Hello All,

Delirious, exhausted, elated, heartbroken, triumphant … I write this post with the highest of spirits, and the heaviest of hearts.

The vast majority of this blog is focused on the stoke. Life is a wonderful gift, and few things make me happier than using this website to chronicle this amazing journey. This post shouldn’t be any different. With great homies Tom and Palmtree, I had an epic day racing the Silicon Valley International triathlon. As part of a relay, I knew I could just head out to the course and enjoy the glory of a warm Spring day in Morgan Hill. Our team name was even awesome: The Reboots. (We’re all IT dudes!) And surrounded by the radness and the intensity of my fellow endurance athletes, I just knew that this one would be special.

And then last Monday happened.

I’m welling up with tears as I try and type out my thoughts here.

The tragedy that struck Boston broke my heart. I love the spirit of racing. I love the spontaneous camaraderie. I love the the massive internal will to struggle for a better time, the endless drive to push harder and harder. I love the nerves before you start, and the all-encompassing zen of an exhausted finish. I love the tents and the medals and the pictures and the stories and the professionals and the frist-timers. For so many years of my life, events like this have been these shining spots on the calendar, driving me to put in a little extra during those lonely trainings weeks and months before, just to try and be better than I was last year. And then, on Monday afternoon, our community of racers, our country, our whole world of decent people … We suffered a tragedy that stung more poignantly than I could have imagined. I am so so so sorry to those affected by this. It just breaks my heart. I am so sorry.

It’s tough doing this. I’ve tuned my writing so specifically these past years, that anything other than celebration is near impossible for me to punch out on a keyboard. But I had to get it out there somehow. I just had to let you all know that my thoughts are with you, and that I know that through this, we will return stronger. We race, and we cheer for those who race, because there is something inside the human spirit that is so powerful and so strong and so eternal, that watching us experience this part, if only for a brief moment at the end of a grueling event … watching that is witnessing the greatness inside of us all.

Boston, we stand with you.

Now on to the day’s story.

The triathlon began at dusk.

And the team …

Well … The three of got to the race knowing that Palmtree would do the bike. The guy is an absolute beast on that Cervelo.

But … There’s a twist.

Tom and I had agreed to flip a coin that morning, and let the coin toss decide who was doing which event.

Heads: I swim. Tom runs.

Tails: Tom swims. I run.

We tossed the coin … And it was cap & goggles for Tom!

Hat & shades for me!

🙂

As the sun broke and we began to amass near the water, I was soaring.

This part is rad. So rad.

And to have coach Morgan and the little dudette there to cheer us on!

The team was in the highest of spirits.

The start was way out in the water.

So as Tom was wading out there, we wished him luck and strength.

Get after it dude!!!

The swim was around this cool little peninsula.

We hiked out and watched as the athletes came in.

What a glorious view.

Coming in at around 28 minutes, Tom swam excellently.

Totally solid time.

Beast mode – unlocked.

Palmtree then took over.

And things got legit.

Way legit.

The dude absolutely crushed it out there.

He rocked 24 miles in like an hour and 3 minutes. What?!?!

That is so nuts.

The digital baton was then passed to your blogger.

I went out fast.

Like, total charge mode fast.

It was awesome.

I Love this!

Knocked out a 46:58 10K, I felt solid.

7:32 pace per mile.

Even somehow put in a 6:23 somewhere in that.

Stoked.

Your team finished with a respectable:

2:23:54

Not too shabby for The Reboots.

… And then …

The results came in.

… Wait for it …

… Steady …

WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!

Mind you, there were only three teams, and one didn’t finish (or finished really late).

But still, we friggin WON!

And the other team was super legit, we were neck and neck the whole race. They were a solid collection of athletes. Fruit Mongers as well.

But dudes, we won.

There was even a podium and a gift bag and a free bottle of wine for the top 3 in each division!

GAWWWWWHHHHHH!

So mega stoked.

So ya.

That’s that.

With a heart still so heavy … I still feel inspired.

Let’s race more. Let’s race harder. Let’s continue to bring out the unique part of our shared human condition which inspires us to push, and help others push, to the very limits of what we are capable of.

Boston, this runner stands with you.