About Me

For all of you reading this that don't know me personally, let this serve as a brief introduction. I realize that this should have been my first post, but what can I say? My mind isn't always logical.

I'm a 31 year old male and live in Kansas City. I've been happily married for almost 8 years and am looking forward to many more. We don't have any kids yet but are hoping that changes in the future. My wife's a runner that has done multiple marathons so she's been my coach and inspiration on this journey.

I swam competitively for close to a decade, before and during high school. I was never exceptionally good, but neither was I horrible. Despite all the hard work I put in, I was always in the middle of the pack. My swimming background has served me well thus far in triathlon; while biking is my favorite leg, swimming is the leg I'm best at.   

I got into triathlon after thinking about it for a few years. It's something I've wanted to do for years now but was always unwilling to take the plunge, telling myself I didn't have time and that I didn't have a bicycle. This year I finally decided to turn my "What ifs" into "I've done thats", bought a bike and started making time for training.

I work as a draftsman for a company that produces storage tanks. It's a good gig and I enjoy the work and my coworkers. I've got good hours that give me time to train which is nice.

Outside of triathlon, some of my hobbies include reading. I rarely go anywhere without a book, and the fact that I brought books to family gatherings drove some of my in-laws a bit crazy until they realized I also brought books to my family's gatherings and wasn't simply singling them out. 

I also enjoy smoking food. I've got two Weber Smokey Mountain smokers, one 18.5" and one 14.5". I've smoked everything from brisket to cheese to bacon and most things in between. My love for smoked food is a minor part of why I decided to do triathlon. My waistline has been expanding ever since my marriage and I decided some form of physical activity was needed to help curb that.

I also like to game. I play all sorts of video games (too many, really) and also very much enjoy tabletop games like D&D and Axis & Allies. I'm always up for a game of A&A.  

The one thing I'm proudest of, however, is my affiliation with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City. For almost three years now I've been matched as a Big Brother with a nice young man. It amazes me how much he's changed (and changed me) in the past few years. If you're looking for a charity to get involved with, I urge you to seriously consider BBBS.

That's about it, the short(ish) version of who I am. I hope you enjoyed it!