Blog

Life’s Work

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the all-encompassing idea of “work.”  We all spend so much time at our jobs that it’s often hard to even find the time to step back and ask why?  Why do I do this? Money is generally the means to the end, but can we analyze the subject matter in a vacuum of currency?  Lets give it a shot.

My current fascination with work is focused on the type of jobs many urban and modern individuals are forced to engage.  We’re constantly on computers, cell phones, sitting in chairs, falling asleep during conference calls, taking blind notes during meetings to fain interest, typing up notes, sending emails, and reading reports.  Understandably a vast generalization, but it is also a vast difference from 100 years ago when most of us would be working outside.  Our hands are no longer dirty, our brows rarely feel the heat of the sun, and now our backs ache from sitting versus lifting.

I used to feel guilt for performing a lack of physical labor, but I’ve come to realize that there is nothing to be ashamed of.  We’re the modern work force.  We’re the cowboys roping sales instead of steer.  We’re the architects building brands instead of raising barns.  See what I did there?  Pretty cute, uh.

Again, I no longer feel guilt.  The world the changes and the workforce (read forced work) is compelled to pick up the tools of the modern economy.  Here in lies the problem.  You still need to get outside.  There is still a human need in each of us to maintain physical activity.   For the past year, I’ve been inspired by Chris McDougal’s Best Seller “Born to Run,” which explains why human’s are the best endurance athletes on the planet.  How we were born to run barefoot and rampant like packs of animals on a hunt.  However, what I’m describing goes far beyond that theory.  This is more “born to do something.”   And yes, running and the gym are good, it’s not the same as living outside, creating and getting dirty.  The former are supplements, drugs to appease the natural urge to move.

I’m talking about balancing modern life with old school work ethic.  Plant something, weed something, build something, walk somewhere, carry something, lift someone, jump someone…err over something, or swim across something.  Get some of that innate immediate gratification.  Need ideas: help a neighbor; www.onebrick.com has some great opportunities, or build a birdhouse with your child.  It’s incredibly humbling act because most of us only know how to type, but it’s a first step to becoming human again.

Next and lastly, work should not stop and start with the office.  To make another unnecessary running reference, when we talk about rest within a training plan we consider rest PART of the training.  When you’re resting, you’re still training because it is a very important part of being a good runner.  Similarly in work I’d like to consider my time away from computering & lawyering as another essential part of my work.  Work shouldn’t stop when I’m out of the office.  Building the compost box at 2:30pm on Tuesday is not vacation.  It’s all part of the job.   Understandably this is all semantics or just a state of mind, but if we stopped thinking of work as “on/off” then perhaps the lines of life could blur into greater creativity or acceptance of our job.  Maybe we would all be happier and that is not a semantic.  That is the goal.

For example, my job is to create experiences and support dreams.  This never stops when I leave the office.  The next experience I create will be our next conversation. I’m still going to try and make you laugh because it’s my job.

And in closing, whatever, just stop reading this and go outside…get dirty.  Or look pictures of Soul Focus at work. Your call.

Shall we start with the positive or negative…good news first or bad news first?  I like to end on a high note so let us get the crap out of the way.

Things That Are Not Awesome Right Now

• Buster Posey’s season ending broken leg.  Definitely not awesome.  This sucks for the Giants, for the fans, and especially for the kid behind the dish.
• The summer is starting in San Francisco.  Bad weather right around the corner and I need to find a new place to summer.
• The 2012 election campaigns are about to begin.  Hooray, democracy.  Corporations, rich people, and PACs are all about to spend a shit ton of money on these insidious and negative campaigns.  And this presidential election is looking to be super duper crappy.  Lots of hate, lies, and money sprayed like cheap champagne in a locker room.

And that is about it.  I’m sure there are some other not awesome things, but if I can’t think of them off the top of my head then I’m over it.  Hows about we move onto the GOOD STUFF?  Vamanos.

Things That Are Awesome Right Now (and lets keep the camera on me people)

• The 2011 Giant Race Half Marathon, 10k, and 5k has sold out.  This makes me  and my lovelies at 24 Willie Mays Plaza smile.  Charity spots are still available through Project Open Hand.  Maybe cut back on the campaign finance and spend a little money where it counts.  Feeding people.  Sign up at www.thegiantrace.com
• The 2011 Packard Summer Scamper set for June 26th is NOT sold out which is awesome because that means there is still room. Plus, they have already raised a bunch of money for the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.  This is a special cause and you can register at www.summerscamper.org
• Soul Focus athletes Tetlo Emmen and Tim Bayley are both running better than ever.  Fast times are about to be dropped and it will be a PB summer.  Also, Liz Clark is continuing to cruise safely around the world and pro big wave surfer Joao De Macedo just locked down a spanking new Rip Curl deal.  Fire.
• My momma is about to retire and while this is NOT awesome for the children of Oak Grove School District…it is awesome for Barbara Lee Armstrong-Service.  She is my idol.  Congratulations mother on over 40 years of complete and utter dedication to the education of San Jose’s youth.
• Tacos are just better in Mexico. Especially the ones in San Miguel just past the San Miggy surf spot.  In fact, Baja in general is just fantastico.  Surf, tacos, tequila golf, and Mexicans.  I love ‘em all.
• Lastly, to the three little proud sparrows that perch on the wire outside my window and continue to wake me up early every morning: You are little angels.  Not only do you make a Bob Marley song come to life, but you each assist the previously mentioned awesome’ness come to fruition through my daily wake up call.

Don’t stop people, don’t stop little sparrows, and get well Buster.

The 3 Sparrows of Palo Mar Stables

There is a story to be written about my first solo experiences at a visiting major league ballpark.  So I suppose I’ll just write it because I have yet to hire someone to follow me around and write from the first person.  That first person being me.  Ok, whatever, I like confusing intros because I never know how to start writing these things.

I’ve always secretly respected those Cubs and Dodger fans that bring their jerseys and enthusiasm to visiting ball parks.  These teams seem to have fans everywhere and they bring out throngs of avid supporters.  While I’m certainly guilty of putting a few course words in their ears, I still respected their presence.  Showing up at a road game for your favorite team shows the true passion and loyalty.

So when I went to my first true* Giants road game I definitely expected to catch a little flack for 2010 Giants World Champions gear, but I also had the memory of Brian Stowe on my mind.  Brian was the Giants fan that was beaten into a coma during the Giants opening series at Dodger stadium.  Two thugs senselessly beat him…well senseless.  He was leaving the game and he was jumped in the  parking lot of Chavez Ravine.  Brian is still in an induced coma and doctors are trying to slowly bring him back to life.   The “Dodger “fans” that beat Stowe down weren’t fans.  They were just looking for a fight with the rival gang…this time that gang was a Giants’ fan.

Long story short I didn’t know what to expect in New York when I ventured to Flushing Meadows to see my Giants take on the Mets.  Before I even got on the subway for Queens I had to swing by an local U.S. Post Office to drop some mail.  I was rocking the SF hat and right away the post office employee jokingly said that the price on postage is twice as much for Giant’s fans.  He laughed and I chuckled along with him before he told me to enjoy the game.  He also mentioned that his Mets looked like garbage.  No BS in New York. They like to win.

On the subway I immediately recognized some Mets and Giants fans heading to the ball game.  Lots of orange.  Orange and blue & orange and black on 7 train to Flushing.  I was getting excited for a new ballpark experience. I arrived at the two-year old Citi Field and it immediately had a solid atmosphere.  Thursday mid-day game, sunny, and a light breeze  set the scene.  Admittedly in San Francisco we’re absolutely spoiled with one of the most, if not THE most beautiful ballparks in baseball.   However, this was a classic looking park with tons of levels and almost completely enclosed.  I even saw a youngster with an amazing sign that had a picture of Bin Laden crossed out aside a picture of SF Giants closer Brian Wilson.  Below the pics it read, “There is only ONE beard to fear now.”  Nicely done kid and so politically relevant timely.  Kudos.

Ironically, the last time I went to a baseball game it was a Mets game at the old Shea Stadium.  I was 9-years old at the time and we saw Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden and Lenny Dykstra get involved in a bench clearing brawl with the rival Phillies.  I remember Lenny aka “Nails” was one of my favorite players at the time (a little fast white guy that roamed center field…you could say I related) and he was punching his way out of a huge melee at the pitchers mound.  I believe Strawberry left the field without a shirt on.  That night was also Mother’s Cookies baseball card night.  My dad took me to that game and I felt like I was in fucking heaven.

Stepping into the stadium last week I was enthralled by the strong presence set by the Giants fans.  Part of this enormous fan base is certainly a reaction to the recent success of the team, but I also think it just woke up some long time Giants fans.  The supporters were always there in S.F., but the national exposure may have reminded Giants fans across the country that your team…should always be your team.  In this case, there may have even been some N.Y. residents that remember the Giants still in New York.  Perhaps a few fans still felt a twinge in their heart for a young Willie Mays or even Mel Ott when the Giants won the pennant, then the NLCS, and then finally the big one.

I sat down in my left field outfield perch, just above Cody Ross, and listened to the unfamiliar jeers of the Mets fans attacking the closest player.  “Ross…you suck bro” or “Hey 12, nice socks.  Also, you suck bro.”  No love lost for the visiting left fielder in any ballpark.  We do the same thing in the AT&T bleachers and in that sense it felt like home.  At least someone’s home.

Lovely Citi Field Ya'll

Eventually I heard some adamant Giant’s fans cheering for their team and I decided to get closer to my people.  I went in full force and started giving out some high fives and making new friends.  Of course some were from the Bay and we knew some mutual peeps.  Others had left S.F. years ago and they were just clutching onto a piece of their past.  Some of the group had been there the previous night when Finerty’s (the SF Giants Bar in NYC) bought out an entire right field section.  I saw that game on T.V. and all you heard in the background was Giants fans.  Total SF takeover.

The best point of my day came in 9th inning.  The Giants were down 5-2 and it looked like they were down and out, but we didn’t care and continued to cheer.  We yelled “Let’s Go Giants.”  Over and Over. “Let’s Go Giants”  We just didn’t care.  We were just happy to see our team and plus, we had already won the first two.  Then a Mets fan said, “Oh, come on.  You know you’re going to lose.”  Then I may have or may not have vocalized that maybe if they supported their team they wouldn’t even hear us.  (You can tell I had a few Giants fans around me and maybe an adult beverage or two.  Otherwise I usually just shut up. I’m kind of a lil Beyonce like that)

Anyways, one fan took that to heart and just started screaming “Lets Go Mets!” after each time we shouted “Lets Go Giants!”  We had 10 people yelling it…and they had one.  But he wouldn’t give up.  He was sitting right in front of us, didn’t turn around and just kept calling and we’d respond.  For an overweight, middle-aged New Yorker he had incredible stamina.  He just kept yelling Let’s Go Meeeeets.  And we were forced to start taking turns on him.  This went on for over five minutes.  The man had the toughness of a boxer and stamina of an East African marathoner.  In the end, we just couldn’t hang and he belted out one last LETS GO METS!  We failed to respond.  He turned around with this wry smile on his chubby face and we all start clapping and high five’ing this monster of a Mets fan.  We had mad respect for this lone wolf and he deserved.  That is how rivalries should end. Not in a coma or in the parking lot.  They should end with a high five and laughter.  Support your team, but support the value of sport first.

A pretty crappy picture that perfectly matches the quality of the prose.

Last year’s fun.

I was gumby.  It kinda freaked out the kids because they’re like, “who the f are you supposed to be?”

Desiree Davila is not a Soul Focus athlete [read currently or yet], but she is one of our inspirations.  After coming out of ASU six years ago she was a fantastic runner, yet far shy of being a world beater.  In response to she left the comfort of typical post-collegiate life in America and chose to take a chance to be a great marathoner.  She moved to Michigan and joined the Hansons-Brooks Project.  (See www.hansons-running.com)

Since then she has improved annually and came into the 2011 Boston Marathon fit and ready to rock.  Understandably her chances were slim due to the East African Army of the best female marathoners in the world standing between her and Boston greatness.  In response, Desi just stuck to her plan, let the leaders surge and ran her race.  By 20 miles she had caught back up to the pack and then didn’t let the pace die.  She mentioned after the race that she wanted to keep it honest and force everyone to be on tired legs in the final stretch.  Desiree did this and the strategy worked against all, but one.  Kilel responded to all three of Desiree’s moves in the final mile and prevailed.  It was an amazing effort from both ladies and the unlikely American was relegated to 2nd place.  She is likely disappointed to have come so close to victory on running’s greatest stage, but that type of effort should never be forsaken.  Giving your best typifies great running.  And yesterday  Desiree showed patience, smarts, guts and then incredible toughness.

We could not ask for something more inspiring.

This Is No Place For The Weary Kind

Your soul must be fortified for the adventures for which we are about to embark.  We’ll climb mountains seemingly too steep to crest, free fall on loose ledges, and ride the tumultuous winds of an ocean front cliff.  However, if you’re with me to the end then you will experience the excitement of innovation, the strength of a thousand oxen, and the quiet fatigue of a job well done.  You may now wonder, “where am I going you ask to go?”  Well, I apologize, but there is no map and you will be forced to become both an explorer and eventually a cartographer for this new route.  And above all, the journey will be based on the principals of doing good and enjoying oneself.

If interested please send a 1000 word essay on why you want the gig.  You will also receive 10 cents a word for the essay if you’re eventually chosen as…The One.

Photo of last intern. We killed him. Not literally, just his spirit. He later mysteriously died.

For Immediate Release – March 29, 2011

White Board Purchased On Sale at Office Max

San Francisco based sports management firm, Soul Focus, LLC, is excited to join Running USA.  This small, yet formidable company was created in part to quench the thirst of those parched by dry press releases and to spice up an increasingly mundane endurance sports industry.

Abiding by these cornerstone principles, Soul Focus will produce the 2011 Giant Race Half Marathon, 10k, and 5k on August 27^th, 2011.  All runners are set to finish on the field of the 2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants and receive a limited edition Tim Lincecum bobble head.  If you are keeping score at home that is just cool.  But before that, on June 26^th, Soul Focus will get one step closer to curing cancer, as they produce the Inaugural Packard Summer Scamper 5k-10k.  All proceeds and high fives benefit the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford.  Lastly, Soul Focus has taken the helm of Dean Karnazes’ Karno Kids Foundation.  Big plans are in motion for turning every kid in America into an inspired little bundle of fitness and health.  So watch out 30% of American youth that is overweight or obese, we’re coming for your soda pop.  Registration is now open for each of the events above and sponsorship inquiries are encouraged.  Highly encouraged.

For more info on the Giant Race please visit www.thegiantrace.com

For more info on the Packard Summer Scamper visit: www.Summerscamper.org

To Support Operation “No Child Left Inside” please visit: www.crowdrise.com/karnokidscharity

For more information on how you can have your press releases composed in an unprofessional manner or if you just want to hang out please visit: www.soulfoc.us

Fact.

TRAINING TIP SERIES

Training Tip #2: “Head for the Hills”

Spring is officially upon us and it may not be warming up in your city quite yet, but it’s still time for some spring training.  While professional baseball players start heading to Arizona, you should be heading to the hills and trails.  So I have a “not so little” secret to share with all of you.  The Kauai Marathon course is hilly.  Shhhh.  It’s true.  The half is not that bad, but the full marathon is just tough.  However, I always find it strange that marathoners complain about hills and challenging course conditions.  I thought we started running marathons because we loved a challenge, not because we seek the easy way out.  The nice part about Kauai is that you get more challenge for your money and at the top of each vista is a gorgeous island view.  So lets work on those hills and below you’ll find a few tips to make them less daunting.

1) Run them: Try some 300 meter hill repeats, explore local trails, or find a deserted mountain road.   When doing hill repeats find a hill that is not too steep.  You want it to be difficult, but mellow enough to keep your form through out.  Eight to ten repeats is a good number to start out with and you can build from there.

2) Change your mindset: You don’t hate hills, you love that others hate them.  You just conquer.  That’s what you do…you conquer things.

3) Little trick:   When you’re heading up a hill pick a specific spot like a tree or a sign.  Pretend that spot is a magnet and it is pulling you up the hill.  Then when you get to that spot, pick another and keep on trucking.  (Footnote Coach Bob Larsen, aka Meb’s coach, who taught me this back in high school)

4) Cresting the hill:  When you get to the top of an arduous climb try and give it three quick steps.  Clap, clap, clap.  This is called cresting the hill and you’re basically finishing the job.  This is a great way to gain momentum for a downhill and it is also the time when others quit on hills.  You’ll feel bad ass rolling over the top and starting right into your descent.

Well that’s it for now 1, 2, 3, 4 and you’re out the door and hopefully up the hill.

Something to focus on other than the hills.

Tetlo Emmen threw the monkey off his back after years of frustrating national championship performances.  Not only did Tetlo make the final of the 800m this past weekend, but then proceeded to perform with poise and grace in Sunday’s final.  Racing against a solid field, Tetlo charged on the final lap to finish 2nd in the U.S. and only lost to his training partner Duane Solomon.

Tetlo is currently being coached by the 800m U.S. national record holder, Johnny Gray, and the tutelage seems to be paying dividends.  The season is young, but Tetlo should definitely be excited for what appears to be a great start to 2011 and then the 2012 Olympic year.

Tetlo (Left) Holds Off A Charging Championship Field