End of an Era

Hard to believe, but Craig "Crowie" Alexander has announced his retirement from iron-distance triathlon.  With Crowie as a huge role model for me, it's hard to imagine following iron-distance racing and not seeing his name as a favorite before races and at the top of the results after.  But, at the same time, one thing I admire so much about him is his ability to step outside himself and take an objective look at his own situation.  He's done that again here.

From all that I've read and videos that I've seen, Crowie is a modest champion, a respectful competitor and a tenacious family man.  He may not be racing iron-distance, but he'll definitely remain as my role model.

If you don't know much about Crowie, check out the above clip from ESPN's Aussies Abroad series.  Also, below are a few recent articles.

Alexander announces retirement (Triathlete.com)

More on his announcement (Ironman.com)

Alexanders Ironman career in a few photos (Triathlete.com)

Alexander named no. 3 best male triathlete of all time (Triathlete.com)

Spring Time!

30/ 30/ 30 Challenge
Swim 1
Bike   0
Run   22

Last week was great!  The weather is turning around and spring is bringing in slightly warmer temperatures.  Also, we're now only a few weeks out from our wedding and everything is coming together.  Can't wait!

In fitness news, I joined a new coworker for my first trail run of the year and got my first swim in.  Incredible feeling :)

To keep me honest to my 30/ 30/ 30 Goal for 2014, I'm going to post updates regularly so I can see the progress (or lack thereof).  Feel free to chime in with some motivation if you think I'm slacking.

pic from triathlete-europe.competitor.com

Finally, here's an interesting article from triathlete-europe.competitor.com on the 25 greatest male triathletes of all time.  Today are numbers 25-20 with the rest to come later.  Click HERE to read.

Just a Normal Day

So, as usual, it's been busy.  But, what does that really mean?  Well, the best way to answer that is to layout today's schedule.

06:15 - 06:45  rise and shine, get ready to run

06:45 - 07:45  out the door heading for downtown, about 10k

07:45 - 09:15  get your work out on (gym session at Konami Sports)

09:15 - 10:00  breakfast and head to Japanese lesson

10:00 - 12:00  2hrs of Japanese

12:00 - 13:00  walk to work and grab lunch

13:00 - 22:00  work

22:00 - 23:00  make it home, cook and eat dinner

23:00 - 02:00  quality time with Natsuko, wedding planning, job hunting

02:00 - ?         sleep and then do it all again

Wow, now that I see it written, it seems a little crazy!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining.  I choose to pack my days like this.  But, just wish I could find more time to blog.

Until next time, I'll leave it with a quote from a positive thinking book that I'm reading (hope to blog about the book sometime).

"Every adversity has the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit."

- Napoleon Hill -

Good-bye '13, Hello '14

Finally, two months in, here we go.

2013 IN REVIEW
Last year was an excellent one.  Here's my biggest life and athletic highlights.

On paper, officially married the most amazing woman!  What a wonderful feeling.  Can't wait to celebrate with her and our family and friends in 2014.

Ran across the Sahara Desert: The Marathon des Sables was an incredible experience.  Looking back at the things that I and 1,000 new friends did and challenges we overcame will serve as a lifetime of inspiration.

Let's hope I can do it again sometime!

Marathon PB, 3:12: My only other race on the year was the Kobe Marathon.  Despite feeling that I could have run faster, it was a PB by 7min.  Gotta be pleased with that.


2014 GOALS
This is going to be a year of personal change.  The biggest plan is heading to Hawaii with Natsuko to celebrate our marriage with friends and family!  After that comes a move back to finance (hopefully).  This means we'll be leaving Japan.  Our next destination is unknown, but I'm looking for jobs in California (if you've got any job leads, let me know :) or possibly New York City or Singapore.

Because of the uncertainty brought by these changes, my goals are fairly general.  Also, I suspect there will be more posting on non-athletic pursuits.  Should be interesting.

30/30/30: Pretty basic, but I want to do at least 30 sessions in the pool (1km min), at least 30 bike sessions (30mins min) and 30 runs (30mins min).  Running to work should take care of the running, but I'm going to have to make time for the others.

I've grown to hate the excuse, "I don't have time to do it."  I used to use this a lot.  Then, it dawned on me that I have the time but choose to do other things.  If I want to be a multi-sport athlete, I have to make it a priority.

Compete in at least three multi-sport events: "Well, you're not a triathlete anymore.  You're a runner."  A friend recently spoke the truth.  At first, I was a little offended, but then I thought about it.  Most of my cardio is running and my last triathlon was July 2011.  That's pretty good support for her thoughts.

Don't get me wrong, being known as a runner is great.  But, I love cross-training and multi-sport more.

Take on at least one multi-day adventure: Did I mention how amazing MdS was?  Well, it opened my eyes to a less competitive and more free-spirited way to challenge and improve myself.  So, it doesn't have to be an organized race, just a multi-day, out in the elements, carrying everything I need trek with a friend or two.  More to come.