Life Lessons From The Winter Olympics Part 2

In my last piece I discussed the 2026 Winter Olympics and a couple of takeaways up to that point that I believed taught some valuable life lessons.  Being a skier and snowboarder as a kid is what gave me confidence.  And that confidence helped me feel better about myself, it helped me improve myself academically, and helped me build better social skills.  Winter sports have always drawn me in, and I look forward to following the Winter Olympics every four years.  The 2026 edition of the Winter Olympics has now come to a close, and a lot has happened since the last piece I wrote.  And with all that activity came a couple more takeaways and life lessons.

Let me start off by saying congratulations to the women's and men's USA hockey teams for winning the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina.  It's an incredible accomplishment and an excellent thing for American Olympic sports.  But those gold medals didn't come without controversy.  Since the men's team achieved their victory in overtime against Canada last weekend, there has been criticism from the public over the fact that Donald Trump mocked the women's team, despite their achievement, and the way the men's team responded to the incident.  I wasn't pleased with Trump's joke, nor was I happy about how the men's team responded to it.  Since then, some of the members of the men's team have publicly expressed regret over their behavior.  They reiterated their support for the women's team, and referred to their reaction to Trump's distasteful joke as a lapse in judgment, which made me feel a little better.

The life lesson here is everyone should be acknowledged, celebrated, and recognized for their achievements regardless of their gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc.  An accomplishment such as winning an Olympic gold medal should be lauded by our leaders.  They shouldn't diminish these achievements by making jokes at a certain group of people's expense.  The USA women's hockey team should have gotten the same level of recognition for their accomplishment as the men's team.  Unfortunately that didn't happen.  Hopefully the next presidential administration sets a better example for this principle.

Now let's talk about Eileen Gu.  I didn't know much about her until this year's Olympics, but I'm glad I learned more about her.  For those who don't know, she's a twenty-two year old skier born raised in San Francisco.  He father is an American guy who has never been publicly identified, and her mother is a Chinese immigrant, former collegiate speed skater, and former ski instructor at Northstar in Lake Tahoe.  Eileen discovered her skiing talent at an early age, and after winning two silver medals and one gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, she now has a total of six Olympic medals on her resume.  And that's only one of the hats she wears.  She also attends Stanford University, and has a pretty thriving modeling career.  Despite her success, I've come to understand that Eileen is a pretty polarizing figure in the United States due to her decision to represent China at the Olympics instead of the United States.  To me, it seems like the people who criticize her for this decision are getting the wrong message, or they're twisting it into what they want it to be.  Eileen has said many times that she hopes to inspire young kids in China and create unity through competitive skiing.  Since the conclusion of the Olympics, she has given more interviews on her psychological approach to daily life.  She has talked about "rewiring her brain" on a daily basis and how people can control what they think, how they think, and who they are.  She was quoted saying "I spend a lot of time in my own head.  Yes, I think a lot".    

The life lesson here is being in your own head and thinking a lot is a good thing.  I feel like I think a lot and spend a lot of time in my own head too.  I'm not sure if there's a scientific term for a person who is half introvert half extrovert, but that describes me perfectly.  Having alone time to think and reflect on things represents the more introverted side.  A lot of people don't like thinking a lot or spending time in their own heads.  They don't like silence or being alone.  Silence, solitude, and being in one's own head are sometimes associated with anti-social behavior and loneliness.  They're viewed as negative things.  But they're really not.  It's good to spend time alone.  It's good to spend time in silence.  And it's good to spend time in our own heads reflecting on things and breaking down our thought processes.  It's a good reset button for going about our daily lives and it makes us into more successful people.  Maybe if more people shared this sentiment, the world would be a better place.

I love Alyssa Liu's story as well.  Shout out to her for winning the gold medal for the United States and representing California!  Overall, it was a really cool Winter Olympics.  I've never written about the Olympics before, but I felt like I should this year because I probably learned more from this year's Winter Olympics than any sporting event I've followed in the past.  We'll see what it brings in 2030. 

Life Lessons From The Winter Olympics

Winter sports have drawn me in ever since I was a little kid growing up in Michigan.  I've been a hockey fan all my life, and skiing and snowboarding were my sports throughout my childhood.  When I got into snow sports as a young teenager, life got better for me.  I had finally discovered sports that I enjoyed and in which I excelled.  My self confidence improved, I started doing better in school, and I became better at connecting with people.  The Winter Olympics have always been cool to watch.  I'm not a religious watcher because I'm not much of a TV person in general.  Plus I'd rather be participating in the sports than watching other people do them on TV, but nevertheless, I enjoy watching the athletes tear it up.  

The world has produced some exceptionally talented winter sport athletes over the decades, and so far, the 2026 Winter Olympics have been eventful.  I'd like to discuss two takeaways from the Winter Olympics so far that hit close to home with me, and I believe showcase some valuable life lessons.  First of all, I love the story about Chloe Kim and Choi Ga-on.  For those who don't know who they are, Chloe Kim is a 25-year-old professional snowboarder from Southern California.  She spent her early years snowboarding at Mountain High, Big Bear, and in the Swiss Alps before returning to California and training at Mammoth Mountain.  She has won two Olympic gold medals and several other awards.  Despite dislocating her shoulder during training season, she was heavily favored to win a third consecutive gold medal at this year's Winter Olympics in Cortina.  Now, let's bring Choi Ga-on into the picture.  Choi is a 17-year-old professional snowboarder from South Korea.  She arrived in Cortina for the Olympics with a Winter X Games gold medal and a couple of wins in halfpipe World Cup events on her resume.  In the end, Chloe Kim ended up taking home the silver medal and Choi Ga-on clinched the gold medal for women's halfpipe snowboarding.  Some media outlets spun the story into Chloe Kim getting 'beaten' by Choi Ga-on and 'settling for a silver medal'.  But Chloe and Choi set the record straight pretty quickly.  After Choi won, videos and pictures surfaced of the two of them hugging each other and taking photos together with their medals.  It turned out Choi regarded Chloe as her idol and Chloe had mentored Choi for many years.  Despite the only 8-year age gap, Chloe said she felt like a proud mom.

To me, the Chloe Kim and Choi Ga-on story was the feelgood story of the whole Olympics, and quite possibly the whole year so far.  It was really cool to see the mutual love and respect they had for each other.  In a world where people are constantly tearing each other down and trying to one-up each other, this story was a big breath of fresh air.  The life lesson here is it is generally a good thing when your mentees out-do you.  If you mentor someone and they compete against you and win, that should be the best possible outcome.  As a dad of a toddler, I feel like this also applies to parents and their kids.  Why wouldn't parents want their kids to be better than them?  I've heard too many stories about mentors talking shit about their mentees and saying they were never worth a damn when they become their competition and too many parents becoming resentful towards their kids if they do better than them.  It's hard for me to understand.  I love seeing people I've mentored succeed, and I hope that my son, Aidan, out-does me in every way possible.  

                        Chloe Kim and Choi Ga-on sharing a hug after Choi won the gold medal

My second takeaway so far for me from the Winter Olympics is the story of Ilia Malinin.  For those who don't know who he is, Ilia is an American professional figure skater from Virginia.  Both of his parents are former professional figure skaters from Russia who completed for Uzbekistan.  Ilia holds several records in the world of professional figure skating, and at only 21-years-old, he is the only skater to successfully land a quadruple axel on numerous occasions.  That's really freaking hard.  These achievements have earned him the nick name 'The Quad God' in some circles.  Ilia participated in this year's winter Olympics, and was heavily favored to win the gold medal for the men's free skate competition.  Unfortunately, he had several mishaps during his performance, including two falls while attempting various quadruple stunts.  He fell in the ranks to 8th place, and didn't end up taking home a medal as an individual athlete.  This sent a wave of shock through his fan base.  No one faulted him for what happened, but it was a major upset.  Ilia would state after the event that he felt like he crumbled under the pressure of being placed so high on a pedestal as the favored gold medal winner.  He stated that the pressure was overwhelming and his mistakes on the ice were caused by psychological factors as opposed to not having enough training.  To quote him, he further drove his point home by saying "it's not like any other competition.  It's the Olympics".  

As Ilia continues to process what happened to him on the ice, I have some thoughts of my own.  The life lesson here is one bad performance doesn't define who you are as an athlete.  And this even goes beyond sports.  You can be a professional violinist in an orchestra and give a flawed performance.  It doesn't mean your still not a talented violinist.  Or you could be a professional chef and have a rough night in the kitchen.  It doesn't mean you still aren't a great chef.  Good parents make mistakes with their kids sometimes.  It doesn't mean they aren't good parents.  Sometimes the constant pressure of being the best can create a lot of negative psychological thoughts of potential failure that can send people into a tailspin.  No matter what their craft is, professionals have off days, just like the rest of us.  I don't always have my best performance when I run races.  In fact, just about all the times that I've DNF'ed an ultramarathon or had bad races were the end result of not only having an off day, but also the negative thoughts taking over my mind because I was having an off day.  We can't always be at our best.  And clearly, Ilia wasn't at his best at this year's Winter Olympics.  It doesn't mean that a bad skating performance makes him a bad skater.  

That being said, I'm excited for what the final week of the 2026 Winter Olympics has in store for us.  I'm hoping for more feelgood stories because we need more of those in the media these days.  And when this is all over, I'm pretty sure that Chloe, Choi, and Ilia will be back in 2030 to kick some more ass.

Ilia Malinin tearing it up at the Olympics

The New Jam

It's pretty wild what the world can throw at you when you keep your mind open and live an adventurous life.  Back in June, I decided to do something that I never thought I would do.  I signed up for a spin class.  It was something new, and I didn't know what to expect or how it would go.  It's good to try new things, but there's always the risk of that new thing not clicking.  At least not right away.  But spin class drew me in pretty quickly, and I've been finding myself at the studio more and more often these days.  

So, what exactly is spin class?  Before I signed up, I wasn't completely sure.  At a high level, it's essentially rhythmic indoor cycling.  The style varies across classes and studios, but the studio that I go to in Huntington Beach offers classes that adopt a club-like setting.  Classes are fifty minutes long and are taught in the dark with light shows.  EDM and hip-hop tunes are cranked at a high volume, and participants engage in choreography that follows the beat of the music, while simultaneously peddling a stationary bike.  The instructor demos each move before the class joins in, and spinners are free to do their own version of the choreography based on their preference.  The studio is called bike2thebeat, which sums it up pretty brilliantly.

                                               Spinny Friends crew

Throughout my many months of frequenting Philz Coffee in Dana Point, I've gotten to know the baristas and staff pretty well.  A little over a year ago, I met Sean, one of the team leads.  We connected pretty quickly over shared interests.  Sean enjoys strength training, swimming, and occasional running, along with cycling and spin.  Not only does he love spin, but he loves teaching it and seeing other people kick ass at it.  As I sipped a piping hot Campfire blend at Philz one morning, Sean introduced me to bike2thebeat and told me what spin class was all about.  I decided to look into it further for myself and sign up for a class.  I figured I didn't have a whole lot to lose, especially since the first class was free.  I ended up really enjoying it.  I started off going once a month after that first class, but now I find myself going just about every other weekend and sometimes taking two classes back-to-back.  

It's safe to say that spin has become my new jam over the last few months.  There are several things I like about it.  First off, it's great cross training for running.  It's low impact and works different muscles, which improves strength and reduces the risk of injury.  Spin focuses heavily on cardiovascular activity, and the choreography provides a great opportunity to work out the upper body.  I also find it fun because it presents a whole new vibe for physical exercise.  I've had my fair share of visits to clubs and bars when I was younger, and I've always liked the idea of moving to a beat.  I need a lot of practice as a dancer, but I enjoy doing it.  Dancing is a great way to be fit, and doing spin class reminds me of dancing in a club.  Moving to the beat of EDM and hip-hop music on a bike in a dark studio with a light show releases a different kind of energy than running outside while listening to punk rock.  It's a different scene than the trail running scene.  It exercises a different side of my brain and creates a whole other mood.  I like where it takes me psychologically. 

                                      We all need this reminder sometimes

Another really cool thing about spin is the community and the people.  The studio itself provides a really chill and welcoming atmosphere.  Everyone is celebrated at bike2thebeat.  They celebrate people's milestone rides and birthdays.  They also make everyone, especially new people, feel welcome.  I always go on Sunday mornings to take Sean's class at 8:00 AM, and I occasionally do a "double" where I'll take another class right after Sean's, led by Ann, another instructor.  Most of the people who show up to those two classes are regulars at the studio and there's a strong sense of community.  I've met some super rad people at these classes.  It's great to hear people's stories and how they got into spin.  A lot of people have stories about losing weight, improving their physical condition, becoming more athletic, and finding their people and communities through spin.  I, for one, and damn glad to see it. 

                                                            The studio

All this being said, I would highly recommend checking out spin class to anyone who is physically active and enjoys looking for new ways to cross train and meet people.  Even if a night club setting isn't exactly what you're looking for, another spin studio should be able to provide the setting that you're into.  If you check out spin class, you're almost guaranteed to find positivity, motivation, and hear some inspiring stories, especially if you go somewhere like bike2thebeat.  I never thought I'd get into spin class because it's such a different scene, but I'm glad I did.  I think I'm almost to the point where I'll actually buy my own spin shoes instead of renting from the studio!

November Awareness

November is a pretty cool month.  Halloween kicks off the holiday season on the last day of October, which means when November comes around, people are starting to get into the holiday spirit.  I'm a big fan of the holiday season, so I think of it as a fun time of year.  But for me personally, November is significant in a couple of other ways.

This past November marked the twentieth anniversary of my mother's death.  The day we lost her, November 10th, 2005, was one of the hardest days of my life.  I felt like my family had been destroyed and I wasn't sure if I would ever be okay again.  It was a lot for my teenage brain to process.  Now, twenty years later, I can sincerely say that I am okay and at peace.  That doesn't mean I've forgotten about all the pain I've felt.  I still cry about it once in a while.  I miss my mom dearly, and I think of her all the time.  I'm at peace because I've come to terms with the situation and I've managed to find a way to cope with it.  Every year when November 10th comes, it's hard to not think about the significance of what happened on that day in 2005.  My thoughts and feelings about the anniversary of my mom's death have varied over the years, but in recent years, I've chosen to reflect on how far I've come.  It's been one hell of a journey over the last twenty years.  

Here's an idea of what the state of my life was like on the day my mom died:  I was nineteen years old, living in an apartment with my two friends.  I had just kicked off my sophomore year at Western Michigan University.  Sounds pretty cool, right?  At the time, I thought it was, but looking back, I can say that it wasn't as cool as it could have or should have been.  I was unfulfilled.  I didn't have any health issues, but I wasn't in good physical shape.  I had some extra body fat.  I was drinking quite a bit, especially on weekends.  Most days, my diet only consisted of two trips to the McDonald's down the street: one in the afternoon for lunch, and another late at night for dinner.  Besides alcohol, I only drank soda and coffee.  I didn't even drink water to try to prevent hangovers.  I rarely exercised.  The only running I did was running away from the cops when they broke up the house parties that I frequented.  In other words, I was living the typical debauchery filled college kid lifestyle.       

The day my mom died was the beginning of a long healing  journey.  My brain didn't know how to work through such a life-altering situation, so I dealt with it the best way I knew how.  At first, I tried to heal by simply downplaying the situation.  "It happened.  Why should I be upset about it?" I thought.  I tried to carry on as nonchalantly as possible, but my friends and family were freaked out by how normal I was acting.  They knew something wasn't right.  As time went on and reality sank in more, I went through other grieving phases.  After the "trying to play it cool" phase came the "haze" phase.  My whole reality seemed as if it were a dream, and it was like I was here but not here.  It was weird.  I eventually began to think more clearly and observe the world from a different perspective than I had for the past nineteen years.  I started being nicer to people and not taking things for granted.  When I went to a party or the bar, I prioritized social interaction over drinking to get drunk.  I started taking better care of myself physically and psychologically.  I had lukewarm feelings towards therapy, but I'm glad I decided to go as an adult.  I learned a hell of a lot in five years of weekly therapy sessions.  

My journey took me from Michigan to Chicago, and eventually to California.  I faced several obstacles along the way, and had many ups and downs.  The ups were lots of fun and the downs were good learning opportunities.  It's wild to think how different my life is today compared to twenty years ago.  I knew there was no way I could keep up that lifestyle forever, but I don't have any regrets about my life before my mom's passing.  There's a time and a place for every phase of life.  My mom's death was one of the biggest tragedies of my life, but it made me who I am today.  I'm grateful for that.

Other reason why November has been important to me in recent years is because November is Alzheimer's awareness month.  My father has been struggling with this awful disease for the last few years.  At first, we thought it was just memory loss from old age.  But as time went on, and his dementia became more prominent, we knew it was something more serious.  It took me some time to get my head around what my dad was dealing with.  Thanks to therapy and research, I've been able to accept the reality of what's going on.  Alzheimer's sucks.  There's no other way to put it.  There's no cure for it, and the cause is largely unknown.  Depression, lack of physical activity, and smoking have all been linked to Alzheimer's disease, but there's still lots of research to be done on what causes it and how it can be cured.  The symptoms can be treated, but sadly, treatments usually don't have a major impact.  The last time I saw my dad in person, we kept it light and casual.  Everything was pretty matter of fact.  There were no deep conversations, no catching up, no conversations about past times.  We sat together, watched movies, had some laughs, and made some small talk.  That was about the extent of our interaction.

What happens with Alzheimer's is a disproportionate amount of microproteins are deposited into the prefrontal cortex of the brain.  Eventually, the accumulation causes disruptions in normal brain cell activity and causes motor neurons to malfunction.  This results in memory loss, the diminished ability to speak, eat, move, and eventually, the inability to breathe.  So, it's not that my dad didn't want to have conversations with me.  He just couldn't.  It's hard because we've created a lot of great memories together over the years, but I know those memories live within my dad's mind somewhere.  Educating myself on Alzheimer's and psychologically processing what's happening has helped me accept my dad's situation.  Unfortunately, it's not going to get better, but the more I understand, the more at peace I am with what's going on.  It's gotten to the point now where just being in my dad's presence is enough for he and I to spend time together.  I'll aways be grateful to him for all that he's done for me.

November is about fun and holiday vibes, but for me, it's also been about acceptance, awareness, and reflection.  Accepting the fact that my mom is gone and my dad has Alzheimer's disease.  Being aware of what Alzheimer's is and knowing how it works.  And, reflecting on how far I've come since my mom's death twenty years ago.  Overall, it's a very positive time of year.  And of course, it's also a great time to be thankful for all that I have, especially on turkey day.      

Gratitude

Yes, this post is about gratitude.  And I'm not talking about the delicious blend at Philz Coffee that comes out every year during the holiday season, although, I'm really looking forward to it.  "Gratitude" is a word that has been on my mind a lot lately.  About a month or so ago, the CEO of my new company held a company wide town hall meeting.  As he spoke to us over Zoom through his laptop in a New York City hotel room, he briefed us on the current events and all the exciting things happening within the organization.  Then he concluded with this:  "Remember Team, it's important to be thankful for what you have, and remember about how far you've come".  I enjoyed hearing all the exciting news about my company, but those closing remarks are what I remember the most about that town hall meeting.

In mid-September, Samantha, Aidan, and I went on a cruise with my in laws.  It was a week-long adventure that departed from the port in Seattle, made three stops in Alaska, and one stop in British Columbia before returning to Seattle.  Although I take a couple of days off work here and there for long weekend trips, I hadn't had a longer vacation with a week off work for quite some time.  I can't remember the last time I had a week where I could just relax and I didn't have to be preoccupied with work.  It turned out having a week-long vacation gave me a lot of time and opportunities to express gratitude.  For me, those moments tend to come naturally when my mind is calm and I'm in a chill setting.  It's been nearly twenty years since my mother's death.  For those who don't know the story, she struggled with alcoholism for quite some time and died during my teenage years.  It was the hardest thing I've ever dealt with.  It's been a roller coaster of experiences since then, but the biggest takeaway I had was this:  don't take shit for granted, and be grateful for what you have.  My life is far from perfect, but I have so much to be grateful for.  Taking the time during our vacation to remind myself of everything good I have in my life was just what I needed in my otherwise fast paced reality. 

One of those moments was when we were in Seattle.  We were staying in a hotel in the downtown area the night before we were supposed to board the cruise ship and head for Alaska.  I woke up early and walked to a local coffee shop down the street.  It was a small joint with only a couple of tables inside.  The barista wore thick glasses and gave off a friendly, but also a kind of reserved vibe.  Grunge music played on the coffee shop stereo, and the coffee was piping hot and delicious.  Outside, the temperature was chilly and the sky was grey and overcast.  In other words, the whole experience felt very "Seattle" to me.  As I sipped my coffee, I took a twenty-minute or so walk through the surrounding neighborhood.  It was one of those moments where everything just seemed super chill, and I naturally thought about all the things that I was grateful for.

The trip was a success.  It was my first time going on a cruise, and our first time on a proper vacation with Aidan.  Of course that made it different from when we traveled without a kid, but we just rolled with it and had a good time.  We had stops in Skagway, Ketchikan, and Victoria.  Unfortunately, we had to bypass our scheduled stop in Juneau due to there being a dangerous storm in the area.  I enjoyed our on-shore adventures, but being on the cruise ship and just hanging out was very rejuvenating for me.  I loved going up on the top deck of the ship, sipping some hot coffee, and just looking out over the ocean.  The surrounding scenery varied depending on where we were.  Some of the time, all I could see was ocean in every direction as far out as the horizon would go.  Other times, some distant mountains and land were visible.  There was a mini-golf course on the top deck of the ship, which Aidan and I visited every day.  Having that time to not have to think about anything and just play mini-golf with Aidan or sip coffee and look out over the ocean was another opportunity to reflect on how far I've come.  Sometimes the simplest things in life bring the most gratitude.        

Samantha and I love Aidan to pieces, but when we have quiet time when he's either asleep or not with us, it gives us time to just chill and think about what we have to be grateful for.  One evening, when we were docked in Ketchikan, my in-laws were kind enough to watch Aidan for a few hours while Samantha and I went on-shore and into town for dinner.  We chatted with some locals and found a great restaurant with super cool servers, and delicious Alaskan crab.  It was the best crab I had ever tasted.  Another stretch of time when things were so nice and chill that we could just reflect on life.  We were grateful for the experience.  

Since returning from our trip, I've made a genuine effort to create more time to express gratitude and reflect on my life journey.  It doesn't necessarily have to be when I'm on vacation.  I have plenty of time during the day when I'm alone.  In the shower, driving to and from work, my morning run, etc.  Expressing gratitude while I'm in the shower has been my thing lately.  It really just makes the rest of my day better all around.  I'm a morning person, and I like to use my mornings to have quiet time and go for a nice run.  Expressing gratitude while in the shower has been a nice addition to my morning routine.  Life is cool and exciting, but let's face it, today's world is busy and full of noise.  It's very easy to get overstimulated.  Stepping back, expressing gratitude, being thankful for all we've been through and how far we've come is exactly what I think the world needs.  It's certainly been beneficial to me.  If we stop and think, there really are a lot of good things in the world.  Sometimes we just need to slow things down in order to find them. 

When Life Comes At You Fast, Run An Ultra

Change is unavoidable in life.  It can be a great thing because change often means moving forward.  It means it's time to move on to the next chapter in life and become a better version of ourselves.  But change can also be hard because it can be overwhelming.  When things change abruptly, it can take a big psychological toll on us.  Our brains use a lot of energy to adapt to a new routine which can leave us exhausted and drained.  Even for people who embrace change, it can be a lot to handle.  People cope with change in different ways, often by doing things that relax them.  This is why I believe it's important to have hobbies.  We all need something we enjoy doing as a way of hitting the psychological reset button and decluttering our minds.  With the changes that have been going on in my life lately, I thought what better way to clear my mind then to run a 50K ultramarathon?

Noble Canyon 50K start

In the early morning hours of September 6th, 2025, I found myself driving down the 5 freeway to the start line of the Noble Canyon 50K.  The race takes place in the town of Pine Valley, about an hour east of San Diego in the Cuyamaca Mountains.  I had just passed through San Clemente, and I was enjoying the tranquility of the quiet, dark freeway, with the Pacific Ocean to my right, and the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains to my left.  I always enjoy the car rides to ultramarathon start lines.  The ride there is quiet and calm, while the ride home is often more rambunctious with music playing in the car and a lot of reflecting on how the day went.  I stopped at a remote 7-Eleven store for a second cup of coffee and a package of Pop Tarts for pre-race fuel before arriving at the start area shortly before sunrise.  It was a good day out on the course.  I reflected a lot on the last couple of months and unloaded a lot of thoughts on the trail that had been taking up too much space in my mind.  More on that in a little while, but I got what I wanted out of this race:  a finish, and a chance to declutter my mind.  But I got more than just that, because every ultramarathon has a story.  The course was beautiful and was mostly on single track trails.  This race had a little bit of everything in terms of scenery:  A little alpine forest, a little high desert, some small ponds, and lots of great views.  The weather in this area of California can get quite hot at this time of the year.  Fortunately, on this day, it was warm but not sweltering.  Most of the runners were from the San Diego area, but I met one guy who was from the Chicago suburbs.  He was in Southern California for a work conference, and we traded stories about living in Chicago.  Those were some pretty fun years of my life.  I found myself reflecting on some of those memories as I continued along after we parted ways at an aid station.  

Approaching the halfway point

At around mile twenty-one, I came up behind a runner who was standing still in the middle of the trail.  I asked him if everything was okay, and he just laughed and said "dude, this fucking snake will not move".  I looked, and sure enough, there was a small rattlesnake coiled up right in the middle of the trail about six feet in front of us.  Rattlesnakes normally avoid humans as much as possible, and with two-hundred runners out there, I was surprised he was just hanging out in an open area like that.  I grabbed a small rock off the trailside and tossed it in the snake's direction.  The goal was not to hit the snake, but to get his attention.  It usually works and they slither off the trail shortly afterwards.  But this guy wasn't moving.  "I tried everything man, he just doesn't want to move" the other guy said.  It seems silly for two grown men to be standing on a trail, too scared to run past a snake, but trust me, it's not a good ideal to screw around with rattlers.  They normally only bite if they feel like they need to, but we don't know what they're thinking.  Not only do their bites hurt like hell, but the venom that they release into your system can produce short term symptoms such as swelling, nausea, dizziness, and other fun symptoms.  And if bites are left untreated with antivenom, you could risk doing long term damage to your body.  I tried tossing one more small rock towards the snake, but he was unphased.  He just looked at us as if to say "is that all you got?".  Within a few minutes, another runner came up, and then a fourth one.  The fourth guy had an idea that none of us thought to try.  "Hey bro, let me borrow your trekking poles real fast" he said to the first guy.  He took the trekking poles, reached forward, and picked the snake up off the trail, like two giant chop sticks picking up a giant chow mein noodle.  The snake protested instantly.  He hissed and rattled as he was forced to the trailside.  Even though we knew it wouldn't do any good, we apologized to the snake.  "Sorry buddy" we all said.  "We know this is your home, but you gotta move".  After the runner released him into the brush with the trekking poles, he slithered away passive aggressively and rattled some more just to drive his point home.  He may have been pissed, but he didn't get hurt and neither did any of us.  

Big smiles while approaching the finish line

After that brief although entertaining episode, the course was mostly downhill to the finish line.  I was feeling pretty good up about around mile twenty-six.  At that point, the course because steeper and more technical.  Going downhill is usually a good thing during races, however when the downhill is steep with rocks and tree roots cluttering the trail, downhill isn't so good.  Every step required heightened concentration to avoid tripping and falling.  Just when it seemed like the trail would never end, it finally deposited me onto a remote paved road, which I followed for a mile-and-a-half to the finish line.  I rallied along, and crossed the finish in seven hours and forty-eight minutes.  It certainly wasn't one of my faster 50Ks, but every finish is worth celebrating.  I had some pretty painful muscle cramping afterwards, but after a post race beer and some stretching, my muscles slowly stopped tying themselves in knots.  No amount of cramping could erase the journey I went on that day.  I may have had cramped muscles and been covered in dry sweat, but my mind was at peace.  Thirty-one miles, and almost eight hours on the trail had left me feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.  That morning before the race, I had a lot on my mind.  I arrived home that day ready to spend the rest of the weekend with my family and tackle my second week of work at my new job.  As long as I can run, I will use it to mellow things out when my brain is ready to go kablooey.  When life comes at you fast, run an ultra.  Everything will make sense afterwards!  

Parenthood and Fitness

Scooter time on the Salt Creek Trail

My son, Aidan, just turned three years old a couple of weeks ago.  It's hard to believe, and time sure flies, but here we are.  The guy is living his best life.  Any stereotype you can think of pertaining to a three-year-old boy, Aidan probably lives up to it.  He's always jumping off of things, he freely expresses his feelings, he loves to smile and laugh, he seeks out adventure whenever he can, and he's constantly pushing the boundaries of what he's capable of.  Even though fatherhood has its challenges, I love this kid to pieces.  When he was born, I wasn't sure of what the future was going to look like.  Samantha and I were both navigating through parenthood for the first time, taking it one day at a time.  When you have a kid, being a mom or a dad becomes part of your identity.  As parents, our kids play such a large role in our lives, it's inevitable.  Being Mama or Daddy becomes part of who we are.  But my personal belief is  just because I became a dad, that doesn't necessarily mean that my whole identity has be Daddy.  I love Aidan more than anything, but I didn't want to throw my whole identity away.  I didn't want to have my life as a parent completely take over and obliterate every other aspect of my reality.  I wanted to prove to myself that I could still be a runner, an outdoor enthusiast, a husband, and a solid team member at work while still being a good dad.  Keeping up my physical and mental fitness was especially important to me.  It took some creative planning, but I still ran pretty regularly throughout Aidan's newborn and infant stages.  Although I haven't put in the same level of training as I did before Aidan was born, I've continued to run ultramarathons into fatherhood.  If anything, it gives me more to think about while I'm out on the course putting one foot in front of the other.  

Happy 3rd birthday, little dude!

During Samantha's pregnancy I was commuting to San Mateo a few days a week from where were living in Sunnyvale.  I would listen to an audio book for expectant fathers during the car ride to and from the office.  One of the things I remember the author mentioning is once babies begin walking, and eventually running, being a dad becomes more physically demanding.  The author suggested that expectant dads keep up their physical fitness so they're able to run after their kid once they're mobile.  He was right.  I almost feel like spending dad time with Aidan can be counted towards my daily workout routine.  The kid can really get around.  When we were living in Sunnyvale we had a long hallway in our apartment building.  Shortly after Aidan turned two years old, he and I would run together side by side down the hallway to the elevator and back.  We would do that several times, and it was often difficult to get him to come back into our apartment.  Since we moved down to Laguna Niguel, he's only become more active.  During the fall and winter months this past year, our routine was after Aidan was finished eating dinner we'd have chase time.  Aidan would come up to me and say "Aidan and Daddy chasing" with a big smile on his face.  "Yep, Aidan and Daddy chasing!" I would reply.  Then we would run after each other around our living room and dining room.  We would occasionally add a beach ball to the equation by passing it back and forth to each other.  We would tag each other and say "tag, you're it!".  But let's be realistic.  Daddy was always it.  When the spring and summer months arrived and the sun stayed out longer, we started running side by side outside our townhouse through our neighborhood.  Our new thing that we do nowadays is Aidan will ride his scooter around our neighborhood after dinner, and I'll run alongside him.  Sometimes he goes a mile to a mile-and-a-half.  It's a really fun way to spend time with him and it adds a few extra footsteps to my daily workout.  Our neighbors get a kick out of seeing him, so it's a cool way to meet new people as well.      

Memorial Day 2025, running his first kids race

Samantha has a similar routine with him.  She has a membership at the local YMCA in our neighborhood, and goes there to workout at the fitness center four to five times per week.  They have a daycare center for young kids within the facility so parents can drop off their kids, go use the amenities, and the kids can hangout for up to ninety minutes.  The cool part is the gym has windows that overlook the daycare center so parents can keep an eye on their kids.  Samantha's routine includes going to the YMCA in the morning and dropping Aidan off at the daycare center.  She works out in the fitness center, picks Aidan up, then they usually go across the street to Crown Valley Park, where Aidan will play on the playground or take a walk on the nature trails within the park.  And when I say "take a walk" what I actually mean is he'll run and Samantha will chase after him.  She has similar experiences within the YMCA facility.  Aidan is energetic and curious, which means he loves to take off running around the YMCA to wherever he damn well pleases.  He'll venture into the weight room and try to imitate adults who are lifting weights or doing crunches.  In fact, late last year, we bought him a pair of Styrofoam weights so he can "work out" with Daddy in the living room.  Last week, Samantha sent me a video of him riding an adult stationary bike at the YMCA.  It was pretty awesome to see, but Samantha mentioned the gym supervisor promptly, but politely told him that he needed to dismount.  Even though he seemed to have a good grasp on how to ride the bike, it was probably for the best that he not be on there.  Suffice to say, Samantha is also adding several footsteps to her daily workout routine by simply being a toddler boy mom. 

First ferris wheel ride

I'm glad that Aidan is exposed to this kind of lifestyle.  I think it's good for him to go to the YMCA with Samantha and see what that part of her life is all about.  Even if he's technically not supposed to be in there, I love that he ventures into the weight room and the stationary bike area.  It's good for him to understand that this is where Mama goes almost everyday, and it's a super healthy habit.  It's great for him to see that his mom takes care of her health.  I also think its great for him see me working out in the living room and join in with his Styrofoam weights.  He's also used to seeing me in my running gear, he sees my snowboard and boogie board, and all the other stuff I have that fuels my passions.  He's always curious and wanting to know what everything is.  At this point in his life, his mind is absorbing like a sponge.  I think it's good for him to see that Mama and Daddy have their passions and hobbies and they take care of themselves.  When I was a little kid I wanted to be around adults who were happy and healthy, who loved what they did, and had cool hobbies and passions.  I hope we're providing that for Aidan.  We try.  This doesn't necessarily mean that I expect Aidan to become a runner, a snowboarder, a boogie boarder, a weight lifter, etc.  If he does, that would be awesome, but we would never force anything on him.  I just hope that he absorbs this reality around him, he views his parents in a positive way, and it inspires him to be a healthy and happy dude as he grows up.  Time will tell.   

Doing some strength training while we wait for a table at The Pancake House

I'm only three years in and I'm still learning how to navigate this whole parenting thing.  I'm by no means an expert.  But some advice that I would give to an expectant first time parent, if they asked, would be this.  Invest in yourself.  Invest in your physical health, your mental health, and don't give up on your hobbies, your passions, or your goals and dreams.  It might sound hard or even impossible when so much of your time is devoted to taking care of a kid.  It's challenging, but it's not impossible.  If we don't take care of our physical and mental health and we throw away our passions and dreams, what's left?  We would be miserable, and I don't think anyone wants their kid to grow up around that.  When parents invest in their physical health, mental health, and their passions, it's not selfish.  It's setting a positive example for their kids.  It's showing them the difference between going through the motions and really living life.  It's giving kids an exciting life instead of a boring one.  In my opinion, happy parents are better parents than miserable parents.  The more positivity kids absorb, the better of a shot they have at success.