Treadmill Sessions

I've said it a million times, I HATE DOING CARDIO FITNESS. Whether it is running on a treadmill, track, road, dirt path, riding a bike/elliptical, or doing anything that has no immediate goal or purpose other than long term cardiovascular health. I know that this sounds awful, but it is very true. I find it boring and monotonous to do so, unless of course someone is going along for the ride with me.

I may have found a solution to all of my woes, as I come to you live today, from my treadmill.  Yes you heard (or read) me correctly.  I am writing this post while walking on one of the treadmills at my "office," the school.  For the past half hour or so I have been walking on a treadmill while surfing the web. Honestly, I have never had the time pass so quickly.

Occupy a Desk

Occupy Wallstreet...

I could go on and on about my hatred for these people. When I was dead broke, didn't have a full time job, and was being chased by debt collectors, you know what I did? I GOT A JOB! Actually, I had 4 of them at once. Busting my butt WORKING to pay my bills.  I didn't go pitch a tent outside and cry about how "Life isn't fair!"

Go get a job you hippies, stop complaining and be proactive. Peacefully protesting the machine isn't going to put food on your plate. WAIT, it did! These idiots who are contributing to the OWS tomfoolery are even worse. I'm sorry, why are you supplying them with food and heat? Why aren't you doing that to the real homeless population?

This "movement" itself is what is wrong with our nation and my generation. A bunch of hippies who believe they are deserving of more than they have received. Why don't you go out there, work your ass off, and then finally be able to afford life. I mean in all honesty, who told you to go to a fancy expensive school, take out a million loans, and major in Sanskrit, a 1000 year old DEAD language. Did you really think you weren't going to have hardships as a result?

Get off the street, stop taking hand outs, and try to make something of yourself. But that is probably too hard, and the American government is too afraid of upsetting these people. Except for at that one school where they sprayed them with a garden hose filled with pepper spray. Probably not the smartest idea, but hey, it kinda worked. Next time be more crafty, infect them with fleas or something untraceable. Going in full garb and spraying them on television just screwed yourself.

I hate the OWS people. These drains on society desperately need to go away. Rant Over.

Daylight Savings

Seasonal Affect Disorder, SAD, is the real deal. It is a type of depression that occurs during certain parts of the year, every year. Most often it occurs when the amount of daylight starts to diminish (winter and late fall).  While I do believe this is something that someone can/should overcome on their own, there are a few things you can do to help yourself.

• For starters, when it is light outside, try to be outside. Clearly in New York this time of year being outside, comfortably, doesn't occur all too often. So at least situate yourself near a window during the work day. Take in the foliage, take in the scenery, take in the little critters running or flying around. Any form of life will help to limit the affects of SAD. Driving to and from work in the dark is not pleasurable. So try to get outside, even if it is only to grab lunch.
  
  
• Do things that you enjoy. Simple enough, right? Go out and do something pleasurable, put yourself in a good mood.
  
  
• Stretch out your spending. It is the holiday season, things are going to start to become overwhelming. Giving gifts can be stressful to both your wallet and your emotions. Try to start shopping as soon as possible. Buy little things here and there, don't just rush into it.
  
• Seek help. Professional, unprofessional, I don't care. Talk to someone about what is bothering you. I'm sure it will help.

More Barefoot Running

Today I did my longest Vibram Five Fingers run... 2.25miles. While this was only a treadmill run, it still is my longest "barefoot" run to date. Needless to say my calves are on fire. However the combination of my girlfriend doing The Super Spartan Race and my buddy Chris having ran a Tough Mudder and now preparing for the Warrior Dash Missouri competition has got me itching to do something extreme... Any suggestions would be appreciated.

So the meat and potatoes of what I find most important about today's run...

The Working World

So lately I have been unable to update my blog due to the immense amount of time that work has taken up in my life.  This is my first full-fledged Fall Sports Season with a High School. So adjusting to everything has become a bit of a task.

First off, I'm still technically the new kid in town. So coaches and players alike are not used to the way I run the Athletic Training Program. I have had some who are welcome to change and some who have been fully against it. Changes that I have made:

New Digs

So I recently moved to the wonderful city of White Plains. I have been busy running around and getting things in order. The move itself was a pain in the ass for a number of reasons. 

The awkward positions one must put their body in order to move furniture was a nuisance. Most of the time I tried to maintain proper lifting procedures, but I definitely got lazy towards the end. My back is not happy with my decision to lift couches improperly. Goes to show, I really should practice what I preach.

The pro's of moving in here have already payed off, from a nutritional standpoint. I've been on a cooking rampage of Eggs, Beef, Chicken, and Bacon. Last night for dinner I had stir-fry and an Almond Flour Crusted Quiche. It was pretty delicious if you ask me. 

During the day I even went crazy and made some Almond Flour Cookies. They were awesome and probably could have used chocolate chips, but I didn't have any.

Bought My Rings

There is no special message or rant in today's post. I only felt the need to show off my newest purchase, a lovely set of Gymnastic Rings. I'm not going to lie they are sweet and with them I shall do many activities. As you can see I'm very excited about this purchase, as is my sister's neighbor Mike. Mi hermana (sister for you non-spanglish speaking folks) is not as enthusiastic as I about the purchase.  It may have something to do with them hanging from her deck at the moment. She'll deal, as well as be forced to use them at some point. 

Possibly the best part of it all was when Mike saw the rings and came over with his weighted vest. I was not prepared and looked at him like he was insane. We will be playing working out soon!

The Globo Gym

Recently, due to a string of events, I quit the privately owned gym I had been a member of for 10 years. While it had the Globo Gym mentality, it still had a little bit of a personal touch. This may have something to do with the relationships I had established over my tenure there. So onto the next one...

I'm currently living with my parents until the end of the month when I move into my new apartment. As a result I am temporarily a member of a new Globo Gym. The building had just been finished about a month ago so it is a beautiful facility. Personally I think they could have done more with the space, but I am not an architect or interior designer.

Beer Here!

A Mobile Posting

Beer before liquor, never been sicker... Liquor before beer, you're in the clear. 

The mantra above pretty much describes my life ages 18-21. Let me tell you, I definitely enjoyed that time as well. Nowadays I hesitate before drinking alcohol in general. It is actually amazing how once I turned 21 I lost the urge to drink my face off multiple days in a row. guess that's what we call growing up?

In my adult life, I look at alcohol as a good thing... In moderation. That is the key to being healthy, moderation. Alcohol is no exception to this rule of thumb. I find that whenever I drink, I just feel fat and disgusting for days afterward. For the most part this is true, I am usually bloated for days after drinking beer. This is just the physical aspect. 

As we age out bodies lose their efficiency. What you could do in your teens becomes harder in your 20s, ridiculously tough in your 30s, and damn near impossible in your 40s (catch my drift?). Same goes with metabolizing alcohol. The body slows down a little, can't recover from that all day drink-a-thon. 

Simple things to think about before you head to the bar, club, pub, tailgate, or party:
Can I afford a few less productive days both physically and mentally?
Do I wanna chance making a poor decision? Ex. Calling your ex
Do I want to be glued to the toilet seat while my body evacuates the toxins? (either end will do) 
Is this worth it?

Just some food for thought... Time for a cold one!

Caffeine

If I had to be 100% honest, I hate caffeine, for a few reasons. Mainly, I find it to be addictive as all hell and wreaks havoc on my digestive system. The truth of the matter is that there are some days that I firmly believe it is necessary for normal human function.

Long ago I gave up the drink and felt phenomenal. No longer were the nights that I stayed up until 2am jittering. Unfortunately, due to my current job/living arrangement, my days have been long and rather tiring. Waking up before the sun rises and arriving home way too close to my self-appointed "bed time" than I'd like.

Sometimes it is just hard to wake up in the morning and get through the day. On those days I enjoy a lovely glass of that sweet nectar you call coffee. Usually the days where I drink a cup of coffee, I never end at just one. And while I would love to blame Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks for this, I can’t. I can blame one person, Brian Mackey.

The News...

Background Information: **I come from a family filled with lawyers and politicians, so I despise everything and anything that has to do with politics. Growing up I was forced to attend ceremonies of which I had no idea what was going on. All I knew was that a bunch of politicians (bullshit artists) were standing around spewing nonsense to one another.**

Most of the time I try to avoid the news on television. I'm the type of person who doesn't like to watch people suffer and this is all the news glorifies, suffrage. This morning at work the remote control wouldn't work so I was forced to watch the news. I know what you're asking yourself right now and here is the answer, "It is finals week so the kids are no where to be found... Sweet!" 

Back to the news report.

New York State is currently debating legislation to allow Same Sex Marriage. Apparently this is some huge deal and people are protesting up in Albany. This is my take on it, why do you care Mr Protester? Seriously, what is the big deal? If Jim and John want to get married, I say let them. It honestly is not an issue to me and I can't comprehend why so many people are making such a big deal over it. 

"But Joe, God wants a man and a woman to marry." My answer to this is no, he does not. A man and woman can procreate, a man and man can't, and a woman and a woman can't... No where in this equation do I see a necessity for marriage in any of the cases. Do animals get married? No! While I admit I think it would be funny to watch two Chimpanzees put on a suit and a dress while exchanging vows, it ain't gonna happen. 

Our society wants people to get married because if you aren't married and you go have sex, you're a sinner, whore, slut, etc. So why can't homosexuals be removed of those titles and be allowed to marry?

Bottom line, worry about your own damn self and let people be happy.

David Tyree, you made one of the luckiest catches in the history of football... You helped win my Giants a Superbowl... But dude, other than that, you are insignificant! Nobody cares what you have to say, so keep your opinions to yourself.

"Barefoot" Running

So I'm an idiot, if you haven't figure this out by reading my posts or knowing me in person. Actually, let me rephrase this, there are certain times when I act like an idiot. Monday was one of those times...

So on Monday I decided to run in my Vibrams (see my earlier posts). Now I haven't exactly been progressing up my mileage when running with these bad boys. In all honesty, I have really just been walking in them, jumping rope, doing sprints, and lifting in them. This is all fine and dandy cause I'm slowly getting used to them still. My feet don't get sore after jumping rope or sprinting anymore, guess those foot muscles are getting strong. However, I haven't ran a long distance at a decent rate in months while wearing either Vibrams or Sneakers. I just haven't had the desire to go running, mainly because I was lazy and stressed (more on that another time).

So back to Monday, I decided I needed to go on a run after a long weekend (went to a wedding and ate/drank too much). So I start out at a nice calm warm-up at ~18min mile pace and slowly start moving up to ~12min mile pace. Yes, that is slow so don't judge me, remember I haven't really ran since December. At the ~12min pace I was feeling really good and decided to jump up to ~8min pace. I get to ~1.25miles when my calves start to tighten up, apparently I forgot to drink water all weekend, silly me. So I dial it back down to ~12min pace and finish at 1.5 miles. No cool down, no stretch, no nothing, genius right?

It is now Wednesday, my birthday in fact, and my calves are stiff. The intelligent Athletic Trainer that I am, I let them get to this point. I have barely stretched them, haven't heated them up or iced them down, and I haven't taken advantage of my access to the E-Stim unit I have at work, or the TENS unit I have at home.

Bottom line, I knew better than to push it, but sometimes I can't help myself. Guess I'm just like this guy...

Not Changing...

The following is a question that was proposed to me the other day during a discussion with a friend of mine:
Misguided Friend: I've been working out consistently for the past few months. For a while I was seeing a lot of changes, but now I'm not. I'm not seeing a difference and I feel as if I have plateaued. Why am I not seeing any change?
(insert lengthy conversation here)
MGF: I'm going to send you a copy of my workout routine, can you take a look and tell me what's wrong with it?

Cardio Kickboxing

I work in the P.E. Department at my school, so it requires me to sometimes teach a class. Currently I am teaching a Cardio Kickboxing class. Now my girlfriend has been trying to get me to take the one offered at our gym with her, I have had no desire. Well looks like I should have because I don't really know too much about Cardio Kickboxing.

My class has been rather interesting with my main focus being, Keep Moving! This is how I deal with my athletes when I am training them, so why should P.E. Class be any different? I've sat and watched a few classes given by the rest of the P.E. Staff and noticed a big difference between ours, they actually know what they are doing, ha! The rest of the staff has had training in teaching the class, I have not. However, I do have a grappling/wrestling background, plus I know how to throw a punch, different kicks, and the basics of Muay Thai. So my class, while rudimentary, is somewhat fun. Lots of focus on coordination, Jumping Rope, Bouncing, and Throwing Combinations. I also try to focus on getting the kids to become ambidextrous in their "fighting" skills. 

Basically, I am having fun, learning about a topic I am unfamiliar with, and get to work out at work. All thumbs up.

Pitcher's Helmet... Really????

Easton-Bell Sports Unveils Pitcher's Helmet

What can I really say about this that most people aren't already thinking. Actually, let me rephrase that, What can I really say about this that most athletes/jocks aren't already thinking.

This right here is another example of how soft we have become as a society. We are all about protection, we are all about avoiding injury, which is fine and dandy. However, a movement to make Little League pitchers wear a helmet? Isn't it bad enough we have them wearing masks on the helmets when they bat?

Vibram FiveFingers

---

So for the past year I have been researching and casually reading about barefoot running. In doing so I came across the Vibram FiveFingers. Now I have been trying to get my hands on a pair of these things since 2009. Now I know what you're thinking, they're hideous. And ya know what, you are correct. My girlfriend has already told me that she is disassociating with me if I wear them in public. While I can not put my finger on it, there is just something about these "shoes" that I just love. And now that I own a pair, I'm sure there will be much more that I love.

Initially they were rather interesting to try on, to say the least. The salesman seemed extremely excited when I asked about purchasing them. I think he assumed I just wanted to see what they were, not that I had already been reading about them for over a year. So the process of getting fitted and wearing them for the first time was cool. They actually have a different foot measuring system for the FiveFingers because they run in European Sizes.

Getting my foot into the shoe was not easy the first time. The goal is to get the big toe in first then slide the rest of the toes in. After the first two times it became rather easy. They just slide on and fit exactly like a glove. Now the goal is to purchase ones that are nice and snug but not so much as to stop circulation. Mine are a little tighter on my second toe, but that is due to a deformation from when I fractured it ten years ago.

The "shoe" itself is already conforming to my foot which is nice. While I have not done anything but walk in them, the FiveFingers already feel very comfortable and natural. My next venture is to perform a work out in them. I will attempt to do so, tonight, after work. We shall see...

---

High Sugar Diets Make You Fat... Fact

So I was clicking around on Yahoo News when I came across the following story: Cutting back on Your Sugar Intake.  The blurb below it goes as such:

High sugar consumption contributes to weight gain and has become accepted as a fact. The sugar actually makes us sick. A recent article in the New York Times Magazine suggests sugar could play a…

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle, you mean Sugar can make you fat?! What a great job reporting by the New York Times.

I mean come on, why do people need to be told this stuff? It is common sense that sugar can lead to being fat. This is the kind of crap that I just don't understand. How can an individual be stupid enough not to realize that excess sugar is unhealthy? It just amazes me that this is necessary to be in the news. Think about it, our society is so lacking in intelligence that we must have the news tell us sugar can be bad for us. We need the news to let us know that foods with no nutritional value can actually be detrimental to our health. 

I think it is about time that we have mandated nutrition classes in our public educational systems. Kids need to be educated from early childhood so that they do not become the spitting image of their parents, both physically and mentally.

Rant Concluded

Athletics - We ain't talking moneyball

I find it rather easy to become disinterested in your workouts. For the most part, people tend to work out alone. This is fine, however sometimes this can turn a boring activity into an intolerable one. Personally, I find it difficult to always "get up" for the gym.

There are many a time that I haven't gone to work out solely because I wasn't in the mood. I am willing to bet that most people have shared this feeling at one time or another. However, for many, the gym is their sole source of physical activity. Now I could sit here and go into all the different ways to get exercise, but instead I'm going to focus on one thing - ATHLETICS.

When I say athletics I am referring to a team sport. Any of sport of your choosing will do. Personally, I find it important to take part in a group/team activity and for me nothin is better than sports. I am involved in two softball leagues during the spring. And fill in whenever needed for another two more during the summer. I find this to be the perfect mix of competitiveness, male bonding, fun, exercise, and relaxation.

Any former athlete still  has that urge to compete. What's better than to compete somewhere that, in reality, winning and losing doesn't matter[s] (Winning > Losing). Seriously though, at a point it just feels good to compete for something. Sports/athletics give you something physical to do, get you outside, and can be a great substitute for a workout that day.

So find a bunch of guys (or girls) and get your ass doing something that takes athleticism, you'll enjoy yourself.

Gym Class Dodgeball - Bring It Back!!!

After reading a recent post, and taking a survey, I decided to post a modified version of my response to one of the questions listed in the survey:

In reference to dodgeball being banned in Schools: 

Personally, I do not believe dodgeball should be banned in our schools. Reason being, dodgeball requires eye hand coordination, agility, speed, and strength. These are things, that in the athletic realm, we try to improve in our athletes. 

• The lateral, and sometimes vertical, movement used in order to avoid a projectile will improve not only agility, but both an athlete's speed and proprioception. 
• The act of catching and throwing the ball improve both eye hand coordination and muscular strength. As well as, again, improving an individuals proprioception.
• Dodgeball can also be viewed as a strategic game. How does the team reach their goal of eliminating the other team's players? Do you take out the bigger/stronger player, the leader, or slowly take out the weak (see Darwin and natural selection).

The less scientific reason that dodgeball should be allowed is that kids today are becoming "soft". They have a lesser ability to handle physical feats, and mental problems. This is a direct result of how today's America Society acts and preaches. Apparently, we are more concerned with how children feel emotionally, then their physical health. Dodgeball, in essence, will force a sort of mental/physical toughness upon our youth. Getting hit with a dodgeball, 99.9% of the time, is not going to kill you. Most of the time it isn't even going to cause any real injury to a student/child. 

Bottom line, we need to stop worrying so much about the POSSIBILITY of a student getting injured. Kids do things all the time that cause them to get hurt. Most of the time, they just brush it off and move on. Should we remove all stairs because a student may fall down them? Honestly, where does it end? And let's be 100% honest, kids are going to go play dodgeball on their own even if it becomes banned from all schools.

The Locker Room

The locker room is a place where you shower, change, and store your street clothes and other paraphernalia while exercising. At least, that is what it is to the average person. However to the small fraternity of athletes, and former athletes, it is much more. It has become a source of pride, security, and bonding. 

It is often said, What goes on in the locker room, stays in the locker room (or some variation thereof). This is the Number 1 rule of any locker room. In a locker room, any number of things may be said. Often, these words are those of passion, thus lack any bit of conscious thought prior to being said. Many times an individual will speak first, think later, when in a locker room. Subjects include, women, work, other men, sports, politics, bowel movements, jokes, and other off-color comments. Aside from the fun, some of the greatest sports speeches of all time have come out of the locker room. Whether they are from a movie or real life, think Hoosiers or Any Given Sunday, these speeches are full of passion. They are not necessarily thought out, think Vince Lombardi, but just expressed in the heat of the moment and from the heart.

Federal Government and Barry Bonds

**I justify writing the following because it is connected to Professional Athletics and the use of PEDs. I am fully against the use of illegal PEDs. While I will not go into further detail at this moment, I do believe that since certain PEDs are illegal, they should not be used. They are illegal for a reason...**

We live in a time where our country is in a depression. They want to call it a recession, but I'm calling it a depression. People are out of jobs, money is scarce, prices of everything have inflated, and our state government claims to be in the hole for more than I'll make in a lifetime. That being said, I would like to know WHY our federal government is putting so much time, effort, and man power into the Barry Bonds perjury case.

Reasons To Attack Bonds

• Arrogance - he's a prick and thought/thinks he is untouchable
• Fame - he's an international celebrity, rather popular around the world
• Diverting Attention- If they focus on this and make a really big deal about it, we might forget about other things that the government is wasting time/effort/money on.
• Professional Athlete - For some reason these fat, out of shape, unathletic politicians loathe athletes, I wonder why...
• Legality - Lied under oath, took an illegal substance

Reasons To Leave Bonds Alone

• Hall Of Fame - It is my belief that he will not be voted into the Hall of Fame, this will haunt him the rest of his life
• Reputation - His reputation has been tarnished, he will forever be labeled a cheater. For someone in the spotlight, I believe the way people perceive him will eat away at him.
• Hurt Himself - Bonds really only caused harm to one person, Barry Bonds. He did not force others to do inject themselves. He did not sell the drugs to anyone. There was no distribution on his behalf.
• Money - How much money is/has our government wasted on this Barry Bonds case? The amount of time and money the government has put into this case could have been directed elsewhere.
• MLB - Major League Baseball should be the ones going after Bonds, not the government. The problem with this however is that Bud Selig did just about everything but inject the players during Bonds's era. He turned his head and allowed baseball to be the stomping ground of all the PEDs (performance enhancing drugs).

All of these things can also be related to the Roger Clemens Trial and the entire controversy involving MLB. The government interjected because MLB was not doing anything sufficient to stop the use of PEDs. However I believe it is to a point where the Federal Government needs to save its resources for something more important. Attacking ballplayers for finding an edge in competition is not worth the resources. Worry less about the small picture and more about the big picture.

Judging... Yourself

Ask yourself, Who is your biggest critic? 
What answer did you come up with? If you're anything like me, the answer was ME. For many, our biggest critic is the person you see in the mirror.

Rightfully so! There is no one that you must impress other than yourself. The problem here is that you will judge yourself worse than anyone else you know. If you don't believe this, then you're lying to yourself. Everyone has that little bit of teenage girl inside of them who is constantly saying I'm so fat. I look gross. I hate my body.  Maybe it is not to that extreme, but I cannot think of a single person who is 100% sure of themselves in every way.

There will always be a sense of insecurity in the way you look.  Why else would you put yourself through the rigors of exercise, go shopping for clothes, get haircuts, etc. While you can try to justify these things in other manners, trust me I'm very good at that, the bottom line is you want to change something about yourself, or you do not want your body to return to a form it had once taken.

The important thing is to not let the self judging get out of control. As much a motivating factor it may become, judging yourself so relentlessly can become a hindrance.

Flip Camera

I'm in love with my Flip Camera. This thing is awesome and I am hoping to record some stuff worth posting on here in the near future.

The Participants...

Back when I was in college we discussed a lot the psyche of athletes. In regard to such topic, one of my advisors used to preach the idea that there are Athletes and then there are Participants, in sports.

• Athletes are the individuals with the desire, drive, to compete and succeed.
• Participant is the individual who is happy to just be part of the team, success in the athletic realm does not matter.

The role of an Athletic Trainer is to prevent, assess, treat, and rehabilitate injuries and illnesses of the active population. So regardless of the personal feelings towards the topic, I will always do my job to the best of my ability, but this current blog is from my viewpoint as a coach and former athlete.

Bottom line, I love athletes. I used to be one so I have 100% respect for anyone who performs to their utmost ability leaving nothing but blood, sweat, and tears on the playing field. It is the participant that I cannot wrap my head around. I can't relate to the notion of content with being a part of a team. Now in recreational, youth, or JV High School athletics I can see where someone may just want to participate. Sports are fun; why else would anyone play them? So in these low level, somewhat non-competitive leagues a participant is acceptable. The reason they are on the team does not matter because these are the skill level leagues. Children are supposed to be learning the basic skills and rules of the individual sports. However, once you get to Varsity High School and beyond, the idea of a participant bewilders me.

Now I am not discouraging kids from participating in sports, far from it actually. I believe our society is not active enough, as a whole. However, why do something you don't really want to be doing? If you do not want to practice, why are you on a team? The participant should enter a less competitive league, recreational, or just become involved in a "pick-up" type setting. It will be better for them and for the true athletes who are working towards a goal with which the participant just cannot relate.

Second Place

Ok, so it has been a while since my last post, but with good reason. My sister had a baby, so I've been busy running back and forth to the hospital, buying baby stuff, and doing things for my family.

So my post today is focused one something specific, Winning. Now I understand that integrity is very important and that people should always "try their best." However this is my problem with that, why JUST try your best? Why not try to succeed, try to win? There is nothing wrong with that type of thinking, I believe sports psychologists call it positive visualization; before you do something, you visualize yourself doing it. You convince yourself that you are going to win, going to succeed. Personally, I don't believe you should try something unless you are trying to do the best that you can. It just is what it is.

Like I've said in an earlier post, there is no reason to be content with doing your personal best. Think about it, why should you live in a state of mediocracy? Personally I want my best to be better than your best, in everything I do. Does this make me a bad person, no. It makes me someone with drive and motivation to succeed. 

This rant has been brought to you as a result of the following video:

Snowboarding

Recently, I spent the day snowboarding in upstate New York. Now I've been out west to Colorado to snowboard and nothing is like it. However this weekend the conditions, by comparison to most north east conditions, were pretty good. The amount of ice on the mountain was minimal, especially earlier in the day. We got in a good 6 solid hours of boarding time on saturday.


So where am I going with all this? Snowboarding, or skiing, are full body sports. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. The main focus of snowboarding are on your legs and your core. While most of my work outs contain some sort of core stabilization, none of them have prepared me for the beating my body took saturday. I haven't really been going a lot in the past few years, so my body was not at all accomodated to the positions I found myself in, not to mention the temperature and other outside factors affecting my performance. So here I am going to try and break down snowboarding and describe how it physically affects your body.

Car Racing... Without Gas

So I was going through some archives on Mark's Daily Apple and came across the article WOW: Automobility.  Let me tell you, I think this is an awesome idea for an alternative full body workout.

(this is the point where you go and quickly read the article, then come back here...)

My Psychologist

Everyone has someone they turn to when things go awry. A confidant that they find refuge in. Personally my confidant is a little different than most.  Anytime I find myself to be either frustrated, confused, upset, or angry, I turn to my gym.

Now by this point you are either judging me or laughing at me, or both. This is actually me being quite serious.  The gym is the place I go for asylum, where I turn to for isolation and mental rest. Fairly often when I know not where to go, or what to do in life, I find myself at the gym.

Sleep - You have to do it...

The Northeast United States is one of the busiest, and thus stressful, areas in the world. It seems that everyone has 40 hours of work to complete in a 24 hour day. I've lived here my entire life, so I can honestly say it is true. Everyone seems to think they have to accomplish everything on their "to-do list" or else their day is a failure. Now while to some extent I agree with this, I do not entirely.

My personal belief is that you must make time to do certain, non work-related, things. Making time to take care of your body is the number one priority, the whole sustaining life thing. Nothing else is really that important if you are no longer a functioning human being. What good is working to the bone if you can not enjoy it?

2010 In Review

A quick list of why 2010 was only the beginning:

• Finally Receive Diploma in mail
• Study, Sit for, and pass my NATABOC Examination
• Receive my ATC credential and certified nationally and licensed in NYS
• Different Job Opportunities, all of which were part time, giving me experience in my field
• Lifestyle Change, The JD Adaptation of the Primal and Paleo Diets
• Evolving from a pessimist to optimist
• Opening up more to my emotions, showing them
• Learning to ask for help when needed
• Interviewed for, and received, my first Full Time Job
• Made a list of credentials I would like to receive, including, but not limited to, CPT, CSCS, PES, RD, M.S.
• Starting to watch out for myself both professionally and personally 

Not exactly a normal JD post, but I wanted to get this all down.  Basically this is only the beginning, from here I will grow. I will take all these things that I've changed about myself in the past year and evolve them.  My growth professionally is what is going to take off now. 2011 is the year of money, HA!