A former commanding officer of mine had a profound and oft-repeated philosophy, "Wherever there is Chance or a Challenge, seize it. Where there are both, go. Go now." Seizing the Double C's, as I would call it in college, have permeated my thoughts in the past year. When will I encounter an opportunity to seize the day? This is the question that I visited and re-visited.

Back in May of 2009, I wrote the second-ever blog post on the Chronicles, "On the Road, 9.3 Miles out of Austin." After Lindsey qualified for the 2009 CrossFit Games, we made a pact to take the six-hour round trip every weekend that we had available. The plan was that Lindsey would benefit from training alongside Carey Kepler and Crystal McReynolds. And I, badly, wanted to test my mettle against the likes of Lance Cantu, Jeremy Thiel, Mike Gregory, Kris Kepler and Andy Lewis. She was unhappy with her fourth place regional finish and I sought a remedy to my top 30 regional disappointment. What began as a training arrangement soon became a lot more.

It was only a matter of time. I saw this happening months back but I refused to acknowledge its possibility. Austin, Texas has been calling our names since May of 2009.  Something felt normal about driving to Austin two to three times per month. The drive felt serene and almost dutiful, like we were going home--not leaving it.  Lindsey grew closer to some of the CrossFit Central Women faster than I had ever seen her befriend anyone (collectively, Carey, Lisa and Crystal get as much phone time as I do). Postponing the purchase of one of my (admittedly) odd dream-vehicles, the Vespa Gilera Fuoco, to pay for a last second flight (et cetera) for Jeremy's Vegas bachelor party felt completely logical. "Who needs a Vespa when I drive 25 miles to work in Houston, anyway," I thought. The Vegas trip was epic.

What I should have been thinking was this: how much longer was I going to lead my family away from the inevitable? That brings us to today, Saturday January 30, 2010. One day away from leaving our home in Houston and moving to a city that is altogether different. I am still receiving the same questions from my now-former colleagues at the office, "Why in the world would you leave?"


The answer to this question is one that many of us have had to relay to our friends and family.  Why CrossFit? Why a garage? Why sledgehammers, kettle bells, and rings? Why leave a "normal" job? Well in the same context for our family, Why Austin?  In short, I see a chance and a challenge. I see greatness in the leadership, the coaches and the clients. I see greatness in the SICFIT team. Like the campaign-seasoned Chief-of-Staff who joins a rookie's presidential run, hoping that others see in the candidate what they do, I had the same urgency to get involved.  I know that my intuition will pay off.

I am a native Houstonian and I will always cherish my time, friends and experiences here: Fifth Ward is where I was born, Strake Jesuit was where I grew, Lanier Law is where I found my way. My daughter was born here. This is where I proposed to Lindsey. There is a lot of history! I've left before with the intent of coming back and living a full-life in Houston. With this move, I just don't see myself returning. Sorry, mom. While our departure may not make sense to many, consider that I am taking my family a bit north and  leaving a deep history and comfort behind. Leaving all of this should communicate that maybe I foresee a better future.



Those of you who follow this blog know what we are passionate about, by now. We have an incessant passion for helping others, sharing our faith, trying to stay fit, all-the-while, writing about our lives' experiences. I suppose the difference between me then and me now is that I've learned to accept my path. And with that, I urge you to take a look at where you are. Take a look at your relationships, your spirituality, your passion, and your daily grind. Are you where you are supposed to be? Are you at least on the right path? Do you feel excited to wake up and do whatever it is that you do best?

Are you running along on a treadmill or climbing a mountain? If you answer "yes" to the former, I insist, "Carpe Diem."  Where you find a challenge and a chance, you find opportunity and ultimately, success. You will never regret seizing that day.

Everywhere we turn, we see the consequences of effective multi-million dollar advertising (Click Here). No consequences have been more severe than those propagated by the American food industry and the American Dietetic Association. People are wondering why they can't make progress. They wonder why calorie counting doesn't work. Are Splenda, Truvia, Estevia and agave nectar bad alternatives? Is fat-free bad? Is "low-carb" the way to go? Is high fructose corn syrup in everything? Can I eat bars for protein sources? Is juice a good substitute for fruits and vegetables?

When did it become so difficult to discern real food from fake food? With documentaries like Food, Inc., Killer at Large and King Corn gaining popularity over the past year, one would assume that corporations like Taco Bell and KFC would wise up. When leaders in the food industry weighed the impact of the recent flux of educational books, documentaries and cable news coverage, they settled on a thoroughly researched conclusion. The average American isn't going to pay attention to education on food quality; they care about quantity and taste. And in a unique paradox, upper middle class Americans are more easily influenced.  It is the gym-membership carrying, health food store visiting, supplement popping and point/calorie counting class of Americans for which Taco Bell designed their latest enter into the multi-billion dollar weight loss market.