Courage Has No Limits

You never truly realize what type of impact a person has on you until they're gone. Kobe was a giant in every sense. He served as an inspiration to people of all races and all backgrounds to be the best person they could be, on and off the court. The concurrent loss of his daughter Gianna and all the other passengers adds immensely to what is already a great tragedy. I can only imagine the pain that Kobe's wife Vanesa and all the families of those involved are going through right now, and I hope that this serves to remind us to cherish those we love while they're with us. Really shocked by the news about Kobe. Along with his kindness to people he met in LA, you could see him at the gym coaching his daughter. No pretenses, just a father with his daughter. He showed up. He was bigger than the sport, a true champion of life and giving back. #Respect

A Utopian Vacation: Shaking It In LAAAA

While people were gobbling up 100,000,000 tonnes of turkey, my son Cadence and i were cycling from Malibu to Marina Del Ray. Stopping to play in the water, carving up sand, having lunch in Venice, getting slightly drenched, and then drying out again. One week in the sunny climate of southern California wasn't enough, obviously. My secret fantasy is to get another place on the coast here. Although i love the joy of Northern California, LA is also a mystical playground with its own warm tribe that i admire. My parents live here and i have always considered LA my town.

Run Monterey

After getting my Bib autographed by American Olympian Steve Scott, i had some good karma running with me for the 13.1 miles Monterey Bay Half Marathon. Since i have ran this race for numerous years, it was only fitting that i have now joined the Big Sur Marathon Foundation as a volunteer for positioning their races to new runners. i always love sweating for and participating in Big Sur runs and couldn't be happier to help spread the word to runners near and far.

As for the race: the first 8 miles were perfectly in tune with my heart and lungs. In the second half of the race when i usually press on and run as hard as i can, the upper airway infection from overtraining–intervened. Rather than accommodating my need for speed in the second half, my lungs merely started to cough while not letting me approach full capacity. 

As such, i did the best i could inhaling the morning ocean air and marveling at the majestic ocean view while keeping my quads going at a consistent pace. Although, it was not a PB that i was aiming for, it was still a strong finish. Another major highlight was watching my son Cadence and his Mom race well for the 5K. A truly outstanding weekend in Monterey. See you again next year boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen. 

She Floats Like A Swan Grace On The Water

An out of body experience with my former championship oarsmen at alumni varsity head race. The boat was solid as a rock from the warm up into the full race Cadence and completely set as it was when we raced together in our championship varsity shell during our 20s. Glad to feel the boat run in the water, such a sublime pleasure. Barry Shaw, our experienced coxswain guided us with complete confidence to pass numerous alumni racing shells to finish first on the water. Absolutely bonkers to be racing with olympians, worlds and college champions again. See you again next year lads. Keep training. Stay healthy. If i were to die and go to heaven, i would prefer to be in a racing shell with these lads training while witnessing the rising sun. So happy to see you all. My heart is full.

Robot On The Silver Screen

All These Stars Of Mine

Yes, we are still on the moon. How could you not be especially if you are in LA? There are so many hip and trendy spots in LA that I leave that to the Biebers and Kardashians of the world. I try to be more timeless in my life, especially when I am visiting my family in LA. It is always an adventure to visit and to experience LA in full. People are fitter here, they also take pride in the way they dress, and the way they walk. All you need is one week and razor sharp clarity on when to be on the freeways to truly explore the entertainment capital of the universe. On my recent adventure, i realized my beach fantasy, got that old Hollywood glamor, museums, restaurants, and stores. LA = Anti-Bland. There is an energy here that transmits itself through the airwaves into the rest of the world. LAAAAAA, this is my town.