The simple life

Ahhh...life. I'm taking a break from life and the grind and replaced it

with a new kind of grind. One that is less demanding in an environment which I can

relate.

So, after "fun-employment" ran out and realizing that being a personal

trainer meant still being a sales person, but now I was liable for the

well-being of unmotivated masses that were only interested in getting

thin rather than working out, I decided to take a job that was

offered to me in a yoga studio. Around the same time I also took a job in a running store

selling running shoes. Now, these may not seem like glamourous jobs to most

people but they are my two passions in life right now, running and

Yoga, and it only makes sense that I want to be closer to them any way possible, 

even if it means taking an enormous pay cut.

I often wonder how many people are judging me when they see me selling

running shoes or wonder why I'm not the yoga instructor but rather

the person behind the desk signing in their names. It doesn't really

matter to me and I don't care so much. I like what I do right now and the

people I surround myself with are spiritually beautiful. I used to

spend most of my working days stressed out and depressed and now the

only things that seem to bum me out are my running injuries.  Yes, they

are still here with me and they get in the way of both yoga and

running.

Not to go on and whine about this and that but I really thought I

would but done with this piriformis syndrome by now. I have signed up

for three fall marathons hoping for the come back of Ultra Mega Mark (my

former myspace tag, in honor of my ultra races and a Soundgarden

album.) Everything seems to be going wonky now, even my foot pain from

last year has returned. And then the last straw...my knees. My Knees?

WTF?? Isn't that the excuse for every non-runner out there? Thankfully

I have resolved the knee issue with the use of a DVD from Phil Wharton -

http://www.whartonperformance.com/. I won't go into what they do but

all I can say is that it works as a warm-up and a stretch. Phil has worked with
Olympic athletes for over 25 years. I'm sure this will aid in my recovery from my 

other injuries too once I stop running for a couple of months and give my body a break.

In the meantime I've just run the Steamtown marathon in Scranton, PA

in over 4hrs (4:28.) I said it was going to be a long slow run for me

and not a race but I have to tell you it sucks coming in and seeing

the clock at 4:30, especially when I would get upset over coming in at

3:45 in the past. But I'm putting my ego to the side for now. I'll run the New

York Marathon next week and probably do worse since the course is much

harder. But I will take a page from last year and remember to be in

the moment and enjoy the experience. Because in the end that is what it's

all about.

My last adventure this year will be in Las Vegas. This would be a lot

more fun if I was fit. I hear the course is nice and it starts at 4:00pm

which makes sleeping a lot easier. I may switch and do the half marathon

instead but we shall wait 'til after the NYC Marathon to make that decision.

Until my next post, adios!  Good luck to all the runners out there. Do

your best but more importantly, enjoy the process and remember you're

only running this because you want to. Peace.