Shay Does It!

This weekend I made the trek to my old stomping grounds in Columbia, MO for the Roots & Blues 1/2 marathon. This was 3SF athlete Shay Gann's 1st 1/2 marathon and boy did she pick a doozy! We climbed more than a dozen hills and honestly Hospital Hill pales in comparison to course difficulty. We started the race in a rainy, 57 degrees and it rained on us all through the race. Shay did great. She was very strong through 9 miles and started to fade a little in the last miles of the race. Shay tackled the race with hamstring tightness, which as you can imagine only got worse with the big hills. She stuck it out and finished her first 1/2 marathon in 2:21:31. Tough race, but great race! Way to go Shay!! By the time she reads this, I bet she will already be planning her next one! We finished the weekend by attending the Roots & Blues Festival...listening to good music and eating some great BBQ.

I Met Frank

Yesterday while killing time in between my son's pre-K class and his swim lesson we hung out as we always do at the local bike shop. Honestly, Tailwind Cyclist is a far cry from good cycle eye candy...there are no $5,000 bikes hanging on racks, fancy apparel, and we usually take a seat on the old, broken down, hide-a-bed couch that backs up to one of the front windows in the shop. Roger only keeps the basics in stock, but the shop is never short of good conversation and interesting people. Which brings me to Frank.

Frank is a fit, scrappy looking young man. He was wearing a basic t-shirt and longer MTB shorts. His physique screamed outdoor adventure man, and if you were to look up outdoor adventure man in the dictionary there would be a picture of Frank. Frank has been stuck in Pittsburg, KS area waiting for a wheel to be sent to Tailwinds so he could continue his journey through Kansas until he reached Colorado...oh yeah...I forgot to mention...Frank's ride started in Norfolk, VA!

Immediately I was intrigued by his travels and we struck up the kind of conversation that people usually have over a good cup of coffee. Frank told me that he had been in the masonry business, making good money, and was looking for something more. He mentioned that, "money wasn't everything." Somehow I quickly identified with his conversation and wished that I was making the trip with him.

Our time for conversation was brief, as it was time to head out for my son's swim lessons. But in that short time with Frank I got to learn about an ordinary man with an extraordinary life. I know Frank was armed with his laptop, and I hope he gets to read this blog. If we are lucky he might send us a few pics of his travels. Meeting Frank was the highlight of the day. God's speed Frank...

Youth Summer Clinics - SUCCESS!

I am totally amazed how quickly the summer slips through time. Sitting here this morning, sipping my coffee I had a chance to reflect on the youth clinics which are near and dear to my heart as a multisport coach. This year was a great success! We held youth clinics in Georgia, Utah, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa, & Illinois! Our clinics are based on a curriculum series that was designed by a group of serious experts! I am fortunate enough to be able to include my name in that group. Our goal is to help children realize how much fun can be had through participation in multisport activities. Our mission...to use multisport as a modality to help children discover their health and fitness and to combat the negative health effects of physical inactivity and obesity! We provide a great service for our children! Each year we look for donors/sponsors who are willing to help drive our cause. To learn more check it out at www.alivewithmissionme.org.