My 33rd Birthday

I turn 33 on Thursday of this week so it isn’t a bad time to reflect on the past year even though it hasn’t finished yet.  It seems like a lot has gone on in the past year and we are only 8 months in to the year.

I’m not really sure I have had a better year than this one so far.  Obviously, the big part of my year started on the 1st day of the year with Riley being born.  Since then, everything else has taken a back seat to whatever is going on with Riley.  Being a father has been something that I could have imagined what it would be like.  Having Thunder for the past 8 years was supposed to prepare me for fatherhood, and while it did do somewhat of a job, it in no way compares to what real life daddyhood entails.  Every day now revolves around Riley, and I try to work around him.

Writing a post on Riley would take too long and all encompassing, so I think it speaks for itself.  However, this year has been filled with so many other things.  It seemed like the first 4 months of the year was either talking about Riley or talk/training for the Boston Marathon.  Boston took up a huge part of the first 4 months of the year for me, and I am glad I got to experience it.  Even though the day itself was marred by tragic events, I am proud to have been part of the actual race.

After Boston, I transitioned into Triathlon season and have been full force since.  As a birthday reward (if you can call it that), I am giving myself a present of running the Half Iron in Maine.  So far this week has been great building up to the race and spending time with the family.  I’ve started to get that nervous/excited feeling since it’s midweek and the race is now fast approaching.  In fact, on the way back from dinner tonight, the wife and I saw the Rev3 event trailer with all the timing equipment.  I felt like shouting out the window “woohoo, go Rev3”.  But it’s time to have a good race this year and see what this body is capable of. 

I’m also proud to be associated with a few brands that have been extremely supportive throughout the year.  By now, everyone should know how much I love Skora shoes and even more so, the Skora Base which is my favorite shoe ever.  I can’t thank Skora enough for allowing me to be am ambassador for them.  I have also solved my nutrition issues and hydration problems with the brand association with HoneyMaxx.  Their products have kept me going for the past 5 months and I can’t wait to rep the line even more.  Furthermore, the company understands what my life is like and how the balance of training and raising Riley is.  It’s great to be part of an organization that values the same things I do.  Then there is X-1 Audio, who has kept me training with the right music.  Having the ability to listen to music while swimming has been crucial to my improvement in the water.  

With that, I’ll be out celebrating my 33rd birthday going for a run like I always do, then sitting out on a beach playing with Riley and having dinner with the family all in anticipation for Sunday’s race.  Not really sure how you beat this year.