a drink cup. We will have pop, water, beer, wine and a variety of other libations.
There will be prizes for winners and loosers of the tournament.
Bean bag game sets will be available for a $110 donation to LLS
You can also make this purchase via my online donation site. Just make comment that your donation is for a set of boards and they are yours! custom paint jobs available.
One set will be raffled off. Tickets available at the party or you can get your name in via the web with your online donation. $2 per ticket.....$10 buys you 7 tickets. Note in the comment box that your donation is for the raffle and your in. Do not have to be present to win.
Most of all we want to relax and remember our friend Adam so come out and enjoy the day.
If you have a dish or desert you would like to contribute let me know via the e mail and we would love to add your dish to the spread. drewprest@gmail.com or Andrew @ 763-286-5874
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Perspective all Wet
Training and racing update. We are deep in the throws of peak training. The second long bike training took place last Sat. Yes the wet, cold Sat. 12 of us left Afton Mn. and made our turnaround just past Diamond Bluff Wi. Sixty-four miles of rain, wind and cold all day. It is trainings days like this that are make or break for what you will be able to do race day. Attempting to find perspective and fight through the mental desire to quit is the biggest challenge. Can the body keep biking in cold and rain....yes. Do you want to at the time when your warm bed is calling your name, that is the question. Many things come to mind to combat these mental predicaments. Four hours of cold, wet, ridiculous hill climbs are not typically something you choose to do.
The first one that I call upon in my mind is knowing that pretty much anything I choose to do training will be way easier than any chemo treatment. It always inspires me to push on when I think of Adam and all the things he had no choice to go through. I think about all the little kids going through treatments. Suffering through the side effects of their treatments. I think about the fight they must put up to endure to get better. This season I am blessed to be training with Josh who fought this battle just a few short years ago. He was one of the fortunate ones to get better and I am blessed to train and race with him. That is why I will choose to push on. Together we are making a difference in the fight. People's lives are being saved with the treatments that are being found.
Sunday, the day after that dauntingly wet Afton ride, was my first tri race of the season. Typically when you have a
race coming up you "tapper" your workouts down to allow you body to fully recover from all your workouts and thus have full energy to give race day. This was the furthest from the case for the Buffalo triathlon this year. Buffalo is a "tune up" race this year for the big Pacific Crest Half Iron on June 27. Last year Buffalo was my strongest swim day and most comfortable race of the year. I am one year smarter and have close to twice the training in at this point compared to last year. I knew that yesterdays ride would severely hamper me from performing my best but I still wanted to give a comfortably strong race. I had many bike issues preparing for the start of the race. Thankfully I was able to get the help I needed to fix all my problems but I was not able to relax or warm up the way one would like to.
Race nerves are becoming more manageable with many races under my belt. The swim began and I set out to have a strong comfortable effort for the first part of the race. About 100 yards into the swim I was at the front of my wave when my body asked me a funny question. It was more of a statement I think. "Do you rally think you are going to do this today?" I continued on thinking that it was something to work through but the feeling became stronger and I soon knew that today was not a day to push hard. The focus of this race quickly changed course by the second hundred yards. "Just be comfortable" became the motto of the swim. So I settled back and watched the bulk of my wave go by and was happy to settle in to a pace less than what I could have done on a "fresh day."
Coming out of the water I was dizzy. I took my time to get on the bike and decided that I would make the bike my strong effort for the day. It is my goal to improve on the bike this year so I wanted to push my limits on this part of the race. My legs felt fine and allowed me to push faster than I have ever been able to push on the bike. Things were building stronger as I approached the half way point of the bike leg and knew that I would be able to carry my pace for the majority of the race. Then one big bump an
d a odd noise occurred. I pushed on trying to figure out what the noise was. It occurred to me not too far down the road that my Garmin computer on my wrist band came unclipped and was now gone. That is not something you want to loose so I quickly changed course to find the missing computer. Sure enough not too far back it was in the middle of the road. Lucky for me it powered back up and I attempted to get back into the grove I was in. I was able to notch things back up but not quite to the pace I was turning.
None the less the bike was the best I have ever turned out. I learned how to better prepare for racing and the swim to bike transition. A great learning experience.
The run was great also. I have been very diligent with running this year. Making each workout valuable this season has really paid off. It is very important to listen to your body during training. Weighing your food, sleep factors into what you can do that day. Pushing when you can push and running "recovery runs" when you need to take things easy. The race run was strong. I really wanted to pull back on this piece of the race but my heart rate was in a comfortable spot so I pushed myself to keep pace and fight the desire to lay up. I turned in a strong pace and was happy to have won the mental battle and finished with a consistent pace.
I do need to be careful from here out to not push too hard. I fraught many thoughts of "burn out" today and it is only the first race of the season. I am pretty sure that the conditions of the Afton bike ride the day before and the race conditions today were better, but not by much. My sleep factor wan not what it should have been either. I will take the next few days to recover and do "easy, recovery" workouts. I know that this week will be a great building block for a great race in Oregon. I am so thankful for all the support this year and my great friends that I am training and racing with. Many of us had challenging moments today but they are all experiences that can make us stronger.
Over all, my day compared to last years race was close to the same. The swim was way slower, the bike was way faster even with the backtracking and stop. The run was a bit faster and my transitions were about double from last year because I was either was not well prepared and or I just did not care to get in and out that fast. The overall time was less than two minuets slower than last year which makes me super happy.
Most of all I was proud of all my TNT team mates that competed for the first time today. Epically those that rode Afton Sat in the wind and rain and finished a great race Sunday at Buffalo.
WAY TO GO!
The first one that I call upon in my mind is knowing that pretty much anything I choose to do training will be way easier than any chemo treatment. It always inspires me to push on when I think of Adam and all the things he had no choice to go through. I think about all the little kids going through treatments. Suffering through the side effects of their treatments. I think about the fight they must put up to endure to get better. This season I am blessed to be training with Josh who fought this battle just a few short years ago. He was one of the fortunate ones to get better and I am blessed to train and race with him. That is why I will choose to push on. Together we are making a difference in the fight. People's lives are being saved with the treatments that are being found.
Sunday, the day after that dauntingly wet Afton ride, was my first tri race of the season. Typically when you have a
race coming up you "tapper" your workouts down to allow you body to fully recover from all your workouts and thus have full energy to give race day. This was the furthest from the case for the Buffalo triathlon this year. Buffalo is a "tune up" race this year for the big Pacific Crest Half Iron on June 27. Last year Buffalo was my strongest swim day and most comfortable race of the year. I am one year smarter and have close to twice the training in at this point compared to last year. I knew that yesterdays ride would severely hamper me from performing my best but I still wanted to give a comfortably strong race. I had many bike issues preparing for the start of the race. Thankfully I was able to get the help I needed to fix all my problems but I was not able to relax or warm up the way one would like to.Race nerves are becoming more manageable with many races under my belt. The swim began and I set out to have a strong comfortable effort for the first part of the race. About 100 yards into the swim I was at the front of my wave when my body asked me a funny question. It was more of a statement I think. "Do you rally think you are going to do this today?" I continued on thinking that it was something to work through but the feeling became stronger and I soon knew that today was not a day to push hard. The focus of this race quickly changed course by the second hundred yards. "Just be comfortable" became the motto of the swim. So I settled back and watched the bulk of my wave go by and was happy to settle in to a pace less than what I could have done on a "fresh day."
Coming out of the water I was dizzy. I took my time to get on the bike and decided that I would make the bike my strong effort for the day. It is my goal to improve on the bike this year so I wanted to push my limits on this part of the race. My legs felt fine and allowed me to push faster than I have ever been able to push on the bike. Things were building stronger as I approached the half way point of the bike leg and knew that I would be able to carry my pace for the majority of the race. Then one big bump an
d a odd noise occurred. I pushed on trying to figure out what the noise was. It occurred to me not too far down the road that my Garmin computer on my wrist band came unclipped and was now gone. That is not something you want to loose so I quickly changed course to find the missing computer. Sure enough not too far back it was in the middle of the road. Lucky for me it powered back up and I attempted to get back into the grove I was in. I was able to notch things back up but not quite to the pace I was turning.None the less the bike was the best I have ever turned out. I learned how to better prepare for racing and the swim to bike transition. A great learning experience.
The run was great also. I have been very diligent with running this year. Making each workout valuable this season has really paid off. It is very important to listen to your body during training. Weighing your food, sleep factors into what you can do that day. Pushing when you can push and running "recovery runs" when you need to take things easy. The race run was strong. I really wanted to pull back on this piece of the race but my heart rate was in a comfortable spot so I pushed myself to keep pace and fight the desire to lay up. I turned in a strong pace and was happy to have won the mental battle and finished with a consistent pace.
I do need to be careful from here out to not push too hard. I fraught many thoughts of "burn out" today and it is only the first race of the season. I am pretty sure that the conditions of the Afton bike ride the day before and the race conditions today were better, but not by much. My sleep factor wan not what it should have been either. I will take the next few days to recover and do "easy, recovery" workouts. I know that this week will be a great building block for a great race in Oregon. I am so thankful for all the support this year and my great friends that I am training and racing with. Many of us had challenging moments today but they are all experiences that can make us stronger.
Over all, my day compared to last years race was close to the same. The swim was way slower, the bike was way faster even with the backtracking and stop. The run was a bit faster and my transitions were about double from last year because I was either was not well prepared and or I just did not care to get in and out that fast. The overall time was less than two minuets slower than last year which makes me super happy.
Most of all I was proud of all my TNT team mates that competed for the first time today. Epically those that rode Afton Sat in the wind and rain and finished a great race Sunday at Buffalo.
WAY TO GO!
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