Something Different...

Early New Year's Resoloution and a New Lifestyle


(Be Forewarned…I am not worried about grammar, sentence structure, or general flow.. I am here to provide REAL content for anyone who wants to read)

If you are reading this, you may have noticed that this is the only blog post on this page. A clean slate….I am embarking on my New Year’s Resolution early and the resolution is to be active and HAVE FUN. I think I have the first part of my resolute decision down, it is the second part that I struggle with.
How am I active?
In the past decade of my life I have been active in a variety of ways. I ran in high school and was very competitive with the top middle-distance runners in the country. This landed me down South where I went on to compete for the University of North Carolina cross country and track & field teams. Then, following college, I married my beautiful wife and began running as a “post-collegiate”. This was a weird time for me because you go from having all the time in the world to dedicate to your sport, having fun, being with the ones you love often, and relaxing… to….squeezing in workouts, juggling family/occupational responsibilities, never relaxing, and certainly not enjoying any activity that is not your primary sport. This model did not work for me. So, why not give triathlon a try? That I did and it was pretty cool… I had instant success, maybe not a good thing, and I really started to dedicate myself and obsess over training. During this time, I should mention that we had our first child, a studly young boy named Ramsey. However, my training did not suffer (I thought) because I would “just” start getting up at 4:30AM to get my workouts in. This worked for a while and 10 months after I started the sport, I won an “elite qualifying race” at the Pacific Grove Triathlon… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR_-Qx2Tdv4 I was a “pro-triathlete”….
Going into triathlon, my goal was to turn pro and one day…MAYBE!!!...I could do this as a real profession…Delayed gratification has always been an underlying factor of sport for me. Whether in a race, or a goal down the road….
The days, weeks, and months went on. I trained day in and day out, 4:30 AM wakeups and 7pm double sessions. I was getting fit….However, things started being less fun….I thought, I’ve come this far and I really want to see where I can take this in 2010.
I had the equipment, I had amazing sponsors, I even had the support of my loving wife…I was going to do this….Then, our family took another step in increased growth when my, then 10yr old, brother came to live with us. I even had his support!!! So, on I went and on I went…mornings and evenings….Workout…work…workout…sleep…repeat

This is where I will transition this blog in the interest of time…..I was fit, I was strong and I was fast….yet, it was not fun anymore. The reason for getting into sports, I THINK, was no longer inside of me. Time for a change….
I turned to running, my first love and 1/3 the work I was doing for triathlon. It was kinda fun and I shared very common ground with my studette of a wife. Maybe I can take it somewhere? Pacific Association series? Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier? The groundwork was there, the 90mile weeks were coming easy, I hopped in a half-marathon after 3 weeks of training and ran 1:09, I had the support of many people along the way (thank you so much, sorry for being “uncoachable”!!), but something was missing. I began to avoid things – basketball with friends, surfing, social events, anything that would deter me from my path. If I asked myself the REAL question…are you being the best friend, father, husband, brother, teacher, coach, fun guy like you really always wanted to be (like Uncle Don!!!) ???? ….I would have to answer NO.
Also, I missed the total body-work and well-roundedness that triathlon had given me. I I didn’t feel “strong”… I didn’t feel like the best “athlete” that I could be. Where is the common ground??? How can I have my cake and eat it too!?!
That is where I am right now….. What is fun?
Fun is…. All of the above… For me, fun is – being a loving husband, a consistently present father and brother, a friend that you want to have a beer with, a teacher that gives his best every day, an after-school hoops compadre, a guy out in the lineup at Bolinas Beach, and being a competitor….
If I had 34 hour days then I think all of that is more than doable. But, I do not…So, how can I still get my competitive kicks off but also have room for fun…My answer ….Crossfit…. Crossfit makes you a better athlete in half the time… Crossfit is primal at it’s core and enlightening on it’s surface. It is also competitive as it’s own entity… Now, combine it with a few HARD runs, bikes and swims …I’m set…I’m sold and buying in…
I plan to use crossfit as my baseline for fitness and life. There is a word commonly used in crossfit… “unscared”. I plan to be “unscared” about taking this plunge into a completely different way of training. I am “unscared” to spontaneously race 50 miles(which I did 5 days ago) or Ironman or a 5k or a paddle race or any competition. I am “unscared” to cut my training in half. I am “unscared” to go out for a surf or play some hoops. I am certainly “unscared” of providing myself with fun, which I can then share with everyone around me.
I absolutely, whole heartedly believe that this is the key to balance in my life. I plan to follow this regime through a season of run races, triathlons, surf sessions, basketball games, and tons of fun with my family & friends.

And here’s a secret…I plan to do it better because of it…We'll see come Spring Triathlons.

I am in my early protocol stages of Crossfit. I am learning movements and activities that I have avoided for years. I am throwing everything I know about training for endurance sport out the window. I am excited, I am happy, I am having FUN, and I am “unscared”… I will post weekly about my journey… read, or read not….

So my New Year’s Resolution is to be Active and Have FUN…

Shout out!!! To my….family, friends, sponsors ( especially Zoot, what amazing an innovative stuff all the time...Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) that have supported me throughout my spontaneity, naivety, indecision, short-lived passions, and time wasted… Much love!!!

JP

Addendum: I will be using Zoot more than ever in ALL of these ventures..Ultra Runs, Crossfit, Xterra, obviously triathlon, and in my general lifestyle... Many NEW and innovative posts will be highlighted here and at jeffpet.blogspot.com