Make Your Own Zone

In our SWEAT class, we did a barbell workout comprised of 5 rounds of 12 deadlifts, 9 power cleans, and 6 push presses. After the main workout, we always do what we call a JFF or 'Just For Fun' where we might do 100 sit-ups or maybe run 400m or something, just to finish things off. Today, I had the class run 1200m as their JFF, and they ran it as they always do, with only a minimal amount of humorous complaining. They're a tough bunch, our SWEAT ladies, and I can always count on them to inspire me.

I seldom work out with the class, preferring to spend that time coaching them instead, then I do my workout alone after they leave. Often, depending on my goals, I might do a completely different workout, but today, I chose to do the same workout as the class. It was a stinker, and although not my best performance, I felt pretty solid throughout. Decent. When the time came for me to do the JFF, I decided to challenge myself by carrying a 20 pound medicine ball on my shoulders for part of the run. I wasn't sure how far I would get, but figured it might be fun to do, regardless.

For those of you who have never done such a thing, I'll tell you right now, that it can be a challenge. At least, it was for me. I switched the medicine ball from shoulder to shoulder about every 15 yards or so, and focused on continuous movement. I didn't want to stop, but whew...it was rough. I managed one lap before fatigue won out and I dropped off the ball so I could continue the other two laps.

After the barbell workout and the medicine ball run, I was feeling it. I was tired, and my feet were shuffling as I ran. I had barely started on that part of the run and I found myself thinking that I probably wouldn't make it. Bleh. Just...bleh. I felt unmotivated and slow, and started working my way down a mental spiral that might have had me quit at any moment.

"Man, I wish I was in The Zone." The thought popped into my mind unbidden. The Zone. That state of being where all of your cylinders are firing, your body feels strong and quick, and your mind is ready for anything. It's an awesome place, The Zone, and great things happen there. And boy, I certainly felt myself to be in the place that was farthest from it at that moment. Bleh. A half a mile seemed like a cross-country trek.

Hot on the heels of that thought and its rather depressing follow-up, I realized something important. The Zone is simply a state of mind. It doesn't exist anywhere else. What happens to the body when you're there is simply the result of what your mind is telling it to do. No one can show you where that Zone is, it's created by you, for you, as a result of your mind and body working together. It's all yours. It's YOUR Zone. And consequently, maybe I could create it myself. "Yeah," I thought. "I need to make my own Zone instead of all this whining and crying that's going on in between my ears right now."

Those words were almost like magic. Make your own Zone. I started chanting that phrase to myself as I ran. My breathing smoothed out. My pace increased. All the nonsense that had been in my head just floated away. The remainder of that short run flew by, and I felt a thousand times better.

The most powerful tool we have is the mind. I've made a lot of progress in using mine better, but I know I have a long way to go. I do know that, if I keep exercising my will and my mind, if I keep training it to be positive and determined, then I'll make more progress in every area of my life.

And you can too. Find your Zone. Make it yourself. And see what great things you can accomplish.

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Spooky updates!

Ok, I don't really have spooky updates, but it is October, so I had to put some Halloween in here somewhere!

The Forge Born Duology is now available on Amazon! Woo hoo! I really enjoyed writing that story! The actual writing did not really take that much longer than any other book of mine, but all of the other stuff that comes along with publication took much longer than expected, so I'm glad to finally have the whole project done. You can pick up the books here:

Another project that is in the works is the audiobook version of Mage's Burden! I'm working with Gene RowleyVoicover to get this story into your ears as soon as possible, and I'm thrilled with everything I've heard so far. I have several friends who've said they'd love to read my book, but they only do audio these days, so I'm happy to be closer to seeing it 'on the shelves'. My original goal was to have it done by the end of the year, but it may well be completed much sooner than that. I'll keep you posted!

And my third bit of news is that I'm already working on another story! This one is a prequel, set long before the original trilogy, and I'm having a ton of fun with it already. I'm shooting for a single book rather than a series this time, and I hope that everyone enjoys it as much as I am.  Fans of my current books might get a bit of a shock when they read the first chapter. 😉

Everything else is rolling along here. October is always a fun and busy month, and although I'm busier than a one-armed paper hanger, I love it. Jade Mountain Martial Arts keeps me impressively busy, and I just announced at a pro wrestling event last night, dressed as a pirate, no less. We'll be heading to the Texas Renaissance Festival for a wedding soon...I might dress as a Highlander, kilt and all. Or maybe a Jedi. I'll have to think about it. In the meantime, back to writing! 

New Books On The Way

I've been saying it for a while, but I mean it. Almost there. I'm doing the read-aloud edit on my latest story that will be two books. It's possible that I can get it out by the end of June. It's been a busy year thus far, and I haven't been able to allocate as much time to my writing as I'd like, so I appreciate y'all's patience!

This story follows a few of the characters from the Fire of the Jidaan Trilogy. They're older now, but I think you'll still recognize them. ;-) 

An aging warrior, once a wiry young man whose skills in combat had become legendary, now spends his days behind a desk.  However, those who test him discover that he's not over the hill just yet.

An elderly former thief, finding peace in the simple life after a devastating war, still feels the power of his magick running through him, a reminder of what he once was.

Married and settled, another former fighter has set up shop in an inn, running a mercenary contracting service. Life is good, but she longs for the sounds of combat and the feel of weapons in her hands.

A young woman, a human adopted by the wise Weya and trained in the ways of the bow and the skills of a Ranger, constantly trying to prove herself among her fellows. The magick within her is growing, yet she struggles to keep the power hidden.

Out of the blue, all are struck by a powerful vision, an intense experience that sends them all on the path toward a confrontation with the most powerful Mage in the Realm. Gart was once a Guardian, but he has become obsessed with a forbidden rite that could reunite him with his love, or destroy the world. Evil forces stand in his way, but then, so do his old friends. Can they help him see his own folly? Or will Gart unleash an overwhelming power on an unsuspecting world?

Read The Forge Born Duology to find out! Coming soon!

Progress! Coming soon! New Books!

Hey, folks! Just a quick update here. The new tale of the Guardians, set a little over 20 years after the events of the Fire of the Jidaan Trilogy, is now going through the editing process! I'm hoping to have it published in early to mid-March. This one has taken me longer than I expected, but life can get in the way on occasion. I thoroughly enjoyed writing this one, though, and I think it's my best so far. Early reviews are quite positive, so it's got that going for it.

I tend to update my other blog more often, and you can find it here:

http://www.jidaan.com/blog

2017 was...well...it was quite a year. Hurricane Harvey rolled through southeast Texas, flooding pretty much everything. Fortunately, our home and Jade Mountain were both spared, though tough times were had by everyone as a result of the flooding. Then, on Sept 30, my wife, Christina, was hit by a suburban in a parking lot in NY state. Score: SUV-1, Christina - 0. Although the damage to her leg was extensive, she was spared any further injury, so we count ourselves lucky in that regard. She only just returned home. She's still learning to walk again, but pushing herself hard every day and making great progress.

2018 looks MUCH better. Granted, after 2017, the bar is set pretty low, but hey, I'm happy that things are looking up! I'm planning to put out 4 books this year, and getting pretty close to the first 2 of those. The third, a new workout book, is very close to publication and might even beat the new fantasy to the shelves. After that, I have an urban fantasy I've been working on, so keep your eyes peeled for that one later in the year.  I'm still announcing at the DZW Pro Wrestling events and having tons of fun doing it, lacrosse season is finally here and I'm loving that too. What can I say? I love the game! And finally, JMMA is rolling along, picking up new students, and the current students are doing wonderfully. Life is good (certainly better than 2017).

There you have it: a short update. If you want to keep up with me more closely, just touch base with me on Facebook; I'm there a lot. Ok, I'm probably there more than I should be, but at least I'm easy to find.

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