Olympic pose

The final race of my triathlon season was this past weekend in Dallas...The US Open Triathlon. Sounds pretty big and official. It actually was a pretty big race in the triathlon world. It was a championship event for pros and amateurs alike (guess which is which in the photo above?!!).

It's really a cool event from the standpoint that it's a who's-who in the pro ranks. First let me start by saying it was an Olympic distance event (1500m swim, 25 mile bike and a 6.2 mile run). As the distance name suggests it's the distance they use for the Olympics....and Olympians were there including Hunter Kemper pictured above with that amateur. Kemper didn't actually race in the event, his season was over, he was just there to support it. But Matt Reed (Olympian) was there as was Andy Potts, Greg Bennett (winner on the day and winner of the series), his wife Laura (Olympian), Sarah Haskins (Olympian), Becky Lavelle, Mirinda Carfrae and Joanna Zeiger to name a few. These are the top names in short course racing. Some will compete this weekend in Kona for the Ironman World Championship (Potts, Zeiger).

It's one of the reasons I like competing in triathlons. In no other sport can you perform with the best in the world, on the same day, on the same course, at the same time (well, ok, they were way in front of me, so technically it wasn't AT the same time but it was, well, very ....ish-like). It's fun to watch them perform and then be able to say, "I competed with them that day." It's also fun to watch them prepare for the race. They each have their own routine.

Also, these pros just look different than everybody else. There's no question when you see a pro, even if you don't know who they are, you know they're not your average amateur. They're very athletic looking, skinny with zero body fat.

These pros are also very approachable and friendly. Hunter Kemper (finished 7th in the Olympics) couldn't have been nicer. He asked my name, talked with me a little, signed an autograph (there's just something about a 44-year-old man asking for an autograph - I don't know, it's weird) and took a picture with me. Nice guy. As a thank you I gave him a Big Mac, some fries and a shake and told him to put some meat on his bones!

Seriously, though, being that thin is one of the sacrifices of being a triathlete at that level. You have to carry as little weight as possible yet maintain enough muscle mass to power you through an event. Being that skinny is also a by product of endurance training. These athletes take in a lot of calories everyday....they just burn a lot as well. You remember the story about Michael Phelps. He consumes between 8,000 - 10,000 calories a day! Yet he has the body that he does. Same with these triathletes.

Back to Kemper for a second and then I'm finished. During the course of the conversation the Olympics, obviously, came up and we (my brother-in-law, Trey, was with me, got his picture taken with him as well, and an autograph {it's equally weird for a 39-year-old to ask for an autograph}) asked him what his plans were for the rest of the season. He said his season was over and that he's having hernia surgery next week. Said it's been bothering him for a while. The guy was having hernia issues during the Olympics and still finished 7th...pretty impressive!

Good luck Hunter. Thanks for the conversation. You've got two new fans.

Remembering Jerry

My friend, and everyone's friend, Jerry Anderson passed away at about 4:25 pm pacific time in Santa Barbara, California, after a short but hard-fought battle against a very aggressive form of cancer. His wife, Candy, was by his side the entire time. She is a true warrior and saint.

Jerry was a fantastic husband for Candy and father to Natalie and Joshua. He was also a great friend and an incredibly successful professional. He was very humble and unassuming yet at the same time he was very tenacious and diligent. Those traits served him well whether at home on the weekends relaxing, in the office taking care of business, playing college baseball back in the day at Arkansas State, racing in a triathlon or riding his bike 100-miles. He was a true competitor yet incredibly humble about his successes...and there were many.

Of all his successes, though, he would tell you that being married to Candy for 18 years and raising Natalie and Joshua was his greatest joy. They are a great family of which I'm blessed to know and enjoy a relationship with.

I am sad today. Very sad. It doesn't seem right for a young man, a vibrant man be taken so early in life with so much to do in the future. I will not be moved, however. My faith will not waiver. In fact it has grown stronger during this time. But, I am very sad.

I'm very thankful that Jerry didn't have to suffer through a long, drawn out illness. I believe the Lord knew that wasn't Jerry's style. He wouldn't have wanted to be the center of attention and he wouldn't have wanted people focusing on him. He would always prefer the focus be put on others. That's what he did in life.

If you haven't seen Candy's blog I encourage you to visit the site. It's a true source of encouragement and strength (jerryanderson.blogspot.com). I will end with what she said Jerry would say, and rightfully so, by quoting 2 Timothy 4: 7-8 - "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

Jerry Anderson

Jerry Anderson is a friend of mine. Our wives are best of friends, our daughters are best friends. We lived next door to each other for many years when we were having and raising kids. I look back on those days as some of the best!

Jerry is in a Santa Barbara hospital in the CCU fighting hard against cancer. A month ago his arm was hurting and he went in to have it checked out. He had a malignant tumor there, as well as in his leg. Now it's in his lungs. The doctors are baffled. The best oncologists in Los Angeles say they have NEVER seen a case like his before. That's astonishing. The weren't able to diagnose it for a few weeks. Then they came back and said it was a germ cell sarcoma, much like what Lance Armstrong had. They say that it's a cell Jerry was born with and it manifested itself this way at this time. They say that this type of cancer presents sometimes in avid cyclists. You certainly can describe Lance that way and Jerry has a love of cycling as well. He was supposed to do a century ride today.

There have been peaks and valleys the past 14 days since he's been in the hospital. I'm boldly praying that the Lord will heal Jerry's body and allow him to raise his children and love on his grandchildren. I'm also praying for his wife, Candy, that the Lord will give her strength and a discernment that is very clear as she makes many decisions during this time.

I've posted a link to the website where Candy is providing regular updates. It's on the right side of this page, just scroll down a little. If you're a praying person stop by the site. You can leave a comment to let his family know that you've prayed for them. I know they would appreciate the encouragement. The Lord is good and it's amazing how he's already worked in this situation.

US Open Triathlon

It's less than two weeks until my last race of the season, the US Open Triathlon in Dallas. What a great name for a triathlon. In times past I've been an avid golfer and so now I can truly say that I've participated in a US Open.

This race is the culmination of the LifeTime Fitness triathlon series. There are 5 races in the series and the race in Dallas is the 5th and final for the season. Should be some good pros at the race. Last year Greg Bennett won all 5 races and got this huge bonus, $500,000.00 I think, for doing so.

I'm really looking forward to this event. I've been training hard and I'm going for a personal best at the olympic distance. Well, actually, I'm going for more than a personal best...I'm shooting for a sub-2:20. My best time to date was at Memphis in May in 2007 where I did 2:31.

Race day is October 5th.

Twist

I've thrown a twist into the scores this week by adding one high school score...pretty amazing score though.

Scores

OK, I said I'd do one obscure score a week and no big time colleges. Hey, it's my blog and my obscure score....thingy...

First of all, one could argue if Mississippi State is a big time school and that score was just too fun not to include. Secondly there were just too many good scores to recognize just one.

Maybe Defiance is going to be defiant after all by defying those who want them to win!

NEW FEATURE

New feature on the right side of the page. In honor of college football I'm going to post the obscure score of the week. The scores are going to represent a lot of different things. I may pick a blow out of epic proportions or I may pick a couple of obscure colleges or very close battles in overtime or some pretty intense rivalries from small colleges. One thing I will not pick is colleges from big time programs (unless it involves the Sooners rippin' on another team or coming up with a big win...however, that wouldn't be obscure because that happens frequently!). Big time programs get enough publicity as it is.

So, come back each week for my obscure score of the week. Because it's a special week, the opening week of the new special, I have two scores for ya.