My Sprint Triathlon Results – Unforeseen Hurdles!

I had every intention of posting a recap of my recent sprint triathlon the day of the race, or at least the day after, but now it’s already been 4 days! In my defense, the event was plopped right in the middle of a family beach vacation so right after the awards were handed out, my brother-in-law (who also raced) and I took off (in a car… not swimming, biking, or running) back to the beach. I might’ve been able to post something soon after but when there’s 15+ people (I lost count after my brother’s 5th child was born), it’s basically like walking into a carnival fun house every time you open the door.

So a day went by. Then another. It didn’t help that the day I got back from the vacation I caught a cold. Sniffle, type, cough, type, achoo! Then boom it’s Monday and here I am posting for the first time about the only race I will have done twice. But I’ll do my best, kind of like the race… all I could’ve done was try my best.

Waiting in the packet pick-up line.

As I said before, this is the first race I might’ve done twice so I was pretty excited to compare stats from last year’s results. But at the same time, I was going from a vacation (somewhat already exhausted from beach activities and lots of pickle ball) so I’m not so sure my entire system was rested and 100% ready.

Family pickle ball tournament.

Race Day. Wheels up at 5am and the entire ride there was in the dark. Anyone who’s done morning races is familiar with this. The sun hasn’t even peaked over the horizon as we drove 2 hours northwest. Besides lots of deer along the roadside, we made it there without any major hiccups. Turning into the park, I’m reminded how much I love the pre-race environment with folks setting up their transition areas, going for a practice swim, loosening their legs with a jog. Chatter. Body marking. Music. It’s great. But my bro-in-law and I were faced with a couple of setbacks before the race even started. Obstacles that could take us right out of the race completely.

How did we react to these unforeseen hurdles? Did we make it to the start line on time? Was a DNF on the horizon, along with the sun?

Check here for the rest of the story…

-Out of the Wilderness

The Walmart Summer TV Commercial – The Music and More!

Walmart is apparently ready for summer and the department side of the store is stocked for your summer needs, too. From clothing and jewelry to dinnerware and furniture, this commercial shows off a few things Walmart has to offer. There’s also a pleasant soundtrack that adds to the festive spirit of the summer ad. Take a look then scroll down for more…

The Song. A great song choice for a summertime commercial, here’s the full track of “Where You Are” by Orang Utan. People are saying this song is a bop, it knocks, and other stuff I’ve never said out loud about any song ever.

The song was released in February 2024 by Orang Utan– an artist who apparently wears ape masks and has a mysterious, unknown identity. More about his or her background can be found here and you can find the primate(s) on Instagram @orangutan_music. Orang Utan music is also used in this Southwest Airlines commercial from 2023…

-Out of the Wilderness

Lady In Red

After spending a week together with family for an annual reunion, it was time to head back to reality and during the hour-long drive, I made the mistake of listening to this entire song.

It’s not typical for me to stay on a radio station playing 80s music and this song came out when I was 8 years old. There’s no way I related to it in any way back then. I was more interested in Legos and Saturday morning cartoons.

Not only did I listen to the entire introduction of the song by Nina Blackwood (she was hosting for the weekend on SiriusXM and I was hooked listening to her raspy voice), I enjoyed her retelling the about the fervor all of the country when this song was first released. She actually didn’t reveal which song she was talking about until the very end so I thought I’d give it a listen. That was my biggest mistake.

It’s a song that little 8-year-old me would’ve forgotten about 2 seconds after it finished but 45-year-old adult Ben was melting into my seat. Instead of finding another channel, I was drawn back to just a previous relationship, thinking about some of the good moments and basically just being full of regret and hopelessness. I had a “lady in red” but I let her slip through my fingers. It’s her I think about when I’m having my own pity party. When I think my best dating days are behind me, it’s because no one I’ve dated since has affected me as much as she did.

I’m trying hard to believe I’ve still got great things ahead, maybe a beautiful match that will share life with me. It could happen. But sometimes I wish I could go back and do “a lot of things different” as Kenny Chesney would say. So many ups and downs rushing through my mind and all thanks to a 4-minute ballad. What a song. There’s no wondering why it rose to very high on Billboard charts all over the world in the late 1980s.

Do you have any songs that immediately draw out strong feelings, whether they’re good or bad? Tell me about it in the comments below…

-Out of the Wilderness

Beach Day

Having a lot of fun on a beautiful holiday vacation…

To be totally transparent, it’s been hard to set time aside to write because it’s been a nice, fun family reunion where we play pickle ball, go out on the boat, and play board games. Not to mention trying to catch an entertaining Lifetime murder mystery movie. I have more to write, mostly about a recent triathlon, so I’ll be doing that soon!

-Out of the Wilderness

Papa John’s Rap Commercial – The Song

This is a fun commercial from Papa John’s. I think Burger King could take a few notes about creating a catchy jingle but using someone with a pleasant voice to perform it.

What do you think about the ad?

-Out of the Wilderness