The Iron Mind.....

Henry Rollins wrote for Details a piece entitled, Iron. The following is a portion:


I have never met a truly strong person who didn’t have self-respect. I think a lot of inwardly and outwardly directed contempt passes itself off as self-respect: the idea of raising yourself by stepping on someone’s shoulders instead of doing it yourself. When I see guys working out for cosmetic reasons, I see vanity exposing them in the worst way, as cartoon characters, billboards for imbalance and insecurity. Strength reveals itself through character. It is the difference between bouncers who get off strong-arming people and Mr. Pepperman.
Muscle mass does not always equal strength. Strength is kindness and sensitivity. Strength is understanding that your power is both physical and emotional. That it comes from the body and the mind. And the heart.
Life is capable of driving you out of your mind. The way it all comes down these days, it’s some kind of miracle if you’re not insane. People have become separated from their bodies. They are no longer whole.
I see them move from their offices to their cars and on to their suburban homes. They stress out constantly, they lose sleep, they eat badly. And they behave badly. Their egos run wild; they become motivated by that which will eventually give them a massive stroke. They need the Iron Mind.
Through the years, I have combined meditation, action, and the Iron into a single strength. I believe that when the body is strong, the mind thinks strong thoughts. Time spent away from the Iron makes my mind degenerate. I wallow in a thick depression. My body shuts down my mind.
The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back.


I absolutely love that article. I completely agree with Henry - I am walking the brink of insanity every second of every day - we all struggle to make our way in this world. Some have it easier than others, but still we struggle either emotionally or physically. For me, fitness is the glue that binds me together. When I'm having a bad day or feeling the weight of my situation on my shoulders, I know that if I go for a hard or fast run that when I return - exhausted- the only thought I will have is accomplishment. Not stress, not worry, not fear or rejection or loneliness . .....just bliss because I moved my body and felt my heart beat, my lungs expand and all these movements meant that I am still alive. CrossFit is another way I keep myself from jumping off a cliff, seriously. Nothing feels better than to walk into the gym, feeling grumpy or whatever negative emotion I may have, load up the barbell and take it out on the platforms. Exhaustion does something good for my soul - it it like I performed an exorcism . I tend to beat myself up until all I CAN feel is tired these days. I know everybody reading this can relate......you are mostly CrossFitters and endurance athletes. We love the pain that comes along with moving.

Soooo - get out there today and remove whatever doubt or stress you are carrying around in your soul. I just finished a tempo run and I feel like I can focus again - like myself and move through my day with renewed excitement. WooHoo!

Go Kart Racer!!!

Last Sunday I took my kids, my dad and my Uncle Don to GoKart Racer in Burlingame to do some laps on the indoor track. It was SO MUCH fun!! Brandon did the driving school, since he is only 13 and did multiple races against the other teenagers in his class. While that was happening, Sarah, Dad, Don and I were on the adjacent track racing just each other. I tried as hard as I could to catch up to Don, and I ended up breathing on his neck the last lap - and came in second place - beating Dad! One of the pictures shows us on the podium - Don 1st, me 2nd, dad 3rd....Sarah, well....she's a new driver and was very careful so came in 4th - but next time she'll open it up! We're going to rent both tracks out the end of the month for a family throw down. My cousins, aunts, uncles......maybe even Grandma (hahah) will all get to race.

Super fun thing to do together!!!

Wine Tasting In Windsor on New Years

My friend Teresa invited me to her time share in Windsor for New Years this year. I've never been there, and its been a LONG time since I have hung out with Teresa so I was very excited to go. We got into town on Thursday and headed straight to some wineries for tasting. I bought some wine at Hawleys, a small family operated vineyard and just tasted at all the others. The little towns of Healdsburg and Windsor are so quaint and friendly - we really had a great time there. New Years Eve we were the first people at the tasting rooms - starting our morning off with wine, cheese and crackers. I was NOT eating paleo or Zone or even eating much protein! I just wanted to have a fun filled weekend - the last of 2010 - and worry about getting back on track after the indulgent weekend. I think the only meal I had that was even remotely close to eating well was sushi at THE best place called Sushi O'......other than that meal it was bread, brownies, chocolate covered pretzels, whatever I wanted. And you know what? I only gained a couple pounds (never freak out for me) and I lost it all, and then some already......but the enjoyment I felt at ordering whatever sounded good - and tasting chocolate every day was way worth the pounds! The first thing I did when I got home on New Years Day, after dropping my luggage, was hop on my treadmill "Lilly" and run 7 miles. I forgot to mention my weekend of indulgence also included ZERO exercise! YES! Leaving 2010 with a bang!!! I hope all of you enjoyed your holidays and did exactly as I did -- threw the diet and strict exercise schedule in the trash, and ate to your hearts content.

Having said that it was okay to be lazy and eat like crazy - it is now January 2011 (Yes! 2011!!!) and with the new year comes renewed excitement and promises of eating healthy and training harder. We all do it. New year, new me......It was a little hard for me to detox from the holiday drinking nd eating and being lazy - but man does it feel great to get back to a schedule!

What are some of your resolutions for this year?

I have a busy year planned, and my only promise to myself is to try and seize the moment. Life happens really fast. If you don't stop and enjoy it - you will miss it. I want to take time to stop and enjoy more of what is happening around me more often. My lovely daughter is now 16 and driving. My handsome son is 13 and growing more every day. I want to soak up every second and breathe it all in. I am turning 42 this month and it sounds so freaking old to me. I am not where I pictured myself to be at this stage in my life - so maybe I can re draw that vision?

Cheers to a great year to you all!! xoxox

Christmas 2010