Category Archives: Sports

Life in board shorts: Creating my own triathlon

For all of the runners, cyclists, swimmers, and triathletes out there, if you’ve been missing race days, you’re not alone. The camaraderie at the start and finish line, the competition on the course, and the milestones we accomplish, have all been set aside for a while.

I missed my summer sprint triathlon’s so much, I decided to make my own course, get out there, and get it done. In this blog, I’ll explain how I planned my courses and a few tips to make the most of my effort as I share my story with you.

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Life in board shorts: Sailfish citations

Catch of the day

The family was stoked to go offshore fishing with Captain Rom Whitaker and first mate Andy Trant on The Release. It was a windy and sometimes rainy Wednesday out of Hatteras Harbour and we had an amazing time. When all was all said and done, we caught 5 Sailfish and some Yellowfin Tuna. It was a long day, but we had fresh fish for dinner!

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An Elfie on the Polar Express

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The Christmas spirit is alive and well in Spencer, North Carolina. Our family decided to kick off the holiday season with a day trip to the N.C. Transportation Museum and take a ride on The Polar Express™. It was a magical time that the kids enjoyed (and the adult kids may have enjoyed more). Let’s reflect on a great 2018 Thanksgiving Day weekend that involved a Turkey Trot, Thanksgiving lunch, Carolina Hurricanes hockey, NC State at UNC Chapel Hill football, and more. Continue reading →

My last spring running season before 40

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I ran four half marathons over the last six weeks. That wasn’t the plan, but that’s how it panned out. After a pretty rough winter in North Carolina, where Raleigh set a new record with 158 consecutive hours below freezing, I’m surprised I got the training time and miles in to accomplish this.

I distinctly remember having to do one of my longer runs (7 miles) in early January where the high was 27° F, and there was snow on the ground. The weather this winter and spring has been about as up and down as the hills I train on, which would play out during the spring race season. Continue reading →

Lacing up the 2017 running season

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After three half marathons in the spring (Wilmington, Raleigh, OBX) and my first two Sprint Triathlons in the summer, I was excited for the fall race season this November and December. After miles of training in September and October (~150 miles) with warmer days leading to cooler mornings, November was a great month to run in North Carolina and enjoy all my races. Continue reading →

Summer escape to Chicago: Wrigley Field and the Cubbies

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Thursday, August 3 – A Long Day at Wrigley Field

Day two in Chicago started with a run to Navy Pier and exploring more of Millennial Park. I intentionally stayed away from Grant Park since today was the first day of Lollapalooza and a ton of things would have been blocked off and closed for the music festival. I really enjoyed the route and was out-and-about before the tourists starting swarming the area.

I picked up breakfast on the way back to the room. Once I returned, MB and I got ready for the day and did a little research on Wrigley Field, prep for lunch options, transit routes, and kept on eye on the weather forecast. Unfortunately, there was severe weather in the forecast for the afternoon and periodic rain. Continue reading →

Summer escape to Chicago: Heading to the Southside

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Wednesday, August 2 – Heading to the Southside to see the Chicago White Sox

One of my favorite parts of traveling is to explore the city during my morning runs. Not only do I get better oriented with directions and wayfinding, but I get to see way more that I could just walking around. I started off our first day in Chicago checking out the Riverwalk along Millennial Park and Grant Park. I ran to the Shedd Aquarium before making my way back to the hotel. Definitely a clutch trail for running, biking, and enjoying the outdoors. Continue reading →

Spring Break 2016: Petco Park and Craft Breweries

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sd_petco_20160326_131001Another beautiful day in Southern California. It was day two of our Spring Break living the Cali life and we decided to head back to San Diego with a few options in mind. We were interested in a tour of Petco Park and then maybe seeing the U.S.S. Midway. Visiting some craft brews were also on tap. We ended up at Stone Brewing and Mission Brewery before the day was done. Continue reading →

Switzerland: Trains, mountains, and snowboarding

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20160115_023045Switzerland was amazing. Merri Beth, Zander, and I had an opportunity to visit for a few days in January 2016. We didn’t know what to expect and we maximized our time, visiting five different cities in five days. We took the train everywhere, went snowboarding, ate traditional Swiss food, and enjoyed the majestic beauty of the Swiss Alps. We’ve got all the details about our trip in case you find yourself in St Moritz, Bern, or Neuchatal one day. Continue reading →