How Do You See The End?

Uncle Sandy and Nelson Gravesite

   This may seem like a odd topic to write about and maybe even a little dark. It is undeniable that being we have been born into this world that one day we will have to leave it. That being said how do you envision the end for yourself? I brought my daughter to St. Peter's cemetery tonight to visit my Uncle's gravesite. She did not have the fortune of knowing either one so we talked about them. I explained to her how good they were to me and how much I loved them. It made me ponder my own end and to the possible means.

Baring any unfortunate accident this is how I envision my end. In my perfect world I will die a very old man in the comfort of my bed. Fully functional and active in the days leading up to my death. Absent of chronic disease or illness. This being said how do I get to this end? To accomplish this I believe I must focus on three areas in regards to my physical health. Each of equal importance. First, I must choose foods that will provide the greatest amount of nutrition and with it the power to maintain my health. This choice is simple for me and it is simply to consume whole foods that are plant-based. Second, I must maintain and improve upon my strength using exercises that train multiple muscle groups that focus on essential movements. Movements such as running, crawling, jumping and climbing. Lastly, I must maintain a high level of mobility. The ability for me to move actively through a wide range of motion with the various joints of my body. Look around at how difficult it is for many older people to get around. As a person looses their ability to move they move less, which makes it even more difficult to move and so on.

As weird as it may sound I have a goal. A long, productive, healthy life that allows me to leave this world as an old man in the comfort of my home. I also have a good idea as to what I need to do to accomplish this goal. It begins with taking responsibility for my destiny. If circumstances permit me to fulfill my goal I must not waste the opportunity.  This means I must stay committed to a healthy, active lifestyle. In doing so  I am maintaining some type of control for the future that awaits me. The only question left to ask is how do you see your end and what will you do to make it there?

Redefining Yourself

During my week of training I had a couple of experiences that I would like to share with you all. The first was a discussion with Eugene during a cool down after a workout. We were talking about the differences between ourselves at the present compared to when we were younger competing in college athletics. I believe we all can be guilty at times of making the mistake of judging ourselves against a more youthful version. Possibly feeling that if we cannot get back to the shape we were once in that we have failed. Maybe I am being slightly dramatic but it is necessary to prove this point. Let's make it a priority to redefine or rediscover who we are at the present. I am no longer 20 years old wrestling in college. Competing against that version of me is pointless. It would be more productive and healthy to redefine who we are right now. I am 43 with a family and career. I am going to be the best I can be today. So if you were a runner your not going to beat your personal bests from college. You can however set new personal bests for your current age even if it's the masters :).  It really comes back to the importance of living in the present and being happy of who and what you are today.
My second experience was during a training run on the trails with Tommy. We were doing an 8 mile run in High Rock. Midway through the run we decided to pick our pace up while we were heading up Moses mountain. We got to the top and took in the sites while we recovered. While we were recovering a lady was coming up the backside trail, which is pretty steep. She was walking with the aid of crutches while her husband walked behind her. It was one of those moments when you get to appreciate the human spirit. As she made it to the top Tommy and I congratulated her. I told her to never give in and she replied "I am still here." Watching her determination rubbed off on us as we crushed the last portion of our run. She was a reminder to me to not let the challenges of life prevent you from living. Inspiration can come from many things if we simply look for it!

Recovery Week

Rest and recovery week is upon us again and it's time to allow our bodies to recuperate from our recent training cycle. Recovery is an important aspect of training that is often overlooked and misunderstood. It has been my experience that those members who train consistently, with intensity appreciate this week.  In the gym we will focus primarily on alignment, flexibility and mobility. This is the perfect time to go for a massage or acupuncture to facilitate recovery. I have included a photo of an acupuncture session I did with Kerri K last week to set the tone for recovery week. Another good idea is to get outside for some light jogging or walking. Take the energy that you would throw into your workouts and direct them towards yourself in different ways. Eat strong foods and make sure you are sufficiently hydrated. Read something that will motivate you and set the stage for the next cycle. Think about what you want to accomplish and set goals on how you will achieve it. Recharge those batteries and get ready for the spring.

Obtaining Success

 

 Why are some people successful when others fail at the same task? Successful people have the ability to do the difficult things that others cannot. They win that first fight in the mind and see things through. We had a great training session this morning. Those that attended made the decision to leave the comfort of their warm home and take on the challenges that were presented. Any one of the people in attendance could have turned off the alarm and rolled over but they didn't. Many people make the incorrect assumption that it is simply easier for some people to do things. People who get things done and are successful have simply developed excellent habits that allow them to be productive. They focus on what they will do rather than what they can't do. They are able to smother any negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. In order to achieve success in any endeavor you are going to have to remove any poor, mediocre habits you have developed. I decided to post a picture of my daughter that I took in the fall. She is a successful dancer. She can make things look easy and natural. It only looks easy because she spends hours practicing outside of formal instruction. She does what many other girls her age will not and that is why she is successful. It does not come "naturally" to her. Waking up early to train isn't fun for anyone. Studying late at night is a sacrifice. Success comes at a price and you must be willing to pay for it!

Spartan Group X Certification

I completed my first Spartan Race in September of 2012 and thoroughly enjoyed it. As many of you know it was a challenging race filled with a lot of elevation change. It was a great experience made better by the fact I was able to do it with so many MBG'ers. When I finished this race I realized that it was worthy of all the attention it gets. The course challenged each competitor physically and mentally. In many ways it represented the challenges we all face in life. Unsure of what lays ahead you are left with one option to simply move forward towards the ultimate goal of finishing. I enjoyed this race so much that I began visiting the Spartan website on a regular basis. When I saw that they were offering a certification aimed at preparing people for this race I knew I had to sign up and absorb the information presented. I was initially supposed to attend the certification the weekend after Sandy hit but had to reschedule. Last weekend they gave another in Massachusetts and this time I was able to make it. In true Spartan fashion we performed at least 8 workouts in the course of the weekend. Many of you did the Spartan Fit Test last week and that was the first thing we did. In addition to great training we were also given information on training theories and applications. The area that really caught my attention and made a big impact was in regards to the mental aspect of training. The seven pillars of Spartan training is the foundation their program is built upon. These pillars are stamina, power, athleticism, readiness, tenacity, attitude and nutrition. Each pillar has a mental and physical application. It is the mental application that has captured my attention. My goal has always been to make individuals stronger to face the challenges of life head on. Building the confidence of my clients so they feel as though there is nothing that is to big for them to handle. Attending the Spartan Group X Certification has empowered me by giving me the tools needed to accomplish this task.

Rethinking My Health After September 11th Exposure

I have been a New York City firefighter for the past sixteen years. During this time I have been exposed to toxins and carcinogens as a result of operating at fires and emergencies. Some calls-to-action are extreme such as the events of 911, but most are routine operations that happen on a daily basis throughout the city. The events of September 11 had a large impact on my life. My company lost eleven members that day. The remaining firefighters worked at the site until operations were concluded in the Spring of 2002. I was not able to take care of myself properly during this time and as a result my fitness level decreased. On June 26, 2002 my wife gave birth to our daughter Anna, our first child. Holding my daughter for the first time gave me renewed interest in life. I began to question what impact the events of September 11 would have on my future health. Never one to play a victim, I decided that I would have to find a way to remain healthy regardless of what I may or may not have been exposed to. I realized that a change was needed in my approach to health. Around this time I learned about a gym in Wisconsin that was training people by focusing on movement skills. They discarded machines and focused on training their clients using primarily body weight exercises. The gym, Monkey Bar Gymnasium, was founded by Jon Hinds. I started implementing his training philosophies into my workouts and was getting great results. I became friends with Jon and he would be the person that put me on the path to a plant-based lifestyle. I can remember our first conversation we had about diet and I was shocked when he told me he was plant-based. He was over six feet tall and extremely fit – not what I perceived a plant-based person to look like. Jon then explained all the success he had with it and how much better he felt. He also recommended I read the book The China Study by T. Colin Campbell to further educate myself on the subject. I was skeptical and not ready to accept his advice. A short time later a good friend gave me a copy of The China Study and I decided to read it. I realized that I had just discovered the instrument that could allow me to be healthy for a lifetime. A whole-food, plant-based diet could offer me protection from the toxins and carcinogens I have been exposed to. It gives me the best shot at remaining healthy so I can be here with my family for years to come! I now needed a plan to implement a plant-based diet into my life. I decided to change one meal at a time. I picked the easiest one first which for me was breakfast. As I gained mastery over a meal I moved on to the next. Eventually I would challenge myself to be plant-based for a whole day, then two, then three, and so on. The change was almost immediate. I started to lose weight but at the same time I was actually eating more than I ever did. My taste was improving and I was able to clearly taste the different types of food I was eating. I was also sleeping better, had more energy and had a feeling of lightness throughout my body. It wasn’t long before my wife, encouraged by my positive results, joined me. We were able to lean on each other for support and by default were now making our children healthier. We began cooking more than ever before. We are now three years into the plant-based lifestyle. I also own and operate a Monkey Bar Gymnasium on Staten Island. I encourage my clients to educate themselves about the food they eat. I encourage them to watch Forks Over Knives and make informed choices. I don’t miss consuming animal products at all. What I have noticed is that people will question what you are doing. Most will simply not understand it. That’s fine with me – I’m not doing it for them. The bottom line is that the food at the end of your fork is going to affect your health in some way. The ultimate decision is yours!

Results From Our First 60 Day Challenge

Friday marked the end of our first sixty-day challenge at MBG S.I.N.Y. Five members attempted to eat whole-food, plant-based for sixty days. Prior to starting the participants were required to read up on what this diet entailed and have a strategy in terms of meal preparation. The week before the challenge began they also received a power point presentation at the gym and received some additional resources. These people were chosen because they all showed prior interest, train consistently, and exhibited a high level of motivation and interest. The participants were Jimmy and Andrea V., Michele and Brian F., and Kerri K. We took basic measurements at the start and conclusion that included weight, body fat% and body mass index. I want to stress that the goal of this diet is not weight loss but rather to improve the quality of you’re nutritional intake thereby improving your health. When you eat this way you wind up consuming a greater variety of food, which translates into a wider variety of nutrients. The participants were all amazed at how easy it was to adapt to their new way of eating. They quickly realized that they were also cooking more than ever before. At the end of the sixty days they all felt better, had more energy, reduced their body fat, lowered their body mass index, and ultimately lost weight. Kerri went out after the sixty days and had one of her favorite meals prior to eating this way, pepperoni pizza! She told me she had a headache and felt bloated after the meal. It reaffirmed to her the importance of the changes she made. She was able to notice this difference because of the way she had been eating the last sixty days. The reality is that her body always reacted this way but she was unable to feel it. Jimmy V had recently gone for his blood work at the end of August. He went after one month on the diet and had dramatic improvements. His total cholesterol went from 240 to 180!! His doctor was lost for words and was asking Jimmy a barrage of questions on how he did it. Jimmy’s sister also was following the diet and received similar results. An interesting side note is that Jimmy’s doctor had it in his notes to recommend medication for Jimmy’s cholesterol on his next visit if numbers didn’t improve. Why were they all successful? They educated themselves. They were ready for change and committed to it without excuses in hand. They all also said that they would continue with this way of eating. As the months progress their bodies and health will continue to improve right in front of your eyes. Andrea, Jimmy, Kerry, Michelle, Bryan a job well done!