A Triathlon Precap – Can’t, Competition, and Community

It’s been about a year and a half since I raced in my first sprint triathlon. I can still remember exactly what I said after crossing the finish line:

I went on to say, “I’m never doing that again.” It was part “won’t do it again” and part “can’t.” It was hard and the swimming just about did me in. I had no idea what I was getting into even though I had done some training and the experience was described to me. Still though, sometimes you just don’t know what things are going to be like until you do them yourself. A recap of that experience (if you feel like laughing along with me) can be read here.

Spoiler alert: I DID do that again and you know what, I’m doing it AGAIN tomorrow! I’ve become slightly attached to these races for a few reasons. Obviously the competition is a big part of it, the challenge of pushing myself to get faster, stronger, etc. …even though it might be true that people are past their athletic prime when they get in their 40s. Another part is the enjoyment of being involved in sporting events. The training, the sweat, the almost-gonna-throw-up feeling, sun coming up over the transition area as dozens (or hundreds) of people prepare. But also… the community. I’ve made great friends who encourage, inspire, give tips, and are in each other’s corner every step of the way. That’s been a really wonderful thing to experience.

For this race in particular, here are a few elements I’m very curious about: the location of the swimming (ocean) and the quality of my running (since I’ve gotten in the habit of training intervals before the sun comes up every Tuesday morning – more on that here).

I’m excited. This is a popular race so I have tempered my expectations about my results, but still have goals. I’ll update with another post, post-race!

-Out of the Wilderness

The Wrangler Blue Jeans Commercial – The Song and More…

I’ve written about a lot of commercials in the last couple of hears (see my Popular TV Ads page for more) but this is the first time I’ve covered a Wrangler Jeans ad. I was streaming a movie on Hulu and as soon as the commercial came on, I knew I wanted to post about it. The movie I was watching was a 2009 film about a vampire… or was she a werewolf… I don’t know but “Jennifer’s Body” starring Megan Fox wasn’t all that bad.

Speaking of bodies, here’s denim for your lower half in that Wrangler ad called “Good Mornings Make for Better Days.”

Rawr. That vampire/werewolf/zombie movie also had a supporting cast member that barely made it in for a scene. When the credits rolled, his name was one of three on screen so he was clearly not the big star he is today. An actor by the name of Chris Pratt.

The Music. Back to the Wrangler commercial, I know you’re dying to know the name of the song! It’s appropriately called “Jeans On” by an artist named David Dundas from way back in 1977.

-Out of the Wilderness

Uber Eats Football is for Food – The Commercial and More

It’s not delivery, it’s DiGiorno! Oh wait, no it IS delivery and it’s Uber Eats (and yes, they delivery pizza). Uber’s food delivery service is ranked one of the highest in the U.S. and for their latest commercial they called on some high-ranking entertainers. They’re all related to football in some way– current NFL, former NFL, and a diehard Texas Longhorn fan. Take a look then scroll down for more…

I hope Matthew McConaughey doesn’t get into politics because with the climate the way it is now, he’ll lose half of his fans… of which I am one. He’s one of my favorite actors and this commercial is a great example of why. His delivery, timing, tone, all of it is fantastic. Plus he seems like a nice guy whether he’s starring in a music video or starring in a movie.

The supporting cast- Christian McCaffrey and Jerry Rice– did awesome, too. Just enough to set up McConaughey for his funny lines. Someone over at the Uber Eats creative department deserves a kudos for this one (or maybe a Zaxby’s delivery courtesy of his or her bosses?) because the wordplay took some research.

I like the ad, it makes me laugh every time I see it, and they’re not wrong either. A wise executive producer once told me that TV shows are just vehicles for advertisements. Football is no different… except that football is for food, too.

-Out of the Wilderness

A Love Hate Relationship with Country Music – Featuring Benjamin Tod

I’ve had a love hate relationship with country music for a long time and I’m sure I’m not alone. In the 90s and early 2000s it was mostly on a wholesale level. For months, I loved all of country music. Then the pendulum would swing back to the complete other side. Back and forth my tastes would go. I’ve never thought through the cause of such bipolar musical preferences but since then and for the last decade for sure, the love hate I feel for the genre is mostly on a per song basis. Maybe that’s because there’s such a wide range of music under the “country” umbrella and I still tend to gravitate to the more traditional sounding stuff versus the country that has pop music qualities.

Over the years I’ve tried to pepper in some country music with my nieces and nephews (who are part of the TikTok generation). Needless to say, in their early teen years they weren’t having it. For them, it was rap, hip hop, or nothing. Thankfully, as they’ve grown up there are country songs they want to listen to, even if it’s only from being exposed to songs from Morgan Wallen (and a few others) on TikTok.

What’s that verse in the Bible about being lukewarm? It’s better to be hot or cold and the longer I live, the more I realize how true that is in so many areas of life. Can that apply to country music, too? I think so. It’s why artists like Benjamin Tod are so dang refreshing! From the music I’ve heard of his so far, he isn’t playing the pop country game. He’s fully on the side of traditional country music, so much that I’m liable to call his upcoming album a “Country & Western record”. Check out the pleasant harmonies that sound like they were plucked right out of a mid-1980s jukebox in the corner of a smoky bar. Here’s Benjamin Tod and Sierra Ferrell’s duet “One Last Time.”

This is just my second post about Benjamin Tod (have you seen his trashy video for “I Ain’t The Man”?) but the folky harmony between him and Sierra Ferrell is a great example of what I love about country music.

More of this please!

-Out of the Wilderness

The TobyMac video for “Nothin’ Sweeter” and a nod to DC Talk

Co-starring with gospel singer-songwriter Jon Reddick on the extra sweet version, TobyMac recently released a video for the song “Nothin’ Sweeter.” Wandering around Franklin, Tennessee and sitting alongside Jon at the piano, check out the video then scroll down for a few of my experiences with Mr. Toby McKeehan.

Heavenbound. Observant fans have already pointed out Toby’s shirt– the 1999 Supernatural Tour shirt, a nod to his longtime band DC Talk and this is where I want to dive in a bit further. If you remember, the “Supernatural” album was the follow-up to “Jesus Freak,” an album that might be THE MOST iconic Christian album of the last 50 years. It’s certainly the top album in my personal discography. At the time of the “Jesus Freak” release, I was in my third year of high school but my experience with the band started when I was in elementary school. We lived in Virginia not to far from Washington, D.C. My brother and sisters were at some sort of music festival and this is where we heard DC Talk for the first time. It was 1989 (or maybe 1990?). From then on, my siblings and I were hooked. We had their first album on repeat every day and by “repeat” I mean we listened to it, rewinded the cassette tape and listened again. This went on for an undisclosed amount of time.

Freaks. We didn’t know it then, or at least I didn’t, that DC Talk was making Christian music relevant and was on a path that would bring the faith to a generation that generally wasn’t embracing the Christian music of their parents. Hymns were certainly not cool, and talented artists like Sandy Patti weren’t releasing music teens were playing at parties, in their rooms, or on their Walkmans.

I think all of DC Talk’s success was building up to the “Jesus Freak” moment. It was an album that embraced the idea that Christianity wasn’t something to be embarrassed about. The album did the exact opposite for so many Christians: Shouting from the rooftop that yes, we were freaks. Gotta problem with it?

“Supernatural” was just as amazing of an album, musically for sure. I listened to that one over and over, this time on a CD. So in this new music video from TobyMac, of course I love seeing the throwback to his time with DC Talk. I’m always so happy when I hear of more success for Toby, Michael, and Kevin because of how they positively affected my most influential years.

Awhile back I put together a top 10 list of my favorite DC Talk songs, not an easy task at all! If you want to go down that rabbit hole, here you go:

DC Talk Songs 10-6

Best DC Talk Songs 5-1

Instagram. Be sure to follow TobyMac (@TobyMac) and Jon Reddick (@JonReddick) and if you have any TobyMac or DC Talk memories, chime in with a comment below…

-Out of the Wilderness