Outta the Park!

I have never met anyone who actually enjoys going to the doctor. In fact, it is the exact opposite - we do everything we can to stay away. At least that's what I do. Despite this, I went to a Chiropractor today because I was experiencing severe neck/back pain. I found out that I have a pinched nerve and will not be able to compete in Sunday's triathlon, of which I have been training 3 months for. Though this is rather depressing, it is not the reason for this post.

I wanted to share my experience at the Chiropractor's office. Hands down it was the very best experience I have ever had at a doctor's office. A friend referred me to it and built it up quite a bit. Not that I was skeptical, but I didn't go into it thinking I was going to have such a positive experience.

So why was it so amazing? Here are a few reasons:

- When I walked in, the receptionist enthusiastically said "Hi, are you Jared?" (it was a nice personal touch and made a great first impression)
- After filling out my paper work, the receptionist then took me on a quick tour and introduced me to everyone who worked there - all were extremely friendly
- When it was time to meet with the doctor, he was interested in my back problem and was very thorough, inquisitive, and personable (I really got the sense that he actually cared about me and wanted me to get better ASAP)
- The doctor spent a lot of time with me taking x-rays, other tests, answering my questions, and giving me a plan to get me healthy (He left me feeling confident in that)

But that's not all. Just a little while ago the doctor left me a personal voicemail saying, "Hey Jared, this is Dr. Boch. I just wanted to make sure that you had a good experience with our facility today and that you felt cared for. I want to make sure that you are able to resolve your condition...We expect good things from you and hope nothing but the best. If you have any concerns please give us a call." I have NEVER received this from a doctor before. As far as I'm concerned, this doctor office is knocking it out of the park! It is so refreshing to know that there is incredible customer service and care out there. I actually can't wait for Friday - my next appointment :-)

If you need a Chiropractor you live in Mesa/Gilbert area, then I highly recommend you go here!

American Family Chiropractic and Rehab
Dr. Boch
3011 S Lindsay Rd, Suite 101
Gilbert, AZ 85295
(480) 726-2131
www.amfamchiro.com

On the Road Again

In preparation for my next triathlon (Sprint in Tempe on Sept. 27th) I've been trying to get a nice decent road ride in every Friday morning. I've done this now for 3 weeks and had a great ride today. At first I found road biking to be rather boring and tedious, but I have really grown to enjoy it more and more. It provides me some good quality time to think and clear my head of all the clutter from the week. I rode today from my house over to the hills of Las Sendas. I did a few loops over the hills and returned home. Here is my route and elevation from mapmyride.com. Thank you iPhone for tracking it! Gotta love technology these days!

7AM-9AM (1:55:43)
Distance: 30.6 Miles
Avg Speed: 15.7 m/hr (my goal is to get this to 18 m/hr)



Click image to make bigger

Tempe Tri

Well, I completed my first triathlon and it feels great to have done it. It was blazin' hot outside and it was a lot of hard work, but it definitely was a rush. I ended up with a time of 1:26:52 and placed 33 out of 48 in my age bracket. I learned a ton from this first one and I know now what to expect. I'm confident that I can shave that time down quite a bit in my next race. Overall, it was a good experience and I'm eager to do more now. Now I'm looking forward to September 27th for the next Tempe Tri. Here are some pics from the day:

Me just finishing the swim portion


Transitioning to the Bike


Running with 100m to go!

A Great Weekend!

Last weekend was one I will never forget! First, we had a guest speaker at church, William Paul Young, the author of a NY Times Bestseller, The Shack. It was a great time and the story of his life is amazing. He talked about how he came to write the book and how God has used it to bless many people - there a so many incredible stories! One of the questions he posed to the crowd was, "Can God do anything that is not motivated by love?" He went on to say that the answer is "no" because God's character is love. He further said that even God's wrath is motivated by love because he wants to save us from the very crap we put ourselves through. What an awesome thought that God doesn't do anything that is not motivated by love.

If you have not read The Shack, then you need to! It will cause you to think deeply about your faith and about God. It's a book you won't be able to put down.

Also, this weekend I officially became a Triathlete! It was a lot of hard work on a very hot day, but it was well worth it. I will put some pictures up soon. I can't wait for the next one!

This is Incredible!

You have to check out this video. I have no idea how anyone can run for 33 hours! Something that David said in the video was "If you can see yourself doing something, you can do it. If you can't see yourself doing it, usually you can't achieve it." This is a simple yet profound thought of dedication and determination. This is great inspiration for my upcoming triathlon. I wonder what your dreams are. Can you visualize yourself doing it? Go for it!

32

Is the number of laps I swam the other night for my triathlon training. I got to tell you that it felt really good! 32 laps equals 1600 meters (1 mile). The actual distance of the swim portion of the triathlon is 1500 meters, so I would say that I am right on target.

So far, swimming has surprisingly been my favorite thing to do. It is so peaceful and refreshing being in the water. Right now it takes me about 50 seconds to swim a lap so I get a lot of time to think during my workouts (so far the ipod is not water friendly so no music yet). Although sometimes it gets boring, I feel like I am able to slow down and think about life. And as I said before, there is something so quiet and peaceful about being under water.

Well, I'm off to the gym now for some more swimming.