Participation in the World Police and Fire Games will be quite costly. Travel, lodging, meals, registration fees, transportation of bikes and equipment, training expenses...the list is long. Historically, participants have sought personal and corporate sponsorship to offset some of the costs associated with representing their organizations and their home state, during the Games. I am one of seven firefighters from the Sun City Fire Department who will be competing. We have formed a team, the Sun City Fire Olympic Team, and have attained non-profit status in the state of Arizona. We are currently waiting for our 501(c)3 status, which should be completed sometime in June.
I have been working diligently to secure sponsors for our team, as each member was challenged to raise a minimum of $2000 cash. While cash is king, we are gladly accepting 'in-kind' donations as well. I am excited to say that I have been able to raise some very nice in-kind donations, as well as a little cash.
To date, the following companies have graciously provided sponsorship to either myself or the team:
Athletes' Performance
Fitness Anywhere...the makers of the incredible TRX Suspension Training device
Polar (heart rate monitors and cycle computers)
I would encourage you to please take a look at our sponsors' websites, and if applicable, please do business with them in the future. They have been gracious enough to help us out, and I would like to reciprocate by spreading the word.
We hope this list gets longer each day, as more companies feel compelled to aid us in our journey to New York in September. If you know anyone who would like to donate to this worthy cause, or if you or your company would like to help, please visit our team's website at www.suncityfireolympics.com for details regarding the Games, as well as sponsorship information.
I am waiting to hear back from Ellsworth Handcrafted Bikes about my request for sponsorship in the form of a new bike. I have been told that they will be giving me a brand new carbon racing frame, and offering me components at wholesale. The bikes are on back order, so I am waiting to hear back from them. I wont consider it a done deal until then, but rest assured...if it does come through, you will all know about it!
We also have a facebook page...Sun City Fire Olympic Team...still building it, but go check it out and 'Like' us!
As always...thanks so much for following my little journey!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Day 36...Missed a day...sorry!
It's nice to know that I have followers who are holding me accountable...
Today I received a message on Facebook from a follower. The message read "Hello it's Tuesday, step it up blog master". It came from a brother-in-law, but I wont reveal which one. Thanks for the little shot of accountability!
Yesterday was a great day of recovery...what?..it wasn't a recovery day? Oops. Sometimes you need to just listen to what your body is telling you, and go with it. The day began just like many of my days...on the therapy table. After that however, I really didn't do too much. I needed some rest after the weekend, as I didn't sleep well due to a great deal of prepartion for some presentations, and then worrying about how I did on them. Even Sunday night, when it was all over, I had difficulty turning my brain off and not thinking about how I could have made the presentations better. I know...stupid huh?
Yesterday wasn't all rest though. I did manage to get in a little bike workout at the gym. Yep, I took a spin class. Now I must tell you that I am not a fan of spin classes due to the stupid things many spin instructors have you do while seated on your bike. There is one instructor however, that I truly admire because he is a real cyclist...he actually knows how to ride a bike, and does it extremely well. He may be reading this, and hopefully he is smiling! Yesterday, on the other hand, was a little rough for me. Having been educated in exercise science and exercise physiology, I sometimes have a hard time listening to what personal trainers and group fitness instructors say to their classes. Yesterday was extremely hard! As a Christian, I try not to bash on people, but sometimes my sins get the best of me!
Those of you who have been reading regularly will remember that I blogged about interval training, and the different energy systems that the body employs to provide power for the body. I wrote about the anaerobic energy system, and told you that the primary (nearly 100% actually) fuel during this state of activity is glycogen. I went on to explain how fat is used very little during high intensity exercise; and the effects of EPOC. So yesterday, we're pedaling along on the spin bikes when the instructor tells us that we are going to pick up the pace by increasing the intensity and our pedal cadence so that we can reach our target heart rate. I thought to myself "What target heart rate?..there are numerous target heart rates that we might be striving to hit." She then proceeded to say "If you can hold a conversation with your neighbor right now, then you have not hit your target heart rate, and need to step it up." Bingo! Now I knew what target heart rate she was referring to...that which indicated that we had reached our lactate or anaerobic threshold...she wanted us to be working in an anaerobic state. "Okay" I thought, "That makes sense." Then she went on to say that at that heart rate, and that level of work, we would be "burning the greatest number of calories from fat". What? I almost didn't catch my words before they left my mouth, as I struggled to hold back. My Christianity still in check, I managed to keep my mouth shut, put my head down, and pedaled. Remember, anaerobic means without the presence of oxygen, and even all of you know by now that fat requires the presence of oxygen for oxidation...hence the term oxidation.
In the grand scheme of things it's really not that big of a deal. After all, her misinformation most likely created motivation for other members of the class to work harder, thus burning more calories, and stoking the EPOC fires. There was that one other thing that she said though...
After we were finished, she led the class through a brief, post-ride stretching routine. This is where she messed up once again. First of all, she was clearly put off by the fact that I chose to do my own hamstring stretch...not the one she was showing. It might have something to do with the fact that the old fashioned hurdler stretch has been shown to place the spine in a compromised position. Then she went on to say "OK, now we're gonna stretch the hip-flexors" as she proceeded to instruct everyone to stand next to their bike, holding onto the the handlebars for support; bend the right knee, and place it over the left leg (making the figure-4 shape); and then sitting back into a quarter-, or half-squat. Now don't get me wrong here...that's a great stretch, and she instructed it well...but it's not a hip-flexor stretch...it's a glute stretch! Specifically a piriformis (hip rotator within the glute family) stretch.
Oh well, there could always be worse things huh?
Today I received a message on Facebook from a follower. The message read "Hello it's Tuesday, step it up blog master". It came from a brother-in-law, but I wont reveal which one. Thanks for the little shot of accountability!
Yesterday was a great day of recovery...what?..it wasn't a recovery day? Oops. Sometimes you need to just listen to what your body is telling you, and go with it. The day began just like many of my days...on the therapy table. After that however, I really didn't do too much. I needed some rest after the weekend, as I didn't sleep well due to a great deal of prepartion for some presentations, and then worrying about how I did on them. Even Sunday night, when it was all over, I had difficulty turning my brain off and not thinking about how I could have made the presentations better. I know...stupid huh?
Yesterday wasn't all rest though. I did manage to get in a little bike workout at the gym. Yep, I took a spin class. Now I must tell you that I am not a fan of spin classes due to the stupid things many spin instructors have you do while seated on your bike. There is one instructor however, that I truly admire because he is a real cyclist...he actually knows how to ride a bike, and does it extremely well. He may be reading this, and hopefully he is smiling! Yesterday, on the other hand, was a little rough for me. Having been educated in exercise science and exercise physiology, I sometimes have a hard time listening to what personal trainers and group fitness instructors say to their classes. Yesterday was extremely hard! As a Christian, I try not to bash on people, but sometimes my sins get the best of me!
Those of you who have been reading regularly will remember that I blogged about interval training, and the different energy systems that the body employs to provide power for the body. I wrote about the anaerobic energy system, and told you that the primary (nearly 100% actually) fuel during this state of activity is glycogen. I went on to explain how fat is used very little during high intensity exercise; and the effects of EPOC. So yesterday, we're pedaling along on the spin bikes when the instructor tells us that we are going to pick up the pace by increasing the intensity and our pedal cadence so that we can reach our target heart rate. I thought to myself "What target heart rate?..there are numerous target heart rates that we might be striving to hit." She then proceeded to say "If you can hold a conversation with your neighbor right now, then you have not hit your target heart rate, and need to step it up." Bingo! Now I knew what target heart rate she was referring to...that which indicated that we had reached our lactate or anaerobic threshold...she wanted us to be working in an anaerobic state. "Okay" I thought, "That makes sense." Then she went on to say that at that heart rate, and that level of work, we would be "burning the greatest number of calories from fat". What? I almost didn't catch my words before they left my mouth, as I struggled to hold back. My Christianity still in check, I managed to keep my mouth shut, put my head down, and pedaled. Remember, anaerobic means without the presence of oxygen, and even all of you know by now that fat requires the presence of oxygen for oxidation...hence the term oxidation.
In the grand scheme of things it's really not that big of a deal. After all, her misinformation most likely created motivation for other members of the class to work harder, thus burning more calories, and stoking the EPOC fires. There was that one other thing that she said though...
After we were finished, she led the class through a brief, post-ride stretching routine. This is where she messed up once again. First of all, she was clearly put off by the fact that I chose to do my own hamstring stretch...not the one she was showing. It might have something to do with the fact that the old fashioned hurdler stretch has been shown to place the spine in a compromised position. Then she went on to say "OK, now we're gonna stretch the hip-flexors" as she proceeded to instruct everyone to stand next to their bike, holding onto the the handlebars for support; bend the right knee, and place it over the left leg (making the figure-4 shape); and then sitting back into a quarter-, or half-squat. Now don't get me wrong here...that's a great stretch, and she instructed it well...but it's not a hip-flexor stretch...it's a glute stretch! Specifically a piriformis (hip rotator within the glute family) stretch.
Oh well, there could always be worse things huh?
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Day 34: Recovery Day
Today was a perfect day for recovery...not only because my program calls for it, but also because it aligned perfectly with the main focus of the workshop I was attending today. This morning, our group performed some foam roll techniques, designed to improve blood flow, expedite the process of toxin removal, and to facilitate proper movement between the muscles and their surrounding fascia. Basically, it was exactly what I needed. We followed with some light dynamic stretches to 'turn on' those sleepy muscles, preparing us for the challenges that lie ahead.
This weekend was amazing! I was honored to be seated among a group of leaders, in a variety of disciplines within the field of health, fitness, wellness, and business (I'm still not sure what I was doing there!). I was part of a group of individuals who had been selected to participate in a Coaches Acquisition Workshop for a company called Tignum. Tignum is an amazing company whose focus is on providing high performance corporate professionals..the big boys i.e. CEO's, CFO's, etc. with sustainable strategies in the areas of Mindset, Nutrition, Movement, and Recovery. I encourage you to visit their site at www.tignum.com for more information, and to see their incredible client list.
The content of the program was inspiring, yet extremely challenging. I am happy to say however, that I feel much more confident with my abilities as a presenter, although I still have much to learn! If all goes well, I may end up working as a coach for this awesome company, presenting and coaching. The biggest take away for me, from this weekend's workshop, is to never sell yourself short. Your feelings of inadequacy are just that...yours. What others see in you is often far different that what you see in yourself. Thanks Tignum for a 'defining moment' weekend!
Until next time!
This weekend was amazing! I was honored to be seated among a group of leaders, in a variety of disciplines within the field of health, fitness, wellness, and business (I'm still not sure what I was doing there!). I was part of a group of individuals who had been selected to participate in a Coaches Acquisition Workshop for a company called Tignum. Tignum is an amazing company whose focus is on providing high performance corporate professionals..the big boys i.e. CEO's, CFO's, etc. with sustainable strategies in the areas of Mindset, Nutrition, Movement, and Recovery. I encourage you to visit their site at www.tignum.com for more information, and to see their incredible client list.
The content of the program was inspiring, yet extremely challenging. I am happy to say however, that I feel much more confident with my abilities as a presenter, although I still have much to learn! If all goes well, I may end up working as a coach for this awesome company, presenting and coaching. The biggest take away for me, from this weekend's workshop, is to never sell yourself short. Your feelings of inadequacy are just that...yours. What others see in you is often far different that what you see in yourself. Thanks Tignum for a 'defining moment' weekend!
Until next time!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Day 33...It's all about Commitment!
In last night's post, I said that I would not be blogging this weekend due to a workshop that I am in. I realized however, that I have committed to posting to this blog, and failing to do so is actually failing at my commitment. To some, that may seem petty or inconsequential...but not to me.
I am on a journey...one which requires a high level of commitment. How successful will I be if I am not fully committed...in all aspects of the journey. Can I pick and choose...arbitrarily deciding which area is truly worthy of commitment? I think not. Commitment requires consistency...plain and simple. This morning I am scheduled to be at Athletes' Performance for day two of the Tignum Coaches Workshop. Today I am also scheduled to get in a strength workout. I could skip it without causing too much of a setback in my training plan, that's true. But if I skipped my workout today, what else would I justify skipping tomorrow, or the next day? So today I got up at 5:30 so that I could get in a good workout prior to class.
Are there areas of your life (and I'm talking health and fitness here) that need a stronger commitment? If you're like me, there most certainly are! The good news however, is that change is merely one simple choice away.
Have a great day!
I am on a journey...one which requires a high level of commitment. How successful will I be if I am not fully committed...in all aspects of the journey. Can I pick and choose...arbitrarily deciding which area is truly worthy of commitment? I think not. Commitment requires consistency...plain and simple. This morning I am scheduled to be at Athletes' Performance for day two of the Tignum Coaches Workshop. Today I am also scheduled to get in a strength workout. I could skip it without causing too much of a setback in my training plan, that's true. But if I skipped my workout today, what else would I justify skipping tomorrow, or the next day? So today I got up at 5:30 so that I could get in a good workout prior to class.
Are there areas of your life (and I'm talking health and fitness here) that need a stronger commitment? If you're like me, there most certainly are! The good news however, is that change is merely one simple choice away.
Have a great day!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Day 32...Brevity
Today's post will be very brief, due to a tight schedule. I probably wont be posting again until Monday, as I am in a class all weekend.
Today began with a light meal of 2 pancakes made from oat flour, oats, eggs, almond milk, bananas, and blueberries. Pretty tasty...and about 300kcal total. Shortly after breakfast, it was time to hop on the bike, (which is once again attached to the trainer in my garage) and crank out an hour ride. I did 19.44 miles on the bike today killed around 400kcal. Following my 'ride' I chugged down an EAS Myoplex recovery shake...mmm good! I was supposed to ride for 90-minutes, but I just didn't have the time due to class later this morning.
Brevity will once again reign, as I must give a 10-minute presentation today, for the first day of class. I chose a topic that is near and dear to my heart. The presentation is titled Computer Posture: Corrective Strategies for the Desk-bound Professional. I have been told that I will be 'cut-off' right at 10-minutes, so I have been practicing quite a bit...I have it down to 9:50. Wish me luck!
Today began with a light meal of 2 pancakes made from oat flour, oats, eggs, almond milk, bananas, and blueberries. Pretty tasty...and about 300kcal total. Shortly after breakfast, it was time to hop on the bike, (which is once again attached to the trainer in my garage) and crank out an hour ride. I did 19.44 miles on the bike today killed around 400kcal. Following my 'ride' I chugged down an EAS Myoplex recovery shake...mmm good! I was supposed to ride for 90-minutes, but I just didn't have the time due to class later this morning.
Brevity will once again reign, as I must give a 10-minute presentation today, for the first day of class. I chose a topic that is near and dear to my heart. The presentation is titled Computer Posture: Corrective Strategies for the Desk-bound Professional. I have been told that I will be 'cut-off' right at 10-minutes, so I have been practicing quite a bit...I have it down to 9:50. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Day 30...Poor Choices
Today I made a few bad choices...I have no excuses...I just plain messed up. But that is what I have all of you for...right? You are there to provide a sense of accountability and to encourage me when I make mistakes...right? I know, I know, you want to know what mistakes I made today huh? Well, let's see...I forgot to bring my protein powder to work this morning, so I knew right away I was going to have a hard time with snacks. You see, I drink two protein smoothies during the day; one as a mid-morning snack, and the other as a recovery shake after I work out. Not having the protein meant that I would not be able to make my smoothies, and that I would be searching for something to snack on...which is never a good thing at a fire station, because there always seems to be some sort of cake, pie, or cookies lying around!
My second mistake was when I opened the fridge and found a scrumptious looking carrot cake. That wasn't actually the mistake...the mistake was not shutting the door of the fridge and walking away. Mistake #3...taking the cake out of the fridge. Mistake #4...cutting a piece of the carrot cake and placing it on a plate. Mistake #5...eating the cake! I think most people would say that I really only made one mistake...eating the cake. I prefer to look at it as a series of mistakes that ultimately led to me eating the cake. Why, you ask?. Like I said...it was a series of small events that lead to that cake crossing my lips...not just one. By looking at it this way, I can identify individual mistakes, create strategies to corret these mistakes, and be successful at doing so the next time I am in a similar predicament.
In hind-sight it's really pretty easy. When I saw the cake I should have simply closed the door, walked away, and involved myself in something else. Problem solved. But no...I didn't walk away...I chose to make the next mistake by taking the cake out of the fridge. Solution? Leave the cake on the counter and walk away. It's a fire station...there's always some probie who will see it, and put it away so it wont spoil! Again...problem solved. Nope...not that easy! You see where I am going right? I had plenty of opportunities to prevent myself from eating the cake...I just didn't recognize them at the time. It's like anything else really...practice makes perfect. By looking back on my mistakes and writing this down, I am (in a sense) practicing to be successful the next time.
Yesterday, I rode again...shhh! It was great! I rode well, and felt pretty comfortable back on the bike, taking opportuities to bomb some downhill runs at near full speed. To get to those fast downhill sections though, I first had to pay a steep gravity tax...and I do mean steep! The trail I picked was only about six or seven miles total...but at least two-thirds of it was very steep, rocky climbing. To my surprise I climbed really well, and scooted up a very technical section that caused two riders in front of me to dismount their bikes and walk up...and they were 20-somethings! That felt great!
Tomorrow I'm back on the therapy table, and back on the trainer in the garage. It's time to give the elbow some much needed rest, so that I wont end up off the bike for a few weeks again!
Thanks for reading...and practice, practice, practice!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Day 29...Hello Month of March!
This month began much the same as last month... me lying on a therapy table getting my elbow worked on. Not much has changed, except for the fact that it is now going to be more difficult to remember what day of my blog I am on! You see, I began blogging on February 1st, so each day of the month coincided perfectly with which each day of my journey. Now...not so much! Today is the 29th day of my journey, but it is the first day of the month. It's funny how something so simple can become so difficult.
That last statement makes a really nice segue into today's topic...which just so happens to be, overcoming difficulty in your training plan. I think I can speak with some degree of authority on this topic due to my current condition, and the fact that I have trained a number of athletes who were trying to overcome some form of adversity to take their game to the next level.
Life tends to take shots at us here and there, throwing difficulties at us when we least expect them...and certainly when we least desire them. Adversity comes in many forms, but can be counted on to be consistent, at least in the fact that it always seems to come at the worst possible time...right? Doesn't it seem like every time we are faced with difficult times, it is the worst time possible? I am no different than you...I have said, countless times, "why couldn't this have happened last week, (insert last year, last month, next week, etc)...this is the worst time ever!" Have you ever said something like that? If you say no...you are a liar! :) You see, it's all about perception. We perceive that when it happens is always the worst time. However, in most case, even if it did happen at another time, we would still consider it to be the worst time possible.
So how do we change that? Some people would have you believe that it is as simple as just changing your perspective. The plan is right...but it's just not that easy to change your perspective...believe me, I know. I mean, come on...could here have been a worse time to begin having trouble with my elbow? What do you think? How you answer that question defines your perspective, and to some degree, who you are as a person...doesn't it? My answer is YES...there certainly could have been a worse time. What if I had trained for seven months (which by the way, is the length of my journey) only to discover that I would not be able to compete in the World Police and Fire Games because my elbow had developed tendonitis as a result of my training? That would be worse...don't you agree? The way I see it, there could always be a worse time...things could always be worse...it's just a matter (not a simple one though) of changing our perception.
Believe me, I am not happy about my situation. I realize that my training is being compromised due to my injury, and that my chances of winning the race decrease every day that I cannot train at the level I need to. I have however, made the choice to change my perception of the situation...to view those adversities as challenges rather than road blocks. It's not easy...but it's necessary!
If you are like me, faced with adversity, I hope today's post may help you reassess your current situation and motivate you to accept those challenges and overcome them.
Thanks for reading!
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