Class Reunions

This past July I went back home to my 30Th class reunion, although it was fun seeing all of my friends from the past it also gave me a chance to see how far I have grown... My High School was a school of prestige. You had to carry a B avg a C avg would land you on probation and you could be sent back to your home school.. STIVERS PATTERSON COOPERATIVE HIGH SCHOOL this was the way out for a lot of the young people in Dayton, This school gave us the tools to be successful, This was a school that prepaid us for JOBS and College...Some of us looked at it as a way out, A way to survive. The education at our home school was good but in adequate in a lot of ways...
The Cooperative program was the only one in Dayton. And it was on the East side of town*.
we had standards to follow like
dressing 3/4 the time based on your field
GPA of a B or better
attendance missed 3 days sent back to your home school
in class 2 weeks and at work 2 weeks
going to school year round w/ only holiday breaks this was a real job
My freshmen year was at Stivers, this school held 1000 students. We had 6 base classes but we had to select 3 vocation. I selected medical Arts, Graphic Arts and DECA at the end of the year we had to choose major and a minor.
I started my 10 grade on Sept 9, 1997 and went to school for 3 years around the calendar until August 8,1980.
My major was Graphic Arts, I became a Press Operator. I learned how to set type, how to run a AB Dick Press. a Harrison Press, A Platen Press and an industrial Paper cutter.
Out of all the presses I loved the Platen press. It was almost like driving a stick. it had a foot break and a pull print arm.. My friend Rosie Deak and I were the fasted operators, we could run that press with the break off.. you had to remove a business card and replace a blank card with in seconds of each other or you would print on the mat. the key was a good rhythm. something like jumping double dutch rope.
My minor was Music. I went to college on a music scholarship.

I truly enjoyed my High School Years. Those years were the foundation of my life and I am still building on it today.

Five months to Ironman

When I started this journey, I stated, "Wow in 9 months I could have a baby", this was how I looked at the journey to Ironman. In a sense they are similar, The body will have to go through some major transformation in this process.
In the last 4 months I have lost some friends, but I have gained even more friends. I have hit the wall with my swimming, so I walked away for 2 weeks with, thought that I cant do this, but, when I went back. I found out that I can, I just have to stay focused and 'in that moment'.

I've learned to look at, what I'm asking my body to do and to look at what, I am giving it, to do it with. meaning proper sleep, good nutrition, and plenty of fluids along with enough recovery time.
I've learned that my swim will be off the day after a 100 mile bike ride or staying up at a 24 hr Mtn.bike event.
But In the month of June,
I've learned what it will take & how it feels to get out of my comfort Z on my bike.
I've learned that If I want to maintain a certain mph over a period of time with hills. I will have to surpass that avg by .6 mph. because I've also realized that I lose .3 mph on every hill climb. Therefore the down hill will play a very important part in this. Again I have to stay focused and 'in that Moment'.

Now with 5 months to go I have to transform this body a bit more, to become a better runner w/out injury.

I am still having fun in the moment.

A 101 mile bike ride On Independance Day 2010

What a way to celebrate this day. Joe and I set out at 4:30 am on this day with only one goal in mind, My goal was to complete this ride with an Avg of 15.0 mph, Joe stated that we would not stop until we reached 100 miles. Well we acheived both.




Joe and I talked, as we were riding. I told him about some of the rules that I will have to follow, and about the penalties that you can accomulate if you dont follow them. Like no drafting, falling back 4 bike lenghts once a rider over takes you, etc...
So as we were riding Joe stayed to the far left of me a good distance, ahead of me or he would fall back behind me. neither one of us drafted the entire ride. We had some head wind and cross wind but nothing to hard to ride with. Plus I like riding in the wind :)

The realization moment for me was the last 5 miles, we were riding at 17 mph and I felt great. I thought that I would feel anything but... GREAT.