Opportunities are never lost; someone will take the one you miss.? ~Author Unknown
A year ago the?training center, Athletic Lab, that I had spent the previous 3 years pouring every ounce of my being in to (read the story here) to get off the ground was finally doing well and reached what business owners call the ‘tipping point.’ I also had a really sweet part-time coaching gig at NCSU and for the first time, life was starting to be semi-comfortable. Then 365 days ago I flew to Vancouver and left all that behind. My first day?on the job for Whitecaps FC?was cold and rainy (as would be my next 3 months in Vancouver). I was 2,500+ miles away from all of my friends and family. I was immediately thrown to the fire. I’d arrived at the hotel where I’d live for my first month in Vancouver at 2:30 in the morning. I got a ride in to practice with another coach, and led the warmup and a short fitness module just minutes after being introduced to the team. I was accustomed to coaching for 8+ hours each day in addition to administrative work and everything else under the sun. Now my actual coaching was confined to 20-30 minute segments within each session, an advisory role for the session layout, and 2-3x / week weight training sessions. It was definitely a change of pace. For the first month or two the job was a little unfulfilling at times. And I sometimes questioned whether I’d made the right move. But flash forward a year, and the ride has been amazing. My role in the club has increased by the day and I now play an integral part with the team in both coaching and sport science. I still don’t work anywhere close to the 90+ hours / week when I was at Athletic Lab so I’ve been able to use my time for professional development (something that had been put on the back-burner for my last 2 years in NC), traveling and family time. Athletic Lab has continued to grow as well. I could’ve stayed back and played it safe. 10 years later I likely would’ve regretted it.
Some highlights of my last year….
- My 1st day of practice
- Pikes Place
- World champion David Oliver in Chula Vista
- Another airport. I don’t even remember which one.
- My first away game
- Pikes Place in Seattle with a coffee from the 1st Starbucks
- Kits Beach
- Coffee with Jimson Lee of Speed Endurance
- Pre-game fireworks
- Boating by Lions Gate Bridge
- Whistler Village
- 50 feet from a bear
- Post-game
- Grouse Mountain
- VanDusen Gardens
- Eugene, OR US Olympic Trials
- Watched a world record track side
- Olympic Trials credentials
- I slept on this airport bench….despite flying ~30 weekends a year for the past 3 years I’d never done it…until this night.
- At the top of “Grouse Grind”
- Shannon falls
- Standing under a waterfall
- At the capital building on Vancouver Island
- Squamish with Ingrid
- Stanley Park bike path
- Rock sculptures at Stanley Park
- The beach by our house
- We played in front of 60,000 people the following day
- At Greenheart Canopy Walk
- Canopy Walk at UBC
- Shooting the Athletic Lab commercial
- At Capilano Suspension Bridge
- Stanley Park Statues
- The longest gondola in the world
- Seattle Zoo
- At the top of “The Chief”
- Inukshuk at the top of Whistler Mountain
- Hiking Whistler
- Hiking Whistler
- Another trip to Vegas
- From Stanley Park
- The fam
- “The Chief” trail
- Whistler, BC
- Telus Science World
- Exhibit in Seattle
- USA Weightlifting Level 2 Certification
- Deep Cove
- Training with John Cena
- In NY with mom
- A staff meeting at Athletic Lab
- Golf carting the island
- YEAH!
- Punta Sur
- Pool in Cancun
- Infiniti pool in Cancun
- Our awesome rental car in Mexico
- Tulum Ruins
- At the beach at Tulum, Mexico
- Scuba diving in a lagoon
- In Xel-Ha
- Scuba diving in a cave
- Another trip to Vegas
- A bad car accident forced us to get a new car
- I made this. Really.
- Sunset in Isla Mujeres
- 2010 Olympics Athletes Village in Vancouver
- 2010 Olympics Athletes Village in Vancouver
- I was in Vegas a lot last year for consulting
- With long time client amd World Series champ Andres Torres in Arizona
- A pro athlete I train allowed me to drive his $500k car illegally fast
- A pro athlete I train allowed me to drive his $500k car illegally fast
- I live on a plane
- My Office
- Lions Gate Bridge from Stanley Park in Vancouver
- My foot 2 weeks post-operation to fix Lisfranc fracture
- Warmup for a home game at BC Place
- Warmup for a home game at BC Place