We're capable of so much more

My obsession for running is driven by this finding. That what we’re really capable of exists on the that other side of the wall or what we’ve been programmed to believe is our limitations.

My first run back from being in Australia for 6 months and away from chase once again had me facing this phenomenon.

I can’t put into words the feeling of being away from your family and little boy for 6 months straight.

I made a pact with myself I will always be there for when Chase goes to sleep and wakes up. I will have to fit my training in around those times when he’s asleep as that’s my number one priority and my WHY I’m doing all this in the first place to break through limits I placed on myself physically and mentally for the last 36 years and to take other athletes and people on the journey with me.

Whilst I was running starting to tap back into that flow state I’ve become all accustomed and addicted to, bunch of people refer to this as runners high. I was zoning up running along the ocean and along the coastal trails, just breathtaking. I cruised up from the beach to the Monarch Beach golf course along the trail past the resort and what I thought was back towards the house around the point at Dana Point. As I’m running I started to question if I was still on track, I quickly pulled out my phone which I carry to listen to tunes, podcasts, youtube motivational videos and track my runs. I noticed I’d ran nearly 4km in the wrong direction. In a panic I looked at the time and it was 5:30am Chase usually wakes up at the earliest around 6am Noooooo!! I said to myself this is my second day back and I can’t miss being back at the house when Chase wakes up. I was now 7km from the house with my normal pace I planned on now was not going to cut it. With this thought of Chase waking up calling my name “Daddy I’m awake, Daddy” and not being there was enough to create a fuel through my veins that no prework, recovery or caffeine product can create. It was pure fire in my eyes to get back to the house and my legs all of a sudden started floating like never before. Lets goooo!! I said to myself as I started flying down the Pacific Highway as fast as I could no time for pacing this was now a 30 minute sprint.

As I arrived home 3 minutes before Chase woke up and was there to step into his room as he called out, I picked him up out of bed to a little 3 year old voice “Why you so sweaty daddy”

“I’ll explain it to you one day Son”, I said with a grin ear to ear but for now Daddy went on a run and wanted to be back here for when you woke up so we could play before preschool.

This is the way a lot of my findings have been along my journey it’s been through pushing the limits and then pushing well beyond there once everyone else in the world is quitting you must keep going and you have to find that driving voice and be absolutely committed to no retreat no surrender I will break or die before I stop. Sounds crazy I know but think about it, we all have it within.

Here’s a scenario for you as your contemplating closing this book and just straight labeling me as an absolute madman lol.

There’s a house around the corner your kids or spouse or family or pet whatever means the world to you. House all of a sudden burst into flames your kids or that thing that means the world to you are upstairs.

You see the smoke in the distance and get the call it’s coming from the house your kids are in and they’re trapped. You have no phone so you have to get there yourself.

What do you do???

Say oh it’s to far away??? Hell no…..

You go downstairs jump in the car. Only to find the car won't start. So you go jump on your bike. As your riding you pop a wheel, damn it!! You get off run, step in a pothole sprain your ankle… Well, you will get up and crawl you will do whatever it takes to get your kids to safety.

And this is what I’m talking about you have it!!! Now find something you're so obsessed about apply this same determination, grit, resilience to it and I honestly believe we’re capable of anything we want. This is the formula sorry I know it’s not sexy and you were hoping I had a 5 minute a day or 30 day fix that would make all our troubles go ahead. Nope doesn’t exist this is where the magic is right here in the KEEP ON GOING….. No matter what.

This is the same formula I’ve used in Major League Baseball, Endurance running, Olympic games, Business and in life!! If you want something bad enough….go get it!

Think about sometimes in your life where you thought you gave it your absolute all but looking back you know in your heart well actually I could have done this or that, yet at the time you thought you’d done all you could. Now flip it think about the amazing things in your life you’ve accomplished….. Let's stay here for a little bit… Hell yeah, you’re a bad ass…. Give yourself a tap-tap on the back holy shit well done. This is ok we can also give ourselves some love and credit for the stuff we’ve accomplished and conquered against all odds as well. Now think about how you obtained it, yep you kept on going didn’t you.

I mean you want to dive into adversity there’s so much here and everyone has their amazing stories about resilience and what they’ve been able to overcome. Which is what I love. I love the story of the comeback kid, the one who didn’t make that team and transformed that uncomfortable tough time of seeing all his friends he grew up playing with going to training and playing in tournaments or making the honors class or getting the promotion you’ve been working for the past 5 years. We all have the amazing journey that sharpens us up.

Diamonds are some of the most beautiful and exclusive gems on the planet. Do you know how a Diamond is made…. It’s made by pressure it’s in pressure something either breaks or shines!!!

Play another sport you’ll never throw again”

This is what my Mum and I were told by the top arm specialist in Australia at, 15 years old. Talk abut being completely devastated, becoming a MLB player is all I wanted, all I thought about then to be told forget it kid pay another sport should have absolutely destroyed me. At the time I was devastated, burst out into tears on the spot as we stood up and left the surgeon's office.

Luckily I had a mentor that would change my life forever.