Interesting read given my situation

Okay, let me start by saying that I am always skeptical about astrological signs, readings, etc. but sometimes I do stumble on something and it really resonates with what is going on in my life. I know you can analyze the validity of these things all day but I am not really interested in that...the point is that I read this and I can't help but relate it to my current position. At least it gets you thinking...


Saturn Return is a word astrologers use to describe the coming of age
or initiation into adulthood which takes place between 28 and 30 years
old. At this time the planet Saturn has circled your chart and returns
to the place where it was at the time of your birth. Invariably, this
marks one of the most important times in your life, a time of endings
and beginnings, a time to discover your authentic self and correct your
course in life if it seems you're heading in the wrong direction.

The Saturn Return, which lasts about two years, is a time for
introspection and self-evaluation. It is a time of taking
responsibility and often a time for making serious choices.

Saturn Return energy is like pruning. Not all directions in life are
bad ones, but they may not be the best ones. Saturn Return asks us to
forsake so-so directions and have the courage to find the one that is
most like us, the one we were intended for when we were born.

The trouble is, this may not be the one our parents had planned for us.
Saturn Return is a time to consider your unique individual needs, the
contribution you want to make to the world, the resources that are
important to you, inner and outer, and who will go with you on your
journey.

Making the right choices, the authentic choices, at 30 guarantees more
happiness and fulfillment later in life and usually better health
because it is stressful to live a lie. Stress is a major contributor to
all physical illnesses.

There is actually a Saturn Return every 30 years. The second Saturn
Return occurs when you are between 58 and 60 years old. Those who live
long enough, like Robert McNamara, may also experience a third Saturn
Return.

The biggest decision of our lives...

Well, let me start by saying that this decision was hard and required a lot of contemplation but the decision has been made and Jess and I are moving forward. Yesterday I quit my corporate job and Jess and I are moving down to San Diego. My source of income will be from coaching and emphasis will be placed on building up Skinfit USA. So, I will be focused 100% on developing Skinfit USA, building up my coaching business and focusing on the 2009 Xterra season.
This is a big step and one that carries plenty of risk but it will give us the opportunity to be close to family, Jess will be able to find a good job down there and I will get the opportunity to chase my dreams.

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. "--Thoreau

This quotation headlines my blog for a reason...I am doing my best to practice what I preach and I truly believe that this is the right decision
.
Jess and I are busy packing up our house and we will be out of it by the middle of next week. We will stick around Salinas for another 4-6 weeks and then head down to S.D. to start our new adventure.

Have a good day out there!

Just not meant to be?

Okay, yesterday I went in to get a plantar wart looked at (it is on the bottom of my foot and they can get pretty bad and cause some major pain) and, ultimately, removed. I wanted to get this taken care of before it gets too bad and I have already put it off for several months b/c I didn't want to interrupt my training. Now that I have some time before the Xterra races start next season I figured I should go get it looked at. I would say it is a good move in the long run but right now I can barely walk. Seriously, she must have frozen half my foot to get it all and now I am in some serious pain. The pain will subside and the massive welt on the bottom of my foot from all of the chemicals used to freeze it off will go away but I am starting to think that the second half of the season just wasn't meant to be!
I should probably just take it as a sign, hang it up and just focus on next year. It is rather comical at this stage...all I want to do is run but I can't and I should be packing up my life since we are in the middle of a move but I can't really walk very much. Really, I think sometimes you just have to throw up your hands, ask yourself "is this seriously happening" and then just laugh it off. I guess I am at this point now b/c the last couple months have been such a roller coaster.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I have had a pinched nerve in my neck for the last 2 weeks (thanks to the Westin in Chicago for some horrible pillows!)making it really hard to turn my neck and the pain can be pretty bad at times. I am finally back home so I have a massage scheduled for tonight to remedy this problem but it hasn't been fun for the last couple weeks.
Okay, I know I sound like I am complaining and I pretty much am but I just find it amazing that "when it rains, it pours!" I guess it is good to get it all done at once b/c next year I want nothing holding me back. I am going full-steam at the national series next year so I should probably just look at this as my time to get all of the injuries/issues out of the way. Anyways, ha, ha this is a funny time in my life.
So, hopefully my foot will be healed in the next few days b/c I already miss the trails. I am sure I will be back to normal pretty quickly but I just can't get over how crazy my life has been for the last couple months.
I found this horoscope in a local newspaper a while back and saved it b/c it is so appropriate at certain times in your life...I can't remember it exactly right this second but it goes something like this, "every once in a while you need to visit the land of what the f%$! and you just need to embrace it, find the humor in it and accept it for what it is."
Have a good one out there!

Coaching...

I am currently coaching a couple athletes and, I have to say, I am really enjoying it. I love working with other athletes that have challenging goals and are willing to work hard (and be smart about it) to achieve them. I have always enjoyed helping other athletes, providing them with guidance from my 10+ years of training and racing but in the last year I have come to really embrace coaching and, I can honestly say, I really love it. For me, there is nothing more rewarding then seeing someone achieve their goals after years of hard work.
Coached athletes:
James Walsh
Kevin Cox

Look for these guys to stamp their authority on the Xterra scene. James is fixing to become the Xterra amateur national champion and Xterra amateur world champion...high goals but I truly feel he will achieve them and I can wait to see him do it! He is flying right now, no doubt about it! Kevin is coming back from injury and is looking to qualify for Xterra nationals next year...his journey will be a fun one to follow and I have no doubt he will find new heights in the sport over the next year.

That's it from here...more packing, cleaning and some time on the trails of course.

There's no place like home....

Ahhhh, finally back in California and I couldn't be happier about it!

Sure, we are busy moving and boxes are everywhere but I was still able to get in an early morning run with the dog on my favorite trails and a quick mountain bike ride in the afternoon...I have missed my bike! It just feels so good to be back on the trails and back to normal (although there is nothing normal about moving!).

Tomorrow I will be doing a long run with a bit of harder running toward the end and, honestly, I can't wait!

Off for some sushi and, hopefully, some time at our favorite place, Carmel Beach.

Checkout the Skinfit blog...a good article and picture of Victor Plata after winning the Pacific Grove Triathlon last weekend...GO SKINFIT USA!

Skinfit updates....

Hi everyone...Checkout the Skinfit blog! Some great things have happen for us over the last week...our athletes are flying out there!
http://skinfitusa.blogspot.com/

My build up begins...

Yesterday marked the start of my 12 week build up to the Xduro World Champs. I am really excited to have a training/racing goal again. I would much rather be preparing for Xterra nationals and worlds right now but I have to do what I have to do.
So, as most of you know I am still in Chicago for my new job and luckily I found some great trails right behind my hotel. Well, with all of the flooding in Chicago my nice trails are now under water and I am really bummed. So, what have I been doing, running on the treadmill. I HATE treadmills and I can assure you I will never like them. I know people swear that they are great training tools but running outside and seeing the world on foot is something I refuse to give up! I will do it here b/c I have to but I can't wait to get back home.
Yesterday I got in 40 minutes in the morning and another 30 or so in the evening. Today I did my first hard run in a while (yes, on the treadmill). I did 3x 2min hill (hard), 5 min gradual incline at threshold, 3x 1 min hill (hard), 5 min gradual incline at threshold. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be but I will say that my body isn't used to running hard right now. I love the looks I get when I run hard in the gym here at the Westin...I am pretty sure people think I am crazy!
Tomorrow is a mellow recovery run and then I only have one more day here in Chicago!
So, the build up has officially started and I am fired up.
Have a good one and thanks for following me on the journey!

My life at the moment and a plan

So, I am sitting here in Chicago for work and I will be here until the 19th. A long time for sure and I might go crazy by then! My saving grace is that I have some really great trails right out the front door of the westin hotel and I have been hitting them up everyday, sometimes even twice a day. I am sure I will get injured but keeping my sanity is paramount! I actually saw the sun rise on my morning run and the sun set on my evening run...pretty cool.
The big news is that Jess and I will be moving to Mountain View in the next couple weeks...we found a house to rent up there and we were able to rent out our house. Finally, it is all coming together. I can't wait to get this all settled so that we can get our normal lives back! It has been crazy lately to say the least and I think Jess and I found ourselves at the breaking point several times. Oh, life...some days are so hard and some are simply perfect.



I think it is time to commit to doing the Xterra Xduro World Championships (half marathon trail run) on December 7th. The race is in Hawaii so it will be a bit of work to get out there but I need a goal and I crave to be close to all the Xterra action. There is no way I can train hard for all 3 sports (since things will be crazy until well into November) but I can get in plenty of running. Running is amazing, so efficient and it makes me feel alive and free! So, that's the plan, to do the Xdura World Champs and I am excited to give it a go. I have wanted to do some Xduro's but they always take place in conjunction with Xterra races, which means I can't do them. This is my chance to get in some quality time in my running shoes and on the trails and, quite frankly, I am really excited!
My 12 week assault starts next monday so this week I am just logging some time on the trails to build up my endurance (and to keep my sanity). So, it is on to a new adventure and once this one is done I am going full-steam ahead toward the 2009 Xterra season. Let's just call this Xduro thing a teaser or, maybe it is better to call it hard core preparation for next season when I tackle the races that really count, the 5 Xterra National Series races and the Xterra World Championships in Maui. I'm coming to play!

Special treat on the Skinfit blog...

Check it out!

http://skinfitusa.blogspot.com

Inspiration...

I took this quote from Dan Hugo (Professional Xterra Triathlete) b/c it is inspiring, especially as I try to figure out what I want to do with my life and what will make me truly happy. I hope he doesn't mind that I borrowed it...thanks Dan!
I hope you enjoy it!


The Invitation
Oriah Mountain Dreamer
Canadian Teacher and Author

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dreams
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon…
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your
fingers and toes
without cautioning us to
be careful
be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.

If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand on the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after a night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the center of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

© 1995 by Oriah House, From “Dreams Of Desire”
Published by Mountain Dreaming, 300 Coxwell Avenue, Box 22546, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4L 2A0

This entry was posted on Friday, September