Reflecting on 38

It is hard to believe that I’m about to enter the final year of my 30s… The last couple years have been quite the ride with a large departure from the trajectory I thought I would take. After 37 involved being let go I spent some time reflecting on what I really wanted to do with my career. 38 has been about taking a big step forward on the path of finding value and love in what I do on a day to day basis.

Soon after turning 38 I found out I’d been accepted to the full time MBA program at the University of British Columbia.

Prior to the big move I trained my heart out for Ironman Boulder and came up with a nearly one hour personal best. I loved training for that race and am incredibly grateful I had so many wonderful friends to keep me company on some long days on the bike.

After the race we packed up our home in Calgary and headed west so I could start my MBA adventure. The first eight months of the program were gratifying and eye opening. It has been a lot of work that left very little time to train. The program has brought some amazing people into my life and really opened up how I approach and think about problems.

The program also gave me the chance to visit Japan for the first time ever in February! I loved my time in Tokyo. The people were very friendly and the food was amazing. I can’t wait for an opportunity to go back.

Looking ahead, Neil and I are excited to spend the summer here in Vancouver. I’m working at a tech startup company over the summer where I am leading their corporate marketing strategy. It has been a lot of fun so far. I have a few races planned for the summer too, including Ironman Canada 70.3 in Whistler and the Seawheeze half marathon.

Closing out 38, here are the lessons I’ve learned over the last year:

1. Go outside your comfort zone. You may not know what that food is, but try it anyway. Visit that onsen in Japan.
2. The support of friends and family is imperative to help get you through challenging times. I’m so grateful that Neil enthusiastically said yes to to the big move to Vancouver so I could go to school here.
3. Yes, starting over again fitness-wise is hard, but at the end of the day be grateful for the small gains and stop comparing yourself to the athlete you used to be.
4. Know yourself and the value you bring. Do not be afraid to own it. The best thing you can do for yourself is be able to sum it up in a 60 second elevator pitch. I find at times we want to be modest and downplay our accomplishments and skills (raises hand guiltily) but if you can’t articulate this, other people won’t realize how amazing you are.

Share a lesson that you’ve learned over the last year!

I’m linking up with Amanda from Running with Spoons for Thinking Out Loud.