Short post, I promised before and after pictures, here they are. 289 days ago (9 and a half months)…I started out with a goal to lose 100 pounds, I have lost 102 as of veterans day. I plan to lose 20-30 more. Two days ago was my 30th birthday…this is what I gave myself.
March 11, 2009 (Glendale, AZ)
December 23, 2009 (Kiwanis Park, Tempe, AZ)
Cory Christopher Carrier (12/7/87-10/1/09)
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/312479
I’m not sure what prompted me to write this post today, perhaps it is because it’s his birthday in two days. I’ve had trouble finding a way to express how I felt about the man in the picture above. He was my cousin, but more than that, he was my friend, and someone I admired and looked up to (no pun intended). You see, Cory had muscular dystrophy, he had been confined to a wheelchair. By talking to him, and getting to know him, you’d find it hard to believe. Hence the name Krippl, which he assigned himself.
It didn’t matter to me. As I most certainly, evidently learned quickly after I heard of his passing away. Friends came up to me to give me comfort, etc…and asked how he passed since he was so young. Cory had a bout of flu, and ended up in the hospital at the end of September, and was unable to beat it. It was H1N1. That’s neither here, nor there. This post is not about the end, but his life.
When I was growing up, I moved around a lot, so I wasn’t always so close to Cory. But when I moved back to Tucson for middle school, and high school. I grew quite close with him. I remember playing video games with him all the time when I was growing up, I would routinely kick his butt at these games early on, as I’m 8 years older than him. But eventually, this computer genius started kicking my butt all the time, and that got old fast, if you know me. I still played with him, but I also obviously started growing out of the video game stage.
Cory and I had another love in common. Our love for technology. He had another moniker that I laugh at still today, Geeky Gimp. Heh…definitely a geek, I think anyone who knew him, knows that. Cory was much better with computers than me, and I’m sure he got sick of my constant pinging him to ask him computer questions. He never showed it though, always willing to help and educate me. I still try to ping him today, but when I scroll down my buddy list, he’s not there anymore and that’s when it’s hardest. I miss him…
There’s something else I always admired about Cory. He was an ambassador for Muscular Dystrophy Association, and always helped at the local telethon, and would be seen on television often. As long as I can remember, I’ve never seen Cory once complain about his circumstances. I try to model my life after him, because whenever I get down, and worry about things, or get upset about my circumstances, I say “what would Cory think?” If Cory ever was frustrated about his situation, he never let on. Even in the last days, I remember a tweet by him, “thank god for hot nurses.” That’s just who he was, always looking at the bright side, never worrying about tomorrow, because let’s face it, none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Only the present, and that’s why it is a gift. A silly cliche, but it fits.
I never knew how much my cousin thought of me, I knew we were good friends, etc…but I never asked him. Then one day a few months before his passing, he pinged me, with saying only one thing. “I’m proud of you.” (In regards to my desire to improve my health and weight). I wish he was here to celebrate with me when I hit the 100 pounds plateau. I just achieved that near the middle of November. I know you are watching down on me, and and are proud of me. I never told Cory how I felt about him. I wish I had, and if he is reading this right now, I’d tell him, no, Cory, it’s me who should be proud of you. You lived life in such a way that made everyone love you, and made it hard to feel crappy about my own life when you grabbed life by the horns and did it your way.
A week after Cory’s passing ( I believe), we had a impromptu get together at his mother’s house. And I was having trouble with the situation still. So I went in his bedroom, Cory and I also showed another passion, for the Arizona wildcats. He had so many things from them signed, I was always jealous, but glad he had them. Then as I was walking out the bedroom door, I looked on his desk, and I saw something that floored me. There was a book on his desk about learning sign language. I always knew he wanted to, but I never had the time to come help him learn it. I wish I had. I didn’t realize he kept trying to do it on his own anyway. I wish I gave him more of my time to learn it.
I hope to be half the man Cory is, and was. If I am, I’ll be alright, and life will be okay. I miss you man, I love you. It’s just not the same here without you. Rest in peace, Krippl.
You know, I haven’t blogged lately. Oops, my bad. Anyway, so I decided to enter a second triathlon. This one was on Thanksgiving day. I’m sure most of you know by now, but around a month ago I broke a few ribs playing football, I was actually all but ready to pull out of the triathlon, but due to not being able to get a refund (which is normal) I decided to stay in.
Also this year, I was not running alone in the race, I had a friend running in it. I’ll just call it a little “competition” and maybe a motivator. Anyway, we carpooled together from East Valley to West Valley and got there around 5:30am. HOLEY MOLEY was it cold!! Now, I am 103 pounds lighter than I was, but I’m still a big dude who wears shorts most of the time. I was fricking COLD. I had a sweatshirt on that I thought I was gonna wear for the entire race. I was dreading getting out of the pool at the end of the race with how cold it was. Anyway, they ended up starting late, which is mostly due to the organizer going on and on and late entrants. We got to watch the kids do a mini triathlon. Which is just like a sprint except half as long. 1 mile run, 4 mile bike ride, and 200 meter swim. It was awesome to watch them, but I will say I was a bit disappointed to see some of the parents urging their kids on a little too harshly. They’re kids, if they fumble around with their helmets or forget to take their shoes off, or run the wrong way, so what? Chances are buddy, you’re gonna do and probably did do the same damn thing when you ran for the first time.
Nonetheless, this was a reverse the course triathlon, 2 mile run, 12 mile bike ride, and 400 meter swim to end. We didn’t end up starting until 835am. Guys went first, and women left 10 minutes later. Like I said, I needed extra motivation because I was out of shape for a month, and was certain I wasn’t going to pull this off and would quit half way through. I knew my friend would overtake me eventually, my goal was to put it off as long as possible. I was certain she would pass me while I was still running. I was also certain there was no way I was going to beat my previous time and was certain I would not make it through the run.
Boy was I wrong, I guess the human body retains much of what it did before and you remember how to will yourself past the point of when you’re tired and just keep going. I ended up being able to run the first 3/4th of a mile, two days ago in the gym, I couldn’t even run for three minute without stopping, on a treadmill! This was colder, harder to breathe, and a different terrain. But alas I did it, I walked maybe a 1/4th of a mile to the half way point, ran another half mile, walked another 1/4th mile, and ran the last 1/4th.
Entering transition was a lot smoother this time, I didn’t have to try to pull a shirt on which made my time take forever last time, I was on my bike, and on my way within a minute of arriving in the transition. The bike was a breeze. It was a flat course, the last triathlon was half uphill. There was also a lot more action on the bike course this time. Lots more bikes, lots more people to pass, and be passed by. I actually was maybe 2 miles from end of the bike course, when my friend finally overtook me. I wasn’t mad, I put it off as long as I could and was impressed I put it off that long. I was happy for her. We both actually ended up in the transition from bike to swim together, she arrived about a minute or two ahead of me.
I was off to the swim portion, and whoo..let me tell you, 25 meters is a hell of a difference from 50 meter swimming pool! I hadn’t swam much in the last month, besides my ribs bothering me, and my shoulder, there wasn’t a place to swim much. I was exhausted by the end of the first lap. hanging on the rope half the time and walking some of the time. I feel like I cheated some what, but you know what, how many people today got out and ran a triathlon before stuffing themselves full of turkeys? I completed the race, about 5 minutes after my friend (which would mean she was about 15 minutes faster than me, adding the 10 minutes later starting time). I was certain I had beaten my time, and felt good about it.
I haven’t gotten the official results yet, but I’m going to guess I finished the run in less than 30 minutes, the bike in less than 30 minutes, and the swim in 10-15 minutes. Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes-1 hour, 30 minutes. We’ll see how that goes…
