Gravel (U)pdate
Posted: August 25, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: biking, blogging, compassion, cycling, freshly pressed, friends, Gravel Riding, Gravel Worlds, happiness, health, hope, kindness, life, Lincoln, love, lululemon, musings, natural, nature, nebraska, Omaha, passion, recovery, trail running, walking, WOD, writting 21 CommentsI felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, “This is what it is to be happy”-
Mountains?!? Who said anything about mountains? Especially here in good ole’ flat Nebraska.
Is having to explain what you love to others tearing away the fabric of your happiness – your being, like enjoying a leisurely 150+ gravel bike ride around Lincoln, Nebraska? Or a quaint 100k Trail Run through Breckenridge, Colorado? Or even meditating and walking?
Often we are asked to explain the reasoning for our choices, let’s be fully open with one another this morning shall we: It’s easier to blog and talk about our decisions at a logical and snarky level, “Why do you like cycling on Gravel Roads?” I enjoy being outdoors in a non competitive environment, enjoying the company of other folks that are there for very similar reasons…
There’s a catch to throwing out the “easy – polished” answer. Doing so, over and over every time we meet like-minded folks erodes our ability to formulate a decision based on “emotion” or a “gut feeling.” These emotions are rather hard to put into words and to explain to someone looking at you in the eye, wondering why you look like a damn mess, covered head to toe with dirt, sweat, snot dripping out your nose and a ridiculously shaped tan line (cyclists know what these look like).
“I like ultra distance gravel rides because they connect and ground me to the earth, they make me feel whole. They allow me to tune into myself, listening attentively, no distractions, just myself – on my single speed bike, chugging along.”
Enjoy the pics folks as this ride was one of only a few where I carry a phone, let alone a camera thing!
Notes:
One of the main undercurrents that keeps this CultFit machine moving along is that we often ruin our enjoyment of the simple pleasures in our lives due to the fact we try to rationalize, at every turn, why we like doing what we do or we want to prove to ourselves why our decisions are correct and superior to others.
The only “thing” that matter folks? Is that we like “whatever” because we like it, period.
Will (you) Still Love Me
Posted: August 23, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: blogging, compassion, exercise, family, fitness, friends, god, happiness, health, hope, kindness, life, love, lululemon, Omaha, passion, relationships, running, walking, whole foods, yoga 5 CommentsGod gave you a gift of 84,600 seconds today. Have you used one of them to say thank you-
As the week comes to a close, my wish is that every passionate soul reading on this brilliant morning will be able to take some time to reflect and look ahead with enthusiasm to this coming weekend, despite whatever challenges we may anticipate encountering.
As one week ends and another begins, we have been afforded the opportunity to make choices, our own personal choices, and it’s my sincere hope that each one of you is committed to practicing mindfulness, tiny little “baby steps” that will enable us to live with kindness, with purpose, beautifully, and in so doing, living more fully.
Notes:
Introduce yourself to something new this weekend, a brisk walk, meditation, a few new friend(s), your spouse/lover … Be inspired this weekend and please take care!
Personas Bastante Fresco
Posted: August 22, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: Ben Howard, blogging, Christine and the Queens, friends, happiness, health, hope, kindness, life, love, lululemon, meditation, music, nature, passion, Purity Ring, thank you, writting, yoga Leave a commentMankind’s biggest blunder, ignorance. Mankind’s second, infallible-
To all of my Kind, Caring and Passionate readers … Thank you for your continued support of this CultFit thing!
Stay pure friends and be well this evening!
Can you hear my heart?!?
Bless Air’s
Posted: August 22, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: Bees, blogging, compassion, family, freshly pressed, friends, happiness, health, hope, kindness, life, love, lululemon, meditation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, passion, perspective, Poem, Poetry, Prose, simplicity, writing, yoga Leave a comment… gift of sweetness, Honey
from the bees, inspired by clover,
marigold, eucalyptus, thyme,
the hundred perfumes of the wind.
Bless the beekeeper
who chooses for her hives
a site near water, violet beds, no yew,
no echo. Let the light lilt, leak, green
or gold, pigment for queens,
and joy be inexplicable but there
in harmony of willowherb and stream,
of summer heat and breeze,
each bee’s body
at its brilliant flower, lover-stunned,
strumming on fragrance, smitten.
For this,
let gardens grow, where beelines end,
sighing in roses, saffron blooms, buddleia;
where bees pray on their knees, sing, praise
in pear trees, plum trees; bees
are the batteries of orchards, gardens, guard them.
Back (to) the Start
Posted: August 21, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: blogging, crossfit, cycling, exercise, failure, family, fitness, happiness, health, hipster, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, natural, nature, nebraska, Omaha, passion, running, success, trail running, whole foods, WOD, yoga 7 CommentsDon’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth-
Modern society has taught us that we have either “winners” or “losers.” How often have you witnessed a teacher, yoga instructor, life coach, personal trainer and dare I mention parents … teaching us how to approach failure, how to accept loosing as part of life? We often spend more time focusing on the less important lesson – Winning, succeeding at all costs, no matter what the consequences and outcome(s) may be.
People who fail repeatedly develop persistence in the face of difficulties and only those folks with an extensive history of failure could survive the difficulties that they endure during their lives. Such dogged persistence is not a universal trait we share. If it were, everyone would be in shape (whatever this means), trim, happy, healthy, super flexible during yoga class, 14 minute 5k time etc.
Success, only teaches us to keep on doing the same thing … Failure teaches us to adapt and change, to overcome. Speaking of overcoming obstacles … Gravel Worlds Premier 2013
Notes:
The practical power of failure is not restricted to work, school and getting the sweetest parking spot at Whole Foods. Failure applies to all aspects of simply being a human being, including the crass activity of bragging about your weight room stats and run times.
Failure has taught me more in life than I can possibly begin to imagine and accepting failure helps me to get the old creative juices flowing once again … Success breads and harbors contentment – How utterly boring!?!
CultFit 