Vuelta Republica Dominicana

You would think this would sum it up. What a great and crazy race, but great and crazy seem like a better description.

I finally seem to have caught up, a little, since being gone.  Some how work and life does not stop no matter where you are, and to come home to a friend's dad dying, just adds to this crazy thing called life.  RIP.



The start.  20k TTT

Lupus racing team was in the DR for a 8 day, 8 stage race, where we saw everything, the highs and the lows.  From tough transfers, changed stages (going straight up mountains), to stage wins,



 we fought like champions.  This team is awesome, no one person got the glory, but a shared experience to propel this team into the 2016 racing season.  We raced about 700 miles in 8 days, and shared 3 podiums between 3 different team mates, awesome.  Where we come,

Be Great Today.

Winter Blues

We are coming into the winter season, not only a cold time of year: the days are short, the holidays, holiday parties. Sometimes it is hard to stay motivated, even after 15 years of racing and right around 20 years of personal training, the winter still gets to me.  Here are a few tips to beat the winter blues:

Make a plan: 

Business or sport, have a plan;  A strategy to achieve success.  Lay some ground work down on paper and make a path.  Don't think you can wing it, define what you want to do and how you are going to do it.  Set goals, bench makes along the way.

Set Goals: 

No goal is to big, but too big may not be achievable.  Going along with making a plan, set goals you can achieve, it will be a Ego booster.  Use bench makes along the way to check your progress. i.e. use a 5k on your way to a 10k

Do some of your favorite things: 

 

 

instead of

 

 

go here

 

 

or here

 

 

break your routine

 

Focus on the future: 

It is hard to look forward when you are looking backwards.  With a career filled with highs and lows, it is important that you remember the past, but not live in the past.  Take what you have learned, apply it, and do not make the same mistakes.  Push your boundaries and your comfort zone,

Be Great Today.
 

My Top 5 Fall Exercises

This isn't one, I just like the pic.

1.  Push ups

 

Push ups can also be done from your knees to make them a little easier.  Try to challenge yourself and always hold good form. 

2.  Rows

 

Rows, can be done in a variety of ways:  dumbbell, straight bar, band, upright, seated.  Choose what works the best for you, stabilize and flatten your back.

3.  Plank

 

Maybe start by holding for 30 seconds and work your way to a minute.

4.  Squats

 Weights or no weights, great exercise that can be done almost anywhere.

5.  Walking

 

Time, repetitions and sets will vary with your each individuals fitness level, challenge yourself, but always stay inside your limits.   Watch your form and consult an expert if you have questions or experience pain, and always make sure you are healthy enough to exercise.

That Time of Year.

To athletes and weekend warriors: For some your season is over, others just beginning.  I wanted to put a few tips out there for each. Now pay attention.

A little chart to use as a reference.  You could also call this period, noncompetitive time, up to you.  What is important is that you don't fall off the edge and stop all activity, a simply change is enough. 

Go from this:

 

To This: 

 

Or from this: 

 To this:

The fall is a great time to hit the gym, fix injuries, and strengthen your entire body.  Focus on the positive and live life.

Time, look back, reflect, and set your sights on the next big thing in your life. Reload, reset, time to be great.

Decisions

Decisions, we make them everyday.

What to eat:

choose green

vs

choose white

veggies

vs

doughnuts

How to exercise:

on the couch

vs

actually moving your body

  Where to live:

city

vs

County

Our attitude:

pissed at people

vs

happy to be alive

etc. The thing is and what we do not think about is how our decisions effect the people we interact with, from our attitude at the grocery store to the people we work with.  We focus on what is immediately in front of us or the greed to get ahead.  Be a power for good.

Stop, think, did I smile and laugh or did I give the driver next to me the finger.

In sport and life, our actions have consequences. We all can learn from better decision making, and take a second to think about who and what you will effect.

 vs

It's your DECISION.

Trainhard4life

Be better in 2015.

A trainer's thoughts on health in 2015.

1.  Eat the right foods

Eat to live, not live to eat.  Eat a diet rich in dark vegetables.  They are low calorie and high in nutrients.  Try cooking, you might suck at it, but try.  The chances are if you pull it out of the fridge and not the out of the pantry it will be a whole lot better for you.

2. Exercise every day.

Lets make this easy, exercise every day:  Walk, run, resistance training, cardio.  Couch bad, movement good.  Do what you like,that will help you stay with it.  Plan your time, anything from ten minutes to a hour.  Get good instruction if you need it.  Research your trainer, ask questions and get moving.

3. Drink more Water.

Simply, it filling, you need it to live, enough said.

4.  Set yourself up to succeed.

Goals are good, but be realistic. This is your life, live it.  Enjoy the small successes, stay focused on the big picture.  Stop saying tomorrow, news flash, it's tomorrow.  Make everyday a success.  Be a winner.  Be great today.

Sport and Life

Life is like sport.  You have some good days and you have some bad days.  What defines you is how you play.  Not just in the game, but before, after, and during.  Build on successes and failure, you only fail if you quit.

The path you choose.

The road may have some rocks on it, or lead  to the top of a mountain. Face your challenge.

Surround yourself with great people and build a great team.

It may hurt, push or quit.  Your life is ahead of you and starts today.

BE GREAT.

Ride for Today

Ride for Today, because tomorrow we may.....

Training:  The process, have fun, go easy, and sometimes it's business and you have to give it hell.

The Road:  Look at the leaves and remember you may have a greater purpose in life.

 The Trail:  Don't be afraid to go off road, you might be surprised with what you find.  That which does not kill you....  The answers you may be looking for are not on the road most traveled.

Be Great Today.  Trainhard4life

Thought of the Day.

Topping Off The Tank.

An event, like a marathon takes time to prepare for, days of running and preparing a plan for the race.  When preparing for an event, remember, you can over or under prepare.  So, from an ammautur to Pro keep in mind a couple of things:

Specificity:

Mimicking your event, more so for the experienced athlete. (Example: 40k Time Trial for a cyclist, go out and do 40k Time Trials).

Activities to enhance your performance: intervals, hill repeats, etc.

The Right Fuel:

Prepare your body, test your fuel, know what works the best for you.  In your training, try different foods, gels are not great for everybody.  Do not go into your event unprepared.  As important as fuel in the race, is fuel for recovery, and daily intake of nutrients.  Make good decisions to enhance performance, eat to live, not live to eat.

Rest and Recovery:

Again, find out what works the best for you:  Increases intensity, extra rest, decreased volume.  We are not the same, what works for one, is not right for all.  Listen to your body, a week before an event, there is not much you can do to help your performance, but you can definitely hurt yourself.

Training, Fuel, Rest and Recovery, be Great Today.

What Fuels You?

They say you are what you eat, whoever they are; Lets take that a step farther.  Food does fuel the body, but what fuels you mind.  I hear the brain uses carbohydrates as fuel, but what fuels you o n a daily basis to be better, improve yourself, and strive to be the best.

Do you push yourself or stroll.

Do you surround yourself with driven people looking for success or ones that want to move to Colorado and smoke pot.

Finds motivation?

Sleep?

Use your brain?

Take time to reflect and remember.

Make time for the ones you love.

Be a friend.

A hepler.

Be the person you want to be.

Be great Today.

The Pain Cave

Let's clear the air about the pain cave.

Urban Dictionary's definition:  A grueling physical workout intended to make you a better athlete. Usually done at home or the gym, and we call that place the "pain cave."



How many times have people asked me about how to Time Trial, well it starts right here.



The second stop, is the pain cave.  Oh the pain cave.  It is a dark and sometimes scary place, but do not be afraid of the darkness, the light is there.  A good TT, you start at the opening of the cave and go deep enough that the light is barely visible.  If the light goes out, you crash into the wall, if the light is too bright, well, welcome to recreational riding.

Training versus Racing

The only time you should be lights out in the cave is racing.  If the lights go out training, well, find a new coach.  You need to train hard, but you have to know your limits, how far you can push your limits and come out stronger.  Training up to the cave and maybe putting a foot in, is ok, both for you Physically and Mentally, but going in too deep and too often leads to Physical and Mental breakdown.

The Pain Cave is a good thing, don't be afraid, train hard, be smart, and remember if you are having a bad day, there is someone having a worse day.

One acknowledgement to my buddy, who would not want to be mentioned.  He is going through his own personal pain cave right now.  I only bring this up, because of the original conversation about the pain cave.  Get better soon.  Trainhard4life, Mike