Goofy's race and a half challenge .......today's training run

Hello friends,

 Its been a few weeks since I last blooooged. Any who today being the last day of good ol' 2011 i figured I would do a yearly recap of sorts.

 January started out with my first marathon at WDW. I will just say that I learned a lot at that race. I know first hand what hitting the wall means. I had a brick pattern on my forehead for a few days after that experience.

 You would think that coming home from running my first marathon would be the hardest thing I did in January and you would be completely wrong. January 18th was a dark day full of jockstraps and an ungodly amount of swelling. This then led to an unbearably long recovery period that only ended when I had the swollen area drained by the doc inserting 3 needles in to drain the offending fluid. Whatever you are visualizing is no where near as bad as it was.

 As spring approached things got better running events occurred, clients got motivated, the kids grew and matured. Awesome time of the year.

 Summer time and the livings easy. Once again we overreached, Working on the house and trying to renovate the camper all while watching Lucia and Thira. The summer flew by and we swore to never overbook our summers again. Once June arrived I began my Goofy training, I started doing back to backs on the weekend. Whatever i did on sat. I doubled on sunday plus additional miles during the week.

 Autumn and the highlight was Thira entering kindergarten. It was a battle starting in March to get her into the school she's in now. Up until a week before school started we still didn't know where she was going. Super stressful! Goofy training really kicked up here with November being the biggest month. Lots of back to backs equalling 30 miles or more plus the additional weekly miles.

 The other milestone, I turned 40 in September. I really don't care about that except i'm now in the masters class when I enter a local race. That seems odd......

 As you know once you hit Thanksgiving the rest of the year is on overdrive. December 10th was the trail running festival at the Greenbelt, it was my first 25k and besides a minor mishap at the beginning it was my favorite race of the year. I ran into someone I hadn't seen over 15 years, amazing.

  Christmas got here faster than I ever remembered. I saw someone else who is very dear to me that I hadn't seen in 11 yrs. all due to me having to go a store to get poor Lucia some baby advil.

 That leads us to now. December 31st the last day of the year. Being a saturday I did what I have been doing most saturdays meeting up with fellow runners especially from S.I.A.C. my new running home and hitting the trails. There is no better way to start the day for me than a trail run. I don't care if its a 5k or 50k I love being on the trails.

 With that 2011 is just about wrapped up. I want to wish everyone a happy, healthy, and amazing 2012. Especially my wife Danielle, Thira, and baby Lucia along with all of my friends the ones and family.

Goofy race and a half....When it all comes together

 I took my client and friend larry out on the trails yesterday for his first run into double digits. The day was sunny but cold. Nice trail running weather in my opinion.

 We looped around most of the 25k course I had run previously but with the days getting colder the muddy
spots shrunk up and the leaves that had covered most of the trail in the fall have started to disappear. This creates a faster path to run on and we noticed right away that this run was exceptionally enjoyable from the start.

 I noticed something else as were started popping up and down the many hills along the greenbelt. My form felt different, it felt natural. Everything kept clipping together correctly.

 Every time I hit an incline my body leaned in from my ankles and I started popping up the hill landing on my forefoot and shooting fwd. it felt like i wasn't doing hardly anything at all yet I kept moving fwd.

 At the end of the run which was 11 miles by the way I was tired and my legs were a little fatigued but If  I had to turn around and do the route again I would've with out thinking twice.

Some thoughts on yesterdays 25k trail race.

  First of all, yesterday was a stunningly beautiful day. Weather was perfect and the trails besides the obvious muddy patches were outstanding.

  So yes I did twist the right ankle a bit but as I was resting last night I noticed something else. I feel terrific.
My energy was and still is this morning through the roof. Body feels great, besides obvious ankle.

  Heres some things I am attributing to me feeling so good.
1, The group runs led by Pete Priolo of S.I.A.C. of which I am proud to be a member of.

2, My good old Brooks Cascadia. I think though that  will be switching to the Brooks Pure Grit next spring.

3. Body Glide, This stuff works. I am chafe free since using it.

4. Compression socks, I have found that when running over 10 miles while wearing compression socks  I dont fatigue like I used to. Of course this could be because I am simply running further more consistently but I dont care I like wearing them. I am certain that wearing them after I long run has helped in recovery.

Foam rolling, god I love foam rolling. I roll for just a few minutes every other day along with some assisted stretches. It feels fantastic to roll it out. Of course I have documented how to make the ultimate foam roller. heres a pic.

 Anyway what a terrific day yesterday was. Thanks again to the Greenbelt Conservancy and NYARA especially Matt Lebow for his vision.

Goofy's race and a half challenge &staten island trail extravaganza

 Soon as in two days Staten Island will be hosting its first ever Ultra trail event. 5k, 10k, 25k, and the big daddy 50k.

 This is being brought to us by The Greenbelt Conservancy and NYARA
http://www.nyara.org/template.php?Add-a-Page=8

 Its going to be a terrific event, the course will at times be extremely muddy. Other parts of the course I already know are very steep and narrow. I'm curious as to how I will do. On one hand I want to push really hard and finish btw. 2:15 and 2:30. With the mud I think a time of 2:30 for me will be satisfactory.

 On the other hand I'm a month away from Disney and to twist an ankle now would be extremely frustrating. So, what will I do? Reality is that I have been on these trails running with the siXac crew for a while now and I really want to crush this event.

 A cold, muddy, trail event......it sounds like a disaster, right up my alley.

Again, either you are going to change or you won't

 A bit of a rant. How many times do you want to hear from people that now is the time that I want to change my life. Im ready lets go.You say that to me and I am ready to give you 100% of my focus. I will create a program for you that will help guide you to your goals.

 Don't do this, do not call me the night before a session with a need to reschedule. Then never reschedule. I will begin calling you back because I have invested my time and my time is money. Eventually you will do 2 things you will decide that you had enough and stop making excuses or you will disappear and stay where you are even though you hate how you look and how you feel you are used to it, its comfortable.

 I can and will help you but first you have to be ready.

What do you want

 Really, be honest what is it that you want?

  Are you really looking to be healthy? Do yo really want to put in the hard work to succeed or is it lip service. I hear it a lot. I need to lose weight, I want to look like blah, I want to whatever.....the reality is that what you want is to talk about it or you buy a gym membership to make yourself feel better.

 Did you let yourself "cheat" over this past holiday or did you stick to your long term goal. There is no right or wrong in that statement its just a question of where you are and what you want.

 Its easy standing still and wanting something, the way we grow is to actually move fwd. get out of our comfort zone. Then and only then do you grow.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.addthis.com%2Fbookmark.php%3Fv%3D250%26pubid%3Dra-4e5b922b504f8d7b&h=DAQHqikaQAQGZF3QaIDz4evq0gV_39gc-ptHO-g2oD3-xbw

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.addthis.com%2Fbookmark.php%3Fv%3D250%26pubid%3Dra-4e5b922b504f8d7b&h=DAQHqikaQAQGZF3QaIDz4evq0gV_39gc-ptHO-g2oD3-xbw

test.

Goofy's race and a half challenge .......today's training run

 I will be honest here this Goofy thing is ridiculous. The back to back long runs are grueling. This is way more mental than physical. Maybe not its more like 55% mental, 44% physical, 1% stupidity.

 This weekend was a 12 and 16 combo. I went a little to hard on sat. and i def. paid for it on sunday. Lesson learned, pacing is going to be a huge factor for me. The half on saturday will be fun I have to make sure i don't have to much fun. The race is only 1/3 over at that point so even though its a flat fast course I will restrain myself from trying to PR on the half. There is no interest in trying to get a PR on sunday that will be deliberately slow and steady. i will be getting a lot of pictures with the characters along the way. As ridiculous as it seems if I calm down and enjoy running the 39.3 i will fly through it.

 Physically I will be ready its the mind that needs some extra effort right now.

guess what this is

Take a look at this.


 Any idea what this little grid pattern is? This is one year of your life. As you can see there's not a lot there
you better fill up those squares with something worth while.

Food, and all its components

 So I just spent the weekend acquiring yet another certification. A nutritional specialist, not a dietician not a nutritionist. A food coach is a better term, I can prescribe programs, evaluate, and recommend under the guise of licensed nutritionist or dietician.

 Anyway one of the many things we talked about is what influences the guidelines in which we are supposed to follow. ie money and lobbyist.

  Coincidently this article from the times really details the influences we need to be aware of as we make our nutritional choices.
 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/02/us/school-lunch-proposals-set-off-a-dispute.html

Being your brand

 I used to bristle when I heard terms like this. It sounded corny, cheesy, something a slimy marketer would say all the while never truly being truthful themselves. These past few months though I have come to look at this phrase in a completely different way.

 What this phrase really means is believe in who you are and what you do. That's to long for a sound bite and if you are just doing a job for a paycheck then it doesn't really apply to you but if you are your own boss then if you don't follow this you are sunk.

  Since I have narrowed my focus, got serious with who I am and what I care about a lot of obstacles have just fallen by the wayside. The path is clearer, this doesn't necessarily mean its easier but at least a lot of peripheral nonsense is disappearing.

Out of the light into the dark

 Being in business for yourself is shall we say a bit of a roller coaster ride. You spend a long time networking, building relationships, waiting........then a quick email or text and you move fwd. new possibilities abound and everything feels great.

 Then that process has to continue again because if you stand still you wilt while everyone else flys past you.

  Whatever it is that you love to do and you want to do that for a living know that a large part of a day you will not be doing that thing. This is the trade off. is it worth it? Well, thats up to you.

Goofy's race and a half challenge ....NYC Marathon

Hello, so as my thoughts are set on jan. 7th and 8th it is impossible to not be overwhelmed by the NYC marathon that is happening right now.

 Over 40,000 runners are out there fulfilling a dream, running on the largest stage in the world.


  Earlier today I ran down to the S.I. Yankees stadium and  walked through a sea of people getting on an endless supply of busses. People of all shapes and sizes, looking relaxed, nervous some eating, smiling, joking, and getting a last good luck kiss goodbye.

An amazing display of dedication and perseverance for everyone who trained all those months to do this run. Truly inspirational.

 For my own training this was a terrific weekend of running.  I joined a terrific group on the trails saturday morning for at least 16 miles probably 17 of beautiful running. I coupled that with 8.5 miles this morning that in all honestly were hard. Especially the first 4 but i was glad I stuck it out because i started to loosen  up and felt not great but fine. No pain or discomfort just understandably tired from yesterdays run but a terrific test that yes I will definitely finish the Goofy and finish strong. 

You are you thats how it is.

  You know folks sometimes we all get into a rut or feel a little overwhelmed its as if everything around you is working against you.

  Guess what it is. You have had it to easy so everyone around you decided to teach you a lesson. Your car talked to your computer who spoke to your boss and they all agreed to do everything they can to screw with you.

  Or right now some things aren't going as smoothly as you'd like. Personally i'm feeling a bit overwhelmed as I transition my career. It's a daunting task, one that is consuming a lot of my time, effort, and cash but I know deep down that this is where I am supposed to go.

  I hace the Goofy race and a half which is 2 months away this is a huge endeavor and my fundraising hasn't gotten off the ground yet my training on the other hand i'm happy with.

  My point is that if everything went smoothly all the time we would never learn anything about ourselves. Take note of the adversity that you are dealing with and once it all passes look back at how you dealt with and overcame whatever the obstacles were that was holding you back. This is a terrific way to learn and grow.

Goofy's race and a half challenge .......today's training run

How are you running? Smooth, choppy, aggressive, soft and gentle. Do you see the road as a friend or foe?

I just read an interesting article by Chris McDougall  about resuming a lost running technique.

heres a link to him demonstrating said technique.http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/11/02/magazine/100000001149415/the-lost-secret-of-running.html

Now get out there and do something.

Ch ch ch chia

Hi all,

Are you looking for a nutritional boost or do you want to grow some seedlings on a ceramic cow well the good old chia seed is here for you.

Super packed with omega 3, protein and good ol' fiber plus you can grow it on a creature.

Get some Chia seeds store them, make a simple gel (its tasteless) add it to smoothies, oatmeal whateverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_hispanica

So frustrating

  One thing about me that is becoming more and more prominent is my competitive nature in my field. I wouldn't say I get jealous when I see others getting press or doing something unique with clients but I definitely get motivated by it.

  I always want to be doing more. Working with more clients, giving my existing clients more info, new routines etc... when I don't get my way I get pissed. I sulk for a bit then I refocus and plan even bigger. That's basically where I am right now. Planning very exciting things for 2012 its just that getting there is never a smooth road.

Thats it for now.....
 

Plastic h2o bottles=dumb

  First off, I rarely preach and I am not perfect in my buying habits diet coke being my absolute stupid weakness.

 This graphic though really shows how stupid it is to continually buy cases of bottled water. I know the last time we bought water in this household was due to hurricane/ tropical storm Irene.

 Anyway here you go

fun pic

 I stole a pic from a KettleBell Concept fbook post. It shows a toddler squatting and how we all
start out knowing how to properly move but as we get older we goof it all up.

 Whether its heel-toe running, exercising with machines instead of relying on the bodies ability to stabilize
itself.  We no longer listen to what our bodies are trying to tell us. Aches and pains are responses to a negative situation.

  A sore back could mean that your posture stinks and that you let your core get soft.

 Knees ache when you walk? Your calves could be to tight. Do you take 5 minutes for yourself to stretch out your over worked muscles.

 Look at this kid or any kid for that matter they can squat for hours with no sense of pain or discomfort.

stop running start looking.

Hey ya'll.

I went for a run this afternoon and I did a ton of things i usually don't do. This led me to such a breakthrough its unbelievable.

It started out normally, headed up a usual path my the surrounding were as beautiful as ever but ny mead was filled with noise. I am in a huge transitional phase as far as how i want to progress in the health and wellness industry. Lots going on....

I headed down a turn that I have been down hundreds of times before but then I looked at a path that I pass all the time yet never run down, maybe twice the entire time i have been running in the Greenbelt.

A new trail, relatively at least and I see a new path, good.

Like all the trails it blends back into familiar territory but its from a new direction so i'm still seeing things differently. I power up a nice hill and i just start yelling, deep primal yells to force myself to get up this hill. I power up it and start flying down the back end until I hit another intersection. This decision i believe will shape the next 6 months to a year for me it was that important.

Turn left and go back up the rec. center, go right and head towards Moses Mountain, I went straight. I ran straight ahead, then my legs stopped. You see my head was still swarmed with all these thoughts and  I just couldn't find my rhythm so I stopped, I stopped running and I began walking. I turned off my watch i took off my head phones and I walked through beautiful fall foliage.

Heres where I started see where I was going. I walked through the trails, I walked off the trails. I decided that although working for myself, doing what I do and where I want to go is hard, extremely hard but i do love every second of it. I get frustrated when i am not doing more, I want to be busier. I want to help more people. This has led me to to crux of what I do am who I am.

A leader.

To be a personal trainer, or a fitness professional, coach, consultant or whatever you want to call yourself what you are at the heart of it is a leader.

You set the example, people put there faith in you. This is a very powerful position to be in and I take it very seriously.

So as I move fwd. and transform my fitness business into a Wellness program I will become not just a leader for my clients but for this industry.

I am a leader.

Do your duty or do some burpees.

  In reality my clients are all well meaning people. They lead busy lives and have loving families.
I enjoy going to there homes, and spending the hour or so there. These pleasantries have led to some confusion I fear.

  You see a big part of my job is knowing what is going on in my client's lives and whether or not this news has any impact on there health physical or otherwise. So these few minutes of conversation although pleasant have a purpose. When we are half way through with our time together and you now mention how you strained your back the other day and its starting to hurt again I get frustrated because I asked you first thing how are things going, how do you feel, anything i need to know?

  Ok then, how's your food journal and I get a scribble of paper and not the sheets I gave you. The breakdown is not complete and entire days are missing! Your now doing burpees, a lot of them.

  If your a client of mine and you do not keep up with your food journal heed this warning. Either write down your food so we can discuss your nutritional habits or be prepared to do a lot of burpees in many different variations and then you will complete that days workout.

Goofy's race and a half challenge .......today's training run

Well I had plans to get up at 5:50am get my gear on make ashake and meet a group for a 25k trail run. Then life got in the way. Here's what I posted on the facebook.

 Ugh what a rough start to the day. All the girls were up coughing and hacking last night. Poor baby Lucia kept me up till 4am, I missed my alarm for the early morning trail run, sorry again Matt. Woke up way later than I wanted but grabbed happy threw him into the truck and got a good 7+ in. I would have done more but a 10k is happy's limit.

 I will make up the distance tonight with a 10 mile LSD run.

  I am bothered that I had others wait for me. I am used to the fact that I had to alter my plans.

Goofy's race and a half challenge .......today's training run

 Ah running, the process of continually putting one foot in front of the other faster than you would normally walk.

 Today was a marker day I did 6 miles at 58:45 nothing great, my right hamstring was feeling odd so I pulled back for a couple of miles. The path was a nice mix of flat, long hills, and a nice long downhill to finish it up.

  I am going to run this exact route every thur. to track my progress as Goofy training '11 rolls on. I will be interested to see my time in a month when i drop some lb.s and add some speed. Exciting, that wasn't sarcasm. I am excited.

sowing the seeds

Well today started off fine, got annoying, a tad depressing then uplifting. Funny how that happens.

 I went to a seminar last night about SEO search engine optimization. Basically how do I get my website to pop up one the top google searches.

  It was very informative and energizing BUT he laid out so much info that I have no idea where to begin.

  Actually i do, the website, its stale the look is to dark the content is eh I need a complete overhall and I need it to be relevant. Right now its nothing, sadly thats the truth, but owning up to the truth is when you begin making positive changes.

I was annoyed with my online presence that I took Lucia out on the deck to enjoy this overcast but gorgeous day. Lo and behold what do I see my fig tree is flush with absolutely delicious figs. Finally after three years I have a fig tree that is bearing fruit. A small, simple, victory.

Boy i feel terrific today.

 My legs do anyways and why do you ask. Diligence that is why.  If I run longer than a 10k and most runs these days I am then I make sure to do a cool down walk right after I run I consume something that is protein heavy to help with recovery and when I get home after i shower I roll and then I slap on full leg compression sleeves that Danielle lovingly got me for Father's Day.

  Doing these simple things have helped reduce any stiffness or aches which I used to be prone to get.

  BTW my feet feel great today as if I didn't run at all that's another great testimony for the Connect.

BROOKS PURE CONNECT, MY REVIEW...... first real run

  Okay were back. I took baby Lucia strapped her into the jogging stroller (which I still don't love, it's more of a necessary evil) and made my way to the bike path along Forest Hill rd.

  I parked at the Costco and headed up the path. First thing I noticed is that I no longer felt the arch within the shoe. I also noticed that I was landing completely mid foot which is where I like to land but if I didn't flick my feet up as if i was in VFF my calves would start screaming. I take this as a positive because I immediately self corrected my form and posture.

  One trip up and down the path is 3.5 miles. The first half is primarily uphill and then of course the return is a nice run back down. The path has some light turns and since its crushed gravel its a nice mix of terrian, elevation, scenery etc...plus it will be part of the 50k in dec.  I believe so I want to be very familiar with it.

  So right away I liked the feel of the shoe. It is light, responsive, and generally disappeared while I ran. By that I mean that I never had to think about the shoe, it fit extremely well my feet felt great during the entire run. I did keep looking at them just because they were new and in doing so I noticed that since my feet are pretty wide and the toe box is a tad narrow for my foot I could see my foot blowing out a side but i don't blame the shoe for that I gots wide feet. The narrow toe box didn't cause any discomfort and I don't think it will. I think my feet will just mash out the sides like they do with most shoes.

  Overall I'm glad I bought them. They are exactly what I wanted and expected. One thing I am curious about is the size of the runner these shoes were designed for. As a runner whose at least 50 to 75lbs. bigger that what a prototypical runner looks like I know I'm not generally in the mind of the shoe designer. This is my cross to bear I suppose.

  The question now is do I try the Pure Grit for the 50k or stick to my tried and true Cascadias.

 

 

Evolving, and growing is the nature of things.

 As the S.I.K.B.C. continues to evolve and grow it has led me to another and I believe more complete philosophy. Corona Wellness Center will be an all encompassing program. Not only will it help those with losing weight and strengthen the body but also nutritional counseling and lifestyle coaching.

  Stress reduction, quitting smoking, curbing destructive habits, and learning to focus on positive, constructive habits

BROOKS PURE CONNECT, MY REVIEW...... day one

  Well, Fed Ex dropped of the Pure Connect today and I immediately slapped them on. First off, and I knew this from trying them on over the weekend the arches are high higher than the Green Silence but not uncomfortable.

  The toe box is a little narrow for my paddle of a foot but its not constricting and it already feels like it will stretch out nicely. I walked around lower manhattan and sat through a two hour seminar wearing them and they felt great the whole time. In fact it didn't feel like I was wearing anything at all which to me is a great sign that these shoes are for me.

  Tomorrow I run and I will give a true report on these bad boys.

Gorgeous Day here I am inside.

Today (Oct. 5th) is an absolutely perfect day, sunny, warm, awesome.

 I spent the majority of it inside due to a horrendous headache and Lucia not napping til late.

 I am now vowing to force myself and the dogs, kids outside if its nice. Wasting these days is frustrating.

 On a related note my new Brooks Connect just arrived so tmw. we are all going for a long run no matter what.

Goofy's race and a half challenge .......today's training run

I learned something today.

Running with a jogging stroller is annoying but doable.

Running with my dog Happy is actually a generally pleasant experience especially on the trails.

Running with the dog while pushing the stroller is an awful experience that I am not likely to do again anytime soon.

More importantly today marks the beginning of my training for the Dec. 10th 50k trail race here on Staten Island.

More focused, disciplined running. An even tighter nutritional program.

BROOKS PURE CONNECT, MY REVIEW...... A PAIR COMING MY WAY

 I just ordered a pair of the new Brooks Pure Connect and I am stoked.


 I went to a local sporting good store and tried on the three road shoes. I will try to Grit whrn its time to replace my Cascadia, it will be hard to stop wearing that style they have been so reliable but we will see.

  Anywho back to the topic at hand I slipped on the Connect and was surprised by the snugness around the arch for me. I immediately thought this doesn't feel so minimal, jogged around a bit then put on the Cadence. Initially i thought this feel a bit better than the Connect but after jogging around a bit It didn't pop as much as the Connect did.

  Then comes the Flow, initially I felt that these would be for me. The Flow is the middle ground between the Connect and the Cadence. I liked the Flow the least out of the three it felt a bit cloppy and the little bumps around the outside front made it awkward to land upon. The Flow was out.

  I put the Connect back on and it seemed to blend in very well with my foot the second time. i really liked it my only concern was/is that my foot is wide and I am bursting out of the sides of my Green Silence but there seems to be more to the side of the Connect than the Silence so we shall see.

  One more time with both the Cadence and the Connect and I was sure that the Connect was for me.
Since I had an Amazon gift card I came home and bought the Connect. When it gets here I will retire the Green Silence which I truly loved except for my pinkie toe pushing through the sides.

Goofy's race and a half challenge .......kids and life

  I think from now on im going to start every heading with the goofy. it is slowly becoming the single greatest influence on my life right now. The task is huge, the training is time consuming and the sacrifice is great.

  Have I mentioned why I am even doing this?

  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marias-Run-for-Our-Sons-Page/175423952535867?sk=wall


 So in doing this I am raising money.......$1,200 bucks below is my donation page You will begin seeing this link a lot until my quota is met.

link below please begin donating.

http://www.parentprojectmd.org/site/TR/Events/RunforourSons2010Design?px=1461862&pg=personal&fr_id=1950

One buck a mile equals $40.00 from you thats what I am asking.

 Please and thanks.

settling for less

 A few years ago I decided to stop settling for less. I have since had to make very hard choices, sacrifices have been greater and the risk is higher.

 This is the choice I made and even though it can get frustrating at times I can never go back to where I was.

  We all get one life to live no more no less.

Where have you gone Joe Dimaggio.Super Spartan Goofy challenge

Wow its been a while.

 Today is sept. 27th 2011 I turned 40 years old yesterday that rocks. Why? because the alternative sucks. The number in itself sucks though, its a grown ups age. I feel young I believe I act young but not in an immature way. The kids eat occasionally, I change the baby every so often.

 I ran with some awesome people on saturday competing in the Super Spartan here on Staten Island. 8 miles of muddy trails and physical challenges. I loved every second of it.

 As a guy who makes a living healthier see that the obstacle races are a terrific metaphor for life. With all of these mud races the more you train and prepare the more you get out of it. Fairly simple and straightforward I know but its true.

  As far as my gols for the rest of '11. I am ever evolving my business into Wellness Coaching.

  The Staten Island KettleBell Club will continue but it will be a subsidiary of Corona Wellness.

  Corona Wellness the tri state's premiere health and wellness coach.

  Running wise, I have 2 events left, a 50k trail run here on the island and the Goofy marathon and a half challenge this January.

 

Spartan training 8-2-11

Hey all I did some spartan training with soem fellow dinglebells this morning.

here it is.

I used a 24k bell for swings, figure 8 snap ups and 2 24ks for thrusters.

spartan training

This week of training found me deep in the greenbelt for an attempted 25k but bailed at ten miles. Next big trail run I will finish the 25k. I am also focusing my weak area, pullups. i did a concentrated set of strictly upper body yesterday. Today i completed a routine that some of my clients are doing. i used a 25k bell for the clean and press and the russian twist.  

Tomorrow back on the trails for about 6 miles at tempo for an upcoming half marathon.

recovery

Since I am down today with a little head cold I feel like talking about recovery.

 Post workout nutrition. This video by Spartan sensation Hobie Call does a nice job detailing the importance of post workout refueling
http://youtu.be/ltDR6s8ZkgY?t=3s

 Also,  since I am ramping up my mileage for the Goofy, half marys, and a 50k trail run I have
begun using compression sleeves on my calves after big run days. This weekend I did  back to back
runs and my calves were burning. Sliding these bad boys on really makes a difference. The soreness is reduced drastically and the tightness in my left achilles is basically nil.

  Remember everyone, rest and recovery is just as important as putting in the work.

Spartan training/ rest days

 Yesterday myself and some of my teammates for the 9/24 spartan went running in the greenbelt to log some miles and get them used to running, stopping, doing some upper body work and get back to it.

 It was a terrific day. I love introducing the Greenbelt to people and its especially great that my wife Danielle is doing the Spartan with me.

 But today........today my head is congested, swollen, i'm a little achy all due to a cold my kid gave me
so today is all about rest and recovery. Forced rest is annoying but necessary.

goofy training 2012

 I have been training for the Goofy marathon and a half for about a month. I'm already registered for the 2012 goofy and I want to cruise through it so I'm giving myself 6 months of really structured training.

 maybe if I type Goofy training 2012 enough I will get some fellow adventurers to look at my little piece of the internet.

 today 4.25 hilly miles way hillier than anything at WDW.
tmw. 9 miles on the trails, sunday is my LSD day I also am
doubling whatever I do on sat.

pull ups

I'm not good at them. i always avoided them because I just stunk at them. Not anymore, I bought one of those over the door pullup barsands i am following the rule that every time i go into the kitchen i do one.

Once I build up some lat. strength I will start a routine to really build up my back. This was a glaring weakness when i ran the Mudder and i want no such problem for the Spartan.

That's pride fucking with you

  News flash,  I am not running the Lehigh Valley marathon. I am running the LV half. Why you ask, well
because thats why. I have underestimated how much more effort raising two kids would be over just one kid.

 A welcome increase in clients, the newly added Spartan race two week after the LV run and the SI half two weeks after that made me realize why training for a marathon is not wise.

  You see marathon training is a huge commitment a half is i'd say only a third of the commitment so with everything piling up i realized that the half is what I will be doing. besides the only event i truly care about is the "Goofy".

  All of these half marathons, adventure races, mega long trail runs are all for one thing Disney Marathon Weekend 2012. This is my true focus, half marathon on sat. full marathon on sunday.

  This weekend was the true beginning of my Goofy training. A 5k on sat. focusing on speed/ fartlek and
a 10k on sunday focusing on a long slow distance. I ran the 5k at a slightly faster than 5k pace and todays run was about 1 minute slower than the pace I would like to run the marathon at.

  Like Marcellis Wallace said. push pride aside and do whats right.

slowly i turn

 I have a confession.
 I am a slow runner.
 I did some speed work and I just can't get to where i want to be. Yes it is true that every time i train I am getting a few seconds faster but im in a rut, or on a plateau or waiting to burst through witha new PR.

Either way with a Marathon looming in sept. followed by a Spartan event and then a half marathon 2 weeks after that this is the time for me to be going through these growing pains I get that its just that I don't want to.

You can't always get what you want

  Oh Mick you are so right.

  So yeah, you put yourself out there but not everything is going to work. No worries just push through, keep moving fwd. and be positive.

  Except for you Staten Island Apple Store, fuck you. Instead of offering me the $60.00 screen replacement that I need for my laptop you try and bend me over for another $500.00. No sir aint gonna happen.

   Today is the first day of summer and I loves it. The heat, humidity, lots of sun, smells from various grills, the ocean forget it summer is the best.

back from the brink

Its been a while little fledgeling blog.

Computer destroyed, then repaired and here we are.

The BEFITNYC event was awesome, great people, terrific event all in all homerun.

The sgt. Doreen 5k was a mixed bag. All of my clients who participated finished!

My personal experience was lackluster, I finished slower than I did last year when I had a bum ankle.

This has led me to refocus my efforts as far as form, speed, and just generally increasing my times running.

Some things that don't work out will lead to something that does. This is how its always worked for me

so look fwd., be positive and good things will happen.

Today at BEFITNYC

Today I was the host trainer at the Staten Island BEFITNYC event. The event was at the ferry terminal from 8 to 9 this morning.

It was a lot of fun working with Take Care New York, BEFITNYC, dept of health, parks etc.....

Getting the word out and getting people moving is the goal  so that definitely was accomplished.

pics. to follow

National Run Day 2011

  Wellity wellity, today is get out and run somewhere day.

 I love to run. That is I love to run when i'm running where and when I wan't to run.
That's a weird statement but there are sections of road around me that I absolutely hate being on. I have no idea why, buy if I have to hit those stretches my mood sinks, the road seems to stretch forever and me legs turn to concrete. This has nothing to do with the road being difficult one particular stretch is dead flat but I hate being there. I live in a somewhat hilly area but I like huffing up those hills. Who knows, whatever.

  I have figured out a solution, I don't run there. I run where I enjoy the scenery, and I feel like I am rocking and rolling. Tonight in between clients I am going to get a little run in myself. How much, how fast, how far? I'm not sue yet, don't really care I just wanna zip along for a little while. You should to.

marathons and mice and mud oh my

  Hello lil' blog. It has been a few days.

  I hear a lot from my clients how hard it is to find time in to work out. I could give them to standard
pep talk about "Its only 30 minutes a day." or "find time for you." drivel..

   My job is about helping my clients achieve there health and fitness goals that includes helping them
look at there lives and finding the right priority.

  Do you want 6% body fat? Then you have to have a super strict lifestyle. All day every day. You must find time to workout, you cannot cheat on your diet. etc..

  Do you work 54 hrs a day, have 17 kids, ten mintes of free time to try and move your body a week. If so then your goals are a little different.

  My own workout schedule has suffered a little lately, why baby Lucia. I havent gotten in 6 workouts a week like I used to i get in 2 to 3(besides working with clients). So what, this is temporary. I know that as she gets a little older I will go back to where I am comfortable.

  In fact now that we are in warmer weather night runs will begin. Everyone in my home will be sleeping and I will grab the dog and go out to run.  Its a great time to run. No sun burn, or heat stroke as long as you wear something reflective you should be okay.

   The point of this post? Relax, enjoy your busy time with your kids. If you achieve a goal congratulations. If you couldn't because you had a to spend time watching your kids play soccer, perform at a dance recital, or help with there homework than congratulations as well you already figured out what was important anyway.

  If you quit because you quit and deep down in the pit of your gut you know you could've done it had you put in the effort well then that's on you.

Ain't broke don't fix it.

  So, tonight I gave a little speech about some charity events I am doing and afterwards a little old man starts asking me some additional questions about nutrition.

 It turns out he is in his 80s his diet is tremendous he has no health issues besides having to pee alot but he wanted to know what he could do to improve.

  After some consideration I prescribed that he stop worrying and enjoy his life. From what he described there wasn't much of anything I could do for him.

  Its a good lesson for us all, we all need to slow down relax and enjoy.

back from TN

 When you drive over 1,700 miles going to see your brother in Tennessee and back you really get to see a lot of beautiful country. The western half of Md. and all of West Virginia was the most beautiful driving I have ever seen.

  There were a lot of eye opening events that happened this past week and as I down load photos I will share. A quick teaser, don't take Bayer aspirin if you are not used to it.

Beautiful Tennis Balls

   Well, after two days, 850ish miles and many, many breaks in between we have made it to sunny no wait cold rainy shitty weathered Tennesse.

   The journey took us through Pennsylvania, Maryland which has stunning scenery, West Virginia, Kentucky and finally we dipped into Clarksville Tn. where Toddy's house is.

   The scenery was absolutely stunning throughout every state was beautiful with the Horse country of Kentucky being one of the many highlights.

  A few lowlights, having to get a smoking room in KY. The smell wasn't that bad but baby Lucia found a cig. butt and was gnawing on it until i took it from her.

  I took some Bayer aspirin somewhere in KY and about 45 minutes later I was pulled over hiding in the woods pukingup said bayer aspirin.

  There is a moron is a carpet steam cleaner truck somewhere here in Tn. that cut me off in such a douchebag way that if I see him again I will shit on his windshield.

  A lot more pics and postst to come wheeeeeeeeeee.

Big and Beautiful

Why do we do what we do

  I find myself to be quite a fan of running. If you know me you know that I do a lot of events throughout the year. Short races, long races, road, trail, adventure races, Mudders etc..... Sometimes I ask myself why do enjoy this so much. I do not have the typical runners physique. I am a naturally big guy 6'3" tall well over 220lbs. not a runners body. If I stood next someone with what someone would think of as the typical marathon physique I would look like a giant.

  This is exactly why I do it. Because its not easy, because I know that I will never win, its not possible for me to ever win. I am to big, to slow. Fleet footed runners will run a marathon in under three hours. The one and only marathon I ran took me over five.

   I am considered a clydesdale, this is a division for men over 200/210lbs. depending on who is running the event. I like this label. The clydesdale is a big powerful creature sure it cant win the Kentucky Derby but thats not what it was meant to do. Its meant to haul sleds in the snow if you believe the Budweiser commercials, and I do. My body is also good at moving large objects but as a human I get to choose what I do.

   I choose to do the hard thing. The thing that is against type. I love being in the woods, running on the trails, and now that I have been doing it for a while I am very good at it. I run far and relatively fast.  Most importantly I love every single second of it.

blast off

  Here we go.

My journey into the blogosphere.

 This blaahg will be about my journey as a daddy,  personal trainer, and last but not least sculptor. the last one is odd. I spent most of my life building things but once I tried to make a living at it I burned out.

  So how did an art student become a fitness professional? One day I will tell you.