Buddha Bowl

Buddha Bowl Breakfast: Oatmeal, with an assortment of nuts, berries, & seeds from the divinely delicious deep dining drawer.

Buddha Bowl Dinner: Rice noodles, sauted capiscum, garlic, onion, tofu, salsa, & of course PB. Yes it's different, & yes it's delicious!

I love the Buddha Bowl. Thank you!

Rest well.

Gift space

Deep inside we find that place. Some call it the dark place, or that dig deep space. We hear of this place, a space we can go only few times a season. A space we learn to travel, just when it counts.

How about floating deeper? I like floating much more than digging. Digging sounds hard. Floating sounds easy.

How do you dig up? If we practice, we can float deep.

We can simultaneously float up, and float deep. We connect the deep place to the high space by floating deep.

Float deep to the gift space. Float to the limitless space inside. Float to the place where we find the limitless gifts to share.

Float deep to the gift space.

Rest well.

Carrot Parsnip Pie

Home again, Home again. We're back from the mainland, well rested, with all the cracks full of game hens, turkey, and carrot parsnip pie.

Thanks you game hens, turkey, and parsnip carrot pie. You made meals most delicious, filling in this December's cereal and soy milk cracks.

Thank you to our gracious hosts, cooks, and company. You made the holiday most comfortable.

Thank you for the nice drive & ride. Thank you for the warm bed. Thank you for the nice music. Thank you for the delicious dinner. Thank you for the nutritious conversation. Thank you for the sleep in. Thank you for the phone's off button. Thank you for the granola. Thank you for the walk. Thank you for the snacks. Thank you for vegetables. Thank you for the warm clothes. Thank you for more nutritious conversation. Thank you for the drink of sparkly water. Thank you for the lights. Thank you for the tea. Thank you for the walk. Thank you for teaching me new games. Thank you for the nice drive & ride. Thank you for the sunshine.

Rest well.

Follow the Sun

Amidst the perfect chaos everything stops. I find myself riding home from swim #2 along Blanshard street.

The wind is blowing the right direction, perhaps with a little help from the slow leak in my back tire.

Lights change, cars drive, and commuters fly. I'm smiling with the the comforting knowledge that there's just one more to go. Just one more swim before 2 days of rest. Complete rest. The most restful kind of rest.

A little darker, then suddenly light as the sun begins to set. One more spectacular glimpse, before she decides it time for bed.

Dinners done & I'm off to follow the Sun.

Rest well.

Oven Fresh . . .

Pick a style, any style. New style, freestyle, old style, fresh style, . . . Just pick a styl'n style. After all, you know what the "S" stands for.

New style freestyle is the choice style. It's the hot out of the oven style. The trick is to keep it new style, even when the old style seems so much more styl'n.

What's the new style again? Oh yeah, I remembered it the other day, or was I dreaming it the night before.

New style sets in smoothly at 67 / min. 67 sounds styl'n. We'll keep it 67.

New style is the fresh style, & fresh is best, so just be sure to let the dough rest.

Rest well that is.

Lesson # 396

It's good to feel great!

Despite mostly thoughtfully provoked resistance, some lessons seem to resurface time and time again. Whether it be through our own intuition, coaches input, or friends concern, these are the ones which seem to have the greatest influence on change in habit. They are after all, just that which we are learning to let go.

Let go of the resistance, let go of the habit.

This time around, it's feeling good about feeling great.

Is it ok to feel great? Am I allowed to feel good? Can I feel good about feeling great?

The answer is an unwavering YES!

What does it feel like to race? It's easy! Let go & make yourself comfortable.

Now it's time to feel the air move a little faster. What's beyond? What comes next? There must be something. Have an adventure. Go see what's next. Just remember it's good to feel great!

Rest well.

vega jars

Push off and the race is on. What can I say . . . Racing is just plain fun.

Nice one Mike!

Today we found a use for the old Vega Jars.


4 more swim styl'n days & we're off to the Mainland for some Christmas feasting.

Rest well.

Horses . . .

6 days into the swim camp spectacular, and tomorrow we have TT numbero uno.

Word has it that Mix Master Mike Neil will be swimming. You know how the sailing story goes. When there's two boats in the water, it's always a race!

Check out the hull on this beauty:



She looks fast on paper, but wait 'till you see the horses we'll have strapped to 'er this summer.

Rest well.

Learning is fun.

Double swim, double nap, night ride, and a super cool reflecto vest.

I have discovered the night ride. We used to roller ski in the dark all through the fall, so with 6 sleeps until this years Winter Solstice, I'm back to the night ride.

Rollers are awesome, trainers are great, but night rides are the ultimate. They're especially ultimate when it's raining. The ultimate factor grows even more when you throw in single leg drills, big ring, up hill in both directions.

That was yesterday.

Today I learned something in the pool. It's the catch and roll.

I've always heard of the catch, and perhaps even experienced it on occasion. It took me a while to learn which way to roll. Now that one's clear.

Today I realized that as you catch, you begin to roll! (I think)

It sounds simple, but honestly I've been thinking about the two separately.

"Start your catch earlier! You're missing all that water!"

"Roll more! You're swimming flat!"

Ok. Catch . . . (then?) . . . (and?) . . . Roll.

I must have been told this a thousand times by very patient pairs of concerned coaching eyes. But as with everything, it takes a subjective understanding to drift through cerebellum, and settle to the cerebrum.

As you catch, begin your roll.

Those beeps are pretty far apart. What shall I do with my arms during all this time?

Did those beeps spontaneously come closer together? Still beating on 1:00.

Funny how the beeps seem closer when there's more to do.

Learning is fun.

Rest well.

tic . . . talk

Tic, Tic, Tic . . . The neon yellow numbers are turning over as I swing the legs. A purple sleeping bag, draped over a Holstein suit holds a layer of warm air close around the body, relaxed and ready to race.

This time it's a pairs start time trial. The plan is to go faster than fast the first K, & drop my partner. I know I race well on my own.

Tic, Tic, Tic . . . Although it's a partner start, for the next 15K, the tic is all that matters.

Each tic is only there for that tic. By the time you've thought of that tic, it's passed. It's left the present behind, evaporated into the past, leaving room for a future tic to talk.

. . . 24, 25, 26, beep, beep, beep, go.

Today this is the only tic, where the sunrise will talk this toc.

In this moment, it's easy to watch a clock stop.

Rest well.

Cloudy with a chance of . . .

Crisp, clean, clear WATER!

Can you believe it falls from the sky?

Thank you Sky for giving us delicious water.

Thank you for the water which nourishes our body & soul.

Thank you for the water which keeps the trees happy and healthy.

Thank you for the water which makes dirty, wet, delicious mud.

Thank you for the mud which makes cross riding fun.

Thank you for cross riding which makes off season riding fun.

Thank you for off season riding which makes on season racing fast.

Thank you for crisp, clean, clear water which falls from the sky.


Rest well.

It becomes a mission

Young Grasshopper, this is your mission:

Go forth, and make it so!

Rest well.

Souper Day

A special thanks to all the great coaches, All your hours of hard work make this truly a team effort. Thanks You!

There are two mugs to start the day. One is named Fall Mug, and the other is named Pirate Mug.

When Pirate Mug comes close to a coffee in the morning, you know it's going to be a special day. Today was a Pirate Mug coffee day, and as usual, she lived up to her standard.

Her Mug Shot:

Soup or Swim? Swim
Soup or Run? Run
Soup or Rest? Rest
Soup or Work? Work
Soup or sauce? Apple sauce.
Soup or . . . Soup? It's souper time.

1st the Stock, then the soup.

Allow me to introduce:

And the standard,

the Roastedness,

the Mix,

And a splash of lemon juice . . .

Souper Soup

Rest well.

Scotty's method.

What does it feel like? This is what I feel like . . . what do you feel like?

Does it mean this when they say that? So is that a little like this? Or, is it a little more like that?

Brraaatttaaa Taaat Taaat. 'Cause we're gonna figure where this one's at!

"Ok dude, just let me go a body length in front on the first 50, & stay on for the remainder. And remember what we were talking about!"

"Got it. G45?"

"Red top."

splash

50 - Ok, one body length back, we're off to a good start.

125 - Ahh haa. That feels a little right. Remember that.

250 - Ohhh. That just happened. Remember that & ask about it on the kick.

300 - Ok, back to the feet. One more.

400 - Cool. Ask that.

kick

50 - ask, contemplate, respond, relate.

100 - Ok. Ready for round two.

"G45?"

"Yep."

splash

50 - Ok, there's the new that. Remember the feel of that.

125 - Keep the feel of that.

250 - Still good. Focus on that.

300 - Almost there. One more.

400 - Done.

"Thanks for that!"

kick

50 - Ok, averaging about 37 strokes / 50 right now, for ease we'll say 100 strokes for 150m. So 1500m for 1000 strokes & 15000m for 10000 strokes.

100 - Ok, 15K of perfect strokes to have that particular "that" dialed in.

repeat, repeat, repeat . . .

It's pretty special when you have an opportunity to swim with a dude like that.

Thanks for that.

Rest well.

Spinach makes soup green.

What's your daily warm up / cool down routine?

1000 straight? Lolli Pop Loop? A few times the observatory? How about the cool down?

200 head up breast stroke? 50m walk back? Waterfront through town? What about a few loops barefoot at Jack Wallace?

Wake up.

Slowly power up. Warm up. Practice. Cool Down. Power down. Slooowwww Dooowwnn.

Rest.

Power up. Warm up. Practice. Cool Down. Power down. Sloooowwww Dowwwnnnn.

Rest.

Power up. Warm up. Practice. Cool Down. Power down. Sloooowwww Dowwwnnnn.

Sloowwww Way Downnnn. Warm Down. Power down.

Rest.

Sleep.

It happens again and again throughout our day. From class to class, practice to practice, job to job, we repeat the power up power down process. Even within each practice we experience our power up power down process.

Minute to minute, set to set, moment to moment, we power up our focus, and power up the body. We practice the practice, and begin our power down process.

For the amount of practice, there sure is a lot of power up power down process. It must be an important process.

Time for a vegetable soup power down.

Rest well.

Play

Jalapeno & I fit together again!

It happened yesterday, somewhere along Mystic Vale, perhaps the 2nd or 3rd time through.

Her red drop bars were the perfect length apart, that white tail just the right height. Then there's her frame geometry . . . wow! The perfect fit.

By the end of our ride, mud covering any & all available spaces, we found our fit. Legs, lungs, hands, & heart were perfectly paired with frame, wheels, spokes, & sprockets.

We're back, & there's a great week on it's way.

Rest well.

Race ya

How to start the swim. . .

Build into it? Maybe, but that's pretty standard.

Running dive? Could do, but that's pretty much trademarked by Scotty.

Get out sprint from a push? Fun for the first few swims of the year, but now we have work to do.

"All right, I'll race ya to the other end!"

I was happily surprised to see that's all it would take this morning. We're off. Now the questions start flooding in.

Are we actually racing? If I pick it up, will he pick it up? If he picks it up, will I pick it up?

Who knows if we were racing . . . Perhaps it was just a fun game to occupy the space between.

Either way, A great way to start the day.

Rest well.

Warm

Rise and Shine.
A place we know,
A space we love,
One another's home.

Endless love,
We shine and share,
We treasure most,
Another's care.

Warm hearts,
And speechless Bliss,
Her soft touch,
Another's Kiss.

Rest well.

Harira

Sometimes I like to reflect back from the future. Think about 2 years from now, 5 years from now, 10 years from now. What would the 2 years from now you, remember from now?

There sure are a lot of little things. Could this be the Fall when a little more remembering happens?

Could it be the one where I learned to speak like a dolphin? Or swim like a seahorse? Or was it speak like a horse and swim like a dolphin? I think I ran a little back then too . . . Do dolphins ride bikes? If they do, they probably ride cross bikes.

That was certainly a soup season. Root Celler had some great sales on squash. Cauliflower was cheap too. Cauliflower Broccoli? There's a classic. Cauliflower Pear? That's new sounding.

What about Lamb, Chickpea, and Corriander? . . . That was a good one, & it lasted forever! I remember the spice mix . . . paprika, cumin, and ground clove . . . almost a North African Christmas soup.

Good reflections . . . and we're back to now.

That one looks awesome! And it has a partner to go with it! Leaks . . . onions . . . carrots . . . garlic . . . mmm. . . perhaps a little cinnamon. . .

Rest well.

Dig in.

Food is our celebration. It's our celebration of creation, care, and cultivation. It's a celebration we share together, and Sunday evenings are one of my favourite nights to celebrate.

This Fall we are sharing our home with the turnips, in a little hole in the ground. The turnips, carrots, & parsnips all make their home here in the Fall. They know this routine better than most.

Imagine how many generations of carrots have made their Autumn home in the ground. They must know what they're doing.

From here, it looks and feels like there is a perfect Sunday evening fire gently roasting our dinner.

Warm all around. Lemon, thyme, and rosemary, smell in the air. Only the oven light to illuminate our room, and of course my favourite album of all time . . . Live at Luther College.

Dig in & enjoy the celebration.

Rest well.

red basecoat

I have read about it, but only recently felt it. Perhaps it was the other way around. First I felt it, then thought, "Could this be what they were writing about?"

We have both been here before. The thermometer reads warm. The humidex reads moist. The water looks blue, and the sun shines high.

Surely we have both read the numbers, but feelings are something other than numbers. Would this feeling exist without the numbers?

That's it. That's the feeling.

It's a place unique to its own, of kindred kind to our Island home.

***

"Ok Stevo, you're in charge of chopping up that butternut squash."

"You got it mano."

"Remember the reserved chicken fat from last nights soup stock? That's pure flavour. Two spoon fulls in the pot."

Sizzle the squash. That'll bring out the natural goodness.

"While we let that mingle, lets chop up an onion, a few apples, some celery & a carrot or two. Maybe just a little more thyme."

"Sounds good. What do you think about garlic?"

"Well, it's Autumn, so best to bring back the arsenal."

Squash comes out & is reserved. The rest of the veggies go in to soak up that butternut chicken flavour. Let 'em get friendly, then back in goes the squash along with last nights stock. SEASON.

It was now about 11:30, & I had a few pairs of skis to wax before we drove to Duntroon for this weekends training.

"This'll be about an hour or so. You have plenty of time." Said Brian.

Down to the basement where Hudson was typing away on one of his novels.

"It's smell'n pretty decent up there." Commented Hudson.

"Well, boss says it'll be ready in about an hour, so we can feast then." I replied.

I thought to myself, "Ok, I have time for a red basecoat, thank God the Vauti Green wont be for a month or two. I just hope we don't need to Klister."

BUZZ. ONE AM rolls around & I hear the final step up stairs. It's our immersion blender finishing things off.

Skis done, & soup is ready to feast.

"Good soup guys." Hudson approved.

We were happy.

Rest well.

Squash Soup . . .

What happened on Steffler drive had a lot to do with the kitchen.

It was first year with the Gryphons & I was running home after ski practice. A few blocks down the road, I heard a second set of ski poles tapping the pavement.

"I'll run with ya back to rez," said Brian. "I can catch the #12 bus back from there."

"Sweet man," I replied. "Dude, I am going to eat all the food in Mountain Caf tonight."

"Ha ha. Sounds good Stevo. My room mates are making a shephards pie right now. It'll be waiting for me when I get back."

We ran a little more as I silently thought to myself, "That's awesome. Someday, I hope I can live in a cool house like that."

At the end of 2nd year there was an opening in the infamous #94 Steffler Drive Ski Chalet. My prayres had been answered.

On evening, after a few solid roller ski sessions, and a little reading, Brian asked me if I felt like making soup.

"Totally man. I just need to finish reading this thing."

Once eight rolls around, we head out the door for some grocery shopping, & with No Frills Bags in hand, we're back by 8:30.

"Now Stevo, the first thing you've gotta know about good soup is it takes a good stock. It's all about the stock."

I took Brian's skiing & cooking words as gospel, as he seemed to be very good at both. The beginning of each and every conversation had me thinking, "Ok, this is it. Here's where he'll tell me the secret to cooking, or perhaps skiing."

This time around, we were making chicken stock. So, the chicken:

It can really be be any part of the chicken, & for stock you can usually acquire some cheap old scraps from the butcher. The back is perfect, they generally throw that out anyhow. I believe we found 4 for about 50 cents.

The pot: Make it a big one. We're making it all happen in this sucker. Throw down the backs & start 'em sizzl'n. Sizzle it up for some flavour. No need for any oils. There's plenty of fat on the meat.

The veg: a few onions, a few carrots, some celery, & if you so desire . . . Garlic. Dice 'em up. Nothing fancy here, just make 'em smaller.

The herbs: You like thyme? I like thyme. Thyme it is.

SEASON.

"Stevo, taste this."

"Really? Me? ok? I think it needs more of both S&P."

"I think so too."

Now we let the flavours get friendly. It's a happy pot, so we'll let 'em mingle on medium.

In goes the water. Now we let it simmer, not boil, just simmer.

"A boil will make the stock cloudy."

I thought to myself. "This is awesome. These are just the things I've been wondering about."

Ok, time to hit the books again. This'll take about 2 hours, so I have time for another good read.

"You ready to go Stevo?"

"Yep, let's give'r."

"Ok, we need to strain it first, then let it cool. Once it's cool, we collect & reserve the fat from the top."

Done.

11:30pm & we have a good chicken stock. I also have 2 chapters in the bag. Savoury.

"Ok dude, now it's time for the squash . . . ."

"Sounds good."

Rest well.

A little Thyme

All it takes is just a little thyme, a good soup stock that is.

Back to the pond, where there's a moment to ponder. Why am I doing this set right now? Well, I know why. That why's easy, & so is the other one, but why now?

It's a faster set. You know, one of those sets where you go fast. In race season fast is fun, but who cares about fast right now. It's October, & we're practicing form.

Wait a second, we're practicing fast form. Ahhhh haaa. We're practicing fast form with fatigue. The NH quotes still bounce around on flip turns.

Just a touch more practice time.

Rest well.

first set

Lots of remembering this evening.

First, the feeling of racing. Wow. That was a bit of a shock to the system, and I LOVED it!

Ok Go? Go. Yep. Go.

The next two laps are a total blur. I think they were about 5 - 6 minute loops. That's about 12 minutes before there's time for a feeling: Wow. I'm breathing hard. That's all for now. Feeling time is over.

Two more laps, then another feeling: That's what it feels like! Carve the corners. Throw down a little body English. This time we keep the feeling. Now is feeling time.

Time for a thought: I like riding bikes.

Back to feeling time.

The flood lights soon became more and more friendly. Car lights are also handy, although a little tricky with the movement.

Last loop. Sweet finish. I love riding bikes.

The next feeling is a very special feeling.

It only comes once, maybe twice per year. Usually it's a Fall feeling, early October in Guelph, late October in Victoria.

Generally it comes on wheels. Two work well in Vic, while 4 are necessary with the Gryphons.

It happens in the evening, sandwiched between the end of class, and evening studies.

The Gryphons make it happen on the asphalt, while here in Vic we make it happen on the grass.

Both places require a helmet, but only the Gryphons ask for poles.

There's nothing quite like the first day of roller ski intervals. The cool air bleeding lung feeling will always rank among the most special. Here in Vic, we make it happen on the cross bike.

Wanna go ride bikes? Ya I do.

Rest well.

The Rumors are Right . . .

It's that time of year again!

RUN / WALK FOR THE HOMELESS 2009!

Rest well.

It is on . . .

. . . and by that, I mean the adventure song.

Quite honestly, right now there are 3 or more sessions per week with a description as follows:
"Go have a hilly adventure! It could be 3 hours, or more if you like. Make it fun. Do something you like, just make sure it brings you happiness."

Just like that, we're past the off season, onto the on season. The only difference . . . these adventures are now scheduled. When Jalapeno & I unite as one, despite a schedule, sporadic sense stays.

Remember the dolphins? Remember those yellow fish? What about the neon blue ones with the orange fins?

Remember the salt? Remember the waves? Remember to relax.

Bring it home to our 25m pond and play.

Today began with classic SKIPS, band, and a board, then upstairs to join forces with a few honeybees on the treadmill.

Home for breakfast cake, this time of the pan variety. I love breakfast cake.

Now let's make this place more like our home. Pictures help to remember. I like pictures.

Back to the pond where I PULL. Pull helps to push. Push, pull, and play.

Oak Bay, home, dinner, Bob Marley, and bed.

I had great fun traveling around the sun this time. Thanks for a super duper year.

Rest well

Arnica Lake leads to Arnica Gel

Sometimes you wake up with a song in your head. Why? Who knows.

Sometimes you wake up with a word, poem, or thought in your head. Why? Who knows.

Thursday morning I woke up with the Golden Hinde in my head. Why? Who knows.

It's Thursday afternoon, 3 sleeps left of the off season. Let's do it.

For this adventure, the counterpart in crime would be none other than Ben the Man Cotter:

Dude, thanks for a great trip.

A quick trip to the library for a little research, some map hunting, a little food gathering, and we were ready for an early departure the next morning.

Less than 24 hours from our trips conception, here we are on Friday afternoon:

The platform was an absolute lifesaver. By morning we were surrounded by a lake much bigger than Big Agnis, our now "4 season" shelter.

Hike in. Set up. Bed by 5:30. Sweet.

Saturday

One word describes this day: EPIC

For the most part, our cameras stayed in the bags today. Sometimes, even when the journey is a memorable reward, for safety's sake you just keep moving.

This time safety's sake spun us around somewhere above Burns lake, making today's journey an extra long reward. Next time hillhopper.

Quote of the day: "Oh, there's one." - Referring to the somewhat sparse cairns, seemingly spaced just out of eyesight on a very white day.

Sunday

Blueberries for Breakfast at Arnica Lake

This was the beaut'y day. Thankfully we had the favorable weather on our way out. If it had come a day early, we could have been in for a doosey.

That must be why.

Rest well.

Coach says . . .

CROSS IS HERE!!!!!

IT'S A MOST FANTASTIC TIME OF YEAR!!!!!

Thanks for the chat & homework.

Thought.

Chase that thought.

Chase that thought. Faster!

Chase that thought! Faster! Faster! Faster!

I have practiced running. I can catch this thought. Faster!

There's another. Chase that one too. They're running together. Now they've split. Faster!

We practice running all the time. We practice running even when it's raining. Come on. Catch those thoughts. Faster!

Ok.

New plan.

Stop Running.

Sit.

Breathe.

Rest well.

Off Season Soup

A Method:

2 pinches of smells like seaweed. It's best to use the ocean fresh air kind. It can be found all over the island. Smells like seaweed is readily available for collection and enjoyment at any time, day and night.

1 bunch extended mid day beach walk. Try to share this with someone special, you'll appreciate the final taste much more. Experiment with various directions . . . up, down, east, west, left and right are all great ways to begin.

3+ late night bakery visits. Save one to be enjoyed with friends. Show up alone for two or more.

As always . . . Adventure! Reunion Adventure . . . and of course the solo adventure.

Stir the above in a somewhat random sort of way. At some point, try a way of mindful consideration. But, if in doubt, go with the way that just goes, because right now, it's the way to go.

On the stove, or above the fire, wherever you might be, start the simmer. A little red wine could be nice. Only cook with wine you would drink because even now, quality is key.

Remember slow cooking. Now is the time to be patient!

Play some music. Learn some music.

Add more patience. . . and more music.

Always more music.

As the smells start to mingle, flavors join forces, consider the season. Was there enough sugar? Perhaps a little less salt. . . I do like pepper. Fresh ground is best.

Still more music.

This is off season and right now, it's on season.

Rest well.

Simmer. Smell. Season. Stir.

It's soup season, and the freezer is filling up fast.

An all time favorite of mine will always be the good old faithful, Leek and Potato Classic.

It's a cool drum line. It's the white, maybe blue canvas. It's where the fun begins. It's where we start the soup season.

This time, there's a twist to Leek & Potato. The twist looks like a leek, but more bulbous in nature, tastes a little like licorish. Leek & Potato with a Fennel twist.

After one day of confidence building, taste testing, reuniting with the bamboo and steel, we dive deeper into the fridge.

Look back . . . wayyyy back. . .

Hmmm . . . A Pre-Penticton Acorn Squash. We have our canvas.

Move a few plastic wrapped balls of dough, slide those carrots aside, Ah ha! Orange Pepper. I knew a few of you were hiding back there.

Slice. Season. Roast.

A big part of the soup season is our Fall season arsenal: Garlic, only the good ones, and that last leftover onion. Saute.

Orange seems to be the theme . . . we'll say Yes to Carrots. Dice.

Potato? Always Potato.

Stock. Season. Simmer.

Spice? mmmm . . . no spice this time . . . Let's see what herbs look healthy outside.

Rosmary. Oh, and our Roasted Pepper.

Simmer. Smell. Season. Stir.

I like soup season.

Rest well.

path

Back from the land of peaches, this time the pineapple picking postponed. . .

A visual to help explain.

^ ^
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |

x x

Imagine an infinite number of rays, each with a beginning. X marks the spot, the beginning spark of our own intention.

From an external perspective, one ray may be considered success, and the other . . . something else. However, the rays share two things in common. Both have the same spark, the same intention to begin. Perhaps more significantly, they share the same direction.

From here, the horizon of our being, we sit. We ponder the direction of our intention.

We sit here, understand where, and decide why. If we are here, and know why, next we move to motivate the orientation of our rays.

Each ray traces a path, sharing the story of our experience.

One story runs through the jungle, another through the trees. This story travels across the sand, and another beneath the sea.

The jungle story may be full of mountains, rivers, tigers, and bears. It could rain in the mountains, yet be dry beneath the trees.

The desert journey is hot during the day, and cold at night. One afternoon an oasis, or another week before then next shady palm.

Even different still is our underwater journey, one with sharks, coral, dolphins, and seals. The morning brings an ebb, while evening begins to flow.

What brings these journeys together is our own intention. It is our will to create direction.



When we race, we choose our direction. We share the experience with those on the course, friends, family, coaches, and fans.

Thanks for another great experience, and a new path drawn in the sand.

Rest well.

evening peach

I like the peachy destination.

Oh such a sweet delicate fruit, Delicious, Luscious, Nutritious.

The morning peach must be a rest day peach. It's a peach you enjoy slowly. This particular peach accompanies the peachy destination ponders. Perhaps a pint of Front street morning coffee?

The afternoon peach, picked from the tree, has a special fresher than fresh feeling. It's the cleansing peach. The host to a world of natural fructose flavor, by this point an overwhelming relief.

The evening peach is a very special peach. Picked from the grass, it has been ripened and warmed through the day. It's the most luscious of all peach, enjoyed on the grass or in the lake while water compresses the legs.

We're home from practicing in the peachy destination. Next time we return, it will be to turn those peaches to pineapple potential.

Rest well.

Peaches are coming.

Prepare to prepare.

First we decide what kind and just how big this fire will be. Will it be the warming sort, or perhaps the cooking type? Maybe this fire will be just the perfect watching kind.

As always, safety first. We need to learn how to light a match. Can we make this a one match fire?

Practice with a few smaller fires. We can light them in the sun. We have lit countless in the rain, and as the occasion calls, we have even lit fires in the snow.

With each fire we gain experience, learning just how to manipulate the required elements: air, fuel, and heat.

A few successful warming watching fires, and we have just finished gathering wood. Prepared to prepare for the cooking type, perhaps even a no match fire.

***

Wander down the side walk

Crack! A flame shoots up through the air, penetrating the still summer night. What was once knotted oak, joins in perfect union with the neighboring air, and a long past origin, or spark. It's perfection of non-violent synergy.

Pounce! A tiger leaps out of the bushes, completely void of thought. Within exists only instinct, a purity of non-violent confidence.

Same soft ground, same shady trees, and the same calm seas.

Rest well.

next go

"Make yourself comfortable."

I heard this from the sidelines last year while in transition at the 1st 1/2 and thought, "Are you kidding me? This is a race! There's no time to be comfortable!" Ahhh . . . yet still a young grasshopper.

This weekend, as we came down the Spanish Banks hill, each of us mentally preparing for our seaside stroll I thought to myself, "Make yourself comfortable."

Although Kelly mentioned bringing a toothbrush into transition, (I always feel more comfortable after brushing my teeth), this weekend "Make yourself comfortable," was about mindset and rewards.

We're driving through the Okanogan and it's a blistering 33 degrees. Shirts off, sweat slides through every crevasse, collecting in a puddle at the back of the seat. Face is warm, feet a little puffy, and skin is sticky. Mouth becomes a little dry, and then the baked post race feeling . . .

"Dude, this is awesome! I love the summer. Windows down, wind in the face, fresh Okanogan nectarines cleans the palate . . . "I would walk 500 miles . . . da dada lada!"

Our reward is a stop in the Similkameen river. Drive on.

Riding around UBC, seat on the seat, feet on the pedals, legs roll'n round, it looks like the race is taking place up ahead. Ok, hatch a plan. . .

Make yourself comfortable, then dig in for 5 - 10.

And the reward, a cool drink from the bottle. Ride on.

Great racing this weekend. Shout out to LifeSport crew for hosting the event, Steve King for the everpresent "getchago'n" broadcast, and perhaps the most important contributor, Spanish Banks.

Next go . . . 2nd full.

Rest well.

Q & A

What is the best way to do this? What's the most efficient? How can I maximize this time? What else can I be doing right now? Wander in circles . . .

Even during recovery . . . What else could I be doing? I could massage the legs? Wait, maybe legs up the wall. Do I make some tea? Do I watch some TV? Do I epsome the legs? Or, maybe I could ice?

And sometimes during training sessions . . . How will I descend this swim set? What's my strategy on these bike intervals? If I'm running this hard, when do I pick it up?

These are all great questions, that is, if we allow ourselves to hear the answer. In fact, if for just one moment we slow down enough to listen, the answer is ready and waiting.

Sometimes these questions, like most other things of a reasoning nature, grow an essence of their own. They speed up, and before long start whirling out of control. As this happens, a change in focus occurs.

We begin to focus on the questions themselves instead of just simply knowing the answer.

Hear the question, acknowledge the question, pause, listen to the answer, gently return to biking and breathing.

Ride the set. Ride the set on the roads.

Set complete. Cool down. Return to the world of talking. Return home for recovery where the easiest & perhaps most effective method is simply becoming quiet.

Quiet body allows the physical to recover. Quiet mind allows the mental to recover.

Thanks for a great transition weekend to the long stuff.

Rest well.

steelcut+coffee

It's Saturday, and today we have the luxury of riding a little later than normal.

So, in this extra morning hour I would like to take a moment to thank the bees for keep'n the world buzz'n. You guys & gals are probably the most enlightened of us all.

Now to appreciate the rest of this hour, it's time to enjoy the slow cooked taste of steel cut oats instead of the weekday quick cooking variety. . . Perhaps time for one more mug of coffee too ;)

I like slow cook'n.

Rest well.

Plus A Picture

Rest well.

Grasshopp'n

For a week in advance we heard, "I can hardly believe you guys are talking right now."

A glance exchanged, a lighthearted smirk because somehow this one's different.

Training continues, we load & unload, cyclically cycling, practice to practice, day to day throughout the week. Just as always, we're swimming, we're chatting, we're riding, we're running.

Loop after loop of Beacon Hill, a pair of coaching shoes, training mates, and a grasshopp'n hat keep the practice light.

Occasionally a question or concern from the grasshopp'n hat emerges. The shoes pick it up and kick into coaching mode.

Grasshopp'n hat now calmed, we're back to the run and training mates.

Good run. Good fun.

A thought on race'n, and a smirk exchanged as strategy's considered.

Most of all, I'm looking forward to racing, just for the race of it.

Race ready, the start line drifts South West, both of us thinking, "I'm going where you're going."

We're off, a few things happen, and before long we've been here before, somewhere North of the city.

Steady riding, steady pacing, the coaching shoes have a clear view of their grasshopp'n hat.

This is cool. Oops, Coaching shoes definitely saw the cadence drop up that hill.

A few more things happen and we're onto my favourite part of the day. It looked a little something like this:

After Bike T2 After T2
2 2:43:04 1 0:39 1 2:43:43
1 2:43:03 2 0:41 2 2:43:43

We've definitely been here before, in fact it was just 7 days ago, only this time the hat is racing the shoes.

Holding pace for 6 or so with the shoes, the grasshopp'n hat watches his mentor make the move. "Hang on hat! Hold onto those shoes as long as you can!"

Wow that was fun. Thanks dude man.

Rest well.

again

Finished and thought, "That was fun, let's do it again!"

It could be a race, ride, swim, run, song, dance, or day. Let's do it again!

We know that feeling, that feeling which happens only in the mirror.

It's that feeling looking back at us. It stares straight through our eyes, past the mind, and into our hearts.

We feel the feeling only on a pause, somewhere in between tic and toc.

We feel the feeling simultaneously, instantaneously, and immediately it reflects back and fourth, between us and our reflection.

This is fun. Let's do it again!

Rest well.

overtones

Listen.

Listen carefully.
Listen to the overtones.

Play.

Play carefully.
Play to the overtones.

Listen carefully.
Understand the song.

Play carefully.
Play to hear the song.

Listen carefully.
Listen to the song.

***



Back to the build.

Rest well.

Tea's on.

My Grandpa Tom used to have an old black book. Leather cover, tea covered & coloured pages, fully of writing in the margins, this book was one of secret remedies.

How to treat a lame calf, how to make barley grow twice as high, how to help your hair grow back . . . This book had it all.

Today Tepi shared one of her most secret & prized remedies.

I asked,

"What's your secret remedy for when you are tired?"

"Go home, take off your shoes, put on your PJ's, and go to sleep.
It works every time!"

There you have it. Tepi's secret remedy, and it works every time!

Shoes off, tea's on, dinner in, and lights out.

Rest well.

+ the funny . . .

The bike aid station super cool Team ASTANA TREK water bottles . . . For a moment I thought about chucking both of my for a trade.

Almost pausing for a moment at the final aid station to pick up an extra gel. "Man, those things are like $2.50."

Walking to the car this evening . . .

Good luck to the guys down south racing tomorrow! Fast feet going your way!

Rest well.

410 Potatoes

The freckles are back! When I look down in the evening & see a new patch, I know it must have been a great day.

Every year a new appendage seems to be covered. One summer it was the arms, next the legs. Today was all about the proximal phalanx.

Another appendage covered with freckles . . . another successful day in the sun.

Wake up in the KItCh kindof mood. Just Keep'n It Chill.

Roll out of bed & climb up and onto the counter where the espresso machine rests, ready to jump start our day. Coffee & two small baked potatoes. 410AM potatoes are my favourite kind of potatoe.

We cruise up the 'hat & out to Shawnigan where a peaceful lake lies, ready to jump start our 4hour adventure.

"Blast!" We're off & shortly I'm lost, this time in the literal lost at sea sort of sense. Lesson learned.

Find the shore & follow the plan.

We decided the bike would be a success if it was even split. 33:12 for the 1st loop & we have a target for the next 3: 33:15, 33:09, 33:21.

Out on the run & we have a zone, both HR & feel. You know the feel, you know the HR, just Keep It Chill dude, Keep It Chill.

Great to be out on the trails again with Brent, this time for a jog. I think the last trail experiences were the inaugural cyclocross adventures of 08.

More than a few good words Dude. Thanks for a good run.

Shout out to John Bothelo & the LifeSport crew for hosting another fantastic event.

Thanks to the lake, the roads, & the trail. You made it an especially enjoyable day.

And as always, good laughs, good times, & great prep according to the Jazz man Philosophy. Thanks dude.

Rest well.

2nd 1/2

After completing the 1st 1/2 and 1st 1/1, tomorrow we race the 2nd 1/2, this time up in beautiful Shawnigan lake provincial park.

Racing is finally here!

Rest well.

Warm Socks & Birkenstocks

Thursday May 22, 2009, the 1st official bib shorts & a t-shirt ride of 2009!

Wow, it feels strange and unusual to have so much exposed skin on the bike. Between the near blinding white reflection each time I glance down to see the knees, & cool ocean breeze, the new experience is almost sensory overload.

Fortunately, the external overload is soon overwhelmed by internal receptors. Warm up must be finished; we're onto the main set.

Back to the Beacon Hill loop for some TT style speed & agility training.

In the Fall it was Jalapeno Cross style Beacon Hill S & A training. Become the terrain! Flow with it, ride with it, feel the wind & roll with it.

Now on the TT machine (yet to be named) we become invisible to the wind. As if some kind of superpowered thoroughbred, we gracefully slide under the wind.

It's run time.

Rest well.

Definitely a highlight

Today I woke up & made an espresso.
To make things even better, it was a double shot!
Definitely a highlight.

Today I saved 40cents on Soy Milk! That's 40 cents off the sale price!
To make things even better, it's made right here in Victoria.
Definitely a highlight.

Today I rode my bike with Jazz & Mike.
To make things even better, it was sunny!
Definitely a highlight.

Today I swam in Crystal Pool.
To make things even better, I wore my wetsuit!
Definitely a highlight.

Today I dropped some old sweaters off at the house.
To make things even better, I saw my bro!
Definitely a highlight.

Today we made Pitas for dinner.
To make things even better, they had bbq chicken, red onion, green pepper, yellow pepper, orange pepper, homemade tzatziki, homemade hummous, olives, cucumber, & tomatos on them.
Definitely a highlight.

Rest well.

Last Set

"Ok everyone, Let's see the speed!"- CL

"RT?" - JB

"RT." - MN

"RT baby Yeah!" - SK

"BB?" - MN

"BB's & RT's Yeah!" - SK

"G one5?" - MN

pause . . .

"hahahaha . . . yeah G one5!" - SK

"splash." - JB & MN

10s pause . . .

"splash." - SK

LASTSET=6X100@140ONG15

With the addition of Track Tuesdays, it's a day where Fast is Fun.

Rest well.

The space between

This afternoon we ride a hill.

Ride to the Observatory & hammer the set, one through ten, living that place just above threshold. We know just how long the set will take. Our minds comprehend just what the set will feel like. We prepare.

To begin, the hill is the ego's enemy; but as we continue to ascend, we decide which wolf to feed.

We ride the set. We feel the legs, lactate accumulating. We know the feeling, and as the feeling overcomes our legs, we refocus. What else do we have?

Right now we have legs and lungs. We feel our lungs. Focus on big gear breathing.

Breathe in . . . in a little more . . . deeper . . . pause . . . breathe out . . . out a little more . . . deeper . . . pause . . . breathe in. . .

We allow our breath in. We allow it to nourish, existing in the pause.

Our breath, once a part of the hill changes fate.

We become our breath as our breath becomes us. We embrace the hill, as right now the hill brings our breath.

Ride the set. Finish the set. Ride home.

. . .Pause . . .

We have 13 hours before the next set. We allow the set to assimilate.

This particular set is now gone forever. All that remains is what we allow to become a part of us.

13 Hours before our run.

Embrace the space.

Rest well.

Game, Set, Match . . .

. . . & I'm ready for my bath.

A beautiful byproduct of biking are the bountiful roads on which we ride. There are so many. Each of us have our favourites. A perfect ride on the perfect day to make the perfect workout. Some days call for an easy waterfront spin, others a highlands adventure.

The Fall calls Muddy cyclocross. Royal Roads . . . Camosun . . . Finlayson Arm?

The Winter calls Snowy hike-a-bike style cyclocross. Harbourview . . . Jack Lake . . . Crabapple Lake?

We're into spring, and onto racing. Summer calls for the Okanogan, so I suppose Spring calls for Okanogan prep.

I remember my first official Long Course bike interval set last October, 3 x 30 minutes @ goal race pace. I thought, "That's 90 minutes of pace work!"

Comfortably perched on a borrowed bike from Mike, we were off. Three hours later we were home.

Today we revisited the set, this time on a Jazz styled charriot.

"Have a good set dude!"

Oh yeah, we're about to do a set. This is more than just a ride. We're doing a set! If we're doing a set, that means racing is just around the corner. It's a Long Course set too. This stuff is cool.

Nice set. Nice ride. Hard Core. Smooth Swim.

Rest well.

Soup & Sandwich

Vegetable 'Zaa

Chunky Beet Soup

& of course my good old friend PB

. . . so many sandwiches

Rest well.

KItCh

Stands for Keep It Chill.

This has been one of the winter mantras. "Just keep it chill dude." - JB

Sunday brought us to the Sooke Spring Sprint Triathlon hosted by Team X, a Victoria based triathlon club. Shout out to the team for hosting a great grassroots event.

My race instructions were as follows: "It's only an hour, so just giver."

Only an hour eh? Just giver eh? Sounds good to me.

Swim - Kept ItCh (Thanks for the feet JP)
Bike - Kept ItCh (Thanks for the wheels/bike/helmet JB)
Run - Kept ItCh (Thanks for the H2O splash @ 2k aid station volunteer)

Fast is still fun.

Rest well.

Then came speed . . .

Remember the Gryphon Nordic Racing motto: LSD now, SPEED later.

Now is officially later.

We're onto the speed training, in the absolutely relative sense.

The beacon hill bike loop eats, breathes, & drinks speed.

After one brief sample, the track has moved onto our entre menue, and
GRP is a commonplace acronym on the swim board.

We're even flirting with thoughts & plans for racing!

Shout out to the G-money honey for his Youth Now Nomination last night.

Run Time.

Rest well.

a few sweet weeks

I say Thanks.

The past few weeks have been pretty sweet. Our build began with the HPR360 ride, followed by some speed with the North Island Tanks, home for a rest day, and into another great building week.

Our newly formed swim group has been great. It's a Jazz-man-mix-master-MikeNeill-Clint-Creation. The practices are smooth, steady, & everyone seems to be gaining fitness along with speed. "The workouts won't get tougher, but you will." - CL Sweet.

Steady riding & an intro to speed running carried us through Wednesday's threshold & onto Big Gear Saturday.

Waterfront warm up + 53 + 12 + Pat Bay Highway + 3 x 30 + 2 x HPR sightings + pushing the speed traps + waterfront cool down = a great ride. Home for a snack, pool for a swim, package pickup, dinner, rest, & ready to race.

Wake up, warm up, race it up. Coach Jazz had very specific instrucitions for the race. "Just mix it up."

Great to hit up Beacon Hill for a Sunday morning run with ARuss. Sweet run dude.

Sunday afternoon was our official second annual post TC long ride. This Sunday ARuss & I were joined by former Swiss speed skater & fellow NTC athlete Nicolas. Nice riding Nic.

We're onto one more building week before a few days easy days.

The next 3 days will be awesome . . . long run, long ride, long ride. Sounds good to me.

Rest well.

Lemon Squeezer Thing

I love the dilemma. It's part of what makes life an adventure.

This evening at around 9:29pm I decided I would like a drink of juice.

Dilemma #1: What kind of juice?

We had one lemon left in the fruit bowl. That makes things easy.

Chopping Block. Bread Knife. Slice. Lemon Squeezer thing. Rotate. Pour. Water. Drink. Done.

Dilemma #2: There's still 1/2 a lemon. Drink another glass?

I stood there staring at 1/2 a lemon sitting on the bread block. It stared back. Three pits visible. Yellow rind. Pulp divided onto 8 somewhat equal sections. Juicy.

I stared, waiting for some inspiration to help with my decision.

Still three pits visible. Still a yellow rind. Pulp still divided into 8 somewhat equal sections. Still juicy.

Slice. Lemon Squeezer thing. Rotate. Pour. Water. Drink. Done.

I figured it would be much juicer this evening.

Rest well.

Specializing in Underground Tank Removal

Great weekend.

First, a big shout out to the whole HPR gang. Thanks for being so accommodating & inviting us on your ride!

We met the group out at Broadmead around 8am for the beginning of our ride. Up & over the Malahat we cruised a steady pace before turning off at Mill Bay for the Oceanside route.

We do so much riding on this side of the hill, I had almost forgotten about all the perfect asphalt on the other side. It's like an extended waterfront loop, complete with more farm lands, winding roads, & coffee shops along the way.

A few miles out of Bamberton I decided to start our set for the day, 3 x 30 minutes big gear. I figured it best to start this set early in the ride. Little did I know, big gear is Ben's specialty. Wow. Dude, can crank on big gear. Sweet riding man.

Heading into Chemanus we had developed a great little group including myself, the Jazz man, Big Ben, and the A-Team (Adrian & Allan). Great riding by the group with a few wicked fast sections.

Quick coffee at the Jumping Bean, then onto Parksville. Cruising, cruising, cruising, legs feel good & thanks to a pocket full of delicious homemade cookies ;) the blood sugar remained nice and level.

Since November I have stayed completely away from any energy drink, bar, or anything to that extent. I figure there's enough of that during the summer racing months. This weekend however, I decided it was time to throw a little something in the water bottle, so Vega Sport went to the test. It's a clean drink & kept the fire burning well. Good return to the "energy/power/sport drink" world.

We kept the pace rolling along the water & onto the Inland Highway on our way into Parksville. Great ride guys! Thanks for the car support & directions too!

After downing a few massive steamed soy milk drinks, the North Island Tanks picked me up & we drove up to Comox where we would race the next day.

Great big Thanks to Wille & Barb for hosting our teams on Saturday evening.

Lots of pre race laughs & chill'n out before bed. Great to keep the first real effort of the season ultra low key.

Sunday morning came & our warm thoughts held off the rain. Warm up the legs with a little Tiger Balm & lots of accelerations spaced within a warm up spin. Ready to race.

I was so relaxed leading up to the start, for a moment (just a moment) I worried. Aren't I supposed to be nervous before a race? Ahh . . . just go with it, & as Mr. Gordo Salt used to say before every nordic adventure, "Have Fun Stevo." Well, that's easy enough.

As soon as David came running up the beach from his kayak, it was on. Was it ever on. The racing head turned on like a light. Go. Bunny hop a few speed bumps on the way out, get in the tuck, & go.

Nice racing North Island Tanks. Sweet weekend, sweet racing. Thanks for a fun one!

Cool Down. Cheer a bit. Eat a bunch. Saddle up. Ride.

This time it was the Oceanside route from Courtney to Quallicum, & a quick call for a ride home. Thanks!

Today we had a chance to run with the super quick, super cool NTC dev/junior squad. Thanks for a few fast laps guys. You guys are wicked fast.

Rest well.

HPR360WEEKEND

First I made friends with kick sets, then band swimming. Swim breathing patterns and I are officially on the same team.

It happened during today's straight swim set, (2 x 1000m). First one breathe: 3, 5, 3, 7, 3, 9, 3, 11 by 50m, next one choice. By the time I was 800m through the first k, I knew what my choice would be. More breathing patterns.

Turns out the trick is to breath out.

Having grown up as a land creature, I have previously become accustomed to breathing in at will.

In the relatively new and alien aquatic environment, breathing in naturally becomes a primary focus. On occasion I forget to notice if in fact I am breathing. I believe this forgetful moment is when I truly experience swimming.

A focused breathing routine becomes almost mantric in nature, thus intentionally shifting the focus both inward & outward.

In any case, swim breathing patterns are now my friend.

HPR 360 weekend starts tomorrow!

Rest well.

3 x Ginger

This morning Ben, Adam, & I made up the Ginger Lane @ Crystal pool.

This afternoon I made a ginger, beat, & carrot smoothie.

This evening we made ginger, sweet potatoe, black bean, olive, & almond butter burgers.

Tomorrow is Friday which means the next day is Saturday. Sweet.

Rest well.

hours

Today I went on a run with no watch. Parts were fast, & parts were slow. Parts were up hill, & parts were down hill. Sometimes there was a head wind, & sometimes a tail wind. For a while the legs felt heavy, then they felt light, then they were gone.

The sky was always up. The earth was always down.

Training hours for this week, month, and year will forever be a mystery.

The first race of the season will be this weekend up in Comox, the Ski to Surf relay. Time to test the bike legs!

Rest well.

This week is brought to you by . . .

Monday night sushi,

lots of tasty vegetables,

. . . and a big bowl of block rock'n beats.

Rest well.

Thanks dude!

I love the solo training.

I love the group training.

I love training solo, & when you end up meeting a fellow athlete at one of our awesome training venues here on our Paradise Island on the Pacific, it's extra awesome.

There have been a number of times when it happens just at the right moment. Sometimes the person you meet provides inspiration to help push you through a set. "Oh yeah, there are people out here. We can do this."

I remember a few particular Friday evening Crystal pool sessions this time a year ago.

Walk on deck in my shorts ready for a frequency swim to see A-russ tappin' away at the treadmill upstairs. "Cool. This is what we do."

The other day as Jazz & I were enjoying a little bit of speedy running along the breakwater area we were passed by a few HPR athletes on bikes. "Looking good guys. Keep it up."

"Very cool. This is what we do! We're all here together. We can do this together."

Thanks for the encouragement.

***

A few longer bike sets today gave an opportunity to watch and refocus the wandering mind. "How can I make it home after running?" Who cares. Right now is riding.

Ride.

***

I finished a very duck friendly main set on the bike with few treadmill miles @ PISE. There will be a way home.

"Hey, there's McCartney, fit, fast, & back from Tucson!"

Big time shout out to ya today man. Thanks for the ride home!

Rest well.

Happy Easter

"Tic, Tic, Tic, Tic, Tic, Tic, Tic, Ding!"

The toaster oven is done. That's one sound of Easter.

This is what Easter from the toaster oven looks like.


It tastes so good.


Here are a few pictures of Easter in the new neighbourhood.


It smells very nice.


It looks very nice.

And this is power fuel for tomorrow.




Rest well.

Summer Camp

Frosh week 2002. "It's like summer camp, but we can do whatever we want."

Isn't it cool being an adult? We can do whatever we want!

Anything, you name it.

If you can dream it, it's as good as there. Think of anything.

Imagine a circle, big or small, green or purple, any circle you want. Remember that circle. Know what it feels like. Is it smooth? Is it made of wood, some kind of metal, or stone? Know what it smells like, summer sand, winter rain, anything. Know what it sounds like. Can you throw it? Does it make a sound?

It would be pretty easy to bring that circle into your life.

If you were to focus for a little while, spend a day or so, you would have that circle. You could make that circle however you want. It could be here tomorrow. It could be here today.

What do you have on your list today? Is it really that important? How about the circle? How important is that? Does that circle really matter to you?

It's Monday morning & if making a circle is really that easy, think about what you can do this week!

***

Training has been great. Surprise speed on Saturday with surprise rest on Sunday. Here's to a great one.

Rest well.

process

A day or so ago I heard Master Mike Neill talking about the next few months. "I just love the process of getting fit!"

Love the process . . .

Life is great.

Rest well.