Christmas Address

Today's blog is a letter to you--you all make it all possible. Thanks and Happy Holidays!

December 26, 2010

Athletes, Family, Friends, and Associates,

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Thank You all for helping me get to where I’m at. Truly, all of the gifts I’ve received for Christmas are the icing on the cake. I feel that Christmas was made possible through all of you. Some of the best gifts that I’ve received were not material.

I was re-assessing one of my clients recently. I took his blood pressure. 120/70. Ok. “Still taking your medication?” I expected all to be normal and he would tell me he had been. “No, “ his eyes kind of lit up and he had this smile on his face, “I actually haven’t taken them in over a month,” he finished. I took a moment to process the statement. I got it. I immediately put up my hand for a high-five.

A different client came in this week and showed me her new running shoes. Awesome! As it turns out, I had planned an extended treadmill training, so we tested the shoes out. She really got outside of her comfort zone. Turns out, she is a real competitor. After a quarter-mile challenge, she looked at me excitedly and said, “I didn’t quit!” almost as if she couldn’t believe it. Education is part of fitness training. The main curriculum consists of the things you learn about yourself. If I have had any part in your epiphanies and revelations, I feel I have accomplished much as well. Thanks for allowing me to be part of that.

“How do you feel?” I asked one of my other trainees after our circuit was finished. “Better than when I came in.” What a priceless gem of a statement. There are so many of you that have said so many great things that really touch and inspire me. You all are my favorite people to quote! Additionally, there are so many other stories I could tell you like this, but there are many stories to continue to build as well as new ones waiting to begin.

To my associates and management team, thank you so much for allowing me to learn from, work with, befriend, and be inspired by you. If it weren’t for all of you, I surely wouldn’t have made it this far, and I truly hope to work with you all for a very long career. I often tell people, “I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else,” and it’s 100% true. Thanks again.

All that said, it is time to look to 2011. A new year filled with new obstacles, new faces, new challenges, new milestones, and new successes and stories. Celebrate! Rejoice! Thank God! Then get ready. Training season continues! Thanks again to all of you for being part of my life, and thanks for reading!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

-Mike Nickles

Holiday Treats

"It's the Holidays!" True. If you haven't taken on a Holiday pound yet, I applaud you. Last year, it wasn't a problem for me. Actually, I was still losing a few pounds last year. But I have to admit this year, I've been more lenient with my nutritional extremism. I do realize that it's festive to treat yourself here and there, and as long as you're not training for an athletic event or are on a weight-loss or specific fitness program at the moment, if you do enjoy a cookie or extra drink here and there it's not the end of the world. If anything, take the opportunity to train extra hard the next day. You may actually find that you have mounds of energy on Monday morning after a Sunday night holiday meal followed by a dessert or two. So use it! Then, after the New Year caps off the Holiday season, find an event or pick a date, and train hard. Eat lean. Get ready for the next season! Start 2011 off with a list of challenges for yourself, then take them down and next year at this time you'll be able to enjoy the Holidays just as much or more than this year! And...it's okay to beat yourself up over the extra snacks...realize it's not a regular occurrence. Just don't beat yourself up too much! Have a great week and a Merry Christmas everyone! Thanks for reading!

"You're Not A Runner"

I feel lucky to have the career and life that I do. One of my challenges and duties is to inspire my clients to change or improve their mindset. One of my new clients, a runner and a fellow health and fitness junky, challenged me to think differently. We were discussing run training, and I mentioned at some point that I was done running outside for the winter. "You're not a runner...I need a runner..." she stated. I admit, I had to step back for a minute. I've been taking on so many challenges and done many extreme fitness activities up to this point, but I really had nothing to say for myself. I shook it off and we carried on in our session. Admittedly it has been haunting me, and today I decided to do something about it. I layered up and put 5 more miles on my new running shoes. Yes...outside...today... I had a blast!! I wasn't comfortable until well into mile 3, but it was definitely an experience. Some of the nostalgic obstacles reminded me of running outside--red lights, alleys, crazy drivers, and of course, moms with their unpredictable children. The new stuff was the ice and snow and the frozen beaten areas where hundreds of people have walked over. I must have burned a few extra concentration calories than on the treadmill! Anyways, today's run has opened the door for outdoor winter running, and I'm grateful I got challenged. What's something you haven't done due to apprehension or fear? Challenge yourself, or talk to someone who's done it and get them to challenge you! Then let's all continue to build on our new accomplishments. Have a great week, everyone, and thanks for reading!

Stones On The Path

Do you ever encounter stones on your path? Potholes on the street? Today in church, our pastor asked the congregation to call out different obstacles between us and peace. "Fear"..."Pride"..."Greed"...were just some of the terms and phrases shouted out by members of the congregation. These and many more were represented by stones on a thin sheet of cloth which was the "path". She then explained how our relationship with God helps us spread the stones, clearing our path and in some ways actually helping to illuminate or point out our way to peace. I found this very insightful and applicable to my life in general, and I wanted to share it with all of you. We can use this same principle to help us through our obstacles and reach our goals. We cannot simply wish that we had more convenient circumstances like more money, better schedules, etc. Life will surely give us a mix of hardships and obstacles along with opportunities and joys. What we must do is pray and learn to seize the opportunities in the midst of hardships. When we are better skilled to deal with adversity, we will have an even greater sense of accomplishment when reaching our goals, and we will be better armed to handle even greater challenges. We will also be stronger and more able to help others take on the obstacles in their lives so that they can reach their goals and find peace as well.

Admittedly, one of the obstacles I face at times is my own voice. Today after the service, myself, my wife, and my mother-in-law all came home and were preparing some food for lunch and for the week. My mother-in-law was discussing some family matters when I commented. I don't believe I said anything hurtful or inappropriate, but I surely did not need to interject. As a result, she was upset. I didn't know right away, but eventually I figured it out and then I became upset. I was upset because I don't want to hurt the people I love. I realized after reflecting on the event that I need to learn to keep my mouth shut sometimes and just listen. Sounds simple and it really is that simple. And with God's help, I will improve this about myself.

What obstacles are standing between you and...peace?...love?...your health and fitness goals? (Okay so I had to throw that in). Identifying them is your first step, and sometimes it can be hard to admit our own shortcomings. But it is only by identifying and working to change and improve that we will be able to progress. Please comment and share your own stories, obstacles, and/or anything you would like that may help you, me, or other readers. Have a great week, everyone, and thanks for reading!

Laziness For Productivity

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I held my second annual family Thanksgiving, and it was great! I got to spend time with family and friends, and of course, there was great football on, too! If you're human, you most likely indulged in some extra calories this Thanksgiving, which is okay. What I have come to realize and explain is that on holidays or special events, it won't kill you to eat/drink a bit more or a little unhealthier than usual, however, the problem is that many of us have too much of a nonshalant attitude the remainder of the year, which is not only not good, but actually a detriment to your health. Trust me, when your nutrition is balanced and under control, you will feel and look better, no matter what your exercise program/schedule looks like. Tony Horton says, "Abs are made in the kitchen." Well said.

Anyways, I don't really want to discuss the Holidays, but I want to discuss recovering from them. On Friday, I had an appointment with a regular client which got me in the gym. I did get a great workout in, and then I went home for the day. I originally planned to get some cleaning and errands accomplished, but ended up cuddling in bed and was really not much more productive then a rock on the street. Saturday, however, was a much different story. I skipped yoga in the morning but replaced it with cleaning off the desk in my office--there is much more to do but after a filled garbage bag and some movement, I can now utilize my desk once again. I paid some bills, went to work for a client appointment, drove up to Evanston for a specific product for my wife, made a couple other stops including the bank, Home Depot, and Target, went back home, raked the yard, and I finished up my productive day by making a salad and using the remnants of the Turkey carcasses to create a delicious soup for dinner.

Do you ever feel unproductive or lazy? Well, if so, sometimes you do need to take that day. What you should do mentally, however, is plan the next day to jump-start a series of productive days, weeks, etc. You will feel charged and ready to go, and I suggest making a list of tasks. There is a great feeling of accomplishment when you look on that list later and see you have crossed off most or all of the items you set out to do. Another tip--if there is a project or task that you have been putting off but it is important, do that first, and everything else will seem much easier. Please post your thoughts and experiences with laziness and/or productivity for us to learn from. Have a great week, everyone, and thanks for reading!

Thanks Be To God

"Bang!" That was the sound of a large, heavy, vertically sliding partitioning door slamming closed on top of the guitar that belonged to Pastor Sherrie's husband and our church band leader, Tim. The look on his face said it all, and Pastor Sherrie appropriately said, "Thank God no one was hurt." Tim's guitar was smashed and he looked crushed. He kept his composure well, and later in the service, he announced that he was thankful to have had the guitar and that it was the best musical instrument he's ever owned.

Think of a time you've lost, broken, or have had a personal possession destroyed. How did you feel? How did you react? Odds are you were devastated, angry, and very upset. Did you take out your frustration on someone else? Or did you react with a positive attitude like Tim? Think about it. None of us can predict or prepare for anything 100% of the time. But all of us have the choice on how to conduct ourselves as well as the choice of our own attitudes. No matter how bad things get, we must try to remain thankful for what we have and the blessings that we have instead of being upset or expressing self-pity over what we don't have or what we've lost. There are people in life that may be in a more fortunate circumstance than us, but there are certainly more that have less favorable lives and in situations they have no control over. We must pray for those less fortunate and be thankful for what we are blessed to have, whatever that may be. Like Zig Ziglar says, "It's your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude." Well said, Zig. Especially this week and through the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday season, let's try to be more positive about our situations and attitudes, and let's take time to Thank God for what we have and be appreciative for the important people we love and care for. Have a great week everyone! Happy Thanksgiving, and thanks for reading!

Step Up

As we quickly approach Thanksgiving, it is relevant to think about and be thankful for the things that we have instead of complaining about or wishing for the things we don't. The obstacles in life are tough for everyone. We all have different careers, family lives, body types, religious beliefs, etc, but we can all agree that even during "good times" there are tough obstacles. Actually, since "good" is a relative term anyway, we must experience adversity in order to truly appreciate our accomplishments and the opportunities that present themselves.

This past weekend, one of my clients had the opportunity to do the event, "Skyrise Chicago," where participants climb all of the flights of stairs in the Willis Tower. 2,109 steps in 103 floors to be exact. What is special about this opportunity is that my client has two prosthetic legs below the knee. Wow! In mock trials we did on the stairmill over the past two weeks, I realized that not only would my client finish the event, but he would finish with a better time than a lot of "normies" (his term for us who have all of our limbs). Certainly, my client could have had plenty to complain about over the years, allowing himself to be treated specially because of his disability. But rather than that, he overcame this and actually worked in Orthopedics for many years, the same field that had helped him to walk again. Hats off to him, and we can all use this as a lesson for the week and during this Thanksgiving and Holiday Season. Let's step up to our challenges and give thanks and praise for what we have: health, family, intelligence, opportunity...you fill in the rest here. Have a great week, everyone, and thanks for reading!

Guest Blog: Making A Positive Difference

Below is copy from an email I got today from one of my clients. She has been responding well to training, and above all, trying to maintain a positive attitude. Please think about the relationships in your life and relate to this message. Very powerful, and I'm glad people are catching on! Thanks, "C", for your inspiring message!

Hi Mike,

I read your blog tonight from Nov. 7th and was thinking... I encourage you to keep thinking positively. As a physician, I have relationships with a lot of people (doctor-patient, teacher-student, peer-peer, nurse-doctor, etc), and it can be really difficult when you invest so much of yourself into another person and then the relationship ends. In my case that is the doctor-patient relationship, and in your case the trainer-trainee relationship. It is, in some ways, both a positive and negative to the job. But no matter what happens at the end, I always tell myself that I did the best that I could, and that I made a difference in this person's life because I did the best that I could. Anyhow, there is a great line in Antoine de Saint Exupery's book The Little Prince. At one point, the fox tells the Little Prince (translated from French), "you are responsible for those with whom you create a relationship with." Most of us feel this in general, but those of us charged with healing, teaching, or "service" towards another person feel this even more (or at least I think so). �

Thanks,

"C"

I hope you felt that! Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!

Goodbyes

This week was long for me, as it probably was for many others including many of you reading. I am at the point as a personal trainer where I am building strong relationships with my regular clients, and many of them are entering progressive stages of training and they are seeing and feeling results. This is what determines my success, but more than anything, it makes me feel great to be a part of life improvement! Anyway, one of my favorite clients who recently started training three times a week emailed me to inform me of some bad news. She had decided to take a job offer in her home country in Central America and would no longer be training or coming to the gym. This was sudden, and I was truly saddened that we wouldn't be working together. I felt that we had come a long way and were making real progress. Not only that, but obviously that's 3 sessions a week less which is a setback for my business as well.

I wished her the best, but I can't help but feel kind of like I was dumped. A week ago another client had finished her training as well, which I knew about ahead of time, but it was still a bit tough mentally. I can't help it, I guess. I am investing myself into my clients as much so or even more than they are committing themselves. Another thing that ties in is my own training. People often ask me about my own training. I feel that I have to hold myself to a higher standard of fitness. This way, I cannot ask or expect a client to do anything more demanding than what I put myself through. And, yes, this does include issues and obstacles that come up. Anyway, what I will do is to remember the relationships I have made, the impacts I have had on my clients, and I will always learn from these experiences and build on them into the future. I urge you all to do the same in your professional and personal lives. Each day is a new learning experience, and life gives us a blend of difficulties and opportunities. We must take advantage of the learning and opportunities in the midst of the difficulties and obstacles. Growth is the result. So every goodbye is potentially a new hello! Stay positive, have a great week, and thanks for reading!

What's Hot

It's been quite an interesting week and a long, fun, wild weekend to top it off. There were many highlights, but I want to talk about a few new fitness experiences this week. I'm lucky to be working as a trainer at the best gym in America, and it definitely has its perks. I've recently begun my own fall/winter cross-training program, and in order to help make it complete I've decided to include a weekly regimen of personal pilates training as well as yoga. Thursday I had my pilates session, and it was awesome. If you haven't tried pilates, I urge you to do so. Pilates is a total-body experience that I can foresee will help me to stabilize with my core better, improve my posture, and in turn, will help me in other areas of athletics. Yoga has been a similar experience for me, but one major thing with yoga is the mind-body element. Yoga, besides helping with flexibility, stability, balance, strength, and breathing, instills patience and trains your mind as well. Yesterday I tried "hot" yoga, or Bikram Yoga, for the first time, and it was quite an experience. (Click on the title to this blog to link to the studio I am going to.) I urge you to round out your fitness with yoga and pilates, and definitely work with your trainer to implement safe and appropriate routines.

What I really want to highlight is the satisfaction of witnessing my clients' excitement for their own fitness. I mentioned above about perks of training, and I am actually training my pilates instructor in exchange for her service to help me. Awesome deal! Anyway, she is a dancer and is admittedly detrained as far as strength and endurance go. I trained her yesterday for the first time, and we were able to work through her weak points, avoid aggravating old injuries, and challenge her in a different way than she is accustomed to. At parts of the strength segment as well as the cardio intervals, I saw this look of excitement on her face that really pumped me up. She looked so happy to be getting a good workout in, and she really kicked butt, too!

Of course we can translate this into your job/career, too--if your job seems boring, remedial, or unexiting and if you are unmotivated, then adjust your thinking. Try something new and think about the people you are helping. A sales call is not just a sales call. Don't sell products at all. Instead, solve problems. Look at those presentations and consultations as opportunities to help someone reach a goal. You have the chance to profoundly improve the quality of someone's life every day, even if it's not a client or customer. Maybe you can brighten a co-worker's day with a compliment or a show of consideration. Bring an extra coffee back for someone or say hello to the person you join in an elevator, and get excited when they respond! Simple things like these can not only help them but in turn, may help you feel re-charged and more focused and positive throughout the day. Please post your thoughts, have a great week, and Happy Halloween! Thanks for reading!

One Pushup At A Time

It's been a full week since I've shared my thoughts on this blog, and I appreciate the time I've gained as it is needed. That said, this week's message is about making changes--one pushup at a time.

I've been working closely with one of my regular clients over the past few weeks. We've been establishing strength and preconditioning as our focus for this cycle, and the struggle, like many, is in range of motion. Take the pushup: a seemingly basic exercise, it is everything but. Executing a single pushup demands upper body strength, shoulder girdle mobility, core stability and strength, balance and coordination. Many people can start and finish a pushup or do a half range-of-motion version, going halfway to the floor and back, but it is a full range-of-motion pushup that I'm really after in a solid test. Going back to the client I began talking about, she is the same way...or has been for the past few weeks. She has been working diligently outside of sessions and trying her best all the time. It is truly the hard work put in outside of our training sessions that has really been paying off. The other day in our routine, my client did one, two, three, four...and more...full range of motion pushups! She stopped around five or so, took a break, then did some more. The realization of this milestone drove her to try to keep doing more! I know it was awesome for her, but I have to admit I had to hold my excitement in myself.

I am finally to the point now in this business that I am witnessing more and more results which means I am doing my job! What I also know from experience is that the mindset changes are the biggest and most profound. Positivity and confidence is replacing negativity and apprehension, and those are just a couple examples. For me, it will be a constant challenge to get people in the game and keep them there, and for all of us in fitness, business, and in life, we must continue to conquer these challenges and realize our own milestones, one pushup at a time. Have a great week, everyone, and thanks for reading!

Work And Play

Yesterday many of my colleagues participated in the Men's Health Urbanathlon, a athletic event featuring runs and city-themed obstacles. I am still coming off of the Marathon from last week, so I did not participate this year, but a bunch of us went out last night to hang out and consume a few alcoholic calories...ok a bit more than a few! I'm still a newer member of the team at work, so this was the first time I've really hung out with people outside of the gym. My wife came out with me, and we all had a great time. Are you the type to hang out with people you work with? If not, why not? Most likely we all spend more time with the people we work with than our own families, so it is actually very important to nurture interpersonal relationships outside of your normal work environment. Not only does it help build bonds of trust and provide more insight, it's fun, and it will make your workday and professional relationships better as well. Work hard, play hard, and have some fun!

That's it for me for today, and this is the official end of the "daily dose". Moving to a weekly blog most likely with perhaps a few extras during the week, depending on what I think is relevant to share. I'll be changing the name of the blog and maybe even the look, and I welcome any suggestions. Thanks so much for reading, responding, and for making a commitment to yourself, your health, and your life!

Moving Forward

One of my clients gave me a valuable piece of feedback yesterday. He told me that from trainers he's worked with, I have helped him to progress. "You force me to progress," he told me. Apparently, other trainers would have him perform the same exercises at the same weight each time. That may or may not be exactly true, but surely it explains how he didn't really see much results. What I aim to do with all of my clients is to challenge them each time, whether that means more weight, a few more repetitions, or simply by tweaking exercises with small progressions in complexity. His partner even made a comment about seeing more muscle and how my client appears to be getting stronger. He certainly is on paper! If you are struggling to make improvements, I urge you to continually challenge yourself. Regarding weight training, shoot for a number of repititions, but don't stop! Most people stop at a specified number such as 10 when they might have been able to push out a few more. Those extra repetitions to failure are what will help your body the most to increase endurance and strength, allowing you to progress all the time. When it seems your progression is slowing, known as the "plateau effect", it's time to take a break in your routine and adjust your focus for a period of time. Switch up your individual exercises as well as your overall approach, and you will go through the process again and see more and more consistent results. The most important thing is your attitude. If you are optimistic and ambitious, you will surely have greater results and success. This obviously translates to your life outside of the gym as well, and it is one of the only things a trainer or someone else can't provide for you. Moving forward, keep...well...moving forward! Have a great day, and thanks for reading!

Gearing Up

Planning for fitness training can seem like more work than the actual fitness routines themselves. I am planning to begin my offseason training starting this coming Monday, and I'm making sure I'm ready. I've already started tracking my nutrition and macronutrient breakdown to see how close I am to the desired ratios and levels I had planned. Also, I've been putting some foam roller time in as well as rest and sleep, all of which seem like sedentary activities, however they are actually more important for rebuilding, repair, and recovery than anything else. I've ordered my appropriate supplements, and now all that's left is getting the individual workouts designed appropriately and with a level of relevance. I suggest for all of you the same: plan well, plan early, and schedule everything. You will be happy you did because you will find it is much easier to stick to a plan than it is to "wing it" or to get it done in the last minute. Sounds like this advice could surely translate into your other activities and endeavors in business and in regular everyday life, doesn't it? So gear up, everyone! Thanks for reading, and have a great day! Happy Friday!

Offseason Training

For me, my first running season is officially over. The marathon was awesome, and this week I've almost felt ill from the aches and pains and weakness while my body worked to recover and rebuild. I'm feeling more energy back today and got in some foam roller work and 20 minutes of a great yoga class. I feel so excited actually for the changes about to come. I am designing my own offseason training program which, in many respects, will be much harder and more grueling than the peak of this running season. I am planning to utilize all 7 days, with 2 days devoted to active recovery such as yoga, pilates, and corrective exercise and flexibility. I will program for myself as I am my own client. After all, if I can't stick to a program and be accountable, how can I expect that from my clients?

What does your career/job entail? Do you have clients? Do you sell products? What types of things do you promote, and are you an active participant? Do you believe in your product and use it? What do you consider your season, and how are you training and developing for it? This could apply for your job/career, sports, personal athletics, financial goals, etc. Think about it. What is your plan, and how has it worked for you? If you don't have a plan or goals, then aren't you just spinning your wheels? Why get in the car without a destination? Think about it. Get excited for your upcoming season and the offseason where you will be getting "back to the basics" and working on mastering your craft! Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!

Why You Can't Is Why You Need To

So many of not only my clients but people in general have objections. Objections as to why they can't do things. Think about it--how many times have you said, "I can't go out because I have work in the morning." You have made work a priority, and there are clear reasons why. What if you said, "Screw it--I'll call in...let's party!" There would obviously be serious repercussions to this behavior, especially if you decided to do this type of thing all the time, wouldn't there be? How come, then, do we make so many excuses about why we can't get to the gym to meet with a personal trainer for a session or somehow include fitness into our day? Why do we make excuses about eating whatever because it's so hard to eat healthy. Is is really that hard or are you just making excuses to stay within your comfort zone? Are you afraid to succeed? Are you afraid you won't be accepted? What's really going on? All of these reasons you create in your mind--stress, no time, work, social life--are all of the same reasons you need to make health and fitness a top priority. To reduce your stress, help you become more efficient and thus giving you more time, to have the energy to go out and bounce back from a grueling week or weekend--are all things that are often solved by living a healthier, more active lifestyle. So why can't you make it happen? Most likely it is precisely the reason you need to make it happen. Give me a call and let's work through your obstacles. Have a great day, and thanks for reading!

Form=Function

Many of you don't know this, but I wasn't always a fit, health-minded individual. (Ok it was a joke-almost all of you know this!) Let me rewind for a moment, though. In high school, I gained interest in drafting and architecture, and that is initially what I decided to pursue in my early years of college. I began at UIC in the Architecture program, and one of the major things that still hovers in my thoughts is "form=function". Truthfully, I didn't really grasp this concept until much later, and although it sounds simple, it is the continual thought process that evolves, grows, and keeps re-defining itself in my mind. Think about a church. If you take a look at many different blueprints/floor plans, you will see many that resemble a cross. There is usually a main building bisected by another where the sanctuary is. (This is a basic design, but it makes sense.) Much of the architecture in Chicago and around the world resembles thought processes regarding function and environment, reflected in the design. Think about the Willis (Sears) Tower. Like many of the buildings designed by the influence of the time, the lines of the building lead up, with windows, vents, and other crossing patterns. The function of the building is to house many different offices efficiently and effectively, and you can tell from the outside that it is a basic grid-like pattern. Look on google maps at Chicago itself. Isn't it, too, a dense grid of streets, blocks, and structures designed to house and transport a multitude of inhabitants? Makes sense, right?

Think about your body and daily movements. What types of movements do you do? What types of movements is your body designed for? What types of things are you doing to promote what your body was designed for? Additionally, what activities or non-activities are you performing that are a detriment to your function, and are you properly trained and fueled to efficiently and effectively perform your functions? Think about it. How do you look? Sedentary, overweight and obese individuals don't look like they do because they perform athletic activities, and they surely aren't the product of healthy eating. If you eat and practice to be a couch potato, your body will reflect it. Likewise, think about football players for instance. Football is a complex sport, having different position players performing different tasks. Offensive linemen are massive, strong, and tend to have a high percentage of body fat, which makes them slower, yes, but much more difficult to get around and move, making their form effective for their task. A wide receiver looks much different, and the best ones tend to be tall, lean, flexible and fast, allowing them to become good at long routes, jumping, and reaching to make athletic catches.

My point is this--if you want to look different, think of what activities you want to perform better, how you'd like to move, and what benefits will come from being able to perform a certain way. It's okay to want to look a certain way, but knowing what you'll be better at and striving for that instead of just saying, "I want to look good naked," or something like that will be a much better benchmark of achievement. Have a great day, everyone, and thanks for reading!

Off The Wall

Wow. I now understand what "the wall" really means! Yesterday during the marathon, I felt really good through the majority. The long race seemed like an athletic tour through the city, starting and ending in Grant Park and taking us through North Side neighborhoods, south through downtown and continuing through Pilsen and all the way to U.S. Cellular field and back up. It was a gorgeous day, starting out around a comfortable 70 degrees or so and getting hotter by midpoint in the race. I was happy for this because I've been training and competing in hot weather all summer, so the feel was similar. I felt extraordinary through about mile 21-22. Around that point my hip flexors and lower quads started to spasm a bit and I knew I was on the verge of hitting the wall. I slowed down, walked through gatorade stations, and even stretched out a bit. My goal moved away from a certain time and closer to finishing without hobbling through the finish. I now also understand the term "marathon shuffle," as this was the best way to describe how many of us were moving along. The shuffle was just over a speed walk, but too limited in range of motion to be considered a run or jog. I came in at 4:10:00, and I am satisfied to have finished and for having all of the support from family and friends as well as my clients to help me motor on through. That said, I am glad for the experience as it was humbling to experience the cramping, pain, and limitations that presented themselves. I now understand more about the conditioning that will help me in the future, and I am confident I will be able to avoid meltdowns in the future.

Much of the marathon experience translates to every day life. Moving at a pace slower than you'd like to because of crowding is much like being on a busy expressway or getting through a project limited by factors out of your control. We must learn patience and humility and do what we can, not always exactly what we want to. Also, hitting the wall happens all the time in life, doesn't it? Financially, economically, physically, mentally, emotionally, and in other ways, too. But it's not whether you hit the wall or cruise through that matters. It's really about dealing with the wall, bouncing off when you can and recovering to finish your challenge and/or task. Respond to your experiences both negative and positive, and in the end, we all learn more from setbacks and failures than "winning" with no hitches. Usually it's only when we learn and grow through failures that we can truly accomplish what we've set out to do. How does this apply with you? Have a great day, everyone, and thanks for reading!

Crowd of Cheers

Well, I finished. I was shooting for a finish time between 3:30 and 4:00, but I finished at 4:10. Not bad, really, but I worked through some injury and cramping and made it happen. In my head, I thought of all of the people supporting me and looking to me for support. It is because of all of you that I am able to push myself further each day, and it is why I will continue to strive for greater and greater accomplishment. As a trainer and coach, I am focused on holding myself to a higher standard. I can only expect someone to follow direction if I learn myself to set a great example. None of us are perfect, but that doesn't mean we don't try to get there. At points in the race, there were crowds of spectators who were residents, friends, and family members of the participants. I ran and ran, and I thought about those spectators. They came out to support people they cared about. Thinking deeper, I realized that I help to promote health by training and coaching these same people that the crowds were cheering for. Since it is my mission to promote healthier living to everyone, these family members were effectively cheering for me! This made me smile, and I really felt the cheers personally and felt great throughout the race because of it! Think about the people you serve and care about. How are you making a difference for them? Realize that as you better their lives you are actually improving the quality of life for not only them but also indirectly for the people that love and care about them! Get excited about it, and thanks for making a difference! Thanks for reading!

Cheer Me On

Just this morning I got an email about a new iphone app upgrade. The Nike+ Gps application which I currently use allows me to track my run pace, distance, and even my route plus more. The upgrade includes a feature called "Cheer Me On" which allows me to post on Facebook when I begin a run, and when friends comment on or like my status, I will hear cheers in my headphones. Pretty awesome! Please cheer me on when you see my post tomorrow during the marathon. I can't say enough about support, and I need it just as much as you and everyone else. Support the people that support you...that's called a team! Thanks everyone for your support, and thanks for reading!

Doing A Great Job

I had the pleasure of meeting a family member of one of my clients yesterday. My client is a grad student currently and she brought her mom into the gym with her to work out while we completed our training session, and I was sure to introduce myself at the front desk. "You're doing a great job," she said. "She's doing all the work!" I replied, speaking about her daughter. I did feel glad to receive a compliment, especially from a parent. But what it says to me is not necessarily that I'm implementing superb technical strategies, but rather that my client has been positively responding to my style of coaching, and that we have truly established a bond. For training to work, any type of training--whether it is personal training in a gym or home setting, group training, boot camp, even your normal job training and class education, there needs to be a connection, and you need to believe in who is teaching you and be able to commit to the game plan. So the seemingly simple compliment to me is really a sign that I am getting through to my client, and what that ultimately tells is that she will be successful because her mindset is right. Mindset...my favorite word, right?! Seriously, though, it is all about mindset.

Actually, this same client asked me yesterday, "When you were losing all that weight, did you ever hit a point where you stopped or gained some of the weight back?" She was referring to the plateau that many people seem to hit in weight loss before they reach their goal. Mindset. Although weight loss slowed down after I reached a healthier body composition, I didn't hit a training plateau, mostly because I stuck to the plan and didn't compromise a thing. I also explained how I kept challenging myself, intensifying workouts and sticking to a consistent and appropriate healthy eating program, and I am at a healthy consistent weight of around 150 lbs (although I was at my lightest around 143-145...crazy!) The question of how hard it is arose, and I explained that now it has actually become easy--not only because I've established a lifestyle for myself, but that I need to hold myself to a much higher standard if I expect my clients to reach their goals and follow my lead. Mindset. Being a trainer and an influential individual actually makes it easier to discipline myself because what I think about on the treadmill, pavement, or cross training is not myself getting better, but all the people who are seeing results and success and who see me as their motivation. So, I'm doing a great job only because all of you are doing a great job! Happy Friday everyone, and thanks for reading!

Do Your Homework!

Being a member of a fitness club, you have many options on how to go about getting in shape and maintaining your level of fitness. Some elect personal training as a vehicle to guide and motivate them through this process, which is smart. Even personal trainers seek knowledge, advice, and training from other colleagues and health professionals. Anyway, some of my clients see me sporadically, while the ones benefiting the most see me once, twice, or even three times a week, it is not really what we do in our sessions that are yielding them the results they seek. Granted, when we are getting in structured workouts multiple times per week and have more face-to-face time, we should expect a greater level of guidance, corrective work, and regular progress, however, if a client is only "showing up" one to three hours out of the 168 total that make up a week, the level of results (or lack there of) will tell the story itself. Just like if the only time you care for your overall health and condition is when you are with your physician, you will surely be in trouble! However, if you are an active participant in managing your health and fitness as you should be, the results will come. Completing suggested assignments such as tracking your food intake and working to tweak your diet, performing exercises and workouts given by your trainer, and also learning more about health in general and steering clear of the usual obstacles and foreseen roadblocks between you and your goals. Sounds hard, but understand you must make changes if you want to expect results. It starts with you, and if today is an improvement from yesterday, tomorrow will surely be an improvement upon today. Robin Sharma says it like this, "If you improve by 1% each day, then at the end of 30 days you will have improved by 30%!" That makes sense and it's easier to do a little at a time than to expect huge leaps and bounds. It just won't work. So listen to your trainer, everyone, and do your homework! It's what you are doing outside of the gym walls that will ultimately help you reach your goals. Some of my clients have already experienced this, (and one in particular has inspired this blog today! Thanks for doing your homework Mike!). Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!

On The Wall

It's official! Okay, so no biggie...I've been a personal trainer here at Equinox since July but I'm finally on the wall. Here at Equinox, we have a wall where there are basically 5x7 profiles of all of the trainers and until today, I haven't been featured. Clients and other members have asked me, "why aren't you on there yet?" "I know, I know," I would say, "soon!" Almost every day I would take a look while reading and re-reading other profiles, getting a sense of the other professionals I work with, their specialties, base of knowledge, and philosophies. How great it is to be grouped with some of the most educated professionals in this business! Anyways, it does seem a bit more solid, and you probably can name moments in your life where things seem a bit more stable to you. Maybe it is as simple as having a name tag made or seeing your name in print. Whatever it is, relish that moment. Be proud of your accomplishment--then build on it and really make a name for yourself! Because it's not about what you know or even how many people you may know. It comes down to how many people know you, and more importantly, how many lives you've had positive influence in. If your name comes up in someone's success story, for instance, that is one step closer to greatness! Help someone out today and start making your way up the wall! Thanks for reading!

Day 367!

Today marks the first day of year 2 of this blog! Thank you all for reading and for all of your support and comments to this point! That said, I just got done publishing the last three make-up-days of blogs. Why had I been putting it off? I don't know. What I do know is that I've made a commitment to write these for myself and for all of you who benefit from my thoughts now and again, and I don't plan to let you down. I am, however, considering making this a weekly blog soon. As my business as a trainer has been ramping up, I have dedicated more time to helping people one on one. Also, I realize that some of my blogs may have felt a bit "watered-down" content-wise. I may seek to create a weekly blog to recap events, thoughts, and concepts, and add-in a few random and special ones here and there. I will look to do this soon as I have officially achieved the one-year mark for this daily blog! I enjoy getting my thoughts out and inspiring all of you who read this to make improvements in your lives and possibly helping you touch the lives of the people you care about indirectly. Please comment below with any feedback regarding my blog, suggestions, and/or your thoughts about the frequency change. After all, it's because of you I stay motivated, and because of the support I get that I am able to succeed. Thank you all so much, and have a great day! As always, thanks for reading!

Don't Call In!

"I want to tell you, " my client started, "I was going to call in and cancel this morning's session. Then I thought, 'If I cancel today, I'll most likely see myself not coming back.'" Wow. Yesterday one of my newer clients told me this after admitting she felt like she had a slight cold. I applauded her for still coming in, and she not only completed the workout, she actually improved her numbers! She was so happy she made the decision to come in and do her best, and you will too!

Often, especially concerning fitness, we may feel like "calling in" and skipping workouts. Do you ever feel better that you did? Unless you are injured or severely ill, you should show up and give it your best. This is the simplest thing to accomplish on a given day, but usually it is the hardest thing for people to do. Why? Sometimes it's laziness, and sometimes although we think we've committed, we've really just entertained the idea of getting in shape or doing something well. When you truly commit to something, you will not let anyone or anything stop you from performing the activities necessary to reach your goal. Think about this in other areas of your life: Do you call in to work for non-legitimate reasons? Do you call and cancel social engagements with friends because you "don't feel like it"? Ok, every once and a while we value that "me" time, but if you are a successful person you don't have any reason to do this. I'll admit, sometimes my head isn't always 100% "in the game" but I've learned that if you just "show up" and start [your workout] you'll usually surprise the heck out of yourself and often you will improve! Plus, you'll feel so much better about following through with your commitment. This same principle will carry over into your career and social life, and in turn, you will become a highly motivated, responsible, and effective individual. It starts with today. Tomorrow it will be about tomorrow, and so on. Don't call in today, get your workout in, and follow through! Tomorrow do the same! Have a great day, everyone, and thanks for reading!

One Week Left

One week left. The Chicago Marathon is on Sunday, 10-10-10. Two years ago when I was 225 lbs, a half-pack/day smoker and Mr. Unhealthy, if you would have told me I'd be running in a marathon as a personal trainer, I would have laughed you out of my house. This is huge. It is the culmination of my running efforts this season, which by the way, is the first season I ever really ran for sport or fun. Beyond any and all changes I've made physically, truly the changes that have happened internally have been much more profound. Fitness and health is way more about attitude, motivation, and perseverance than anything else. And by committing to something as meaningful as health, I have really been able to apply the same principles of discipline and hard work into other aspects of my life, and taken it further. I have found my self infecting people with the "health bug" that I have. It's quite contagious! It seems in the midst of the economic chaos, disasters, family issues, and everything under the sun, people have found solace in fitness and nutrition, and that's a great thing! Once we get ourselves on the right track with our body, we will no doubt be on the right track mentally, and better equipped to handle whatever life will throw at us next. In the middle of so much difficulty I have experienced personally, I am grateful to God for the opportunities that have opened up. Recognize that it is not about simply wishing things were better. Confront your difficulties/obstacles and make concise decisions on how to handle them, and you will be surprised at the great things that will happen as a result. For me, changing my health has not only meant changing my life, but it has also meant that people I love and care about have had their lives changed for the better as well. My whole family has gotten healthier and more health conscious as a bi-product of my own health revolution, and now I am making a living helping others do the same. Please say a prayer and/or join me at the finish line this Sunday in person or in spirit. I appreciate the support I have received, and I thank you all for being part of my success! Thanks everyone, and thanks for reading!

Complete Your Task

Today was a busy day. I had two great training sessions, a 3-hour class, did my weekly shopping and errands, and even did some interval training on my new Schwinn Spin Bike(thanks Marc and Tania!). Then I carted Jasmine off to Aurora for a bachelorette party, and I decided to spend a few hours visiting my buddy down in Plainfield and to get my car worked on(thanks Scotty!). Among other issues, I knew my brakes haven't been touched in almost 3 years. Though I use a lot of downshifting with my braking, I had a feeling it was about that time. And through a friendly barter agreement, I'll be helping Scotty train at home in return for his auto consulting and repair work. So Scotty began with the brakes since it was definitely the activity that would take the longest. Wow did it ever...the rotors were basically fused to the piece they were mounted to, so it was a painstaking effort to get each one off. Scotty even had to drill through 2 screws on each hub, and that wasn't exactly a quick thing. After a few hours and a couple brews with some of his friends, we were on the fourth and final wheel.

His buddy brought a tool that he said could help out with the removal of the two problem screws, so we decided to give it a shot. Sadly, during the attempt, the bit to this tool actually broke off in the screw hole. Scotty tried several times to drill through it, but he couldn't budge the hardened steel piece. We then tried everything else to see if it would still loosen up. No dice. He worked and worked to get it off, but it didn't seem like it was going to happen. We even recognized the fact we tried a special tool as a "shortcut" and it turned out to extend the time it would have taken. I am usually all about fighting through, but it had been a while, and not only did I not want Scotty to kill himself over it, but I was going to have to get home soon, too. He told me he wanted to try one last thing. He found a small mini-grinder tool, plugged it in, and got to work. The sparks flew, and let me tell you--this grinder was tiny. He worked and worked, and after a while, he actually was able to get this thing loose! He did it! He told me that he "wasn't going to let me leave unless he know the job was done right." (may have paraphrased there, Scotty) Immediately I recognized that he was right and he was actually playing out the classic analogy.

Folks, we all have times that we feel we've tried everything or simply found yourself exhausted while trying to complete something. How many times have you quit? How many times have you finished? How did you feel? We need to fight through and do ourselves right by staying on task and completing it. Please share a time in the comments when you did this and it payed off. Thanks for reading!

Breaking It Down

My brother has been living with us this past week and will be for a while. He just started a career in the logistics field, and has been learning the game through his employer. He was explaining that he is learning to think differently about things. "Take this Cholula bottle..." He went on to explain the fundamentals and economics of shipping raw materials to centralized locations where products are then manufactured and/or assembled. "This cap is from wood, the bottle is glass, the label is paper and ink..." So he now sees a product and is continually thinking of it in terms of the materials and substances that make up that finished product. From there, he can figure out what has to happen, and this thinking is giving him a better idea of his market and how all of it comes together. The interesting thing is that I have been taking classes through Equinox to further my understanding and knowledge of the body, exercise, movement, and how it relates to personal training. In the same way, I am thinking a bit differently. "How does the client move? How should he/she move? What movements and abilities are necessary to this individual in life and in the sport(s) he/she plays? When I know some of these answers and a bit more, I can take the finished movement and even complex exercises and break them down into individual and simple movements. From there, we can progress exercises until the goal is achieved. Ultimately, my brother and I are both taking finished products/results and breaking them down more simply and working from there. It's very interesting to see the parallels that we are working in, even though these two fields couldn't be more different.

In your job and daily activities, what are your goals and what do you need to happen to be successful. Take the end result or your goal and break it down backwards and see if you can't simplify things a bit. People often get overwhelmed in a variety of ventures simply because their minds are clouded with complexities. Clear your mind and thoughts by breaking these complexities down into their simple parts, work on those parts and put them together. This may take a short or long period of time, but you will have a better understanding and most likely will come out better skilled than if you just tried to complete the complex version of whatever you are doing. Please share a unique example of when you did this, how your thinking has changed, or even what your action will be from here to help you reach your goal. We could all use more perspective. Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading! Happy Friday!

Stay Committed

You recognized at some point you weren't where you wanted to be. You saw what things could be like. You made a decision to improve, and you may have taken some steps activity-wise that will help you get there. Now it's on you and your commitment to yourself. So how committed are you? One of the questions I ask all of my clients is somewhat of a multiple choice, and goes like this:

"Which of the following best describes your commitment to your goals?

 I wish to... I hope to... I'd like to... I'll try to... I want to... I'm committed to..."

So where do you stand? If you can't say "I'm committed to" without hesitation, it's time to analyze your motivations. Why do you want to reach your goal in the first place? Whatever that reason is, it should make you hunger for success. Then when you can truly commit, nothing will be able to stop you. This includes sacrificing many things, possibly even things you are doing on a daily basis. But you can't expect different results if you are doing the same things, right? That's enough from me today--check out this article by clicking here or on the title to this blog. This article is about your commitment level and is from my Daily Spark newsletter. Sign up for health and weight loss support at sparkpeople.com. Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Endless Rewards

When I began personal training, I admit that one reason was to have unlimited access to the gym for my own benefit as well, however, I have found it has been challenging to train myself the way I want to while making sure my clients are taken care of. I don't have an issue with it because it has been so rewarding to witness even so far some of the changes that my clients have undergone. Some of my clients have already been able to lose a bit of weight, become stronger, and have increased their endurance. Those are the physical changes, though. The changes that have been more profound and noteworthy are the internal, mental changes. Recently, one of my clients called me to postpone an appointment but told me what he had planned to do on the days we would not see each other. Another client has been seeing results by doing workouts and exercises that we had gone through, taking classes, and simply changing her habits. She is noticing results, and we are progressing, and she has stated her own realization that her mindset is evolving, even stating improvements in posture, lifestyle, and work performance. These people have made a true commitment to their health, and I am so excited to be a part of their lives and achievements.

Do you love what you do for your clients in your business? Do you love helping people? If so, you would agree that the sacrifices you find yourself making are easy decisions. It is well worth it to see someone else develop and be part of that development. Service to others leads to greatness, as paraphrased from so many leaders. We can do good for ourselves, which is fine, but when we help others and more importantly empower them with knowledge, self-confidence, and purpose, the rewards are endless. What can you do today to make a positive difference in someone else's life? You'd be surprised, but even a smile to a stranger on a crowded train, opening the door for someone, or helping a tourist find the way to his/her destination are a few small ways that make and "O.K." day into a great day. I hope you are excited for today; I know I am! You have a wonderful day, and thanks for reading!

2 Day Realizations

Today and yesterday I have been going through a Shakeology cleanse. This is a high-nutrient, low calorie 1-3 day cleanse which helps the body work the "junk" out of it and also gives a cleaner, lighter, less bloated feeling. For me, the nutrients I have been receiving through the Shakeology, fruit, and other allowed meals have been sufficient. The hardest part is the caffeine withdrawal. I feel sluggish, slow, and my mind has been drifting. I even fell asleep on the train a few times which I haven't done in a while. I've been getting enough sleep, but I know that my morning coffees have become quite a routine, and not such a non-healthy one either. I feel the caffeine keeps me alert and on my toes, and 9 times out of 10 I don't opt for an afternoon coffee so I'm not up late for no reason. The withdrawal from coffee for 2-3 days definitely helps to bring my tolerance back down and helps "reset" my system, but I find it has hindered my ability to work and perform at a high level. I am going to finish up tonight and go back to somewhat regular eating habits, including my morning coffee. The concern here is not for myself really, but more for my clients. They need me to be on my "A" game at all times, and I don't plan on letting them down because I want to challenge myself to deprive calories. Also, I am ready to continue putting the miles on to prepare for the marathon. 10-10-10 is the date...I can smell the finish!

Do you live on coffee and other processed foods? You may need a break, and I do suggest trying the Shakeology cleanse for at least 2 but no more than 3 days. Make sure you aren't working, though, as the withdrawal from coffee and other "energy" drinks as well as the severe calorie restriction may leave you tired, unfocused, and with a headache. You will definitely enjoy the day 4 breakfast, and you will feel lighter and more refreshed!  Let me know if you have any questions, and contact me for support. Thanks for making a commitment to your health and to yourself, and thanks for reading!

Lean Days

This Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I am once again taking some time to "cleanse". I am utilizing Shakeology as 3 meals per day while fitting in a piece of fruit and a greens salad with lean protein for the other two meals. All in all I will be taking in somewhere between 800 and 1000 calories, much less than I am burning. The point of this is to get rid of the bloat and extra water weight and to "lean up". It is good to let your digestive system clear out every now and then while also eliminating other "junk" such as caffeine, sodium, and highly processed foods that gunk up our systems. The hardest part is getting through the day without caffeine, especially day one. I'm not going into much detail in this blog, but I highly encourage you to look into this version of the cleanse as it may help you jump-start a diet plan, break a plateau, or just get you "cleaned up" after a party weekend or simply years of unhealthy eating habits and poor diet choices. This is only 3 days and you will feel much better, especially when getting that day 4 breakfast in! Check out my previous blog post regarding the details of this cleanse here, and contact me with any questions. Learn more about Shakeology by clicking on the title to this blog. Have a great day, and thanks for reading!

Thank God

Today was the 40th anniversary of the church I grew up in, New Life Lutheran Church, in Bolingbrook, IL. I drove out yesterday morning to join my parents and brother for a special service and the luncheon that followed. It was awesome to see people I haven't seen in a long time, especially those I haven't seen since my age was a single digit number! I got to see the pastor that baptised me, my mom, and brother, and his wife who both were great influences on our early Christian lives. The luncheon and fellowship was fun as well, but the thing that was very special to me was being at this service and noticing the changes that abound. From music selection to bulletin layout, many things are similar and recognizable, but have evolved with the people and the church. Seeing my parents in the choir singing, I really appreciated all that they have done to raise my brother and me. They are a special couple and have their problems and obstacles like we all do. What has always been constant is their love for my brother and me, and their drive to give us the greatest life we could have asked for. I realize that it is not about having a whole lot of things or being able to afford everything monetarily. We got what we truly needed: love, care, and attention, and two parents committed to each other, a rarity these days. I want to thank God for them and for all of the opportunities that I've been given. I appreciate the hardships in my own life as well as all of the abundant blessings. Thank God, and thank you for reading!

Learn More

A couple hours ago I completed the Susan Komen Race For The Cure 10k run. It was a good tune-up race for the marathon coming up in two weeks as well as a good cause and a reminder that my mom is a cancer survivor! I ran in her honor today, and for that I feel good. On the path, however, there were a couple things bothering me. First was my achilles, which has been giving me pain all week, and I've been nursing it. I found, however, that it loosened up a bit, and I was confident to move faster through the race. It was chilly! It was in the sixties, but boy did it seem cold, especially compared to all the other training and competitive runs I've completed so far this season. My breathing was slightly affected, but I believe my muscles took a bit longer to warm up, too. The thing that bothered me above all, though, was being beaten by my boss. My manager, Drew, challenged me to this race less than two weeks ago, and he's also been talking a lot of mess. I've been beating him in the longer runs all season, including the Soldier Field 10-miler and two half marathons, and I was sure I'd pass and beat him to the finish. Now, the official chip times haven't been posted and I did start a bit behind, so I'm not sure exactly where we ended up. Nonetheless, I feel defeated and humbled by this outing, and I have learned a lot so far. "You learn more in losing than winning..." the voice of Jim Rone has been echoing in my head, and he is correct! I have been imbelishing in late-evening snacks of dried fruit and such and also haven't been as disciplined as in the past as far as consistent planning for training and eating, although I will make adjustments to help me in the next couple weeks. I'm still pretty lean, but I am 3-5 lbs heavier than I'd like to be for running purposes. I will make some adjustments, so this was a great tune-up race!

Evaluate your performance at work, in your family life, and in your health and fitness. I'm sure you have some areas that you feel you are "losing" at or may not be at your best. Step back and analyze what you are doing, and find ways to improve in areas, and you will surely improve. Planning is the key. Spend more time planning than actually executing, and your performance will improve tremendously. Please share an event where you feel you've "lost", and explain how you felt, what you learned, and where you went from there. Please share below in a comment so we can all learn with you! Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!

My Achilles

So I'm writing this on Sunday as a make-up blog, but I wanted to write about working through injury. Early this week, on Tuesday, I decided to get in some cross-training, and it was a very ambitious cross training session at that. I began my workout by running a treadmill 5k at time trial speed. Then, I completed a strength circuit and hit the treadmill again for another 5k time trial. I completed another different and extreme strength circuit and finished the workout off with-you guessed it-a 5k time trial. It was awesome, sweaty, hardcore, and yes, it hurt! Literally, I felt like I overdid it when I experienced pain in my left achilles tendon. It made me hobble a bit, and I really noticed it the next morning on the walk to work from the train stop. "Oh no," was my first thought as I began calculating how to deal with this and still complete the 10k on Saturday and still be cool for the marathon I've been planning all season, which is on October 10. Tendon injuries, especially the Achilles on a runner, don't heal as quickly as muscle. One major reason is that there isn't as much blood around the tendon as there is around the muscle, and another reason, especially in this case, is that I can't truly rest this tendon since I'm at least walking around all the time. I decided to continue cross training by doing strength training that didn't involve running or anything involving the lower leg/foot. I took advantage of the opportunity created by this difficulty by swimming on a couple days. This allowed me to get in some cardio, work on my swimming, and helped me to maintain an athletic schedule while taking impact out of the equation. I actually ended up running in the 10k and though I'm still sore, the run actually seemed to loosen up the tight, injured tendon, and I am still confident about finishing the marathon in a couple weeks.

If you face injury or other adversity, don't be down! Instead, take a moment to analyze what you can do, and seize the opportunity to do different activities that you now are able to turn to since you have been limited. We will always have a mix of difficulty and opportunity in our lives, and it is imperative to take advantage of the opportunities we do have instead of dwelling on the ones we don't. Stay positive, and enjoy life! Thanks for reading!

Tackling Fears

Today I had an opportunity to help someone get over some fears. No, not spiders and snakes! Seriously, though, a new client was apprehensive about a specific weight machine. It might have something to do with hanging and not feeling safe although she was supported from below. It might have something to do with her fear of not being able to complete the exercise. It may just be fear of the unknown, and admittedly, she was outside her comfort zone for many of the other exercises as well. Today we broke ground. She needed me to give that little extra push and to set an expectation. I also believe I helped her believe in her ability to complete the exercise, and I wanted her to realize I was there to spot her if she needed it. In doing so, we were able to squash some of her fears, and she seemed more comfortable near the end of the session.

Is this you? Can you identify with this both in and out of the gym? In every day life we face fears. We are apprehensive. Sometimes it is our doubt in ourselves that keeps us from completing a task. Much of the time we don't like to be outside of our comfort zone. A different client discussed with me yesterday about his meeting at work, where he introduced the fact that changes were coming. He told me people were nervous, and that it created discomfort. I understand this, and you most likely do to. Once we understand and identify that changes need to be made, even if we don't like it, we must implement small changes and constantly evolve. We can't expect different results and progress if we continue doing the same activity. So challenge yourself, and don't be afraid to ask for help. Keep progressing and tackling your fears, and you will surely keep moving forward. Have a great day, and thanks for reading!

Psyched Out

This weekend I'll be running in the Susan Komen Race For The Cure 10K event. My boss actually challenged me to this race as a "tune-up" race before the marathon. He has been quite diligent in his training, and he will be trying to beat me here. He is a taller guy, and last year he was real bulky and muscular, but since the spring has been getting down to more of an endurance athlete's build to help his run times and to prepare for the Urbanathlon in October. We both raced in the Soldier Field 10-miler, the 13.1 half marathon, and the Chicago half marathon. I was ahead of him by about 6 minutes or so in the Chicago half marathon, the most recent race, and am confident I can stay ahead, especially since I have been ramping up my mileage to prep for the marathon. That said, I haven't been doing as much speed training, but I should still be good to go.

Over the past week or so, we've been getting competitive in the gym, exchanging stares and checking each other out. I gave him that gesture of pointing to my eyes then pointing at him as to say, "I'm watching you!" It has been fun, but I have to admit he has been doing his best to psych me out. Yesterday he came in and he asked me what I was down to, referring to my weight. "I don't know," I said, "150 give or take a pound or two." "You're looking a little heavier," he said, or something of that nature, and told me he had lost about 10 lbs. over the past 2 weeks. I do have to admit I've been tempted by the before-bed dried fruit as a sweet snack, and I haven't been watching the evening calories as much as I should, but I'm still pretty lean. I have to admit, I did work much harder on my cross-training workout, and did very well as far as my calorie discipline. So whatever he did, it's working. When I told him today that he was psyching me out, he said, "I don't know--sounds like you're psyching yourself out." Hmmm. Maybe. Is it bad, though? Sometimes we need an extra push from someone to "psych us out" of our perceived complacency. Always look to improve, especially on the disciplines that have gotten you so far. In this case, getting back into a solid routine of planned, rigorous workouts with optimal nutrition and precise nutrient timing. This spans into your workplace, too--what have you been lax on, and what could be tweaked and improved? Remember, even when we're driving straight we have to make those small steering adjustments to stay on the road. Keep making those adjustments, and keep moving forward! Have a great day, everyone, and thanks for reading!

The Importance of A Coach

Why is it important to have a "coach"? Everyone has different goals, but it is very important to have someone that has succeeded and is knowledgeable in the areas you are trying to work in. More importantly, a coach can be someone to hold you accountable, give you support, and be there to help you through obstacles as well as celebrate your achievements with. Today I read a great newsletter from ziglar.com, and it goes into more detail. Click here or on the title to this link to check out the newsletter, and please comment below on what you think. Do you have a coach? Do you need one? Is reading this blog enough for you, or would you like me to give you more one-on-one support? Please let me know as that's what I'm here for! Keep working hard, have a wonderful, positive day, and thanks for reading!

Unplug The Knots

While listening to "Success With A Positive Mental Attitude", the audiobook of the original written text, I came across this story, which I thought I'd paraphrase and share with you today:

For years a man had been ordering firewood from the same company. The man at the company knew that the man needed the wood cut to a certain dimension, otherwise the logs wouldn't fit in the fireplace, and the wood was always delivered as ordered, on time, and to the size specified. One day the wood was delivered while the man was out. When he got home, he noticed the wood was too large to fit in his fireplace, and he called the man at the company. He explained the wood was too large and asked that it be cut down to size. "That would cost more than the whole shipment itself," the man at the company told him, and refused to fix the job. The man, keeping a positive mental attitude, decided to cut the wood himself. During the process, he saw in one of the logs a huge knot that had been plugged. He unplugged the hole and in it he found over $2,000 in old, brittle, 50 and 100 dollar bills!

The story goes on to elaborate more, but think about this. If the company had continued to do its due diligence in getting the job done right, the odds are that they would have found this money, right? So you could assume that it would have been well worth the extra work, even if it was after the original delivery. I don't really know whether this story is true or not, but it doesn't matter. Let this be an analogy for you in your health, fitness, career, and other tasks and responsibilities. Be detailed and maintain quality in your work, and you will truly be rewarded! Likewise, if you are on the other end, be positive and don't get discouraged when you get a raw deal, for you will be rewarded for your positive approach, humility, and dealing with your own issues. After all, it is only your attitude and actions that you have control over. Don't let someone else ever ruin your day. If you haven't read the book, I encourage you to pick it up or order the audiobook from audible.com. Start your week off with a great attitude, and thanks for reading!

What Got You Here

"It's hard work that gave me success in college, and it's hard work that will help me succeed in the NFL."

Matt Forte, the Bears running back, made this statement in an interview when discussing his work ethic in preparation of this season. It's true--many of us are successful in different areas of our life including career, family, sports, health, etc. Often our success may plateau or even decline, and we wonder, "why?" Take a look back and analyze what got you past success. Is there a difference in the passion and drive that you had at that point in time and now? Most likely there is. It will help to revisit thoughts like this often, especially when facing a tough challenge such as completing a long project, losing weight, etc. So think about what got you here in the first place, and re-establish your work ethic and skills and keep working to improve. You can never learn too much, and though you can strive towards mastery, a true master always believes improvements can be made. Have a great day, and thanks for reading!

On The Level

"I wish I could...I hope I can...It would be nice to...I really want to..." What's the common theme here? All of these phrases are types of things I hear when people describe their health and fitness goals. Also, none of these statements issue a commitment. These are the types of statements that describe daydreams, aren't they? It is good to dream and envision promise, but this will only get you that far if you never truly commit and make changes. What level are you on with your health and fitness commitment? Is it different than the commitment you've made with your family? If it is, I challenge you to reconsider. If you truly care about your family, you would agree that you'd do anything to be there for them, wouldn't you? And if this is the case, you must see that maintaining your health through fitness and nutrition is essential to your being there for your family. Think about it this way, and make that commitment that seems so difficult. Once you do, take the next step by contacting me to get a fitness assessment and to pin down your goals and create a game plan to get you on track. What level are you on? Have a great day, and thanks for reading!

Solutions Not Sales

Many of you admittedly are in sales. Acutally all of us are selling every single day! Selling ourselves, our ideas, our wants and needs even. Do you have children? They are some of the best salespeople there are! Think about it--when was the last time you had to convince someone to go to one restaurant over another? Movies? Shows? The list goes on. Odds are you either downplayed the other choice and/or explained how and why the choice would benefit the other person, right? How successful are you at this? Some of us are real good at convincing people we care about to go one way on certain topics, but at work sales are mediocre. If this is you, then you must be using different techniques! If you are selling products and services, then stop! Ask your prospect questions. Divulge a bit of information about yourself. Learn about them, their personality, and why they are talking with you in the first place. Also, think about it this way: When you go bed shopping, do you really want a bed? No. You want a good night's sleep, right? And that's precisely what you buy, especially if the salesman is good. He/she will explain why you will sleep so much better, have less back pain, and be healthier on a particular bed, right? Today I will be grocery shopping. I am buying food, but what I'm really buying is nourishment for my body. I'm buying fuel and athletic performance. I'm purchasing energy, really. And I am sure to buy the absolute best forms of energy I can! Not to turn this into a blog about nutrition today, but what type of fuel are you buying? 87 octane or 93? Think about it next time you go shopping, and I'll leave you with this:

"You will make much more money and be much more successful solving problems than you will ever be selling products." -Zig Ziglar (I believe I heard it from him anyway)

Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!