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

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.

Expedition Bhutan at Steinbeck Festival, 2011:

We also want to give you a heads up that our team will be doing a panel discussion at the upcoming Steinbeck Festival in Salinas. I’ll give you more info as we get closer to the event, but here is the gist:

Saturday, August 6, from 5:00-5:45 pm

You Against Yourself: Extreme Sports and the Foe, with author and ultra endurance athlete Terri Schneider in a panel discussion with her teammates for Expedition Bhutan, planned for fall 2011. To raise the bar from you against the clock or other humans—its you against yourself in extreme elements. National Steinbeck Center, One Main Street, Salinas, CA 93901

Back at you soon!

Terri

Research has shown that training mindfulness can offer a variety of outcomes toward well being on many levels. In fact many practitioners of western psychology use mindfulness to aid in alleviating a variety of mental and physical disorders. And since concentration, laser focus and a clear mind are key components to peak athletic performances, sport psychologists regularly use a variety of methods to generate attentive focus for athletes—they just traditionally call it something besides mindfulness.

With consistent mindful training athletes can improve focus, heighten mental clarity and therefore improve efficiency and safety when we train and race. Mindfulness training helps us negotiate stress under pressure while increasing our ability to adapt to change—we can learn to respond rather than react. In all this we strengthen our confidence while generating a quiet, powerful mind.

Any elite endurance athlete will tell you that the ultimate satisfaction in their sport comes during that rare race or training session when the world drops away around them and the mental effort exude is nil. Some happen upon these experiences because they are aware enough, and they’ve put in just enough hours training or have spent just enough money on races that the odds are they’ll hit the jackpot at some point. But consistent satisfying experiences will come more easily if we train our minds to be present and focused. If we want to run faster we have to train our speed. If we want to run faster consistently while truly savoring each effort and experience—we have to train our mind.

My experiences as an athlete in this process have been memorable and life changing and as a coach and consultant I want you to experience them too! I

Meditation and yoga pavilion at Land of Medicine Buddha, Soquel, CA

consult with athletes regularly on their mental training processes and am over-the-top excited to be offering Mindful Running: Trail Running, Meditation and Yoga Retreat this September. Launch your running (and your mind!) with a unique retreat experience in the ultimate peaceful setting.

I’ll be chatting more on this topic on my blog so stay tuned. I’d love to hear about your experiences with mindful training, meditation or other techniques that have enhanced your racing experiences. Do share!

Back at you,

Terri

Trail Races: Dirt Inspires Womens Trail Half Marathon is back on August 28th for its 3rd year running. With so many of you sharing your incredible experiences at this event we decided to expand the trail love a bit and offer another event – Dirt Inspires Womens Trail 4 & 8 Milers on May 22. This shorter event is designed as a lead in to the Half in August and will be staged in the stunning Big Basin State Park. For info on these events and more check out our site www.ditrailruns.com. Get Dirty and Get Inspired!

Trail Retreat: For quite a while I’ve conceptualized another weekend of trail nirvana—and it has finally come to fruition. Mindful Running: Trail Running, Meditation and Yoga Retreat is set for our lovely fall time and in a perfect location. This retreat will start Friday, 4:00 PM, September 16 and run through Sunday, 2:00 PM September 18, at Land of Medicine Buddha in Soquel, CA.

This is an opportunity to launch your running with a unique retreat experience in the ultimate peaceful setting. Stay at the retreat site for a complete experience!

We’ll combine mindful and guided meditation practices and yoga, and bring those practices to into our running, on some of the most pristine trails in Northern California. This retreat is designed to send your running (and your mind!) to the next level.

Though this retreat will take place at a Buddhist retreat center, this is NOT a Buddhist retreat. The location was chosen for its relaxing meditation and yoga spaces and remote running trails on a stunning property nestled in the coastal redwoods of Northern California—the perfect venue to create exciting breakthroughs in your running state-of-mind. For more information on this Trail Bliss option check out this link http://terrischneider.net/clinics/html/running.html

Expedition Bhutan: If you haven’t already check out our site for Expedition Bhutan – www.expeditionbhutan.com and join us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/expeditionbhutan – I’ll be offering regular updates on our planning process.

Thanks to all of you for sending well wishes after Gryphon’s passing. Your intensions have been hugely appreciated. Gryphon still hangs with me in the woods as I’ve been leaving his toys and ashes along the trail. Don’t be surprised if you catch a glimpse of him out there

Best,

Terri

At the bottom of all this info you’ll find the first of several Holiday Training Tips for December. Enjoy!

Half Dome from Glacier Point, Yosemite, Feb. '09

A story of challenge and success of a Champion in ’09:

“After 6 Ironman age-group wins I experienced a surprise DNF at my 16^th Ironman and called Terri Schneider to discuss a new training and race day plan. Terri’s been in the “trenches” in all endurance events competing at the highest levels and I was hoping to glean a new solution from her experiences. That’s exactly what I got and more! Terri was an empathetic and solution oriented partner in my training plan. She asked a lot of questions, had focused ideas and helped me come to my own conclusions which was important for me in building confidence in my game plan. Our work was successful! Just 21/2 months after my earlier career low I won my age group at Arizona Ironman ’09.”

-          Jeri Howland, 7-time Ironman age group Champion

Kick off your best year of fitness and racing with 3 Holiday Specials:

1 – Invest in YOU:

Get $25 off of a Personal Coaching Plus Program One-to-One Assessment Meeting for new clients. Evaluate your focus and set realistic and challenging goals for ’10.

2 – Train your Strongest ‘Muscle’:

Sign up for 3 or more Sport Psychology Consulting sessions and take an additional $15 off. Breakthrough for the performance of your life!

3 – Give the Gift of Endurance:

Give THE unique and impactful gift of the season and take $10 off a gift certificate purchase of $100 or more. Send that special someone on their way to their best season with Personal Coaching, a Clinic or Consulting Sessions with one of the most experienced endurance coaches on the planet.

Holiday Training Tip #1:

After your final race in the fall, it is essential to take a break – physically and psychologically – from the rigors of prolonged training. Taking some downtime from training is healthy in all regards and is also a lesson in trust. If you can trust that your body needs a break, you can trust that you will soon be fired up again and ready to get back into your routine. Trust in the time needed to recharge and you’ll come back even stronger.

(taken from Triathlon Revolution: Training, Technique and Inspiration, by Terri Schneider)