Promise Yourself by Christian D. Larson

"Promise Yourself "

To be so strong that nothing
can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel
that there is something in them
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you. "
— Christian D. Larson

Hitting the Trails

Here we go again!

With all that's been going on, this week was finally a good one. The entire month of August has been a bit rough and I am glad it's coming to an end and I welcome September with open arms! Thank goodness for music and chocolate is all I gotta say!

I've been in all day meetings this entire week reviewing Athleta's Summer 2012 product and I have to say, it all looks so awesome! Because I knew I would be in meetings all day long this week, I took the opportunity to go on a three day all fruit and raw foods eating cleanse. I've been taking in so much sugar this month that I was starting to feel the effects of it internally and was not liking it. The cleanse felt great and helped jump start my training for the North Face 50k trail running race. That's right-- I'm back on the training horse. I think the conversation with my coach went something like...

Me: Ok, signed up, ugly trail shoes bought, hydration pack got.

Coach: 50 miler :)?

Me: No, 50k!

Coach: How about the 50 miler?!

Me: No, how about the 50k :)?!

Coach: You should get a map

Gotta love the coach!

I went on my first training run this past Saturday with my long time training bud Caesar (he is doing

the 50 miler). We started Ironman together, as well as, coach's pain cave so it was almost de ja vu as we start another adventure together. I managed to recruit a few more suckers for the 50k so it should be a fun race come December 3rd! Then on Sunday, my good friend Jade took me on some trails in Marin and it was beautiful indeed. Both days, I started with my perspective training buds but would end up going our own paces. Being out there on my own and feeling free was such a nice feeling. The nice feeling definitely helped validate that some of the personal decisions I made earlier this year was indeed the right ones! I was in my element and I loved it! I love feeling healthy again and feeling able and wanting to feel like this. I am fortunate to be surrounded by so many positive people with so much love in their hearts. I think it's safe to say that I am no longer feeling the burn out from earlier this year :).

So.. on the flip side of feeling mentally great... physically.. I am having difficulty walking without my quads firing! The last time I was in my running shoes was my 10 minute shake out run the night before IM CdA. My first training run on Saturday was for 90 minutes. That's my coach for ya!

Live. Laugh. Love.

Read of the week

Sometimes winning isn't everything

Thanks for stopping by. I wanted to share a beautifully written race report which in many ways honors our friend Pete Cadwell.

Sometimes winning isn't everything... Tyler Stewart's IM Lake Stevens 70.3 Racer report-

Read me.

Mission Cheese At Last!

Mission Cheese Accomplished

Many moons ago, my colleague/friend, (also one of the raddest chicks I know) decided to drop her career in fashion merchandising to become... drumroll please... a cheesemonger! Sarah's decision came after a two + week stint in the countries of France and England romancing every cheese farm she can map her way to. She will tell you that her decision came a long time ago after another thankless day in corporate America but I assure you the thankless part was not contributed by me..I provided thanks! Perhaps I even contributed a laughter or two but I probably could have thanked her a little more :-).

Leaving the corporate doors as a salaried employee for the last time, she embarked on a road trip cross America knocking on the doors of cheese farms and picking the brains of cheese farmers. She secured the perfect spot for her passion with a lease in the Mission district, thus Mission Cheese was born.

Actually, a lot more happened in between all that but I won't bore you with the details. However, I will point out that weeks before opening day, MC was greeted with costing challenges but nothing that an IndiGoGo (see photo with names of some of the many supporters) campaign couldn't solve! Thanks to Sarah's undeniable passion for cheese and a community willing to help, MC was able to raise more than what was needed and thus open it's doors on the planned opening day.

It was so nice to catch up with friends and colleagues, old and new. I think it's safe to say that a good time was had by all and that we will be back! This past Wednesday was my first visit there and I brought a few friends along with me to share in the experience. Those of you that missed it.. no worries.. I will host another happy hour shortly!

When I have a moment to think and reflect, I am surrounded by people who are doing amazing things everyday. There is my friend Neal whose Three Twins Ice Cream business has grown enough to warrant it's own factory. We have my former joint at the hip colleague of a Cheesemonger in Sarah. Another former colleague/ coffee buddy, Jeff just quit his job and is embarking on a trip across America on a motorcycle. I must mention that he is also a stand up comedian- no really- see! However, I am most proud of Jeff for often being a top runner at the Annual Hunky Jesus Competition in San Francisco. A handful of my friends have moved away recently whether to continue their careers in another country or to start another career in the form of medical school. Dana.. I am thinking of you and Sam as the two of you are in the middle of your TransRockies Run (crazy)! I have friends that inspire me with their strength and outlook in approaching everyday life. No worries, I am in no way feeling like a failure next to these fearless kids, instead I feel lucky to call them my friends as they continue to inspire me with their passion for life.

To inspire and be inspired.

Chick Flick Recovery

One Day

It's a nice Saturday afternoon when I met up with a girl-friend to watch the movie, "One Day" with Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. It wasn't what I expected and definitely not for the light hearted.

This movie will not make you laugh out loud like "Something Borrowed" or "Friends With Benefits" but it will tug at your emotions and capture your attention. Walking out of the theatre.. it's a feeling of damned if you do and damned if you don't when it comes to matters of the heart. Ladies, do your man a favor and leave him at home for this one.

I really thought we were going to come out of the theatre laughing but instead we found our way to pizza and football for the perfect post chick flick recovery. If only Susie Cakes would have stayed open longer, I would have fully redeemed myself with Mel when it comes to choosing sad movies. She still doesn't let me forget that I "made her" watch "Marley & Me".

My favorite line from the movie read, "She made you decent and you made her happy." Maybe just as good as my favorite movie line of all time from Notting Hill, "I'm also just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her." What can I say? I'm a gal .. I like pink.. that's what movies are for though fully aware that life is not a chick flick. Bonne nuit.

Grateful

In honor of a friend that passed away a week ago today.. we were asked to list ten things that we're most grateful for and then 1 thing that we need to address. Here it goes..

• Grateful for the health of my loved ones.
• Grateful that my parents raised me in an environment where I was not restricted in my thoughts or choices.
• Grateful in my collection of friends as I’ve learned and am learning from every single one of them- whether it be positive or negative.
• Grateful for the experience that resulted in a handful of endurance races under my belt.
• Grateful for the glass half full mentality that I’ve acquired. I am not sure where it came from but I am glad I have it because at the end of the day, the sun will rise in the east and set in the west and the world will go on.
• Grateful to recognize that I have the strength to overcome the personal hurdles that's come my way.
• Grateful for my passion and love for photography.
• Grateful for my travel experiences outside of the bubble I live in.
• Grateful for the fact that things always seem to just work out.
• Grateful for many memories collected that continues to put a smile to my face.

The one thing I need to address... that I need to do when the time is right but it's on my mind and on the list!

The last time I saw Pete, we were trading goodbye hugs at a friend's BBQ just a few weeks ago (7/24). He was getting ready to run home. I have no doubts he is covering miles wherever he is.

R.I.P. Pete.. we're thinking of you.

MRI results..

Hm..what are we looking at here?

MRI scan goes up at the offices of TDR. Everything is in tact.. I have great knees.. it's just missing some cartilage and a cyst has developed. Nothing torn ...nothing broken just have to load up on a certain type of supplement.

Post scan review, Jez comes and works on my leg. My normal laughter in pain fills the room AND then TDR comes in and literally tries to relocate the cyst behind my knee. I leave Chiro Medical limping in pain-- OUCH!!