20

April

4

The Good News About Getting Out of Shape

A month in Bhutan with no bike, a running injury and a lot of excuses, left me back in CA in the worst shape that I can remember. Even if I am not training for an event or big (or small) adventure, I always train—for life. I enjoy swimming, biking, running, hiking, strength training and yoga while mixing in a couple other activities as desired. My body likes to cross train and even after all these years, I thrive on my activity time each day. So though I’m approaching 55, I haven’t known what it feels like to be in my 50’s and be totally out of shape. Now I know that it really really sucks. What I have known […]

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Category: Adventure/Reflection

24

February

0

Know Yourself

Just did a, very enjoyable, 4:30 AM (Bhutan time) podcast interview for Science of Ultra Podcast about Dirty Inspirations and one particular moment popped out (I’ll let you know when the interview is live). Shawn asked me if there was one overarching aspect that I’ve learned in all my years of endurance racing that has served me the most and that I can share with other ultra athletes (and that happens to speak to everyone!) My response: Know yourself. Know your strengths, be honest about your challenges, admit, accept and work with, your shortcomings. Know your mind and how to train it, know your physical needs, and define what your intensions are at the start line of every race. Ask […]

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Category: Bhutan

20

January

0

Dirty Inspirations—Teaser #2—Afraid of Fear

NOTE: Leading into my book launch on January 26th, I thought it would be fun to post a few chapter ‘teasers’ to give you a tiny taste whats in store for you. I’ll chat more on how and why this all came about at my book launch and signing at Bookshop Santa Cruz, Feb. 3rd at 7:00 PM. You can pre-order the book at this link. See you then! In the meantime… enjoy… From: #2 Afraid of Fear The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. —Joseph Campbell “In the crisp predawn sky, the air was as still as a coiled snake, ready to strike. The only audible sound was the constructive whoosh of our five paddle blades simultaneously […]

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Category: Adventure

28

May

0

Considering Pain, For Big Satisfaction in Endurance Sport

pain |pān| noun: physical suffering or discomfort, mental suffering or distress In general, pain has a distinct reputation for being the unpleasant bad guy or even the herd of elephants in the room. Both whom most humans instinctively avoid at all turns. Unless you’re an endurance athlete. In a world increasingly designed to promote comfort, endurance athletes willfully choose to participate in (and pay large sums of money for) endeavors that will invoke pain and discomfort for sometimes very long periods of time. With some upcoming writing on this topic and extended ‘personal projects’ looming, I have gleefully repondered this theme while spending lots of hours on the trails. What we find out quickly as endurance athletes is that pain […]

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Category: Inspiration

23

March

0

Why Mindful Running?

Mindfulness is being attentive to and aware of the present moment. As westerners we may hear the word ‘mindfulness’ and conjure up images of candles or incense burning by chanting monks in maroon robes. Though mindfulness is the basis for the teaching of meditation in Buddhism it is not solely a religious concept but rather a means to a focused, aware and powerful mind in everything we do. Even the most learned Buddhist teacher will tell you that one need not study the dharma to realize the immense value gained from regular mindfulness practice. Research has shown that training mindfulness can offer a variety of outcomes toward well being on many levels. In fact many practitioners of western psychology use […]

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Category: Events

13

December

0

Off-Season Options

After basking in your post-season confidence and doing a bit of playing in the off-season, what the heck are you supposed to do next? There are a myriad of ways to organize your off-season time through recovery, playtime, and building your next season. In looking ahead, you may decide to refine your skill and speed to master shorter distance races or take your racing off-road. You can up the ante in distance, or create a combination of the above. In the Northern Hemisphere, most endurance racing seasons run from March through October, with a few early- or late-season races sprinkled in. Most athletes in these areas will train for an early-spring start to their season and add races or events […]

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Category: Training