Team Medina does PossAbilities Tri!

4-27-08 Early on a bright and clear Sunday AM, Team Medina entered the 6th Annual PossAbilities Triathlon, here in Loma Linda, CA. Start time: 7 AM, so we had to be there early! This sprint tri consisted of a 3 mile run, 10 mile bike ride, and a 150 yard swim. It is a fund raiser for challenged athletes, and many of them were there competing as well. Quite an inspiration to see someone in a wheel chair passing you on the course. ;-)

This was also the time where the child (in this case, our 10 y/o Summer), gave the parents (Keri and I) a lesson in pain, suffering, and humility. In short, she schooled us! LOL! Ah well, we knew that time would come...we just didn't know it would come this soon. (Our last triathlon we all did together like this was when she was 5 years old and she was cranking on the run, used a trailer bike connected to my bike, and hung on to my during the swim.)

My, how the tables have turned...LOL!

Summer checking out the "competition" while she's getting her leg marked with her race #.


Ran into some friends from church doing the race as well. Go Susie Alonso!

Here we are at the start of the run portion of the race.

We waited for the start with Summer's friend from swim team, Heather, and her mom, Sheila.

The 3-mile run was out to a point where you turned around and came back on the same path. Keri and Summer started pulling away from me around Mile 1 so this was taken shortly after they had gone around the turn around point at the 1.5 mile mark. It was the last time I would be this close to them the rest of the race!
Notice my bike is the ONLY one here--Keri and Summer already left the transition area! I did see them on the 3-loop 10-mile course, but could never close the gap on them. Good thing Summer's 24-inch mtn. bike didn't have slick tires on it or she would've pulled even further ahead!
Finally caught up with them! Well actually, I caught up with Keri in the pool on lap 2 (of 6 laps). Summer was waiting for us at the finish line, cheering us on. Keri's just ahead of me as I get a shot of her crossing the finish line. We both finished with a time of 1:25, good enough for 12th place in our age divisions.
Posing with our medals at the finish line, where Summer was patiently waiting.
She gets to meet Julie Swail, the overall Women's winner and pro triathlete who is on the US Olympic team for triathlon heading to Bejing!
Summer, joined by her swim club teammates who also did the triathlon. Holly (right) got 1st place in the Girls 12-14 y/o division with a 1:06 time and Helena (left) got 2nd place in the same division. Summer placed 1st in her age division (Girls 11 and under) with a 1:21 time. Go RST!!! (Excuse the water spots--I swam with my camera and didn't clean off the lens).

Team Michaelis, from church. Jan (taking the picture) stayed with his daughter, who was doing her first triathlon. Mom Retta (in black) cheered them on).
Team Medina at the end of the race with our finisher's medals. Maybe at our next race, I'll be able to keep up with the little pip squeak!!! Oh well, it was for a great cause and a great workout, so the "school'n" was worth it. ;-)

Meeting the author of the "Blue Zone"

4-26-08 For Sabbath lunch, we had the privilege of meeting the author, Dan Buettner. If you'll recall, he wrote that National Geographic article a few years ago about certain groups around the world who lived better and longer than those around them--he called these the "Blue Zones".

One of the places featured was Loma Linda, CA, where he featured Seventh-day Adventists and how our lifestyle helps us to live longer and with a better quality of life. This is the only Blue Zone in the USA, so despite the smog and all, SDAs here in Loma Linda are doing something to protect themselves compared to their neighbors.

He's in town to do a book signing for his new book, "Blue Zones", and we had a chance to meet with him at a private luncheon at Sheila and Steve Hodgkin's home.

Besides some LLU dignitaries, 2 people in his book, Marge Jetton (103) and Ellsworth Wareham, MD (93), were also at this lunch so it was cool to meet them in person.



Dan leads out in a toast honoring Marge and Dr. Wareham, and the Adventist lifestyle.

He has a nice historical write-up on the SDA health movement and learned some things I didn't know about. You can order his book from Amazon, which I did so he could sign my book.

Even though he is famous worldwide, he was very down-to-earth and graciously signed all those who had a copy of his book.

I encourage you to get his book and read about the secrets for living a long and healthy life from all the Blue Zones in the world!

Girl-band in the making

4-13-08 Check out the all-girl band in the making. Here they are playing for song service in Sabbath School. Now all they need is a lead singer, bass, and drummer! The Spice Girls, Dixie Chicks, and Point of Grace better watch out! ;-)

L-R: Summer, Emily, and Jennifer jam on the guitars....
Michelle (aka "the other Alva") on the keyboard...

Game night!

4-13-08 After a nice haystack dinner and sundown worship, we like to have some fun playing games. It was quite a houseful, especially since the A/C decided not to work on this very warm Sabbath! (Thank goodness for the whole house fan that cooled things off rapidly after sunset!)

Pastor JC (aka "White Lightening") gets hammered in "Up and Down" after teaching all the newbies kids!

Check out the crazies!!!
Pastor JC does his best Stevie Wonder impersonation, to the delight of Cor and Mike.

Triple b-days!

4-6-08 Today we celebrated Jake's 9th b-day and his cousin Sydney's 1st b-day! Happy b-day to both of the celebrants. And in MI, it was Lolo Medina's (my dad's) b-day as well. Happy b-day to him, too!
Cousins Sydney and Jake, surrounded by family and friends.
Nancy Choi poses with Keri.
Cousins Sydney and Summer
Robby, Leng (and ?), Keri, Sydney, and Summer

Sorry these clips are dark--it was done outside so it was dark!