Learning to love the little things

I'm a stress case. There is no way around it. I want to say I can take the "everything happens for a reason" perspective, but what happens to me today I typically only think about how it will affect me tomorrow.

With that being said, I've learned to figure out how to not necessarily deal with this style of outlook, but a way to make sure I'm appreciating all the good things that we go through: I've learned to love the little things.

This epiphany for me occurred a couple weeks ago. I had just finished up a great swim at La Jolla Shores. Not great in the sense that I swam well or swam quicker than I normally do, but I was enthralled with everything associated with the swim. The water was a great temperature, I didn't even really need a wetsuit. The five to ten tons of seaweed that normally makes its residence in the cove wasn't there, and the water's visibility was amazing. It allowed us to see all the sea life that can be experienced when swimming down there.

It got me thinking about how so many things I do are made better by little odds and ends that often times go unnoticed, but looking back played an integral part in making that experience great. Hopefully I can keep this as a mindset, even though its very easy to fall back into my negative outlook.

So from now on, I want to remember all the small stuff that makes life great. A hot shower after a cold trip in the ocean. The middle bite of a chocolate chip cookie. Getting your runner's high on a long training run. Seeing dolphins when you're surfing. And of course: two hour brainstorming sessions about making t-shirts based on Jesus doing everyday activities.

I've become a Tri-Junkie

For anyone that's known me over the last year or so, they know that I did my first Triathlon and became hooked. I've started doing every race I can and just recently took over as one of the Race Directors for the Triathlon Club of San Diego. It started as a hobby and has quickly progressed into a lifestyle.
To give you a little background on how I started: signed up for an olympic distance triathlon put on by the Navy base down in Coronado. Its a good sized race (1500m swim, 40k bike, 10k run) and is usually the first race of the season for most triathletes in San Diego.
I considered myself to be a pretty in shape guy, and learned very quickly that I had a lot of work to do. After a combination of freestyle, breaststroke, mild dog paddle through the swim, I was able to get on the bike and complete that portion of the course. From there, I was able to run/walk the last leg, being completely humbled at the number of senior citizens who were passing me in the final couple miles. I got my butt kicked, I was sore for weeks, and became quickly hooked.
Since then, I've done dozens of smaller triathlons, two Half Ironmans and will be doing my first full Ironman on August 1st, 2009. It is the ultimate feeling of overwhelming excitement and sheer terror, but I can't wait to cross the finish line of an event of that stature.
I encourage anyone who has considered doing one to just get out there and do it. All you really need is a bathing suit, a bike and some running shoes and you're good to go.

"Swim 2.4mi., bike 112mi., run 26.2mi, brag the rest of your life".

Welcome to my blog

Welcome to my first attempt at blogging. I decided to start writing down odds and ends that interested me, and figured a blog was the best way to organize and present it. I don't really plan on having a theme to these and figure I'll just update it when something I come across seems like a good topic. I doubt I'll present anything ground breaking, but if you're at work and want to kill a couple minutes, I'll do my best to give you a few minutes of relief from the daily grind. Hope you enjoy.

-Brian