Running, Rejections, and Philosophy on the Beach

Hello friends. It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog post. I’ve been immersed in the meaning of the runner’s life, completing my next book, The Inner Runner. It’s now in the hands of my publisher, Skyhorse Publishing. Can’t wait to share it with all of you!

There have been a lot of changes in my life lately. I’m happy to report that I am healthy again, with no more blood clots. I’ve been back to running 40 miles per week, and just did my first interval workout on the track yesterday—5 x 800 meters with 2½ minutes jog recovery. At 5:45 mile pace, it’s not as fast as I used to be, but I’ll take it for now. I went into the workout with no preconceived idea of how many reps I would do, just wanted to get my legs wet again, so to speak. It felt good. If training continues to go well, I hope to run some races this summer. I’ve never been in favor of running races until I feel I’m ready. One of the many things running teaches us is the importance of commitment and preparation. So I don’t step to the starting line until I feel I have committed to the training and have prepared my body and mind for the race. I owe that to myself and I owe it to the other runners on the starting line. Isn’t it great how running teaches us so much?

After yesterday’s scruffy-faced track workout.

Another big change is that I was laid off from my job as senior editor at Active.com. The company moved their headquarters to Dallas, and many of the employees in San Diego were laid off, including the editorial team. Albeit a short tenure, it was good while it lasted… there aren’t too many full-time jobs one can do from home in his pajamas. I also recently got rejected for a couple of other jobs as a college coach and a running coordinator at a gym, even though I thought I was perfect for both jobs.

Since getting laid off and not getting the other jobs, people tell me the cliché things that humans like to say to make themselves feel good about the rejections and failures in their lives: When one door closes, another door opens; Every rejection is a redirection; Everything happens for a reason. I’m not sure I buy that all the time, as many of the things that happen to us and the path we are on are merely the result of conscious choices that other people make, but getting laid off and not getting the other jobs certainly has made me even more hyper-focused on pursuing my own projects. I’ve known for some time that I’m really an entrepreneur at heart.

One of my projects is the creation of the Run-Fit Retreat. I wanted to create an empowering environment for runners to run, learn, and get in touch with their inner runner. The 3-day retreats blend scenic runs and coached workouts, educational sessions to run better, mind-body philosophy, and great cuisine to create a unique experience for runners of all abilities.

I’ve scheduled two retreats for 2015: the Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, California on August 28-30 and the Daytona Beach Resort in Daytona Beach, Florida on October 2-4. I’m really excited about hosting these retreats! I hope you’ll join me. Registration is now open at

http://www.run-fit.com/runfitretreat-sandiego

http://www.run-fit.com/runfitretreat-daytonabeach

My other project is the Run-Fit Specialist certification, which I initially launched as a home-study course in October. I’ve decided to take the certification on the road and teach the course in person. I’ll be scheduling live one-day workshops around the U.S. in the coming months to certify personal trainers, group fitness instructors, and coaches. If you own or manage a gym or are affiliated with a running club and are interested in hosting a workshop, email me at jason@run-fit.com.

It’s hard for me sometimes to articulate what pursuing these projects means to me. There is something very fulfilling about developing ideas and pursuing them with relentless passion to turn them into something tangible. It’s the same way I feel about each of my books—they are my babies that I have nurtured into mature adults.

Find what your passion is, and commit to it with you whole heart. When we commit to our passion, we learn about ourselves. We learn the effort it takes. We learn what it means to do more, to be more. And that’s a life well-lived.