Friday, August 29, 2008

Racing this weekend...

Not me but Mrs. Clot Buster...

She is back in full force and ready to go for it. I am very interested in seeing how she will do. She is racing the Great Ohioan Triathlon at the Delaware State Park. I am so proud of her, I can't even begin to describe it.
I am very much looking forward to cheer her own all the way from start to finish. She has been there for me sooooooooo many times that on Sunday I feel honored to be able to be on the sidelines to provide whatever encouragement that I can. My brother will also be there on Sunday so all THREE of us will be supporting Mrs. Clot Buster on here first triathlon after giving birth to Junior. Look for a full race report to follow sometime after the race. I think that between the three of us we will be able to capture Mrs. Clot Buster's feelings after the race.

Here is wishing you a GREAT RACE and A WONDERFUL TIME Mrs. Clot Buster!!!

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Si Senor... I AM a GRINGO NOW!!!

Hard to believe but last Tuesday August 19th was the end of the road for me as a "Foreign Allien" and yet the beginning of my life as an American Citizen.
I am honored, humbled. and proud to have the opportunity to be a citizen of this great nation. On the days leading up to the ceremony I had a dream in which all of us participating in the cermony lost our native accents as we we became Americans. Of course that was not the case, and to be prefectly honest with you I like it that way. I am the first generation of Immigrant of my family to set root in the US. At least for me, it is hard to say that in this day in age. Well, just part of the American Dream I am getting the chance to live. THANK YOU to all of you out there for your support through the years. I would not have been able to do it without you. I very much appreciate each and everyone I've been able to come in contact with during this journey. The best part of it is that it is just beginning!Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

Friday, August 22, 2008

NATT and The CLOT BUSTER THANK YOU !!!

What an incredible weekend we had in Cleveland a few weeks back!!!
FIRST OF ALL - THANK YOU MICKEY and all of the organizers/volunteers of the GREATER CLEVELAND TRIATHLON for giving us the opporunity to set up shop at the expo and promote NATT along with the raffle. We are very pleased with the turnout and the money we were able to raise... well over $600.00 that will continue to help NATT spread the word about blood clots and blood clotting disorders. I am ever more pleased with the connections we were able to make and the people we met.
THANK YOU once more for all of your support! I wish that I could provide prizes to all of you entered the raffle but unfortunately that was not meant to be. I know that the winners are by now enjoying their goods! This year the grad prize was a TRIATHLON BIKE (Trek Equinox to be exact) donated by BIKE AUTHORITY the official sponsor of the bike course at the GCT. THANK YOU BIKE AUTHORITY!!! Along with the bike we had many other goods from SPIUK that were provided by the great people at DPM SPORTS. The Kronos Helmet is always an item of interest for the triathletes buying ticktes...

For the past two years we had a great time during the weeknd of the Greater Cleveland Triathlon. We look forward to the opprtunity to do it once more next year. MANY THANK AGAIN!!!
Now, on to the race... yes, believe it or not we did have a race and the Clot Buster raced on Sunday... I was able to manage to line up for the Olympic distance race. I have no idea how my body would react to the long day of selling raffle tickets and mostly being on my feet all day. Early in the AM we got our selves to the park to find a steady wind coming from the north. We could not see the water at this point but the wind we could definitely feel... So, once the sun rose enough and we started to see the white caps in the lake it became very evident that no swimming would take place today... I was bummed out for sure. I think that the swim is a great equalizer for many competitors and personally it provides me with a little advantage that sometimes I can hold... So without a swim on we went with a mile run and the rest of the race.During the first half of the bike is when I was starting to feel some of the fatigue from Saturday. The legs were not firing as well but I kept moving forward as much as I could. I was getting passed left and right by people in my age group. I think I saw 4 men passing me all together. At this point I am thinking that I going to coast home and just enjoy the views. Luckily the second half of the bike course is really fast and I went at it... I did not bring anyone back but I started to feel good.So, on to the 6.2 Mile run my legs were feeling good. I got a nice pace together and right away I picked up a guy in my age group... all right 3 more to go. By mile 3 I picked up another one and on Mile 5 I got to one more. So, I know I have second place in the bag but what if... so I keep up my pace but the last guy in my age group was too far in front for me to catch... so I was able to manage a 2nd place in my age group. I just wonder what would have happened if we would have had a swim... oh well, I take 2nd place any day!

So, out three race this summer I placed 3rd, 2nd, and 1st in my age group... NOT BAD AT ALL for the season!!! I am just thrilled to have the chance to race and have both Mrs. Clot Buster and Junior there to cheer me on. Now, the tables reverse, Mrs. Clot Buster is getting ready to do her own triathlon coming up at the end of August and later on the Columbus Half Marathon... She is look pretty strong despite all of her new responsabilities as a mom... I am so proud of her!

THANKS AGAIN to all of you helped us out this year. Another special THANKS go to the Callahan-McIntosh Family for hosting us again this year. YOU GUYS ROCK!!!

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

Monday, August 18, 2008

On August 19th - PLEASE CELEBRATE WITH ME!!!

That is right my friends... on August 19th where ever you are you MUST get a hold of your favortite beverage and you need to toss one back in my honor...

You see I got this letter in the mail the other day... U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services..

and I had to read what it said as the labor of MANY YEARS of work have gone into that...

and FINALLY it is here... I've been accepted to be a CITIZEN OF THIS MAGNIFICENT COUNTRY!!!

I am honored and humbled to have the chance to be a Citizen of this country... It has been a long road with many twists and turns but every single one of them took me in the direction I needed to go to reach this point... Soon enough I will be able to address my posts with "My Fellow Americans..." well, maybe not but it is nice to have the option.

So, AUGUST 19th, mark it on your calendar. This is the day when you celebrate my addition to this Fantastic Nation... take it form someone who comes from the outside... there is no life like the American Life... I am just LIVING THE DREAM!!!

Thank you for reading,

The Clot Buster

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

August Athlete of the Month - OLYMPIC GAMES STYLE

Well, here we go 08/08/2008 the Olympic games will be starting. All of around the world will be watching whatever NBC is willing to provide for us during the three weeks of competition. I don't know how much of cycling we will be able to see or triathlon for that matter. But if you can, and I am sure that cycling coverage will be a Bob Costas free zone, join me in following the progress of someone who suffered a serious clot and in a remarkable turnaround was able to get back on the bike and become a memeber of the American GARMIN-CHIPOTLE CYCLING TEAM and to top it off he became a member of the US CYCLING TEAM going to the Olympics...

So put your hands together and let's root our hearts out for MR. MIKE FRIEDMAN!!!


Mike will be participating on the Madison track race where I am sure he will be putting it all on the line representing this amazing country of ours and of course becoming even a bigger inspiration to all who have had a blood clot and are attempting to find their back to a normal and healthy lifestyle.


If you are intesrested in reading more about Mike and his rise to the pro-rankings of cycling and his trail to the US Cycling team check out the following link at the USA TEAM WEBSITE.


MIKE - BEST OF LUCK at the games!!! BRING HOME THE GOLD!!!


All of us the in THE CLOT BUSTER - STOP THE CLOT nation are rooting for you!!!




Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster