Friday

I am loving my new job and for the first time in my life, I am experiencing a normal Friday. I felt good about my work for the week and now get the satisfying feeling of looking forward to a weekend. This is all new to me. In so many ways I feel giddy. It's not that I mind work in the least, but the long evasive weekend has taunted me. I am glad for it. I believe good work is worthy of good pay. I also believe time off is the just reward for working hard. For so many years I have watched my hard work rewarded with demands for more still. I am truly grateful to have this job and finally get to pour my energy and hard work to an enterprise that will take better care of me. In turn, they will get everything I've got.

Snack Lunch

It's a beautiful day here in Colorado! I just returned from some errands for work and am grabbing a quick lunch. I bought a few items from the store for a healthy, easy to transport bite. My appetite would necessitate a much larger bag if I brought all the food I could eat, thusly I am settling for the snack type lunch. I enjoyed a Gala apple, Sommersaults, and a PB&J Lara bar. It's good to be able to recognize all the ingredients in your food I am starting to see.

Taking a Walk

As of late, Tiff and I have been taking the dogs for a longer walk in the evening. It has been a great relaxation doing this. I am trying acclimate to not having to work hard all the time as I had for several months now. When I wasn't at work, I was working to find work or supplementing with some extra work. Having time off, even at the end of the day feels pretty new. These walks have been perfect for reminding me to enjoy life about me a little. I have my wonderful wife and two adoring, happy-go-lucky dogs with me and everything feels good… balanced. I am a lucky guy and strive to never forget that.

First Day

First days. They have since grade school been a cause of blind anxiety and excitement all wrapped in one. Today was my first day at my new job and it went swimmingly well. There was the anticipated feelings of familiarity and much more unknown. I love my new job and especially who I am working for and am thrilled to pour my enemies into its success. I also could see where even as drastic a leap from jobs as I have just made (temp fix to ongoing home) does not exclude having a modicum of baggage from the previous employer. However, I am respected and trusted here and am very happy to be moving forward finally. It has been a while. I can't wait for day two!

Reset

Today is Memorial Day and for me it is a day of transition. I finished my temporary job last night and begin a much more rewarding one tomorrow morning. The segue day was very much anticipated with eagerness. We hit the mountains with some friends and did some hiking on St. Mary's Glacier. It felt fun to hike up and run down in 3 inches of snow while enjoying 70 degrees in shorts and a t-shrt. We had a great meal at our friends house, trying a Thug Kitchen recipe for Red Bean and Spinach Burgers. Not bad. On the home front we relaxed some and took care of some odds and ends while enjoying some fresh juice. Yesterday we picked up a juicer and it has already become a great addition to our kitchen and diets. A wonderful walk with the dogs and now some tea and vegan ice cream and I am officially a happier camper. Tomorrow I jump into an exciting new position and today I did almost everything I know to do to reset myself to a happier place. 

Breakfast Down the Block

Sundays have been my long run day for training since mid January. Just before I began this training, Tiff and I had started grabbing breakfast in our new Capital Hill neighborhood. We liked getting out early and beating the crowds and truly enjoyed the food around us. I have been looking forward returning to this for weeks now and today I finally got the chance. We boogied over to City o' City and had fantastic veggie breakfasts. It feels good to have these routines in our neighborhood. I will be out again pounding out the miles soon enough (Denver Rock n' Roll marathon, Oct. 20th), but for now it was a welcomed break.

Recognizing My Dinner

Tiff and I have been making a more concerted effort to eat well lately. For us this has been an unusual step as our diets are for the most part vegetarian, ergo not a lot of room for improvement, right? Well, as it turns out, no meat does not inherently mean healthier. Obviously a Snickers bar is not meat, but not exactly healthy either. What we have been doing is moving more towards whole foods and less animal products. Yes, by definition it is closer to vegan but that term is a bit to far for us as of yet. What has been great is finding options that are tasty and exciting. After all, don't for the sake of don't has never been an appealing answer. What we have found has been tremendous and incredibly satisfying. It also coincides with the desire to not endorse and contribute to unethical industries like Monsanto and ConAgra. I will refrain from the soap box on those guys tonight. It just seems to make so much more sense to know what you are eating. It tends to lead to feeling better too.

To the Bike

My ride at Coors Field on a day when temperature never got above 20 degrees.

As the weather is remaining comfortable, I am delighting in easier rides around my neighborhood. Without secured parking and dealing with the ridiculous amount of traffic in the area, riding my bike is faster than taking my vehicle out. I can get to most of my needs in under 20 minutes and never have to try and find parking. I am glad to get the chance to enjoy this option as it became one of my favorite aspects of life in Chicago. I am also experiencing another familiar feeling as the streets are getting more crowded with bikes, that of slight indignation. I know it's screwy, but having risen most of the winter, you gain a degree of entitlement over other bikes, especially those spandex and logo clad folks. It is screwy though and ultimately I know the more bikes that are out there the better and safer my community is.

Perspectives Today

I'm excited to get out and stretch the legs a little this morning. After 3 days of rest, the feel ready for a little exercise. I am planning a short run and might even slip on the Vibram 5 Finger to keep my pace managed. I'm also looking forward to getting out and running a few errands today. One of the ways fear seems to manifest itself for me is an urge to shop. I get this compulsion I need stuff to tackle a situation, like running a marathon or starting a new job. It feels convincing till I give it some thought. That's when the fear of the unknown gets exposed and I can remind myself of the guiding principle I have adopted of "want less, do more." That being said, I was able to fairly assess a couple gaps in my wardrobe that need filling prior to starting the new position. I also took time to purge a little further from my closet before hand.

I enjoy getting things done and am starting to see where I can apply this yen towards my new found time.

Free Time

I find myself in a strange state of limbo right now. The marathon is over and I am electing to not run for a few days to rest the legs I have worked so hard. My new job begins next week. So many activities that have been routine are now not happening that on mornings like this, I find myself a little daunted as to what to do next. There are projects and tasks, but for the most part, I have a degree of free time I have not really had in a long time. It's good, but slightly confusing. I would not say I am board, but a little unsure what to do with myself.

The Streak is Over

Yesterday was my first day without running since December 30th. I was awfully proud of my streak, ending with 140 consecutive days. I appreciate and respect rest days, but just didn't feel like stopping. The marathon left me a little sore, but on the whole not too bad. One of the things about the streak that was getting tough was keeping it going. I am glad to take a few days off and rest up some. I am already feeling itchy to get back out, but I know my legs are reaping more benefit from not right now. It is wonderful to have found something like running that recharges, exhausts, and ultimately refocuses me. Yesterday I felt a bit fuzzy without that daily hit. Balance though is a beautiful thing.

Quiet

After all the hullaballoo this last weekend, I am greatly enjoying my cup of coffee, the soft rain outside and some good music. It feels good to have tis down time right now. Some exciting changes are coming in the next weeks and I am very much ready to take them on. But for now I am savoring the rest and recoup time after yesterday's run. Even the dogs are sleeping a little sounder this morning.

Colfax Marathon 2013

The marathon is in the books and I am the umber proud owner of a new PR, 3:50:20. After 5 attempts, I have finally been admitted to the sub 4hr marathon club. Having put in more concentrated effort than ever before, I am tremendously gratified it paid off. I wasn't even in bad shape afterwards. It was a great and completely different experience. I knew the course from last year and had run most of it on a 22mi training run. My wife and folks were out to cheer me on and their efforts to get around the course amaze me. Tiff even brought the dogs out. It was a great boost every time I saw them. The heat was tolerable, but definitely uncomfortable. 

My official info:

TROY 

gender:	M
location:	DENVER, CO
overall place:	275 out of 1208
division place:	89
gender place:	223
time:	3:50:20
pace:	8:47
"6 4 mile split:	59:55
"10 3 mile spli:	1:35:26
"15 9 mile spli:	2:22:42
"19 9 mile spli:	2:56:51

Very grateful and tired!

The Calm

Tomorrow is the marathon and today is essentially the calm before the storm. All I am supposed to do today is relax, eat well, and crash way early. It is the time to trust all the training and mentally start getting my head wrapped around the task tomorrow. Today is actually a tougher day for me as the relax part is not so easy for me. When looking at a big task, I want to do stuff. I know I have never trained as hard as I have for this one and to that end, I am a little more at ease today. I know tomorrow will go well and I will have fun doing it. Whether or not a new PR is set is just gravy at this point. It will all come down to racing smart and being mindful. Most importantly though, I am looking forward to the fun.

New Job

I am thrilled to announce my job quest has come to a wonderful close. It has been a long few months in search of a new position and some serious soul searching. The details of the job are not what I am interested though in discussing. Personal details like that have no place online. I write about my life pretty honestly, but always with the awareness that this is a public format.

What I am excited about is that for the first time in my life I have been aiming for a better job. I wanted elements that would offer some stability and satisfaction. I have floated quite a bit throughout my employment history mostly due to a full time focus on acting. There has also been some considerable moves to account for some of my job changes, like becoming a top Production Assistant on film crews while in LA. This search, I cast aside all notions of "should" and "could" and sought an unknown. I knew what I wanted in a job, but not as sure where I could find all of them. It has been an adventure.

I am truly grateful for the support and help that has been offered along the way. I am excited to get to work in a week or so and finally pour my energy into something I can make a difference with. As with all gifts in my life, it doesn't look like what I thought I wanted, but I could not be more excited for this opportunity. I think it is going to be very, very good.

Critical Support

One of the greatest parts of running the marathon (finally) is having some people to share it with. I am tremendously grateful each and every time I get to see my loved ones with their familiar orange signs. They are the true rockstars each marathon sunday.

I also have to say my wife is one of my greatest supporters. While on race day, there are tons of runners and folks out to support, Tiff sends me out the door with support and encouragement every Sunday. She asks what my run looks like each day and offers encouragement. She does it because she loves me and I have no doubt if I never said the word "marathon" again she wouldn't notice. None the less, she is the constant support that I have grown to rely upon.

To Tiff and my wonderful family, thank you!!!

Good Meets Training Plan

This is the final week till the marathon and in the taper period the focus is on eating and sleeping well. That has been a goal for the year (The Year of Good) so it is not as much of a leap. It has traditionally been an area of difficulty though for me. While I have been able to adapt somewhat easily to pushing myself out the door to log endless miles, I still struggle with hitting the pillow early. There is no amount of will power that can make me fall asleep with, I have tried everything. What I am finding though is that since I have been aiming to improve these areas over the last 5 months, it is coming easier. I want to go to bed earlier and want to eat better. That has helped tremendously. I do think Sunday is going to be a good run and am hoping for a new PR (personal record) on my marathon time. I am still vehemently holding onto my first two rules though which are to have fun and finish.

Uh oh.

It's just 5 days till the Colfax Marathon and there is disturbing trend happening here in Denver. It's getting warmer. That is great for summer plans or catching a ballgame, but running distance? Not so much. It hasn't gotten "hot" yet, but it is getting increasingly warm and I am modestly concerned for the latter portion of the race. That is where I am hoping to try out my new and improved training plan and really glide. If it's warm, that might be tougher. It's so strange that while training for this marathon, I brazed 2 long runs that were blizzard conditions (one of which I had to seek warmth in an REI for 20 min). I know what will be will be and even if it is "hot" come mile 24 and on, I will be fine. It's going to be a great day, no matter what.

Car Wash

A true right of Spring happened for me this morning. I took the Jeep over for what seems, its annual washing. I did this to clean the top and windows before taking them down. I real didn't know how dirty my Jeep had gotten. It is a Jeep and it doesn't bother me much too see some dirt on it. None the less, the top is down and my new windows are getting ready for a summer storage. On the way home, Summertime came on the jazz station. There are just moments that are quite simply perfect.

Perspective

Today was one of those days that seemed to fly by. I just did the next things before me like run and work and before I knew it, the sun had set. While I know I wasn't at my best today, I was far from my worst. There is some comfort in knowing improvement was had. It's silly things like being more patient with folks that take more time and not constantly looking out for satisfaction. If these are my struggles today, I can honestly say today was a good day and that I have no real problems. While that may seem simple enough, I can often miss the peaceful forrest in lieu of a few frustrating trees. 

Wait

Good changes are in the air. It's a blessing and quite exciting. I have been praying and working my ass off and it would seen the time has finally arrived when the work is paying off. There are always three answers when I question a situation and that's yes, no, and wait. I am glad I waited. 

Simple Morning

There are just some simple pleasures that can certainly get a day off to a good start. Today I was awoke by one of our dogs just looking at me. At first a bit disorienting, I quickly saw my wife had figured this to be a funny way to get me up and she quickly burst out in a laugh. I adore that laugh. I walked our dogs and enjoyed a great cup of coffee. It changed into my running clothes and headed out for one of my easy taper runs through my neighborhood. The air was chilly but still ok for shorts and short sleeves. The houses in my neighborhood are old and beautiful and my legs already feel ready for the marathon a week from Sunday. It's just been one of those days to savor the moments.

The Yankees

My home team, The Colorado Rockies, are about to enter the final game of their series against the New York Yankees. It has been exciting to have the Yankees in town and so far the series is split. What is so special about the Yankees? They seem to epitomize an excellence in baseball, a legacy that few other clubs do. While they may not always be a championship team, they represent one. You can't look at the blue pinstripes without thinking about how many legends have worn that same uniform. Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle are just a few. To beat the Yankees, you feel a little like a part of that history. So many people love to hate the Yankees and for some pretty justifiable reasons, but I suspect the victory their teams might have would be all the sweeter for those reasons. I personally love the Yankees because they represent such a foe. They are the Yankees, unabashedly and without apologies. They back role players whose individual salaries are greater than some entire teams. However, it's baseball. One swing of the bat and even a rookie with no name recognition can win a game. No amount of money can buy a home run. That's why they are fun to play, especially f they are not in your league. This is only the 3rd time in 20 years they have come to Denver. It's fun and it's exciting. I also hope it ends with a victory for Colorado today.

Simple

Digital Junk Drawer

I've recently started trying to clean up some file on my computer, namely my photos. They seem like a virtual vision of throwing them in a drawer for the last 8 years. With many different computers and cameras they all seem to be in different files and organization. I just recently noticed my music also needs some clean and purging as well.

When I moved to LA a few years back, I took my extensive CD collection and moved most of it onto my computer. To my parents chagrin, the now pointless cases are still boxed in their basement. While this allowed for a considerable downsize in space and weight, my music library overflows with filler songs on albums I was never that interested in. This becomes very apparent when out on a run and I just hit shuffle. At least once a run, I recognize a singer or band but have no idea why I have a particular song. There are great artists and groups I love having entire albums of, but certainly not all of them. With the mainstreaming of digital music and photos, the old idea of house cleaning seemed like an unnecessary task. They take minor space and why bother?

Well, it would seem there is good reason to bother. Beyond keeping many junk files from bogging down my machine, it feels good to let go of the stuff that I don't need. Much like finally taking unwanted clothes to donate, getting rid of the songs, albums, and blurry pictures makes me feel better. Technology continues to make so many things easier and faster, but I don't necessarily need to max out my music capacity because I have it. Much like the spirit of the Year of Good, I'd rather have a few beloved tunes than a ton of ehh.

Actual Spring

It's supposed to rain this evening and to me that feels like when Spring actually begins. I am feeling the bug to purge the closet, clean the corners, and open the windows. There is a great energy about this time of the year and personally I needed the rejuvenation. With a much more intense marathon training schedule, I have been feeling just worn out. I am glad for the rain and the fresh breath that just comes when Spring actually comes.

It's Duo Marathon Year

Game on!

Furry Scurry

My wife and I are about to head down to the Furry Scurry this morning with our Westies. We are just spectators but are excited to see what it is all about. Benefits for the animals are are definitely activities we are strongly interested in. I am excited to go and take it in, even if it does not include a run. There seems no end to what can be done to help with rescues and while I know it is not the most talked about group in need, it does have one thing most tragedies do not. Our society (and many other around the world) perpetuates most of the troubles faced.

Our shelters overflow and labs continue to get away with what they are permitted to. Groups like The Beagle Freedom Project and The Dumb Friends League are working to try and help where they can. That seems a noble enough cause to get behind and do what we can. It will not change the problem, but our efforts do make a difference and they do help. Whether it's dropping a bill or two in the donation jar or making sure your house hold products are cruelty-free, every action can help lead to some change.

Good After 4 Months

This is still what I have deemed the year if good. My resolution has not faded. Over the first 4 months, I have begun eating better and moving more towards a vegetarian diet. My music has included more jazz and looking for better songs through Pandora with some great new acquisitions. The sleeping is getting better with further efforts to retire at earlier hours and get up more routinely around the same time.

After 4 months, I am happy to say it has seemed to be raising a level of happy has been going up. More importantly, it feels good. It's the 3rd day of May now and New Year's resolutions are such distant memories. Those were consoling ideas for post holidays and deep winter cocoons. However, should the idea of good food, good music, and good sleep sound… well good, give it a try for a day. Three decent meals, a great album, and a decent night's sleep. It makes a big difference.

Volunteer

I'm off to volunteer to help restore a park this morning. It feels good to be trying to do some good. I am not sure to what extent I will be working today but I am glad to have the chance.

What I Should Have Said

I had an interaction yesterday that has just stuck with me. Right or wrong, I can not seem to let this discussion go. It's frustrating to me to keep replaying it over and over again, although I know it is very normal to do so. The whole fantasy of having a conversation where you said this or that seems fairly common. What irks me is when it was an unpleasant one and I continue to stay in the discomfort, reliving it. To paraphrase a friend, healthy is not having conversations with people that aren't there. While that seems a no brainer when considering going all Harvey, when I apply it to my mind I am challenged at times. Especially right now. Rarely can I just change for the sake of change without knowing why. This seems simple enough though. I need to stop replaying that conversation to feel better. Simple, not easy.