Spence Smith

I was going back through some of my old posts and came across The Church of Blog. As I read it I noticed a few things I would say differently now. What you will read below is an updated version of an older post I think is relevant for the day.

As bloggers we have some of the same people reading our blogs every day. So, as a blogger, if I were to have 2500 people visiting my blog everyday and let’s say that 70% of those people are the same people everyday…that would be roughly 1750 people. When you put that in terms of a church (if you are the church going type), 1750 people coming to your blog and reading what you have to say everyday is very impressive. For any one church service to have 1750 people every week is an impressive showing by most standards.

(Don’t que the piano player and start passing the chicken buckets around just yet. I’m not suggesting you go take up an offering…yet)

As a blogger, is it weird to think you might have a bigger audience than your own church has on a Sunday? Have you thought about the amount of influence you have with those readers? Are you responsible with how you bring people into discussion? What kind of community are you building through your blog?

As a blogger, you are in a position of influence. How are you going to use it?

I’d like to encourage you to build a community the fosters growth in each other, be authentic, and don’t be afraid to show your weakness so that your readers will gain the confidence to maybe try something they have never tried before… all because you tried it and failed along the way. We are all in this together and success always comes with a little failure so you know what not to do the next time.

I never dreamed EVER that I would become an Ironman, but I did it and writing about the process has caused others to try their first sprint triathlon or to even run their first 5k race. These are people who NEVER dreamed of doing either.

How are you going to use your influence?

What you write about matters and people pay attention. You never know when you might just inspire someone to go to another level and do something completely different… and love every minute of it.

I was given 50 Ways To Identify Triathlon Obsession a while back and thought a few of you would really get a kick out it. I can’t tell you how true all 50 of these really are!

50. You are over 30 and there is still someone in your life that you refer to as “coach”.
49. Your last bike cost more than your first car.
48. You have peed outdoors more times in the last year than you did in your first year of university.
47. You think of mowing the lawn as a form of cross-training.
46. You’ve worn a heart-rate monitor to bed.
45. And it wasn’t when you were sleeping.
44. You refer to the front hall of your house as the “transition area”.
43. When you get home from a training session at the pool, the newspaper is just being delivered to your house.
42. You have changed more flat tires this year than light bulbs.
41. The most frequently used software program on your computer is the one that keeps track of your workouts.
40. You have no idea why they call Cal Ripken Jr. “Iron Man” when, after all, he was a baseball player.
39. The first three items on your grocery list are Gatorade, power bars, and gels.
38. When you floss at night, it’s to get the bugs out of your teeth.
37. Your legs move in a cycling motion while you are asleep.
36. When you see a drop of blood, your first reaction is that you spilled some red Gatorade.
35. You know how far you biked and ran last year, to one-tenth of a kilometre.
34. You think the ultimate form of wallpaper is about 64 racing bibs.
33. A 19-year old kid who works in a bicycle shop know more about you than your next-door neighbour.
32. Your children are more likely to recognize you if you put your bicycle helmet.
31. You have a vanity licence plate with the word “Kona” in it.
30. About half the shirts you own have at least a dozen logos on the back of them.
29. You don’t find the word “fartlek” in the least bit amusing.
28. When you refer to your “partner”, you mean neither your spouse nor the co-owner of your business but the person you run or bike with three times a week.
27. You shave your legs more often than your wife.
26. The closest you came to punching somebody was when they disagreed with your position on whether wearing a wetsuit amounts to cheating.
25. It doesn’t feel right that you can’t “clip “ in and out of the pedals in your car.
24. There is a group of people in your life about whom you are more likely to know how fast they can swim 100 metres than their surnames or occupations.
23. Some of the shorts you wear today are tighter than the ones you wore in high school.
22. You are frustrated with the latest Garmin Forerunner because its live readings have a margin of error of approximately three per cent.
21. There’s a separate load of laundry every week that is just your workout clothes.
20. One of your goals this year is to be faster at getting out of your wetsuit.
19. You failed high school chemistry but you could teach a course on lactic acid.
18. All you want for Christmas is something called a carbon crank set.
17. You wore a digital watch to your wedding.
16. You have to have completely separate meals from your spouse because he or she is on a low-carb diet.
15. Your bicycle is in your living room.
14. You have stocked up on a brand of cereal because it has a coupon that will save you money on your next two pairs of running shoes.
13. In order to establish a new personal best, you considered peeing without getting off your bike.
12. One of your proudest moments is when you lost a toenail.
11. When a car follows too closely behind you, you accuse the driver of “drafting”.
10. When you went for a job interview, you wrote your social insurance number on your arm in black marker.
9. Your spouse cried during Terms of Endearment; you cried during the television coverage of the Hawaii Ironman.
8. You are comfortable discussing the sensitivity of your nipples with other guys.
7. Your spouse is looking forward to the day when you will slow down and just run marathons.
6. You have paused in front of the mirror in your wetsuit and thought, “Hey, I look like Spiderman.”
5. You see no issue with talking about treatments for chafing or saddle rash at the dinner table.
4. You recently asked your spouse out for dinner by asking if he or she wanted to “fuel up” together.
3. For you, “bonking” no longer has a sexual connotation.
2. The magazine secretly tucked under your mattress has pictures of really expensive bicycles in it.
And the No. 1 sign you’re obsessed:
1. Most of this list doesn’t seem like a joke to you.

Here’s a subject that has a wide variety of opinions. Mine of course, is just
that…an opinion. I know that I don’t always eat the best, but about 90% of the time I eat great.

I’ve read a lot on the subject and have come to this conclusion. If
you are looking to get into better shape whether it’s for something athletic like running or triathlons or if you are just wanting to loose
some pounds to look better, the simple fact is this…it’s a neat little formula that has worked for centuries on end! Ready?

EAT LESS…MOVE MORE.

We live in a society, especially in the US, where more is more…not less is more. Big portions, big drinks, big everything.

Ahhh…in the midst of family, work, travel, friends and training for triathlons-life at times can seem just a hair out of balance or slightly crazy. I’d like to think of it as slightly crazy. But whatever you call it, there is always a need for true balance in life and to make sure the things we do in life are for the right reasons.

Living a healthy life is very important to me, but it’s not just about physical health. It’s mental, spiritual and social. It’s a very holistic approach but when it’s all working right, the balanced life is sweet. But know this… I’m not always living a balanced life… why? Because life sometimes is Slight Crazy.(see first paragraph)

One of the guys I swim with is Richard Baker. Richard is an encourager, motivator and triathlon coach under the name of TriSwami. What you will read below is an article he wrote that has balance written all over it. This can really be applied to life in general…not just the physical side of being fit or healthy. I read it in an email update from our swim coach Ashley Whitney and it’s such a great reminder for me. I’m hoping you will be able to learn from it as well.

Being Fit vs. Being Healthy:
Recognizing when you have crossed the line.
Richard Baker, aka Triswami

I have a lot of favorite bands. I have a lot of favorite solo artists too. But when it comes to bands, these guys are at the top of my list. are bands that have stood the test of time and survived. I grew up listing to these bands. They are the ones who influenced me as a drummer and they still do.

As a lover of all styles of music, there’s just something about rock n roll that gets me going. I could listen to any song from anyone of these bands 20 times in a row and re-live the song every time. When I’m in the car and flipping through stations, I can hear one note from any one of these bands and the volume gets cranked!!! The whole world stops and rock lives on. I’m really excited about the times we are in when it comes to bands like this. But I’m a little sad for the future.

Here’s why…look around in the music world. Who out there do you think will be still making music 20, 25, or even 30 years from now? Who is coming out now or has been out for the past few years that will be in their 60′s selling out arenas and stadiums. Sure Mich Jagger is looking jagged around the edges, but come on…have you seen him run 2 or 3 miles on stage at the tender age of 60? I have and he’s still got it. I mean who else but Charlie Watts can wear a cardigan sweater on stage playing Start Me Up to 60,000 people!

So here’s to you rockin-bands-who-formed-my-youth…you guys rock. Long live Bonham…

Yes...That is a really yellow jacket.

Recently I was in Colorado with Ken Davis getting ready for his conference called DCW. We were at a place called the Glen Erie. The property sits in a box canyon and has a trail you can hike that takes you back to these incredible waterfalls.

As we hiked back through this trail I was taken back to hiking up canyons as a kid at summer camp in New Mexico. (I have a deep love for the mountains and New Mexico because of my camp experience.) As we hiked, Ken and I talked the whole way up.

Finally we came to a waterfall. It was beautiful and the setting around it was amazing. It’s hard to believe that we were standing 15 minutes from the nearest Starbucks. After we took it all in from, Ken lead me to the top of the waterfall by going up a very steep, rocky slope with a lot of loose gravel. Going up is pretty easy with the gravel and all.

Going down hill is another story.

We hung out up top for a bit then decided to come back down. As we started down I couldn’t help but think about a couple of things.

1.We generally think walking or running down hill is easier to do because gravity is on your side in a big way. But going down hill is where many runners and walkers can get hurt. The pressure on your knees and the impact is sometimes greater therefore making your knees potentially more unstable.

2.Because going down hill “seems” to be easier, we are less likely to pay attention to what is ahead of us. Sometimes the unexpected can happen when things seem easy and if we aren’t careful-we will slip up. In the case of running or walking, it could mean slipping literally and falling.

As Ken and I made our way back down, I noticed how much loose gravel there was and how very little places there were for sure footing. Every step had to be well placed and thought out. One bad step and the gravel could send us tumbling down about 100 feet which would be a very bad thing.

I guess, this made me think about how many times we find ourselves in what seems to be an easy place only to get caught of guard by something we would normally see coming.

I’m not one who is waiting for the other shoe to drop when times are easy and nice, but I am reminded that it pays to be on my game a bit more and take notice of where I’m headed and what I’m doing.

So as the down-hill-easy-times come, think about where you are, what you are doing, and where you are headed. Make each step count and enjoy the journey along the way.

By her….

…Enough said

You should really sponsor a child now…compassion.com

Photos by Keely Marie Scott

Yesterday we went to visit a partner church of Compassion International. Compassion partners with over 4700 churches world wide who are helping the poorest of the poor. On this day the church partner we visited specializing in our Child Survival program. A program design to help mothers through a healthy pregnancy and then the first few years of the babies life. The program teaches who to stimulate the child’s growth and helps moms recognize all of the fine ways to raise a healthy child.

We have played with a lot of kids so far on this trip. One thing is for sure. Kids are kids no matter their status in life. They like to play, they are little chatter boxes…and they fall right in place when it comes to boys loving all things cars and trucks and girls loving all things pink and princess. No matter what, these kids are always will to take you by the hand and play with you, even if you can’t speak their language. Everyone speaks the language of play time…

One girl we met was special though….very special. You see, she had an 8 month old whose hand were deformed. An 8 month whose father was her uncle. That’s right. The mom was raped by her brother when she was 14. Now she is 16 and she loves this little sweet child with all of her heart. She leaves with her sister, takes care of her sisters kids too and leaves in a room that is 10×10. Dirty, dusty, and slightly chilly.

When you looked into this young girls eyes, you could tell what she wanted – to be the best mom possible. Her dream in life? Finish high school so she can provide better for her child. That’s it. That’s all she dreams about. I have a feeling this young woman is going to do a lot more than that in life.

I was inspired by love yesterday. Inspired by passion to love. Inspired to live a life full of hopes and dreams and showing others they too can hope and dream and see them through.

As you are reading this post, know that I wrote it while on my flight from Miami to Lima, Peru. It’s been a great day so far, I have friends on this trip that are far to dear to me…the rest I’m getting to know. I’m the trip leader so I have everyone’s name branded into my brain along with any particular details I should know about them like their ages and medical needs should they get sick.

Tonight on the plane I was sitting in a bulk head seat right behind the bathroom. I dozed off for a moment only to wake up to a gathering of flight attendants trying to bust open the bathroom door. A young lady had gone in to take care of “business” not realizing that when she locked the door that it would malfunction and lock her in. Oh the fun…a flight attendant eventually busted through the door. The young lady was not panicked but laughing in embarrassment when she emerged from her possible new seat assignment. Everyone in eyesight was laughing too…it could have been a lot worse I’m sure.

This week’s trip is a special one because it takes me back to when I was married. It was my first time to Peru and I brought my former wife with me to see our work and…we were coming to meet one of our sponsor children, Marcela.

I didn’t realize sponsoring a child can impact your life so much by the things your sponsor child tells you.

I was leading the trip to Lima and when the day came to meet our little girl, we both woke up in stressful moods. There was a lot of stress going on for the two of us that day and I did not handle it well. We argued, got ready and put on our happy faces to go to breakfast as if nothing was wrong. As most couples do when stress is very present, we put our differences aside and focused on meeting Marcela. There is so much I remember about this day…

As we pulled up to Marcela’s project, Marcela and her mom were standing outside waiting for us. We got out of our bus and when our eyes met hers, she lit up like the brightest star. Even now I think about this moment and I’m brought to sweet tears. It was the perfect moment to see. There were big huge hugs and big alligator tears flowing from the two of us, Marcela and her mom.

From this point forward our day was consumed with Marcela. She had all of our letters and pictures we had sent and at the tender age of 9 she talked non stop. My former wife is part hispanic and knows her spanish well. Me…I’m the one guy in the room void of any spanish so the translator was trying to keep up with our little chatter box of a girl. The moments were incredible with this child, her mom and her older brother. Moments that once we got home, I would find myself sitting on our coach alone sobbing because my life had been so touched by Marcela. Everyday I did this…for a long time…wishing that she was living with us in Franklin. I loved this little one like she was one of our own.

Since meeting Marcela, there was one moment I have a little guilt over. At one point in the day with Marcela stopped everything, looked at the two of us and said as serious as a 9 year old could…. don’t ever leave each other. The room went quite and I was looking for a translation…What did she say? With tears in her eyes, my former wife looked at me and said…She said for us to not ever leave each other… As I tried to hold back the tears, the arguments seem to diminish in importance and life that day seem to take on a different meaning. We later found out that Marcela’s dad had just left the family.

The rest of the day I had this numbness that lingered around little Marcela’s innocent request as if she had x-ray vision into our relationship. We would just look at each other through out the day but never talked about it until we were in our room for the night. We looked at each other and just said…I’m sorry.

Not having kids, I never realized the impact one child could have on my life. It stopped me in my tracks. Here I am about 4 years later and if I were to see Marcela today, I would have to say….I’m sorry…we failed…but we both love you passionately and where we are in life today doesn’t change our love for you. Marcela has since moved and left the program.

This week’s trip is important because the redeeming moments I have had while traveling always come in the sweetest packages. I am grateful for the sweet times I had when I was married. I’m thankful for times of joying and sadness. Times of struggle and victory. And even though things still ended, I’m thankful to come back to Lima to ponder a great memory and recognize the significance one child has played in my life. Divorce isn’t always remembering the hard times. There can be real blessing in remembering to good times for what they were.

This week I will try and blog as much as I can about what we experience and if you are thinking about sponsoring a child because you think it might change a child’s life forever, then you are partly right. The other part is a warning…BEWARE, sponsoring a child might change YOUR life when you least expect it. Either way…it’s a win/win situation.

I got rocked in swim practice this morning. I mean..besides the fact that practice is at 5am on Friday’s is enough to do me in, much less not paying attention to how I was performing in practice. Today’s practice though brought me back to this thought. Pacing yourself is very important…

When swimming, you should pace yourself because if you don’t…you will crash and burnout for the rest of practice.

Here’s why…this morning we were doing drills based on our stroke count. Your stroke count is the number of strokes it takes you to get to the other side of the pool. In a 25 yard pool, when give it all I got, I can do this in 10 strokes, but on average it sits more in the 13 to 15 count area. If you can swim fast and strong with a low stroke count, you will get through the water faster and smoother.

Basically what happens is when our coach says. This next drill will be based on x number of strokes plus x seconds it takes you to swim 50 yards. It’s called a unit drill and since the water is a little chilly at times i was already thinking about the shrinkage. Anyway…then she tells us, for the next 5 times we do this you have to decrease this unit so start out conservative or else you will be dying for the rest of the drill.

So…what did I do? I thought I was swimming conservative. Little do I realize how much a breathing break on the wall does for my energy level. My unit number was 65 for the first try. Which broke down to 39seconds swimming 50 yards with a stroke count of 13 per 25 yards giving me a 26 count for the 50 yards which all equals 65 (26 strokes plus 39 seconds=65) Over the next 5 times I eventually got it down to 57 which had me at 20 strokes per 50 yards.

This my friends…killed me. I exhausted every ounce of energy I could muster. For the rest of practice I was done, spent, tired, finished…I had nothing left.

This brings me to a point in which I’m reminded of when doing business. Sometimes people make business decisions that are to big. They have bitten off more than they can chew and they got in over their heads and the decision is seen as a failure. Sometimes when this happens and you are working with others, the chances of you making another big decision might be very slim because no one else will believe that you can do it or that the idea can be done. Why? it failed the first time, why should it work the next time.

This sounds like small minded thinking and most times it can be. But the way to win is to start small enough to make an impact and to watch your decision be a winning decision. When you start small and think conservatively, you can give yourself a little room for error and growth. Then when you are ready to go big, you can take that risk with confidence and with a better plan of attack. If the big decision is a winner then great! But if it fails then at least you know you tried everything and you can now move on knowing you too can make sound decisions (even if you failed) and that you are willing to take a few calculated risks. Learning from your mistakes can lead to success as long as you keep trying.

If I had thought a little more about slowing down my swim and working my stroke count a little better, i would have made it to the end without killing myself. I also would have made it through practice a lot stronger.

The next time you go big…think it through first…oh, and if you need help working through it, shoot me an email. I’ve failed enough times to know how to win.

The past two days I’ve been in colorado springs attending a conference on communication called Dynamic Communicators Workshop. The principles taught at the conference are valuable for creating marketing plans, writing articles and books as well as speaking. Speaking though is the biggest focus of this conference as it is the basis by which you learn how to use the principles you are taught.

If you are a creative type, a speaker, artist, executive, leader or any person that has to get up in front of people and speak, you should go through this course because it will help you fine tune your message and put you on the road to a successful time in front of your audience.

If you are a writer of any kind, you should go through this course because it will help you put your words into focus. Obviously I’m still trying to put my writing skills to good use and practice…editor please!

I went to one of the writing classes yesterday taught by Michele Cushatt. The class was a gold mine of information for a guy like me who is very much a hack writer at best and Michele is an awesome teacher, speaker and writer.(by the way Michele…I found your blog. Very nice!)

Dynamic Communicators Workshop is the brain child of Ken Davis. Ken is one of the funniest comedians I know. He is also one of the most gifted communicators I have ever heard. He is brilliant and knows what he is talking about. Thousands of people have been taught by Ken and his instructors and all walk away changed with great ideas of how to move forward in their abilities to communicate.

On a more personal side, I get to work with Ken through Compassion. He is a friend and he is someone I

Ken teaching us to talk mo

look up too.

Check out his blog here and you can follow him on twitter here.

Every time I’m around Ken, I know the conversation is going to be good. He always takes to see how I’m doing and allows me the freedom to share what’s on my heart. In return, I learn so much from his life experiences.

To learn more and sign up for the next Dynamic Communicators Workshop click HERE.