Katy Perry Says It all!
Up until now, my blog has been purely about training and races however, I have decided it needs to expand. It still will revolve around my addiction to endurance events, races and training will be the main focus, but I’m going to start trying to tie how my addiction to endurance events affects and motivates my life. And maybe not just endurance events, but fitness, having goals of being a healthy individual, finding balance in life (maybe pushing limits), and achieving all that I can.
I am currently training for a 100 mile race. Which I will have two posts on- once I’m done with peak training to go through training, and then …the race itself. But until then….
About a year and a half ago, while training for the Ironman, I decided I wanted a change in my life. This change was like lighting the fire in my life. When I first started this journey, it was just me, and then my friend, Julie, was ready for change as well, so she said she’d toss around the idea of moving to California as well. When she decided she wanted to make the move with me, this journey was a little easier- with a friend, a ‘sister’. We had a lot of great times. Julie was my polar opposite in the fitness world; While I was continuously finding races and events that were pushing myself to my limits in a high endurance way, she was all about the quick workout with fast results. In the last year, she has brought a sense of balance to my life as now I love my long workouts, as well as getting lost to my music doing an hour muscle conditioning workout in the gym. We would go to Kezar stadium and she’d work me out and give me all sorts of ideas on how to bring a balance to endurance.
As we moved to San Francisco, I changed location, but was still a banker, who worked hard and in an efficient manner so I could leave and get on with my life. After the Ironman, I became so conditioned to two a-days, they stayed in my life to some extent. I saw Julie, transform her life from the banker life to the fitness industry . And then, she told me about a fitness convention in San Diego. I signed up and became certified to be a spin instructor, and have been having such a great time making my spin routines- though not yet executing in teaching classes.
While at this convention, I met my new wonderful friend and inspiration, Andrea. She lives on a military base in Japan, and had a few events in the states in July, so she decided to become spin certified as well. She was a trainer at the gym of the base she lived on, and it was a transformation she made in her late 20s/early 30s. She told me it wouldn’t be easy, but she could see the passion in me, and I should think about taking the difficult plunge and share my passion with others if I wasn’t happy in my current career.
I’m going to leave many details out here, but I was unhappy in my current position, and my family could see this when I came home. I think it hurt my dad to see me so unhappy, so they started to give me options. One being, figure out my next step while living in Wisconsin with them, being reminded that nothing is permanent, and why not work on the next step close to home with support, rather than miles away where the cost of living will make you homeless.
Prior to moving out to California, I would have never in a million years thought I would want to live in Wisconsin. Actually, I know I said it many times, I will never move back. But the distance brought perspective in my life. The connections and friendships I have made in San Francisco, has made me a stronger and better person and I have had time to figure out who I'm living my life for- or who I should be living it for- me (Thanks Katy Perry for the connection here). I am so grateful for the people I have met, and the feedback they have given me. How inspiring I am to their own lives, how I have this glow that radiates onto the people surrounding me. These words, give me so much confidence and desire to move forward with my life, instead of get stuck in one place. Had I not moved to California, I would not have considered the next step in my life. My next step scares me, because I fear it would be so easy to fall into a world of comfort and be ordinary. But I’m not made to be ordinary. I don’t want the fame and fortune. I just want to be the best me and just be….wonderful!
I am reminded "Life begins at the end of your Comfort Zone" (Neale Donald Walsh) Just like endurance events where i push the limits on what i can do (aka the 100 miler), this next step is just me pushing my limits on my comfort zone.
When I worked and lived in Chicago, I found a great balance in my work and workouts. And I really enjoyed my job, and a part of me thinks I could go back to a similar career/life as I had then. Part of what made my job in SF difficult, was - truth- I wasn’t understood by my boss. I had never once made any comments that my training would get in the way with work. I’m pretty sure my boss in Chicago was ecstatic with my work product and ethic while I was living on friend’s couches with my furniture in storage and suitcases in my car, wrapping up my life in Chicago AND training for the Ironman. But, from day one, my new boss commented to others that she didn’t know how my training would interfere with work- if I would sacrifice my work product. No matter what smile was at the surface- I could sense what was below the surface.
I have been unemployed for almost a month because while I didn't love my job, I LOVE this city and have taken the month to enjoy it before I start the next chapter of my life. I plan to travel for a bit and just explore my options. In under a week, I’ll be making my way back to the Midwest; Another chapter begins.
I’ll be blogging as I discover my options. My friend Kari is being my guinea pig, as I try to help her make life changes for the better, we have already been e-mailing and I’m so excited to see if I can help her, not just for a month, or for a short term goal, but for life.
Endurance is the foundation to me because I find slow and steady wins the race. Life changes is what I‘m about, not all or nothing biggest loser style where they go back to an unhealthy lifestyle afterwards.
I’ve thought about side jobs or volunteering- a cross country team for a high school or coaching people to become an iron man. Though my training wasn’t traditional, it fit me and my life. I'm unsure of exactly where I will land and I know there will be some schooling or CECs involved but I'll figure it out.
I’m not writing off the business world completely…I have a few ideas that might get blogged about down the road ;)
Thank you to all the love in San Francisco that has made my year + year such a success to help me strong enough to take the next step of my life. XOXO Ben, Cheryl, Pam, Brandon, Julie, Mark, Rachel, Matt, Rico, Candice, Erin, Salma
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