Month: November 2017

Hammered Again (11/30/17)

As I’ve mentioned in the past, because of the cost of this sport, you need sponsors to succeed. And it’s not just the financial cost that they help with, they also help you when you’re physically/emotionally spent and need to re-buy.

Since beginning this journey in 2015, I’ve been fortunate to have a wide network of supporters and sponsors. They’ve been in my corner, and helped to ensure that I’m able to push forward. Some have come to me, others I’ve gone out and found myself.

Earlier this year, I was overjoyed to get a yes from Hammer Nutrition when I asked them for their support. Since starting, I had tried many different gels but always came back to Hammer’s. And other products like Endrolytes were already part of my race kit. Because of their generosity, not only was I able to have everything I knew I needed but also to try new product like Heed. That was in my bottles throughout the 2017 season and will be again in 2018.

While I’m grateful for any support, I’m even more so when someone sticks with me. There are umpteen different places that everyone (individual or company) can put their support. So when someone re-ups, that means a LOT.

Earlier this week, Hammer said yes to sponsoring my nutrition needs in 2018! That will help IMMENSELY during the extremely long 2018 season I have in store!

THANK YOU Hammer Nutrition!

You vs. You vs. You (11/30/17)

“The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” – Robert Burns

After an extremely long season, which started at Amy Dixon’s No Sight No Limits camp in Chula Vista and ended at Turnstone Dare2Tri’s camp in Fort Wayne, I had a plan for 2018. It involved having a little bit of a break and then hitting things hard. Having planned out an equally long 2018, I saw this as the best route for success.

But then a thunderstorm of personal stuff started and derailed that plan. It will all be great stuff in the long-term, but it derailed what I had planned. When this happens, you can either say ‘screw it, focus on X’ or you can come up with a Plan B (and in my case usually a C, D, … X) and move forward. This is the first half of the title of the blog, and the first battle.

I know it’s sometimes very easy to say ‘this sucks, I’m out’, but that’s not the right attitude. Even if you have to temporarily back away or radically move things around, there shouldn’t be a reason to sit on the sidelines forever. Not only will you miss out on a lot in life, but you owe it to yourself and those who’ve supported you to get back out there. See my Leaning Tower blog for an example of this. Things would have gone radically different for 2017 if I hadn’t won out in that you vs. you battle.

But once you win that first battle, it’s not over. It’s onto round two for you. It’s very easy to find ways to backslide, legitimate or not. You’ve managed to refocus, now it’s just staying on that new path. And I’ll be honest, that’s not always easy. But when you falter, all you can do is pick yourself back up and keep moving forward.

The most important piece of all this is to remember that while it’s an internal fight at times, it’s not fought on your own. You’ve got a tremendous support network that can help you (coaches, friends, family, etc.) when you need it. They’re there to support, encourage and drive you.

When December starts tomorrow, things will kick into high gear for me. My 2018 season starts early, and I need to be ready for it. While I know that the second part of the fight will continue all month, I know I’ve got the support to win it. And the motivation to keep moving forward through a challenge with friends.