Motivation

Motivation is not the faked excitement created for a particular task, rather it is the slow and steady commitment that forges a warrior.

Running in Greece

You know, you'd think that would be a runners dream right? The home of the original marathon and the Olympics. Amazing right? Uhhhhhh, not so much. I had a chance to spend the last week there because of work and let me tell you something - I do not enjoy running in a garbage and stench infested town. The garbage in the streets was ridiculous and it was literally piled as high as two adults. The stench was almost over powering. I ended up spending way to much time on a treadmill when I was in Athens. Bottom line, it was extremely disappointing for me. I still plan on running the Athens marathon before I leave Europe, but at least now I know what I'm in for!

Stupid body

The older I get the longer it takes to recover from stupidity. Yeah, its true. During my Thursday run, about 1/2 mile from the end, I pulled my left calve muscle, but instead of stopping like I'd tell everyone else to do I just "sucked it up" and finish. Moral of this story...no long run today....maybe none tomorrow as well, which puts me 7 miles under what I needed for the week. Second lesson, always...ALWAYS listen to your body stupid.

Life seasons...

So, I've always said that you will make time for what you believe is important in your life. That being said, I think what is important to "you" changes depending on the season of life you find yourself in. For me, this is a tough season when it comes to training. California was great because my only "job", as it were, was do attend grad school classes. So, I was home during the day alot and was free to train at night for two straight years. Unfortunately that has changed coming back to work. I know it probably sounds like whining...which it probably is...but I'm having a tough time striking a balance between work and play. Chelle and I have talked about it several times over the last four months. On a normal day I'm not leaving my office before 6:30 or 7pm at night (every night) and, when I do get a chance to make training, I'm not home until 9pm after two of my three kids are in bed. So, I'm up at 5:30am (for PT) and out the door with only about 10 minutes of face time with my kids and then I return after they are sleeping.

This problem weighs heavily on me. I LOVE jiu jitsu. I love time on the mat, I love learning and coaching....but I hate seeing my kids only on the weekends when I live in the same house with them. So, like I said in the beginning you've got to make time for whats important in your life. Right now, for me, its my family. I have to step away from jits for a little bit and get the rest of this under control, spend some quality time with my replicated DNA and enjoy my life instead of feeling guilty about family, jits and training all the time.

Phew...man that feels better. I'm still training for the Rome 35K and Milan full marathon races. I still go to the gym over lunch (instead stuffing my face at BK) to get strength training every week, but for now, my nights are devoted to my family. If that makes me a bad jits guy then so be it. When I'm an old (my kids would say 'older') man I'm not going to wish for more time on the mat, I will have wished for more time with my family. Until work (which is an unfortunate 'must do' until I retire) calms down, I am laying down my gi and belt for something much more important.

So I enter another season...

And so it begins...

This morning was the first day of the marathon training cycle for the Milan full in April 2011. Up at 0530 was the easy part. I don't mind getting up that early at all really. Plus, I've always felt that running in the morning is better for me. It jumps starts my metabolism for the day and plus, the workout is over before your body really wakes up :) But DAMN was I not feeling it once I hit the road! You know, once you've run a couple races and feel like you've got the vibe of the sport you tend to start thinking of yourself as this guy - the Champion:

Unfortunately what I looked like this morning at 0530, on a dark country road in rural Italy slogging my way through the run was this guy - the Homer:

I have to admit, it was a bit of a kick in the crotch for me. Or, more appropriately it was a "what the hell happened to me" moment. There was a time when I could get out and log 7 miles without batting an eye. Apparently to do that you have to continue your training...who'd have thought!?! However, my knee's, ankle and foot all felt great during and after. I'm trying a new running form that has helped my recovery and injury prevention in my pre-race cycle runs. Its basically the bare foot running gate without being bare foot. I've read several articles on it, watched others train with it, and then got the debrief from them before I started training with it. So far I love it. It has shredded my calves several times, but I was warned about that.

So, now I get to hit jits tonight. Its been a week since I've been on the mat. The challenge this week for me will be getting my runs in while the family and I are on vacation in Germany. DOHP!!!

To marathon, or not to marathon...that is the question.

Rachelle came to me with a very individual concern/desire to do something "big" during our last stint in the 30's. Not to give to much away about our age or anything :) Basically, it was a "I want to do something big to remember." My first thought was...holy crap, you've already blasted away the ceiling during our 30's compared to our peers. I mean seriously she's begun, coached AND organized triathlons; placed in road bike races, became an amature body builder (with a trophy win); earned a blue belt in BJJ; ran 6 half marathons....should I go on? I told her that we have truly become athletes in our thirties and have done more in the last 8-9 years than most people will do their entire life so I wasn't really sure why she still had this feeling. But then the 'M' word came out. She's never done one. As you know from my blog in May 2009 I did my first marathon while we were in California. The Big Sur was a pivotal event in my endurance athlete career. It was an amazing event that changed me physically, emotionally and mentally.

Anyway, bottom line is that I think it is something that is hanging over her that if she doesn't face before 40 she feels like she is going to regret. So, because I support her completely I did a little research and found a full marathon in April 2011 in Milan, Italy. Its 20 weeks away...piu' o meno...so training will have to begin on Monday....like this upcoming Monday :-p Which means I'll be back on a marathon training schedule within next 4 days because I plan to run it with her...like we did her first half marathon and she did with me on my first Triathlon.

I'm excited for her. I think it will be the crowning achievement of her 30's...not that she needs one considering whats she's accomplished :)

Wish us luck!

New Aviano BJJ club logo

Ciao! Still kicking here in Italy. Life is extrememly busy with work, travel and jiu jitsu. We just finished up month of side control and have moved to month of the mount. The group keeps growing every week and we even had two new blue belts show up who just moved here from Colorado. The experience base is certianly broadening, which is awesome for all of us!

One of the guys in our group has a degree in graphic design and came up with a couple differant ideas for our club logo. This is the one the class decided on. There are shirts, hoodies and patches in the works as we speak :)