Softening the blow

And my midsection for that matter....'tis the season to be chubby!

In addition to filling up on all the holiday treats, there's been a number of things that's filled my heart and soul to soften the blow of my second failed attempt at qualifying for Boston. To say that I am honored and humbled by the success of A Run For Your Money is the biggest understatement of the year. In just a little over 3 weeks, this campaign raised $2,000 for the BGCH with the support of family, friends, fellow athletes, co-workers, and past BGCH alumni. Check out this small write-up in the aio Hawaii newsletter—

A Run For Your Money getting some press.

On January 3rd, the BGCH will be hosting a rededication/open house event at the Spalding Clubhouse in McCully, where they'll set aside some time for me to present the check. Not only was this particular clubhouse my after school hang out, the neighborhood itself was my old stomping grounds for 5 years so I've made a request to direct all the funds raised to benefit this community.

Anyway, as much as I wanted to just kick back and relax after the marathon, opportunities came knocking and I was more than eager to let 'em in. Remember back in September when I got my personal trainer certification through ACE? Well folks, I will finally get the chance to make use of it. The original plan was to ease into it and shadow various professionals in the industry to find the best fit for me. Ha! So much for that, new plan– cannonball into the deep end of the pool and make the biggest splash possible.

So, for the first quarter of the new year, I'm going to have one hell of a work schedule. I'll get into the details of each as they roll out but basically, starting next Monday for the next six weeks, I'll be assisting a fellow athlete's triathlon boot camp on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturdays. Initially I was signed up as a participant but when I was asked to be the second set of eyes I asked, where do I sign? Seriously, just the opportunity to work with and learn from Eric Glaus is huge. I've always believed that you first need to follow before you can lead, and what better person to follow than a multiple Kona Ironman finisher and all-around fitness guru. 

Okay next up, I'm super stoked to sign a partnership with an amazing athlete who approached me for personal training. Yup, my very first client and an awesome one at that...a Boston marathon qualifier and an Ironman-in-training, no less! Kim Burnett and I will be working together on a functional strength + core conditioning program starting January 8 on Fridays and Sundays. Bonus fact– Kim is the woman standing next to me in the photo above in the newsletter, with our hands clasped forming the BGCH logo. Or perhaps the sign of a future partnership. Coincidence? I think not!

Last and certainly not the least, I'm signed up to teach a 12-week group class working under Lee-Ann Watanabe of 2CW HI Fitness. I've known Lee-Ann since my very first year training with BOCA and I've always liked her style so when she approached me to help grow her business soon after I got certified, I was happy to oblige. I've been shadowing a number of her classes and starting to co-teach some of them and starting January 10 through the end of March, I'll be teaching my very own classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

Told you I'd have one helluva schedule. Lucky for me, it's "off-season" so my training load is lighter than usual plus Eric encourages me to suffer along with the rest of the boot campers so I'll get to break a sweat while I'm working too. Truth be told, when all of these opportunities came up (within days of each other, mind you) I was scared as hell. For the next 3 months, I'll be living and breathing out of my comfort zone and no doubt will trip up on a few occasions. But, I know I'm in great company and will learn a lot from this experience. Here's to staying hungry, staying foolish...