With that said, today’s Triathlon Photo Friday photo is a screenshot of my training plan tool: Training Peaks.  This Web site is a great resource for beginners all the way up to advanced athletes as they have a wealth of triathlon training plans and triathlon coaching services available.  I’m fortunate to be working with David Glover of Endurance Works in Boulder, CO and he’s worked up a challenging plan that I’m using to help me get ready (full disclosure: Endurance Works is a client of mine at Dijital Farm).  So, here’s today’s photo and I look forward to providing updates on the training plan as I get started next week!  Happy Triathlon Photo Friday!

Today’s triathlon Friday photo is of my Road ID bracelet.  This band can be worn on your arm, ankle or even around the seat stem of your bike.  It has your name and key contact information inscribed into the metal portion of the band so that, if you were ever injured someone would be able to identify you and contact loved ones.  (Side note: the story behind the creation of the Road ID bracelet is an interesting one and well worth reading)  I received my Road ID bracelet as a Christmas gift and I take it with me each time I run or ride.  I even take it with me when I travel for work and end up running on a treadmill as it would help in the event of a medical emergency.  And while I haven’t had a crash (yet!) where I’ve needed to use it, I’m glad I have it with me.

If you’re a runner, cyclist or triathlete, I strongly recommend purchasing a RoadID bracelet as it will definitely give piece of mind as you’re training.   Happy triathlon photo Friday!

The shoes I purchased are not fancy at all.  I got this pair from the cycling gear Web site Nashbar.com.  In fact, they are the house brand that is made for Nashbar.com They were the right size, got solid reviews as a good first pair of cycling shoes and the price was right!  I purchased a pair of cleats to attach to the bottom so I could lock into the pedals, got them setup and I was on my way!  The first ride I took with the new shoes was an incredible experience.  Clipless pedals allow you to get more power as opposed to traditional pedals because you are both pushing and pulling the crank at all times.  The one word of caution I was given over and again was to make sure that I pulled at least one foot out prior to stopping or I’d fall over and suffer a little ding to my pride!  (I’m proud to say that I haven’t fallen yet!).

So, today’s triathlon photo Friday photo is of my Nashbar Comp II road cycling shoes.  Enjoy the weekend and happy triathlon photo Friday!

Here’s what I like about this bike: it is incredibly light and very comfortable to ride!  When training for and competing in triathlon, you’re going to spend a lot of time on the bike, so you better pick one you like.  While this isn’t a “tri bike,” this one works really well for me and I enjoy riding it on training rides and in competition.

Whether you are running, swimming or riding this weekend, I hope you are able to get outside and enjoy the nice weather (in the 70′s here in NC today!).  And, happy Triathlon Photo Friday!

Today’s photo is the view of the lap pool I swim in.  Where I live, pool swimming is the main option if you want to swim in the winter.  Of course, this winter has proven to be quite mild, but still not warm enough for swimming outdoors!  The shot below was taken just moments before I entered the water to begin today’s swim workout.  I was fortunate to have the pool mostly to myself today– that’s not always the case.  Nonetheless, the pool I swim in is a fantastic facility and the water is always heated to a comfortable temperature, which makes an early morning swim on cold days a lot more bearable!

Happy Triathlon Photo Friday!

The lap pool is calling! Time to swim a few laps!

I also had the opportunity to link up with a professional triathlon coach, David Glover of Endurance Works (full disclaimer: Endurance Works is a client of my company, Dijital Farm).  Before anyone goes off the deep end, I’m not seeking to become a professional triathlete or anything (a simple examination of my race times will confirm that this is not on the horizon for me!).  I simply enjoyed working with David to help him achieve his business goals and we struck up some great conversations about training, goal setting and what I– a relative newcomer to triathlon– could do to get better and have fun competing in triathlon.

I'm ready for the 2012 triathlon training to begin!

So, I’m working with David in two key areas: a training plan he put together for an International (Olympic) distance triathlon and the strengthening my mental game for competing in triathlon.  I’m working through TrainingPeaks.com, an online training plan and coaching system that allows me to track my progress and allows David the opportunity to see how my workouts are progressing.

Thus far this week, I’ve spent two sessions in the pool, one on the bike and one on the run.  I got back into the pool about 4 weeks ago to begin the process of building up some endurance, but I haven’t run or ridden much in the past few weeks.  I was able to get clipless pedals for my road bike and I’m hopeful that this will help me improve my speed and times on the bike this year.  The workouts have been challenging, but I’m pleased to say that I’ve been able to hang in there with each of them!

I’m planning to use this blog to write about my training experiences this year as I work towards completing an Olympic distance triathlon.  I’m also planning to write about my experiences in working with a coach and how that (I hope) ultimately helps me get better at approaching this challenging, but rewarding, sport.  So, stay tuned and I hope I’ll be able to offer up some great insights from the world of training in the year ahead!

But the most significant part about this tri was that this was the fourth and final triathlon of 2011 for me.  I never would have thought back in January when I began training for my first tri that I would have pushed on to continue training and do four triathlons in one year!  I’ve found triathlon to be one of the most challenging and enjoying sports that I’ve ever participated in.  And after taking an opportunity to reflect on the past 8 months of training, I can definitely say that I’m in better physical shape than I’ve been in for several years and I’m mentally tougher in each of the sports than I was back in January.  For those two reasons alone, I’m marking my first year in triathlon as a success!

Recap of the 2011 Mayo Lake Triathlon
Now, the actual Mayo Lake Tri itself brought a new first: competing in the pouring down rain!  My good friend and

My transition area setup before the downpour!

training partner, Brett “Chick” Ciancanelli and I arrived at the race site just a little before 6 a.m.  As we setup our transition areas and walked the area to become familiar with the surroundings, the sun was rising, the temps were moderate and it looked like it would be a good day.

We headed down to the water to start the race.  Unlike the other open water Tri we competed in (the Mission Man Tri 3 weeks ago in Burlington), this event only had a two-wave start for the men: all men 39 and under and all men over 39.  I felt better prepared for this event than the last one and made sure that I got out to the right edge of the group to stay away from the pack of swimmers.  As the gun went off, I started with a good pace and focused on the new stroke technique I’d been working on.  All was well for a while, until I found myself swimming off-course.  I began to correct it, but found myself swimming in the same area as another competitor and kept bumping up against him.  We then came to a shallow area in the lake where I actually had to walk through an area before resuming the swim.  And that’s when my “swimming yips” (I know, it’s a golf term, but it works here, trust me!) kicked in.  I had a brief moment of panic where I felt I couldn’t go on.  It lasted for a few minutes and I did have to grab hold of a kayak a couple of times to get my breath and re-focus.  However, unlike the Mission Man Tri, I was able to re-focus and continue pushing ahead (in my mind, I shifted to thinking about the bike portion and what I wanted to do there).  I set small distance goals, varied my strokes and continued pushing ahead.  At last, I actually caught up with a few of the swimmers ahead of me and reached the shore to exit the swim.  After a long jaunt up a steep hill and around a bend to the transition area, I made it back to my bike & equipment and got ready for the ride.

As I headed out on the bike, I noticed that there were some dark clouds off in the distance, but didn’t give it a second thought because I needed to keep moving.  I used the first mile of the bike to recover a little and get my legs acclimated to the ride.  This was only my second time on the new bike and I felt great.  And then it happened: first it was a few drops, then the bottom dropped out and it poured down rain.  In fact, it would continue to pour for the rest of the race and for some time afterwards.  When you’re on the bike and you’re not yet halfway through the race, you simply can’t worry about a little rain (or in this case, a lot of rain!).  So, I kept plowing ahead.  The bike course had a lot of hills on it and the rain definitely hampered my ability to go all out as I’d hoped, but I felt really good on the bike.  I’m sure that during other conditions, it would have been a scenic ride, but in this instance, I was pleased to have caught several competitors while climbing the hills and continue pushing ahead.  The new bike really made a huge difference since I was carrying about 10 fewer pounds compared to the bike I’d been riding.  As I came into the transition area, I noticed that my socks and shoes were saturated from the rain.  That would certainly come back to get me!

In the transition area, I swapped out my helmet for my visor (normally for the sun, but today, it helped keep the rain out of my eyes.  As I took off on the run, I noticed that my legs felt really good– lots of spring in my stride.  The only real issue was that I felt like I was carrying an extra 5 pounds since my shoes were so water logged!

The run course was tough as it was a trail run.  Mix in all the rain and there was a lot of standing water on the (skinny) trail.  Several competitors were slipping around me, so I made sure to keep my footing as stable as possible.  That was a good move for protecting myself, but a bad move on my overall time.  I moved a lot slower than I’d hoped and the trail really took a toll on my legs.  At last, I turned the corner and could see the finish line through the driving rain.  I dug down deep and poured everything I had left in me to run as hard as I could to the finish.  As I crossed the line, I noted the time: 1:57:57.  Less than 2 hours and in difficult conditions.  That may not be a high mark to some, but it was good for me on this day.

Jon Parks and Brett Ciancanelli of The Second Wind multi-sport ministries at the 2011 Mayo Lake Triathlon

My mom came to the race and it was nice to see her.  It was even nicer to see that she was holding an umbrella!  Chick, my mom and I made our way over to the covered shelter where we lamented the driving rain.  Chick shared the scare that he endured of hydroplaning while on the bike heading downhill at nearly 40 miles an hour.  And then, I remembered that my bag was in the transition area.  And it was totally soaked.  Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem.  But I keep my phone in my bag while competing and, you guessed it: it was damaged.  (fortunately, the phone spent a little time in rice later in the day to draw out the water and it works as good as ever.)  As we wrung out the towels, socks and everything else, Chick and I threw on our shirts for The Second Wind, a multi-sport ministry that we’ve started at our church.  This is the first time that we’ve had the shirts for an event and it was great to be able to get a photo of us at the finish line (even if it was pouring down rain!).

So, that was it.  I completed my fourth and final triathlon of the year and I’m heading into the off season.  Though I won’t be competing in any more triathlons for the remainder of 2011, I am planning to run in a 5K in October and a 10K in November (this one with The Second Wind group).  I’ll likely take a week to 10 days of only light workouts at best and then I’m pushing ahead on preparing for my 2012 triathlon plan!  I’m building out a race calendar now and am looking to ramp up the intensity, seek faster times and perhaps even tackle a longer distance race!

But for now, I’ll celebrate the success of 2011 and enjoy my new found excitement for triathlon!

Of course, launching a new company doesn’t happen on its own.  I’m grateful to the support of my incredible wife and my three children.  They have helped me in so many ways that I couldn’t possibly name them all here.  Lastly, the vision for Dijital Farm is something that God placed in my heart and He made it a reality.  He’s the CEO– I’m merely the Lead Dijital Strategist with the company!

Check out the Dijital Farm Web site and let me know what you think of it!

Now, we are celebrating July 4th, 2011 and Elliott has been home with us for a little more than 6 months.  In many ways, it seems as though he has always been in our family, which is a good sign.  But every now and then, Melinda and I think a little about what life was like in Ukraine and how that contrasts with life in the United States.  Our little Elliott, who is really starting to show his personality now, lived in a Soviet-era orphanage, complete with the

Melinda & Elliott at the orphanage

requisite cinder-block walls and institutional feel.  Elliott was well-loved and cared for there and we will always be grateful to his caretakers for what they did for him during the first months of his life.  But, children aren’t meant to live in orphanages.  They are meant to be a part of families who love them, care for them and provide for them.

On July 4, 2010, Elliott was just another child in a ward of a Ukrainian orphanage without a lot of hope in life.  On July 4, 2011, he is a bright and vibrant child that is excelling in his development, chasing his brother and sister and delighting his parents with his laugh and his wonderful way of saying “helloooo!”

To me, this is the quintessential American story.  A child, without family and without hope in his own land, is given a new chance in a new country.  Today, Elliott will join us as we travel to the old State Capitol building in downtown

Melinda, Elliott, Ryan & Anna

Raleigh.  He will stand with us as we listen to a reading of the Declaration of Independence.  He will hear the music, see the colonial themed costumes and enjoy watching all of the people on the grounds.  He will enjoy his lunch sitting on a blanket on the lawn outside on the Capitol grounds.  He will enjoy eating homemade ice cream with friends.  He will see fireworks for the first time ever as we watch, from a safe distance, in the town of Rolesville.  And he will fall asleep in his own crib, safe and secure.  This year, on Independence Day, Elliott is a little two-year old boy, growing up in America.  Will he know the difference between last year and this year?  Probably not.  But we, his parents, will.  And we are so thankful to have this charming and sweet little boy in our family.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

note: this entry is cross-posted on JourneyThroughTheParks.com