Lake to Lake Triathlon 2011

The lead up to this race is something that I wanted to make certain was better than last year. Last year I was traveling and was in the whole before I started the day and ended up walking the last several miles of the run. I vowed that I would be smarter with how I spent the time before the race and worked hard to know how I felt and what I could give on race day.
The other big change that I have been having this year is how I view racing all together. In years past I was training between 10-20 hours a week, racing hard and having my focus be all about improving time. I wanted to get faster and that was it. Now that training time has come down to 10 hours on a good week. I am just in a period of life where that is all I can give as they say "it is what it is" and I happy for what I can do. That being said I had a few goals coming into the race.
1. Race to what I have to give that day. No Walking on the run!
2. Enjoy the day, I have been way to serious in past races and that needed to stop and today was the day I would make it so.
3. Be smart with what I have and use it wisely. Swim hard, ride hard and run hard and do it so I can run hard to the end.

Anne was racing as well today in a relay and she was the bike portion and she rocked the house. She was with her marathon training partner Nancy and her brother and the three of them put a good race together.
Keith was our knight in shinning armor and watched the kids during the event so we could race and I have to say what an act of kindness that was. This is the second time this year that our friends have pitched in to help with the kids so Anne and I could race and we appreciate it beyond words.

Swim (26:03)
I was able to get a few arm swings in before the start of the race this year and no real warm up which usually is around 20 minutes. My timing for the day was such that I just did not have the time. I saw my trusted friend Anthony and we talked for a quick minute before the first wave (my wave) started. I took it out very slow as to try to give my body some time to get warm. It did now work and by the first buoy I was pushing race pace effort and was working my way past the gents that took the first 200 yards too quickly. The swim this year was steady and I felt really good about getting relaxed and moving forward.
I could hear the cheering from the water exit while still swimming in for the first time ever. It was AWESOME and it was fun to exit the water and hear my name being yelled as I made my way up to T1 which is a long 1/4 mile jog. I did have time to do a dance move for Coach Beth, the first act to having fun during the race!


Thanks to the Wieck's for the pics

Bike (1:28:42) 30 mile bike
T1 went smooth and I was on my TT bike racing again and it was a good feeling. Coach Beth and I discussed breaking the bike and run into segments and racing them so I could finish strong on the day. The first segment was slow out of town and easy on the climbs with a hard effort on the rollers back to town. Also for the first time had TT bar hydration and did not have to grab for my bottles. IT ROCKED and I was able to consume 75 oz of liquid on the 30 mile ride in even small sips. Loved it!
The slow swimmers and fast bikers had all passed me by the time we started climbing so I was proud that I was able to keep a really good effort and as I made it to the rollers I was able to push as the plan called for. I did not jump as other passed me and really focused on making the day my day. I kept my HR in the area that we had talked about and realized in past races that I was pushing way too hard and payed for it on the run.

Run(46:43) Not bad!
T2 was smooth and I was on my way. I stopped and reset my watch which forced me to take a few deep breaths before I jumped into the 10K run. In 2009 I ran the fastest 10K I have run 44:58 and in 2010 I ran a pretty slow one 54:50 so my goal this year was to run to what I could sustain and not push over the top. I was going to use my HR as a guide and let the time be what it was going to be. I was relaxed on the run through the neighborhood, calm around the lake and kind of happy cause I was running well. I saw Anthony around the same place I do each year and that told me he was having a good day (2nd AG) and so was I. I was even able to give some high fives as I made my way around the run course. The second half was a blast. I was able to see so many friends and familiar racers that it was a constant opportuinity to yell, smile and forget about running hard. I made my way past where I was walking last year and was running at a 7:30 pace which for me was AWESOME. I passed where I had my head down in shame last year feeling strong. I ended up coming into the finish full of joy. I did not win, I was not even close but......I took victory in my own way and that my friends is the best feeling.




Thanks for the pics Wiecks!

Here are some pics of the event and after party.....Yep we took the boat and went and had some fun at Horsetooth Res.

To all that helped, cheered and made the day fun....THANK YOU.


Lexi Walton, Charlotte Ford, Annie Wieck
Race day friend having a good time

Love you Anne

A cold Littlefoot Tri

The weather all over the country has been unusual and Denver is no exception. The water temp going into the weekend was a cool 60 degrees but when you add rain and 38 degrees temp outside it makes for a bad swim decision. Amy D the race director made the call at 7:30am to change the swim to a 1 mile run, so the day would be a run (very wet), ride (still very wet) and just to make it fun another run (still very, very wet).
I was excited to be able to race, I love to train for racing and the season opener for me was Littlefoot.
I had a quick 25 minute warm-up and then rushed to get my racing clothes on and head over to the starting line. Anne and the kids, Beth, Keith and Nancy were all present for the start.
I wanted to take the first half of the mile run slow since is was a slight uphill climb and I know that the lead pack would take it out fast. I placed near the back and as the gun went off it was game on. Just a few minutes into the run those that started way to fast were maxing out and so my build allowed me to start to pass people pretty quickly. I started near the back but as I hit the half way mark I had passed a fair amount and I was still gaining speed. I came into T1 at 7:00 flat and sitting in 15th place from my wave of 29 and unders and the 35-39 men. I passed a few more in transition and was on my new Specialized Transition bike for the first race together. ( It has seen an AG victory in IMCDL with the first owner). It was still raining so I wanted to be cautious the first lap of a two lap course. I counted 10 ahead of me at the first turn-a-round and I was working to pick a few more off. The course is all within the park so I felt really safe and since we were the first wave I had little to worry about and was able to relax and work the bike. I was passed by two gents and passed a few myself and came into the T2 sitting 6th.




I had a fast transition and started the run feeling really strong. I took the first half out and tried to relax and run what I could hold the entire time. The week before I had a PR in SLC with a 21:10 5K. We had a bit of a climb to get to the turn-a-round and I was passed by Max (AG winner for the day) and another that I would not be able to keep with so I kept my same pace. One of the guys that passed me on the bike, I was able to re-pass in T2 was sitting on my heels keeping pace with me. I pushed the pace on the downhill past the second mile and still heard him on my back. I turned a corner where we could see the finish line and we were about 800 yards to the finish. I dropped the pace again and was running with all that I had on a cold spring day. I had to give everything that I had to keep the pace to the finish and ended up putting some time into the guy that was on my heels.



I was totally pleased with the day and my first race. I felt good about how I raced and ended up coming in 2nd place in my AG and 14th overall. I had a very fast bike split and ran faster than I ever have in a sprint.
I ended up have a 36:54 bike split 20.2 MPH on this cold day and a run of 22:21 for a total time of 1:07:22.




Next race is Pelican Fest Memorial weekend.




Thanks for coming Anne, Jackson, Josh, Lexi, Nancy, Beth and Keith. It was a great day.

Love you Anne,

T

It's been awhile

I have had so many major things hit my life over the last 90 days that trying to find a starting point to share them was getting overwhelming. I pushed it off and now that things have settled down I can start to think about it.




Today I am sitting in Salt Lake City where I will be for the next few weeks. I am on site at Miche Bag corporate offices working as a point person for Deluxe. "Deluxe" you say, yep I have accepted a job with Deluxe Media Management as the Director of Complex Supply Chain Sales. My first job is to transition the Miche Bag account over the next several months. Deluxe is a billion dollar company and I work with the consumer products division helping to bring more consumer products accounts to Deluxe. I will be traveling to Salt Lake City or Los Angles (Valencia to be exact) most every week for at least a few days for the next few years.



Last weekend Anne and her training partners Nancy and Keith ran the Colorado marathon in Ft Collins Colorado. She ran the race in 4:02:47 which is a 9:14 pace. The race started running down the canyon and it was closed to traffic so we were only able to see them starting at mile 16. Anne and Nancy ran the entire race and even ran through the aid stations. She looked great the entire day and finished very strong. I was blown away seeing her run hour after hour keeping the pace she did. Anne is so strong and as you look at some of the photos you will see what great form she has and how strong she looks after running for over 3 hours.




Jackson right now is in the middle of flag football season and is the star of the team. Last week he scored 2 of the 3 touchdowns, had an interception and a runback to the 5 yard line and was the quarterback for the other touchdown. He is one of the smallest guys on the field and with his speed and determination rocks the house each week. Right now when Jackson is not paying football you will find him playing basketball, soccer or riding his bike or scooter. Jackson loves to be in motion and has a great group of friends that he can play with in our new neighborhood.

In the month of April we celebrated being in our home for over a year. We have owned 5 homes since we have been married and rented an additional 7 homes or apartments over the 13 years that we have been married. To celebrate a year without seeing any packing boxes that either needed to be packed or unpacked is GREAT.

Josh is growing and loving every second of life that he possible can. He is currently in soccer and having fun learning that sport. Josh plays with Jackson and tries to keep up as much as possible. He too likes to play basketball, jump on the tramp and play with Jackson and Lexi. Josh is doing really well as the middle child. God gives special skills to the middle child and we are starting to see them shine.

The boss of the house is Lexi. She has an opinion and the answer (right or wrong) to everything. She loves to try to hang with her brothers and most of the time does a great job. Lexi cut her hair and looks amazing and cute. Lexi is all girl and leaning to work with her has been a struggle for me. Girls as kids are so very different than boys.

Anne, the rockstar of the family is having her breakout year. She is has come out of her shell and is taking on her fears and crushing them. Marathon last month, another triathlon this month and swimming on a regular basis. She is finding time to train, hang with girlfriends and really have fun with where she is at in life right now. I am having fun cheering her on and watching her blossom and grow. This year Anne is the rockstar of our family.

The weather is turning and this year I am excited for a couple of reasons. Last fall Anne purchased a wakeboard boat and then a few weeks later it went into storage for the winter. The water is warming up and this year it is all about boating and spending time on the water. We are very excited to head to Lake Powell for the big trips. We are excited to discover our local lakes and those within a few hours. Simply put we are excited to go boating.

My training is going well and I am figuring out how to balance all that is important to me. I am training on the road and may even have a bike in each city in the next few months, time will tell.

I am happy, healthy and inlove with my wife and kids. They are my priority and everything else is a distant second.

I feel better, I hope you do as well and I promise I will start to update more often.

Webelos in Colorado Springs USAFA

For those that are not aware I am an assistant leader in troop 317. We are the Phoenix Patrol and we have 16 active boys in our den. Our leader is Brent Hinkston and his drive and passion for service to the scouting program is amazing. We have quite a schedule for our Webelos this year and a visit to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs was this months adventure for the Scientist activity badge.

(Cadet Chapel 17 spires 150 ft tall made of aluminum, glass and steel)

This was the first time on the Campus of the USAFA for the 3 of us and as we made the drive up the road past security to the visitor center we were impressed with how neat the campus looked on the mountain side amongst the pines. We were greeted by Colonel Beal who despite having a bad cold took us on a tour of the campus grounds including the "Cadet Chapel" (the most popular man made attraction in Colorado) and then over to the annex building where they have the Science and Astronautics school. We were given a tour of the control center where two active satellites are being controlled. Fact that I did not know...It take a satellite 1.5 hours to orbit the earth...

(All the boys at the Cadet Chapel with Colonel Beal)


(Inside the Cadet Chapel at the USAFA in Colorado Springs)

We then were entertained in the labs by fire, liquid and all sorts of scientists mayhem. The boys loved every minute of it and were awesome for the 4 hours we were on campus. Colonel Beal had several student assistance that help the boys make crystals, do several experiments and have a hands on experience with very intelligent students. I was somewhat jealous of the activities that they had planned and really was impressed with the effort.



(Pictures of some of the Cadets that helped us today)

Nearly 1000 students are accepted to the academy a year so the campus is very small compared to other collages across the US. We were able to pass the dorms where they live and see just a glimpse of collage life as a cadet at the USAFA. I have taken several pictures just to remember how great of a day it was and to thank those that made it happen.


(Josh with safty goggles a PRE-Cadet at the USAFA)


(Colonel Beal working on the Scientist activity badge)

Thanks Colonel Beal hope you feel better and to your staff and assistance.
We all appreciate it.

Sorry you missed this one Anne,

T

The Red Hot 55K in Moab Utah

(The gang before the start)

Trying to rap my arms around the idea of running an ultra marathon distance event before I raced a marathon was different and for me it worked. Last year I accomplished a 24 mile Moab Utah trail run and I had a blast doing it. A good mix of fun friends, radical challenge and wonderful scenery made it something that I for sure wanted to do again and improve on. The idea was thrown out at a party and the idea caught on and this weekend 13 friends competed in the Moab Red Hot 55K and 33K trail race.
The training during the winter was different for me since it was the first year I really had any goal to work towards in the off season. The other major bonus was that Anne was going to run with me. Long runs on Wednesday mornings, Red Rocks and the 4 big runs that we did made the training a journey that I was really able to enjoy. I wanted to see if I could adapt to long runs and get good results from them.
Race week was fun watching the weather change from blowing snow to rain to really cold back to snow. We loaded everything we would use for all conditions and headed down to Moab. The kids were excited to be on a trip again and after finding out that the condo we rented had a hot tub they were super excited to get on the road. Liz, Tyler, Sam and Jonah with a late arrival of my Dad made the stay really fun. I however came down with a pretty bad head cold a few days earlier so I was not as perky as I usually would like to be the day before the event.
Race morning started with the sound of rain outside our window and a body that just wanted to stay in bed. I talked to Anne the night before we went to sleep and I decided that I would feel bad staying in bed or at the condo just like I would feel bad running so I would try to run regardless of how I felt and just deal with it. I even put a plan together at 18 miles to turn back if it got too bad. Plus I wanted to see if I really could last in bad weather, sick and not on a prime day and today was defiantly that day. I put my clothes on and my Garmin HR monitor and watched it settle at 15 BPM’s above normal. Here we go!
The start and pre-race Ultra style is really chillin and relaxed. People are talking and being social and not a lot of drama is going on around us. We took a few group pictures and cheered to rally those around us and to our surprise it worked. The race started and off we went running straight up a mountain.

A picture of the start as we rounded the corner to start climbing

We were in the back and at the first picture spot were second to last. I was running with John, Keith and Beth and we had a plan to take it out slowly and build and have a good second half to make the whole day a sucess. As we finished the first climb I looked at Beth and realized she did not mean that slow and so we settled into a good “working” pace for the next few hours.

(A picuture of Beth, John and Keith at the first climb)


(Its hard to see but you can see the cars from the start and the trail way, way below)


Aid station number #1 was out of water by the time we arrived and I worked hard not to worry and relax. I have been working on taking the right mix of nutrition and did not have any water left when we arrived. Keith gave me one if his 20 oz bottles and I made that last for the next 5 miles until aid station #2. We really did well as a group and keep each other motivated and after about 7 miles started to pick people off and enjoy the day rain, wind or whatever the weather ended up being for the moment. We found Beth’s friend Laurie and the two of them keep us entertained for the next 2 hours. We had a great rendition of “Mandy” and some other Barry M hits. The only thing is the pace kept creeping up and after 18 miles I let the group know that we had made it to the point where anyone could take off and have the day they wanted. A few minutes later Beth and Laurie were off the front and John, Keith and I were happy to let them go. We had a huge slick rock climb and spent the next 30 minutes walking straight up hill. The three boys separated about 50-100 feet from one another and had our own quite time.

John and Keith on the huge climb of the day doing our alone time!

I was feeling ok at this point and really was pleased with how the day was turning out. I was good on my water intake and my nutrition was also working for me. I passed my bailout spot and kept going and was proud of the decision. I took my Garmin off my wrist and put it on my backpack to avoid looking at it and decided the day was going to be what I made it regardless.
To this point it had rained on us, the wind was really aggressive and so when we reached the cliff top of the first climb I wanted to take pictures of us all we had some in the group very concerned about being so close to the side with the wind blowing so aggressively. This day was also different because 30 minutes after we started Anne, Jewels and Nancy started the 33K. My wife was running a race at the same time that I was which was a Walton first. It was fun to pass the 5 hour mark thinking that they would be close to finishing. I hoped that Anne had a good experience and later that day I learned that she rocked the race course and everyone did really well in her group.

(Nancy, Anne and Jewles)

I kept my head down and kept trucking up the hill and just a bit later I could see the top of the climb with a much needed aid station. 22 miles done and a shirt change was in order along with some treats. The wind was blowing something fierce and so I did not stay long and told Keith and John that I was going to start going down. I wanted to have some more alone time and decided to put in my Ipod and see if I could get through the next two hours without hurting too bad.

(Me on top of the huge climb with the Colorado river in the background)

I started the decent and had Keith close and so I told him I was plugging in and would be on my own for a bit. He was working a blister and we did not see John so it was ok and I took off. I started to run down hill and realized I felt good. I mean that I really felt good like I have never felt this way after 5 hours of running before. I did not know what to do except just let it go. I started to lengthen my stride and pick up pace. I would walk the hills and run the flats and downhill’s and for the next 5 miles I mostly had downhill’s. I found I felt good, the best I had felt all day and so I did just what my heart told me to do and I ran, FAST. Just 3 songs later I saw what looked like Beth and Laurie with a few others and by the end of my 4th song I was right behind them. I did not slow down but had a funny exchange and keep running. Beth and Laurie were on my heels just a few seconds after I appeared and the 3 of us were running fast as a group. Beth warned me that it would not last and I should slow down but I did not care and just wanted to keep going. I kept myself plugged in and for the next 5 songs felt awesome, then slowly reality started to show up and by the time I hit the aid station at 29 miles was out of magic dust and my tank was empty. The volunteer at the last aid station said one more mile of climbing, one mile flat and three downhill to the finish. At the top of the climb Beth and Laurie agreed that we would finish together but the pace kept rising and by the time we were done with the flats I started to cramp. I asked them to finish and I would come in at my own pace.

(Our fearless leader pointing the direction to go!)

I walked and drank and walked and drank for the next 15 minutes and then started to feel better. A few minutes later I could hear the sound of cheers and I felt close to the finish line. I looked back to see Keith just above my one turn and yelled for him to catch up so we could finish together. He started to say I needed to go because he was so tired and just as he finished that comment we rounded the corner and saw the finish line and ran in together. Beth and Laurie had come in 10 minutes earlier and Anne and my Dad had not made it to the finish line so for me it was a buzz kill. It was not about the finish but the journey and today I had quite a journey, one that I will never forget. 55K (33-34 miles) 6700 ft of elevation gain and a full and happy heart, I get why people do this sport.
The day was great, when I got back to the condo I was greeted with the sounds of laughter in the back yard. I passed in a very limping manner the front door and walked to the back yard and as I turned the corner I saw my 3 kids splashing and having a blast in the hot tub. They stopped just long enough to ask how the race went and then were back to playing what ever made up game they were playing before.
I wanted to see if I could do a long distance event and have good time and perform well and I felt that I did. I now feel like I can do long distance events and look towards the future for the next epic journey. I have a plan that required a good result in Moab this weekend and with all the challenge with health and weather and still getting it done was a big huge success. Remember I pay to do this, I came home with a tee shirt, pictures, LOTS of stories and a burning fire to keep going. Bucket list caliber of weekend for sure.
Beth, John, Keith, Nancy, Jewles, Heidi, Andrea, Steve, Randy, Anne, Andy, Jackson, Josh, Lexi, Jane, and others thanks for being a part of this journey with me. I loved the training days and the end result. My Dad told Anne and the girls that because the weather was bad he would wait for a bit in case they wanted to turn around….When the fire is burning within it really does not matter what conditions you are in you just keep going one step at a time, collecting memories that will last forever.
I love you Anne you are my sunshine!

T

Mary Jane/WP State of Mind

For the past 5 years I have been getting 1 to 3 of my children in the car with games and toys and snacks to keep them happy on the drive to the ski resorts. The past few years Anne has come with me and so it was a family ski day almost every Saturday. I am proud to say that I never paid a dollar towards ski instruction and took that task on by myself (brothers included).
I started with Jackson and we were excited to come home and tell Anne of the gains that he had on the day. For nearly 3 years it was just the boys while Anne and Lexi would stay home and miss out on the fun.

Claire-Sam-Anne-Josh-Thomas-Jackson

Anne came up "just to try" and found out she was pretty good and could ski the beginner hills. I was told by ski patrol the following season I could not carry Lexi and she needed to ski on her own. This actually happened at the top of a lift in the afternoon while Lexi has fallen asleep on my shoulder.
The next season we started our 3rd and final skier and she picked it up just as fast as her brothers. Jackson and myself transitioned to snowboarding and started again on the beginner hills after learning from some YouTube videos moved up the the blues and just last week took on our first black on snowboards. I told Jackson he could switch years ago once he could ski any run on the resort. I promise I took him down some pretty radical runs to make sure he was able to ski anything and he killed every run.

Rockstar 1-Rockstar 2

Anne-Lexi-Claire-Jackson-Sam-Thomas-Josh

This year is almost half over. We have finally found equipment that is the right size for Anne and now she is rocking the hills. Lexi is all on her own and so the family last week skied together in the morning and had a blast.


Jackson-Thomas-Max-Sam

The new chapter for me came in the afternoon when the older kids wanted to go ski and board the harder hills. For so many years I stayed behind and sent Jackson or Josh with them while I was with the younger kids. Not this week, I was able to go with the older kids and we went to the rail park and had a blast all afternoon. This was such a joy for me and to know that I now have the rest of my life to ski with my family is AWESOME. It is hard to put into words how I feel about family ski day and how hard the past has been and how sweet the future looks. I figure that I will work hard over the next few years to put it into words every time I have an epic day but be warned I expect many of them in my future.
Go team Walton!!!!

Love you Anne,

T

Ready, Set, Derby (Pine Wood Derby)

Being an Eagle Scout and now having both my boys in scouts the Pine Wood Derby is something to take very serious. Father and boys, mostly fathers spend hours working on these small little blocks of wood trying to transform them to the most perfect, most aerodynamic, fastest cars known to mankind. These traits are passed down from father to son, Eagle to Webelos for generations to come. NOT Ok the facts and only the facts please I had another father help me with the "Rough cut" Anne spent 95% of the time getting the cars sanded and painted and made perfect with a surprising amount of time spent with the boys helping and crafting the PWD car themselves. note that it was Anne and not me! Oh it gets better I was left to work on the axles (Nails) and wheels. The three of us borrowed a dremel tool to smooth and get the final stages of the car ready. We finished the night before the "Weigh In" and felt good show up with our PWD cars ready to go. Weigh In This was an event all by itself. We had 4 stations that needed to pass before we turned the cars in to be held for two days in a secure location and only displayed minutes before the actual races would start. Station 1- Getting the name entered and the weight passed Jackson- Pass but the car was 4.4oz of a 5oz max Josh- Pass but the car was 4.7oz of a 5oz max Station 2 Making sure the car was the proper height Jackson- Fail the bottom weights were hitting and needed to be removed Josh-Fail the bottom weights were hitting and needed to be removed Station 3 Making sure all 4 wheels were touching and set properly Jackson Pass Josh Fail we needed to bend one wheel down(NOTE THIS BEND IDEA STINGS ME LATER) We went to the Father reject corner where other fathers were with their heads bowed in shame and only soft words were spoken. We used hot glue guns and made the best of what we could. We jumped back in line and here are what the cars looked like as turned them in. This is Josh's car, the weights were on the bottom originally Jackson's Car ">< Race Day We showed up with a few minutes to spare and were surprised to see the school gym transformed into the race zone. We took our seats and participated in the National Anthem and were jazzed and ready to race. Jackson was first and on his 1st heat of 4 he took 1st. Yes he was down the track before 3 other suckers and I made sure to smile and look at as many fathers as I could. The second and third time down he took a very respectable 2nd place. The 4th time he was 3rd and I just about stated to approach to track official to complain about such a overlooked mistake since my sons car was far superior to other but was distracted by Lexi needing to go to the bathroom. The bathroom took precedence and by the time I was back and even more motivated my window had passed. They were done with the Webelos 2 and were about the name the winners. Jackson took 7th out of 16 boys in his troop and I was extremely pleased with these results. Who says you need to be an engineer to win...Sales guys who only do a small amount of the work can compete with the best of them. Jackson felt great and took a few pictures from fans before heading off the play with some of his friends. Warrior Josh was next 22 boys were facing off the take the title of Bears #1. Josh was in heat 6 and as the first 5 went by I was feeling really confident. I was that father ready to see my sons PWD car kill the others. Heat #6 was started and the cars were released. I was filming the race just in case the local news needed my footage for the leading 5pm story. As the first car zoomed to a stop and the 2nd and 3rd were close behind a strange feeling came over me. I felt light in my knees as I saw Josh's car creep over the finish line a good second behind his other 3 competitors. I looked down just with a growing pit in my stomach and was able to meet eyes with Josh trying to silently ask "What happened". I mouthed the words it will get better and for the next 3 heats until he was up again I was silent. I could say nothing and considered sitting down a few times to avoid fainting at the thoughts of what was happening. Heat#2 started just the same, I held my breath and as the cars started down the track the horror only got worse. Josh's car did not make it to the finish, one of the scouts had to give it a push to the end so it would register REJECT for all to see. Josh was in tears by this time and I did the only thing that I new could help. I ran and pushed the track over in a rage and ran out never to be seen again....I pulled him aside and held him as he cried into my arms. He did not care about loosing but that the car needed help to get to the finish. I failed him as a parent, a scouter, an Eagle Scout. I am a failure and need to be tarred and feathered and stoned to a slow death. We made it through the next two rounds with not much communication between us. Jackson was trying to do anything possible to make his little brother feel better and was able to do so. What Jackson did not know is that he needed to fix the pain I was feeling, today I was the worst father around. We left shortly after and I took the kids out to a lunch at Red Robin to sooth our souls. We fought the best battle we could and came out with some scars that will take some time to heal. Maybe they will never heal but we will do our best to hold our heads high. Today will build character, and we will prevail. We will be victors next year for sure, I have already started working on the cars for next year. Troop 317 will never see PWD cars like the ones we will show up with next year. Watch and see! My little girl Keeping it real! My little rock star Love you Anne, T