Hobbies
I have a lot of hobbies! In fact, I probably have too many, but that's ok.
Cycling
I love riding a road bike. Yes, I do some mountain biking as well, but I'm not very good at it. In fact, I'm a hazard to myself and others.
I started road cycling when I was 14. I had a bit of a weight problem back then, so I started riding my bike. I lost some weight doing it, but it was hard to keep up the riding because kids didn't really do road cycling back then.
I started riding seriously again in my senior year of college. Again, my weight was high. I remember doing a couple of 50 or 60 mile rides back then and barely making it through. I rode my first century in 1989. I remember riding the last 20 miles with woman in her late 60's and she was having to wait for me!
In the early 90's, I did a few long charity rides with my friends from work. I also had my first experience with commuting to work by bike. I had lost a bunch of weight and my riding improved a great deal.
In 1998, my buddy talked me into riding the Anchor House Ride for Runaways. The Anchor House Ride is a charity ride that benefits a home for runaway children, located in Trenton, NJ. It's a 500 mile, week long ride that traverses some difficult terrain in the area. The ride alternates each year between riding from the North and the South. I've done 12 Anchor House rides since. Training for the Anchor House Ride has vastly improved my riding ability.
In 2005, me and 3 of my Anchor House Ride buddies decided to do a double century. A double century is a 200 mile ride, done in 1 day. We did the "Jersey Double," held by the Western Jersey Wheelmen. Our time was 13 hours, 33 minutes. It was a great ride. I'll never forget that.
These days, I still do the Anchor House Ride. I often ride my bike to work. I bought a tandem a few years ago and I've ridden that a bunch of times with my boys. My older son is talking about doing the Anchor House Ride this year!
Soccer Referee
I've been a USSF soccer referee since 2007. I really enjoy it. It is probably one of the most challenging things I've ever done. Actually, it's easy to be a referee. It's really hard to be a good referee. I take it pretty seriously.
Last year, I was upgraded from grade 8 (beginner) to grade 7 (intermediate). I worked really hard to get that upgrade and I am very proud of it. I am now required to take a physical fitness test every year and I need a high grade on the yearly recertification test. Someday, I'd like to get to grade 6, but my age makes that difficult. Either way, I take a lot of pride in being a quality referee.
Running
Being a soccer referee, I have a built in excuse for running for fitness. I'm not a great runner, but I try. It's great for keeping fitness in the off season from cycling. I've combined my cycling ability with running and have competed in a hand full of duathlons. I do well, having finished 8th overall and winning my age group in an event a few years ago.
In 2008, I completed my first marathon. I did the Richmond Marathon and finished in 4:32. It was easily the most difficult thing I've ever done. The training was tough and the race was unbelievably hard.