City of Angels!!!!!

Sunday’s race marked my first competition in an ocean swim, we were at Venice Beach what a place, great view and I assume Woodstock was a lot like this place. It was a bit different than swimming in a pool, but I managed to put together, a breakthrough mile. I watched the pros head out into the water and dive trough the wave, minutes before the elite wave started so I tried to replicate their approach. About half-way through the swim I noticed I was among the main pack, and a bit less than a couple minutes behind the strongest swimmers. It felt great, and knowing that I was ahead of where I usually stand at that point in the race I was confident in being able to chase down those in the lead. I came out around 13th of 32 and headed to my bike. The bike course was relatively flat until about the 25k point when the hills came. I took advantage of my leg strength and climbing where I chased several competitors down in the hills. I was keeping a close eye at the turn-around point on those in front and knew I would have no problem once the run started. Off the bike and into the T2 area I was right with 2 other guys. The run began and I separated myself from the others. I ran comfortably and knew for sure after 5k that I’d pull off the win. The run course was no joke, a huge hill at mile one and mile four, the downhill hurt more than the uphill, I hate running downhill. This was a good day not great, but I hate losing more than I enjoy winning so I will take a win any day. Ended up winning by over a min. The finish was at L.A. Live and some friends from Knoxville who live in Cali where at the race, Lauren who swam for Pilot and Blake Goodfellow and his kids where there at the finish which was so much fun. It was a great experience and I felt good about the race and now on to race Malibu Tri this weekend before US Nationals in Portland, Oregon on the 20th. I learned a lot from the swim and am just waiting for a huge break through. This race qualified me for a race in Dallas on Oct 5 a very high profile and prestigious race so looks like I will wait till next season to do my first 70.3. Also looks like I may have picked up a apparel sponsor with Team Kiwami who sponsors some of the best Laura and Greg Bennett. Well till next week, Dream!!

The Windy City Won!!!

I know, I know, I know, it has been a long time since I updated this blog, and I failed myself, for I wanted to do this weekly and I will do a better job, I promise. I have been through a lot these past 6 weeks, the wreck, my best friend and brother moved away to go to school, man I am proud of the risk he is taking and my training has been a little up and down. Well this past weekend I raced in Chicago, and if it were not for my good friend Eddie and my new friend Julie this trip would have been a total disaster. The race started and we swam in Lake Michigan, the start line was only oh like 25 yards wide and was like that for 400 yards or more. I figured that as much trouble as I had getting into the elite wave that, wow this must be a small friend of “elites” well there were plenty of elites but this was no small field and so I am not sure how many elites were really elite. Anyhow there were like 250 in our wave a big wave for any race let alone a swim start that is small as this one was. So I had trouble in the swim for it was a major bottleneck and no place to go. I am just waiting for my breakthrough, for I really have been swimming better and look forward to a big break through. Off to the bike that was ¼ of a mile away from swim exit running on hard gravel type pavement and boy did my feet pay for it. Had a great bike split on my new trek ttx that was smoking fast, tons of pot holes and hit one so hard that it knocked my bars to the side while my wheel was facing forward, doesn’t help for being aero. Coming back into transition I was feeling good then went to where I thought my stuff was near this tree well wrong tree, a mistake I have never made before, but a lesson learned make sure you know which tree to run to and exactly where your stuff is from both angles. So instead of taking like 1:15 it took me 2:07 dang there goes like 4 places. The run was ok felt good at beginning, but my fitness level is still coming back around. I ended up finishing 8th and 4th was less than 30 seconds in front of me, my mistake in transition. Now I am just training and getting ready to go to the west coast next Thursday, September 4th for a race in L.A. and then in Oregon. I can’t wait! To HFE and you know who you are whether you work for the company or are on the Board. I am honored to have your support! You will never know how much this means and I will do my part to make the most of the ability God has given me and represent this company well. Till next week, I promise. Dream Big!

Crashed and Burned!!!

It has been a while since my last update, and this one I wish I could say no news is good news, but that is not the case. After the race in Iowa I took a few days off for I was really spent, more emotionally than physically, so I took some down time and then got right back on the horse. Ran 2 5ks for John Smyth and the EBS crew which pays for a lot of my travel. In those local 5ks I was 5th in both running 15:58 for one and 15:38 for the other, both feeling pretty good, I just don’t have the speed like I used to but will get it back soon. Then was doing a ride, it had been raining and was starting to dry, and I was doing down a decent at about 30 or so and before I knew it was sliding across the payment. My first thought was did I hurt my collar bone and the answer was no and then I looked at my leg and the road rash was not a good sight. I rode the 5 miles, yeah that is how close I was to home bleeding a little but probably was so far deep into the skin for any blood to really come out, it was just a bright pinkish burn all down my left leg. I cleaned it with the help of good friend Mark McClinton and then went home thinking, ok I will be good in three or four days. Little did I know what all was happening. The almost 3rd degree burn was one of the most painful things I have endured, I wish this on no one, and I’m sure some are saying it can’t be that bad, but when my coach who is an ER doctor looks and say this is a lot worse than I imagined, well that pretty much sums it up. So here I am 13 days later, no race in Chattanooga, no race in New York, and just trying to do a little something. If it were not for my mom and here healing touch, I am really not sure I would be ready for another week, but I hope to be back full throttle by Monday, well at least back to putting in the volume and then racing again in late August in Chicago.
Now on to another story, my birthday was on Monday and it was three years to the day that I decided to go after this and well in my mind at least start the process of leaving Hilton Head and doing something with my gifts. I was at a Party the other night thrown by Jennifer Parker and I looked around at all the people who came to wish my a happy birthday and felt like the luckiest person on the planet, so see where I have come in three years and how fortunate I am to have all these people in my life is truly amazing and I am so thankful, I am truly blessed and not a day goes by that I don’t realize and feel how loved I am and my hope is that all those who give to me that in someway I have been able to give you piece of me and loved you as much as I feel loved. To everyone who is reading this I love you and thank you from all of my being!!!!! Don’t ever give up on your own dreams look what has happened in three years of my dreaming… Dream Bigger!!!!!

Hy-Vee Tri in Des Moines, Iowa

Well, I finally am getting around to writing about Hy-Vee, and I should have done this last week, during my down week. I was finally able to take a few days off, so I just stayed away from all of it. Going into, Hy-Vee I was trying to keep things rolling after worlds in Vancouver. Looking back I may have gone to hard heading into the race. The week before I rode 3 hours on wed, ran 12 on thurs, 8x800 on the track fri, 3 hours sat, 13 mile run sun and all these were the main sets with swimming and a little biking and running as well. This is not to brag just putting my stuff down and even I looking at it wonder “what was I thinking?” This is the joy of sports, to live and learn, it is never ending as Tiger said how may more fore-forever, that’s what we have. So I fly up on Friday, which is just a typical travel day and then Saturday was another typical pre-race day. I didn’t feel great but I have been doing this for a bit now and know that sat doesn’t matter how I feel but block it out and race hard Sunday. Hy-Vee is one of the most well run if not the most well run race I have ever been apart of, going into the race up until thurs was going to be a duathlon, because of the floods in Iowa, but the bacterial count was down and we were able to swim. They were able to pull it off as well as an elite race. Race day now, I swam ok and panicked a bit going into the first buoy, but regrouped and kept pressing. Then on to the bike, a lot like Memphis just a bit worse, and guys were flying by me like I was sitting still. It was a long and rough day, going into the run I knew I was in trouble. I was passed by a 34 year old on the bike who started 3 minutes back and I knew I was in trouble. I have had some great run workouts and I am in great run shape, so I thought it would come around and it never did. So I finished 3rd, I know what your thinking, geez Eric, is 3rd not good enough, well no it is not, I want to win every time out and I learned a valuable lesson. I can take a little time off instead training so hard going into the race. So took some down time last week and started back today ready to roll. I will be racing in Chattanooga on the 13th of July. This is for a spot in a race called Best of the US in October, in Arizona. We shall see how it goes, I am loving watching the Olympic trials, people I have run with, people who I have helped coached, and others I admire and hope in 4 years I will be representing the US in London like they are. The sponsorship front, I am a blessed and humbled individual, so many people are helping and believe in the Dream to all those and I need to ask before I publish names, but YOU know who you are and from the depth of my soul. THANK YOU, I could not do it with out you. Till we meet again Dream!!!