7/11/2009: Triathlon at Hagg Lake

Well, the day of reckoning finally came. I participated in my first triathlon. I’ve been wanting to do so for years, but never got fully motivated. A few friends (ended up being 7 of us) decided to go for it and we have been training for a couple of months now. I have never been a strong swimmer, but enjoyed learning a bit about how to train in the pool and in open water. Cycling was something I’ve always enjoyed but have never done it competitively. And running is something I’ve always considered myself strong at, but with my back pain lately and other factors, I was hoping to simply “finish” the race. I finished with an overall time of 1 hour, 25 minutes. I’m happy with that time as my first shot. I’m also encouraged that I know I can improve that by at least a few minutes, if not more next time. Here’s the breakdown:

SWIM: So, the swim was interesting. Due to stories I’ve heard about the pandemonium that takes place in the water in a triathlon, I planned to wait 30-60 seconds after the starting gun to let the coast clear (pun) a bit before heading out. After 10 seconds or so, I decided to go for it. With a wetsuit on, swimming in open water is far more bearable. As expected, there was a lot of “contact” with other swimmers around me (my legs were hit multiple times, as well as my side). But I can honestly say that I don’t believe I hit anyone with my arms. Maybe I was a bit too conscious of it. I was able to secure what I felt was a respectable ½ mile swim time (14:18) and am confident my time can be improved significantly next time. I gage it by what Moriah (6 yrs old) told me before the start: “Don’t drown, dad!” She said it to me twice. So, as I came out of the water, Moriah was cheering me…and all I could think to say was: “I didn’t drown, MoMo!” My transition from swim to bike was smooth, but took way more time than necessary (over 4 minutes). If I can improve my transition times, my overall time will benefit tremendously.

BIKE: Once on the bike, I was in the zone. However, I was “zoning” on a mtn. bike, while most serious racers are on faster road bikes. I tried to hold my own on my mtn bike, but know my time would improve significantly on a road bike. A positive is that I think my slower bike made me push harder. In my own competitive way, I took exception to anyone wanting to pass me. Road bike or not. So I tried hard, regardless of how silly I may have looked on my “amateur bike”. Makes me wonder…

RUN: The run was something I was not focusing on, primarily because I’ve had a lot of back pain lately, making running extremely painful. Consequently, as of late, I’ve only been training for the run once or twice a week. The transition from bike to run is a unique sensation. During the bike, your body pumps extra blood to your quads for cycling power. When you hop off the bike and begin the run, you can feel the blood shift focus and work on calves and overall leg strength. It’s a unique feeling. So, the run is hilly on this course, and during the first half of the out-and-back, it felt like the turn-around (halfway) was never going to come. I was getting pretty fatigued at that point. Then, on the way back it was rough. I was buoyed up by friends running the other way…high fives, cheering and what not. But it was not much fun. Then, just as I was cresting the top of the hill and about to turn into the parking lot for the finish line, my left hamstring cramped…and cramped hard. I’ve never had a cramp like that. My left leg stiffened right up and every step was excruciating combined with the back pain. But, I was only 50 yards from the finish! I couldn’t stop! I knew it was just a cramp and wouldn’t be a long-term risk. So, I hobbled my way down the road to the finish line. I stopped right after the timing mat/finish line to stretch out the hammy. Then, I heard Melissa yelling at me: “FINISH!” – I looked ahead and there was another timing mat 10-20 feet in front of me. I guess that was the real finish. So, it turns out I stopped when I thought I was done…right in front of the real finish line. There has to be an analogy in there somewhere. I hobbled a few more steps to cross the line. I must have looked like such a knucklehead. But, hey. I finished. That was a key for me. As I type this 3½ days later, my hammy still hurts… a lot. But it’ll go away. I hope.

I definitely want to compete in another triathlon – sooner than later. Next, I will probably do the “Olympic” distance, although it would be interesting to see how I can improve my time in the Sprint distance. Good times. It was particularly cool that a group of buddies were able to train and compete together. Now I’ve experienced my first and know what to expect for the next time.

7/10/2009: Coldplay concert

Melissa and I had been looking forward to the Coldplay concert since purchasing the tickets back in February. And the show was no disappointment. These guys really know how to put on a concert. We were in the rear of the “covered area” (lawn seating behind us), and had a decent view. But, after a few songs, the whole band made their way up to a mid-crowd stage right next to our section. So, we got to see them perform a few songs right in front of us. Later, they made their way all the way up to a small stage in the lawn area. It was really cool. While up there, as a tribute to Michael Jackson, they busted out their cover of “Billy Jean”. The show was a blast. Melissa and I have similar music tastes (well, okay, she’s not into some of the hip-hop, I’m not so in to the country and what not), so going to concerts for groups that we both like is a real treat. Every time we do it, I’m reminded that we really should go more often.

7/4/2009: Champoeg camping & fireworks at home

On July 3rd, we went camping in a Yurt at Champoeg state park. It was cool because we went with some friends and just had a nice, laid-back time. We set up a badminton net and had some fun with that, too. Family biking is definitely the focal point for us when we go to Champoeg. So, on Saturday morning we headed out on a family ride. We did the 4-mile loop to “Butteville” (an original settler town) and back. The kids are growing up and able to ride better and better each time we go for a ride. It’s fun to track their progress.

For the 4th of July celebration, we headed home and enjoyed fireworks with neighbors in our street. Man, legal fireworks are just so boring. So we started lighting multiple fireworks at a time. It actually became entertaining. At one point, my neighbor and I decided we would try to light 6 big ones together – at once. As they were all going, I ran around the inferno with both fists in the air. Now that’s what the patriots and founding fathers were talking about!

6/27/2009: Trip to Sisters, OR

We had the opportunity to head to the town of Sisters in central Oregon for the weekend. Melissa’s cousin invited us to join them in a family-owned vacation home there. On Saturday morning we ventured out for a short hike to see the “riverhead” of a local river (natural spring). Then we headed down to the fish hatchery. There are so many fish in this little place. Fun to throw food to them and watch ‘em swarm. After a nice picnic and walk around the pond, we re-loaded the cars and headed to “Scout Lake” for some swimming fun. It is a nice little lake for summer swimming like this. However…yikes there were a lot of rocks on the bottom. Sheesh. Walking without water shoes was a bad idea. I was also able to do some open-water swimming training for the triathlon coming up. It was nice to do so in such a pristine place. Oregon has lots of hidden treasures. Thanks, Pearsons, for a great weekend!

6/16/2009: Emery turns 9!

Emery had an “un-birthday” this year. This means that every other year she has a regular, big party. On the odd years, it’s a more informal, small celebration with family and maybe a friend or two. So, this year, she decided she would take her sisters and a couple friends to a movie. We also went to Red Robin after. It was fun to have a simple little celebration. She was happy and we all had a fun time. I can’t believe she is NINE!

6/10/2009: Moriah’s Kindergarten graduation

Hard to believe our kids are growing up. Moriah’s kindergarten graduation/celebration was another reminder for me that we only have finite time with them as youngsters in our home. They are changing every time I turn around. Congratulations, MoMo. Now, stay small…at least for a while! It feels like it’s going so fast.

6/4/2009: My 32nd birthday

Yup, I got just a little bit older on June 4th. Of course, we all get “just a little older” every day. But birthdays just compound it by acknowledging the process. The family was good to me. The plan was to take me to “Bullwinkles” in Wilsonville and enjoy some batting cages, bumper boats, etc. However, as we pulled into Wilsonville, a bizarre, freak storm was forming an ominous wall in the sky. All kinds of strange wind and raining started pelting the area. So, they closed the outdoor activities and we decided to go bowling. It was actually a lot of fun. We bowled, then headed to a new BBQ restaurant to try out the grub. Did I mention I love BBQ!?! Overall, it was a perfect birthday experience for me. Hanging with the family and eating some great grub. Not bad…for an old guy!

5/25/2009: Memorial day: Lake Run with Abbie (and hoop up!)

My sister Abbie and I have begun what we hope is a long tradition of running the Lake Run every year. The official date for it this year was May 9th. Since that was the same date we needed to be in Texas for our sister’s wedding, we decided to do the run ourselves on a different date. So, their family made it down to town on Memorial Day weekend and Abbie and I went and ran the lake course together. I tell you what, that sister of mine is a warrior. She had some foot cramping problems, but persevered and got it done. I was impressed. I was also able to secure the t-shirts from the official run, so we each got a shirt from our tradition. Hopefully we’ll continue the tradition each year. It’s a very hilly course and pretty tough for a 12k. A good challenge.

Also, their family was super-kind and helped me install my new hoop in the driveway. I mentioned that the mailman knocked the previous one down in January. It was a long, frustrating process to fight getting the post office to assist in making it right. The battle bore no fruit. However, I was able to secure a much nicer hoop at a rock-bottom price due to a local sporting goods retailer (“G.I. Joes”, rest their soul…I loved that place) going out of business. I bought it a few weeks earlier, but hadn’t figured out how I would actually install the thing. I was able to borrow the heavy-duty cement drill from a kind neighbor. When the Finks came to town, I lucked out with them (with their strong teenage boys) being willing to help put the hoop up. Long story short, they took the time to help and we got to play a great inaugural game of hoops on the new system. We played old dudes (myself and Jonathan) vs. the young guys (teenage nephews Jake and Adam). These guys can ball, man. It looked like they were gonna put us away, but I think our old-dude pride kicked in and we came back from “a bunch” behind and won the game by 1 point. It was really fun for that to be my first memory with the new hoop. It was really cool of them to spend some of their vacation time helping me with a not-so-fun project like that. Family. Gotta love it.

5/9/2009: Jo’s wedding

Melissa and I were able to get away for the weekend for my sister Jo’s wedding in Texas. It was a whirlwind trip for us. Mel’s parents were kind enough to come stay at our place and watch the kids for a few days while we took off (bless their hearts). It was a beautiful in a wedding facility located in a newly developed “village”. The setting was very nice. I was able to offer the opening prayer in the ceremony and Melissa sang a beautiful song for the group. I really enjoyed the ceremony. Boy oh boy, if Brad (her new husband) only knew what he was getting into with our family!! (kidding) After the formal ceremony, we had a great dinner and danced the night away in the dance hall. This was one of the rare times when my siblings and I have danced together. It is A LOT of fun to dance as a family. My sisters can shake it! The low point was probably when I performed my rendition of “The Humpty Dance”. Leave it to me to be totally inappropriate. But I think I was forgiven. It was a blast. Afterward, the bride and groom would spend the next day (Mother’s Day) with the family, then head off on a long honeymoon, I believe to Bermuda. Nice. Melissa and I caught the earlybird flight back to Portland and were able to have Mother’s Day lunch at home with the kids just before heading to church. It was a quick trip, but really was fun. Congratulations Brad and Jo!

4/25/2009: Wapiti camporee

In my Boy Scouts role (11-yr old scoutmaster), I attended the Wapiti district camporee with our troop. It was interesting because Friday afternoon when we left, the weather was gorgeous. We all showed up in shorts an t-shirts, set up camp and played some ultimate Frisbee. Everything was going great. Then (queue doom music) the district told us that campfires were not allowed at this camporee. Yikes. So it started to get colder at night and we all huddled around the propane stove with the burners on high. It was ridiculous. And cold to boot. The next day, we discovered that most of the boys did not pack any warm clothes because the weather was so nice when we left. It never warmed up that Saturday, so it was stinking cold for all of us – all day. Fortunately, another adult leader was kind enough to make the hour drive home to pick up some coats for all of us. It was a very memorable lesson in why layering your clothing is so important on a campout! You never know!!

4/18/2009: Abbie’s 40th party

My sister turned 40 on May 1. In order to surprise her, they (her husband and younger sister Iris) arranged a surprise party 2 weeks before her birthday. They figured it was so far in advance that it wouldn’t really be on her “radar” yet. I think they succeeded. She seemed very surprised. It was a 1970’s disco theme party. There were some great costumes at the gig. I wore a big black afro with a sweet disco shirt and bell bottom pants. Melissa wore a “Farrah Fawcet” (sp?) wig with a 70’s blouse and some awesome red bellbottom pants. Iris looked really authentic with an afro and black dress. I think it was her sunglasses that sealed the deal for her. It just made the outfit work. Jonathan was hilarious with a sweet leisure suit and a big, puffy/curly brown fro. It looked awesome. The costumes were so much fun and we boogied the night away. It’s amazing how just some costumes can change the mood of a party. It was a blast. Abbie is such a great sister. Now she’s also an OLD one! (kidding, Ab)

4/12/2009: Easter talk

I had the opportunity to speak in our sacrament meeting for Easter Sunday this year. I had prepared lots of material, however the previous speaker took a great deal more time than expected, so I ended up giving a short summary of my sermon. What I boiled it down to were a few particulars about the Savior’s last hours on the earth. I used the image of me in May of 1999, as a 21-yr old, standing in the empty garden tomb, just outside the walls of old Jerusalem. That was a sacred moment for me. In my talk, I used that as the image to illustrate the journey that would be ahead of me, which I did not know at the time, in which I/we would rely on the Savior, His atonement and the redeeming grace of the gospel to get us to where we are today. We are constantly progressing in life (for good or ill) and “becoming”. We can attribute this privilege to Christ and His love for humankind. He gives us the choice to become what we choose to become. The empty tomb signifies many things, one of them being the Hope it gives the entire human race.

4/3/2009: Utah: Mission reunion & General conference

Wow. It’s been 10 years since I returned home from my mission. Lots has happened since then, but there will always be a place in my heart for the special memories and relationships forged while serving the Lord full-time. A mission reunion was arranged for April 3rd, so we loaded up in the family car and made the 14 hr drive to Utah so I could participate. President Jones and sister Jones were able to make the trip from their California home, so it made it a really neat experience to see some familiar faces, find out what people have been up to, and reminisce about our time serving. I had forgotten about some of the funny videos that were produced for zone conferences, and just some of the general jokes/humor that can only be understood by someone who has served a mission. It was great to reconnect with old friends and thank the Jones’ once again for the service they rendered all of us. Missions are not easy. But they are definitely worth it. Testimonies flourish (if allowed and with deliberate effort) and eternal bonds can be created. What a wonderful thing it is to serve in the Lord’s army, even for a short season…then continuing on in other forms throughout our lifetimes.

3/23/2009: Brooke is 5!

It’s hard to believe, but we celebrated Brooke’s 5th birthday in March. She had some friends over and they had a blast. I think one of her favorite things is to have people over and tell them what to do! She likes being in control, that’s for sure. I guess that’s not too surprising, as she has siblings on both sides of her, vying for attention. When gets the opportunity to take control, she relishes it! A couple of unique things that makes Brookie, well, Brookie: 1) She loves BBQ sauce (like daddy). 2) She and I are also the only ones who like “bug juice” (soy sauce) on our rice.

1/16/09: Mailman knocked down our hoop

Some bad news. After a few months of enjoying my newly-refurbished driveway basketball hoop, the mailman bumped into the pole and knocked it down. We’ll figure out a way to get it taken care of. The frustrating part is that he is denying knocking it over. I won’t go into details, but it is so overtly obvious that he did it, c’mon, man. Man up, admit it and move on. But it’s worth some effort on my part, even if I have to work around a dishonest offender. I will miss our hoop. I really hope to get another one up sooner than later. Bummer.