Dirty Inspirations

Its been a while! Since I opted to share our Expedition Bhutan journey on our expedition blog as well as through the amazing company, Athleta, I’ve been remiss on my own blog. I’ve also been formulating a plan as to how I’ll be sharing our journey in Bhutan—stay tuned for that info! For now, I’m psyched that I’m jumping back in here via a prompt from a good friend—and a memorable pork chop.

Athlete exraordinare and great buddy, Marshall Ulrich just posted some dialog on the vegan diet for athletes, which initiated great sharing on this topic. [To put my thoughts into full context read Marshall’s blog first]

I wanted to chime in on Marshall’s statements along the lines of; the-diet-does-not [necessarily]-the-athlete-make; and that each person needs to sort out which type of diet will optimize ones own performance; by sharing about a memorable pork chop. And mostly so that I can hear from you on what works for you in your diet/athlete relationship. Do tell.

As Marshall mentioned, all quasi-serious athletes will play with their diet now and then to sort out which types of foods will aid them in performing optimally and feeling their best. This is smart, as what works for one person isn’t necessarily best for another (important!). I’ve been no exception and have gone from low fat to vegetarian to high carb to low carb to a balance in everything. For many years now I’ve come full circle to being a happy omnivore with an emphasis on sprouted and whole grains, fresh everything and as organic as I can find especially in meats. I’ll eat veg for a few days, then switch to steak, then hop over to big salads, while throwing in the occasional pasta (which is occasional because I almost OD’ed on it in the early days as a triathlete (that was the low fat phase)).

During my vegetarian stint, I had convinced myself that red meat bogged me down and clogged things up and if that was true then I would race faster if I eliminated meat. I wasn’t really sure if the veg option was helping my racing or not, because as Marshall points out, unless one has special needs or particular sensitivities (as I don’t) our diet will not make or break our performances. But I went with it for while as an experiment.

While traveling in Europe for 3 big races; the Nice Triathlon, Sater Half Ironman in Sweden and the Roth Ironman in Germany I stayed with a family in Sweden for about 10 days prior to the Sater race. This was a big international event with nice prize money and a stunning race venue, all in picturesque little Sater (2 hours west of Stockholm). The night before the race my hostess cooked me this huge meal thinking that I’d need the extra big fatty calories for the event the next day. The main course—a massive pile of gravy dripping pork chops.

I sat and stared for a bit. Unsure of my next move. She had been cooking all afternoon and since we didn’t speak each others language I couldn’t see a way of gracefully opting out of pork chop eating without leaving her quite perplexed. So after a couple years of no meat and only 12 hours prior to a big half Ironman race, I dove in to the chops. They tasted heavenly.

The next day, only 2 weeks after the Nice Triathlon, I was on fire. I won the race and set a run course record for the half marathon that would stand for many years. Must have been the pork chops…. Not.

Our diet choices can help us recover, prepare well and feel as we wish to on race day and in tough training phases. But unless you have special needs, your diet will not make or break your races. Though I tend to eat on the very healthy end of the bell curve I’ve been known to get to the end of multi-day adventure races or 100 mile trail races on potato chips and chocolate. Though I would never touch the stuff at home, cans of Dinty Moore stew always made their way into my transition box at the Eco Challenge and I don’t recall any calorie intake I brought to a multi-day event that inhibited my performance. The depleted body will burn on whichever sources of fuel we opt in on.

As my body ages my needs have changed up yet again, but I still rely on the advice I always give all of my athletes—eat like an animal. Eat what you crave. If you want a steak, find the best quality slab and go with it. If you jones for salads, fresh veggies and hummus. Have at it. If your cravings tend to be ‘unhealthy’ choices regularly then you may need to reset your intake button in some regard, but if you “mostly” eat whole foods with a variety of proteins, carbs and healthy fats, eat what you crave. Your body knows more than our overly analytical minds when it comes to our calorie needs.

What works for you? Marshall and I would love to hear.

Steve Jobs offered these final words of enlightenment at his commencement speech to the Stanford class of 2005—“Stay hungry and stay foolish”. Thanks for the poignant words to live (and die) by, Steve. And thanks for my gorgeous MacBook Air we’ll be using in remote Bhutan to upload satellite feeds of our journey. We’re on it.

Logistics are in place with our gracious hosts the Bhutan Olympic Committee, our 4-person Film Team is finalizing gear, TEDxThimphu is set for November 14, and we have a full contingent of guest Trekkers who will be joining us for “the inquiry” on the first leg of our journey through the northwest—including Emmy Award winning Imogen Heap. ‘The Lovely Hunger’ has been our driving force for this massive project—let the foolishness begin!

Both the Expedition Team and the Film Team will be heading out the last week in October. En route and via our 4 flight traveling extravaganza into Paro, Bhutan we’ll do a stop over in Kathmandu, Nepal for a few days. Hanging at a clubhouse sponsored by the American Alpine Club and run by The Mountain Fund—we’ll have just enough time to take in a bit of the excellent frenzy of that city and chill at the Kopan monastery, while letting all our gear catch up with us.

On November 1 in a once-a-day-weather-permitting, Druk Air flight we’ll head east along the southern edge of the Himalaya range before dropping into Bhutan—literally (it is a notorious landing). This passionate dream turned into 14 months of creation while my team of one grew to 10+ phenomenally talented people with a clear vision and driving inquiry. As Jobs can attest, being unrelentingly hungry gets results. Its refreshing to gather a bright crowd and head off to such a beautiful and remote part of the world. I couldn’t be more pleased with the possibilities of sharing our journey with you all.

Expedition Bhutan and our subsequent film is a marriage of high adventure and cultural inquiry. While the Bhutanese speakers at TEDxThimphu will be preparing and presenting on “What Matters”, we’ll take that inquiry into remote parts of Bhutan on a shared adventure with the geography and people of Bhutan. Shared with each other, with the camera, our 9 guest trekkers, and shared with you via satellite fed blog posts from the field.

In addition to last minute gear prep we are in the final stages of partnering with the companies that will be hosting our posts. We’ll get you their info prior to our departure so you can join us in Bhutan.

I’d like to toss in another thanks to James Fitzgerald, Candra Canning, Sonam Tshering and The Bhutan Olympic Committee, Yangki Tshering of Glimpses of Bhutan, Kinlei Wangchuk at Cafe Bhutan, and the hugely bright  and hungry collective of our Film and Expedition Teams. Big power comes in a small group with unrelenting tenacity and a passionate collective vision. You’ve all rocked it huge!

I’ll check back in a week with info on where we’ll be blogging while in Bhutan…

Stay tuned….

Terri

There is a solid reason why no one has done an adventure like Expedition Bhutan. Because organizing it in total has been multi-dimensionally more arduous than the expedition itself will be! One of the reasons for the rigors in the planning process is highly admirable—the Bhutanese are very particular about how guests experience their country. One does not throw one’s backpack on, swoop into Bhutan on American Airlines and have your way with the geography at will. Each moment in Bhutan is scrutinized, planned, and overseen by the Bhutanese. This process helps keep the rif-raf out, while ensuring that each guest will have a memorable experience. For those of us to tend to like to ‘load and go’ this has been a unique process indeed.

So while we’ve continued to refine relations with the country, we’ve been moving rapidly through our own planning process right here in the US—as our departure is looming. The progress we’ve made as a collective team is nothing short of phenomenal. As a result we’ve generated an experience, we’ll be sharing with you all, that is deeply layered and that defines unique.

Our film team is in place (I’ll introduce them in total in another post), we have an almost full house of guests who will be joining us on the first leg of our journey—all intriguing and remarkable folks. We’re psyched to have Imogen Heap, who will be scoring music for our film,  joining us on our first trek as well. We are also supporting the first TEDxThimphu on November 14th, as an extension of our discussion on Happiness and part-way through our journey. Our route is (finally) approved and logistics are falling into place. Expedition Bhutan is slated for Nov. 4 – December 7th. Its ON and its HUGE!

The team is on fire, sprinting to our departure date, end of October, but I’ll be back at you soon with more intro’s and info.

Stay tuned!

Terri

Charles Schneider

(shared at dad’s memorial service – for my family)

Its easy to highlight my father as an accomplished, successful man – as society latches onto the concept of success. He defending our country in WWII, then worked 2 jobs in his younger years to support a family of 7. All the while going to school at night so he could advance himself and his career. These were successes that were executed – almost as a reflex – because my dad was cut from a beautifully unique genre of work ethic, loyalty and responsibility.

His early efforts were designed over time to advance his career in the Fire Department in Santa Cruz, CA, which he did, to its highest level possible – as Chief. An admirable feat even for a self-made, self-motivated man. Once retired from the fire department, he continued to expand and mold his career again and again.

Just as his external successes can do, A man’s voice – which tells opinion, perspectives, and wisdom, – can shape and mold another aspect of how he is perceived by others. Yet, though my father had vastly different political and spiritual belief systems in place than most of his kids, he accepted us all within our differences. This acceptance allowed an opening for us to view his as well.

So, while he showed who he was through his work, and through these various inflections of his voice, he had an equally prominent impact through his actions. One of Dad’s loudest gifts will be how his actions affected who we’ve become, and subsequently who we are for others. His actions spoke of strength, steady and consistent support, confidence, acceptance, and unrelenting work ethic, – all framed and wrapped with a soft sweet edge of love and caring.

Yet his outward success – his voice – and even his actions, are never the enduring legacy of a man. A man’s deepest legacy is the part of his authentic character that forever resides in those left behind. My fathers richest offering is our knowing that all of his children and grandchildren will celebrate and reflect on his life – while feeling whole and complete in who he was for us – and who we are for each other.

In many ways our lives are molded by our perceptions of our experiences. But how we are in the world to others is also shaped by how we are loved.

When Dad hugged -  it was easy to hear the words – “I love you” before he stated them verbally. He was not in the habit of initiating regular chit chat or verbal connection, but everyone in our family – no matter where or how we would wander – were always solidly sure of Dads love.

He created his own unique space of love for each of us. And we all chose to step into it and remain in it – together—emulating that love and support for each other. He offered us that possibility – and – Each of us in our own amazing ways will continue to offer that endowment in our communities to those who are in need of its power.

I have been asked many times who my heros are – in particular in sport. In our society we often associate “hero” with being someone who has accomplished some monumental feat or has unusual talent or vigor beyond the norm for what they take on in life. Yet don’t regular hard working folks have just as much passion for their accomplishments as do the more privileged? Even when their road to life successes is more vigorous than those for whom it was handed.

As a young girl I was intrigued by professional athletes just like any kid, but I realized early on that true heroic feats were happening all around me—daily, by people going big in their lives and taking on their dreams. My father was one of those people. My father was my first hero.

He recognized my unharnessed enthusiasm and shared something with me, at a young age, that has remained a defining moment. He said, “Honey, it doesn’t matter to me what you decide to do with your life. But whatever you set your sights on, go after it. Work hard and be the best you can at whatever you choose.”

He taught me that no matter what we do in life we go after it with; dignity, integrity and hard work – then we can respect ourselves. We can then be our own hero and embody the possibility of self respect for all of those around us.

Dad quietly yet profoundly supported that process for each of us. And as a result we all covet unyielding support for each other and respect for ourselves. And I am honored to be able to say that I hold deep love for each of my siblings. Not because we are blood, but because of who they are for their families and communities. That is possible with the love and acceptance we received from our dad on all levels.

My fathers honor will continue to be celebrated. Not just in our minds and hearts, but through us. Those we encounter will be touched and moved by his presence in our lives. If this essence alone highlights who my father was, then his life has been generous and noble indeed.

Team Expedition Bhutan will engage in a panel discussion at theSteinbeck Festival this Saturday, August 6th, 5:00-5:45 PM—we’d like to invite you to join us for some hearty discussion. As a tie into the Festival theme of Friend vs. Foe we’ll be perusing; when its you against yourself in extreme elements, while offering participants a trip around the world via a stunning slide show. We’ll also be sharing our vision and mission in Expedition Bhutan. The Festival is recording our discussion which will be later aired on Radio Valley in Bhutan as an introduction for our host country in November.

We’d like to hear about your relationship with this topic! Join us to share, as well as learn more about Expedition Bhutan at a prestigious and time-honored Festival.

Peruse our partner support page with options and details to support and join our Team in Bhutan. For more information on Expedition Bhutan go to www.expeditionbhutan.com and join us on Facebook.

Back at you soon!

Terri

Black China vegan chocolate love... oh yeah...

I was interviewed last week for a book that is being written about a big handful of athletes/artists/musicians/notable folks who are turning 50 this year. One of the obvious questions on the front end of what turned out to be a really fun interview was, “How are you feeling about turning 50?”

My response: “I’m psyched!”

I’m not psyched that our bodies change up when we reach 50 in a way that isn’t terribly useful for an athlete, nor that we have to consider reading glasses or that our memory tends to wane a bit now and then. My 50th year alone has been a doozy of crazy life challenges and its only June! (much more to share soon).

Buddhists believe that struggles placed in our life are our karma ripening from our past (or current) lives and if we embrace these times as perfect opportunities to learn and grow toward enlightenment…we’ll get there sooner. If this is in fact true then I suppose I should be thankful that so much has been tossed at me in a short period of time. Could I currently be on the fast track to nirvana ?

Since most folks seem to need to grandly highlight our 50th birthday as some sort of iconic milestone, I will appease these people by happily saying that I will indeed celebrate this one—deeply and wholly—while sleeping in the dirt in one of my favorite places on earth. Its been a phenomenal ride—a rich, full and satisfying 50 years, and as long as I keep breathing I don’t see that changing up too much.

I’ve been asked if Expedition Bhutan was created as a sort of 50th birthday present to myself. The answer is no. Its just an extension of my already adventurous life choices with a cultural flavor to it (and something that has been in the works for a few years). I believe that if you look back and can smile at what you see, and look forward to continuously create within your true passions—then you’ve chosen well. You then turn 50 and you’re psyched. So what has me really psyched are the people who have crossed my path, the places I’ve seen, the experiences—and the ones that are yet to be created. As David Kelly would say, its all about doing, “cool things in cool places with cool people.” Amen.

That ‘coolness’ can include an engaged conversation with a close friend while sipping wine, to a passing shared support with a stranger I’ll never see again while running across a desert, to finally succumbing to the beautiful struggle of losing a loved one. Being present to the opportunities in each can help us center our focus on our rich life being right in front of us—always. I definitely haven’t always done this well, but my continued efforts do allow me to celebrate ALL that has come before while being fueled to keep it all going strong and inspire others to do the same.

In that light I want to acknowledge YOU on my 50th birthday. All of you, for participating in 50 years of amazing. I would not be looking back in celebration, while looking forward yearning more—without being inspired by you.

Thank you!

xoxo

Terri

I wanted to check in with a quick update. With the royal wedding changing up our expedition dates a bit, the president of BOC reviewing our proposed route for approval, and continued conversations with film staff, we have been in a slight holding pattern with Expedition Bhutan prep. We’ve been quite busy in our holding pattern but, holding none the less.

One of the things I am continually an excellently reminded of is that not every nations culture embodies the blind, frenetic, passionate, results driven work habits—of Americans. So it is important for us to calmly wait—especially when respecting working relationships—when what we really want is to keep driving forward at our crazy pace. An excellent reminder.

That said, we are currently:

• Continuing to finalize our film team
• Working on changing up our website text to more finely tune our objectives as they have evolved (very exciting stuff)
• Continue to create partnerships with individuals and companies who are in alignment with what we are up to
• Waiting patiently for info from our contacts in Bhutan so we can forge ahead with plans
• Finalizing negotiations with BOC to partner with them in creating an event for them in Bhutan  in 2012

I would like to once again, thank this awesome team. What a bunch of talented, forward thinking people—I’m honored to be working with you all. We are indeed collectively creating an incredible, memorable experience and we haven’t even stepped foot in Bhutan yet!

Peruse our partner support page with options and details to support and join our Team in Bhutan. For more information on Expedition Bhutan to towww.expeditionbhutan.com and join us on Facebook.

Back at you soon!

Terri

While in the process of finalizing our route and itinerary we’ve been informed that in mid October—at exactly the time we had planned the start of our Expedition—the King of Bhutan will wed Jetsun Pema. Due to this significant occasion and the 2-week celebration that will ensue, we have pushed our Expedition start date out to November 1.

To partner with our expedition—see info below including new start dates for joining our Team in Bhutan. For more information on Expedition Bhutan go to www.expeditionbhutan.com and join us on Facebook.

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You’re invited! Support Expedition  Bhutan and  Join  our  Team  on  an  Unprecedented  Journey…

There has never been and likely will never again be, a journey like Expedition Bhutan. As we adventure on foot, mountain bike and raft, through the heart and soul of this unique country of Bhutan, we’ll reflect light on their concept of Gross National Happiness via the following questions:

• What is it?
• What are its implications for the people of Bhutan?
• What, if any, are its implications for the rest of us at a time when the world so desperately seeks peace, satisfaction and Happiness?

As a small 4-person expedition team we hope to serve as stewards of Bhutan, its people, culture, and concepts. And as a launching point to our ultimate film of this project, we’re excited to start the “sharing” with a few special others like yourself.  If you not only get what we are up to, but would like to be a special part of the vision of this extra-ordinary project we hope you’ll partner with us by supporting or joining our team for a novel discovery of something much larger than ourselves.

Peruse our partner support page with options and details to support and join our Team in Bhutan. Please contact Terri at tschneider@expeditionbhutan.com if you have any further questions on joining the expedition.

Terri