MOTIVATED PEOPLE ONLY
By entering here, you agree to give 100% of what you have. There are no excuses or second chances. Every day, every moment is an opportunity to excel, to be more, to achieve your best. Do not squander your time going through the motions. Train hard and get results. At the end of the day, look in the mirror and ask yourself if you gave your all. If you don't have that level of commitment, don't waste your time or ours.
t
The sign upon entering Crossfit Elysium - Orange County California, copied and printed in T.J. Murphy's book- "Inside the Box, how Crossfit shredded the rules, stripped down the gym and Rebuilt my body"
Hello snowflakes,
Well, its here, Christmas. And last night, I spent most of the evening traveling from store to store, fighting tired and haggard crowds, but with a rather mild winter thus far, it wasn't all that bad. I can't say I enjoyed waiting in long lines, but knowing that I was getting presents for the people I love the most was, and is, a lot of fun. Although its amazing that when you are waiting, especially on a particularly long line, that the Andy Williams classic "Its the most Wonderful time of the year" comes on and blasts through the speakers, Andy's voice carrying such a punch that you can see people snapping all over the store. Last night, while at Dick's Sporting Goods, I saw this unfold right in front of me, as a mother with 3 young boys lost her mind as the song hit its highest note, just as 2 of the boys decided to wrestle over a piece of gum that spilled into the men's Under Armor section, setting the mother into orbit. While the youngest was swinging from her free arm she said, and not too quietly either "I swear to God, I am leaving you 2 here! I don't care if you get taken away by a stranger. I'd give you away! I'm not getting out of this GD line so go ahead and just kill each other b/c God would be doing me a favor!" I feared someone would call child services, however some very sharp employee, upon seeing this, ushered the woman and her kids to a register where she was able to check out and leave the store without too much damage. Man, I love the holidays. Just brings out the best in people.
Although its the holidays, I did want to end this year's newsletters discussing a topic that I think has been misunderstood, but is of critical importance - intensity. The quote above, one of my favorites, sits in the front of Crossfit Elysium and with good reason - its owners, Paul Estrada, Leon Chang have no tolerance for slackers or for the people who come there b/c its "the cool thing to do". They've kicked more people out of their gym than any other in the country because they understand one of the most important tenets of Crossfit - if you are a coach, you give as much, if not more of yourself, to every person in that gym than they give in class. That's what defines us. That coaches are more than just coaches; we are researchers, neophyte scientists, human experiments to push the bounds of health and fitness for those who entrust us with their health.
I don't know why I waited so long to read my friend T.J. Murphy's book; but it is truly a brilliant, honest and no holds barred view of his journey from Editor of Triathlete Magazine, Inside Triathlon Magazine, and Competitor Magazine, a broken down runner, and a on-the-verge of needing a knee replacement mid-forties male to author and now owner of his own Crossfit gym. Oh, he never needed to get the knee surgery. A little quality time with Kelly Starrett cleared that up. And a few very long and honest conversations with yours truly, got him to open his mind about finding a new way to get healthy. In November 2010, T.J interviewed me for Triathlete magazine, as he was doing a piece on Crossfit, talking to Brian MacKenzie about my rapid recovery from collarbone surgery, and improvement through rehabilitation instead of weakness. T.J. took a leap of faith, and his book discusses why it was all worth it.
More importantly, the book reveals the true nature of those who founded Crossfit, and Crossfit Endurance, as well as the direct descendants of their teachings. People like Estrada and Chang reminded me of something that I had forgotten - there are several who share the same mindset as myself, the desire to push the bounds of our knowledge, to push our clients to greatness through belief in them, even if they don't see it yet, and to always stay true to the cause - the importance of changing the world for the better. Fighting daily to break down stale, and useless methods of fitness and health that have left millions in the US alone, broken, sick and spiraling downward. The notion that I, or any of these men and women are angry is wholly inaccurate, and moreover, its offensive to us when we hear that's how we are viewed. Yes, we get torched on message boards, I've been called a "heretic" by former friends in the world of multisport, and I am informed daily, that another negative post about the use of CFE for my training has just popped up. I don't look at them, b/c I don't care, and I don't have the time. Engaging close minded people is something I encounter daily without the use of social media. I don't need an additional reminder that people think that what I am doing is all smoke and mirrors. Until we race head to head that is.
This isn't to say we are happy-go-lucky, we love everybody, tree huggers. What we really are is simply - intense. We wear that as a badge of honor b/c we were selected to pass along what we've learned from those who opened our eyes to the truth about how unhealthy 99% of America really is. Moreover, we were challenged not to simply take someone else's word for it, but to research for ourselves, to use ourselves as experiments first to see the changes. Would I suggest a Paleo diet to someone if I wasn't a staunch practitioner of it? No. Do I know for a fact, that the only way to really see change in health and fitness is to overhaul your sleep and diet as well as your training? Absolutely.
The belief that we somehow are only trying to speak to athletes or those chasing fitness is nonsense. We are speaking to everyone. The beauty of Crossfit is that you don't need to be an athlete or to compete to use it as a modality for fitness and health. True Crossfit speaks as much to nutrition and sleep, mental attitude and a sense of wellness as it does to the physical work. In truth, the work you do in the gym is the easy part- supported by others, the sense of community, of family so prevalent its easier to succeed. Its when you walk out the doors that things become harder. However, they shouldn't. If I say that I am here for each and every one of you, that means that I must be prepared to answer questions, provide advice, research, data, etc, to any of you who asks, at any time you ask. No one person is no more important than another to a coach. If one fails, we all fail. If someone fails or struggles b/c I didn't provide the requisite help, that's my failing as a coach. And that's not how I was taught. Conviction, therefore, must be and is at the forefront of my mind. A conviction to the greater good, that being your collective health and wellness.
Which brings me to all of you. My conviction, my intensity to your well-being is unquestioned. I openly discuss my research, my writings, my knowledge and share my time as much as possible. But as we all prepare to enter a new year, do you know what level of intensity you bring to your own health? How serious do you take it? And if you don't, if you joke carelessly about your addiction to sweets while taking medication for type 2 diabetes, hypo-thyroid, ADHD, or ADD, how can you NOT take it more seriously? Isn't living life at full volume worth it? Its not sacrificing, its survival. Think about this- 95% of runners, those who run at least 3 days a week, for 30 minutes at a time, are likely to suffer from hyperinsulinemia - basically the body becoming completely insulin resistant, and therefore, pre-diabetic. If we were to take said runner off of running for a month, and they kept their same diet - high carb, low fat, they would become a type 2 diabetic. When reading this how many of you just had the "oh shit that's me!" moment? I know a few of you should. Not to mention the work of Dr. Barry Sears and Dr. Robert Lustig who have discovered, in a study in 2011, that high carb diets are a direct link to cancer. That's right, the mystery of cancer's genesis can actually be traced to poor diet. But hey, have another Christmas cookie.
My reasoning for writing this is - maybe its time to stop looking at people like me, the guys from CFE, the coaches and faces of Crossfit, and start looking internally. Maybe, just maybe, we aren't the ones who are angry or crazy. When you meet someone who is a Crossfit Level 2 coach, or a CFE coach, do you see someone sickly or overweight? Unlikely. Conviction and intensity define us. We all show it differently, I for one practice something called "Body Armor" where once a week, I stand in my living room, take off my shirt, and close my eyes, allowing 2 friends, armed with bamboo sticks to hit my abdominal muscles at random intervals for over 5 straight minutes. Its my gauge of mental toughness and conviction. Brian MacKenzie cranks a treadmill up to 12% and runs intervals so hard he blacks out. He's experimented with recovery by transforming a pneumatic nail gun into a sports massage device. Crossfit co-founder Greg Glassman constantly challenges others and himself by developing workouts; for examply anyone reading done "Fran"? Thank Glassman. But our goal is the same - how do we make fitter, healthier people? How do we change someone's mindset? All the while, there is the underlying question - "how do I get my body to the place where I can run through a brick wall unscathed?"
Its December 24. You have 6 days until 2013. There are 2 huge holidays in between. I challenge you to start now with overhauling your body. Don't wait one more minute. Its too easy to use the holiday excuse. After that, its the post-holiday, left-over, bowl games, playoffs, Superbowl excuses. They never end. So start at the hardest possible time to do the best thing for yourself and your loved ones. TJ wasn't that different from any of you. Neither were the people he met on his journey who discovered a better way to live. Same goes for people like Chris Solomon, author of the article on CFE in Outside Magazine, currently on bookshelves. Chris spent some time working with Brian, while talking to me as he went from a broken runner, to a bullet-proof marathoner. My comments made it into the story, and I am humbled and thankful for the mention. More importantly, I am happy for Chris, now walking without pain, sitting without pain, and running without pain. Reading his article reminded me why I do what I do, and why I will never stop. B/c Chris's health was worth it to me. And I really didn't know him. But I call all of you family. So how much more important do you think I take your health and wellness? And if I do, why don't you? Why don't you make 2013 the year you stand up for yourself? See here's the deal, I've armed you all with enough to make better choices. If you enter 2013 continuing to make those bad decisions, that's fine, but you no longer get sympathy or assistance from me. That's my gift to all of you - tough love. I take what I do, what I teach,what I write and research extremely seriously. I take your wellness extremely seriously. Moving forward, if you don't, well, than neither will I. Think about it. Read T.J's book, and read the Outside Magazine article. For those who wonder why I scowl some days, think of this - when you wake up, there is an email that informs you that on 3-5 different message boards you have had people ask for your scalp, and 1-2 asking to have you cannonized. You have the choice to either make a blanket statement for all of them, or ignore all of them. But know, that every morning when you wake, that email will be there. But that doesn't make me angry, that fuels my conviction to do more, go further, explore my own boundaries. Time for all of you to do the same. You owe it to yourselves. Give yourself the real gift of health. And its not a shake weight.
Merry Tuesday. Enjoy your families
Stay strong,
Guy
Monday, December 24, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
You and your cortisol
"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less". - Marie Curie
Hello dear snowflakes,
Apologies around for the late newsletter, I did spend some significant time researching this week's topic, and it spiraled into other subjects that are just as critical. So let's jump right into it.
I know we have been discussing nutrition quite a bit lately, and using the Paleo Diet as a source of reference. As a stalwart believer in the model, as I know many of you are, I think its important to discuss the why behind the need for this style of nutrition, by getting, well, pretty technical. So this is going to be a little geeky, but at the end, I think you will all find it understandable and extremely useful.
YOU AND YOUR CORTISOL
I know that I rant constantly about the abuse of carbohydrates and the fact that its detrimental on several levels. Well, let me explain exactly why.
I am going to make up a mythical person here to use as our example as to the dangers of carbohydrates and how it relates to a critical hormone that we all produce - Cortisol. Our mythical person - John E. Moron, is your typical American, high carb, low fat and low protein diet, lots of processed food. He represents about 95%, literally, of America and how we eat. And this is why Mr. Moron and most of America suffers severe health issues.
*Geek note 1. - Cortisol is something that our body produces in response to stress. We need some cortisol, as it critical for us to handle the stress that our bodies experience. Mental, emotional or physical stress releases cortisol in the blood stream to prevent inflammation. However, when we are low on sleep, or we haven't found a way to control mental and emotional stress, we release more cortisol, wayyyy more than is needed, and this can lead directly to weight gain.
So, Mr. Moron, wakes up, eats his bagel and cream cheese, then heads off to his desk job. On his way, he either is on the train, or in traffic, either way, he's experiencing some stress. He probably didn't sleep well, staying up with indigestion, or some form of carb based insomnia, While at work, he consumes coffee, pretzels, or chips, eats a heavy carb lunch, leaving him sleepy in the afternoon, and with a false sensation of low blood sugar, thus causing him to drink a high carb energy drink, and of course, eat some sugar, b/c his body "thinks" its suffering from low blood sugar. Then he heads home, train or car, traffic either way, and adds to his stressed state where he sits down to consume,a huge carb dinner of pasta, and maybe rice and bread, and washes it down with ice cream. Then, while watching tv, he consumes some chips, or dry cereal, b/c again, his body is going through the feeling of "low blood sugar" so he eats to supress it.
Now you are wondering, what the hell does this have to do with cortisol? Well, let we tell you -
In the case of Mr. Moron, his cortisol levels, which were raised by stress, b/c heaven forbid he work out, and lack of sleep, are now in overdrive. And this is where the real party starts.
As the cortisol levels go up, they have the nifty ability to shut down your insulin receptors. Meaning, your body's sensitivity to insulin drops, leaving you with the "low blood sugar feeling", which leads to step 2 -
The cortisol continues on its rampage, by breaking down muscles, converting protein (amino acids) into glucose, via glucogenesis. - THIS IS VERY BAD. Your muscles start to deteriorate, b/c your body is "sensing" low blood sugar, thus it starts producing glucose any way it can to save the body. Of course, the insulin receptors aren't firing properly so this happens, but once the glucose is produced, it has to be stored. Insulin, usually stored in the liver, is already full from the constant carb barrage, so the insulin spills into - the blood stream! And guess where it goes? To your ass, your stomach, your thighs, all the big muscle movers, and becomes FAT. That's right - your fat ass is literally eating away your muscles b/c you've train-wrecked your insulin receptors so the body is in overdrive to keep it going.
But why should the fun stop there? With your cortisol rocking, its time to get that liver of yours to work overtime. See, once Mr. Moron's liver has finally had it, (which probably took place years ago) it has now become, wait for it, insulin resistant!!! Fan-damn-tastic! Now, your liver is just a valve where carbs just run through and head out right into blood stream into muscles which are now hit both ways - from the cortisol breaking down all the protein and then the addition of extra glucose from his nasty eating habits. Now the muscles are over-loaded with blood sugar. This is super awesome b/c your fat cells, which we all have, can't do anything to process this waterfall of glucose, so the fat cells become insulin resistant!!! That's right, once your fat cells are insulin resistant, grab yourself a big old loaf of bread b/c your body has become, drum roll please - INSULIN RESISTANT. Your entire body literally your entire body, is now insulin resistant.
And yet, we aren't done. Now that Mr. Moron has become completely insulin resistant, he goes into the over-feeding stage. This is really cool b/c he has effectively destroyed any receptor that tells his body he is full, that his insulin is topped off, and his body literally thinks its got low blood sugar. How insane is that? You are completely full, you have eaten more than enough, but your body can't tell your brain that, so you keep eating. And eating. And eating. And this cycle, is what leads directly to - type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, increases the likelihood of Alzheimers, and dementia. Mr. Moron who is really 30, just added 15 years to his life. He looks like he is 45. He's bloated and constantly in pain. So he takes pain killers - ibuprofen, eats more comfort food, and within 3 months, will have Type 2 diabetes. Yes it happens that fast. Someone who is sedentary, slightly overweight, but keeping a high carb diet, can get diabetes before 35. Men and women. And its not obesity alone that causes it. Mr. Moron, according to statistics, is 5'10, 180, not really bad numbers. But without muscle mass, and with his diet being garbage, he is 96% likely to get diabetes in 3 months. This is not a joke. Nor is it conjecture. This is real.
I know some of you are thinking - but I eat vegan or very little meat, I eat a ton of vegetables! You're just as screwed. If you avoid meat, congrats - you are encouraging the cortisol to break down the muscle faster into glucose and making you weak, tired, and sore. Without even doiing anything. Personally, I think vegetarians are completely odd and way too smug about how they eat. They are so positive that eating vegetarian will ensure a long life, without any science to support that theory. How does eating vegetarian control cortisol? Answer - it doesn't. So by all means, eat more soy - also increases inflammation, more tofu - you are one step closer to the grave.
Is this harsh? Hell yes it is. And it has to be. B/c if you can't see in this simple example what overloading your body with carbs does, then you are helping the gene pool by removing yourself sooner than later. Cortisol is no joke. But you can control it. So, its decision time, are you going to control your cortisol or are you going to let your cortisol control you? If you enjoy living without the need of several meds, think hard about it.
I'm OUT.
Hello dear snowflakes,
Apologies around for the late newsletter, I did spend some significant time researching this week's topic, and it spiraled into other subjects that are just as critical. So let's jump right into it.
I know we have been discussing nutrition quite a bit lately, and using the Paleo Diet as a source of reference. As a stalwart believer in the model, as I know many of you are, I think its important to discuss the why behind the need for this style of nutrition, by getting, well, pretty technical. So this is going to be a little geeky, but at the end, I think you will all find it understandable and extremely useful.
YOU AND YOUR CORTISOL
I know that I rant constantly about the abuse of carbohydrates and the fact that its detrimental on several levels. Well, let me explain exactly why.
I am going to make up a mythical person here to use as our example as to the dangers of carbohydrates and how it relates to a critical hormone that we all produce - Cortisol. Our mythical person - John E. Moron, is your typical American, high carb, low fat and low protein diet, lots of processed food. He represents about 95%, literally, of America and how we eat. And this is why Mr. Moron and most of America suffers severe health issues.
*Geek note 1. - Cortisol is something that our body produces in response to stress. We need some cortisol, as it critical for us to handle the stress that our bodies experience. Mental, emotional or physical stress releases cortisol in the blood stream to prevent inflammation. However, when we are low on sleep, or we haven't found a way to control mental and emotional stress, we release more cortisol, wayyyy more than is needed, and this can lead directly to weight gain.
So, Mr. Moron, wakes up, eats his bagel and cream cheese, then heads off to his desk job. On his way, he either is on the train, or in traffic, either way, he's experiencing some stress. He probably didn't sleep well, staying up with indigestion, or some form of carb based insomnia, While at work, he consumes coffee, pretzels, or chips, eats a heavy carb lunch, leaving him sleepy in the afternoon, and with a false sensation of low blood sugar, thus causing him to drink a high carb energy drink, and of course, eat some sugar, b/c his body "thinks" its suffering from low blood sugar. Then he heads home, train or car, traffic either way, and adds to his stressed state where he sits down to consume,a huge carb dinner of pasta, and maybe rice and bread, and washes it down with ice cream. Then, while watching tv, he consumes some chips, or dry cereal, b/c again, his body is going through the feeling of "low blood sugar" so he eats to supress it.
Now you are wondering, what the hell does this have to do with cortisol? Well, let we tell you -
In the case of Mr. Moron, his cortisol levels, which were raised by stress, b/c heaven forbid he work out, and lack of sleep, are now in overdrive. And this is where the real party starts.
As the cortisol levels go up, they have the nifty ability to shut down your insulin receptors. Meaning, your body's sensitivity to insulin drops, leaving you with the "low blood sugar feeling", which leads to step 2 -
The cortisol continues on its rampage, by breaking down muscles, converting protein (amino acids) into glucose, via glucogenesis. - THIS IS VERY BAD. Your muscles start to deteriorate, b/c your body is "sensing" low blood sugar, thus it starts producing glucose any way it can to save the body. Of course, the insulin receptors aren't firing properly so this happens, but once the glucose is produced, it has to be stored. Insulin, usually stored in the liver, is already full from the constant carb barrage, so the insulin spills into - the blood stream! And guess where it goes? To your ass, your stomach, your thighs, all the big muscle movers, and becomes FAT. That's right - your fat ass is literally eating away your muscles b/c you've train-wrecked your insulin receptors so the body is in overdrive to keep it going.
But why should the fun stop there? With your cortisol rocking, its time to get that liver of yours to work overtime. See, once Mr. Moron's liver has finally had it, (which probably took place years ago) it has now become, wait for it, insulin resistant!!! Fan-damn-tastic! Now, your liver is just a valve where carbs just run through and head out right into blood stream into muscles which are now hit both ways - from the cortisol breaking down all the protein and then the addition of extra glucose from his nasty eating habits. Now the muscles are over-loaded with blood sugar. This is super awesome b/c your fat cells, which we all have, can't do anything to process this waterfall of glucose, so the fat cells become insulin resistant!!! That's right, once your fat cells are insulin resistant, grab yourself a big old loaf of bread b/c your body has become, drum roll please - INSULIN RESISTANT. Your entire body literally your entire body, is now insulin resistant.
And yet, we aren't done. Now that Mr. Moron has become completely insulin resistant, he goes into the over-feeding stage. This is really cool b/c he has effectively destroyed any receptor that tells his body he is full, that his insulin is topped off, and his body literally thinks its got low blood sugar. How insane is that? You are completely full, you have eaten more than enough, but your body can't tell your brain that, so you keep eating. And eating. And eating. And this cycle, is what leads directly to - type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, increases the likelihood of Alzheimers, and dementia. Mr. Moron who is really 30, just added 15 years to his life. He looks like he is 45. He's bloated and constantly in pain. So he takes pain killers - ibuprofen, eats more comfort food, and within 3 months, will have Type 2 diabetes. Yes it happens that fast. Someone who is sedentary, slightly overweight, but keeping a high carb diet, can get diabetes before 35. Men and women. And its not obesity alone that causes it. Mr. Moron, according to statistics, is 5'10, 180, not really bad numbers. But without muscle mass, and with his diet being garbage, he is 96% likely to get diabetes in 3 months. This is not a joke. Nor is it conjecture. This is real.
I know some of you are thinking - but I eat vegan or very little meat, I eat a ton of vegetables! You're just as screwed. If you avoid meat, congrats - you are encouraging the cortisol to break down the muscle faster into glucose and making you weak, tired, and sore. Without even doiing anything. Personally, I think vegetarians are completely odd and way too smug about how they eat. They are so positive that eating vegetarian will ensure a long life, without any science to support that theory. How does eating vegetarian control cortisol? Answer - it doesn't. So by all means, eat more soy - also increases inflammation, more tofu - you are one step closer to the grave.
Is this harsh? Hell yes it is. And it has to be. B/c if you can't see in this simple example what overloading your body with carbs does, then you are helping the gene pool by removing yourself sooner than later. Cortisol is no joke. But you can control it. So, its decision time, are you going to control your cortisol or are you going to let your cortisol control you? If you enjoy living without the need of several meds, think hard about it.
I'm OUT.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
In sickness and in health - keeping flexible and healthy this season
"Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own". - Bruce Lee
Editors Note - This particular post may be deemed by some to be controversial. Some of you may even cry. I doubt it, but in case of such an event, please, collect yourself calmly, and grow a pair.
Hello snowflakes,
Oh, how I have been waiting to write this particular newsletter. I just wrapped my research on tonight's topics and let me say, I have been itching to talk about them. So without further ado, here we go.
In Sickness and in Health - how to handle illness and mobility during the winter
First, lets tackle the easy one - illness. Look, with the unpredictable weather in the Midwest, viruses have found a nice environment to blossom, and over the last 8 days, I personally have been torched by fever, double ear infection and sinus infection, leaving my forehead to feel like its protruding out like a Cro-Magnon. I know several others have also been sick, be it stomach, flu or colds. Its that time of the year and it sucks.
Now, aside from the obvious ways to avoid getting sick, a couple extra notes - increase your vitamin C, and D intake. Also, a quality fish oil, or EFA is going to be a huge boost. Most of this can be accomplished through clean eating, or Paleo, as the more carbs you eat - the more susceptible you are to illness. (See Robb Wolf - The Paleo Solution, for further detail). One of the big reasons we get sick and stay sick especially at this time of the year, is due to poor nutrition, blamed on the holidays, which encourages a virus to hang out past its original date of departure from your system. They inhibit critical vitamins essential for autoimmunity to normalize, (D,C,Omega 3 Fats) thus leaving you open to every sneeze becoming an unwanted cold or flu or typhoid, or eboli. My point, eat better, avoid illness.
I know you are probably thinking - well how the hell did you get sick smart guy? Simply put - my sinus passages are narrow. When they are inflamed from things like chlorine or bromine, they close, trapping any bacteria in there. That's when the party starts. So, I have to take extra steps - using a netty pot, really eating super clean, and cleaning out my ears after I swim to avoid this. Call it occupational hazard. But my immune system gets bolstered immediately by the way I eat. So, take that.
Now on to topic 2 - mobility. I say that word a lot and I get looks from people like I have 4 heads. But if I said Yoga, oh, ka-blamy-blam! everyone knows what that is, without having the first clue if its actually beneficial or not. So where to start? Well, mobility isn't simply "stretching". This isn't high school gym class. And its not, by any means, Yoga. Anytime I hear someone say "I need to loosen up. I'm super tight. I have plantar fascia, IT band syndrome, patella tendonitis, shin splints, so I think yoga will help!" I have a negative physical reaction. After months of research I can honestly say yoga is bullshit.
I had an inkling of this for a while, especially when the yoga craze started. A very good friend of mine started a company that made t-shirts and hoodies for kids and adults that simply said "F*ck Yoga". Homeboy made a killing. I own a shirt. I thought yoga was for pachouli smelling, incense burning, unshaven, tree-hugging hippees, who drove to class in their 6 mile to the gallon Range Rovers.
But then, I heard it was great for gaining range of motion for athletes. In 2008, I had my heaviest race schedule ever - 25 races in one season. I needed something to help, since I was always tight and sore. So a friend of mine, a fellow triathlete told me about yoga, and how awesome it was. Said all I needed to do was take 3 yoga classes a week and I would be golden. I thought "3 classes a week? That's it? That's amazing! This is baby-town frolic its so easy!" So I went all in, signed up at a gym, got a mat, a bag, loose fitting clothes, the whole deal. And I took class religiously. Every 3 weeks, I'd go to see my bike guy, Rich, from the Glen Ellyn bike shop and had him check my position on the bike. And every time, the result was the same - nothing changed. Not even an inch. Of course, Rich being Rich, he would smile and say, "well, good luck with that yoga!". After 6 months, I noticed no difference at all - not even a 10% increase in range of motion. Was I doing it wrong? I thought I had one bad ass Tree Pose, and downward dog, and lotus flower, or stinging Badger or Singing Honey Bee, or whatever other nonsensical poses that did nothing for me. So why was my hip still tweaked? Or my IT?
Yoga doesn't work, b/c its non-specific as in, it doesn't address what your true problem is. For example, if you are suffering from a nasty Plantar, or shin splints, do you know what needs to be stretched? Do you understand that you could suffer from a tight soleus, or gastroc, which needs direct attention both up and downstream from the muscle? Odds are you don't and neither does your yoga instructor. See what I am saying here? Yoga is a temporary solution for a much deeper problem. You might feel good for an hour, a day, but are your real issues being addressed? Unlikely. That plantar is still going to be there.
Fast forward 2 years and then I was told all about the Ponzi scheme that Bernie Madoff wished he'd thought of - Bikram Yoga. Bikram Yoga is really a torture device that is used in Git-mo for captured terrorists. So let's get this straight - if you are already tight and tweaky, you are going to be saved by going into a room that's as hot as the surface of the sun, smells like feet, then you and 30 of your closest friends, some who don't know what a shower is, begin a series of poses where you sweat like an 8 year old in a Nike Factory, and you can't leave otherwise it will offend the instructor. Ok, I can't breathe, can't see, am close to blacking out, and I am going to offend the instructor for leaving b/c I don't want to pass out? Are you joking? And people pay mad cash for this! The dudes from Enron, Tyco, Adelphia, - none of them had an idea this beautiful. And I, like a true schmuck, went to a few of these classes. I just wrapped my research on Bikram, and just completed a study where I put myself through 6 months of a "hot core" class. This one is truly awesome. The idea is - get in a room that's 110 degrees, and do a bunch of crunches for an hour. This is about as useful as those belts that you put around your waist that send electrical currents to stimulate your abdominals. You've seen the commercials - there's a extremely fit couple sitting on a couch, drinking iced tea, with these MMA championship style belts on, laughing and smiling as their abs get shredded. The hot core class is just as dumb, but from a business standpoint, its awesome b/c there are 50 idiots in there all thinking "all i need is this one class and my entire body will be ripped!". No it won't.
Let's break down Bikram and its participants. I've taken a poll, seriously, and this is what people who take it tell me.
1. It helps me stretch out.- Ok, let's ignore the fact that the heat gives you a false sense of being loose, thus causing several people to over-stretch, creating small micro tears in the muscles that needed to be properly stretched, increasing the likelihood that you will get injured when you start your next training session.
2. It helps me loose weight. -You need medical assistance. If you drink water after class, the weight comes back. Whatever you think you lost, I can find it for you 2 hours later. You are the same person who thinks that the 10 day lemon-water cleanse is healthy. Please stop reading and see a doctor.
3. It helps me reach a higher consciousness. - Ok, its not acid, or LSD. All it does is make you light-headed. If you think that's a "higher consciousness", you haven't gotten over whatever drug addiction you had. You also need medical help.
4. It helps flush out toxins. - True. However, so does sitting in a sauna. And the beauty of a sauna, you can come and go as you please! There's no Stalinesque figure yelling at you to stay in or never come back. You can close your eyes, listen to your own music, read, chill. And if you belong to a club that has a sauna, you don't need Bikram.
All of this is pointed out to show you that yoga, and its variations, don't work. I don't care if its Power Yoga, Yoga with friends, You and You're Yoga, its all useless. Mobility work however, is how we really get range of motion, address issues specifically, and get healthy. Let me explain.
Its important to note that I didn't discover the benefits of mobility work. Doc Kelly Starrett did. And his work can be found on line at www.mobilitywod.com, in the book, Power, Speed, Endurance, and in his book, The Supple Leopard. Kelly painstakingly shows how mobility is a skill, and why its so critical and beneficial. Let's take our plantar person. By doing mobility work, which can require you to make a 2 dollar investment in a LaCrosse ball, you can literally undo that plantar and keep it away. Admittedly, if you don't address things like running form, you increase the chances of the plantar coming back, but, by understanding that you probably lack range of motion in your ankles, your shins, your Achilles tendon, you will be able to address the problem while cleaning up how you run. Understanding tacking, smashing, fascia work, flossing the muscles - all of that is how we gain mobility. For example - go to your achilles tendon, and grab the skin and see if you can pinch it. Now flex your foot and see if the tendon is still loose enough that you can pinch it. If not, the skin has attached itself to the tendon, which means you need mobility work with things like a lacrosse ball or trigger point rollers to detach that. But your yoga instructor never told you that one!
Look, I know some of you love yoga, and good for you. If it helps you clear your head, great. But I am telling you its not helping your flexibility. I can swear to that. I don't care how awesome your pigeon pose is, its not helping. And yes, I get the social aspect of yoga, the reason you spend 100 bucks on pants at Lululemon, the group dynamic. Its a shared karmic experience. And mobility work is more singular, more of a solo deal, unless you can get others to join you. Hint - YOU SHOULD. Not to mention, 15 minutes a day, everyday, of mobility work, produces close to a 30% range of motion increase in less than 4 weeks. In areas where you need it most. And like all things useful, it evolves, and provides options for all muscle groups. Its not set to poses, that are cued to songs. I can do mobility work as easily to Beethoven as I can the Beastie Boys. Song length does nothing, means nothing. Your free of the shackles of a set of moves you've done hundreds of times.
Aside from being specific, mobility work comes with the benefit of scaled movement, as well as the effective dose of holding certain stretches to reach maximum benefit. Hold on to your seats b/c here it comes - a minimum of 2 minutes is required to hold each stretch otherwise its ineffective. That's right, not 30 seconds, not 1 minute. 2 minutes minimum. The goal is to get so flexible as to be able to hold them for up to 6 minutes. Guys, if you doubt me, look at the injury list of CFE and CF athletes. Pretty thin. These are folks who are throwing down 12-25 hours a week of training and not getting injured. They toss around monster weight, perform gymnastics movements, run, row, bike, swim, and do it all without injury.
B/c of Kelly's work, I have gained flexibility and mobility. I've also learned where I am impinged and how to unlock those areas, and keep them unlocked. I've learned more effective warm ups and cool downs. I do 35-50 minutes of mobility work a night. I don't care if I get in at 3 am, and have to be up at 6. I'm doing my 35 minutes at a minimum.
So, this is where the tough love part comes in. If you are serious about gaining mobility, getting your body healthy, then learn to do some solo work and get mobile. Who cares if you are the only one in the gym doing it? Does it really matter? You have something better than any goofy on-looker understands. If you say you take responsibility for your body, then isn't this a no-brainer? Time to suck it up snowflakes, get on-line, check out Kelly's stuff, and do yourself some real good. You can even keep your yoga mat and Lulu pants to do true mobility work. But please, stop with the yoga. I know you can think of something better to do in that hour. At least I hope so.
Stay strong,
Guy
Editors Note - This particular post may be deemed by some to be controversial. Some of you may even cry. I doubt it, but in case of such an event, please, collect yourself calmly, and grow a pair.
Hello snowflakes,
Oh, how I have been waiting to write this particular newsletter. I just wrapped my research on tonight's topics and let me say, I have been itching to talk about them. So without further ado, here we go.
In Sickness and in Health - how to handle illness and mobility during the winter
First, lets tackle the easy one - illness. Look, with the unpredictable weather in the Midwest, viruses have found a nice environment to blossom, and over the last 8 days, I personally have been torched by fever, double ear infection and sinus infection, leaving my forehead to feel like its protruding out like a Cro-Magnon. I know several others have also been sick, be it stomach, flu or colds. Its that time of the year and it sucks.
Now, aside from the obvious ways to avoid getting sick, a couple extra notes - increase your vitamin C, and D intake. Also, a quality fish oil, or EFA is going to be a huge boost. Most of this can be accomplished through clean eating, or Paleo, as the more carbs you eat - the more susceptible you are to illness. (See Robb Wolf - The Paleo Solution, for further detail). One of the big reasons we get sick and stay sick especially at this time of the year, is due to poor nutrition, blamed on the holidays, which encourages a virus to hang out past its original date of departure from your system. They inhibit critical vitamins essential for autoimmunity to normalize, (D,C,Omega 3 Fats) thus leaving you open to every sneeze becoming an unwanted cold or flu or typhoid, or eboli. My point, eat better, avoid illness.
I know you are probably thinking - well how the hell did you get sick smart guy? Simply put - my sinus passages are narrow. When they are inflamed from things like chlorine or bromine, they close, trapping any bacteria in there. That's when the party starts. So, I have to take extra steps - using a netty pot, really eating super clean, and cleaning out my ears after I swim to avoid this. Call it occupational hazard. But my immune system gets bolstered immediately by the way I eat. So, take that.
Now on to topic 2 - mobility. I say that word a lot and I get looks from people like I have 4 heads. But if I said Yoga, oh, ka-blamy-blam! everyone knows what that is, without having the first clue if its actually beneficial or not. So where to start? Well, mobility isn't simply "stretching". This isn't high school gym class. And its not, by any means, Yoga. Anytime I hear someone say "I need to loosen up. I'm super tight. I have plantar fascia, IT band syndrome, patella tendonitis, shin splints, so I think yoga will help!" I have a negative physical reaction. After months of research I can honestly say yoga is bullshit.
I had an inkling of this for a while, especially when the yoga craze started. A very good friend of mine started a company that made t-shirts and hoodies for kids and adults that simply said "F*ck Yoga". Homeboy made a killing. I own a shirt. I thought yoga was for pachouli smelling, incense burning, unshaven, tree-hugging hippees, who drove to class in their 6 mile to the gallon Range Rovers.
But then, I heard it was great for gaining range of motion for athletes. In 2008, I had my heaviest race schedule ever - 25 races in one season. I needed something to help, since I was always tight and sore. So a friend of mine, a fellow triathlete told me about yoga, and how awesome it was. Said all I needed to do was take 3 yoga classes a week and I would be golden. I thought "3 classes a week? That's it? That's amazing! This is baby-town frolic its so easy!" So I went all in, signed up at a gym, got a mat, a bag, loose fitting clothes, the whole deal. And I took class religiously. Every 3 weeks, I'd go to see my bike guy, Rich, from the Glen Ellyn bike shop and had him check my position on the bike. And every time, the result was the same - nothing changed. Not even an inch. Of course, Rich being Rich, he would smile and say, "well, good luck with that yoga!". After 6 months, I noticed no difference at all - not even a 10% increase in range of motion. Was I doing it wrong? I thought I had one bad ass Tree Pose, and downward dog, and lotus flower, or stinging Badger or Singing Honey Bee, or whatever other nonsensical poses that did nothing for me. So why was my hip still tweaked? Or my IT?
Yoga doesn't work, b/c its non-specific as in, it doesn't address what your true problem is. For example, if you are suffering from a nasty Plantar, or shin splints, do you know what needs to be stretched? Do you understand that you could suffer from a tight soleus, or gastroc, which needs direct attention both up and downstream from the muscle? Odds are you don't and neither does your yoga instructor. See what I am saying here? Yoga is a temporary solution for a much deeper problem. You might feel good for an hour, a day, but are your real issues being addressed? Unlikely. That plantar is still going to be there.
Fast forward 2 years and then I was told all about the Ponzi scheme that Bernie Madoff wished he'd thought of - Bikram Yoga. Bikram Yoga is really a torture device that is used in Git-mo for captured terrorists. So let's get this straight - if you are already tight and tweaky, you are going to be saved by going into a room that's as hot as the surface of the sun, smells like feet, then you and 30 of your closest friends, some who don't know what a shower is, begin a series of poses where you sweat like an 8 year old in a Nike Factory, and you can't leave otherwise it will offend the instructor. Ok, I can't breathe, can't see, am close to blacking out, and I am going to offend the instructor for leaving b/c I don't want to pass out? Are you joking? And people pay mad cash for this! The dudes from Enron, Tyco, Adelphia, - none of them had an idea this beautiful. And I, like a true schmuck, went to a few of these classes. I just wrapped my research on Bikram, and just completed a study where I put myself through 6 months of a "hot core" class. This one is truly awesome. The idea is - get in a room that's 110 degrees, and do a bunch of crunches for an hour. This is about as useful as those belts that you put around your waist that send electrical currents to stimulate your abdominals. You've seen the commercials - there's a extremely fit couple sitting on a couch, drinking iced tea, with these MMA championship style belts on, laughing and smiling as their abs get shredded. The hot core class is just as dumb, but from a business standpoint, its awesome b/c there are 50 idiots in there all thinking "all i need is this one class and my entire body will be ripped!". No it won't.
Let's break down Bikram and its participants. I've taken a poll, seriously, and this is what people who take it tell me.
1. It helps me stretch out.- Ok, let's ignore the fact that the heat gives you a false sense of being loose, thus causing several people to over-stretch, creating small micro tears in the muscles that needed to be properly stretched, increasing the likelihood that you will get injured when you start your next training session.
2. It helps me loose weight. -You need medical assistance. If you drink water after class, the weight comes back. Whatever you think you lost, I can find it for you 2 hours later. You are the same person who thinks that the 10 day lemon-water cleanse is healthy. Please stop reading and see a doctor.
3. It helps me reach a higher consciousness. - Ok, its not acid, or LSD. All it does is make you light-headed. If you think that's a "higher consciousness", you haven't gotten over whatever drug addiction you had. You also need medical help.
4. It helps flush out toxins. - True. However, so does sitting in a sauna. And the beauty of a sauna, you can come and go as you please! There's no Stalinesque figure yelling at you to stay in or never come back. You can close your eyes, listen to your own music, read, chill. And if you belong to a club that has a sauna, you don't need Bikram.
All of this is pointed out to show you that yoga, and its variations, don't work. I don't care if its Power Yoga, Yoga with friends, You and You're Yoga, its all useless. Mobility work however, is how we really get range of motion, address issues specifically, and get healthy. Let me explain.
Its important to note that I didn't discover the benefits of mobility work. Doc Kelly Starrett did. And his work can be found on line at www.mobilitywod.com, in the book, Power, Speed, Endurance, and in his book, The Supple Leopard. Kelly painstakingly shows how mobility is a skill, and why its so critical and beneficial. Let's take our plantar person. By doing mobility work, which can require you to make a 2 dollar investment in a LaCrosse ball, you can literally undo that plantar and keep it away. Admittedly, if you don't address things like running form, you increase the chances of the plantar coming back, but, by understanding that you probably lack range of motion in your ankles, your shins, your Achilles tendon, you will be able to address the problem while cleaning up how you run. Understanding tacking, smashing, fascia work, flossing the muscles - all of that is how we gain mobility. For example - go to your achilles tendon, and grab the skin and see if you can pinch it. Now flex your foot and see if the tendon is still loose enough that you can pinch it. If not, the skin has attached itself to the tendon, which means you need mobility work with things like a lacrosse ball or trigger point rollers to detach that. But your yoga instructor never told you that one!
Look, I know some of you love yoga, and good for you. If it helps you clear your head, great. But I am telling you its not helping your flexibility. I can swear to that. I don't care how awesome your pigeon pose is, its not helping. And yes, I get the social aspect of yoga, the reason you spend 100 bucks on pants at Lululemon, the group dynamic. Its a shared karmic experience. And mobility work is more singular, more of a solo deal, unless you can get others to join you. Hint - YOU SHOULD. Not to mention, 15 minutes a day, everyday, of mobility work, produces close to a 30% range of motion increase in less than 4 weeks. In areas where you need it most. And like all things useful, it evolves, and provides options for all muscle groups. Its not set to poses, that are cued to songs. I can do mobility work as easily to Beethoven as I can the Beastie Boys. Song length does nothing, means nothing. Your free of the shackles of a set of moves you've done hundreds of times.
Aside from being specific, mobility work comes with the benefit of scaled movement, as well as the effective dose of holding certain stretches to reach maximum benefit. Hold on to your seats b/c here it comes - a minimum of 2 minutes is required to hold each stretch otherwise its ineffective. That's right, not 30 seconds, not 1 minute. 2 minutes minimum. The goal is to get so flexible as to be able to hold them for up to 6 minutes. Guys, if you doubt me, look at the injury list of CFE and CF athletes. Pretty thin. These are folks who are throwing down 12-25 hours a week of training and not getting injured. They toss around monster weight, perform gymnastics movements, run, row, bike, swim, and do it all without injury.
B/c of Kelly's work, I have gained flexibility and mobility. I've also learned where I am impinged and how to unlock those areas, and keep them unlocked. I've learned more effective warm ups and cool downs. I do 35-50 minutes of mobility work a night. I don't care if I get in at 3 am, and have to be up at 6. I'm doing my 35 minutes at a minimum.
So, this is where the tough love part comes in. If you are serious about gaining mobility, getting your body healthy, then learn to do some solo work and get mobile. Who cares if you are the only one in the gym doing it? Does it really matter? You have something better than any goofy on-looker understands. If you say you take responsibility for your body, then isn't this a no-brainer? Time to suck it up snowflakes, get on-line, check out Kelly's stuff, and do yourself some real good. You can even keep your yoga mat and Lulu pants to do true mobility work. But please, stop with the yoga. I know you can think of something better to do in that hour. At least I hope so.
Stay strong,
Guy
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Tales from the front -the Thanksgiving Post Mortem
"You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life".
Albert Camus
Good evening my dear snowflakes,
I do hope that all of you have survived the holiday, and the other holiday- Black Friday. According to the news, more people were out "celebrating" that event than Thanksgiving. Kind of shows you where our priorities are. But, I have no doubt those who took part in the sale-a-palooza, waiting in long lines at obscene hours, saved tons on stuff that has actually been projected to be cheaper this week. But hey, whatever brings family together......
Now, I had planned to write earlier this week, however, a double ear infection, combined with a sinus infection, has made concentration a bit of a struggle. Not to fear, I have enough caffeine in me to make it through this newsletter. Which brings me to the above quote (Deep stuff, right?) and how it applies to tonight's topic. Last newsletter, I mentioned that I was trying to wrap my head around Men's Fitness magazine's "top 25 fittest men of 2012". This was difficult, b/c every time I looked at the article, my stomach would turn, my eyes started bleeding, and I could feel brain matter leaking out of my ears. At about the same time, I was forwarded a blog post from a female fitness competitor, who gave a very candid and extremely honest look into how unfit she was while preparing for her show.
- Editor's aside - The more I have learned, the more the term "fitness competitor" cracks me up. What the hell constitutes a fitness competitor? If you really think about it - anyone who plays organized sports, whether pro or pick up game, competes in endurance events, MMA, boxing, any martial arts, Crossfit Games - which is really designed to determine the fittest, fitness competitor, or pee wee football is a fitness competitor. The notion that someone who literally puts their body through the most unhealthy and dangerous conditions and then hides it by slapping on a fake tan to take a stage and pose in clothing that belongs in a strip club, is so backwards its offensive. I do not nor will I pretend to understand that lifestyle. And after reading this woman's blog, I am even more positive I never will.
Her blog, combined with the Men's article, pinpointed for me, one of the biggest issues we have in America. Let me explain. When reading the article, the author listed a number of male celebrities as the epitome of fitness. Right. And I have a couple pet dinosaurs that I keep in the basement until nightfall when I let them roam free through Darien. If you truly believe that some celebrity is a beacon of fitness, then you probably thought your high school gym teacher was a physical specimen to aspire to. Celebrities get paid to get "in shape" for certain roles. They have chefs, personal trainers, etc to reach that objective. But it is short lived, for most, once the role is over, so is that shape they worked so hard to attain. That's not fit, actually, its the exact opposite. Dieting, over-loaded training schedules, lack of proper sleep, its extremely unhealthy. Yet when said actor takes his shirt off in that oh so magical role, everyone thinks "Wow, look at how fit this dude is"! Doubt me? Read up on Gerard Butler and his post-300 filming - extreme depression, chronic fatigue and pain, all due to preparing for the role as King Leonidas. It left him, and other actors broken, some with injuries like torn ACL's and MCL's requiring surgery. So, yeah, he looked like a bad ass, a real King of warriors, but the real truth was hidden, kept under wraps until the movie made a substantial killing at the box office.
Mix this with the blog post. Here's a woman, young and vibrant, who spent 4 months preparing for a fitness competition, where she admits to feeling anything but fit. She used dieting, several supplements, a training schedule leaving her over-worked and without sufficient rest. That cycle forced her to take more supplements to keep her awake enough to get through grueling workouts. By showtime, she was barely able to stand. Yet everyone around her commented on fit she "looked". Women couldn't stop telling her how they wished they looked as "fit" as her. But by her own admission, she never felt worse- sickly, fragile, broken.
Do you see the trend here? Somehow we've attached "looking good" with being fit. Folks, let me assure you they are not one in the same. And let me take it even one step further - there are some athletes, some very high level athletes who aren't fit. Want proof? Look at Derrick Rose, Adrian Peterson, and the host of other top athletes who suffer injuries without contact, while playing in contact sports. Yes, they are high level athletes, they look great but those near career-ending injuries could have been avoided. By focusing on movement patterns, midline stability, where they have breaks in form, be it fast turns requiring agility and mobility, or the ability to complete an Ironman in under 9 hours they could have been spared such physical ailments. Ahh- that's right my fellow triathletes, you represent the most unfit, fit people on earth. And the higher the level of talent, the more unfit they are. I know, heretical talk from a pro triathlete. But for those of you who think I'm wrong, hand a veteran triathlete, pro or amateur a jump rope. Then tell them to complete 10 jumps in a row. Bring a lunch b/c if their ankles or knees don't give out, you'll be there for a while. But every time they show Ironman on TV, men and women triathletes alike drool over how the athletes look. I know this b/c I was one of them.
That's right - I used to attach how a triathlete looked to how fit they were. The leaner they looked, the more fit they must be, I thought. I watched guys like Crowie, Norman Stadler, etc, and thought-"If I'm going to win races, I need to be down another 20 lbs". What I wasn't seeing, what so many of us aren't seeing, is the long term damage that was done by the over-training and poor diet. These same gods of the sport, crumbled like the Sphinx after only a couple years at the top. Why? B/c looking good doesn't equal being fit.
For me, I was awakened to this 2 and a half years ago, and thankfully, realized that true fitness provides a longevity in any sport, way past what Father Time tells us. At 39, my pro days should be numbered. I feel like I'm just getting started and actually can't wait for next season. Learning more about the body, about movement, about real fitness. That's exactly why I cringe when I hear someone say "my number one goal is to lose X amount of lbs". That's probably the single worst metric to use for determining fitness. That mentality does 2 nasty things right off the bat - 1.It gives the person the impression that weight lost equals feeling better, 2. It makes the notion of fitness temporary, as once that weight is gone, the need to continue to live a healthy lifestyle stops.
Here's proof- diet pills, diet plans, P90X, the Shake Weight, etc, they make up an 80 billion dollar industry. And b/c all those things are short term fixes, people inevitably gain more weight once done with the pills, videos, etc, thus feeding the industry again, requiring stronger pills, more videos, more bullshit basically, that is not designed to have a permanent affect. So then what is real fitness?
Like I've said before and will continue to say - fitness does not occur in a vacuum. Therefore, you need to look at it as lifestyle change. Measurable, concrete metrics, that are progressive are the best way to get fit - forever. Paleo isn't a diet, its a lifestyle. Crossfit isn't a workout, its a lifestyle. The combination of those makes for permanent, and constant improvement physically, mentally, and emotionally. I can't give you, nor can I support anything that's short term. And I refuse to say the Swim, Bike, Run protocol is the best method of fitness. Its only a part. If you can run a sub 3 hour marathon but are laid up for 2 weeks afterwards, how fit are you? I'd say not very. If you learned to run correctly, then added in strength, conditioning and mobility, I'd bet you would run a faster marathon, with less recovery time needed.
The key is to understand that "looking good" doesn't mean a damn thing. Its not a measure of fitness. I will tell you that a by-product of true fitness, like I mentioned above, will result in looking good. Weight will come off, pretty effortlessly actually. If you look at CF Games competitors, or your average CF gym member, they look pretty damn good. Not all are super chiseled, or super lean, but they are getting fitter by the day. They have blood work that is off the charts good. They don't break. I repeat, they don't break. If you are an athlete and want to have longevity at a high level, how can you afford to ignore the need to incorporate better metrics for your training? How can you think that your inability to do midline stabilization work, agility work, and basic body weight movement is ok? Is it the fear of gaining muscle? If that\s the case - here's a secret - unless you do nothing but lift big, and eat big, you aren't, I repeat you aren't getting big. You actually stand a better chance of gaining weight by doing what you normally do - tons of mileage, no skill work.
If you are simply looking to get fitter, same rules apply. That treadmill, spin class, elliptical, they are only going to take you so far, then welcome to very early plateau. And injury will follow, as it always does. That train is never late. So please, stop telling me, or your trainer, or your friends, that you need to "lose those last 10 lbs". And if you are a real friend and you hear someone close to you say that, kick them in the stomach. The pain is such, they will forget all about the weight they need to lose, and focus on breathing. Its a temporary solution I admit, but it is effective.
Stop chasing weight loss. Start committing to better, permanent health, and fitness. If you don't, you lose the right to complain that you "don't look good". If you stay on the carb roller coaster, then everything I just wrote may as well have been in Latin. Or Sanskrit. You pick. Stop being afraid to be fit, and start taking real responsibility for your body. Stop looking at magazine's proclaiming to have "the fittest people of 2012" or "25 ways to get you to that same look!" Its bullshit. Trust me. That stuff is temporary. When you get low, reach out - be it to someone close to you, or, as I've said over and over, reach out to me. I'm always around. The difficulty or fear of starting a real journey towards health and wellness is temporary. Its the quitting of that journey that lasts forever. If you have the courage to read what I write, then you have the courage to do this. So, what are you waiting for? Stay strong, Guy
Albert Camus
Good evening my dear snowflakes,
I do hope that all of you have survived the holiday, and the other holiday- Black Friday. According to the news, more people were out "celebrating" that event than Thanksgiving. Kind of shows you where our priorities are. But, I have no doubt those who took part in the sale-a-palooza, waiting in long lines at obscene hours, saved tons on stuff that has actually been projected to be cheaper this week. But hey, whatever brings family together......
Now, I had planned to write earlier this week, however, a double ear infection, combined with a sinus infection, has made concentration a bit of a struggle. Not to fear, I have enough caffeine in me to make it through this newsletter. Which brings me to the above quote (Deep stuff, right?) and how it applies to tonight's topic. Last newsletter, I mentioned that I was trying to wrap my head around Men's Fitness magazine's "top 25 fittest men of 2012". This was difficult, b/c every time I looked at the article, my stomach would turn, my eyes started bleeding, and I could feel brain matter leaking out of my ears. At about the same time, I was forwarded a blog post from a female fitness competitor, who gave a very candid and extremely honest look into how unfit she was while preparing for her show.
- Editor's aside - The more I have learned, the more the term "fitness competitor" cracks me up. What the hell constitutes a fitness competitor? If you really think about it - anyone who plays organized sports, whether pro or pick up game, competes in endurance events, MMA, boxing, any martial arts, Crossfit Games - which is really designed to determine the fittest, fitness competitor, or pee wee football is a fitness competitor. The notion that someone who literally puts their body through the most unhealthy and dangerous conditions and then hides it by slapping on a fake tan to take a stage and pose in clothing that belongs in a strip club, is so backwards its offensive. I do not nor will I pretend to understand that lifestyle. And after reading this woman's blog, I am even more positive I never will.
Her blog, combined with the Men's article, pinpointed for me, one of the biggest issues we have in America. Let me explain. When reading the article, the author listed a number of male celebrities as the epitome of fitness. Right. And I have a couple pet dinosaurs that I keep in the basement until nightfall when I let them roam free through Darien. If you truly believe that some celebrity is a beacon of fitness, then you probably thought your high school gym teacher was a physical specimen to aspire to. Celebrities get paid to get "in shape" for certain roles. They have chefs, personal trainers, etc to reach that objective. But it is short lived, for most, once the role is over, so is that shape they worked so hard to attain. That's not fit, actually, its the exact opposite. Dieting, over-loaded training schedules, lack of proper sleep, its extremely unhealthy. Yet when said actor takes his shirt off in that oh so magical role, everyone thinks "Wow, look at how fit this dude is"! Doubt me? Read up on Gerard Butler and his post-300 filming - extreme depression, chronic fatigue and pain, all due to preparing for the role as King Leonidas. It left him, and other actors broken, some with injuries like torn ACL's and MCL's requiring surgery. So, yeah, he looked like a bad ass, a real King of warriors, but the real truth was hidden, kept under wraps until the movie made a substantial killing at the box office.
Mix this with the blog post. Here's a woman, young and vibrant, who spent 4 months preparing for a fitness competition, where she admits to feeling anything but fit. She used dieting, several supplements, a training schedule leaving her over-worked and without sufficient rest. That cycle forced her to take more supplements to keep her awake enough to get through grueling workouts. By showtime, she was barely able to stand. Yet everyone around her commented on fit she "looked". Women couldn't stop telling her how they wished they looked as "fit" as her. But by her own admission, she never felt worse- sickly, fragile, broken.
Do you see the trend here? Somehow we've attached "looking good" with being fit. Folks, let me assure you they are not one in the same. And let me take it even one step further - there are some athletes, some very high level athletes who aren't fit. Want proof? Look at Derrick Rose, Adrian Peterson, and the host of other top athletes who suffer injuries without contact, while playing in contact sports. Yes, they are high level athletes, they look great but those near career-ending injuries could have been avoided. By focusing on movement patterns, midline stability, where they have breaks in form, be it fast turns requiring agility and mobility, or the ability to complete an Ironman in under 9 hours they could have been spared such physical ailments. Ahh- that's right my fellow triathletes, you represent the most unfit, fit people on earth. And the higher the level of talent, the more unfit they are. I know, heretical talk from a pro triathlete. But for those of you who think I'm wrong, hand a veteran triathlete, pro or amateur a jump rope. Then tell them to complete 10 jumps in a row. Bring a lunch b/c if their ankles or knees don't give out, you'll be there for a while. But every time they show Ironman on TV, men and women triathletes alike drool over how the athletes look. I know this b/c I was one of them.
That's right - I used to attach how a triathlete looked to how fit they were. The leaner they looked, the more fit they must be, I thought. I watched guys like Crowie, Norman Stadler, etc, and thought-"If I'm going to win races, I need to be down another 20 lbs". What I wasn't seeing, what so many of us aren't seeing, is the long term damage that was done by the over-training and poor diet. These same gods of the sport, crumbled like the Sphinx after only a couple years at the top. Why? B/c looking good doesn't equal being fit.
For me, I was awakened to this 2 and a half years ago, and thankfully, realized that true fitness provides a longevity in any sport, way past what Father Time tells us. At 39, my pro days should be numbered. I feel like I'm just getting started and actually can't wait for next season. Learning more about the body, about movement, about real fitness. That's exactly why I cringe when I hear someone say "my number one goal is to lose X amount of lbs". That's probably the single worst metric to use for determining fitness. That mentality does 2 nasty things right off the bat - 1.It gives the person the impression that weight lost equals feeling better, 2. It makes the notion of fitness temporary, as once that weight is gone, the need to continue to live a healthy lifestyle stops.
Here's proof- diet pills, diet plans, P90X, the Shake Weight, etc, they make up an 80 billion dollar industry. And b/c all those things are short term fixes, people inevitably gain more weight once done with the pills, videos, etc, thus feeding the industry again, requiring stronger pills, more videos, more bullshit basically, that is not designed to have a permanent affect. So then what is real fitness?
Like I've said before and will continue to say - fitness does not occur in a vacuum. Therefore, you need to look at it as lifestyle change. Measurable, concrete metrics, that are progressive are the best way to get fit - forever. Paleo isn't a diet, its a lifestyle. Crossfit isn't a workout, its a lifestyle. The combination of those makes for permanent, and constant improvement physically, mentally, and emotionally. I can't give you, nor can I support anything that's short term. And I refuse to say the Swim, Bike, Run protocol is the best method of fitness. Its only a part. If you can run a sub 3 hour marathon but are laid up for 2 weeks afterwards, how fit are you? I'd say not very. If you learned to run correctly, then added in strength, conditioning and mobility, I'd bet you would run a faster marathon, with less recovery time needed.
The key is to understand that "looking good" doesn't mean a damn thing. Its not a measure of fitness. I will tell you that a by-product of true fitness, like I mentioned above, will result in looking good. Weight will come off, pretty effortlessly actually. If you look at CF Games competitors, or your average CF gym member, they look pretty damn good. Not all are super chiseled, or super lean, but they are getting fitter by the day. They have blood work that is off the charts good. They don't break. I repeat, they don't break. If you are an athlete and want to have longevity at a high level, how can you afford to ignore the need to incorporate better metrics for your training? How can you think that your inability to do midline stabilization work, agility work, and basic body weight movement is ok? Is it the fear of gaining muscle? If that\s the case - here's a secret - unless you do nothing but lift big, and eat big, you aren't, I repeat you aren't getting big. You actually stand a better chance of gaining weight by doing what you normally do - tons of mileage, no skill work.
If you are simply looking to get fitter, same rules apply. That treadmill, spin class, elliptical, they are only going to take you so far, then welcome to very early plateau. And injury will follow, as it always does. That train is never late. So please, stop telling me, or your trainer, or your friends, that you need to "lose those last 10 lbs". And if you are a real friend and you hear someone close to you say that, kick them in the stomach. The pain is such, they will forget all about the weight they need to lose, and focus on breathing. Its a temporary solution I admit, but it is effective.
Stop chasing weight loss. Start committing to better, permanent health, and fitness. If you don't, you lose the right to complain that you "don't look good". If you stay on the carb roller coaster, then everything I just wrote may as well have been in Latin. Or Sanskrit. You pick. Stop being afraid to be fit, and start taking real responsibility for your body. Stop looking at magazine's proclaiming to have "the fittest people of 2012" or "25 ways to get you to that same look!" Its bullshit. Trust me. That stuff is temporary. When you get low, reach out - be it to someone close to you, or, as I've said over and over, reach out to me. I'm always around. The difficulty or fear of starting a real journey towards health and wellness is temporary. Its the quitting of that journey that lasts forever. If you have the courage to read what I write, then you have the courage to do this. So, what are you waiting for? Stay strong, Guy
Monday, November 19, 2012
Tales from the front - Thanksgiving edition part 1
"....I swear, you Christians have made Christmas longer than Ramadan!" - Lewis Black, from his show, "Running on Empty" performed last night at the Chicago Theatre
Hello snowflakes,
Let me start by saying I am in a slightly better mood than usual, as last evening my Aunt Rocca and Uncle Dennis treated a few of us to a night of much needed laughter and levity, as we saw what I would have to call our family's favorite comedian, Lewis Black live at the Chicago Theatre. I have always felt a special kinship with him, as he is usually angry 95% of the time, can't wait to see how the President and the EXACT same Congressional make up are suddenly going to "get along" after playing 4 years of a political version of a Mexican Standoff, and hates, with tremendous passion, what we have done to the holidays. Particularly Christmas. He even went so far last night as to say, "I used to think that you Christians (note - Mr. Black is Jewish - I know, a Jewish comedian? How rare!) should start celebrating Christmas on the 4th of July, but now, just keep it going the whole year. Don't take the lights down. Besides, Christmas is the only time you assholes are happy anyway". So how can I not love this guy and agree with his entire line of thinking? Oh yeah, he hates social media as much as I do. For those of you who I haven't berated for this, here's my opportunity to do so - when you type your current status on Facebook, twitter, 4square, Linked In, Instagrampinterestnobodygivesashit, before you hit the "post" button, read it and ask yourself these questions - "If I saw this post on someone else's page, would I really give a shit? Would it affect the rest of my day, week, month, year, life?" If the answer is NO - and 10 times out of 10 it usually is, then don't post it. Unless you have the cure for cancer, AIDS, malaria, yellow fever, the common cold, the solution for global warming, the solution to balance the budget and the answer to end the possibility of any future chemical, biological, or nuclear warfare, then trust me when I tell you - its really not that important. And moreover, please stop feeling the need to share things that are rather personal with 1000 people who really aren't your true "friends". Not everyone needs to know how that colonoscopy went today and if its left you "feeling a little sore in all the wrong places". That's an actual post I saw. I can't make this stuff up. However, if you enjoy my rants, as much as I do, by all means post about your "Coke Zero tasting better than you imagined". I can't wait.
On to more serious stuff, I know some of you have started taking the 30 day Paleo challenge, and I am extremely proud of you and support you 100%. Its a huge step to adding years, quality years, to your life, and providing you with a deeper insight as to why we should be eating this way. I want to salute my sister for doing this as well, proving that you can be a parent and still go Paleo. By making this decision she is instilling better eating habits in my nieces, even though they may not feel that way right now, which will be even bigger dividends as they grow older. This way, they too will know the importance of eating clean, as it will enhance their ability to focus in school, sports, and enjoy life more in general. For those of you on this journey, and more importantly for those of you who aren't, I suggest the following - "The Paleo Solution", by Robb Wolf, "The Paleo Diet", by Dr. Loren Cordain, "The Primal Blueprint" by Mark Sisson, as well as www.marksdailyapple.com, a free, weekly, newsletter that provides great insight into this lifestyle.
If you haven't tried going Paleo, and have been considering it, my suggestion, and I am totally serious about this - start tomorrow. That's right, start on the Monday before Thanksgiving. Tell yourself that you will stay the course on this, and if you give yourself a running start, by Thursday, you won't want to stop your momentum. I can assure you that all the training in the world can be undone by how you eat. Its my contention that several top endurance athletes have short careers. At some point, a bad diet that doesn't properly address the fueling needs of the athlete or the recovery needs, will catch up with them and then its a domino effect - injury, over-training, you name it. There is no question that form is also a major factor in their breakdowns, but without eating clean, the likelihood of increased inflammation, GI problems or gastric distress - which in some athletes becomes a long term or permanent problem, poor sleep patterns, unstable insulin levels resulting in type 2 diabetes (think, skinny-fat) depression, anxiety, and in some cases, severe neurological disorders all become prevalent.
So I encourage all of you to consider making this dietary change. And please don't just take my word for it -talk to others who have done it. There are several on this newsletter, and check out the above mentioned books. Real science, hard data that will make you think very differently about how you eat and what you eat.
That's it for tonight - I am working on something that I need at least 1 more day to complete. That's why I called this one, Part 1. I'm trying to get my head around the most recent edition of "Men's Fitness", and their "Top 25 Fittest Men of the Year" story. I saw the first 3 names, dropped the magazine, went to the closest weight bearing wall, and began smashing my head into it, until I rendered myself unconscious, then, upon waking, had a cup of coffee and went for a run, and I still couldn't shake what I saw. So tomorrow should be a blast.
Side note- I need to know who ordered me this subscription, because I didn't. Seriously. So someone is having a good laugh watching me lose my mind at the inane and un-helpful articles they post. There is nothing germane to "men's fitness" in the entire magazine. So while I try to find the culprit, some of you will be happy to know that your Christmas present from me will be a year's subscription to "Cat Fancy" or "Living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome". Enjoy!
Hello snowflakes,
Let me start by saying I am in a slightly better mood than usual, as last evening my Aunt Rocca and Uncle Dennis treated a few of us to a night of much needed laughter and levity, as we saw what I would have to call our family's favorite comedian, Lewis Black live at the Chicago Theatre. I have always felt a special kinship with him, as he is usually angry 95% of the time, can't wait to see how the President and the EXACT same Congressional make up are suddenly going to "get along" after playing 4 years of a political version of a Mexican Standoff, and hates, with tremendous passion, what we have done to the holidays. Particularly Christmas. He even went so far last night as to say, "I used to think that you Christians (note - Mr. Black is Jewish - I know, a Jewish comedian? How rare!) should start celebrating Christmas on the 4th of July, but now, just keep it going the whole year. Don't take the lights down. Besides, Christmas is the only time you assholes are happy anyway". So how can I not love this guy and agree with his entire line of thinking? Oh yeah, he hates social media as much as I do. For those of you who I haven't berated for this, here's my opportunity to do so - when you type your current status on Facebook, twitter, 4square, Linked In, Instagrampinterestnobodygivesashit, before you hit the "post" button, read it and ask yourself these questions - "If I saw this post on someone else's page, would I really give a shit? Would it affect the rest of my day, week, month, year, life?" If the answer is NO - and 10 times out of 10 it usually is, then don't post it. Unless you have the cure for cancer, AIDS, malaria, yellow fever, the common cold, the solution for global warming, the solution to balance the budget and the answer to end the possibility of any future chemical, biological, or nuclear warfare, then trust me when I tell you - its really not that important. And moreover, please stop feeling the need to share things that are rather personal with 1000 people who really aren't your true "friends". Not everyone needs to know how that colonoscopy went today and if its left you "feeling a little sore in all the wrong places". That's an actual post I saw. I can't make this stuff up. However, if you enjoy my rants, as much as I do, by all means post about your "Coke Zero tasting better than you imagined". I can't wait.
On to more serious stuff, I know some of you have started taking the 30 day Paleo challenge, and I am extremely proud of you and support you 100%. Its a huge step to adding years, quality years, to your life, and providing you with a deeper insight as to why we should be eating this way. I want to salute my sister for doing this as well, proving that you can be a parent and still go Paleo. By making this decision she is instilling better eating habits in my nieces, even though they may not feel that way right now, which will be even bigger dividends as they grow older. This way, they too will know the importance of eating clean, as it will enhance their ability to focus in school, sports, and enjoy life more in general. For those of you on this journey, and more importantly for those of you who aren't, I suggest the following - "The Paleo Solution", by Robb Wolf, "The Paleo Diet", by Dr. Loren Cordain, "The Primal Blueprint" by Mark Sisson, as well as www.marksdailyapple.com, a free, weekly, newsletter that provides great insight into this lifestyle.
If you haven't tried going Paleo, and have been considering it, my suggestion, and I am totally serious about this - start tomorrow. That's right, start on the Monday before Thanksgiving. Tell yourself that you will stay the course on this, and if you give yourself a running start, by Thursday, you won't want to stop your momentum. I can assure you that all the training in the world can be undone by how you eat. Its my contention that several top endurance athletes have short careers. At some point, a bad diet that doesn't properly address the fueling needs of the athlete or the recovery needs, will catch up with them and then its a domino effect - injury, over-training, you name it. There is no question that form is also a major factor in their breakdowns, but without eating clean, the likelihood of increased inflammation, GI problems or gastric distress - which in some athletes becomes a long term or permanent problem, poor sleep patterns, unstable insulin levels resulting in type 2 diabetes (think, skinny-fat) depression, anxiety, and in some cases, severe neurological disorders all become prevalent.
So I encourage all of you to consider making this dietary change. And please don't just take my word for it -talk to others who have done it. There are several on this newsletter, and check out the above mentioned books. Real science, hard data that will make you think very differently about how you eat and what you eat.
That's it for tonight - I am working on something that I need at least 1 more day to complete. That's why I called this one, Part 1. I'm trying to get my head around the most recent edition of "Men's Fitness", and their "Top 25 Fittest Men of the Year" story. I saw the first 3 names, dropped the magazine, went to the closest weight bearing wall, and began smashing my head into it, until I rendered myself unconscious, then, upon waking, had a cup of coffee and went for a run, and I still couldn't shake what I saw. So tomorrow should be a blast.
Side note- I need to know who ordered me this subscription, because I didn't. Seriously. So someone is having a good laugh watching me lose my mind at the inane and un-helpful articles they post. There is nothing germane to "men's fitness" in the entire magazine. So while I try to find the culprit, some of you will be happy to know that your Christmas present from me will be a year's subscription to "Cat Fancy" or "Living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome". Enjoy!
Monday, November 12, 2012
The revolution of health and fitness has arrived
I've been waiting to write this post for a while now, and it gives me a great sense of excitement, humility, awe and wonderment as I do so. What follows is my review of the book, "Power, Speed, Endurance, A skill based approach to endurance training,"written by Brain MacKenzie, Glen Cordoza, and contributions from the most knowledgeable guys I've ever met or read.
This book is by far, the most complete, comprehensive and forward thinking approach as to how to train for life. Yes, the title would indicate that its for endurance athletes, but that's slightly misleading. The book does what no other training guide, be it sport specific or educational does - it is rooted in the principal that everything we thought we did correctly, like running, biking and swimming, is a skill that needs to be revamped. And not simply revamped by pounding out more work, the book reveals that when you treat each element as a skill, your level of fitness, your enjoyment of training, your quality of life, will increase at a geometric rate. This book isn't just for athletes, its for everyone. Something no other "Tri-specific", "run specific". etc, can do. In a world where people literally rely on "Running for Dummies", or "Triathlon for Dummies", its become obvious than any idiot with a pulse, an editor and one marathon under their belt, can write a book. The beauty of Power, Speed, Endurance is that it destroys all conventional thinking normally associated with your standard endurance program, because the author, and contributors have used themselves to test, retest, and then retest again, everything that they have done. Not for just a year, but for years, researching constantly, experimenting constantly to find the better way to train. To find a better way to move. Think about that. What other book on health or fitness stresses the importance of moving better? Until now, none that I know of.
The Crossfit Endurance model is the source of much debate in the endurance circles, but I would say that anyone, be you a fan, or a hater, will change your thinking as to what Crossfit Endurance really is after reading this book. Brian painstakingly breaks down the 4 sports - running, biking, swimming, and rowing, then provides the dearth of information on the necessity of the lifts, the met-cons, the mobility, everything you really need to be fit for life. That's why this book applies to the normal health club member, crossfitter, beginner endurance athlete, top age grouper or elite. In fact, you don't have to race one blessed event, and you will still be fitter and healthier than ever by reading it. Absorbing it. Understanding that its not to be done for a month, 3 months, a year. Its for life. The writing is no-holds barred, the curtain has been pulled back to reveal the essence and importance of skill work. For example, prior to meeting Brian 2 and a half years ago, I was pretty certain I knew how to run. That all changed in the first 48 hours of meeting Brian. I realized that not only did I not know how to run, I wasn't even running. I call what I was doing forward motion. Yes, I was moving forward fast at times, but not nearly as fast or efficiently as I do now. By embracing the notion of running as a skill, and the same mindset with every part of triathlon, lifting and metabolic conditioning, I've become a more complete athlete, as well as a faster and more efficient one. One that doesn't break down. That is all due to Brian, and the use of Crossfit Endurance made available in this book. And let me assure you, anything I have learned and continue to learn, has come from him. The fact that I've become a science geek is due to his provocation, his mindset, pushing me, all of us, to be better. To raise our game. To learn more, to give more. That comes through in this book loud and clear. He firmly admits what he is writing will cause controversy. And that's absolutely fine. I have been called a heretic by the multisport community for agreeing with his methods. And I sleep damn well at night.
I encourage each of you to read it. I can't stress that enough. The section on nutrition alone is worth the price. For anyone who really wants to understand how CFE works, how its meant to work, how your body is supposed to work, read this book. I am honored and humbled to have been asked to write this review, as I feel its such a small thing compared to what I have been given by Brian and all the guys at Crossfit Endurance. This is for the guys who busted their ass the last 10 years studying, experimenting, developing this system, and for all of those who use it daily to train and to live. And its not done, as this process is simply beginning.
For those of you who don't believe in what the CFE crew does, I feel sorry for you. Truly. You are living half a life. That sucks. Bering close minded, allowing your ego to get in your way, its preventing you from experiencing true fitness. So for those who maintain that mentaility, I challenge you to read the book's forward, written by TJ Murphy. He admitted to hating CFE without knowing the first thing about it,ow, he's one of its biggest advocates. Its funny how that happens. Our jump to judgment before we even get to know a person, or a group of people. And that will of course continue, but I know it doesn't bother me at all. If it did, I don't think I'd get out of bed in the morning. Same goes for the men in this book. If they gave half a second to being concerned about who liked them, this book would be a pipe dream. Read, absorb, live.
Stay strong,
Guy
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Pick a fight
"I've been told its a good idea to start a speech with a joke. Well, don't get your hopes up. I'm not hear to tell jokes. I'm here to pick a fight. I'm hear to pick a fight with second place. I have about as much patience for second place, as I do for flies in my soup. But maybe you like flies in your soup. Maybe you like second place. Maybe you like that 'you gave it your best, better luck next time' malarky they spoonfeed runner ups. Let me put it another way; if you think second place is ok, go ask Napoleon how he felt about coming in second at Waterloo. Not so good, not so good. And you can spare me the 'its not if you win or lose, its how you play the game' bullshit, becuase whoever said that, lost the game. The moral of the story - come in first. Still want to hear a joke? Fine. Here's one for you -
'Knock knock.'
'Who's there?'
'The guy who finished second.'
'The guy who finished second who? The guy who finished second who?....'
Exactly.
Versus Promo Clip for the NHL
Hello all,
So, let's get right into it tonight. Lots to cover. The above quote, one of my personal favorites, applies to all of us, in a way that far exceeds sport or fitness. Let me explain.
I absolutely, positively, can not stand losing. I actually hate losing more than I love winning. Its not that I hate losing simply in racing, I hate losing in any area of life. I hate the notion of giving up or giving in. I know that I will fail at times, but that is a part of the process to achieving victory in life. What I mean is, if you look at life as a long journey, a long war of highs and lows, then you understand that this process, living life day to day, you know that there are "victories" to be had everywhere.
I come from a long and storied line of people who hate to lose. Starting with my grandfather Guy. For those of you who don't know the stories, ask my Gram to share with you his distaste for losing. Or ask anyone he played cards with. Same with my Gram - you think she plays Words with Friends with her grandkids to just keep in touch? She likes to win. Trust me. That trait got passed down to her children, one being my father, who everyone in the family knows, absolutely hates losing. And for those of you in the family who didn't know this one, my mother, dearest Angela or Lina, is not a fan of losing either. Play a board game with her and find out.
My mom's brothers fall in that same category, with one of my uncle's, Tony, a retired GE employee, still wheeling and dealing, refurbishing and selling instruments, even when he was in the hospital having surgery for a broken femur. I personally saw that one. He wasn't about to let a good sale go, so he had the buyer meet him at Loyola, in his hospital room. His brother, Dominic, is just as competitive, reminding through my youth, that losing, truly sucks.
From my parents generation, the "gene" was passed to us, myself, and my 2 siblings being ultra competitive - yes even the wonderful, sweet Laura is a competitive beast. And then there's me. But what I have learned over the last 2 years is that fighting, and fighting to win in life, is how we not only survive, but thrive.
Which leads me to tonight's topic. I'm going to share an intimate and personal story with you, to illustrate my point. My uncle Dominic has Parkinson's. The actual length of time he has been fighting it is somewhat unknown, but he was diagnosed less than 6 months ago. Its been a battle, and one that I didn't truly know the depths of until a few weeks ago. On a chance phone call with my mom, I was told how advanced it was, and his current struggles. I refused to believe that he was simply supposed to allow the illness to progress, leaving him further incapacitated and in need of constant care. That he was supposed to simply wait for medications to make it manageable. Before I hung up with my mother, I promised her more answers in 24 hours. That was 7:30 pm on a Friday night.
I didn't sleep, instead, going to work in the Evil Lab, starting to research everything about how Parkinson's works, to the levels, to the medications, then, connecting the dots as to how to put everything together. I have a board full of the chemical breakdown as to what dopamine looks like, the amino acids that feed it, to filling a note pad with formulas, and clinical research. I called Brian, getting feedback from them on the movement side, double checking my understanding of the affects of Parkinsons on movement patterns and how to rebuild muscle tissue and memory. As promised, I contacted my Mom and my cousin Grace, my uncle's middle daughter, and let them know that there is hope, that there is a way to beat this thing back.
I spent the rest of the weekend researching, then called my Aunt Maryann, and told her to get ready, b/c that Tuesday night, I was coming over with lots of info. When I got there, I laid out my research, and how Parkinsons is not a death sentence; that although there is not a cure, there are more natural or homeopathic ways of addressing it, which actually help to reverse the affects of Parkinsons. As I spoke, I made it clear that this was a fight, but one that was winnable, and that faith combined with hard work, was going to make this possible. A Paleo diet, with exercises that work on rebuilding the feet, then the legs, - moving up the chain, with the use of compression to encourage better blood flow, and quicker recovery. To a man I have always admired my whole life, I was able to give him something that I never thought I could - hope.
With that one visit, things changed, and they will continue to as he improves his strength and health. This past week, we were given a wonderful surprise, when I shared my research with the guys at SKINS. They were so impressed and touched by his story, his fight, they wanted to help. They are sending him their high end compression gear to aid in his recovery. They knew that in times like this, a fighter needs allies, and it is just amazing to see the help that people are willing to give. To stand by his side to get him to win. This is a man that I have never known to take shit from anyone, so this is not the time for him to start. For someone that hates losing, he needed to know that he wasn't going to battle alone, that he can win. That he will win. I have complete faith in that. I haven't stopped researching, and I haven't stopped in my search to learn as much as possible about beating this thing.
The reason I'm sharing this is simple. We all have stuff that happens to us, health wise, fitness wise, what have you, where we are too quick to let that thing win. For some reason, our competitiveness simply leaves us, and we fall limp, content to just "ride it out". I've seen people who have been competitive beasts there whole life, suddenly succumb to an illness. And it doesn't have to be this way. We just celebrated breast cancer awareness month, pink strewn across the country to show support. But how many of you women, healthy women, have scheduled mammograms? How many of you stopped saying "there but for the grace of God go I" and took some time to be proactive to prevent breast cancer?
And for you guys - next month is Prostate cancer awareness month. Same question - different body part - you schedule your exam? Have you taken the time to do some homework to prevent the likelihood of getting what 1 in 3 men over the age of 45 are diagnosed with? Getting the picture?
I know most of you pretty well, and I know you guys are a competitive, bad ass bunch. So if you are currently suffering from something that you've been told "well, it comes with age", or "looks like you'll be on XYZ meds the rest of your life", issue, time to saddle up my snowflakes. You're thyroid not responding properly? There's a way to fight that. You stuck on antidepressants? Same deal. Do not accept defeat from anything. Your body is capable of more than you ever dreamed. Let me repeat that - your body is capable of more than you ever dreamed. We are a country that was founded on fighting. We fought to gain independence, and we haven't stopped since. Now on a personal level, what is your fight? And why aren't you winning?
I write these newsletters to remind all of you, that you aren't alone. That in your battle, all around you are people who will stand with you, right next to you, to carry you if necessary, in your battle. Arm yourself. Be your own advocate. Grab whatever it is that ails you by its rotten throat and rip it open. Be angry. In the words of Zach De La Rocha from Rage Against the Machine "Anger is a gift". Embrace your anger. Let it guide you to take responsibility to for what you've got going on. And always remember who is always there - me. Yes, miserable, angry, yet quite engaging, me. Now, you still feel like its ok to just sit back and take it? You think second ain't so bad? Then let me refer you to the above quote. Yeah, second place sucks. Now go get your fight on, my delicate snowflakes.
I'm OUT Guy
'Knock knock.'
'Who's there?'
'The guy who finished second.'
'The guy who finished second who? The guy who finished second who?....'
Exactly.
Versus Promo Clip for the NHL
Hello all,
So, let's get right into it tonight. Lots to cover. The above quote, one of my personal favorites, applies to all of us, in a way that far exceeds sport or fitness. Let me explain.
I absolutely, positively, can not stand losing. I actually hate losing more than I love winning. Its not that I hate losing simply in racing, I hate losing in any area of life. I hate the notion of giving up or giving in. I know that I will fail at times, but that is a part of the process to achieving victory in life. What I mean is, if you look at life as a long journey, a long war of highs and lows, then you understand that this process, living life day to day, you know that there are "victories" to be had everywhere.
I come from a long and storied line of people who hate to lose. Starting with my grandfather Guy. For those of you who don't know the stories, ask my Gram to share with you his distaste for losing. Or ask anyone he played cards with. Same with my Gram - you think she plays Words with Friends with her grandkids to just keep in touch? She likes to win. Trust me. That trait got passed down to her children, one being my father, who everyone in the family knows, absolutely hates losing. And for those of you in the family who didn't know this one, my mother, dearest Angela or Lina, is not a fan of losing either. Play a board game with her and find out.
My mom's brothers fall in that same category, with one of my uncle's, Tony, a retired GE employee, still wheeling and dealing, refurbishing and selling instruments, even when he was in the hospital having surgery for a broken femur. I personally saw that one. He wasn't about to let a good sale go, so he had the buyer meet him at Loyola, in his hospital room. His brother, Dominic, is just as competitive, reminding through my youth, that losing, truly sucks.
From my parents generation, the "gene" was passed to us, myself, and my 2 siblings being ultra competitive - yes even the wonderful, sweet Laura is a competitive beast. And then there's me. But what I have learned over the last 2 years is that fighting, and fighting to win in life, is how we not only survive, but thrive.
Which leads me to tonight's topic. I'm going to share an intimate and personal story with you, to illustrate my point. My uncle Dominic has Parkinson's. The actual length of time he has been fighting it is somewhat unknown, but he was diagnosed less than 6 months ago. Its been a battle, and one that I didn't truly know the depths of until a few weeks ago. On a chance phone call with my mom, I was told how advanced it was, and his current struggles. I refused to believe that he was simply supposed to allow the illness to progress, leaving him further incapacitated and in need of constant care. That he was supposed to simply wait for medications to make it manageable. Before I hung up with my mother, I promised her more answers in 24 hours. That was 7:30 pm on a Friday night.
I didn't sleep, instead, going to work in the Evil Lab, starting to research everything about how Parkinson's works, to the levels, to the medications, then, connecting the dots as to how to put everything together. I have a board full of the chemical breakdown as to what dopamine looks like, the amino acids that feed it, to filling a note pad with formulas, and clinical research. I called Brian, getting feedback from them on the movement side, double checking my understanding of the affects of Parkinsons on movement patterns and how to rebuild muscle tissue and memory. As promised, I contacted my Mom and my cousin Grace, my uncle's middle daughter, and let them know that there is hope, that there is a way to beat this thing back.
I spent the rest of the weekend researching, then called my Aunt Maryann, and told her to get ready, b/c that Tuesday night, I was coming over with lots of info. When I got there, I laid out my research, and how Parkinsons is not a death sentence; that although there is not a cure, there are more natural or homeopathic ways of addressing it, which actually help to reverse the affects of Parkinsons. As I spoke, I made it clear that this was a fight, but one that was winnable, and that faith combined with hard work, was going to make this possible. A Paleo diet, with exercises that work on rebuilding the feet, then the legs, - moving up the chain, with the use of compression to encourage better blood flow, and quicker recovery. To a man I have always admired my whole life, I was able to give him something that I never thought I could - hope.
With that one visit, things changed, and they will continue to as he improves his strength and health. This past week, we were given a wonderful surprise, when I shared my research with the guys at SKINS. They were so impressed and touched by his story, his fight, they wanted to help. They are sending him their high end compression gear to aid in his recovery. They knew that in times like this, a fighter needs allies, and it is just amazing to see the help that people are willing to give. To stand by his side to get him to win. This is a man that I have never known to take shit from anyone, so this is not the time for him to start. For someone that hates losing, he needed to know that he wasn't going to battle alone, that he can win. That he will win. I have complete faith in that. I haven't stopped researching, and I haven't stopped in my search to learn as much as possible about beating this thing.
The reason I'm sharing this is simple. We all have stuff that happens to us, health wise, fitness wise, what have you, where we are too quick to let that thing win. For some reason, our competitiveness simply leaves us, and we fall limp, content to just "ride it out". I've seen people who have been competitive beasts there whole life, suddenly succumb to an illness. And it doesn't have to be this way. We just celebrated breast cancer awareness month, pink strewn across the country to show support. But how many of you women, healthy women, have scheduled mammograms? How many of you stopped saying "there but for the grace of God go I" and took some time to be proactive to prevent breast cancer?
And for you guys - next month is Prostate cancer awareness month. Same question - different body part - you schedule your exam? Have you taken the time to do some homework to prevent the likelihood of getting what 1 in 3 men over the age of 45 are diagnosed with? Getting the picture?
I know most of you pretty well, and I know you guys are a competitive, bad ass bunch. So if you are currently suffering from something that you've been told "well, it comes with age", or "looks like you'll be on XYZ meds the rest of your life", issue, time to saddle up my snowflakes. You're thyroid not responding properly? There's a way to fight that. You stuck on antidepressants? Same deal. Do not accept defeat from anything. Your body is capable of more than you ever dreamed. Let me repeat that - your body is capable of more than you ever dreamed. We are a country that was founded on fighting. We fought to gain independence, and we haven't stopped since. Now on a personal level, what is your fight? And why aren't you winning?
I write these newsletters to remind all of you, that you aren't alone. That in your battle, all around you are people who will stand with you, right next to you, to carry you if necessary, in your battle. Arm yourself. Be your own advocate. Grab whatever it is that ails you by its rotten throat and rip it open. Be angry. In the words of Zach De La Rocha from Rage Against the Machine "Anger is a gift". Embrace your anger. Let it guide you to take responsibility to for what you've got going on. And always remember who is always there - me. Yes, miserable, angry, yet quite engaging, me. Now, you still feel like its ok to just sit back and take it? You think second ain't so bad? Then let me refer you to the above quote. Yeah, second place sucks. Now go get your fight on, my delicate snowflakes.
I'm OUT Guy
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Tales from the front
Cycling imitates life the way it would be without the corruptive influences of civilization. When you see an enemy lying on the ground, what's your first reaction? To help him to his feet?"
In road racing, you kick him to death".
An excerpt from "The Rider" by Tim Krabbe
Hello all,
This has been a very difficult and emotional week here at the evil lab. Most of you know that 6 of the riders who were former teammates of Lance Armstrong, testified to using Performance Enhancing Drugs, for an extended period of time, thus making it rather evident that Mr. Armstrong has most likely used them as well. The saddness for me was not so much the revelation about Lance, with the mounting evidence over the last few months, that is not shocking. However, when local Lemont resident, and more importantly, friend, Christian VandeVelde, admitted to using PED's, I was stunned and saddened. Christian represented the "everyman" in the pro peleton, at 35 years of age, still hammering out at the front of races all across the globe for team Garmin-Sharp, now facing a 6 month ban in return for admitting under oath to doping. I have known Christian since 2004, when I met him at The Bike Shop in Glen Ellyn, where a number of his jerseys hung. I say hung, b/c owner and close friend to both of us, Rich Ducar, took them down on Thursday when he heard the news. The little faith that Rich still had in cycling had been destroyed when CNN reported the news.
The riders referenced were - Christian, George Hincapie, Tom Danielson and Levi Liepheimer. The Levi news also stung, as he had been working with Kelly Starrett the last 18 months on improving his mobility. Kelly has given at least a dozen interviews in the last 4 days denying any connection with Levi and PED's, which is true, as Levi himself has stated as much. Levi's confession hurts me as well - here is a 40 year old pro, still capable of winning major tours. Now I am forced to look at all his results as false. Levi gave this 39 year old tremedous hope that it could still be done, that age doesn't matter. Apparently it matters less when you cheat.
I am not going to sit here and rehash the entire last week, the last 2 months of absolute destruction that has occured in the world of cycling. The above quote was given to me in 2004, by a friend and respected athlete - Dave Walters. Dave is a member of the old gaurd, in his late 50's, he recently posted a 2:45 marathon in Chicago. When I was starting to make a name in duathlon, Dave handed me a simple sheet of paper with the above words written on it. I still have it. I too am a member of that old gaurd, one of the last gunslingers still standing. Some say that mentality is harsh. Quite frankly folks, its survival in the world of racing. Note what I am saying - I am not saying that its cool to dope - I find athletes who cheat to be abhorrent, vile, and despicable figures in our sport. But the rules of racing still remain as they did decades ago- once you hit the throttle, you never let up.
Mr. Armstrong, through his attorneys, appealed the decision by USAT to deny him a professional license to race triathlons. This affects his ability to race at any races containing a prize purse, particularly Ironman races. Given his penchant for distance, it is a logical step. USAT, not wanting to upset USADA, stayed in lock step with their decision and banned Armstrong from competing in any USAT, ITU, WTA or Rev3 races. The Board denied his appeal, by majority decision. However, I see think USAT missed the more important point - which is why I disagree with their decision.
In re: Appeal of Mr. Lance Armstrong,the issue is to determine whether or not the denial of a professional racing license should be overturned. Mr. Armstrong applied for said license, and initially was granted same on December 20, 2011. At that time, the President and Vice President of USAT stated they were "honoured that Mr. Armstrong wanted to join the ranks of Professional Triathlon." Not 7 months later, these same individuals, stood fast beside the same quasi, and I use that term loosely, quasi-government body in condemning Mr. Armstrong, stating he would be a "black mark on our sport if allowed to compete in the professional triathlon ranks". A truly odd, if not strictly hypocritical statement, considering out sport has done extremely well in making its own "black mark", starting with the former president and vice president of USAT. As memory serves, they are currently on trial for embezzlement and misappropriation of funds derived from yearly dues from the very people that keep our sport going. Perhaps it is true what they say about the mountain air - it does provide a very short memory for people who are exposed to it.
My decision, which undoubtedly be the minority of my peers, is as follows - I vote to allow Mr. Armstrong to appeal the decision denying his pro license and believe he should be given the opportunity to race in the sport of triathlon. The only issue I have is that Mr. Armstrong, although a former professional cyclist with a very outstanding palmares, should have to go through the same process all of us had to - race as an amatuer and achieve the requisite results to then apply for a pro card. Only then can this board make a real decision as to whether or not Mr. Armstrong should be allowed to race in the pro field.
I am not going to debate the deluge of evidence suggesting that Mr. Armstrong has doped or used performance enhancing drugs to obtain victories in one of the most demanding sports, particularly at the most difficult race. He has been stripped of his titles, all wins dating back from 1998. He most likely will face federal charges for committing fraud on the US Postal service (which is rather comical considering they have been defrauding the American people for years), falsely inducing the Discovery Channel, Radioshack, and the Livestrong foundation for distributing funds to his racing, as well as perjury. However all of those ills, all of those issues stem from a completely different sport - professional cycling.
Last I checked, we are not professional cycling. We are not, as our esteemed president stated when comparing triathlon to cycing "apples to apples". I believe we are quite the contrary. We have a different governing body, extremely more complicated and disorganized than the Union of Cyclists Internationale, and definitely more incompetent. One only need to ask the question - who is the World Champion of Triathlon, and discover that there are at least 4 men and 4 women who can claim that title. To say we are somehow on par with the UCI would be quite a step up for our sport.
To simply follow, like lemmings, the ruling of the USADA, shows the lack of intelligence, independent thought, and borders on allowing Martial Law to exist in our sport. In my opinion, following USADA's decision is a cop out, a sign of weakness. Who is running USAT? Its not USADA, however, by following that decision, it seems that we are content to hand the reigns over to a group with its own agenda, its own set of handling or in several cases - mishandling, (let us not forget the Nina Kraft incident) and members appointed based more on who they know, than what they know. For example, I have a very difficult time trying to understand how the USADA deemed it ok for George Hincapie, a former Armstrong team member, and one of the most respected cyclist in the peleton, who came out in April and confessed to the USADA to using PED's for the better part of his early years, to not only avoid suspension, but allowed him to continue to race, and keep all of his wins. And in the same breath, sanction Tom Danielson, Christian VandeVelde, Dave Zabriske, and Levi Liephiemer, all former teammates and current professional cyclists, who admitted, in front of the same tribunal, to using PED's? Where is the equality of treatment? Why the difference? How do they even think they can attempt to square that with the UCI? And why should we, a group of intelligent and forward thinking athletes, neglect that hypocrisy? I for one cannot, and will not bow to USADA.
Triathlon is its own sport. And in our sport, Mr. Armstrong has not tested positive for any PED's. His past transgressions, although terrible and saddening, are his burden in a seperate venue, for which he is being punished. If we are to assume that he will continue to dope, and beat the controls set in place, then we will cross that bridge when we come to it. We are projecting out to a future event that may never take place. Does anyone see the ridiculousness of that notion? Trying to couch it in avoiding a black mark for our sport; that is beyond reproach. Our sport has suffered and survived several dark days, but we never had the indecency to deny someone the opportunity to race without just cause. That just cause is a positive drug test. He has not tested positive in any triathlon he has participated in since December 20, 2011. In fact, USADA's report states that there is no evidence past February 2011 of any PED use by Armstrong. So what exactly would be the reason to keep him from racing? Every individual he has worked with since February of 2011 has been investigated, thoroughly, and nothing was found. USAT is using assumption, and a fear of standing up for its own beliefs.
To state we are doing it to avoid setting a bad example is also a thinly veiled excuse for weakness. We have had so many issues within our own sport, not only positive drug tests by athletes, but severe felonies perpetrated by governing officials, extortion, blackmail, bribery; how can we possibly say that we are keeping Armstrong out to "save face"? Our sport has survived and thrived in the face of adversity. What we are avoiding is the lack of faith we have to fete out the "bad guys" with our doping controls. That lack of faith stems from USADA who, through this entire incident, has been forced to realize they were ones who lacked the ability to stay ahead of the cheats. Now, they are passing down judgement to all of us, telling us to keep people out because of their failings. I cannot abide by that.
This decision will undoubtedly earn me a very pleasant visit from an official from the USADA for a drug test. I welcome the company. I'm always happy to talk to a human robot. It can be rather funny, if you don't mind someone standing over you as you attempt to urinate.
For the aforementioned reasons, I vote to allow Mr. Armstrong to appeal, and be allowed to race while his appeal is being decided.
Respectfully,
Guy Petruzzelli
In road racing, you kick him to death".
An excerpt from "The Rider" by Tim Krabbe
Hello all,
This has been a very difficult and emotional week here at the evil lab. Most of you know that 6 of the riders who were former teammates of Lance Armstrong, testified to using Performance Enhancing Drugs, for an extended period of time, thus making it rather evident that Mr. Armstrong has most likely used them as well. The saddness for me was not so much the revelation about Lance, with the mounting evidence over the last few months, that is not shocking. However, when local Lemont resident, and more importantly, friend, Christian VandeVelde, admitted to using PED's, I was stunned and saddened. Christian represented the "everyman" in the pro peleton, at 35 years of age, still hammering out at the front of races all across the globe for team Garmin-Sharp, now facing a 6 month ban in return for admitting under oath to doping. I have known Christian since 2004, when I met him at The Bike Shop in Glen Ellyn, where a number of his jerseys hung. I say hung, b/c owner and close friend to both of us, Rich Ducar, took them down on Thursday when he heard the news. The little faith that Rich still had in cycling had been destroyed when CNN reported the news.
The riders referenced were - Christian, George Hincapie, Tom Danielson and Levi Liepheimer. The Levi news also stung, as he had been working with Kelly Starrett the last 18 months on improving his mobility. Kelly has given at least a dozen interviews in the last 4 days denying any connection with Levi and PED's, which is true, as Levi himself has stated as much. Levi's confession hurts me as well - here is a 40 year old pro, still capable of winning major tours. Now I am forced to look at all his results as false. Levi gave this 39 year old tremedous hope that it could still be done, that age doesn't matter. Apparently it matters less when you cheat.
I am not going to sit here and rehash the entire last week, the last 2 months of absolute destruction that has occured in the world of cycling. The above quote was given to me in 2004, by a friend and respected athlete - Dave Walters. Dave is a member of the old gaurd, in his late 50's, he recently posted a 2:45 marathon in Chicago. When I was starting to make a name in duathlon, Dave handed me a simple sheet of paper with the above words written on it. I still have it. I too am a member of that old gaurd, one of the last gunslingers still standing. Some say that mentality is harsh. Quite frankly folks, its survival in the world of racing. Note what I am saying - I am not saying that its cool to dope - I find athletes who cheat to be abhorrent, vile, and despicable figures in our sport. But the rules of racing still remain as they did decades ago- once you hit the throttle, you never let up.
Mr. Armstrong, through his attorneys, appealed the decision by USAT to deny him a professional license to race triathlons. This affects his ability to race at any races containing a prize purse, particularly Ironman races. Given his penchant for distance, it is a logical step. USAT, not wanting to upset USADA, stayed in lock step with their decision and banned Armstrong from competing in any USAT, ITU, WTA or Rev3 races. The Board denied his appeal, by majority decision. However, I see think USAT missed the more important point - which is why I disagree with their decision.
In re: Appeal of Mr. Lance Armstrong,the issue is to determine whether or not the denial of a professional racing license should be overturned. Mr. Armstrong applied for said license, and initially was granted same on December 20, 2011. At that time, the President and Vice President of USAT stated they were "honoured that Mr. Armstrong wanted to join the ranks of Professional Triathlon." Not 7 months later, these same individuals, stood fast beside the same quasi, and I use that term loosely, quasi-government body in condemning Mr. Armstrong, stating he would be a "black mark on our sport if allowed to compete in the professional triathlon ranks". A truly odd, if not strictly hypocritical statement, considering out sport has done extremely well in making its own "black mark", starting with the former president and vice president of USAT. As memory serves, they are currently on trial for embezzlement and misappropriation of funds derived from yearly dues from the very people that keep our sport going. Perhaps it is true what they say about the mountain air - it does provide a very short memory for people who are exposed to it.
My decision, which undoubtedly be the minority of my peers, is as follows - I vote to allow Mr. Armstrong to appeal the decision denying his pro license and believe he should be given the opportunity to race in the sport of triathlon. The only issue I have is that Mr. Armstrong, although a former professional cyclist with a very outstanding palmares, should have to go through the same process all of us had to - race as an amatuer and achieve the requisite results to then apply for a pro card. Only then can this board make a real decision as to whether or not Mr. Armstrong should be allowed to race in the pro field.
I am not going to debate the deluge of evidence suggesting that Mr. Armstrong has doped or used performance enhancing drugs to obtain victories in one of the most demanding sports, particularly at the most difficult race. He has been stripped of his titles, all wins dating back from 1998. He most likely will face federal charges for committing fraud on the US Postal service (which is rather comical considering they have been defrauding the American people for years), falsely inducing the Discovery Channel, Radioshack, and the Livestrong foundation for distributing funds to his racing, as well as perjury. However all of those ills, all of those issues stem from a completely different sport - professional cycling.
Last I checked, we are not professional cycling. We are not, as our esteemed president stated when comparing triathlon to cycing "apples to apples". I believe we are quite the contrary. We have a different governing body, extremely more complicated and disorganized than the Union of Cyclists Internationale, and definitely more incompetent. One only need to ask the question - who is the World Champion of Triathlon, and discover that there are at least 4 men and 4 women who can claim that title. To say we are somehow on par with the UCI would be quite a step up for our sport.
To simply follow, like lemmings, the ruling of the USADA, shows the lack of intelligence, independent thought, and borders on allowing Martial Law to exist in our sport. In my opinion, following USADA's decision is a cop out, a sign of weakness. Who is running USAT? Its not USADA, however, by following that decision, it seems that we are content to hand the reigns over to a group with its own agenda, its own set of handling or in several cases - mishandling, (let us not forget the Nina Kraft incident) and members appointed based more on who they know, than what they know. For example, I have a very difficult time trying to understand how the USADA deemed it ok for George Hincapie, a former Armstrong team member, and one of the most respected cyclist in the peleton, who came out in April and confessed to the USADA to using PED's for the better part of his early years, to not only avoid suspension, but allowed him to continue to race, and keep all of his wins. And in the same breath, sanction Tom Danielson, Christian VandeVelde, Dave Zabriske, and Levi Liephiemer, all former teammates and current professional cyclists, who admitted, in front of the same tribunal, to using PED's? Where is the equality of treatment? Why the difference? How do they even think they can attempt to square that with the UCI? And why should we, a group of intelligent and forward thinking athletes, neglect that hypocrisy? I for one cannot, and will not bow to USADA.
Triathlon is its own sport. And in our sport, Mr. Armstrong has not tested positive for any PED's. His past transgressions, although terrible and saddening, are his burden in a seperate venue, for which he is being punished. If we are to assume that he will continue to dope, and beat the controls set in place, then we will cross that bridge when we come to it. We are projecting out to a future event that may never take place. Does anyone see the ridiculousness of that notion? Trying to couch it in avoiding a black mark for our sport; that is beyond reproach. Our sport has suffered and survived several dark days, but we never had the indecency to deny someone the opportunity to race without just cause. That just cause is a positive drug test. He has not tested positive in any triathlon he has participated in since December 20, 2011. In fact, USADA's report states that there is no evidence past February 2011 of any PED use by Armstrong. So what exactly would be the reason to keep him from racing? Every individual he has worked with since February of 2011 has been investigated, thoroughly, and nothing was found. USAT is using assumption, and a fear of standing up for its own beliefs.
To state we are doing it to avoid setting a bad example is also a thinly veiled excuse for weakness. We have had so many issues within our own sport, not only positive drug tests by athletes, but severe felonies perpetrated by governing officials, extortion, blackmail, bribery; how can we possibly say that we are keeping Armstrong out to "save face"? Our sport has survived and thrived in the face of adversity. What we are avoiding is the lack of faith we have to fete out the "bad guys" with our doping controls. That lack of faith stems from USADA who, through this entire incident, has been forced to realize they were ones who lacked the ability to stay ahead of the cheats. Now, they are passing down judgement to all of us, telling us to keep people out because of their failings. I cannot abide by that.
This decision will undoubtedly earn me a very pleasant visit from an official from the USADA for a drug test. I welcome the company. I'm always happy to talk to a human robot. It can be rather funny, if you don't mind someone standing over you as you attempt to urinate.
For the aforementioned reasons, I vote to allow Mr. Armstrong to appeal, and be allowed to race while his appeal is being decided.
Respectfully,
Guy Petruzzelli
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Living life UNSCARED
Helllo sportsfans!!! Yes its been a while, and I need to catch up on a lot. In a nutshell, here it is -
I've completely recovered from the hip fracture, and did so in time to do the following -
Win 6 races this season, at every distance of duathlon, from sprint, to olympic to hybrid to long course,
and with the last win - a 4.2 mile run/56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run, I took the overall and the course record too boot. Its been a fantastic season, and its not done yet. Miamiman is looming large in November, another long course du, another great challenge.
People have asked me a number of times - how did it happen? How did you recover so fast and get stronger? I took a really hard look at what was ahead of me and realized, I wasn't really living. I was still afraid of a lot of things. And then, I went to California in Mid-march to hang with my brothers Bmack and Doug K, and it hit me like a truck -live life UNSCARED.
To sum it all up and get back on track - here's the latest as to how and why.
Now, I know we have been discussing the concept of Chasing Performance the last couple weeks, and I think, based off of the feedback I have been getting, that you are all understanding what that means. If anything we have discussed prior to today is confusing, please let me know. Understand that in programming, even in the world of CF and CFE where constantly varied movement is the rule, there still needs to be a plan for furthering fitness. For example, if you train in a class, you should feel that you are making incremental gains weekly. Your programming should reflect that. The same applies to you endurance monsters - although I don't agree with the philosophy of periodization, there still needs to be a plan for progression, a plan that provides you with solid metrics that will give you solid proof of your improvement. Remember - specificity is key.
The more specific the metrics, the easier it is to check your fitness. Specific, measurable and constantly progressing. Let that be your mantra as you go forward. But the glue to this process, and in my opinion, the one critical element that I see missing from a lot of programs, and as a by-product in a lot of athletes, is the mindset that should be prevalent as you do anything in life. I started this newsletter with a quote from one of my all-time favorite authors, and one that has been used to define yours truly and some of my closest friends. What makes us "mutants" isn't just the training, nutrition and sleep patterns. We live UNSCARED. I use this word alot, I know. And a couple weeks ago UNSCARED founder Brian MacKenzie was awarded a WAC championship ring from the San Jose State Womens Swim team b/c of his pre-conference UNSCARED speech.
But there is a second part of that speech that I would like to add - my take on UNSCARED and how I apply it to my life. So, for the first time anywhere is the second part of UNSCARED, its what I have created from my life experiences, particularly in the last 2 years - REGRET NOTHING. As we get older, things get taken from us in life. Not just the tangibles like money, but things much more valuable; our time, our passions, our dreams, our freedom. Its funny, b/c as a kid you can't wait for the "freedom" of college, or the "freedom" of turning 21. We don't see the responsibilities that come with being an adult, the possible sacrifices, I call them sacrifices not compromises, b/c if they were a compromise, you wouldn't regret them.
But here's the thing, once you start to live facing your fears down, you realize that making decisions is not as difficult as they once were. Example - I don't know when, but at some point, we turned into a passive-aggressive, sniveling, weak-willed, and mediocre society. We pass along back-handed compliments instead of speaking our mind, out of fear of? Rejection? Guilt? Social pressure? Here's the thing - its all bullshit. Our forefathers didn't risk everything, literally everything by trying to be politically correct. If they did, we'd all be speaking the King's right now. Thomas Jefferson was known for saying "One man with courage is a majority". I take that to mean that even if a man or woman is alone in their convictions, as long as they stay true to them, they are more powerful than a stadium full of lemmings.
Its my contention that our grandparents, or relatives who came across the pond in search of a better life also lived by that credo. They survived poverty, disease, racism, sexism, racial profiling - yes it existed prior to 9/11 and it went for "caucasians" who were dealing with other white folk. And then, our generation, one that wailed along with Pearl Jam, Nirvana, the disinfranchised youth movement of the early 1990's, got soft. We now watch our society of "every kid gets a medal" and tip-toeing around one another so as to not to offend, letting our dreams, our passions die slowly, haunting us in the quiet moments we have.
Have you ever walked away from a conversation thinking, "That's not what I wanted to say. I didn't make my point b/c I went soft". That's regret. And those quick moments multiply. Soon we find ourselves actually turning into the things we never said we would. I was there. I hated myself everyday. I lived in half light. I compromised. I sold out. I lived everyday with the albatross of regret. That fire that burned inside me was dulled, its embers barely hanging on. Then I got hit by a car. Literally. It was at that moment that my eyes were open. I was open to living UNSCARED. What I came to realize was that living UNSCARED meant regretting nothing. Its not just speaking my mind. Its not about being inappropriate. I'm not suggesting that you live like an uncaged animal violating the law or the laws of morality, However, I am suggesting that when your life, and I do mean your life - i.e. health and fitness are at stake, then step up and say something. Start a revolution. Be your own majority.
Once you do, you will realize that you are not alone. Its not too late to live your dreams. Start small, and build. Progress. Believe. Encourage one another. But stop living scared. Stop having that internal debate of "ohh, I didn't mean that, I meant something else; this is not what I wanted to do; I expected more out of life". Is that what you want on your tombstone? "Here lies X. he/she lived life at half speed, and died of a life of regret". Screw that. I wish I walked around with a tape recorder so that I could replay all the negative stuff I hear people say daily about themselves. You want to know why you aren't getting farther? You are damning yourself before you walk out the door.
Look, I don't suggest any of you to model yourselves after me. I am adamant when I say I am not a role model. With great confidence I can say that none of us at CFE consider ourselves to be one. What I know is that inside each of you, is that same fire. What it burns for is yours and yours only. So when are you going to stop regretting your pursuit of it? When are you going to get yours? When will you realize that taking that first step, that leap of faith, that first time you say NO, I am not following what everyone else is doing, NO I will not blindly allow someone else to handle my health and fitness without asking questions, NO I will not go quietly into that good night, will open the floodgates of empowerment? Step one - don't regret the decision you are about to make. Don't compromise. Don't be afraid to fail. Failure is living.
If you never fail, how will you know the true sweetness and joy of success? How will you know what you are capable of by simply playing it safe? Because playing it safe, makes your world a lot smaller every day. You are giving away your ability to make decisions for yourself. You are losing yourself. Stop. Right now. Many people will say I am aggressive, or abrasive. That's cowardice talking. That's fear. And yes, it leaves me often as a party of one, but that's ok. Because when I go to sleep, the things that keep me up aren't regret. And that gives me a sense of peace that provides a sleep that many don't get. I challenge each of you to live your life not only UNSCARED, but to start with regretting nothing. Try it. You might find the real you come out.
I'm out.
Guy
I've completely recovered from the hip fracture, and did so in time to do the following -
Win 6 races this season, at every distance of duathlon, from sprint, to olympic to hybrid to long course,
and with the last win - a 4.2 mile run/56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run, I took the overall and the course record too boot. Its been a fantastic season, and its not done yet. Miamiman is looming large in November, another long course du, another great challenge.
People have asked me a number of times - how did it happen? How did you recover so fast and get stronger? I took a really hard look at what was ahead of me and realized, I wasn't really living. I was still afraid of a lot of things. And then, I went to California in Mid-march to hang with my brothers Bmack and Doug K, and it hit me like a truck -live life UNSCARED.
To sum it all up and get back on track - here's the latest as to how and why.
Now, I know we have been discussing the concept of Chasing Performance the last couple weeks, and I think, based off of the feedback I have been getting, that you are all understanding what that means. If anything we have discussed prior to today is confusing, please let me know. Understand that in programming, even in the world of CF and CFE where constantly varied movement is the rule, there still needs to be a plan for furthering fitness. For example, if you train in a class, you should feel that you are making incremental gains weekly. Your programming should reflect that. The same applies to you endurance monsters - although I don't agree with the philosophy of periodization, there still needs to be a plan for progression, a plan that provides you with solid metrics that will give you solid proof of your improvement. Remember - specificity is key.
The more specific the metrics, the easier it is to check your fitness. Specific, measurable and constantly progressing. Let that be your mantra as you go forward. But the glue to this process, and in my opinion, the one critical element that I see missing from a lot of programs, and as a by-product in a lot of athletes, is the mindset that should be prevalent as you do anything in life. I started this newsletter with a quote from one of my all-time favorite authors, and one that has been used to define yours truly and some of my closest friends. What makes us "mutants" isn't just the training, nutrition and sleep patterns. We live UNSCARED. I use this word alot, I know. And a couple weeks ago UNSCARED founder Brian MacKenzie was awarded a WAC championship ring from the San Jose State Womens Swim team b/c of his pre-conference UNSCARED speech.
But there is a second part of that speech that I would like to add - my take on UNSCARED and how I apply it to my life. So, for the first time anywhere is the second part of UNSCARED, its what I have created from my life experiences, particularly in the last 2 years - REGRET NOTHING. As we get older, things get taken from us in life. Not just the tangibles like money, but things much more valuable; our time, our passions, our dreams, our freedom. Its funny, b/c as a kid you can't wait for the "freedom" of college, or the "freedom" of turning 21. We don't see the responsibilities that come with being an adult, the possible sacrifices, I call them sacrifices not compromises, b/c if they were a compromise, you wouldn't regret them.
But here's the thing, once you start to live facing your fears down, you realize that making decisions is not as difficult as they once were. Example - I don't know when, but at some point, we turned into a passive-aggressive, sniveling, weak-willed, and mediocre society. We pass along back-handed compliments instead of speaking our mind, out of fear of? Rejection? Guilt? Social pressure? Here's the thing - its all bullshit. Our forefathers didn't risk everything, literally everything by trying to be politically correct. If they did, we'd all be speaking the King's right now. Thomas Jefferson was known for saying "One man with courage is a majority". I take that to mean that even if a man or woman is alone in their convictions, as long as they stay true to them, they are more powerful than a stadium full of lemmings.
Its my contention that our grandparents, or relatives who came across the pond in search of a better life also lived by that credo. They survived poverty, disease, racism, sexism, racial profiling - yes it existed prior to 9/11 and it went for "caucasians" who were dealing with other white folk. And then, our generation, one that wailed along with Pearl Jam, Nirvana, the disinfranchised youth movement of the early 1990's, got soft. We now watch our society of "every kid gets a medal" and tip-toeing around one another so as to not to offend, letting our dreams, our passions die slowly, haunting us in the quiet moments we have.
Have you ever walked away from a conversation thinking, "That's not what I wanted to say. I didn't make my point b/c I went soft". That's regret. And those quick moments multiply. Soon we find ourselves actually turning into the things we never said we would. I was there. I hated myself everyday. I lived in half light. I compromised. I sold out. I lived everyday with the albatross of regret. That fire that burned inside me was dulled, its embers barely hanging on. Then I got hit by a car. Literally. It was at that moment that my eyes were open. I was open to living UNSCARED. What I came to realize was that living UNSCARED meant regretting nothing. Its not just speaking my mind. Its not about being inappropriate. I'm not suggesting that you live like an uncaged animal violating the law or the laws of morality, However, I am suggesting that when your life, and I do mean your life - i.e. health and fitness are at stake, then step up and say something. Start a revolution. Be your own majority.
Once you do, you will realize that you are not alone. Its not too late to live your dreams. Start small, and build. Progress. Believe. Encourage one another. But stop living scared. Stop having that internal debate of "ohh, I didn't mean that, I meant something else; this is not what I wanted to do; I expected more out of life". Is that what you want on your tombstone? "Here lies X. he/she lived life at half speed, and died of a life of regret". Screw that. I wish I walked around with a tape recorder so that I could replay all the negative stuff I hear people say daily about themselves. You want to know why you aren't getting farther? You are damning yourself before you walk out the door.
Look, I don't suggest any of you to model yourselves after me. I am adamant when I say I am not a role model. With great confidence I can say that none of us at CFE consider ourselves to be one. What I know is that inside each of you, is that same fire. What it burns for is yours and yours only. So when are you going to stop regretting your pursuit of it? When are you going to get yours? When will you realize that taking that first step, that leap of faith, that first time you say NO, I am not following what everyone else is doing, NO I will not blindly allow someone else to handle my health and fitness without asking questions, NO I will not go quietly into that good night, will open the floodgates of empowerment? Step one - don't regret the decision you are about to make. Don't compromise. Don't be afraid to fail. Failure is living.
If you never fail, how will you know the true sweetness and joy of success? How will you know what you are capable of by simply playing it safe? Because playing it safe, makes your world a lot smaller every day. You are giving away your ability to make decisions for yourself. You are losing yourself. Stop. Right now. Many people will say I am aggressive, or abrasive. That's cowardice talking. That's fear. And yes, it leaves me often as a party of one, but that's ok. Because when I go to sleep, the things that keep me up aren't regret. And that gives me a sense of peace that provides a sleep that many don't get. I challenge each of you to live your life not only UNSCARED, but to start with regretting nothing. Try it. You might find the real you come out.
I'm out.
Guy
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
You and Your Heart Rate Monitor
"Lance isn't the kind of guy to talk about his feelings. Even if he is in a bad mood, you won't know why. It all comes out on the bike. That's why his ride tells a story, not his mouth". Quote from John Koroith - from Lance Armstrong's War, by Daniel Coyle
What up sports fans? I'm sitting here writting this tonight, with my shot of espresso, bottle of water, and watching my 2 roommates plan a trip to Costa Rica at the end of the month, where one of my roommates, Nick, will be racing. For obvious reasons, I won't be joining them, but I feel a sense of peace in putting in a very solid week of training including riding outdoors both days this weekend. And I am reminded of the quote above b/c, I understand the importance of channeling negative energy in a positive direction. Its one of 2 things I want to discuss. The first topic is just as important and the myths around it need to be put to rest - Heart Rate Monitors.
- Let me be the first to say it - being tied to your Heart Rate monitor like its got the cure to cancer is the worst idea for obtaining better fitness, health, speed, strength, fat loss, lean muscle building and any of the other "magical" things its supposed to do. You're better off taking diet pills that raise your heart rate and downing them with a Red Bull. Now I know I am a Polar sponsored athlete, and should be preaching about how HR training is the greatest thing ever, but I can't, b/c, well, its total bullshit. Here's why - your heart rate can be affected by a number of different things that can give you a false reading and leave you either stale or burned out. Climate, hydration, stress, diet, sleep, or lack thereof, and illness all can change your heart rate by over 20 beats!!!! Even time of day affects it.
When I see people married to their HR monitors, I cringe b/c they are not the end all of fitness. They are a chain, and can inhibit performance, and worst of all, rob you of your sense of perceived effort. If I tell an athlete to sprint 200 meters, should they care what their HR is at? Hell no. IT should be high, b/c its a SPRINT. But if they believe they are trying to stay in their "fat burning zone" they won't go all out. The "fat burning zone" is also a HUGE myth that HR companies want you to buy into so you buy more of their products. And if you wear a HR monitor when you are doing CF or lifting, you're an idiot. Simple. The lifts I prescribe are by definition an anaerobic effort. CF workouts are also anaerobic or at least close to it. But guess what - you are burning fat as well as glycogen!!! Simply doing cardio at 70-75% Max HR, which needs to be determined in a lab b/c the standard 220 minus your age is so archaic that its usually 75% off the mark, doesn't mean you are burning fat. In fact, its been scientifically proven that people who are HR junkies burn less fat than someone who goes off perceived effort. Google -"Effects of HR training vs. Perceived effort" and see studies which are proving the HR nonsense is wrong. Or I'll bring you the ones I have in a stack in my room. If you stay in that mythical zone, you are actually delaying the use of fat stores, taking up to 20 minutes to actually tap into fat stores when sticking to that level. You know how long it takes my body to kick into fat stores for training? 3 minutes and change. Why? Interval training, perceived effort training, GETTING OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE TRAINING!!!! And the stupid calorie counters on the HR monitors - please stop looking at it as if its accurate. Its not. Why? B/c you really don't know your TRUE Max HR, therefore your zones are off, which means the number of calories you are burning is off. I know this b/c I have done true metabolic testing, in a lab, at the University of Chicago. Several times. I've done Lactate threshold testing where they prick your finger every 3 minutes as you sweat like an animal on either a treadmill or bike to find out how much lactic acid your body is producing. They then tie that to my HR, and even those extremely technical processes get me 85% accuracy of my HR zones! Even the 4 time woman's champ at the Ironman World Championships, Chrissy Wellington has said she only started winning Kona when she ditched her HR monitor and started to go off of perceived effort and other metrics to measure effort.
I'm not saying that HR monitors are bad, I still use mine when I ride, but I also match it with my wattage, cadence, and speed to determine my fitness or how my training is going. I stopped using it on the run, b/c quite frankly, its pointless. Time and distance are my friends there. And don't think I'm saying that using metrics to measure effort are bad. Quite the contrary. I'm a huge numbers guy. I mean major dork. I get tested anually on the bike and run for Lactate threshold, VO2 Max, Metabolic and caloric burn rate. I wake up every morning and use a pulse oximeter to really see what my resting HR is, plus my Oxygen intake. I hawk over wattage on the bike. I've got all kinds of numbers in my head when I train. But the more precise they get, the more useful they become. HR alone isn't precise. And its holding you back. If you want to get faster or fitter, train harder and smarter. Eat better. Drink less. For more on this, see me, and I'll be happy to show you where HR training alone has left a trail of broken dreams on race courses, in gyms, and in homes. People completely disheartened that they aren't making process even though they remain in their "Fat burning zone" for all their training. Its a lie people, so don't believe the hype.
Now, on to point 2. Look, we all have stress, or stuff that gets to us. We have tough times in our lives. B/c that's just how life works. You have 2 choices when something bad happens to you - 1. Sit and wallow, most likely getting sick, overweight, develop deep depression and a whole host of other problems or 2. Get up and fight back. That's right - I said FIGHT BACK. Take that nasty shit you are dealing with, and channel it into something positive. Am I pissed off most of the time? Hell yes. But where do I put that - in my training. The greatest satisfaction comes from taking all the hurt and making it into something golden. I've seen good people get hurt, undeservedly so, but they fought back, and made great things happen. Sometimes talking about it alone isn't enough. Sometimes you have to look inside yourself and find that thing that gives you a positive release. For me, its always been the open road, the beauty of its unforgiving quality, and the comfort in knowing its always there. At the new gym in Lemont, The Next Level, those 4 walls are the place where I can promise anyone who walks through the door feeling awful will walk out feeling refreshed and recognizing they are stronger than they think they are. In there, we are all family, which means we are all in this together. No one gets left behind. And at the end, its a lot of fun. A lot of laughs and positive energy.
Stay Strong, Guy
What up sports fans? I'm sitting here writting this tonight, with my shot of espresso, bottle of water, and watching my 2 roommates plan a trip to Costa Rica at the end of the month, where one of my roommates, Nick, will be racing. For obvious reasons, I won't be joining them, but I feel a sense of peace in putting in a very solid week of training including riding outdoors both days this weekend. And I am reminded of the quote above b/c, I understand the importance of channeling negative energy in a positive direction. Its one of 2 things I want to discuss. The first topic is just as important and the myths around it need to be put to rest - Heart Rate Monitors.
- Let me be the first to say it - being tied to your Heart Rate monitor like its got the cure to cancer is the worst idea for obtaining better fitness, health, speed, strength, fat loss, lean muscle building and any of the other "magical" things its supposed to do. You're better off taking diet pills that raise your heart rate and downing them with a Red Bull. Now I know I am a Polar sponsored athlete, and should be preaching about how HR training is the greatest thing ever, but I can't, b/c, well, its total bullshit. Here's why - your heart rate can be affected by a number of different things that can give you a false reading and leave you either stale or burned out. Climate, hydration, stress, diet, sleep, or lack thereof, and illness all can change your heart rate by over 20 beats!!!! Even time of day affects it.
When I see people married to their HR monitors, I cringe b/c they are not the end all of fitness. They are a chain, and can inhibit performance, and worst of all, rob you of your sense of perceived effort. If I tell an athlete to sprint 200 meters, should they care what their HR is at? Hell no. IT should be high, b/c its a SPRINT. But if they believe they are trying to stay in their "fat burning zone" they won't go all out. The "fat burning zone" is also a HUGE myth that HR companies want you to buy into so you buy more of their products. And if you wear a HR monitor when you are doing CF or lifting, you're an idiot. Simple. The lifts I prescribe are by definition an anaerobic effort. CF workouts are also anaerobic or at least close to it. But guess what - you are burning fat as well as glycogen!!! Simply doing cardio at 70-75% Max HR, which needs to be determined in a lab b/c the standard 220 minus your age is so archaic that its usually 75% off the mark, doesn't mean you are burning fat. In fact, its been scientifically proven that people who are HR junkies burn less fat than someone who goes off perceived effort. Google -"Effects of HR training vs. Perceived effort" and see studies which are proving the HR nonsense is wrong. Or I'll bring you the ones I have in a stack in my room. If you stay in that mythical zone, you are actually delaying the use of fat stores, taking up to 20 minutes to actually tap into fat stores when sticking to that level. You know how long it takes my body to kick into fat stores for training? 3 minutes and change. Why? Interval training, perceived effort training, GETTING OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE TRAINING!!!! And the stupid calorie counters on the HR monitors - please stop looking at it as if its accurate. Its not. Why? B/c you really don't know your TRUE Max HR, therefore your zones are off, which means the number of calories you are burning is off. I know this b/c I have done true metabolic testing, in a lab, at the University of Chicago. Several times. I've done Lactate threshold testing where they prick your finger every 3 minutes as you sweat like an animal on either a treadmill or bike to find out how much lactic acid your body is producing. They then tie that to my HR, and even those extremely technical processes get me 85% accuracy of my HR zones! Even the 4 time woman's champ at the Ironman World Championships, Chrissy Wellington has said she only started winning Kona when she ditched her HR monitor and started to go off of perceived effort and other metrics to measure effort.
I'm not saying that HR monitors are bad, I still use mine when I ride, but I also match it with my wattage, cadence, and speed to determine my fitness or how my training is going. I stopped using it on the run, b/c quite frankly, its pointless. Time and distance are my friends there. And don't think I'm saying that using metrics to measure effort are bad. Quite the contrary. I'm a huge numbers guy. I mean major dork. I get tested anually on the bike and run for Lactate threshold, VO2 Max, Metabolic and caloric burn rate. I wake up every morning and use a pulse oximeter to really see what my resting HR is, plus my Oxygen intake. I hawk over wattage on the bike. I've got all kinds of numbers in my head when I train. But the more precise they get, the more useful they become. HR alone isn't precise. And its holding you back. If you want to get faster or fitter, train harder and smarter. Eat better. Drink less. For more on this, see me, and I'll be happy to show you where HR training alone has left a trail of broken dreams on race courses, in gyms, and in homes. People completely disheartened that they aren't making process even though they remain in their "Fat burning zone" for all their training. Its a lie people, so don't believe the hype.
Now, on to point 2. Look, we all have stress, or stuff that gets to us. We have tough times in our lives. B/c that's just how life works. You have 2 choices when something bad happens to you - 1. Sit and wallow, most likely getting sick, overweight, develop deep depression and a whole host of other problems or 2. Get up and fight back. That's right - I said FIGHT BACK. Take that nasty shit you are dealing with, and channel it into something positive. Am I pissed off most of the time? Hell yes. But where do I put that - in my training. The greatest satisfaction comes from taking all the hurt and making it into something golden. I've seen good people get hurt, undeservedly so, but they fought back, and made great things happen. Sometimes talking about it alone isn't enough. Sometimes you have to look inside yourself and find that thing that gives you a positive release. For me, its always been the open road, the beauty of its unforgiving quality, and the comfort in knowing its always there. At the new gym in Lemont, The Next Level, those 4 walls are the place where I can promise anyone who walks through the door feeling awful will walk out feeling refreshed and recognizing they are stronger than they think they are. In there, we are all family, which means we are all in this together. No one gets left behind. And at the end, its a lot of fun. A lot of laughs and positive energy.
Stay Strong, Guy
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