Cycles...

Life is full of them, in every context. Some we open/close overnight, others take longer, maybe even years. Whatever the case, it's when we heed the lessons life is trying to teach us, when we finally outgrow something,  or it just doesn't serve our purpose or path anymore that these pages of our life story turn to another chapter.

Ironman Boulder was a closing of a cycle in my life. It was much more than training these last few months- it was rediscovering WHY I wanted to race an Ironman (which btw, when you can answer that, is when you know you should be doing it), rediscovering my strengths, and more importantly my weaknesses in multiple aspects, finding out who is there for me as a true friend/supporter, what thoughts, feelings, and things do or don't serve me, and what it is exactly that I want for myself at least in the short term of a few years.

To quote one of my favorite authors, and public speakers, Brene Brown, "Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it's having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. It is not weakness; it is our greatest measure of courage." 

That is racing, and that is life lived authentically.

I'm back home now, after achieving the one goal I had for IM Boulder: the slot to Kona. It'll be my fifth time on the island for that race, 10 years after my first Ironman which happened to be Kona! So to say it is special, is an understatement.

After a solid few weeks of incredibly needed rest I look forward to putting on the best preparation of my life for this Ironman. It starts a new cycle with immense experience, growth, grit, and connection to the people that are really my pillars for this fabulous journey.

Let's go over Boulder briefly....

First, I want to thank Andree and Chris Miceli for being the most wonderful hosts during my stay! Spoiled doesn't even begin to cut it. I met them in Cabo when they were there for IM in 2015, and that's the cool thing about triathlon- in one weekend you make friends for life.

I went in to Boulder, mentally ready and of course physically since I had prepped well for IM TX and also had that event in my legs. But that was a double edged sword...a couple weeks ago I felt the deep fatigue in my legs that just wouldn't shake. I did nothing too "long" in these six weeks between the two Ironmans, but still it lingered.

The swim was the best part of the day, it was a beautiful morning, and the Res is awesome. Exiting the swim, I found myself right next to Larissa- our newest 18-24 IM AG World Champ also from Mexico! It was super cool to head out onto the bike together :)

About 20miles into riding my legs were shot. Just bricks. Fortunately, I was enjoying the ride/scenery too much so convinced myself to just get to T2 and it was okay to hand in my chip there.

So I got to T2, and I honestly have ZERO idea how suddenly I was running. It was robotic, like I didn't even think and just headed out.

I ran about 8-10 miles decent, at least it qualified as "running" so this pumped me up and got me thinking dang I might just be able to finish this quite well, what a lovely surprise. Then slowly from there, everything fell apart.

This was unlike anything I'd ever experienced in a race because it wasn't mental demons, it wasn't caloric lows, or GI upset, or cramps....it was UNPLUGGED, DONE, ZAPPED, LEGS WILL ONLY WALK STOP TRYING TO RUN RIGHT NOW!!!!!!

So at mile 16 the walk began. Larissa passed me and yelled to hang with her. LOL, girl was moving! I smiled and told her to keep at it because I was beyond done.

Then an angel came by :)... At around mile 10 I had met this guy in a Timex kit, later to find out his name is Kyle, we briefly exchanged some words of encouragement and I ran ahead. At about that mile 16/17 aid station he saw me walking and said "Oh no, you said you want that Kona slot, you're not gonna miss it! Move your a**!" He was moving slower than Larissa, and it was like hearing my coach say none of that this hurts business, how bad do you want it?! So the jog of death began.

We walked the aid stations, and trotted the rest. The last 4 miles were an indescribable agony. It literally felt like I had to lift 200lb legs each step.

But then, there it was, the finish chute... Kyle and I ran in together, and he was right- KONA BABY!!!!

IT LIVES ON!! And I'm off to Cabo San Lucas!!

Rather than start a whole new personal blog, I thought it best to dig up and dust off the one that already holds so many wonderful experiences and memories, and keep adding to the journey!

If you follow me on any form of social media, you'll know I moved away from my first love, Encinitas, to the chaos and claustrophobia of LA- jk it's not that bad....ok maybe it is- to find a job; and after months of no luck in getting hired because I'm technically a foreigner, I hit a hard wall of frustration...and to be honest, depression.

I believe in living your best life and doing everything, and I mean EVERYTHING it takes to be happy- which I define as loving your present moment. Regardless of beliefs/religion, nearly all of us can agree that our thoughts have enormous power to attract what we seek, or don't seek. Your dreams will literally manifest into your reality.

That said, I couldn't sit around and envision what I wanted, and expect it to fall from the sky. But in firmly believing that something positive and significant would stem from my immigration issue and inability to get hired in the US (I applied to some jobs in cities that I now look back and laugh- I would never live there!), there's not a drop of doubt that it led to the actions, and reactions from others that paved the way for the move to Cabo.

People have asked if I regret moving to LA, and if I would've have been better off staying where I was happy in San Diego. No. I learned so much and had tremendous personal and spiritual growth from my time in LA. It taught me what I value, and made me realize that what we often think is a problem or disadvantage, turns out to be our greatest asset and the key to unlocking the door to our purpose in life.

On a lighter note, it forced the break on triathlon that I wanted and needed, and allowed me to have some fun like a regular 26yr old. I think I took from that city as much as it could offer some one like me- ran in most of the incredible trails, swam in nearly all the pools, went out to some fabulous restaurants, bars/clubs, did the whole epic gym fitness classes, got the Hollywood beauty and shopping pampering, and unleashed plenty of road rage in the endless traffic.

So on to explain how the Cabo lightbulb went off... My mom and I were in Pebble Beach a couple of months ago, having dessert and a drink at a packed bar during the annual celebrity golf tournament. An older gentleman next to me started to make conversation- haha- and when he asked "what do you do?"...well let's just say that's a question that cracks me up inside. I mean how can you put into a bar-quick-response "well I used to be an athlete, with a part time job, which I don't want to turn full time because it's not what I'm interested in nor skilled at and there's no room for growth in it, and then I hurt my low back which prevented me from getting my athlete visa...and trying to find a full time job is pretty much impossible because I'm Mexican, and let's not even get started on explaining immigration-law!"

I just kept it at "I'm in between jobs, and having a really hard time because I'm a Mexican Citizen". Long story short, he learned that I studied marketing and my family has been in real estate a long time, which I love but could never practice in the States, and he very simply asked "well why don't you move to Cabo?!" Click!..and he gave me the name of the top agency there. All along, the only option in my mind had been Mexico City- it's where all my extended family lives and obviously where all the major companies and jobs are. But I feared moving to Mexico City like I can't explain! If LA beat me up, Mexico City is LA on steroids.

The tremendous development in Cabo was nothing new to me, but what I hadn't realized is that I'd basically be moving to an extension of SoCal- it's safe, comfortable, and paradise for someone who adores nature and open spaces. The company I'll be working for, Snell Real Estate, is almost entirely comprised of Americans, and we deal nearly everything in English with foreign buyers/sellers.

In hindsight, I now know that subconsciously every time I'd go to a job interview I was terrified at what would happen if they hired me. Partly generational, partly conditional, I have no clue how to handle a 9-5 desk job, and if there's one thing I loath about our society is the idealization of a suit and tie, all day clock-in that yields 2 weeks a year of vacation and an inability to really enjoy life until retirement. If you work a 9-5 but you're in something that is absolutely your passion and gives you motivation and satisfaction more often than not- then that's fantastic. After years spent as an athlete with a remote part time job, I am accustomed to setting my own schedule, and since childhood have been highly driven with a strong work ethic. Thus my ideal job gives me ample room for growth/success based on my own effort, and allows me to control my own time: real estate.

Wasting no time, my mom and I visited Cabo late March and I met with the folks at Snell, signed with them, and in one day, literally the first showing I found my condo! This is where the manifestation of your dreams goes from truth to down right freaky....How is it that with two days left in Cabo, and just 3 potential residences to look at, the first one is ocean front condominiums sharing property with a five start resort, and a Mexican replica of my favorite place in Kona- the Mauna Lani grounds. Not only that, but the Italian lady that owns this condo needed a long term rental and so I got an unheard of price for this gem. Looking at the desert mountain back ground, with a single low traffic highway separating it from the gorgeous blue ocean waters, I couldn't help but sit down and say "thank you, universe for bringing me my little piece of Hawaii to Mexico".

My lease is only good until January that the Italian lady returns so at that point my carriage turns into a pumpkin, lol. However, again, there's never any use worrying, because I'll either find another long term rental in that same place, or life will have an even better option for me lined up!;)

I sold my car the day after returning from Cabo, and in two weeks packed up my furniture into a storage unit in San Diego, and flew to TX for the few weeks before the final move to Mexico. The stone carved plan is to earn my way back to the US with my tourist visa, and eventually buy a vacation house in Encinitas so I can split my time as I please.

Now in TX, months removed from triathlon, stressed and de-stressed, I've gotten back on the saddle literally and figuratively, and will try to race Cozumel 70.3 in September. There's still a delusional thought that I can do another Ironman, and hopefully return to Kona. But this time I won't be doing it for myself. If I can get my back to allow me to race another Ironman, I will be raising money for youth triathlon in Mexico, and local kids in Cabo.

First things first- getting settled into a "new" country and focusing on my career, and personal life. Then whatever travels and enjoyment I seek will come naturally. If I can offer up one advice it's to not fight or resist obstacles. You're faced with them for a reason. Let them teach you and upgrade you. When you're in sync with your purpose and living a life of significance, everything flows with beautiful harmony.

......
P.S. there's a lot of entertaining steps for this move that I can't wait to share with ya'll: getting a car in/to Cabo, getting a Mexican license, switching phones/what to do with my data plans, how do you live without Whole Foods?!, figuring out the banking situation....8 days till my family and I go down there to figure all this out, and then they leave me there on the tip of the Baja Peninsula!!!!!