#8: Figure Out My Strengths Using Strengths Finder 2.0

"People who have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life in general.  You cannot be anything you want to be- but you can be a lot more of who you already are."  -Tom Rath, author of Strengths Finder 2.0

After 30 days of working on my weakness in sport, I was ready to figure out my strengths in life.

I'll admit, I've grown up learning that the way to success is to work on my weaknesses.  In piano, I would repeatedly drill passages until my fingers gained muscle memory and I no longer made mistakes in that part of the piece.  In basketball, I practiced dribbling with my left hand so much that now when I go towards the basket, I drive to the left side.  Ironically, my weak hand became my dominant dribbling hand. 

When I first heard about this book, it intrigued me.  Of course!  Why haven't we been working on our natural strengths all along?  Why have we focused so much on improving upon our weaknesses that we are left so tired and unmotivated?

The book comes with a unique access code that allows you to take an online assessment.  You have 20 seconds to answer each question in order to capture the instinctual, top-of-mind responses, and based upon your answers, you will be given your top 5 strengths (out of a database of 34 talent themes).  By investing time and energy into your natural strengths, you can achieve many more things in a more enjoyable way. 

Here are my top 5 in order:
1. Maximizer

2. Empathy

3. Futuristic

4. Achiever

5. Activator

I encourage all of you to check out this book and take the assessment test.  Included in the book are ways to build and hone each other's strengths once they have been recognized.  Once you've established your top 5, let me know what yours are...so this way we can grow stronger together and fill in each other's gaps- allowing everyone to live deeper and more fulfilling lives. 

I guess it really is that simple after all.

#10: Hire an Ironman Coach

The foundation that Coaches Marv and Jo gave me for Ironman training was solid.  I finished Ironman Florida mentally and physically intact- my nutrition was spot-on, my pacing plan was flawlessly written and executed, and I gained so much personally and athletically through their coaching and friendship.  The solid principles they taught me will always remain in my blood.

This past year, the self-coached plan didn't work out so well.  I realized that alone I can be pretty disciplined, but underneath the guidance of a coach, the added accountability motivates me to work twice as hard.  

And I love to learn.  As the years go by, I have witnessed my own growth and can see my own potential as an athlete.  At first I thought as I got older, I'd get slower.  But I'm seeing splits in the pool now that I would have never been able to pull off in high school.  I want to learn from the best, from those who have experienced this journey themselves and who have a rich treasure of knowledge and understand me and my kind of crazy.

Within the triathlon community and even amongst friends, the name Greg Lynch kept coming up.  Then I met him on a bike ride, and after riding with me for a few minutes, he was able to provide me with feedback on how to improve my pedal efficiency.  I was immediately drawn to his coaching style, his cheeky humor (gotta love those Australians!) and his genuine love for this sport.  I knew I wanted to be coached by him.  I wanted to be one of his athletes; to soak up his knowledge and to learn from his program that is so differently designed from the typical triathlon programs common in the US.  It's time to ditch the heartrate monitor and get to know my own body, my own limits, my own mind.

Tonight I was introduced to his coaching methodology and was given a sneak-peek at the basic training plan layout from April to September.  I was trying to absorb it all and contain my excitement of how privileged I feel to train underneath him. Some of the big training weekends were a lot to wrap my head around (I spotted a 10-hour training day and a 21 miler), but when it's good butterflies in my stomach, it's a good thing.  

After our meeting, I told Coach Greg, "I will work hard for you and hard for myself."  Immediately he corrected me.  "No, I don't want you to work hard, I want you to work smart."  Lesson 1 is already in the books.

For some, after completing their first Ironman, they're done.  It's out of their system and they can hang up their wetsuit and retire their bike to the storage.  For me, I'm not done yet- there's so much more to learn, to question, to discover not only about this fabulous sport of triathlon, but about myself.

2.4 mile swim

112 mile bike

26.2 mile run

The distance remains the same- 140.6 miles.  But this time around, the terrain of the Ironman course and my support team are different.  And most certainly, I am different.  

Let's do this, mate!

11/11: The End and Beginning of Something Great

30x30.  Check.

Today marked the completion of my 30 Runs in 30 Days challenge.  I've done more laundry and worn more compression in the last month than I have in a long while.   Have I gotten faster with my running? Judging from my splits, probably not.  I'm no Slater Fletcher or Jim Walsh for sure.  Do I love running?  Umm, no.  But I have learned to enjoy it more.  Backing it up day after day and thinking creatively of new places to run has allowed me to explore more trails and check out some amazing areas that I would have never known existed if it wasn't for this challenge.  Running on the dreadmill for 30 days isn't exactly my kind of adventure, so it forced me to run in different cities and adopt some new trail buddies along the way.

Some lessons I've gained from this:

1. Accountability is key.
I'm thankful for my fellow 30x30 partner.  If it wasn't for him, I'd still be riding my bike like a maniac and swimming 2 miles a day without actually embracing each session.  And I am thankful for Instagram.  Logging daily pictures and seeking out visual inspiration for every run was key.  No one wants to be the loser who doesn't upload a picture.  That would be an epic FAIL.  Knowing that someone was equally invested in this journey helped me stay motivated and consistent.

Coastal Trail run near Half Moon Bay.

Solo discovery of new trails at Redwood Regional before the rain...

2.  It gets easier with time.
The running?  Sadly, no, my friends.  I'm referring to the schedule adjustments.  The first week was a challenge, trying to coordinate when I'd fit the 30 minute run into my day.  It was dark before work.  There were happy hours after work.  Hmmm.  What to do, what to do.  Some days the weatherman predicted rain.  After a week I started to find my rhythm.  I also found my headlamp.  And my winter compression running tights.  

Learning to love mornings again.

3.  Hard things are more bearable with good company.
Running hills alone are really really crappy.  Running hills with a buddy are just...crappy.  Having someone else hear your labored breathing is well, just a reminder that you're alive and well, still breathing.

Misty Blair Witch runs = less creepy with company

Don't drink and drive.  Drink and ride.

Good friends drink with you.  And pack clothes to run with you afterwards to support your 30x30.

Fitting in the run after 50 miles of biking with 14 wineries is more fun with buzzed buddies.

Yes, this did happen in the time span of a single run.  Hello, Daylight Savings.  Hello, headlamp.  Thankful for PIC during this run (sorry, I'll never do this to you again).

4.  If you care about your friends, you will allow slight modifications to ensure their success.
In the beginning, there were hard rules.  As in, "If I break my 30 days, I will buy you a Garmin 910XT."  Yes.  I did say that.  But let's just say that there were days that I felt like my left heel was more bruised than Rihanna's face after a C.B. attack.  I had to listen to my body and was graciously granted an active recovery day.  No questions asked.  And soon again, I was back in the game, feeling good, still with $450 in my hot little pocket.  

A make-shift active recovery day of yoga.

Outside of running, for me, 11/11 is a pretty symbolic day.  I was once told that 11/11 symbolized the union of twin souls.  Whether that is true or not, I've yet to discover.  Just like this 30x30 challenge, this year has been a delicate balance between my heart and legs.  Meaning that some days were definitely easier than others, but I still managed to try my very best to capture the beauty of each day.  Like the 30x30, it took awhile to get used to, but with the support of friends and family, I made it through this year.

And I've learned that no adventure, in running or in life, should ever be contained in a mere 30 days, or yet experienced alone.

So, what's next? Time has yet to tell.  But for now, PIC and I are registered for the Coyote Trails 1/2 marathon in December as preparation for something epic in the future...

#2: Go Flyfishing With My Dad

Last year on my birthday, my dad and I had an early 4:30 am wake-up call to board a Florida-bound plane together.  The experience of traveling together to complete a huge milestone in my life (Ironman Florida) was unique and special because he was there.  In life, it's these experiences that stand the test of time.  For my birthday this year, I wanted to spend my day with him, in his element, not mine.  It was still a 4:30 am wake-up call, except this time there were no bikes or wetsuits.  Just flyrods and float tubes.

Growing up, I had fond memories of fishing with my dad at San Pablo Reservoir, Lake Chabot, and Mammoth Lakes.  I think Trace Adkins got it right...

 

We headed up to Lake Amador and made our way through the fog, arriving just in time to witness the sunrise over the lake.

Mother Nature's way of saying, "Good morning."

To watch someone work or play in their true element is a beautiful thing.  It all seems so smooth, so seamless.  I am always in awe of those who have truly mastered a craft.  He threaded our rods, pumped up our float tubes and carefully chose our bait.  Once on the water, he gave me directions for trolling the lake in my fins, lifting my rod and moving at a steady pace to make my bait look realistic.  He kept directing me to stay in a straight line, but if you've ever witnessed my inability to swim straight in the open water, you know that I love to zigzag.  So with huge fins and kicking backwards on a tube, this was nearly impossible.  After catching my first 2 fish, I told my dad that the irregular line pattern must have intrigued them enough to bite.

The set-up. With fins that are 5x the normal size I'm used to swimming with.

The limit per person is 5 fish.  We left the water with 8 fish, ate, packed up the tubes, and returned to the dock, where we caught one more and called it a day.  The sun was starting to set.

My first catch of the day.  Dad getting his fishin' on.  With a fish on.

I'm lucky that my dad knows what he's doing.  When we weren't getting bites using a certain bait, he would change it and try a different tactic.  It was a constant adventure of assessing, adjusting, and experimenting.  He also had a 'secret sauce' that we dabbed on the bait to attract the fish.  We ended the day with 9 fish; there were some people who unfortunately went home with nothing. 

My contributions for the day.  I ended up catching the biggest one at 18".

As he was cleaning the fish, my dad commented that one fish probably had been in the lake for a long while.  "How do you know?" I asked.  He explained that when the fish are planted and come from the hatchery, their fins are normally torn and shredded from the tight space they were contained in.  Once they are released, the fins have a chance to grow back and repair.  It was an appropriate analogy of my life and the reparation process of my own fins this past year.  Some things just need time and space to grow.

And some things just need to be filleted and smoked.  The final product- homemade smoked trout!

Days like these are the ones that will always remain ingrained in my heart...being with my father, on the water, on a crisp and sunny November day.  

Driving home with lots of love and lots of fish in the truck.

It was a beautiful reminder that life itself is a constant adventure of trying new things, readjusting and making changes when those things don't quite work out, and being patient enough to trust that the bait you have in the water is the best choice for you at that moment.  And how a dab of 'secret sauce' never hurts. 

33 Before 33

I'm borrowing this idea from Sonja Wieck who always posts a list of things she wants to accomplish before her next birthday.  One item for each year of life.  It's like a bucket list for your life, but on a much smaller scale and in a much tighter time frame.  Last year on my birthday, I was on a Florida-bound plane, destined to complete my first full Ironman distance triathlon.  It's amazing how much (or how little) can be accomplished in a year.  I'm hoping this list will give me some structure and that I'll have tons of fun checking things off my list!

 This Friday I turn 32.  So with no further adieu, here it is... 

33 Things to Do Before 33 (in no particular order) 

1. Grow some sprouts.
2. Go flyfishing with my dad.
3. Paint some pottery.
4. Launch Fusion Nutrition's website.
5. Attend a yoga retreat.
6. Compose a song on my keyboard.
7. Run an ultra 50K.
8. Figure out my strengths using Strengths Finder 2.0.
9. Write a note to an old teacher/mentor and thank them for positively influencing my life.
10. Hire an Ironman coach.
11. Change a flat tire in under 8 minutes.
12. Do something completely outside of my comfort zone.
13. Be a volunteer for once at a running/tri event. Pass out water cups. Cheer loudly. 
14. Meditate consistently for one week.
15. Discover a beer that I actually like.
16. Read 3 books.
17. Run a race with my mom.
18. Go on a mini weekend getaway and stay at a B&B.
19. Go vegan for a week.
20. Learn about massage pressure points.
21. Back up all the stuff on my computer.
22. Make a vision board.
23. Make a handmade card for someone who could use some encouragement.
24. Volunteer.  Somewhere meaningful.
25. Write 5 nutrition-related articles.
26. Rock Ironman Lake Tahoe and give 110% of myself in the best possible way.
27. Bake something from scratch.
28. Present a sports nutrition lecture to a team or a group of athletes.
29. Watercolor.  Remember the joy in adding more water to 'fix' a mistake.  Blend, blend, blend!
30. Try maca powder.
31. Creatively organize my race bibs/medals instead of throwing them into a drawer.
32. Support a child in some way.  Even if it's just buying some lemonade for 10 cents.
33. Make a 34 Before 34 list before 11/2/13.

 Just looking at this list makes me excited!

Halfway Through...

Today was my 15th run, marking the halfway point of my 30 runs in 30 days adventure.  Although the running hasn't exactly felt easier, I've noticed that I am becoming accustomed to scheduling the runs into my day better.

This 30 Day adventure so far has taught me to value EACH DAY-  To creatively find the beauty in each run, regardless if it's done in the pouring rain, in the dark, or on the treadmill.  I've learned to enjoy the process and celebrate the daily accomplishment, rather than focus solely on the end goal.  So often we are so fixated on the finished product that we forget to recognize the small joys that occur throughout the journey.

Exploring Eagle Ridge with Dana, who had the magic entrance pass (a Pleasanton ID).

Witnessed the illuminated raindrops via my headlamp soon evaporate into a beautiful crisp fall morning.

Climbing up Lake Chabot; surprisingly, this was much easier to tackle the second time I ran this. 

Half of the fun is exploring new trails with new running partners.

Still managing to throw a bit 'o swim and bike into this hot mix of running.

A year ago from yesterday marked the day that I experienced a myriad of drastic changes in my personal life.  While this past year's journey has had its highs and lows, I've learned to appreciate the process of growth and change.  While some turn to drugs and alcohol as coping mechanisms, I am not ashamed to admit that swimbikerun served as my coping mechanism to sort through my thoughts and emotions for hours on end.

But now, I'm more interested in discovering new terrain, in both the physical and mental sense.  Sport is now less about relieving stress and more about goal-setting.  I remember how the Ironman distance seemed impossible at first.  To me, ultrarunning gives me those same excited butterflies.  I know that it will be difficult and hard, but I also trust that it will be completely unforgettable and incredible.  

My PIC and I have our sights set on the American Canyon 50K in February.

30 Runs in 30 Days

I've been definitely enjoying the unstructured off-season of triathlon, but I was hungry for a new challenge.  For months it has been about hitting certain target heartrate zones and time specifications for all things swimbikerun.  I was burnt out.

Over the years my running has improved, but it has continually been the weakest link for me out of the three sports.  I read about the 30 Runs in 30 Days challenge from the boys over at Endurance Corner, and when a friend told me that he was taking this on, well, I invited myself along in the journey.  Accountability is always a good thing.  Especially when there are bets and consequences involved if you break your 30 days.

It sounds easy in theory, you just run 30 minutes minimum a day.  There was a freedom that drew me into this challenge; there were no specific target heartrates to hit, no tempo runs, no intervals, no set distance....you just run.  For me, it was a welcomed relief from 'structured' training and an opportunity to rediscover the joy of running and uncover new trails and roads I would have never thought to traverse.

We are documenting our daily runs and it has provided me an opportunity to see the beauty of my environment.  I completed Day 9 today, and am excited to see the progress my body will make by Day 30.

Lesson #1: Don't go too long on one given day.  Or you will pay the next day.  There are no rest days!

Some days are definitely easier than others.  Late nights after dinner are more difficult, but if there's a will, there's a way...

Following the red lights seemed to be the theme of Friday evening.

I've been lucky to still squeeze in some swimming for active recovery.

 Having to back up these runs day after day without full rest days has made me pay attention to everything I am fueling my body with.  It's only been a little over a week, but I can feel a difference in my energy when I feed the machine with quality and clean foods.

Grilled cod, arugula, tri-color quinoa, spicy sprouts, red onion, red bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, and avo

Broiled black cod, roasted veggies with sweet potatoes in coconut oil

 I look at each day as a new opportunity.  Already this has kick-started my running motivation and has allowed me to open my mind up to bigger opportunities and challenges.  I've already recruited a partner in crime to do a 50K trail run with me in the upcoming months.  This past year has been amazing with all the people I've met who have inspired me personally and professionally, and it has been refreshing to just do what I love and see things fall into place.  Live wide, my friends.