NEWSLETTER

Welcome to the first issue. No clever name, no big launch plan, just a weekly note about what's happening across the different parts of my life right now. Trek, National Sports Center, Almanzo CC, and everything in between. However you got here, thanks for visiting and I hope you stick around. This is what "following the journey" actually looks like in practice - a short blog post and maybe an email every Monday.

The Week

After almost five years at Trek, I'm officially on the other side. The paperwork is done, the goodbyes are said, and the last few weeks have been about closing one chapter cleanly so the next one can start with a clear head.

That next chapter started at the National Sports Center in Blaine. I've taken on a facility supervisor role, which means early mornings, late nights, ice resurfacing, and learning an entirely different rhythm of work after years on the road. There's something grounding about a job where the result of your effort is visible and immediate. The ice is either ready or it isn't.

On the Almanzo CC side, the work has kept moving. Ideas is up past twenty published pieces, and the Geometry of Service project, my long-form response to Rick Rubin's The Creative Act, written for independent bike shop owners, continues to shape the bike space one meditation at a time.

One Thread

Last weekend, I spent a few days in Virginia crewing for Nora at the Old Dominion 100, the first event in her Grand Slam of Ultra Running. Crewing is its own kind of work with logistics, timing and anticipating what someone needs before they can ask for it. Standing at an aid station at 2am, watching runners come through in various states of determination, I kept thinking about how much of good service is just this. Being there. Paying attention. Having the thing ready before it's requested.

It's not a stretch to connect that to the rink, or to a bike shop counter, or to thirty years of public-facing work. The job changes. The discipline doesn't.

What's Next

More time on the ice and at the rink. More writing for Ideas and for chrisskogen.com. Plus three more ultras to crew for Nora before the Grand Slam is done. Plenty to report back on as we move through the summer.

music

Every week I’ll put an album here. Sharing music is one of life’s great joys and it’s something I built a habit around in my last role at Trek. I’m excited to bring it back to the light here and share with you.