May 24th, 2019

At 6 years old, I was already competing. At 8 years old, I shot my first birdie. I remember it was a par 3 and my tee shot landed about 4 feet from the pin. I remember how proud my Dad was. I've been competing for as long as I can remember. Including All Star MVP baseball seasons, grueling two-hour football practices, smashing into scorer’s tables in basketball, countless hours devoted to college and post collegiate soccer, bodybuilding competitions, ultra running and road races in which I've racked up many accolades. My idea of fun was winning - nothing else. After all, it became my identity. It came with other costs as well - missing time with friends, family and hobbies. A dusty guitar in the closet. Body aches.. You get the point.

I've inadvertently become someone that I didn't plan on being. I'm more than an athlete. I have an identity, and my self-worth exceeds what I'm able to do in competition. I never imagined that I would be where I am now. I'm a father with a successful career and a beautiful family. I'm a friend, I'm a leader, I'm a coach. I'm present in the community and I contribute. Ironically, I have no confidence in the competitive realm right now. I've dropped out of my last two races and love the process of training but am hating process of racing. The pressure that I'm putting on myself is immense.

As a reset and in an attempt to be more present in the moment and proud of myself. I've opted to take a 100-day hiatus from competing. No planning races, no training cycles, no thinking ahead. My mission during the 100 days from competing is to train in a matter that I enjoy and push my own limits with myself while being more present for my athletes, family and friends. It will consist of Kayaking, running, rowing, weight training, rock climbing, ukulele playing, Netflix watching, cycling, adventuring, traveling, swimming, loving, and maybe drinking a few beers along the way.

Day 1 starts now.