is always delicious.
My favorite part of every day is sipping my first cup of morning coffee. The world seems quiet, the pace slow and the distractions minimal.
We talk racing, cancer and most importantly…Grit, grace and the perspective that your reaction to an unfortunate situation can always be positive if you want it to be.
Cheers Bob! Here’s to many more chats and start lines.
March 10th 2021 Breakfast with Bob Interview Link
Last week I had the honor to speak at the 2nd annual Girls on the Run Dayton luncheon, an organization that I have been lucky to watch evolve from the very beginning. The entire experience from working with the Girls on the Run Dayton board members to meeting the other talented & inspiring women speakers to building my speech was a one of a kind experience. Sharing my own very personal journey & Let’s Tell Her message in front of a crowd of 250+ proved to be more inspiring than it was intimidating.
Thank you Handful for being my sounding board and for giving me the courage to share my story. You are a great resource for women! For more 12.5% stories and for the entire Baring It All Handful Blog click here!
I was 38 and living in Dayton, when the plan for my life that I had mapped out so meticulously took a radical turn for the unexpected. I was heading into my fourth season as a professional triathlete with my health and fitness dialed, but somehow breast cancer found a way to get a foothold in my body. It was all the more painful and unbelievable because I had lost my mom and grandmother to pancreatic cancer just three years earlier. I didn’t want my family to have to open up those wounds…but cancer doesn’t give us any choice.
October 2012. Cindy was a first time Ironman spectator standing shoulder to shoulder in the masses of loved ones saying their good lucks to their athletes. Her good luck was an enormous hug with tears of love and pride. Her daughter reciprocated, confident that she had the grit and grace bestowed from her mom to perform to her potential that warm and windy day in Kona. In 2015 the tables had turned and now, once a spectator, Cindy was the athlete and Nickie and family were the spectators cheering with all their might to get her to one checkpoint at a time in the race of her life. Nickie was just as nervous sending her off, even though she knew she was well prepared to race.
“Promise me you will continue to advocate and raise awareness so families like ours don’t have to go through this. It just makes me so damn mad.” And with a determined whisper, “Never Give Up.” Cindy Luse
An amazing opportunity came my way to live and train in Hawaii for 7 weeks leading up to my first race of the 2017 season. Thanks to fellow pro triathlete Carrie McCoy and her Ohana (family) here in Hawaii for the invite and hospitality!
I push my body daily asking it to find new limits time and time again whether that be mentally or physically. My guess is it gets pretty tired of me always asking it to cooperate. Therefore, I'm kind enough to give it an ice cream season, aka off season.
Were you ever the kid in gym class that quietly stood among the group with your head down knowing you would probably be picked last for the dodge ball game? I never was, never knew how it felt, never thought I would have to know. Quite frankly, I was usually one of the 1st picks. Keep reading, I’m not trying to be elitest here…I mean it is dodgeball of all things.
In addition to part time work and full time racing this season, I have had the opportunity to help out with my alma mater, the Bellbrook High School men's and women's cross country team. The season is winding down with our league meet this weekend. I took my coach hat off for a few minutes last night, athlete to athlete...runner to runner...sharing the mental game we all strive to win.
Nine nights spent in my own bed during the month of July! The month was full of exercise, laughs, more exercise, food, more exercise, recovery, crazy cool hotels and well you get the picture..lots of exercise!
The cannon, err I mean air horn, started the women’s pro race as the calm waters of the Russian River turned a bit choppy with legs kicking and arms flailing until the rhythmic motions of swimmers found their groove. “If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.”
Coast To Coast
The Object Between My Ears
On both sides of I-10 in the Hot Rod Lincoln
Waves Crashing
Windshield Time
Hello 2016!