The Countdown Is On!
Greetings from Stavanger, Norway!
As I type this, I am equal parts excited, nervous and caffeine as the race is drawing near QUICKLY. I have been here on the west coast of Norway for the past couple weeks training and attacking an ever growing admin task sheet before the pedals start turning on August 1st.
To recap, this challenge is going to be the biggest thing I've taken on to-date. In the far north Arctic region of Norway I will be in a team of 3 taking on what is known as "the hardest mountain bike race in the world". Over 4 days we've got to push our bikes (presumably with our bodies on them in one piece) 700km starting and ending in Alta, Norway.
This will be hard, but also fun and funny. I am fortunate enough to have joined forces with Charlie and Tommy - two guys that also competed in the Mountain Unicycle Challenge last August in Spain! We thought it was an even trade, two wheels for a MUCH longer race...
Charles on the left, Unicon Unicycle race organiser Carlos, yours truly, and Tommy on the right.
The boys are flying to Norway in a couple weeks where we will join forces, compare what bike parts we broke on the flights, and head to the Arctic. A not so funny note about that - I was excited to see that in the trip from Australia my front fork was broken.. which makes things a bit more fun!
We're all in great shape having dedicated the past few months to serious training. I have been doing strength training each morning with endurance bike training most days followed up by yoga in the evening. Tommy has been riding his bike all over Townsville, Australia and has been taking on various adventures to keep his endurance up. Charles just completed the Ride Across America challenge where he rode a road bike from California to the East Coast US... and managed to not break himself so we can assume he's fit for the challenge!
Just one little detail that has us all a little, erm... attentive... We've learned about a mass of flying beasts known as the Arctic Mosquito swarms that cover pretty much the entire area we are about to ride.
For 4 days... basically rendering us buffets on wheels. ..
The photo below is a window into the view we will have for the ride. Thankfully the EPIC team at Bushman Repellent from Australia have offered to send out some very strong repellent so with any luck we will have the blood left in our bodies we need to hit the finish line!
So this makes things that much more interesting! Haha flying blood sucking arctic beasts or not, we're as ready as we can be and I look forward to sharing updates on the process from now until the race!
As always, each of these challenges are taken on to raise awareness for a small charity. This is the purpose and motivation of the work with Outspire, and I am honoured to support a charity that is doing some exceptional work for families living through the Syrian Refugee Crisis in Lebanon. 100% of the funds donated goes directly to the charity and any / all support is very, very much appreciated!
The link to the fundraising page is HERE - and thank you for your consideration in helping me help others :)
Ok - I'm off to training for the second time today - just 3 weeks to go! (nervous / excited / caffeinated shudder)
Thank you for reading!
Josh
On top of the world!
I've just landed in Alta, Norway and I'm already in love with this place. With its snow capped mountains and -7 degree weather (despite the fact that winter hasn't even set in yet) this place has a chilly charm unlike anywhere else I've been. I was picked up at the airport by Conny, the head organiser of the Offroad Finnmark mountain bike race and after a brief stop at the house where she loaned me appropriate wool leggings, we set off for a drive down some snowy roads to a frozen beach. As we drove she gave me a run-down of life in Alta and she suffered my many questions about the northern lights and what life is like living in complete darkness through the winter as the sun doesn't rise for months.
I made a joke about going for a swim in the sea at some point, to which she quickly informed me that her and a group of others still swim in the sea in these conditions and she invited me to join them on Sunday morning. Of course that's going to happen.
After a walk along the water we took a drive into the Alta town centre where we met Jon Vidar, a very keen mountain biker that's going to take me out riding bikes with him and a couple other people. He made a joke saying we are going to ride 200K this weekend... at least I think it was a joke.
We also visited the Alta Visitor centre where I met a great woman named Mariana. She runs the Alta instagram page that knew about Outspire.org from Instagram - very cool!
It's 6 PM as I type this - it's pitch black outside and I'm off to stare at the sky for a while hoping to see the northern lights. Later this evening I 'm meeting with two well known technical mountain bikers from the area that are going to give me a beginner's 101 into the world of long distance mountain biking.
This has been a great trip so far and I've only been here a few hours!
The frozen beach front here in Alta
Chilly!
The un-official Offroad Finnmark museum (also their office)
I've been warned about the monster Arctic mosquitos here in the summertime, and the fact they have them on T-shirts kinda proves it.
Volunteering has changed my life
2011 - that was the year that changed it all, I remember it fondly as my year of time investment. I put my hand up for all sorts of activities and events to help in any capacity needed. This saw me involved with the TEDx community. I was originally working with a leading university event in Sydney, called TEDxMacquarieUniversity, which was an amazing experience that led me to working with the TEDxSydney team. From there I volunteered with one of the biggest idea festivals in Australia called Vivid Sydney and landed a producer role for an event focused on failure. Which ironically, was a success.
I digress.
My point here is to share my learning - go out there and get involved. I often get asked how I have become a Charity Adventurer and given there is no linear path to following your passion - my advice is to identify the things that excite you and go meet people currently doing something similar. Make your voice heard and help others, this has helped me immensely.
You may never know what you will learn or who you will meet, but being active in your community is the key. A number of years later I'm fortunate enough to get asked onto various programs helping people and have most recently landed myself a role as ambassador for a group called the Awesome Foundation. They donate AUD$1,000 each month to anyone with a great idea to make the city better.
(http://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/sydney)
Reclaimed hobby: a sketch a day!
Hello from Stockholm!
Just a quick thought from a rainy morning on my trip..
Funny how we forget things that we used to be passionate about isn't it?! I remember as a kid I loved drawing and sketching, but maybe it's because my childhood consisted of an internet-less world where a key ingredient to growing up was boredom. Boredom in a good way. This meant we had time to stop and just look around. Now I find I am guilty of phone addiction and the never-ending search for "whats next"..
Well, today I have decided to reclaim my passion and commit to creating a sketch each day as an opportunity to slow down and appreciate the view around me. You can see from the photos below that I am a complete rookie in skill, however I am thrilled to have found this hobby again!
If interested in the progress I will be updating these on instagram to save you from having to see my wobbly efforts here, but just wanted to share :)
Happy Sunday!
What Musician John Butler Taught Me About Handling Stage Fright
It's not everyday you get to meet one of your favourite musicians, so when that opportunity arises I recommend doing the following:
A) Get the photo
B) Ask the question you will regret not asking when the chance has passed
Which is exactly what I did. For a few years I was on the production team for TEDxSydney here in Australia, and for our first year in the Sydney Opera House we had John Butler as our closing musician. This meant that I got to weasel my way backstage to do points A, and B as listed above.
Point A (yours truly in the middle, John on the right and musician Jeff Lang on the left):
Point B:
As I was starting my career in public speaking, I asked John how he handles his on-stage nerves given he plays for sold out arenas and festivals all over the world. His response was priceless. John said "man I've got some great tips that will help you out... but the problem is, because I am about to go on stage, I am so nervous that I have forgotten them all".
... brilliant.
After we laughed (my laughter had a hint of confusion) he went on to explain that every single time he goes out on stage he is incredibly nervous, because he CARES about what hes about to perform. He said he doesn't believe that anyone truly passionate about what they do will just go out there and effortlessly perform or present and slide back off stage like nothing happened. He said, quite frankly that if he "doesn't crap his pants, he's either not doing the right thing, or not doing the right thing with enough passion".
Theres a moral for you!
Heres John Butler, crapping his proverbial pants shortly after our conversation:
Thanks for reading!
Josh :)
The search is on!
Back in Sydney!
I clearly need supervision - I booked my 28 hour trip back from Barcelona landing me in Sydney the same day I gave the guest speaker presentation to the amazing Feel the Magic community (360 people) at their annual charity ball "Night of Magic"! What an amazing experience this was, jet lagged or not! I was thrilled to receive great responses on my talk ranging from being told I inspired people to take on initiatives of their own, to an amazing guy offering me a mountain bike from his mountain bike company so I can begin training for the Offroad Finnmark 700! Epic!
I am THRILLED to share that I have been not only accepted to participate in the worlds toughest mountain bike race in the Arctic (700 kilometres and a 10,000 metre vertical climb...!!) but they have also sponsored my teams entry!! This is incredible! I will be participating in a team of 3, all of us training here together in Australia and heading to Norway August 2017 to take this challenge on together... so excited!
SO - now the hunt is on for the charity to represent. Based on many conversations I had on my trip through Europe about the current refugee crisis and growing need to support displaced Children find safety and education... my focus lies here. I have been in touch with a number of organisations and will soon be announcing the charity that this challenge will support. If anyone has any tips or suggestions - please reach out!
Watch this space!
Josh :)
The importance of analog
While recently on a road trip around Norway with my Father, a number of occasions arose reminding me of the importance of going analog or "offline" or "old school". In a world of Google Maps (which, admittedly has saved my proverbial behind a number of times) smart phones, tripadvisor, etc. I found that unplugging from the reliance of these things caused me to be more in the moment and relying on my own ability to think critically and come to my own conclusions. Apps suggesting the "best places" to have a coffee in Tromsø are great, however tying my shoes and walking out the door to stumble into a random experience was far more rewarding than punching in an address from a recommended source.
I was in a discussion with the Parents of a very good Norwegian friend about which route to take when driving from the north of Norway to the south. Being locals, they gave us some tips on places to see and a route to take, however they left a lot of gaps in their advice, to choose our own path. Then they did something that made a huge impression.. they gave me a map and a pencil. My friends Father said "technology will get you there, but I recommend charting your own way and draw where you've gone - this will not only guide you but provide a great momento of your journey". This really opened my eyes to the purpose of adventure, not just choosing a location and going there, but designing the route along the way, based on my interests and mood at the time.
Where in life can this be applied to you?
We took their map, and their advice and hit the road... and ended up creating a rich and fulfilling experience over the following weeks that truly made the trip the success that it was.
Im not saying throw the iPhone out the window, after-all I needed it to listen to the new De La Soul album (highly recommended) - Im referring specifically to the activities that keep us from exploring, sketching, calling and unfolding maps on a park bench along the way to a destination.
My advice to you, and myself - find yourself following your intuition, not just apps. Is the GPS saying go straight but you feel like turning left? Turn left.
As defined by vocabulary.com "Analog is the opposite of digital. Any technology, such as vynil records or clocks with hands and faces, that doesn't break everything down into binary code to work is analog. Analog, you might say, is strictly old school". (https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/analog)
Have fun in the old school - and good luck folding your maps up..
Thanks for reading,
Josh
"good answer"
Last night I attended a theatre production here in Sydney put on by Milk Crate Theatre, the charity I am supporting in the unicycle challenge. In a break during the show they served tea and biscuits (cookies for our North American friends!) and I went to a woman that was one of the actors and asked since I was going to the table if I could bring anything back for her. She said that would be great so I asked what kind of biscuit was her favourite to which she replied "Im not too sure so you better bring one of each" haha I knew I was going to get along with her straight away..
So I returned with the snacks and she asked how I knew of Milk Crate Theatre, so I explained that I am supporting the charity by raising awareness and funds by riding a unicycle down a mountain in Spain in a couple weeks, which she loved and simply said "wow"... Continuing her inquisitive nature she asked "well, what was the last challenge for a charity you did" so I told her about the ski race in Sweden, her eyes got really wide and she laughed and told me that she has always wanted to climb Machu Picchu but since she lost the use of her legs (shes in a wheelchair) she said she is a bit sad that is out of reach now. I reminded her that she just stood in front of a room full of people and shared her story through acting in a play about homelessness, and its challenges - and that requires far more bravery than most people have. She smiled and agreed then simply asked me that if these challenges are what I am doing with my life now - what do I want to do when I grow up?
I replied "Mary-Anne, I never intend to grow up"...
She had the warmest, kindest smile on her face when she replied... "good answer".
What an amazing woman :)
(She is in the photo above in the pink top, standing with the use of crutches)
Get Help!
Today, in a warm cafe in a cold Bondi I had one of the most amazing conversations with one of the most inspirational women that I know. I will leave her ID withheld but I have had the good fortune of knowing her for a few years as we used to work together on TEDxSydney. This was the second time we've met outside of "work" to discuss all things charity, passion projects and well, life... and I always leave a better person for her giving me her time.
We hadn't caught up in person since before I did the ski race in Sweden - and outside of hearing about her many exciting updates, I had an objective for the chat. Going into this I knew that I wanted to ask her, formally, to be a mentor of mine. I've never asked this of anyone before and to be honest I was nervous as she is an incredibly busy woman and I didn't want to be too bold for her ongoing attention in my Outspire journey!
But... thats the point, sometimes we need help and when you have the fortune of experienced, intelligent and insightful people, Im learning it is important to formally ask for their help and to bring them onboard your mission.
The result - she said absolutely!! Haha her response made me incredibly happy as she said it would be an honour... so now I officially have a mentor in one of the strongest women I know!
As my new mentor she already has me onto a couple tasks to consider for Outspire...
This is really getting good :)
A Life Changing Experience
Hello!
It has taken me a little while to pause and really digest the Vasaloppet challenge experience before collecting my thoughts in order to share this experience. What I came to realise, that on February 29, 2016, when I started my 90K cross country ski race from Salen to Mora in Sweden, that this date, and the 11 hours and 8 minutes it took me to complete it, was in all actually a PART of the whole experience, not just the experience itself. The race actually began the moment I committed to taking this challenge THAT was the moment it all began, and I also realised that crossing the finish-line was far from the end of the race, again, in all actuality the race will likely (and hopefully) never, ever end.
I will skip right to the race day itself. Those following along know the story and training required to get me to the start line in Sweden, for those new to this (hello!) the back blog posts, instagram and Facebook pages will pretty much fill in these blanks.
Departing Australia my good friend James Thomas (Founder of Feel the Magic, the charity I supported in the challenge) and I flew through Singapore and Helsinki to get to our destination in Gothenburg… 26 hours travel time going INTO one of the biggest challenges of your life was in itself a challenge, and James was a great barometer of reality along the way. Landing in Gothenburg, Sweden we were met by my friend Oscar, who is the one that told me about the race years ago and planted the seed back in 2012. He was both excited to see us, very warm in greeting us, and also concerned as I was still wearing my shorts and t-shirt from leaving Australia arriving in the middle of winter in Sweden. As he should have been, and as I also quickly became.
We spent a few days sight-seeing the amazing city then we started our journey up north for the race. First we crossed into Norway and were met by the Founder of Team Santander who sponsored my clothes, skis, poles, even my goggles and beanie! The skies, as it turns out were powder waxed and were “some of the fastest you can get”… which only served to scare me! We went from there up to the cabin to settle in before the big day, where Oscar, who was also doing the race for his third time taught me how to apply the “grip wax” to the middle of my skis. This man took on the persona of an old-time doctor with his bag of tricks as he had all various types of wax made to combine with one another to make the perfect mix for the conditions on the day. He even had his own table and iron to apply the wax with… really impressive! One day out from the race both Oscar and James suggested it would be a good idea to at least make sure my new boots that Out There Nordic sent me for the race fit into the skis etc… I wanted to keep my promise that I wouldn’t ski until the day of the race BUT thought it would be a good idea to make sure all the sponsored equipment worked together so we went outside the remotely located cabin into the snow to try it out. To ensure that I wouldn’t go of skiing I went outside wearing ONLY my ski boots, so it would’ve been too cold to go off for any distance. Yes, there is a photo of this, yes its on social media, and yes I apologise for the poor eyes that have seen it.
Then it came time to settle in for the night, we ate our body weight in pasta and generally laughed and joked around in the cabin – with Oscar and I incredibly pensive knowing what we were up against the following day. That said, we both slept surprisingly “ok” and were up and looking at one another with determined faces at 4:10am, ready to go.
THE DAY
We arrived at the start at about 6am, and joined thousands of other people in group stretching activities and all around excitement. It was -18 degrees but that didn’t hold people back from smiling, dancing and keeping their spirits up. There was even a band playing various songs including ABBA covers which seemed to keep peoples spirits high, and their minds off the fact they are about to cover 90K of land by way of physical strength, mental determination and all around crazy ambition. The toughest part came when we had to remove our coats leaving us stripped down to our long sleeve undershirts and race bibs… thinking back on that just makes me shiver! Once stripped down everyone got in their tracks and readied for the start, and all of a sudden, a loud noise sounded, the gates went up and we were off! Despite having trained for months to get to this point, this was the FIRST time I was pushing off to actually ski, and in my excitement and general misunderstanding of how the sport actually worked, I pushed quite hard and ran right into the guy in front of me! I apologized and explained that this was the first time I had ever skied, to which he replied “well then today will be the longest day of your life”… and he was right, ha!
The thousands of people started making their way out of the start area, around the first turn and right into the famous bottle neck that leads up the first mountain climb. As we started skiing up the mountain, by “fishbone” style walking to keep grip I realised I was alongside a guy that was in a “sit ski” as he had no function in his legs, and was doing the entire race using just his arms! Amazing! I was really relieved at this point that not only did training on roller skis set me up in a great way for the technique as actually skiing didn’t feel too incredibly foreign, and I was also relieved as I had never skied up a hill before which wasn’t easy, however also wasn’t as hard as I was thinking it would be. Again, a big testament to the time and dedication put in on the training in the previous months.
The sights I soon had the good fortune to see were nothing less than breathtaking – skiing alongside thousands of other people watching the sun rise over the mountain valley in a place you can only see if you’re out there skiing was rewarding by itself. As the race progressed I became more confident in my ability to stay with it – never once did I doubt that I would complete the race and I never took a break outside of the designated check points. I did getsore in my upper and lower back from all the pushing, but following the advice from so many people – I didn’t let my mind take control of the situation, I simply realised my body was feeling a certain way, and just kept pushing. Outside of the blueberry soup and electrolyte supplements I was taking I had a huge helping surprise that I was not expecting. At the second checkpoint somewhere in the crowd cheering the racers on I heard “looking great Josh!”… which hearing a sentence in English was a surprise, but the fact it had my name in it was a shock! I looked over and here was my good friend Erik, whom I had not seen in NINE YEARS since he and I were flatmates in university! He had seen on social media that I was doing this challenge and he drove SEVEN HOURS from his hometown to come support me in the race! I screamed when I saw him and apologized as I wasn’t able to stop at that point to say a long-overdue hello, to which he replied that we would get that chance as he would going to be greeting me at each checkpoint along the way! LEGEND! This man actually made his way to each checkpoint to give me support and even held my skis on two separate occasions where I ran off to go to the bathroom! He was there for all 11 hours of the race.. Again – LEGEND!
The hardest, and by far SCARIEST part of the race was the downhill sections, and (again in professionally waxed super-fast skis) I was really surprised at just how fast you actually fly! In some parts people were taking their skis off to walk down, which I never did… instead I took the advice of my friend and trainer Barbra to bend down, put my elbows on my knees and just “tuck into it”.. .which I did and though it was scary it really felt amazing to be screaming (literally and figuratively) down these mountains! I often get asked if I crashed, and actually happy to say that I did a couple times… all part of the experience right?! I took the advice of a friend of mine in Sydney who is from Sweden who told me “if you think you are going to fall, you will”.. so I would do and think some of the strangest things to keep my mind blissfully numb to what I was actually doing… including singing Lionel Richie (this speaks to my delusional state as I actually don’t LISTEN to Lionel Richie?!) and Lenny Kravitz songs at the top of my lungs… that must have been a real treat for those around me haha
Each kilometer was marked in the race by a big sign showing you how many kilometers you have left… and after all the pushing, I finally made it to my last sign with a big beautiful number 1 on it! From here I skied into a scene that I have been looking at in pictures all year long – the town of Mora and the stadium set up around the final section, and of course the finish line! I used all remaining energy to push as hard as I could to finish strong, and am proud to say that’s exactly what I did. On finishing I was floating… just absolutely floating with excitement, pride, adrenalin, and shock… I had one last surprise for the day as my friends has organised with the presenter of the race at the end to come interview me at the finish! Ha! Here I just laid all my energy out on the ski field and now had to find a bit more to think straight as what I was saying was on the loudspeakers and on camera! I was interviewed about how I had just started skiing that morning, and how I was doing this for the Feel the Magic charity. It was great, as soon as I finished the interview I had a number of people come up after and ask if I was serious, “did I really just ski for the first time in the worlds longest ski race”… a question that I will look back on and smile for the rest of my life.
Oh the other best part of the day was the warm shower after, that was amazing…
Our remaining time in Sweden after the race was spent touring the truly amazing city of Stockholm and visiting with good friends in the country, and I am very glad we gave ourselves the downtime after to digest the experience.
My next blog post will be on the outcomes for the Feel the Magic charity, and my experience mentoring at Camp Magic, which is a 3 day camp for kids living with grief from losing a parent, sibling or legal guardian – and the vasaloppet challenge raised enough money to send 5 kids to this camp… which was another life changing experience in itself.
I have been fortunate to have been interviewed about the Vasaloppet challenge, being the fist of many to come on the Today Show, ABC, SBS Norwegian and SBS Swedish, the Manly Daily and Daily Telegraph... but sitting here, taking my time typing this and recalling the memories has allowed me to really re-live this, and I genuinely appreciate your time in reading it and hope that it inspires you to put a little bit of challenge in your life… you will absolutely amazed at what you can really achieve, especially when doing it for others!
Thank you for reading, and feel free to join the newsletter for additional news and updates :)
Josh
Today Show
"yes, hello - I've got the daredevil skier here ready for studio entry....."
I have lived a very fulfilling 34.5 years of life so far... but NEVER did I think I would hear the above sentence being said about me. But said about me it was, as I walked in to meet the good people at Channel 9 for my segment on the Today Show last Thursday.
It started with a facebook friend request from a person I've never met before, followed by a message stating that my story was seen in the Manly Daily the day before and they would like to discuss further as this "sounded awesome and like quite the story". I accepted the friend request and met an amazing girl named Lauren, a producer on the show... and the phone interview came shortly after.
In between the laughing, sentences such as "are you serious" and "wait... like you've NEVER skied" were said... the fact that she actually lived in Boulder, Colorado likely really drove home the insanity of this to her.. honestly this one one of the best brief interviews I've had for this so far.
They asked me to come in at 7am for a 7:55 interview the next day, and I could barely sleep I was so excited! I went in, after being branded the "daredevil skier" by reception, was escorted into makeup - where I was told I didnt need any but gave me a little powder anyway... HEY, it was early in the morning after all! In the makeup room the girls were laughing about my chances of actually pulling the challenge off... standard really.
I then walked out onto set, awaited my segment which followed a "young vet" segment so as I walked up to the stage I was passed by ducks, dogs and children of all sizes grinning from ear to ear about having been on TV... I could relate. When I went on the hosts were SO incredibly nice and strikingly professional, this certainly wasn't their first rodeo... as it was mine. Our brief conversation wasn't scripted and just had a fun freestyle chat to it which made me far more comfortable, seriously, they were amazing to talk with!
The interview was quick and I got a message from the producers after saying that it went great and they are putting it on their website - INTERVIEW CAN BE FOUND BY CLICKING HERE.
Win!
So this was seriously one of the best experiences of my life... and have to be honest has made me hungry to do more. The ability to spread the word about the challenge (this one for Vasaloppet specifically) and the charity (Feel the Magic) was a dream come true. From this a few interesting conversations for other fun stuff has begun so will be updating on this soon.
Im still buzzing from this and continue to wake up smiling knowing without a doubt that I am living my purpose of getting out and making my dreams of adventure a reality, and helping as many people along the way as I can.
I genuinely thank you for reading, supporting and following along. I will keep working hard to keep creating stories to post! Yes!
I am still off my donation mark of $10K - if you would like to help me reach my goal please CLICK HERE :) also feel free to join the newsletter on the outspire.org home page!
Thank you for reading!!
Josh the "Daredevil Skier"
Training by numbers
I thought it would be nice to provide an update of where I'm at currently in terms of stats on my training...
1 - Peanut Butter Sandwiches consumed during training (today was the first, and NOT the last... you can take the boy out of the USA but you can't take the USA out of the boy...)
2 - Times I've fallen (HARD) while going over 35K per hour on the roller skis. Might I add, this has nothing to do with roller skiing being dangerous - it's not - it does however have everything to do with me completely overlooking common sense a few times and not paying attention to you know... where the road ends, etc.
3 - Countries I've trained in outside of Australia (Argentina / Macau / Hong Kong).
4 - Goo energy gels consumed during training (the tropical ones - stay AWAY from the berry ones, they are liquid devil)
5 - Times I have caught people slowing down deliberately to take a video or photo of me from their car. Any press is good press people...
42.8 (k per hour) - Fastest I have gone on the roller skis so far :)
45 (kilometers) - furthest distance skied during one training - THIS WAS TODAY!!! POW!! This is the halfway mark to the 90K Vasaloppet finish line!
60 - days until I get my feet in the skiis for the start of Vasaloppet!
99 (ish?) - expletives of various strength I have emitted during training at the gym, running, 5am starts, roller skiing up hills, etc, etc... I believe this is an integral part of the development??
COUNTLESS - Times I have smiled, laughed and genuinely been overwhelmed along the way by all of the people that have showed support.
THANK YOU!!! :)
Josh
Superstition Shmuperstition
This week at the gym I had the luxury of being paired up to train with a great guy named Angus that has successfully completed two full Hawaiian IRONMAN World Championship races (the hardest out there). As if when he was writing the book of "how to be a badass" he decided doing just the one world championship didn't fit the story quite right..
Anywho, this training session earned me a heck of a lot more than a thorough demolishing physically - I was also fortunate enough to have the breath left after to have a really great conversation with Angus that is already starting to pay dividends in my mindset for Vasaloppet. He told me a key to endurance racing is to have a special "trigger" that you use to reset your mind along the way. He went on to explain, true to form from the advice I've been starting to get from others as well, that your mind will try to shut your body down to protect it long before it needs to quit - and to keep your wandering mind at bay he suggests having a special trigger. He said one of the best IRONMAN athletes out there stops when he hits "the wall", takes his sunglasses off and rubs both lenses on each of his thighs four times, puts them back on and continues on refreshed.
Angus then said his own trigger was pinching his right eyebrow.
I laughed thinking it was a bit superstitious. He didn't laugh. I stopped laughing.
Great point though - if our mind is concerned with protecting us and getting us back to the safe harbour of normal activity rather than endurance racing, it stands to reason that we will need to reset it, or "trigger" it to behave differently. Im taking this advice on and tomorrow morning on my longest training session on the roller skis yet, I will put this in to play when I start to tire. Now, to figure out what my trigger could be... hmm
SO - how do you reset? What do you do when you hit the wall and your mind wanders and just wants to do anything but what you're doing, how do you keep going? I think this is entirely applicable in many daily routines... just don't blame me for getting asked into HR for pinching your left eyebrow with your game face on in the office..
HERE is the link to the Hawaiian IRONMAN World Championship if you're interested :)
Ive started sending out newsletters with updates on the Vasaloppet training, media stuff, and all around news - please subscribe on the home page (just name and email, very easy!) to receive it as well.
Thank you for reading and as always, I appreciate your support.
Josh
Your mind is the devil
.... is exactly what I heard from a deep voice that was not only behind me, but coming up fast as I was roller skiing my way along a deserted two lane road while training very early last Saturday morning.
Concerning? Yep.
The person from which both the voice and these words came from however, couldn't have come at a better time. As he quickly met up with me and kept pace while I was training (easy to do as he was on a bicycle, and looked as if he was BORN on a bicycle despite his advanced years) he continued to instruct me on how to manage the delicate and constant battle between mind and body as we moved along the road. "Your legs are the wheels, your heart is the engine, your eyes are to keep focus on the destination in which you are moving, and your mind - your mind is the devil so get rid of it, its useless!" is what he kept saying. All of this well before introducing himself or letting any commonplace pleasantry get in the way of his new found persistence in bettering me as an athlete. Seriously - amazing guy.
We moved down the road together for about 4 kilometres - the whole time with constant nudging about what I was concentrating on, listening to my body or my mind. We came to a fork in the road where our paths would separate, only then did he tell me his name was Drago and that he was a professional athlete racing for Serbia for many years - and with a kind nod he said "keep that devil away and you will do just fine in your race"... funny as I didn't get a word in edgewise to actually tell him what I was training for. Seriously, amazing guy.
The theme continued as I found myself on a yoga mat for the first time in over a year - attending a yin yoga class last night. The instructor said something that really stuck with me, as I was face to the floor with my right arm somewhere my left leg usually is. In a calm, caring voice (quite the contrast from my brief time with the Serbian coach) she said that as we are holding our poses - to remember that we're not just training our bodies but our minds. It is important to focus on whats going on with the body and let the mind go - then we will strengthen our focus and other challenges in life will seem to become easier as we will know how to direct our mental attention in the appropriate time. I could only choose to agree that yes forgetting my ferry pass at home is less stressful now that I know what my left ankle looks like from all angles.
Seriously though - the mind is a truly wonderful thing that we are fortunate enough to be able to use, but we have to have the fortitude to know when not to let it use us. Im still learning this..
I know I will certainly be recalling the words of both of these people when pushing myself along the tracks in Vasaloppet... Where in life will you need to remind yourself of the same?
3 months and 3 days until race day..
Thanks for reading - and if you like please subscribe for news and updates on the home page :)
Josh
There is nothing there...
In a recent and ridiculously inspirational conversation in a local cafe with Claudine Chicheportiche (we're both Manly Beach residents as it turns out) she, through sheer conviction in her story taught me so, so much. Key points included the importance of mindframe, not accepting "NO" for an answer, and determination - but lets face it, that was going to happen. I mean, this incredibly driven woman is a 4x black belt with more national and global Karate titles than I have had Christmas dinners.
We all know that a simple YouTube search on "motivation" (etc) will provide an onslaught of videos with varying levels of intensity and poorly chosen background music. The key to putting all this theory to use is in surrounding yourself with people turning these lessons in motivation and determination (etc) into practice. Claudine is a prime example of one of those people, and she was kind enough to share with me a story of how she got to "her limit" in both mental and physical capacity during training, and what happened when she got there.
A little while ago Claudine crossed paths completely by chance with a trainer that had the required ability to take an athlete of her ability to the next level. And from the story and expression on her face... it didn't sound easy... especially as she was told that during training she was either going to "throw up or quit"... she definitely had her work cut out for her.
But she dug in and faced it... and after surpassing her current threshold of training ability, she said she finally reached it.
The point.
The line.
She was at the edge of her mental and physical ability and she said that's when she got to look at the other side and finally learn what was there..
Nothing.
Nothing at all. She said there was nothing in that defining moment when she ceremoniously achieved more in training than she had ever thought possible.. what she learned as a result is that there is genuinely nothing to fear, or hold back from when pushing yourself. There is no regret, seismic change, or confetti that drops from the sky. Just you, and your newly pushed limit. Congratulations. Now go use it.
Claudine then asked if I have ever truly pushed myself 100% and hit my limit - to which I had to admit, no.. not yet. She didn't say it directly, but I know there was an implied challenge stating something along the line of "what are you waiting for"...
Challenge accepted Claudine, challenge accepted..
I do hope you all see this limit for yourself in your various journeys - you will know when you've arrived.
Thanks for reading and to stay in the loop on updates please subscribe on the home page.
BACK OFF!
If you're anything like me you will focus on something (goal / task / anything) and really think it through. I mean really, really think it through. Write it down or draw it on a board and consider the outcomes and really deliberate all the little steps along the way to make it happen. So much so that it almost suffocates the ability for things to happen naturally.
If this sounds familiar I would like to offer the same advice I've been learning to give to myself:
Knock it off.
Consider the concept of space. In nature it is found in such things as rivers transferring into streams and estuaries - trees into branches and leaves - etc. In ourselves we have veins turning into capillaries, lungs depending on the space around cilia to function, and many, many other things that I don't understand and/or am not clever enough to use as an analogy.
I believe this has its merit in our thoughts and actions as well. Let things breathe - thinking about something too much.. well put it on the shelf somewhere in your mind and just let it be. Things have a way of working out if you just give them the space to do so... we can focus on the main "problem" or "task" etc, so much that we do not allow it to spread out and seek its own resolve.
In discussing this with a friend of mine today, she said that "often execution is not in the doing, rather it is in the non-striving that is a powerful force for creation". I take her advice as she's a mindfulness instructor, running her own business on helping people "get their shit together" at The Indigo Project (link here).. backed up by also being a Psychologist.. yeah, there's merit in those words. More so than my average nature analogies.
Funny, I'm typing this in a cafe and "let it be" is now playing... anyway...
The reason this topic has struck a chord with me is that two amazing things have happened in the past 48 hours. These are things that have happened because I just relaxed on them, and they have found their way to resolve...
- How to spend more time in Latin America. The first of the two amazing things: I had a great meeting here in Buenos Aires by chance with a super inspirational guy that runs a brilliant human-centred design company. He just happened to be here in BA as well (he lives in Mexico) - so a mutual friend connected us. The coffee chat turned into us discovering ways to work together on INCREDIBLY interesting projects overseas and will see me back in Latin America... didnt see that one coming...
- Where to sleep before Vasaloppet in a crowded village. Amazing thing #2: I have been stressing about my accommodation in Sweden for Vasaloppet... apparently the norm is that the competitors (most of the 16K people!) cram into sport facilities close to the town the race starts in... so you're on the floor sleeping in the same room as hundreds of other people snoring and entertaining one another with carb-loaded body functions. PASS. Well, this morning I woke to a message from a great friend that lives in Gothenburg, and fellow Vasaloppet racer saying that I am invited to use their spare bedroom in a cabin close to the start line. WHAT! And more, he's in touch with people to see if he can get me an interview in Vasaloparen (The Vasa Skier) which is the official magazine for Vasaloppet. WHAT WHAT!
Two things I've been acutely aware of - finding myself in Latin America more frequently, and finding a place to sleep before the biggest race of my life so far... sorted! Because? I chose to relax and as the song just said, "let them be".
So... whatever your journey is currently having you face, back off of those heavy thoughts and see what happens if you let things chose their natural path.
Buena suerte and as always, thanks for reading.
Keep The Good Ones
Greetings from Buenos Aires!
I love this place. LOVE IT. The people, the food, the diverse and epic geography, the food...
As I sit typing this from a small cafe in Villa Crespo, post jet-lag and mandatory first weekend hangovers, I am reflecting on the many, many things that have happened in my life since my departure flight from my last visit here - 9 years ago.
In that time I have lived in Mexico, graduated with a couple degrees, moved back home to the US and then back to Australia, had a couple of amazing long term relationships, and have created a career that on paper looks like a circus, to name but a few milestones.
Thinking about this as I start sipping my second "cafecito" for the morning it becomes very clear, 9 years is a long time. But sometimes, with certain people - it actually seems like nothing at all..
My personal example goes something like this:
- Boy (played by me in this story) travels to Argentina.
- Boy meets two amazing girls that are cousins. (Hey easy peanut gallery - we're all just friends here..)
- Girls and Boy become great friends over the course of just two days - the kind of friendship usually forged slowly over years, birthdays, travelling together, and trying new things like deep-fried Mars bars, etc.. but not with these girls, the two days was enough to establish a lifelong connection.
- Boy leaves Argentina and returns to Australia and over the course of the next 9 years stays in touch with Girls off and on, so we're all up on each others big life events.
- Finally, FINALLY Boy returns to Argentina - connects with both girls on first night back in the country and its like only 9 days have passed instead of 9 years and just like an extended family member, they are well aware of all of the life milestones I mentioned above, and most in between them, as I am of theirs.
- Boy dances in and ON bars with Girls until 5:30am realising that friendships made along his journey in life and the experiences of connecting with great people are the real reason he has, and will continue to travel.
My point to this story? I've learned it doesn't take long to make genuine friendships. There are people out there that you will cross paths with that will actually become a long term character in the story of your life.
My challenge to you is to keep your eye out for them and once you find them, keep them, for they are the good ones.
Maybe one day in the future you will be dancing on a bar on the other side of the world at sunrise, with someone you met briefly almost a decade ago.
Just maybe.
These things happen.
More Argentinean updates to come.
On the training for Vasaloppet side - I have travelled all the way here with my roller skis and will be hitting the streets and taking some video with the good ol' GoPro soon. For those of you that have been to Buenos Aires, you know the sidewalks and streets are about as straight as a 90's Enron accountant, but rumour has it there's a huge park nearby with long flat sidewalks perfect for skiing on... so will hit that soon. In a few days I'm putting myself on a plane down to the southern tip of the country to hunt for snow in the mountains of southern Patagonia... I may actually be skiing with snow under my feet for the first time, which will be hilarious for all those standing nearby.
Thanks for reading.
This picture was taken in Tigre - a suburb of Buenos Aires the following Saturday.
Only dead fish go with the flow
When my good friend Nikki (a Sexologist and Author by trade) called and asked if I would go along with her to a body building championship last Sunday as she wanted to take her friend some cupcakes to celebrate her participating in and finishing the comp, my reaction was quick and confident.
Yes.
It wasn't just that I love our catch ups (I do), or am a sucker for red velvet cupcakes (I AM!) - but it was the chance to just see and be a part of something I have never experienced before that quickly saw me trading laundry day to check out something new.
In the taxi to this competition she tells me how important it is to ask yourself "when's the last time you did something for the first time". Think about that... And ask yourself the same.
Theres a saying in Swedish that translates to "only dead fish go with the flow" which is a personal favourite. I like to call on this subtle reminder regularly to check in on myself - am I doing the things I am doing because I am genuinely passionate about them, or am I doing the things I'm doing because they're, well, the things I've been doing.
Shake things up.
Try something for the first time.
Usually start the day tying your right shoe? Start with your left tomorrow. Little things matter.
Don't go with the flow, you're not a dead fish.
Feel free to reach me at josh@outspire.org with any feedback, questions, or suggestions and please subscribe on the home page for updates.
Have a great day.
You ski mine, and I'll ski yours
This journey continues to surprise me!
Today I was contacted by the great guys at ONELIFE Jomack - I can say these dudes are the real deal - and I highly recommend clicking on the link and following their journey. Marcus and I connected via our friends at Roller Ski Australia and the timing was perfect because the dudes are on a rest day today.
Rest day. Lets review what that means to most of us:
Sunday? Yep.
A day off of the gym? Sure.
Netflix marathon after a big night out? Clearly.
Well... to Marcus - rest day means a days rest after just having kayaked THREE THOUSAND K's before charging the remaining EIGHT HUNDRED K'S on their kayak trip from Sweden to Istanbul!
REST DAY. Pfffft...
So once they hit Istanbul its just a simple walk across India before coming to Australia to roller ski across the entire country. Yes, I meant to type all of that. Its this last part that has us crossing paths in a very advantageous way. The two Swedish guys have been cross country skiing before, but never roller skied. I, have been roller skiing but have never cross country skied. So the guys coming here in January to take on a massive roller ski challenge is perfect timing as thats just a month before I go to their country to take on a massive cross country ski challenge... haha yikes.
The lads have been kind enough to ask me to join them on their Australian crossing kick off so I will head out of Sydney roller skiing with them to see them on their way. Likely, I will hit 50K (+/-) and hitch hike back but not without an affectionate wave and a few kind words.
I love seriously this.
Here's Marcus and I matching notes... and realising we're both crazy in very similar ways. Go Team Adventure Beard.
What I learned from my weekend in prison
We've all been there. Well ok maybe not prison but in those situations..
Cruising along somewhere between our pre-determined point A and point B and it hits us. There you are, in a very random situation that on paper is laughable, and internally is somewhere between concerning and anxiety producing.
This was me a few weeks ago. I had just landed in Perth, Australia, on a last minute weekend get away to visit the ladies that run Roller Ski Australia. This would be my first ever roller ski lesson. Ok, I was nervous about that, sure. I was also a bit nervous about the accommodation I had booked for myself googling a simple "cheap accommodation Freemantle" - up came a new hostel built into the area's famous prison. They will also proudly tell you how the prison is the most haunted building in Australia.
Room for one please..
Ok fine I wasn't a prisoner, but yes I was staying in a prison.
None the less, some serious learning took place here. I was way outside of my comfort zone and for the first time training with cross country skiing professionals, on another side of the country of which I knew virtually nothing about, giving it the best effort I could.
Somewhere between calling my Mother while hanging up laundry on a line attached to the prison wall, and roller skiing up Freemantle beach walkway with three incredibly supportive Norwegian women - it hit me. This is it. These are the moments that we live for. Not the pre-determined, well thought out end points - rather the mornings you wake up (voluntarily) inside prison walls just before going out to train for a crazy race that you've committed to.
Life was happening.
Taking in the environment of the accommodation I had booked - the folks at Freemantle Prison YHA have very tastefully provided stories of past inmates and the history of the prison itself located for easy viewing around the "hostel". Reading the stories of the lives that have been lived and consequently lost, inside the walls I have paid AUS $30 a night to stay in really puts things in perspective. We are very fortunate, all of us, to have the freedom to make the decisions and take on the challenges we wish. I like to remind myself (and my poor friends constantly) that life is full of stimulants, and we have the fortune of deciding how we react to them.
So next time you find yourself driving on a deserted highway after midnight to check into a prison to begin training for the worlds longest race in a sport you've only just signed up for... or you know... whatever happens between your point A and point B, remember to enjoy the ride and make the most of it. Its life thats happening, choose wisely.
Please subscribe for news and updates on the home page - thanks for following :)
Josh
