8 Years

It has been 8 years now.

The further I get away from 2011, the more I am impressed by the fact that I took the plunge than by the fact that I have survived for so long without going back to a job.

The last year has been a surprise but in ways I didn't expect. I had mentioned becoming a parent in last year's post. Now our son is over a year old and walks around and pretty much occupies the top of any list I make.

The reversion to the mean has come pretty close to happening although the themes for this year have been parenting and other items.

Parenting is harder than anything I have done before. I heard Scott Jurek say on a podcast that compared to parenting, running ultras like he did, was easy (or something to that effect). But it is incredibly fulfilling. You could say that on most days my oxytocin levels should be greater than my endorphin levels. I don't think I would have survived this without my superhuman wife. All mothers are superhuman, by default!

Running continues to be a constant although I mostly run without a plan. I am grateful to just stay in shape and manage to run as much as I can.

I stopped working with The Fuller Life in mid-May to focus on finding some opportunity for myself that offers more bucks. I was already getting enough excitement. Thanks to that, coaching has stayed my primary source of income. And that is just one surprise. I am now coaching almost the same number of people as I was at peak with trainees continuing for almost 4 years or more now.

Reading has suffered a bit but I have read some wonderful books this year. Range by David Epstein, Loonshots by Safi Bahcall and Good to Go by Christie Aschwanden are 3 picks if you can't wait for my annual post on other good books I read. Audiobooks and Podcasts have bailed out quite a bit of my reading.

I continue to be grateful for so many good things in my life. I only wish the same and more for myself and for you, my dear reader. As with every year since I began coaching, I have met a few wonderful and generous people who have tried to make my life better in the last year too.

And as with the last few years, now that you are here, say hello, write in and let me know how you have been and anything else you have been perhaps meaning to say :)