Lucky 14

The number 14 usually seems to be a lucky number for me and this past weekend Raleigh 70.3 kept that statement alive.  I got the bib number 14 and no luck did not give me the result for the weekend but its just funny how it all worked out in the end. When all was said and done, I came in 2nd place overall, in my 2nd race as a professional, with a time of 4:04:41.  It was a race that I will never forget and continue to work forward from.  The whole day from the swim, bike and to the run you could not keep a smile off my face.  Blessed, honored, fun and thankful are 4 words I have used to describe that race.  Below is a quick video of the race itself and how it went.  Also are a few links to articles that talked about the race.

Everyday I am blessed for all the support in so many ways...
RACC- Race Against Childhood Cancer (Racing for something bigger then myself)
Endurance House Middleton- Would NOT be possible without all your help (Ps that bike is fast)
Peak Performance Massage Madison- Training at the level I can would not be possible without you
Power Bar- Correct nutrition is key to training and racing
Newton- These shoes are just simply the best
CycleOps- Keeping me under control, working hard and training smart
Coach Will Smith- Have a bright future with your help
Family- Best family a man could EVER ask for
Friends- So thankful and love you all
Faith- GTGTG (Give the Glory to God)

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2013/06/news/greg-and-laura-bennett-win-inaugural-70-3-raleigh_76886

http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/06/02/2934565/ironman-pros-set-standard-for.html

http://www.ironman.com/triathlon-news/articles/2013/06/raleigh-70.3-recap.aspx#axzz2VOO3uKg 

Itching for MORE

Talk about a big learning experience and motivation booster!! In a nut shell, that is what 70.3 Galveston Texas was for me.  My first race as a professional and for the first time in a long time I was nervous going into the race. It was a great feeling to have.  I have worked countless hours to reach this point in my triathlon career and I was still in shock that it was happening.  With that being said this is JUST the beginning, I still have lots and lots of smart/hard work to do for many hours, months, and years.  I am so excited for what the future will hold for me and all of my supporters.

My race in a few words... (With main thing I learned)

-I swam hard...but still got dropped by the group. (Make sure to swim in wetsuit before first wetsuit race of the season and DONT loose the group) 

-I biked hard on the pancake flat course... by myself with horrible left glute pain (Make sure to get on your TT bike plenty leading into first triathlon of the season "Not just road bike." Check the wind direction morning of the race, predictions from night before change.)

-I ran with a smile on my face and thumbs up all the way to the finish. (When the going gets tough keep your thumbs up.)

So as you see I Swam, Biked and Ran and enjoyed every minute of it. Whether I was in pain or feeling great I was trying to simply enjoy the moment and keep doing my best.  

After a nice little extended race vacation in Galveston I was bouncing with excitement to get back home to start training again.  The extended vacation was simply GREAT, enjoyed some R&R from the long cold Wisconsin winter.  P.S. Galveston has some amazing seafood restraunts next to the ocean. 

Everyday I remind myself how blessed I am for the life I have before me.  Thanks so much for everyones support! Love you all.

GTGTG

Fun Filled 2013 is Coming!!

The 2013 Race season is coming CLOSER and CLOSER every day and the snow is MELTING away by the hour.  With that comes so much excitement and thanks for the upcoming year.  The definition of excitement below could not match my feelings to the T any better. 

ex·cite·ment  

Noun A feeling of great enthusiasm and eagerness. Something that arouses such a feeling; an exciting incident.

As many of you reading this already know 2013 will be my first season racing in the Pro field.  I felt like it was my time to make the jump and I am going at it full throttle.  Under the guidance of my new coach Will Smith, good things are bound to happen.  My training has been going great and loving the changes so far, but its a long season so I need to pace myself.  The long season will start early April down in Texas for 70.3 Galveston and finish in early November down in Florida for Rev3 half.  Click the tab above for the rest of my tentative race schedule, hope to see many of you at a few of the races ether racing or cheering alongside!! 

Now some BIG BIG BIG thank you's to a few people and companies who have helped me reach this point and continuing on into 2013. 

BIG thanks to all my Family and Friends, the support I am blessed with is like no other.  It would be impossible to put into words how grateful I am.

BIG thanks to RACC (Race Against Childhood Cancer) I will be representing the bright yellow colors with the motivation of racing for finding a cure for childhood cancer. RACC is a great organization doing amazing things for a deserving cause. 

BIG thanks to my friends at Endurance House, I could never have reached this point without the store and the owner Justin P (Justin inspired me to into the sport).  For all your triathlon and shoe needs stop by the best store around!!

BIG thanks to Peak Performance Massage Madison for always keeping my legs and body in tip top shape.  If you want to take your performance to the next level this year start getting into PP on a regular schedule.

BIG thanks to Newton Running for making the VERY best shoes on the market. Working for some fast results with the lugs under my feet.

BIG thanks to CycleOps for helping me to continue to take my biking to the next level.  I would be lost without my powertap wheel and trainer.  Its crazy to think that this amazing company is from the lovely Madison Wisconsin.

BIG thanks to PowerBar for keeping me fueled up with all my training and race nutrition needs.  If you want to try any of the products out just let me know.

Well thats all the updates for now, be ready for a fun filled spring, summer and fall. 

Thanks for reading!

GTGTG

January 2013 Fun

Wow! 2013 has started with a bang in so many ways and so excited for what is to come.  Quick update on the racing side for the first month of the year.

-Started with the New Years day dash took 2nd to a old teammate from high school.  Lets put it this way, it was an interesting way to recover from some fun New Years events with friends.  A portion of the proceeds from the race went to benefit Huntington's Disease Society of America.
-Did a indoor team marathon at an indoor track in Milwaukee and finished 2nd overall for the female division which I am not sure how we qualified for that haha.
-Next did a 8 person bike team time trial at the Multi Sport Expo to benefit RACC and we finished 2nd
-The next day they put on a 10k run which I also finished 2nd which also was to benefit RACC.  

So all in all 2013 has started with some great fun friend races to benefit great causes!

In the next few weeks I will be announcing my tentative race schedule as well as some other BIG changed for the 2013 year.

Loven life every day and feel so blessed in so many ways.

Thanks for reading!!

Trainer Session Jamzzz

Lately I have been spending a lot of the time on the trainer "Go Figure" and I have been jamming out on YouTube a good portion of the time "Or on Pandora."  Wanted to share with everyone a small list of my recent music addictions that have been motivation me in the dedication cave.

(Pain Cave has been turned into the Motivation Cave for the time being) 

5 of the songs are from a somewhat new artist Jake Miller who will happen to be playing in Madison, January 25th. The last one is from V.I.C. hint get your WOBBLE ready!!

ENJOY!!

Jake Miller- A Million Lives

Jake Miller- Beast Mode

Jake Miller- I'm Alright

Jake Miller- Like Me

Jake Miller - Whistle

V.I.C.- Wobble Baby!!

Keep JAMMING, Keep GOING!!

11 Benefits of Being Positive

I just started reading a book titled The Positive Dog (The story about the power of positivity) by Jon Gordon and so far I have really enjoyed it. Its a simple easy read which always suits me well haha. Not only is it a easy book to read but it has been easy to implement the main ideas into everyday life and training. Below was one of the first pages of the book that may catch your attention.

11 Benefits of Being Positive
1. Positive people live longer. In a study of nuns, those that regularly expressed positive emotions lived an average of 10 years longer then those who didn't.
2. Positive work environments outperform negative work environments.
3. Positive, optimistic salespeople sell more then pessimistic salespeople.
4. Positive leaders are able to make better decisions under pressure.
5. Marriages are much more likely to succeed when the couple experiences a 5-to-1 ratio of positive to negative interactions, whereas when the ratio approaches 1-to-1, marriages are more likely to end in divorce.
6. Positive people who regularly express positive emotions are more resilient when facing stress, challenges, and adversity.
7. Positive people are able to maintain a broader perspective and see the big picture, which helps them identify solutions, whereas negative people maintain a narrower perspective and tend to focus on problems.
8. Positive thoughts and emotions counter the negative effects of stress. For example, you can't be thankful and stressed at the same time.
9. Positive emotions such as gratitude and appreciation help athletes perform at a higher level.
10. Positive people have more friends, which is a key factor of happiness and longevity.
11. Positive and popular leaders are more likely to garner the support of others and receive pay raises and promotions and achieve greater success in the workplace.

For more research and links to studies and resources go to www.feedthepositivedog.com
Thanks for reading!!!

Florida REV3

REV IT UP!!!!

Below is a short video about before, during and after the race.

(Yes I am in the middle of the woods taking this video haha)

Things to Remember 
-Driving 22hrs to a race is really not to bad at all
-Keep nutrition simple
-Stay aero is the main focus for flat and windy bike course
-Have a list of positive things to think about when the going gets tough (Good for every aspect of life)
-Rubbing off the X marks on your hand will allow you to get more celebratory beer post race
-Recovery hydration/kcal directly after race helps a tremendous amount
-EVERY second counts "Only a min separated 1st-4th Amateur"
-Oranges from Florida and Pecans from Georgia are to die for!!
-Tennessee is an amazing state specially Nashville

Rev3 Florida BIG THANKS TO....
-My AMAZING family for the words/notes of encouragement the week leading into the race.
-Friends Patrick, Randy, Dan and Brandon for a run time in Florida.
-Best bud Mark for loaning me his sickly fast Disc
-Endurance House for loaning me a front 404 race wheel last minute notice
-Rev3 for putting on a great inaugural Florida race (Rev3 Website)
-The good Lord for simply everything GTGTG

Tweets from Rev3!!!

Till next time GTGTG