by Jon Parks | Jul 19, 2012 | Blog, Family
This past Tuesday evening, I took my oldest son, Ryan, to his very first baseball game. We went to see the Durham Bulls, a AAA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. Ryan just turned four and has shown a lot of interest in baseball as of late. As a result, I wanted to...
by Jon Parks | Jul 5, 2012 | Blog, Triathlon and Running
Yesterday afternoon, I received some very difficult news. A friend of mine, Steve Jordan, was killed in a truck-bike collision on U.S. 401 just a few miles away. Any collision on the highway that involves the loss of life, whether it involves a bike or not, is...
by Jon Parks | May 18, 2012 | Blog, Triathlon Photo Friday
Today’s Triathlon Photo Friday photo is a little different. Here’s the background: In the next few days, I’ll begin my next triathlon training journey: I’m beginning my 16-week training plan to get ready for my first international (Olympic)...
by Jon Parks | Apr 20, 2012 | Blog, Triathlon and Running, Triathlon Photo Friday
Today’s Triathlon Photo Friday photo is my Timex Ironman running watch. If you’re planning to train for or compete in any endurance sports (running, triathlon, swimming, etc.), a watch is a must-have item. Even though I track a lot of my workouts via an...
by Jon Parks | Mar 9, 2012 | Blog, Triathlon and Running, Triathlon Photo Friday
When training for triathlon, it is not uncommon to go on long runs or bike rides (lasting a couple of hours or more sometimes!). Those rides or runs will likely lead you to encounters with traffic. Most of the time, drivers are very courteous when they encounter...
by Jon Parks | Mar 2, 2012 | Blog, Triathlon and Running, Triathlon Photo Friday
Today’s Triathlon Photo Friday photo is the pair of cycling shoes I recently acquired. When I started out in triathlon last year, I was very unfamiliar with the world of cycling. Sure, I’d ridden a bicycle since I was a kid, but cycling is completely...
by Jon Parks | Feb 24, 2012 | Blog, Triathlon and Running, Triathlon Photo Friday
Today’s triathlon photo Friday post is my road bike (see last week’s triathlon photo friday post here). The right kind of bike can make all the difference when competing in triathlon and I was very fortunate to have acquired this Specialized bike last...
by Jon Parks | Feb 17, 2012 | Blog, Triathlon Photo Friday, Triathlon Training 2012
Today, I’m starting a new feature on this blog. I’m calling it “Triathlon Photo Friday.” In triathlon training, it seems as though you are always using some new piece of equipment or a new facility or a new running course. So, I’d like...
by Jon Parks | Feb 3, 2012 | Blog, Triathlon and Running, Triathlon Training 2012
This past Monday, I set out on my first week of triathlon training for the 2012 season. I got started in triathlon last year when I competed in four sprint distance races, the last of which wrapped up in August. I had a blast training and competing and have been...
by Jon Parks | Aug 14, 2011 | Blog, Triathlon and Running
Yesterday, I competed in the 2011 Mayo Lake Triathlon in Roxboro, N.C. This was a special triathlon for me for several reasons. First is that I have family in the Roxboro area. It is neat to be able to compete in an area where you have family ties. And as an added...