Best and Worst of 2010

***Disclaimer-This might get a little mushy (especially at the beginning), but it's my blog and I reserve the right to write whatever I want:).

Best of 2010

1-Meeting Anne. I mean, c'mon, is there anything else that could possibly top this? It sounds cliche, but she is absolutely amazing in every sense of the word. I've never met a person that I've been in awe of more, and she continues to amaze me with every day that I know her. As beautiful as she is on the outside (and beautiful is an understatement!), she's even moreso on the inside. I've never met someone more genuine and honest, and I'm extrememly lucky to have such a wonderful person in my life. If the rest of my entire year had been terrible, meeting her would have still made it one of the best years I've ever had. Oh, and for some reason she seems to not mind spending time with me and all my goofiness and "only child-isms":).

2-Getting to go to Spain-TWICE! Ok, well crashing hard on my second visit sucked, but it was still wonderful to spend about 3 weeks total riding my bike in the mountains of Southern Spain. I'd never been to Europe, and getting to ride a bike around olive fields and up and down mountains in another part of the world was amazing. Not to mention making some great friends and learning how much more I'm capable of athletically.

3-Being blessed with a family that has allowed me to chase dreams, not matter how crazy they may seem. Throughout my life, I've been blessed to have parents that have supported me in every endevour I've chosen. They've never questioned my path in life, and continue to back me no matter how crazy or outlandish my ideas may be. I don't know many other people that have it as good as I do. I'm truly very lucky in this regard.

4-Having a job I love doing and working with the people I work with. Being a personal trainer was never part of my original "plan". As a kid I thought I'd be a pro ice hockey player. Didn't have a doubt in my mind. Then, after college I thought I'd make it as an actor. After doing that for a few years (and not exactly "making" it-though I did make a bit of a living), I decided to focus all my efforts on my passion-health and fitness. I've never looked back and I couldn't be happier. Sure I'm not a millionare, but that really doesn't matter to me. I'm happy as a clam and know that I can do as much as I'm willing to put the time in for. I've learned that if I work hard enough, I have the talent and skills to make a living however, and wherever I choose. Again, I've got a freedom that few others I know enjoy. Also, the people I work with have been such a pleasure over the years. My clients are some of the most generous people I know, and they've all become part of an extended family. If I had the money, I'd train them all for free. There's not one person I work with that I don't honestly look forward to seeing. They've inspired me just as much as I hope I've inspired them.

5-Finding and falling in love with mountain biking. In the same way I fell in love with triathlon, Mountain biking has taken hold of me. There's no form of riding I like more than being out on the trails, and now that I've found mtb racing I'm more pumped. I caught the bug and I don't see it going away anytime soon. Sure I'll still do tri's, but mountain biking is a new love that's definitely here to stay.

The Worst of 2010:

1-Easily the worst thing to happen was the snowstorm of last weekend. It could not have come at a worse possible time-the day I was to fly out to the UK to see Anne. I've never been more bummed in my life. It's taken a couple days to actually sink in. I was sure that the snow would miss us and I'd be able to go, but sure enough, we got snowed in, the airports closed, and I missed the chance to spend the holidays and New Years with Anne. Still can't believe how much this sucks. Will see each other in a few weeks, but the fact is that I miss my girl like crazy and nothing is going to bring back the fact that we're not spending the first days of 2011 together.

2-Nagging foot injuries. It started last November and lasted throughout most of the 2010 season. I woke up the day after Thanksgiving with a terrible, "bruise-like" feeling in my right foot that took months to heal. I couldn't run for 4 months, and missed out on what I feel was some serious development in my run. Then, after about a month of pain free running, the same thing happened to the other foot. The injury didn't last as long, but since, both feet have turned rogue on me. If it's not pain in the ball of the foot, it's arch pain. If it's not arch pain, it's pain to the outside of the foot. Maybe this is why I've grown to love cycling so much...

3-Anne's injury. This was a toughie. She suffered an injury late in the season that ended her year early. She raced with it, and it was extremely hard to watch her suffer with pain and dissappointment. Seeing someone you love go through rough times with something they love is extremely hard. In the end it has turned out to be ok, but that was definitely a rough road to go down.

4-My Dad's health. People get older and that sucks. When people get older and get sick, it sucks even more. My Dad has lung cancer and it's a bitch. He's dealt with it in a way I can't even imagine-must be the 'depression-era' stubborness, but he's never complained once. For me it's been tough seeing someone that was Superman to me as a child diminish a bit, but he's getting stronger and the treatment seems to be working. I guess you can only keep Superman subdued with kryptonite for so long!


So that's it! All in all it was a great year. Some bumps in the road, but many, many more positives than negatives. The older I get, the more I figure things out, and I'm starting to get a handle on this "life" thing:). All I want for my future is to be surrounded with people I love and care about. All the rest is just icing on the cake!

Happy New Year!