What is the Eurekan?

Eu.re.kan/(noun): A person who completes a grueling 3-day event comprised of a sprint triathlon, 100 mile bike ride, and 10K run. But after reflection on probably one of the most memorable events I will ever attend, the Eurekan is more expansive than a simple defintion.

The Eurekan brings out the best in people, and I am not simply talking about physical performance. Sure there were noteable performances across the board. But as I sat back and took in the whole weekend I noticed the best in people. Their best qualities had nothing to do with their physical ability to become a Eurekan, but rather their compassion for the spirit of competition and for their fellow athletes. People went out of their way to be their best for others. Volunteers and event staff spent countless hours to make sure the event was a memorable one. Athletes rekindled old friendships and made new ones.

Time was spent talking, dining, reliving old memories shared together, and creating new ones that will span a lifetime. I watched as people smiled at each other, gave high-fives, and hugs, stopped along the road to help a fellow athlete and stayed side-by-side in order to surmount a challenging event.

The stage for such an event could not have been any better managed or set in a better location. It came together under a devine presence and in this veteran athlete and coach's humble opinion brought a new level of meaning to "multisport family." As everyone left Eureka Springs, I sat on an old street side bench one last time...trying to soak up every moment of a weekend that provided an opportunity for growth, rememberance, challenge, and yes...I'll say it...love.

If you missed this event, I would highly recommend that you make it next year. I have been an endurance athlete for 13 years. I have completed Ironman events, been to Boston, and done almost every type of event under that...and nothing that I have done to date provided me with the same feeling, excitment, enjoyment, and all around pleasure that I received from being at the Eureka Springs Multisport Festival.

Now that I think about it, "Festival" defines it perfectly. An ocassion for celebration. That is exactly what I think many athletes experienced. We celebrated our lives, our abilities, and our friendships. Long live the Eureka Springs Multisport Festival. Until next year I will revel in the memory, and look forward to creating new ones...

Moving Forward

I remember my first marathon like it was just yesterday, but time has a way of silently slipping away. It was 11 years ago that I made the decision to run a race I had never faced before. My training helped me, but honestly, even though I was "prepared" nothing I could have done would have taken away the anxiety and fear I had when the starting gun sounded. The sounds were different, the place was different, and I was doing something I had never done before. All I really knew to do was to keep moving forward. The question entered my mind, "Could I do this?"

Over the next 26.2 miles I experience exuberance, elation, doubt, rejection, defeat, reflection, and accomplishment. It is interesting that even though I face a different race now the feelings are similar. I have done the training, but the day is upon me where I must step to the starting line. Now it all feels different. I am as prepared as I can be, but experience tells me that there will only be slight comfort in that...and the only thing I can do is move forward.

Tomorrow I load a trailer hitched behind a vehicle and I drive away to a new place...leaving the only thing I have known over the past 5 years behind me. Have I prepared? Yes. Have I mentally rehearsed? Yes. Will it be any easier? No. Like a marathon, even with the best training there will be moments of pain that the runner will face, and the only thing they can do to prevent failure is to accept the pain and move forward.

As I drive away from my home and my children I will face this uncertainty again in my life. It is a new starting line with a significant finish line. There will be pain, there will be doubt, and there will be considerable reflection. As the miles pass by in a race there is time to think...did I do all I could to prepare? What could I have done differently? What did I do right? What did I do wrong? As you move forward there are shadows of darkness of which you must pass. You wish you could run back or avoid them, but you know you must move forward.

I will do this just like I have done with so many marathons. I will take one step after another, face what I must, endure what I can, and hope I have enough to make it to the finish. Right now in this moment, that is all I know...

Friends in New Places

My trip to beautiful Colorado has been everything I hoped for and more. I have managed scenic 25 plus mile bike rides every day since arriving...evening being able to ride from the park at which we are staying all the way to Denver. Along the way I have made new friends in new places.

Take Joe here for instance. I walked into the a local bike shop near Littleton, CO and struck up a conversation with Joe like we were old buddies reminiscing over times past. We talked about bikes, memories of racing, the wonders of riding across the Western plains with a backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, and good places to eat.

As I left the shop and hopped on my bike for the return trip to the park I thought about how important it is to remember friends and make new friends every chance you get. Some will argue that our life path is predetermined and no matter what we do we only encounter that which is in our path.

Maybe so...but I think we are more like the water that flows through the Rocky Mountain rivers. Our path has been set. Our water stays within the boundaries of the banks, but we can move freely within those banks and by doing so we cross paths with those who can make our day a bit brighter, life a bit better, or help us see something a bit clearer which might have been a little foggy at first.

The next time you are traveling down your own river and you get a chance to call an old friend or make a new one, don't hesitate...don't put it off to think that you will do it later. If you are presented with the moment, make the most of it. Because I can tell you that my life is richer because of Joe. One look at our pic provides solid evidence that if only for a moment our connection was a high point in our lives...and the memories of that moment will be with Joe and I forever. Plus you never know when the water of our rivers will cross paths again.

Childrens' Heros

Recently my little boy was watching Chicken Little. Without becoming a movie spoiler it is about a little boy (a.k.a Chicken Little) who has a "piece of sky" fall on his head. As the story goes it becomes apparent that nobody believes him...or worse yet believes in him. Even CL's dad directs doubt and critism towards his own son.

As I stood there for a brief moment, I quickly found myself emersed in the movie...introspectively wondering why so many parents do this very thing to their own children. I glanced across the room and saw my five year old son...beautiful, full of life and wonder, and new to all the world has to offer.

Realizing I am to be his sherpa of life I found myself making plans to show him the world, to be there when he decides to test his own skills...and to always provide support and encouragement...despite the inevitable obstacles and failures on the road of life.

Recently he participated in his first triathlon. Like life, the obstacles were set. It was cold (40 degrees), raining, and windy. The rain fell with a hard sting and there was a cold north wind. They came out of a warm indoor swim into the harsh cold...rain...wind. I was there to help him in the transition area, but by the time he left transition you could see him shaking from the cold. Minutes later (what seemed like forever) he was coming into T2. His lips purple and hands red, wrinched with cold. From personal experience I knew the pain. I could see doubt in his eyes, but as he made eye contact with me I knew he was searching for certainty and that is exactly what I gave him. Like a stone pillar unwavered by the elements I stood in the rain...strong and stead fast in my confidence for him. Through clapping, cheering, and a loving connection with the eyes...in less than words I told him he could go on. It was going to be tough but he could make it.

He made T2, removed his helmet, and made his way onto the run course. Clothes soaked and hanging from his small frame he moved into a jog. Mom was there to provide support...an encouraging word. And just like that I lost sight of him. He was out there somewhere...doing something...and all I could hope was that what we had given him up to this point in his young life would be enough for him to face this challenge. Consumed by these thoughts, I was brought back by the announcer boldly stating that my little boy had made the final turn and was headed home. With a surge in my own legs I rushed to the finish line. I felt as if I was running my own race. Full of excitement I saw him...rain running down his face, shirt barely hanging from his shoulders, his eyes fix on me...and in that moment he cross the finish line. In some of the worst conditions which multisport athletes face this little 5 year old boy did it. We high-fived and I helped him warm his cold body. In a moment of silence he said..."I did it Dad. Just like you."

Being your child's favorite hero is a special privilidge. Don't deny it, accept it, and live it. All children look to their parents for guidance, hope, and inspiration. It should be no surprise that in their own moments they want to prove their worth to you. Be there for them, support them, encourage them, take pride in them, and believe in them. Whatever you do, don't take second place to Superman...be the real hero.

Stability in Changing Times

Recently, my life has been like switch backs and fast turns in the Tour De France. I am dealing with some uncertainties and pain, similar to what I have experienced in racing where I thought my legs would not carry me another mile. As life changes and I move into different chapters, I am faced with how that change is going to influence those I love the most. I worry on most nights that I will let those people down...no...that I have already let those people down. I worry that no matter what I do from here, no matter how hard I train, no matter what race I run, I ultimately can not change the course. It is set and now I run.

In times like these, I think we all search for something that provides safety and stability. Like the hug from a loving mom, a pep talk from your childhood friend, a quite moment with your favorite song. We look for those things that provide us some security...if only for the moments we are engaged.

In these turbulent storms, through the rhythm of my legs, the beating of my heart, the sound of my feet as they wisp across the ground, as I watch the sun set below the dancing trees I search for what I have done right and where I have gone tremendously wrong. I am not sure I ever really find the answer...but I do find some comfort in knowing that with each new day there is a new chance...a chance to get it right, to put together a better effort, to have a better race. At times I feel like if I can just run far enough I will run right into the answers I seek.

Right now my shoes and my legs ability to carry me across God's earth are the only things that help me see through the storm. Some might say this approach is running from your problems. I disagree...these moments of uninterrupted time help me see through the fog, to clear away the noise, and focus on what I can do to make the road more smooth with fewer bumps. Like many of you, I have those that depend on me...I have failed more than I have succeeded and desperately I hope as time passes that all my "training" helps me to fail them less and to grow stronger with each hill I face.

In time to come I will continue to run, continue to look for the answers on quite runs between dusk and dawn. They are out there...I can hear them in the swift silence of the passing ground beneath my feet. For me, this provides some stability in changing times.

Photo by BillRhodes Photo

Finding Yourself Through Fitness

Recently I had a front desk staff member ask me a somewhat personal and conceptually based question. I had just finished a great speed workout on the treadmill and sweat was still beading up on my arms as a result of the effort. As I walked into the snack bar to make myself a smoothie she looked at me almost like she was trying to visually measure my personal drive and asked a simple question..."What drives you?"

Immediately I knew she was referring to my dedication to fitness, yet some how I felt like she was trying to tap into a deeper level of my being...potentially contemplating that if I gave her the answer that she could discover that same level of "drive" for herself. Not to say that she does not have her own drive...the things that push her to achieve what she may want to achieve in life. But I knew she was curious to understand the twinkle in my eye that is evident after most of my own training sessions.

Of course my answer was less than elaborate, composed and stated like the answer of a grade school boy I said, "I'm not sure." But after some reflection over a day or two I knew it was not an honest answer. Maybe I was afraid that my answer would not be the one for which she was searching or because many people would find it as an empty promise.

But since that question was posed to me, over a month ago, it has been a reoccurring theme in my own mind. I decided to blog it. As a prelude to my answer, I will let you know that it is MY answer, MY reason for fitness, and it is something much deeper than just a swim, a bike, or a run. It has to do with my relationship with this world, with God, and with the very reason I was put on this earth. OK...so if that didn't turn you off and you might be thinking, "Hey...I can relate." Then read on!

In my childhood I struggled with health. I was a severe asthmatic and had horrible allergies. As a result I was limited in athletics and was never a top athlete. But this did not deter my efforts. I never stopped trying and never stopped fighting to achieve something that at that time was not meant for my body. Over time my health improved. I was told that I was growing out of it, but I also felt there was something besides just the simple answer of growing out if it. All through that time I was as active as I could be.

In the late 90's I discovered running. In some way I became connected with it at a deeper level. I developed a relationship with my running and improved my health. My state of condition improved beyond my greatest expectations and running provided numerous benefits. When I would run (and even still today) a sense of peace came over me. Strange as it might seem, even when running fast, things (i.e. life) slow down, they become transparent, and I "see" more clearly...understanding the simplicity of my my being, my existence. Fortunately for me this sense also translates across other realms of fitness, carrying over into swimming and biking. Honestly I have better communion with God during these moments in my life than I do when sitting in church on Sundays. As Christopher McDougall writes, "We are born to run." I take it one step farther...we are born to move.

There is nothing more beautiful than a body in movement within the world around us. Without hesistation I can say this is truly a tribute to God's creation of man and earth. Interestingly, I see this concept in motion with many endurance athletes. They are drawn to a pre-dawn run where a cool breeze brushes their face as they watch the sun rise and chase away the mist across a waking wheat field. They find their "rythym" as their heart beats in concert with each pedal stroke as they ride across the country side or through the silent woods. They find joy in the weightlessness offered when swimming through the open water, almost as if you are being held up by the water...as if it's thanking you for your presence there.

So what drives me? Probably the same thing that drives most people. The desire to find meaning in life. The difference? I believe finding meaning does not come through some book, some job, or some status among my peers. It comes through my relationship with God, my body, and how I fit into the world around me. I find myself each time I swim or bike or run. We were designed to move. Through movement in God's presence it is apparent to me what I am here to do...and that is celebrate life, to celebrate existence through movement across the face of this beautiful world.

So the next time you are out, take a look around. What do you see? What do you hear? Can you hear the voices of the world when you are out celebrating your life through swimming, biking or running? I believe it is there for every one. You just have to open your heart and let it in. If you do this your training will never be the same again!

So take time to find the love in you run...