Turning over a new leaf...

So, I don't know if this blog even shows up anywhere anymore... I have left this space formant for some time now.  However, I do not want the to be the case any longer.

Much has happened in my life in the last couple of years, especially in the last few months.  Those details will slowly be shared, as I do not wish this to be all about me and share novel's worth of background that I expect few would wish to wake through.  Instead this is what I wish to do:  I want to share my goals and hopes and a couple days a week write about the progress.

So, goals!  For me, I do well with goals that I am often reminded of.  The problems is that I don't so often remind myself of goals or set them.  So, here's to turning over a new leaf.  As the leaves of summer will soon change color and fall to the ground, so I too do not wish to remain the same person I am today.  I was reading recently about change in people's lives.  The author of the piece made the argument that to think that we won't change is crazy.  Every day you are presented with the opportunity to change.  The question is, how is it that you want to change?  Who is it that you are becoming?  Are you headed towards what is good and right, or away from that?

I think by setting good & honest goals for myself it will help me to move towards where I want to be.

So, goals... here they are (delineated for you logical people):

• Running:  
• To be ready to enter a race in the next 2.5 months (Mid-November).
• I need to have the strength that will prevent preventable injuries
• Whatever the race, I do not expect that I will race in top form, but that I'll be able to complete one.
• Relationships:
• I wish to become everyday more and more the man of God that can care for and love a family.
• I will read my bible, connect with friends & family, and grow in community.
• I will connect with my neighbors.  (Something I have not done in the last couple years)
• I will put myself into situations where I can meet new people (in hopes of starting a relationship with a woman of God).
• Life:
• I have a desire to move to Colorado.
• I will save my $ for moving costs and and deposits that need to be made.
• I will apply for a CO state teaching license.
• Education:
• I am interested in Counseling as a profession: in schools and outright.
• I will talk with peers, mentors, co-workers, and others about their thoughts and concerns about this.
• I will investigate schools to go to, talk with admissions counselors to determine the lengths of their respective programs, the costs, and my availability to work on the side.
• I will job-shadow at my current workplace (Aloha High School) to determine whether school counseling is something I want to do or not.
• I will talk honestly and openly with the graduate department at the U. of Portland to determine if they will allow me to complete my nearly finished MA in Ed.
• I will not expect anything from them.

I realize that for most of these I haven't set time-goals and that it's important to have goals that are measurable and attainable... so really these goals are still subject to change.  Like someone said at a church a couple weeks ago, we write our plans in pencil so they can be changed by us or God later... Making it so we don't hold so tight to a hope or expectation that the loss of it causes us great misery... and that we are humble enough to say that we don't know all that God does or what is best for us.

Let me know what you think.  Are there changes that you'd suggest?  What do you like or dislike?  What might you add or take away?  Your input is valuable to me.  Thank you for taking the time to read this!

Understanding?

So, this school year begins like the last 4 or 5... I am again a substitute teacher. I have fulfilled the role of a physics teacher for close to 2 years in temporary positions, but I have yet to land an elusive full time job. My resolve to wait for a position to open up has not changed, though I do wonder if I should add an endorsement to my license... even though that requires that I go back to school.

On the running side of things I am not where I would like either. My hope for this year was to run at a mountain race and in a marathon. With the mountain racing season already come and gone I find myself wondering if a marathon is even a good idea at this point. My mileage has been terrible as I've struggled with small injuries, motivational problems, and most recently the flu which sidelined me for almost a week.

So, what should I do with my thoughts, worries, desires, dreams? The only thing that I know will bring me peace and clarity is to go to God. I'll ask Him, the one who made me, what He wants me to do today. I'll keep doing this each day. I want my hopes and dreams to be the ones He wants for me. I'm not giving up on dreaming and hoping, but just running them by the one who knows me better than I know myself.

Training for Life

So, it’s been a long time. Since I last updated I’ve been really busy. Here’s a brief rundown. I finished a race (weblink) in Canada and ran very well. I climbed the “Chinaman” mountain in Canmore with the other USMR (US Mountain Runners) I was with… they were going crazy fast up that super steep mountain… Then I flew to Reno where I spent the night in the airport (my own decision), bad decision. I got to the AIA (Altheltes in Action) Altitude Camp a day late and that’s where I’ve been for the past 2.5 weeks.

We’ve been running around Mammoth Lakes, CA having a blast. Be it tempos, fartleks, mile repeats, or sweet long runs; this place is running heaven. Just make sure you get out the door early enough to enjoy a bit a reprieve from the heat in the afternoon. Having a cold creek to ice in and a pool to relax with friends helps quite a bit.

The main focus of this camp is two-fold. The first is the obvious running. The second is getting in God’s Word to see what He says about how to live. Through this aspect, we incorporate our faith and running. The realization that running is not life, like some shoe company once said, is one that most people have not stopped to think about. If you put all of your thoughts and time into one thing, you might get pretty good at that thing, but consider the cost. We need to have balance in our lives… including community with others and a realization that there is more to the world than me and my life.

At this camp we share a lot from our lives with everyone. I have shared things I am good at and things that I struggle with. There is so much freedom that comes from me sharing the things that I struggle with, even though it is hard. I realize that I am not the only one that struggles in this way, though I often believe that lie. I also am comforted by a group of people who want the best for me. These people really want me to grow as a person and as a believer. I trust these people. As you are reading this, I hope you to can understand the importance of sharing your burdens. I like the verses from the Bible that tell us that two are better than one and that a cord of three strands is not easily broken. I also like the verse from the Proverbs that says “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” I want to help others and I want others to help me. For this to be deeply helpful there needs to be trust and love. That can only happen fully I believe in a strong Christian community. I hope you can find one that feeds you spiritually and socially.

As I look forward to moving up to Seattle, I am praying for a community that I can be a part of that brings fullness of life to those involved and additionally, one that shares that light of life with others too. I want to be challenged, I want to held accountable, I want to trusted, respected and loved. A group where I am considered family. I am excited in not knowing what this will look like and hopeful that it will be greater than I expect. But I know that I likely won’t walk into such a group, but that I will in some way need to be a part of its creation. I am praying for just that. I pray that you will find the same.

I hope you make this a great day,

Nick Schuetze

Altitude Training

Well, I have been in Mammoth for a week now and boy, does it feel great. The air is crisp, clear, and dry and the trails are soft. Mike and I were doing or own thing running around here and there the first couple of days here in town, then we saw another runner who invited us to run with a group of guys who are training up here. It has been great getting to know them and running with them. It's encouraging getting to run w/ other people and having a set schedule for running during the day.

This week I got in a good 85 miles, even as my hip was bothering me a bit (it's getting much better). I ran a tempo run yesterday (5 miles) and a 15 mile long run today ( I was dead tired for that run). The legs are feeling kind a tired, probably due to the mileage increase and the lack of sleep from the first part of the week. I think that altitude was making it hard to sleep.. that was causing me to take naps, which probably made sleeping at night a bit harder too. So, today I napped for a good 2 hours. I think I will sleep okay. Tomorrow I plan on resting the legs with 2 easy runs of 45 min each. After that I hope to find a new set of glasses waiting for me @ the post office. I had some new glasses made for me before I left, but I wasn't around to pick them up... thank goodness for great parents. Speaking of....

If you believe in the power of prayer, would you pray or my Mom, Cyd (like Cydney). She has had pain in her shoulder and knee for a while... but recently it got progressively worse. So much worse that she went to the hospital because it was so unbearable. As far as I know, the exact cause is still not known. I love my Mom dearly and it's hard to hear about her pain. I would like to say that she is a firm believer in the Lord and that she's taking each day as it comes... one by one, trusting that God is there with her through it all.

Recently I decided that I wanted to give a talk on what pain does in the lives of people and more specifically Christians. This was first an idea from a radio clip I heard that asked why we don't have statues and sonnets praising pain, for in the midst of pain, some of the most amazing things in history have happened or been set in motion. As I have thought about pain and it's effects more and more I am realizing that all around me there are people who are in pain. It is manafest in many different ways. For some it's emotional, for others it's physical, relational, or spiritual. There could be more... I am not done exploring it. The way that these peopl are reacting says a lot of who they are, what they believe, and how stressed out they are because of the pain. I never would have thought when I first started looking into this topic that I would see so much pain. What I am coming to realize is that everyone understands what pain is. It is a universal feeling. Some hide it better than others, but deep down inside they know its effect. Through this universally shared experience you can connect... and I can connect with others. I can share what pain can be useful for, how it helps us in our walk with God, how the experience helps us understand what Jesus went through on the cross, or how to comfort others in their sufferings. If you have any ideas that you want to share with me, please share them in the comment section below, or email me @ nshootz@hotmail.com .


Well, I'm off to bed. Take care out there and like my brother says: Make it a good day!

~Nick

Mammoth Adventures

That's right! Mike and I pulled into Mammoth Lakes, CA today! It was kinda funny that we got in today, since all along we had planned for Monday night... You see, we were driving past Mono Lake. We had planned on camping there after we went for a run. But, after spending much longer on the road on the way down and teaching Mike how to drive a stick (#$*%^#$#@! sorry Black Beauty <--that's my car's name) we both considered the following (very Bill Nye-ish, don't you think?):

1. We had no idea if there would be a place to run down by the lake
2. We both wanted to sleep in beds... (I haven't had the pleasure for over a week)
3. We both wanted showers after the run. (b/c it's hard to sleep when you are hot and have dried sweat all over yourself.... "But what about the lake?" Well, let's just say the shore is covered in black flies and the water is 3x saltier than the ocean... not the best for cleaning one's person eh?)
4. We are 20 miles form Mammoth Lakes and we know where to run when we get there.
5. Mammoth is Beautiful and awesome this time of year (an a lot of other times a year too!)
After considerations.... the choice was obvious: GO TO MAMMOTH!!!

So, we made it to our/my final destination. I will be here for the next 5 weeks. YIPPY!

One last thing. I want to tell you about the man we are staying with. Before today I have never ever to my knowledge chatted, talked, seen, observed, or any other use of a verb with one of the nicest, gentle, and kind people that I have ever met. Him name is Jeff. We connected with him through another runner we met @ Mammoth last year. Jeff as far as I know lives a simple life in the hills of this small town. To keep him company he has 3 cats. I don't remember all of there names, but one of them is named Princess. I can tell that he cares for them greatly, though I have only seen a few interactions between him and the felines. When we arrived early, there was not problem (we called first to make sure we would not be unwelcome of course). He brought us in, showed us his place, offered us his food, gave us a key, showed us how to feed the fish, offered us towels, and asked for little in return (watch the place for a few days while he is on vacation). We just got here. He doesn't even know us. He trusts that we are not crazy, irresponsible people (and he would be correct with the assumption). He will be entrusting all that he has here to our care. That is quite amazing to me. Some might say that's foolish, but I think it incredibly generous. Today at church the Pastor @ Tahoe Forest Church (TFC) talked about responsibility. I want to be a more responsible person... as I hope you do too. Now I get a chance to put that into practice.
On a similar note, I think Jeff could be quite lonely. I say this not because he has three cats and I don't ever want to have 3 cats in the house... but I say he might be lonely because for an hour this evening he played the piano for me. He would flip through various books trying to find tunes that I would know. I confess that I was not too good at the task of identification, but I did throughly enjoy the endeavor. It was obvious that he hadn't played much lately, but by the end the notes we crisp and the beat consistent. He seemed to greatly enjoy playing for me. My presence gave him a reason to do something that he hadn't done for a while that we both enjoyed. It reminded me of my mom playing the piano when I was young. Our whole family would gather together in the family room and listen to mom. I am sure that would be playing with toys, but I absorbed the music nonetheless. When Jeff played tonight, I wondered who else might enjoy this talent of his and how often he felt comfortable in sharing it with others. I feel thankful to have been able to spend some time with Jeff. I hope that we can have more time together (maybe I can get some lessons? What out Abbs!) and that I might be able to help in some meaningful way.

Adventures in CA

Well. A lot has been happening lately. I made it down to CA w/o any serious problems... though one problem was not having A/C in the car. It was supposed to get fixed, but the needed parts were scattered across the country when I left Portland. I guess direct shipping didn't happen. Oh well, old school A/C = roll down those winders. It was wasn't hot on the way down, so I managed just fine. The first stop was when I got to the coast on Hwy 1 in CA. I pulled over and slept in the car for the night. It worked out very well, except that I did not wake up as early as I should have. (I gotta stop turning off the alarm). I drove down the 1 the rest of the way to San Fran and tried to enjoy the drive. I like the southern OR coast a lot better... it's more scenic and beautiful. The 1 is fun to drive b/c it's so twisty, but I was stuck behind many slow drivers out to see the sights.
I made the San Jose airport by 4:35, a bit after I was supposed to get there to pick up Sayenko. He was pretty cool about it all.
That night we shot pics @ Jimmers' (Greg Jimmerson) wedding rehersal... I think it went well). We got to see a bunch of Altitude Camp people that have been scattered the last year. It was really great to see Katie and Avery Blackwell. They flew in from Germany that night. The wedding was the next day.
We stayed 2 nights w/ Mike and Jen, friends of Jimmers and got to run around the Bay Area. We took a trip up to San Fran and got some great pics of the bridge and bought some chocolate. After a bread bowl of chowder, we headed back to Menlo Park and stayed w/ Mike's friends' parents.

They were very kind, offering a bed and some peach cobbler before we got to bed. The next morning we decided to go to the Moneray Bay Aquarium. Man, that was a good idea!
The aquarium is huge. We though we had seen all of it, but we missed about a 1/5th... oh well... more to go back and see next time. Mike and I had our cameras out the whole time and I took about 250 good pictures. I'll try to post some somewhere...

We spent the night in the car at the hilltop park. This time it didn't feel so good since the car was more full and the seats didn't go down as far. The next morning we set off for Truckee, CA.

It's a little town in the mountains of CA NW of Lake Tahoe. It's a great place to spend some time. There's a big lake (of course we had to run around it), mountains and trails all around (good for hiking, biking, and running...), and Tahoe is quite close. I plan on riding around the lake in the next couple of days. Mike and I are staying with Katie Murphy, this very enthusiastic teacher that we know from Mammoth's Altitude camp. Me , Katie, and 2 other local teachers went hiking this morning. It was a great hike to the top of a couple of peaks here in the area. I think I will go running later on today, tough very easily as my left leg is in pain.
I am trying to fix the problem, but it is not going away quickly. I have a race up in Canada at the end of the month that I am worried will make the leg worse, so I need to be sure to train smart right now. Pray for me if you get a chance.... I need to be patient and to be wise in how I train (I like to go crazy in trails and hills and there are a lot of them here).

Well, that's it for now. I hope you are living life to fullest wherever you are. I think life it more simple than we often make it... so take a second be thankful for all you have, don't be afraid to laugh at yourself, and love on those around you... that's pretty simple.

Wedding Madness and Bitterseet Memories

Well, (today) is the third wedding in a row and it is the one I am most pumped for. My best friend Oli, is getting married to Ann in a park at 3pm. Although my housemate Matt would say that all this wedding business isn't worth the trouble, I disagree. I think it's awesome to see two crazy cool people come together with a commitment to weather the storms of life together with God leading them. I am not ready for that day all that soon, but I can appreciate that many of friends are ready for a shared lifetime with one they love dearly. Anyways, enough on weddings...
This past week has been pretty eventful. I finished my first year of teaching. It was a bittersweet day on Tuesday when I turned in my keys and closed my door for the last time. It was great to hear from many of my colleagues that I would be missed and that they wished they could do what I am embarking upon... I am setting off this summer to follow my dreams of serious training for long distance running. My hopes are to make the Olympic trials for now. I want to set PR's in all of the distance events that I run too. These dreams will cause me to move to either Flagstaff, AZ or Seattle, WA. These are places where I can train with highly motivated runners, get coaching from experts, and have the facilities nearby that I will need to utilize to attain my goals. I feel kind of silly wanting to follow my dreams like this... like I should grow up already... but in a day when it seems that more and more people are dissatisfied with life and people don't like who they are and wonder how they became who they are now... I wonder if I will be able to avoid that for a bit longer.
It's not just that I am following some silly dream... it's more than that. I feel like I have been given a choice by the Lord to run or teach. It's a choice that I have to make and no one else can make it for me. I want to do now what I likely won't be able to do later on in life. I don't want to have regrets. I want to enjoy the life the Lord is offering to me. And as I think about what that will look like, I think of a friend of mine who will be doing some medical missions to PNG (Paupua New Guinea). She is following the leading of the Lord and serving others. I know I can serve through what I do. I want to do that. If you see me around, could you help me remember that? I would really appreciate it!

Good Night!
"Shootz"