ready to give it a tri

i think i'm ready? i am not ready. YET!

you know by now that i have this "baby step goal" program going on, right? it all started with a little weight loss and a 5k later the goals were in place. i'd start out by conquering a 5k race, then move onto a 10k race, then onto a half-marathon and then a full marathon and then...wherever my baby steps take me.

originally, my plan was/is to do a triathlon next. it's the next step! it's either that or an ultramarathon and i think i'd rather do that later in life. it'll be the next step after the triathlon. so for now my focus is completing my first triathlon. my brother-in-law, josh, is big into cycling and has recently started running and he's agreed to do a tri with me (sucker) so that definitely helps ease the nerves a little. not really, but that's what i'm going to say for now.

here's the deal: i'm freaking out! i do NOT like water. i don't mean "i don't like water" like some people say "i don't like vegetables." i'm saying "i don't like water" like most people would say "i don't like murder." the bright side/good news is that just last weekend emily and i went on a little getaway to michigan with our small group from Church and we all went to the beach a couple times and guess what? both times we were there i got in the water. we're talking lake freakin' michigan, people!  i even got some tips/advice on how to float and swim properly from a couple of pro's. ;) combine that with my new found love for cycling and i'm on my way to training for a triathlon...baby steppin' style (i'm trademarking that phrase).

so like the cheesy/cliche title to this post states...i'm ready to give it a tri. (raises glass) here's to the training to come and the many days that i'll be asking myself what the crap i am doing and to the aches and pains but most importantly...here's to me going after another goal!

mmm...seaweed

"nori seaweed rice crackers are like corn pops that have soaked in sea water..." that's what i said after eating a seaweed cracker for the first time. this new food of the month was something else. i guess the point of emily and i trying a new food every month is to make it something we've never had or might not ever try...but this one was weird. they are all natural though so that's good, right?

they're also cholesterol free, msg free, fat free, and even gluten free! they're also kinda taste free. i don't mean that in a completely bad way...it just seems like they were a little bland is all. 30 grams gets you 110 calories so it's pretty comparable to similar rice cakes and/or light chips. the sodium count is a bit high coming in at 280mg per serving, but the protein is a surprising 2g per serving.

seaweed crackers:-would i recommend it? i probably wouldn't pay more than a couple bucks for a bag
-easy to prepare? if you can snack on a bag of chips...you can easily prepare this
-availability? probably not at your local grocer. maybe somewhere like fresh market or an organic shop
-health benefits? fat free/cholesterol free food with a hint of protein

radical.

radical as a noun is defined as this:  "a person who holds or follows strong convictions or extreme principles; extremist."

welp, i want to be a radical dude...an extremist if you will. i want to be an extremist for love. now, before you shut me out and call me a hippy please hear me out...well, read me out? whatever. i'll be honest...i don't like the rolling stones or the song "american pie" and i am not a fan of the dallas cowboys, but i am still an american, right? more importantly...i'm a child of GOD! oh, did i mention we are ALL children of GOD? so, that doesn't really say much for me. i guess that's a good thing...because i am nothing. i don't want to come across as depressed or anything like that. i assure you i am a mostly happy person (is anyone truly one hundred percent happy) in the world we live in. i say i'm nothing because i am. honestly, everyone is nothing. there's not one person i know that is a true somebody...because there's only ONE of those, ya know?

are you picking up what i'm putting down? maybe i'm being a little vague here i guess. call me a coward or one who wants to encourage you to think. either way...i'm calling you out (including myself).

we are called to do things. i'm not talking chores when you were a kid or lame stuff your boss is demanding  requesting at work. i'm talking "Things" in quotes with a capital 'T' and maybe even bold and underlined and in a larger font! i honestly wish it were as simple as "dude, i'm just gonna love everyone like a brother or sister and be really "nice" to everyone in between and i'll "make it"..." but it DOES NOT work that way. sorry, chuck...but it doesn't (if your name is chuck this is not directed at you...i don't know anyone named chuck).

i'm just tired of reading books and listening to people speak about what we gotta do, ya know!? am i the only one who gets tired of hearing what you SHOULD be doing, or what you COULD be doing better!? i doubt it! so let's step up and start changing the way we live! guess what it'll do...besides change the world? i'll give you one other guess...it'll change your life! seriously...who is ready for a little change!!?!? count me in, friend!