A special triathlon moment I won’t forget…

Just think about it for a second, if you look at your face every day when you get up and think you’ll never be great, you’ll never be great, not because you’re not, but the hate will always find a way to cut you up and murder your faith.

NF “The Search”

In a lot of movies there’s the moment where the hero has a choice to make. Will the hero rise up to the challenge he or she faces or back down, fading into obscurity? These heroes are often people just like you and me. You work with them, pass them on the street, they’re a friend of a friend. I had one of those hero moments last weekend. I was faced with a choice. Would I, just a simple man, rise up to the challenge or stay comfortable? Only, I’m not the hero of the story! Plot twist… I’m part of a group of triathletes who I admire so much and in my moment of doubt, these people showed such strong character. They were the heroes all along.

The short story is that there was going to be a group cycling ride on the weekend. I anxiously, and unconfidently, signed up to go… wondering if I’d be holding the group back. I desperately want to get along, to blend in, to be my best without being a burden. Sounds noble but it’s really a fault and it can be crippling sometimes. Besides that, I’m not a very fast cyclist and the night before the ride, I was restless and worried. I woke up that morning and gave in to the doubt, texting the group that I’d try to catch the next one. Just for backing out I was disappointed in myself, having very little confidence because these athletes are pretty great at all the disciplines; swimming, biking, and running. Who am I to think I can even try to keep up? But then something crazy happened.

I sent the message to the group and it wasn’t met with condolences. I fully expected a thumbs up or an “OK, see you next time.” Nope. These amazing athletes didn’t give up on me, even though I had already. They didn’t accept my withdrawal, but instead they encouraged me to try.

So I did.

It is easily the most special moment so far in my triathlon journey because not only did I finish, I did well. It’s nice when people believe in you even when you don’t, isn’t it? From the encouragement of other athletes and the satisfaction of finishing the long course… I hope I can keep surprising myself more by taking chances. By doing things I didn’t think I could. By believing in myself, even just a little more. By thinking that I have the ability to be a greater version of myself tomorrow than who I am today.

I love this season of my life. I love the triathletes who continue to inspire me.

-Out of the Wilderness

Who Will Replace Katy Perry On American Idol? A List of Potential Judges…

American Idol fans are already aware that season 22 is Katy Perry’s final run as a judge on the show. She’ll be off to pursue music again, focusing on that side of her career. Life is short, so I totally understand Katy’s choice to remove Idol from her schedule to go after other goals. Especially in light of American Idol alum Mandisa passing away yesterday, a sad reminder that no one is promised another day.

Mandisa was on American Idol in 2005 with the original show judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson. Since then the show has gone through a short list of judges, even one season with 4 judges. Three seems to be the magical number though, and for the last 7 seasons the judges were Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Katy Perry. With Katy leaving, there will be a spot open for a new (or previous) judge. At the time of this post, only a few names have popped up as possible replacements, even Taylor Swift getting a little notoriety as the next judge. Aim for the sky, I guess, right? I agree that they need someone big, current, trendy, talented, and who commands respect in the industry and Taylor fits all of that. But does she have the time? Doubtful. Someone else who would be a great judge but who probably doesn’t have the time… Dolly Parton. I’d love to listen to her critiques and praises for folks trying out for the show.

Let’s be honest, though… most fans miss the unabashed opinions of Simon Cowell. I’m adding his name to the list of possibilities, along with the following which are a mix of previous judges, various show mentors, and other folks I think would be be great as judges.

Jelly Roll

Ben Platt

Jennifer Lopez

Simon Cowell

Randy Jackson

Kelly Clarkson

Teddy Swims

Alanis Morissette

Dolly Parton

Some would do fine, others would be too nice, but none of them would be as constructive (or destructive?) and honest as Simon. So I’ve got my fingers crossed it’ll be someone like Simon, if not Simon himself. The ratings would certainly tick upwards if he were to return. Who would you suggest as the next judge? Chime in below!

-Out of the Wilderness

A New Run Playlist – Training With Music!

My next sprint triathlon is coming up in a few weeks so I’ve been ramping up my workouts (between afternoon naps 🥴). If you’ve read any of my triathlon related posts, you know swimming is where I need the most improvement. Last week I was swimming at a local pool and there was a synchronized swim team practicing. That’s one of the only times I’ve heard music under water and all of the sudden I was in a Disney movie.

Waves on top of the water, and sound waves under! Fun times. When I train on my bike, no music. Obviously I want to be as aware of my surroundings as possible when I’m cycling long (and shared) roads. When I run, it’s a little easier to add music into the workout. Especially in a low-risk neighborhood. So I have this playlist conveniently called “Run Music 2.” So clever.

It’s about an hour long and includes music from NF, Kendrick Lamar, Tommy Profitt, Electric Light Orchestra, Sia, Muse, and a few others. They’re not all fast because sometimes I need a song that gets me in my feelings. When I’m inspired about spiritual things, or whatever, my feet often move more swiftly. For example, the list includes “Who Am I” by Needtobreathe, “Don’t Let Go” by Spawnbreezie, and “Caution” by The Killers. Not exactly dance club-type music.

But then there’s music with higher BPM. The oldest song that I just can’t quit is “Your Woman” by White Town. Such a steady percussive track, I can’t help but run on beat.

So that’s the oldest song on the list… the newest addition is Kanye West’s “POWER.” Also a good cadence for running.

If you want to check out my run playlist, the Spotify link is below. Let me know if you have any songs I should add to this!

-Out of the Wilderness

Singular They/Them and Other Oxymorons

It’s not uncommon to use they or them when referring to one person, generically. “If my child is sick, I get them medicine,” for example. But the rise of the they/them in contemporary society isn’t the same. Now it just shows that if any rule can be broken, why do we have rules at all? During a recent TV interview a woman explained that her pronouns were the singular they/them. So I’ve come up with a few other ludicrous oxymorons to show how silly this fringe part of our culture has become.

The red blue pen.

A truck trunk.

A feline dog.

Hot ice.

The bright darkness.

The square ball.

A happy emo kid.

A straight curve.

Straight guy dating a transgender woman.

Pan with an untouchable handle.

An altruistic politician.

A male ladybug.

Sunrise from the west.

A midnight solar eclipse.

A silent lol.

A bald guy selling shampoo.

Our culture is in a weird place. Sometimes it seems like we’re living in the upside down, doesn’t it?

-Out of the Wilderness

Did American Idol Goof Up Their Judge Saves for the Top 14?

Sometimes the Idol judges irritate me so much with their decisions. Last night included one of those moments, and I’m not talking about Katy’s dress that looked like metal manta ray. Or Lionel’s possible freudian slip after Kennedy’s performance… he said, “When we said ‘no,’ excuse me, when America said ‘no,’ you said ‘I don’t think so!'” Ummm, are judges and producers pulling the strings and fooling us all? This IS the channel that shows The Bachelor, the most scripted unscripted show ever.

Conspiracy theory aside, all 20 contestants performed again for the second day (the first ACTUAL live show of the season) and as the episode progressed, we learned who was moving on to the next round and who was sent to what Ryan called, “The Danger Zone,” meaning the singers who were not voted into the top 14 but still had a chance for the judges to save them. There would be 10 with the highest votes, and then 4 judge saves from the bottom 10. Spoiler alert, the judges saved the contestants in *bold from this group of 10.

Odell Bunton Jr.
Jennifer Jeffries
*Jordan Anthony
*Nya
*Roman Collins
Ajii
Kennedy Reid
*Jayna Elise
Mackenzie Sol
Quintavious Johnson

Before the show aired I had picked Jordan, Nya, Jayna, Quintavious, KB, and Kayko as the ones to get eliminated. OK, OK, I was wrong! The judges had other opinions and as they called out their 4 saves, I was shocked, perplexed, and a little ticked off. How could they let Jennifer go? Odell! Kennedy and her catalog of styles (wigs). It was a travesty.

As my family and I watched we started researching contestants’ YouTube video view counts (from the previous night’s singing) and it was surprisingly accurate for who was safe and who wasn’t. Those with lower views were in the bottom half of the 20, and those with higher views were in the top. So it became very possible to predict the outcome as each name was called. Because of that, I can sort of understand why the judges saved who they saved, except for Mackenzie and Kennedy.

I still think they got it wrong overall, though. Neither Nya, Jayna, Jordan are going to win the show. That’s just the hard truth. I think the winning spot belongs to either Jack, McKenna, Triston, or Abi. The rest are just along for the ride… or however long the judges America wants to keep them around.

-Out of the Wilderness