Decision Day 2010

Today's the day. I have my second interview with arguably the finest fitness establishment in the country while my current gym has indicated they want me to work as a trainer with them. My manager at the restaurant I work at currently has given me the full day off even though I only asked to get off early. I am astonished by the integrity that she has, knowing that I have been interviewing for what will hopefully turn out to be my dream career. She could have mandated I work or suffer reprecussions, but she didn't. She has indicated within the past week that she has opportunities for upward mobility in this company, and she even went on after I mentioned I was interviewing to tell me that if for some reason this new career doesn't work out, they will welcome me back into a growing career here. That says a lot about a leader, and even though it is a fast/casual dining restaurant chain, it will be hard to leave such a dedicated, understanding, realistic manager.

Anyway, I have a lot on my mind today, and I have been doing continual research. I have decided that whatever the pros and cons are, if I am offered a position here, I should seriously take it. Even the learning I will receive will be worth it, and surely, growing a fitness business from the ground up will be challenging but it will have its rewards. I have been comparing both places in my head as far as quality, opportunity, compensation, etc, and also what would be best for my clients. I have come to the conclusion that given the opportunity to be Scottie Pippen on Jordan's Bulls is a greater opportunity than even being Lebron James on the Knicks. Do you get my meaning? If given the opportunity to surround myself with industry leading education, team members, and coaching, it is better to work with the best than to be an all-star on more of a mediocre team. I don't in any way mean to put down my current gym, because they too are a growing, nationally recognized high-quality fitness center, and they have many pluses in the immediate future that I fear my other prospect does not. But the analogy works in this situation. Notice that I haven't mentioned any names here because I don't wish to burn bridges, and I still don't know what the final result will be. I just wanted to share my thoughts.

What important decisions are you facing in your life? Surely the ones worth weighing thoroughly are the ones that have the most life-changing potential so choose wisely. I'm not saying disobey your emotion. But use emotion combined with fact combined with what's best for you and your family. In my situation, the immediate payoff vs. the long-term payoff is what I'm weighing. I have come to the conclusion that what is best for me educationally will ultimately benefit my clients the most. Please share a tough decision you've made recently and what drove you to make the choice you did. How did it work out? Your feedback will help me and others. Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!

Consistency

Yesterday in the power call, Jason Mitchell and I discussed some of the challenges and successes of the past week. Jason mentioned that he has been struggling with consistency and keeping up in both areas of fitness and nutrition. He attributed this to his hectic work schedule, which surely, is more of a blessing as the economy is seeing more people with less work nowadays. Anyway, he did say that he is working to find a routine, and I assure all of you that are struggling to keep working towards finding a routine that works for you. In routine I don't necessarily mean same hours every day, because that is nearly impossible for most people. I do mean, however, prioritizing how you deal with what comes. This could mean that you keep nutrition bars and planned meals packed and ready. If you find you cannot get a break in but you need to eat something, take a bathroom break, grab some water, and take a minute to pound a bar. You NEED to eat every 3-4 hours to keep that metabolism going and to avoid binging at meals, and if you can find a way to make time for the bathroom (I hope for your fellow employees' sake you can) then that means you can find time to fit in some much needed nutrition. Likewise, you may not have all of the time in the world, but you can surely find 10 minutes at some part of your day, whether that's waking up, after work, on lunch break, etc, to fit in some extra exercise. If you can find 10 extra minutes somewhere, you can make use of it. A great example of a program that encourages this is Tony Horton's 10-minute trainer. Complete with on-the-go cards and a flexible schedule showing you what workout you can do each day and other workouts to stack if you have additional time, this is a great program that will help you maximize your time. It is intense, though, so be prepared to work hard in those 10 minutes! As always, feel free to contact me with your questions, comments, and if you have the desire to succeed, I will help you find a way! Take a look at this 10-minute trainer video if you'd like. Stay consistent everyone, and thanks for reading!

Time To Run

It's "lean week". Or at least that's what I'm calling it. Actually, I am starting week 2 of a double-session fitness schedule for myself, and I have decided to integrate more pure running mileage as part of my training. I thought about how I could get in a 5-miler each morning, but I came to the realization that the time would vary, and at least for the start, it would take me longer. I wanted to maximize a specific time slot while also challenging myself, so instead of running for distance, I decided to integrate a 30-minute run, and each day I will push a little harder to get more distance in the allotted time. Also, my Nike+ will track all of that and I'll know approximately when to head home based on my halfway point. I will also time myself on my heart monitor watch and even set up a 5 minute warm up so that I don't get carried away with that either. Worked out great this morning, and yesterday I had the chance to calibrate my Nike+ system again, and I feel it is as accurate as possible, and I'm happy running with it (no pun intended). In addition to my fitness training, I will also closely schedule and monitor my meals and portions, and my goal is to be on a 300-500 calorie defecit of what I'm burning so I can possibly shed a body fat percentage point or two over the next couple weeks.

I wanted to give you all an idea of how I train and my thought process so you can see what goes into this, and you may get a better idea for your own training. The most important thing that helps is scheduling. Plan to wake up, eat, work out, take breaks at work, etc, at specific times. Also, track and plan your meals with a tracker. I use www.myfitnesspal.com, and I even calculate my macronutrient breakdown from time to time to see if I'm on the right path. Try it out. Since we know that carbs and protein yield 4 calories a gram and fat yields 9, you can check quite easily. Please contact me if you have any questions, but for a healthy diet, you should aim for 10-15% of your daily calories to be from fat. Use that as your first challenge. Since fat yields over double what carbs and protein do, you can see how those cals add up. This is why you should aim for low-fat and nonfat items as much as possible, but make sure these items are natural. Fat-free mayo is full of lab garbage while natural mayo is simple, but really only fat. So just eliminate it and substitute mustard, a calorie-free flavorful alternative. Please post your comments, questions, and training tips if you have em! Gotta run! Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!

Be A Voyeur

Ok I got your attention! Lol! I do want to talk about my learning experience today, but it isn't anything weird or deviant about it. This morning, I decided to hit the gym early and get in some mock triathlon type training. I did this by getting some swimming in followed by 5 miles on a spin bike followed by a 5k run on the treadmill, back to back to back. The swimming is admittedly my weak point, and I jumped in to the lane and warmed up a bit. Then as I began some freestlyle, I noticed myself getting tired out and short of breath quicker than I should. I stopped several times to think this over, but it wasn't until I sat back and watched some of the other, more experienced swimmers in other lanes that I realized more of my problem. It wasn't really that my form was too bad. I worked to fix this a few months ago. Although I do need a lot more work there, I struggled today because I was just stroking too fast and I got nervous with my breathing and it was all downhill from there. I watched as other swimmers had a steady, casual pace and seemed to glide through the water easier without struggling. I attempted to slow myself down a bit, and I actually did improve. Again, I have a long way to go, but it will take more drilling and, simply, more swimming practice to refine my stroke. I will get better by making what is uncomfortable now, well, comfortable.

Do you have areas in your fitness and life that could use some refining? Realize that it is only when you start to identify what you are doing wrong or not doing that you will have the opportunity to change. Study someone else's strong points and apply them for yourself, and surely you will get better. So get your popcorn ready...time to watch and learn! Hope everyone had a great weekend. Thanks for reading!

Putting It Together

Today is my Mother-in-law's birthday, and we've planned some good stuff for her. Victor, her son, bought her a desk and laptop, and Jasmine and I got her a wall mount for her TV. We got her out of the house today, and we've been hard at work assembling the components. My main duty was to mount the TV. Pretty simple, really, but with any universal kit (for any product), there are usually extra pieces and several variations of how to accomplish the task, so it takes some thinking and re-thinking to find a solution that works best. One of the simplest and most crucial parts was a tiny screw that works on the wall mount piece to prevent the mount from sliding off the wall. When screwing it in, the thread of the screw wasn't cooperating and it became a frustrating situation. Trying different things, I finally figured out that if I fed the screw in backwards and put the wrench in and basically unscrewed it back instead of all the way through directly, it worked!

Now, that description may seem a bit confusing, but there are certainly lessons here that we can take. First, think of a fitness or diet plan that has been designed to be universal. Maybe there are things that seem additional or extra to you. Maybe there are components that don't even apply. Certainly, however, we can take time to think and re-think our own situations and find ways to make them work. This is crucial. It can be so easy to say, "This isn't going to work for me" or "I can't do it," when if we just take the moment to figure a way to put it together and make it work. You see, most of the time it is not the plan, program, or project that is the issue. Our mindset is the most important element and is the key to our success. Also, if one particular way isn't working, try something different. In the same way that I figured a different way to make the mount work with the screw, you, too can come up with an alternate solution to most other issues. Whether it's approaching a client, making a sale, making the foods you love healthy, adjusting your schedule, etc, you can do it. Also, try to learn from these every day tasks and occurrences as they often serve as parables for other areas of our lives. Please share a story and tie in a lesson by commenting below! Otherwise, have a great weekend!

Ironing It Out

Last night on the way to Crest Hill, my team member, Barb called me and told me that everyone expected to attend the workshop had cancelled. I was almost there, so I figured I would not look at it as a disappointment, but an opportunity to work one-on-one with her to show her the new format of the presentation, and also to help her get set up as a coach. It actually worked out pretty well. I got to the office and got set up, then conducted the presentation. Her and Dr Noey, her daughter the Chiropractor, liked the presentation but gave me valuable feedback on how we could adjust it. They liked the way I conducted our initial workshop a month ago, but also liked the call to action that this one had. So we are back to the drawing board and my mission is to merge some of what worked from each, and iron out the kinks. Great feedback. Also, I got a chance to share some of my experiences regarding the Shakeology Cleanse and how great it was, and how it could help them and their customers. Barb specializes in colonics therapy, and integrating a nutrient dense cleanse/fasting program would surely do wonders for the customers. She agreed, and she is actually going to do a cleanse starting today! Good luck, Barb!

This morning I was literally "ironing out" the wrinkles in my attire. Today is another huge day for me. It's a day where I can turn this passion into a full-time career. I have an interview with Equinox, the finest fitness club in America. I definitely have some questions, but I feel that the education and opportunities to help more people reach their goals will be a life-long career that is rewarding beyond my imagination. I have been envisioning myself working as a trainer there for over a year now, from when I was working for a healthy restaurant inside of an Equinox to this point, where I have the opportunity to improve many lives including my own. Think of areas in your life--business, health, family, etc, where you can iron some things out and keep working toward greater success! Thanks for reading everyone! Happy Friday!

Attitude Not Aptitude

Let's face it. It's a tough economy right now. Many of us, including myself, are finding it difficult to keep up. There have no doubt been situations in addition to the National and Global economic situations that have caused us to feel that we should be in panic mode. It's so easy to have a pity party and say, "Why does all this stuff keep happening to me?" or "If I just had _______..." (insert one of multiple words or phrases there). It is also easy to look at someone successful and think about their situation. "What a lucky person!" As if successful people just happen to be successful. Folks, it is this thinking that will lead you nowhere. We all have goals and dreams, and whether you are a genius or just an average Joe, I'm telling you that it is YOU who has the power to make necessary changes and improvements. Zig Ziglar says, "It your attitude and not your aptitude" that determines your success. The negative thinking and pity party is not going to get you anywhere. Has it worked to this point? Throw that attitude away if you have it, and know that today you can begin making decisions that will greatly improve your circumstances. It's not the situation you're in or what happens to you that's important. It is how you respond to those situations and handle yourself, including your attitude, that really will make the difference.

Yesterday I blogged about how I have a possible job opportunity at one gym. Well, I'll tell you that I just got confirmation yesterday about an interview tomorrow at my top choice, which I won't mention. I don't want to jynx myself! And on top of that, my boss at the restaurant where I work discussed with me possible promotion opportunities with my present company. That's two interviews and an open invitation for a promotion inside of a week! In this bad economy! Now, I didn't share this to say, "look at me!" I wanted to share this to point out that I'm not a genius. I'm not an individual that can be considered "lucky" based on my social or economic status. But I do believe my integrity and my attitude towards life and taking care of my family plays a huge role. I also know that I've made some decisions based on the possibility that they might lead to these outcomes. So think about the situation you're in now, and think about your goals. What can you do today that will move you a bit closer? Then tomorrow make the decisions that will help you once again. Soon, you will be closer than you never could have imagined. "Good luck" everyone, and stay positive. Remember, "if there's hope for the future, there's power in the present." (John Maxwell) Thanks for reading everyone!

Lunging in the Dark

Last week I went in to XSport Fitness to check out the gym. I know many people who have memberships there, and they like the wide spectrum of features including a salt water pool, climbing wall, classes, basketball court, cardio equipment, and of course, personal training. I figured I would at least take advantage of a 7-day pass to try out the gym, but I did have an ambition to possibly get hired as a trainer. I have been able to do a lot with Team Beachbody and home fitness coaching, but I realize there is much more I can learn and contribute in a Personal Training/Gym setting as well. Anyway, last week the rep convinced me to pick up a membership, try full access for 30 days including a one-on-one assessment session with a Personal Trainer as part of the 30-day guarantee. I bit because I really have nothing to lose, and it seemed like a win-win. Further, if I ended up getting hired there or somewhere else in the next 30-days, I could cancel and not pay anything. Cool.

So yesterday I had my appointment with a Personal Trainer. As it turns out, I got set up with the Fitness Manager, and we began to talk. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained I work for a restaurant but that I had gotten my certification and I was looking to get experience inside of a gym. We talked further about what I had done to this point, about my personal fitness and health goals, what is important to me, and what I had hoped to get out of the session. Then we did some assessments to check my level of balance, stability endurance, and to see if I had anything that could use corrective training. Sure enough, I do have some tightness in my shoulders and lower back, but I also am a bit weak in my right adductor muscles (the muscles that bring your hip/leg toward your body in a lateral sense). It is amazing what you can find out by doing some simple exercises and tests, and these are the same ones I had learned about in my training, just not yet put to use. Also, it really helped to have mirrors for reference to actually see what's going on, and to have a professional there to point different things out. We then did some other exercises that would help improve my weak points, and the craziest thing I would have to say is a coordination exercise I did with my eyes closed. I struggled to maintain my balance on one leg with my eyes closed as I did several step-back lunges with forward leg-raise, and my trainer explained that I am so used to using my eyes that when that sense is taken away, I am forced to use my other senses. He further explained that there were so many sensory receptors in the foot that were not being utilized. I could see that I have some newer balance and stability endurance exercises to integrate for correction, and surely integrating even the few he showed me would help tremendously in my training.

I felt a sense of humility as well as appreciation and excitement to know that I have an opportunity to improve myself in these areas and what it could mean for my athletic training as well as the education I had just received. We sat down, and as it turns out, I may soon be working as a Personal Trainer there! My trainer said he liked me but that I need some more practical experience before getting into training officially. If all works out, I will go through five sessions as a client to learn and absorb more knowledge, and also to launch my Personal Training career. I need to pray on that this week and into the weekend as there may be other opportunities in the works, which are too early yet to mention. It seems though I can see what may be possible, I am still lunging in the dark a bit and need to feel my way to a solid decision. Please pray for me as the decisions I make within the next week will surely effect my future greatly. Thanks for your support everyone, and thanks for reading!

Summer Drillin'

This morning was day 2 of my "doubles" training. I will say that last night about 9ish, I was done. After work I did a P90X Chest and Back workout at the gym. I slightly modified a couple of the lifts to include some more strength training, such as swapping out the first set of push ups with a standard bench press. I also did a custom ab routine afterward then came home. This morning I woke up around 4:30. As you may attest in your personal experience, once you alter your sleep/wake time even by a little bit, it is hard to just get out of bed without giving in to your normal time. However, my mind overcame this once again and once I was up, I got excited. Today I warmed up by jogging to a nearby park. I stretched out, then set some cones out and did an "on-the-fly" set of speed and agility drills. Part of this was reminiscent of the high-school football drills I remember, and part of this was derived from Insanity training. Nonetheless, it was fun and exhausting. I even had planned to jog home but I walked briskly instead as part of my cool down.

Since I've been working with schedules and videos with set routines, it is difficult for me to get into "on-the-fly" mode, and admittedly it is a bit chaotic and difficult to track as well. There is a strong side, though. I've found that it helps me to invent drills and lifts quickly, giving rise to some new ideas which I may not have thought about if I was planning formally. That said, I can take some new moves and integrate them into a set workout, and I have thus reaped the benefits of my own ingenuity. Hey guys--it's summer! Enjoy it! For those of you on a scheduled program, keep doin' it, and when you have a free day, recovery week, etc, get outside and utilize the parks and beaches available. and HAVE FUN!! Please post some of the ways you are enjoying workouts and/or activities outdoors so we can share ideas! Thanks for reading!

Early Bird

In an effort to continue to challenge myself as well as shave a few more fat percentage points off to get extra lean for competitions this summer, I have decided to start "doubles". Based on my current work schedule, I plan to get up a bit early to do either a run or leave early for a class at the gym before work, and I also plan to do P90X strength workouts, an extra intervals session, and a yoga session after work as well. This way, I'll get my running in as well as jump-start my metabolism for the day. Today I ran for 20 minutes including some 100 meter sprints in the middle, and I got home around the time I would otherwise have woken up. I feel good so far, and there's no doubt this will enhance my training. If you are ready to take your training to the next level, I would encourage you to try to fit in two workouts a day instead of trying to work out over 2 hours. That can be excessive and not necessarily as effective. Also, getting in some cardio and/or interval training upon waking can help jump-start your day so you get the "after-burn" effect through lunchtime. If you are having any issues with your schedule for any reason, please contact me and I'll work with you to find a solution. I'll update on these doubles periodically to let you know my challenges, feelings, and results.

Tonight we are having another Power Call, so please join us! Power calls are conference calls for anyone who would like to discuss their challenges and successes for the past week, discuss things coming up, and basically just check-in with our growing team and get some morale boost to power through the week! Please join us by calling in! Here is the info below:

Monday Evenings 6:30PM Central Time

Dial-in Number: 1-712-432-3100
Conference Code: 314779

I'll try to get in around 6:15 so if you'd like to you can jump in early and get situated. Thanks for reading, and I hope to "hear" you soon!

Just Like Dad

I want to take a moment to wish all the dads a Happy Father's Day! I love and appreciate my father so much, and I really feel for those who didn't get the chance to have a good relationship or know their father. That said, you who are less fortunate in that area have had your own unique life experience because of it, so don't hang your heads. Remain strong and strive to provide a better parenting experience for your children. That said, I often think about something my dad said to me a few years ago. He told me, "Mikey, I'm sorry we couldn't give you more growing up." He was referring to his perception of our money situation, however my brother and I had a great childhood. I don't remember exactly what I said, but I will tell you it started with something like, "Are you kidding me?"

Dad, here's a message directly to you: I am so grateful that you are my father for so many reasons. First, you are never scared or ashamed to show your love. You were totally committed to Chris and my health, activities, and our family life when we were growing up. Also, you love our mom and really showed us what being a husband and a father is all about through your example. You and mom went out of your way to get us into sports including biking, baseball, football, and other activities, and I will never forget the family vacations we took in the summers. There is absolutely nothing that you could have done to be a better father, and the best thing I can do is to be the same father to my children, with my own style, of course :7). Thank you so much, and Happy Father's Day! I love you Dad!

The Knead To Feed

As I continue to develop new skills in fitness and in the kitchen, I have found yet another new department: baking. I have been making a killer banana bread over the past several weeks, each time with a slight modification depending on how I feel and what we have on hand. Recently, however, I have decided to dive into "yeast baking" or traditionally baked breads using active yeast and the kneading/proofing process. I have only been at it for about three weeks, and I am having a lot of fun (probably because I am getting it right now!) I will officially stop buying breads and instead pay a fraction of the cost and buy flours and yeast and use my own muscle to knead out dough. By the way, it is a terrific arm workout as well as a good lesson in patience.

Today I made a 100% whole wheat loaf of bread and rolls from a recipe from a church member, which turned out great! Also, I used my go-to "Joy Of Cooking" cookbook to help with making bagels and a whole-wheat pizza crust. We ended up eating 5 of the 8 bagels, so I know that's a hit, and our two 12-inch hand-tossed pizzas were outstanding! We used fresh vegetables and even our herbs were picked from our herb garden outside. Knowing that we made the entire thing from scratch with no artificial ingredients or even sauce was awesome! That's right--we used sliced tomatoes for one pizza and for the other I used some of the smoked-onion barbecue sauce that I also made from scratch last week! Trust me, folks, when you start to try new things in the kitchen, you will begin to appreciate natural, wholesome foods as well as the processes and the culture that these foods stem from. The only key is to maintain moderation in your food testing! Lol! Have fun, everyone, and have a great weekend! Thanks for reading!

Re-Group

Last night I had the pleasure of sitting in on a Leadership Council meeting at Church. I am not part of this committee, but they invited me last night to share an idea that I've had brewing. I really want to integrate fitness and nutrition as part of a fund raising program for my church and to help people enrich their lives by being healthy and taking control of their lives. Now, recently Beachbody, the company that I represent as an Independent Coach, came out with a not-for profit coaching opportunity, which I thought would tie right in. I was excited to share this approach, which is a bit different from selling candy bars or having a bake sale, but would create a program to market the Beachbody experience and give the church an opportunity to raise funds through this vehicle as well. I really wanted to share a presentation that I would do weekly, but I really wasn't allotted the time for that. I had a whole packet of info, and went over the information, but it seemed the committee is having a hard time endorsing the plan as what it is. I appreciate the time I was given, and am still gathering details to share, but I may not be able to integrate this program as layed out, judging by the response I got.

Needless to say, I was a bit drained and saddened by both my ability to communicate the idea as effectively as I saw in my head, and also that there wasn't as positive a response as I would have liked. Last night and early this morning, I was up thinking about the steps I need to take. I will not be discouraged because maybe it is the wrong approach, but I am confident I will find something that fits and is comfortable. Not necessarily the Beachbody opportunity, but I would still love to donate my time to providing workouts, cooking workshops, fundraising opportunities such as raising money for athletic events, etc. There are so many ways that something can and will work, and I need to take a breath, step back, and regroup. So this is a major challenge for me, and you may experience challenges like this in your personal lives and/or in your professional lives. The important thing is to realize that your ideas, even if rejected, aren't necessarily wrong. You just need to re-group and create something that fits with who and what you are working with. Overall, your attitude and your input will determine your output and your results. So maintain a positive attitude, conduct yourself with the highest level of sincerity and integrity knowing that your heart is in the right place, and surely you will be able to help many people, including yourself. Thanks for listening to my self-reflection. I am happy to have gotten that out, and I feel better. Thanks for reading everyone! Happy Friday!

Jungle Gym

As you may know, I am a product of home fitness, and am a home fitness coach for Beachbody. I love the fitness programs, and will continue to run my business by advocating products and support as well as the coaching opportunity. That said, there is nothing wrong with expanding into a gym atmosphere for more accessibility to equipment, a swimming pool, a rock climbing wall, spa, and more classes. Also, I believe some of my current clients could benefit from working with me one-on-one in such an environment, and now with my certification I'd love to integrate personal training to ehance my business and help even more people.

I stopped in to XSport Fitness in Piper's Alley yesterday to talk to them about a 7-day pass and even let them know I am certified to see if I might be able to get a professional training opportunity. I walked out after a grueling on-the-fly upper body circuit with a trial membership, some No Explode, and a 30-minute massage for my wife. So I plan to get my burger's worth by using as many features as possible and getting in some killer training as I prepare for my first triathlon coming up at the end of July. Please contact me if you'd like to try a 7-day pass with xsport. Also, ask me how you can get FREE training sessions from me, and get in shape while summer's heating up! Training for an event? Ill help you compete! Thanks for reading everyone!

Championship Level

Yesterday was game 6 of the NBA finals, and the Celtics had a chance to get it done. That said, their play was disastrous. I didn't watch the entire game, but I watched enough to know that they made ill-advised decisions while the Lakers executed everything well. Watching the ESPN recap this morning, what stood out was the fact that in the last game that the Celtics won, Kobe Bryant had taken 29 shots and scored over 30 points while the rest of the team didn't do much more than watch him play. This time, however, he took only 19 shots while his teammates shared in that love and also grabbed many rebounds. From the starters to the bench players, everyone produced, and it is this team involvement that helped them put on a light show last night.

This concept of support and team involvement is so huge in this game of basketball, but also in this game of life. We must learn to lean on our families and friends and allow them to play at a championship level with us so that we may all be at our best. Get others involved around you and be involved in the lives of the people you care about, and everyone will benefit. Watch the highlights at ESPN.com and try to apply some principles of sports in your daily activities. Sports aren't just entertainment, peeps; sports imitate life. Have a great day and thanks for reading!

Day By Day

Last evening we had the second weekly power call in this new series. Jason Mitchell and myself discussed successes and challenges of last week, identified our challenges for this coming week, and shared some thoughts on mindset. Thanks for reading and listen to yesterday's call for today's blog. Please join us next week as we will be continuing with more accountability and discussion as we expand our team!

The Essentials

A friend and neighbor starting P90X soon had a great question that I thought I would answer in this blog. She is trying to decide whether to get the P90X Results and Recovery formula or Shakeology or both. Simple answer: if you can afford both, get em both! Truth is, people, these are two different but very essential supplements. The recovery drink is designed by Beachbody to go with extreme fitness workouts such as P90X, INSANITY, Turbofire, and definitely endurance athletics such as distance running, biking, triathlon, etc. Immediately after you have exhausted your muscles, depleted your electrolyte levels, sweated out water, and basically abused yourself for the sake of fitness, your body craves nutrition. The Results and Recovery Formula delivers the optimal nutrition along with some extra vitamins and a bit of creatine for exactly what your body is asking you for. It will help you regain the energy you have drained as well as help rebuild your muscles with protein and decrease muscle soreness as well. I live on this stuff, and actually I use it on my distance runs even during the race by diluting it in 4 times the water and tossing in some of my pre-workout nitric oxide booster/energy formula. It helps to maintain a level of hydration along with a bit extra. It's basically my Superman Gatorade, if you will.

Shakeology, on the other hand, is a whole food meal replacement shake that is second to none in proper nutrition all-around by containing over 70 whole food powders, which contain so many nutrients straight from actual berries, roots, and other plants, highly superior to any lab vitamins you can find. It helps you lose weight, maintain a healthy weight, improve digestion, regularity, mental focus, energy, and mood. I eat the best foods possible in my diet, and I still feel that Shakeology is something you can't afford not to have.

The main thing, people, is you can be healthy and perform well without either of these, and if that's what you feel your budget dictates, then you should still try to do your best given your resources. But I urge you, if your budget is not an issue or you can replace some of your spending (keep in mind if you are buying lunch out you will save money as Shakeology comes out to about $4/meal) then I will say you can't afford not to implement these in your daily diet. Please contact me with any questions you may have regarding these or any programs, nutrition, etc. Thanks for reading everyone!

Follow To Lead

Today I completed my first official organized half-marathon event, and I once again improved my pace and exceeded my own expectation. However, even though this was only 3.1 miles longer than the 10-mile run I completed two weeks ago, it seemed so much more difficult, even though my numbers don't say it seemed so. Anyways, I am developing and refining my strategy, and that includes finding someone that seems to set a good pace for me and simply following closely behind them, effectively drafting them. I do this by monitoring my heart rate and when it is steady and at a good and slightly-higher-than training tempo, I know I have found the right person to follow. I know that it works because I learned in the Soldier Field 10-miler that when I broke away from a person or smaller group, I noticed a slight increase in my heart-rate and it seemed to settle when I was following. I also believe following stabilizes my mechanics including my gait, stride length, and cadence. I want to take this opportunity to say "Thank You!" to those individuals that I do not know that put up with me tailing them. Yesterday in particular I chose to follow a female runner who was on a steady and challenging pace. From my observation, she was a seasoned runner. She had almost a clockwork pace without using a heart rate monitor or pacer and she didn't even listen to any music, which I don't think I could do without. I found her at about the 2 or 3 mile mark drafted her for a good 6-7 miles before I noticed my heart rate increasing and I was forced to slow slightly, allowing her to break away.

That said, I finished with a time of 1:33:23, giving me a pace of 7:08 per mile. My pace for the 10-mile was 7:19! So I have learned if I want to be a leader and continue to progress, reach my goals, and succeed, all I have to do is follow! This is the same thing I teach to my clients and team members. Think of a Lego set or furniture from Ikea, for example. You see what the finished product looks like, lets say the Lego castle on the box or a nice bookshelf in the Ikea showroom. You buy that end product, but what you get is a box of pieces. How do you know how to put it together properly? How do you get your pieces to fit properly to build the item that you bought? You follow the instructions, step by step, don't you? Same concept here. If you want to get fit and you purchase personal training or a home fitness system, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS FOLLOW DIRECTIONS! It really is that simple, but many people fail to do so. I assure you that if you can follow directions, you will learn to discipline yourself through activity, you will learn more about why you are doing what you need to, and you will build the "bookshelf" (body) that you want, and one day be able to lead others and help them do the same, if that is something you want to do. Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

Follow the link to check out my official race results!
http://results.active.com/pages/oneResult.jsp?pID=86855109&rsID=94777

Power Call #2

Hey everyone! I'm taking this opportunity to write a make-up blog and advertise for our second new power call. Please join us for a short call to start your week with support and motivation! We may even have a special guest speaker! Here's the info:

Monday, June 14, 2010

6:30 PM Central Time

Dial-in Number: 1-712-432-3100
Conference Code: 314779

All are welcome to join, and your participation is appreciated! We will start promptly at 6:30, but feel free to call in any time after 6:15. "Hear" you then!

El Dia Del Desfile

I hope the grammar is good in the title. Anyways, translated out, it means "The day of the parade". This morning I got up extra early to get to work extra early. The Blackhawks Parade is today to celebrate their victory. Yesterday when I was finishing my shift, I asked a co-worker what the translation of "parade" was in Spanish, and he explained that "desfile" is the proper word. He went on to explain that many people say "parada", but it is the improper word. Parada is used to desribe a person standing up, but it is used in a "Spanglish" sense. Okay. That's a lot of info, but interesting.

Why is this taking up real estate in my blog today, you might ask. Well, recently I talked about communication and how important it is. I am working to get back into my Spanish lessons through Rosetta Stone once a week like I had been before studying for my Personal Trainer exam simply so that I can communicate with others more effectively. Many people, Americans born here especially, have an attitude of "...why don't people just learn English?..." But it is this attitude and point of view that gets us nowhere. This is the same attitude that leads us to thoughts that we wished we had less problems or "how are they so lucky?" Instead, if we say, "What can I do to improve myself to better communicate with people," or "How can I become more skilled so that I can overcome my obstacles?" These are the types of mindsets to be in.

Going back to communication and the various words people use: communication is about listening as much or more than about talking or saying something. It is not always the words we are using or what people are telling you verbally. Often times we must listen to what others are really saying, even if it is underlying. For example, someone might say, "It costs too much," when they are really saying, "I haven't realized the value to me yet. How does this (product or service) help me?" Make sense? So some people will use one word and mean one thing and another will use a different word to mean the same thing, and conversely two people can verbally say the same thing but be communicating something totally different. Confusing? It can be, but the better we can learn to listen for vocal cues, body language, tone of voice, and other communication details as well as improving the ways we get our point across, the better we will be at communication, sales, relationships, etc. That's it today...Feliz Desfile! And thanks for reading everyone!

Teamwork and Communication

First off, congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks for winning the Stanley Cup! Whoohoo! I'm not a huge hockey fan, but I love this city so I'm excited we have a championship team back once again! There's a lot to be said in what had to go into the perseverance, hard work, and dedication to win this championship. Hockey depends on each individual doing their job as well as all of the players working collectively as a team. Communication is so important in many aspects as well, and without the two elements, there goes the winning season. That said, Go Blackhawks!

During my normal workday, I use a monitor to know when to set up items for Dine-in customers as well as those to-go. I am able to print out a ticket for each order and that is how my team members know where to deliver the food and bag up appropriate items. Yesterday during the lunch rush, I was in my zone. I was distributing well and my team members and I were working well together. All of a sudden, my printer malfunctioned so I couldn't print any tickets. This quickly created chaos and I called for help. My general manager, Judy, quickly came over and took charge. Together, we talked through the orders, manually wrote down ticket numbers, and systematically got all of the food expedited as quickly as possible. With proper communication and teamwork, we were able to prevent a huge drop in the level of customer service and get through the rush. I appreciate the support of my leaders as well, and as you can see, when it is utilized it is a powerful thing.

Look at your job, your health situation, and your other goals. Identify times when it seems things are going well and when one piece of the puzzle seems to break down causing problems. How have you reacted? Didn't the times when you had adequate support, communication, and teamwork all turn out better than the times you were forced to deal with a problem by yourself? Lean on your support system, and work on better teamwork and being a better teammate to others. It really will make a huge difference. Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!

Difficulty Mixed With Opportunity

You might be familiar with the title of this blog. I heard this from Jim Rone, and the quote seems to stick. I've written about this before, but just now as I was looking through some Facebook posts, I realize that the posts even reflect this thought. Some people have positive posts, some negative, some hopeful, some pitiful, and some just silly. And usually the people change but the mix is the same. Life, right? The only thing we can be certain of is that we will get this mix of difficulty mixed with opportunity. And although we can say that some times are better than others, is there really a time when we are faced with absolutely no issues? (If yes, than congratulations, you are on your own island! lol). All joking aside, we must learn to be better skilled, as Rone goes on to say, than to wish for less problems.

One of my good friends, Scotty just posted on Facebook, "so many projects........ so little time and money". I couldn't help but smile in empathy. I feel you Scotty! There is so much going on and/or so much I need to get done and want to accomplish and there doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to get it all done. Many of you are nodding your head "yes" and can agree. I guess whenever I feel like my whole head is under water like this, I first recognize it, then breathe. It's amazing how oxygen helps your brain work! Now, I prioritize what I need to get done, and formulate a plan. Now, this plan could be notes in my phone, a list, or a laid-out schedule with times and days on the calendar. I would love to hear some of the ways that some of you cope with getting it all done or that feeling of being overwhelmed by situations, circumstances, and higher ambition than ability. Please post comments! Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!

Morning Love

I'm not talkin' about morning wood here peeps lol! Hopefully, you are all enjoying nutritious breakfasts to start your day off right. Realistically, I don't think you all are, and that's a shame! I love getting up, getting ready, having a cup of green tea and preparing myself one of about 4 usual options. Recently, I have been experimenting with a simple version of a European favorite-Muesli. Muesli is a cold version of oatmeal where the oats are soaked in milk and yogurt and include dried and fresh fruits as well. There are probably countless versions, and I have found myself already creating variations, but I wanted to give you guys the basic recipe here so you can try out a quick version that only takes about five minutes to prepare, and will no doubt be gone in under that amount of time!

Coach Mike's Morning Rush Muesli

1/2 cup Quaker 1-Minute Oats
1/2 cup Kirkland Organic Vanilla Soy Milk (skim, almond, other milk is fine)
1/2 cup Chobani Greek Nonfat Plain Yogurt
1 serving fresh fruit (half an apple + 1/2 banana or whole fruit or different combination--have fun!)
1/4 cup dried fruit (craisins, raisins, chopped dried apricots, etc)
5-6 chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans)
1 tsp cinnamon

Simply mix all ingredients together and let stand if you like or just eat right away. Today I made a version with 1/2 of a granny smith apple and a few organic strawberries, diced small. I used about 4 dried apricots, chopped, and some pecans, chopped, and that was today's variation. Awesome stuff. Usually I use apple, banana, almonds, and craisins, and that's great, too. Have fun with it. This is a great meal because you get whole grains, fruit, probiotics and killer protein from the greek yogurt, and this is between 350-450 calories, depending. You can obviously omit some stuff, and if you need it sweeter, use a touch of agave nectar or some honey and that will do you right. Any way you dice it (lol) this is a great way to start your day, and you'll be able to power through without grease or even making a mess. Give your stomach some morning love! Have a great day and thanks for reading!

Day One, A Re-Introduction

First, I'd like to thank Jason Mitchell for requesting that we start this call. Tonight's call featured only him and myself, and however seemingly insignificant it may seem, it is a huge step in the right direction. We will continue to do these calls, and I urge all of you to call in and join us. As I say in the call, "Support is what holds your table up, and it is support that will help us all to succeed." So true, and as much as you may need my help and support, I lean on all of you and you all inspire me as well, so I thank you. That said, Jason and I got a chance to visit this past weekend, and we established that it's a new "Day One". I suggest that you look at yourself this way, and if you've felt that you've tried and failed, or have lost the motivation, etc., just stop, take a breath, and leave the past in the past. This is a new day one, and it starts today. Please contact me for a consultation and/or re-evaluation of your fitness and health goals, and I'll help you develop a plan that you can succeed with. Just remember, whatever you do, it is your support system that will help you push through your obstacles and challenging times, and it is also the members of this support system, (or your team) that will be celebrating with you when you succeed! Please join us next week for another Power Call, and invite others. You don't have to be a client, family member, friend, or have any affiliation with me or anyone on my team even. You just need the desire to succeed and the willingness to learn and share so that we may all grow stronger together. The call info is below. Thanks for reading!



Power Call info:
Monday evenings 6:30 central time
Call 1-712-432-3100
code: 314779

Piggy Went To Market

As many of you know, I've really stopped eating meats except fish on a day or two a week. I don't believe eating animal flesh is inherently wrong, however, due to the education that I have been receiving through books, documentaries, etc (namely literature written by Michael Pollan and "Food Inc.") I really think there is something wrong with the treatment of the animals we are consuming via the industrial channels. I don't thing eating a burger made from beef from a slaughtered cow that has been eating corn, supplements, medicine, and antibiotics and living in an enclosed area walking around in its own feces is, well, healthy. Sorry to have to paint that picture, but it is what it is. And everyone is to blame. That said, I have been consuming Greek Yogurt, cheeses, and dairy products which still keep me in a realm of animal products, but I'm fine with that for now. And this blog isn't really about not eating meat; on the contrary, actually, my brother-in-law's birthday is this Sunday, and the kid loves ribs. This is a different "omnivore's dilemma". But I knew that since it's getting warmer, the farmers markets are back and that means my good cousin Steve Nickles would be in town to distribute meats and eggs from a local farmer that actually cares for his livestock, does not use hormones, antibiotics, etc, and this is some meat I can endorse and hunger for!

So I rode my bike down there today, and what a lovely ride it was! It was the first time I brought my bike outside this year since I've been running on the weekends mostly, and it felt good. I brought an empty backpack and sure enough, I was able to fill it up! This was the first day of the farmers market, and my cousin Steve was there with my second cousin, JP, and they had the good stuff! He actually ran out of baby back ribs, but I was able to pick up a few packs of spare ribs, a pork shoulder roast, and some brats, all from "ferrell-to-finish" pork, which as I understand, means there is little to no human contact with the animals until they are slaughtered, which keeps the animals safe from our germs and ensures the finest quality of life for the pig, and the finest quality of pork for our plates! My freezer is now ready, and I will start thawing on Thursday to get ready for this weekend. Learn more about Nickles Distribution, Inc, the farmers market, being a locavore, and more by visiting www.nicklesdistributioninc.com. There are also other great vendors at the markets, and I suggest you make an effort to support your local farmers! Thanks for reading everyone!

Liquid Lunch

Okay so two years ago "liquid lunch" would mean 4-6 bottles of Summer Ale, but that's not what I mean today! Good morning everyone. It has been a productive and educational week on all fronts. My new challenge has been re-connecting with some of you to really help you iron out some of the wrinkles you've been experiencing on your journeys, and I take personal responsibility as your coach to help you through. If I haven't contacted you and you are still having issues, please contact me immediately so we can set up an appointment and/or a workout date. I realize that each of us is different, responds to different kinds of workouts, has different scheduling issues, etc. The main thing I see that we all have in common is the eating and nutrition aspect of health.

Especially here in the Midwest, we are surrounded by signs pointing the wrong way. Whether that means fast food, larger serving sizes at restaurants, or cheap groceries and convenient stores, it seems we use the "no-time-to-cook" or even "no-time-to-eat" excuse, which is, simply, inexcusable. Yesterday, I had the privilege of visiting a coach on my team and good friend, Brittney and her mom Donna and family for a Hip Hop Abs workout and to work with them on their nutrition. First, they were ready to go when I got there, so I quickly changed and joined in my first Hip Hop Abs workout, and it was so fun! I am familiar with Shaun T from his more recent program, Insanity, but the workout we did was a fun cardio workout filled with energetic dance moves that worked us from head to toe. It was even more fun because we did it together, and even the neighbor kid and Brittney's cousin joined in and we had our own Hip Hop Dance Party, sweat included!

Afterward, Donna mixed up some Shakeology, which is perfect for a moderate to even intense workout. I am usually all about eating whole food and real meals, however what I have learned (through my professional trainer education) is that liquid nutrition, in the form of Shakeology or P90X Results and Recovery Formula, just to name a few, is ideal for a post-workout meal since your body will absorb and process the nutrition quick enough for your body to reap the nutritional benefits before your "window of opportunity" is up. (That's usually 0-60 minutes after your workout when your body is primed to take in and replenish the nutrients for rebuilding, repair, and recovery). Besides this "liquid lunch", you do need to integrate better nutrition, and I showed Brittney how to use www.myfitnesspal.com, which I am not affiliated with, but I use as a powerful tool to track mine and my clients and team members' dietary intake, macronutrient breakdown, and weight loss. There is a huge database packed with all types of store-bought and bulk food items and their values. Once you know what you are burning on a regular basis, you can plan to defecit your calorie intake, work on your macronutrient proportions, and start losing weight safely, healthily, and effectively. More importantly, you will learn how to pick and choose your foods more carefully, and this planning and scheduling of your meals can help you pack your foods for the next day so you have no excuse to run out and grab something, skip meals, etc. Aim for your fat to be 15-30% of your daily calories for proper health, and shoot for the lower end when working to lose weight. Your body can store fat easier than it can convert it, so it's important to keep it to a minimum. Also, keeping your diet low in fat will allow you to actually eat more since fat is more calorie-dense than protein or carbohydrates. Here's an example:

Let's say you have a sandwich, and you use 1 tbsp of mayo. Well, that 1 tbsp of mayo equals 90 calories, which comes from 10 grams of pure fat! Substitute that mayo with no calorie mustard or vinegar, and you can use that 90 calories elsewhere, like 90 calories worth of pretzels or carrots and a pickle! How is that? A gram of fat yields 9 calories while a gram of protein or carbohydrate only yields 4. So you can have over twice as much "gram-for-gram" of carb or protein than fat! When you enter your meals into your calendar for myfitnesspal, it will show you the gram breakdown. multiply the grams by 4 or 9, depending, and use that number and divide it by the total calories in the day. This will show you the percentages of macronutrients(protein, carbohydrate, and fat) that you are taking in. Tweak it day to day and make small improvements, and your small improvements will lead to huge results! Wow, I guess I got carried away. Don't forget to save your Shakeology shake for one meal to get a nutrient dense, low-calorie meal that will help you feel amazing, look great, and be healthy! Find out more at www.shakeologylife.com. Thanks for reading, everyone, and have a great weekend!

Great Breakfast

Today marks the end of my 3-day Shakeology Cleanse. I did it! If you've been following me the past 3 days, you will know that I have gone through a tough mental and physical challenge. Please go back through those blogs to learn more about the Shakeology 3-day cleanse that I participated in if you haven't. Anyway, yesterday was day 3, and it was the best day. My analysis is that in day 3, my body got used to the lower calories, had completely rid excess caffeine and other toxins, and my mind was more at ease. I was efficient at work and even challenged myself more at my job, I got a lot done as far as coach office work at home, and got another great night's sleep last night. I woke today and looked in the mirror to see more ab definition than I've seen in a long time. I've lost around 5 lbs (not that I have weight to lose) in the 3 days, and most of this can be attributed to water weight and bulk in my system that I flushed out. Due to the low-sodium and the meal-replacement diet, my body was able to get rid of a lot of the water weight I was retaining. Please contact me with any questions regarding the cleanse, and I will post some more info below. That said, I enjoyed a great victory breakfast this morning. Still nutritious but admittedly a bit more than I would usually have, I enjoyed a 2-egg ("Real Eggs" 99% egg white product) omelet filled with a little goat cheese, green pepper, jalapeno pepper, sun-dried tomato, red onion, and mushrooms. I accompanied this with a cup of organic grits and 3 small pieces of raisin-pecan toast, and had a nice cup of green tea. Awesome! I am ready for this event-filled and productive Friday! Have a great breakfast if you haven't eaten yet, and have a great day! Happy Friday!

Cleanse Day 3

So it's day 3. A little feedback from day 2 for you: In the same sense as day 1, I didn't feel like I needed to pig out on food, however come late afternoon I felt a bit slower and tired. I didn't, however, experience the headache in day one that I attributed to caffeine withdrawal. Upon waking this morning, I felt rested and I can say that again I had a great night's sleep. I got a lot done yesterday evening, and as in day one, I elected to do the Ho Ala kekino workout, which is an older Tony Horton beginner/intermediate 25 minute workout that combines some stretching, light cardio, breathing, yoga, and some legwork as well. Perfect for this cleanse. I got to bed around 9, and was "outta there" until this morning at 5:30. As far as results go, I am noticing a tighter, leaner feel and I even see more definition in my abs! Yesterday I weighed myself before my workout as I did in day one, and I went from 147 to 145! 2 lbs in one day! I'll check in tomorrow before breakfast for a recap of today, day 3. This is a great mental as well as physical challenge, but the Shakeology is doin' it for me and I believe that this is a safer way to fast since you are getting an awesome amount of nutrients even though you may be lacking in calories. Thanks for reading and following along with me on this challenge!

Bonus Blog: Tying Your Shoes

If you know me or have been reading my blogs regularly, you know that I listen to a lot of Zig Ziglar. Many of you reading or not reading are having issues sticking to a program, adjusting your eating habits, etc. I wanted to share this newsletter with you for some inspiration. Thanks for reading!

By Zig Ziglar

Roger Crawford was sixteen years old before he could tie his own shoes and even then it was Velcro that made it possible.  But he excelled in other areas like sports, becoming a star tennis player.  While in high school he was a championship player, winning over 95% of his matches.  He continued at nearly the same pace in college and has succeeded as a pro.
You can look at Roger and see that he has a “handicap.”  As Roger explains it, however, most people’s handicaps cannot be seen, but they’re just as real and in many cases more pronounced than his.  Roger was born with one leg missing from the knee down.  He doesn’t have normal hands complete with four fingers and a thumb.  As a matter of fact, he has only two extensions from where fingers normally are and yet he uses those two extensions to accomplish some remarkable successes.  Roger is one of those people who don’t complain about what he does not have, but rather makes full use of what he does have.  This is the attitude which enabled him to become the first severely handicapped athlete to compete in a NCAA Division college sport.
Roger doesn’t pretend it’s been easy, but then life is seldom easy for most of us.  Today Roger Crawford is one of the most effective public speakers in our country and a very successful published author and family man.  He speaks to companies almost literally all over the world and they range from the Fortune 500 to the trade and educational associations.  My suggestion to all of us is to adopt more of the Roger Crawford attitude.  I believe that if we do, I really will SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is known as America’s motivator.  He is the author of 29 books and numerous audio and video recordings.  He brings his message of hope to thousands on the stages at the Get Motivated Seminars.  See him in action!

Quote

The most practical, beautiful, workable philosophy in the world won’t work – if you won’t.        ~Zig Ziglar

Cleanse Day 2

Wow. So I have some feedback regarding yesterday. It was day one of my cleanse, and despite my caloric intake being low, my stomach never really felt starved. I had some hunger here and there, but since I was having such high amounts of nutrients, I think my body was satiated in that sense. In the afternoon, I did get a slight headache attributed to the lack of caffeine which I usually take in during the morning and after work, which was cut out. That was one of the concerns, so I wasn't surprised. I believe this also left me a bit agitated and the deprivation left my thoughts a bit off, but otherwise, I feel fine. For my dinner, I grilled a piece of Mahi-Mahi and had it with a mixed green salad, and I measured out 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp of white wine vinegar. I did add some black pepper, some shredded carrots, and some raw sweet peppers, but nothing else besides veggies. It was nice and fresh, and I got some work done before lights out. I went to sleep a bit earlier than usual, and I slept like a baby! I did wake due to the loud thunderstorms, but this morning I feel pretty good. I had my cup of green tea (which I was really looking forward to), and I'm ready for my breakfast shake! On a side note, Shakeology is just as awesome with just water and ice, and only 140 calories that way! Delicious! Thanks for following me on this 3-day journey, and thanks for reading everyone!

Cleanse Day 1

Good morning. If you red yesterday's blog, you will know that today marks the first day of my 3-day Shakeology cleanse. For more details about the cleanse, check out the blog from yesterday. I want to use these next 3 days to blog about my thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

So good morning once again. I woke today knowing that today would be the most difficult day of this cleanse. I have been enjoying the summer so far, and I wouldn't say that I've been pigging out, but I have been taking in some extra healthy calories. I look okay, but I have felt a bit more bloated and not as defined as I feel I should be. Also, there has been a plateau of body fat percentage that I can't seem to break. I'm about 8 or 9 percent, which is lean, but I want to push back down to 5 or 6, which is what I had accomplished last year. This might just be that plateau breaker, cleaning my body out and letting me rock my workouts a little harder come the weekend. I think I'm more worried about my caffeine detox that will most likely occur. I usually drink 3-4 cups of tea in the morning and 1 cup of coffee when I get to work, and iced or green tea in the evenings. I am now limited to two cups of green tea per day, which should be fine because I'm not a coffe-holic. Hey--at least I get an abundance of shakeology, right? So you know some of my foreseen obstacles and also my reasons for doing this. Oh - the greatest reason is the reason I am able to do these long runs, crazy workouts, and practice great nutrition is YOU. YOU who read this blog and YOU who I have influenced by doing what I am doing. I am leading by example. If I don't do it, how can I expect my clients, friends, family, and other followers and team members do it? Now ask yourself that question. Who looks to you for leadership?

If you are interested in this cleanse and/or joining my team, please check out www.premierhealthsource.com, join my team as a free or club member, and contact me, and we'll get started! Thanks for reading!