Run fun!

One of the first thing we learn to do in life is to run. As kids we are told play and have fun, but somewhere along the way we have managed to make what was once fun into a chore (workout). Running used to be fun. Remember when we ran around all day playing kick the bucket, hide and seek, and played soccer with friends. Why did we stop all the fun activities, and where did all the injuries come from?

I have been reading this book: Born To Run, and it made me think about these things. Why do people tell us that doing something that we were born to do is no longer fun? Since this happened, and we started to eat processed food instead, have we changed for the better? I personally don't think so, but McDonald's would probably argue that with me. Running has been the fundamental base to every sport, except chess if you call that a sport, and yet most people don't know how to properly run any more. Most of you have probably heard the expression: you get good at what you practice. Well people, start practicing so that we can start having fun again. Think how much fun it would be to play ball again with your friend, or just go for a run to clear your mind. Running also comes with a great side effect, it burns the most calories of any activity. So for you who have a sedentary job, get the "couch potato to 5k" program and get back in the game! Don't ever let anyone tell you that running isn't fun. Think back at all the fun you had as kid, before they told you that running wasn't fun, and help them remember.

What about injuries? I have bad knees, my back is not very strong so I have to protect it, I have weak ankles, flat feet........ When did all this happen? When we stopped playing! What people fail to realize is that you can't stop playing for 20 years, and then pick up where you left off. No wonder we hurt ourselves when we go out and play that yearly game of flag football. We go from zero to hero in one day. The key is to never stop being active. In other words, don't listen to those who tell you that watching the game is more fun than playing it. Just know that if you have been sedentary for a while, start slowly, and mean really slowly. Start walking, a few crunches, and don't forget stretching.

A challenge that grew into something much bigger.

Two years ago my best friend Tommy challenged me to an Olympic distance triathlon(1500m swim, 24.9 mile bike, 6.2 mile run). Not being one to back down I accepted it, and that's how it all started. In 2009 I bought my first bike (Trek Madone 5.1) not counting the one I had when I was 12 years old, and a punch card to the local pool. Like any athlete crossing from one sport to another, I thought I would pick it up without a problem. I had never swam laps before, biked farther than 6 miles, or run more than 5 miles. But heck, I'm a decathlete, how hard can it be :) I won't bother you with all the time I spent in the pool, or miles on the bike and on the road running. After 2 sprint triathlons I finally did my first Olympic distance triathlon with lots of cramping along the way in 2 hrs. 41 min..

After I had finished the challenge, and beaten Tommy's time by 2 min., I thought the madness was over. On the contrary, it had just begun. Tommy responded by crushing me with 2 hrs. 30 min. time of his own, and the race was back on. A knee problem set me back a bit, but I was able to get back in the saddle again and continued the hunt. Many hrs. in the pool and hrs. on the road later, I finished a very painful half IronMan in 5 hrs. 55 min. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alRp5WzrLkY

One of the most amazing abilities that we humans possess is the ability to suppress painful things. It took me 4 months to forget about how painful that half IM was (and how I was literally a wreck for 2 weeks after), but I did. So, how do you know when you have truly suppressed something? When you sign up for double the dose! Oh yes, I did...on July 30th I will do a full IronMan (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run).

Follow me in my quest of finishing one of the biggest challenges known to man - becoming an IronMan!

For laughs (and to give you an idea of how most conversations go when people find out I am embarking on this challenge, here is great clip for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B03dFMG8nR4&feature=player_embedded

The Dalai Lama

Even the Dalai Lama sees the value of exercise and good health!

Every time I see the Dalai Lama I walk away with a smile on my face. He makes life seem so simple. Today he talked about compassion, science, and society. It was somewhat hard to understand him, not because of English being his second language but because of the acoustics inside the church. There is no way I can do him justice by retelling the things he talked about, so I won't try. Of the many things he talked about I remember one more than the other. "I'm from Tibet and you are from USA, but we are all the same". Every person has the same potential to be good or bad, it's up to us what we choose and strive to be. Regardless of where we come from, we are all just people trying to be happy. I can go on and on about the great things he said, but if you want to know more go here: http://dalailama.stanford.edu/

If only more people could have his outlook on life, the world would be much better place. We should all try to make ourselves happy first, and then help others do the same. Be a friend, make someone smile and don't ask anything in return. Happiness has a way of rubbing off, so just keep sharing. Make the world a better place, SMILE!!!

Hard at work!

Does 1 hour of working out per day make up for the other 23 sedentary ones? Between sitting for hours on at our desks, to sitting in front of the tv, or even the sitting when we are being social needs more than that one hour workout. The more efficient and competent we get at our jobs the more work and time at work we get. And, even when we are not at the "office" for our jobs, we are at home but working, still sitting on our butts.

We forget that there are many things that we can do each day to burn those extra calories to keep that weight off. But things have become so much more convenient that it's almost impossible to do anything active or physical on a regular day. I know several people who have solved this by biking, walking or stepping while they are at their desks (treadmills at their desks, stair climbers, stationary bikes!). If these are not feasible, nor something you want to do while at the office, there are still many simple things such as standing at your desk instead of sitting. Don't park as close as you can, find a spot where you need to walk and use your legs a bit. Take the stairs instead of using the elevator. Take the longer route to get to the water cooler or the restroom. All these are good ways of burning some excess calories.

Imagine if you could just fiddle a bit more throughout the day, you could burn as much as 500 extra calories per day! Just try to find ways to move more throughout the day rather than killing yourself during an hour when you are tired anyway.

Finding what fits for you is not the easiest thing in the world, but start small. Look at your office space and find out if you can fit something under you desk, or can stand while you are working. If you need any ideas or have any questions, I'm here to help. And, if you have your own tips to share with us, please do! Now, start moving, and feel better!!

Chris McCormack, best triathlete of all time!

After seeing Chris McCormack win his second Iron Man World Champioship title this past Saturday I thought, what makes a great triathlete? I looked him up and thought I would share this with you (taken from Wikipedia):

Chris entered the professional triathlon circuit in 1996, having won the Australian Junior Championship in 1993, and rapidly rose to success only eight months after his debut, taking the World No. 1 position and defeating arguably the strongest field ever assembled in triathlon history to win both the 1997 Triathlon World Championships and the 1997 ITU World Cup Series. Macca is credited with being the first male triathlete ever to win both titles (the double) in the same year.

After a devastating domestic season in 2000, culminating in a sprint finish for the Australian Triathlon title in Mooloolaba, where he was again runner up, Chris was controversially left off the Australian Olympic Team (Sydney 2000) despite being the highest Australian on the world rankings (number 3). He immediately left Australian shores, bewildered at the national selectors' decision to leave him off his first Olympic Team. Disillusioned with Australian racing, Chris relocated to America where he was undefeated for 18 months.

Before moving to Ironman distance races Chris won almost every major short course title on the global triathlon calendar including the ITU World Cup Series, Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon as well as some of the sport's most prestigious triathlon events: Goodwill Games, Mrs T's Chicago International Triathlon, San Diego International Triathlon, New York City International Triathlon and LA International Triathlon. He also became the first triathlete in a decade to capture the US Triple Crown. In 2001, Chris was again crowned Global Triathlete Of The Year and Competitor Of The Year and became the only triathlete ever to hold the USA Professional Championship Title and the USA Sprint Course Title in one season.

In 2002, Macca shifted his focus to Ironman racing. He won Ironman Australia on debut in 2002 and then defended that title in 2003, winning again in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Macca's first race at the distance in Europe in 2003 eventuated in one of the sport's greatest races in Roth, Germany, where Macca was beaten in a sprint finish by Lothar Leder (winner of more than 13 Ironman events). Macca won the event eventually in 2005.

Chris has taken his time to understand what it takes to win the Ironman World Championships at Hawaii. After leading the 2002 race into the second transition, Chris "melted" in Kona's lava field marathon and failed to finish on his first attempt. He finished in 2003 in 9:32:11, a long way back from the winner. In 2004 he again failed to finish and abandoned into a race vehicle driven by six-time World Champion Mark Allen, who counseled Macca to race fewer iron-distance races during the year[1]. In 2005 he was able to finish 6th with the fastest run split of the day. 2006 saw Chris finish Hawaii in second place in one of the closest finishes seen in a long time. After Normann Stadler completed a new course record bike time of 4:18 Chris started the run some 10 minutes down. After running a 2:46 marathon time he was just 71 seconds behind Normann Stadler at the finish but he had given it absolutely everything he had.

He finally became Ironman World Champion in 2007, with a winning time of 8:15:34, including a 2:42 marathon in very hot conditions.


A few months ago I had the pleasure to meet him at an event in Los Gatos. I'm always pleasantly surprised when athletic superstars like Chris are nothing but a class act. There seem to have been so many role models who've been less than stellar lately so it was nice to see someone who still have his priorities straight. Chris was very funny and made everything sound so simple. He reminded me of the "Dalai Lama", whom I'm going to see on Thursday by the way. Chris is slightly less political, and slightly more fit though. He told us about his life as a triathlete, and how he got to this point in his life. If you want to read more about his life you can check him out on Wikipedia. Of the many things he said, one stuck with me more than the others. Someone asked what advise he would give someone who is about to do their first Iron Man. He said: "if you feel comfortable, slow down! But most importantly, don't forget to enjoy it". When I think back at my decathlon career I realize that I wish Chris would have reminded me of this a bit sooner. I was so wrapped up in winning that I forgot to enjoy the moment. I'm so happy that my parents were there to catch it on tape so that I can enjoy it now instead. So, for everyone who is out there living their life, follow Chris' advise: take the time to enjoy the moment!

Is harder better?

As I'm browsing the internet for latest and greatest I can't help but wonder why they make it look so complex. They stand on one leg on top of a Bosu ball while trying to juggle some balls. Who do they think is going to do that, and what does it really do for you? I like to change things so that people don't get bored, but sticking to the basic is still the best. There is an endless variety of simple (doable) exercises that are challenging enough for most people. I always try the exercises before I have other people do them. The general rule of thumb is: "if I can't do it, they can't either". Exercises do not have to be complicated for them to be effective or even good. As well, a workout doesn't have to "kill" you for it to be called "great." I've seen trainers and workout sessions where the clients are clearly so not able to do the exercises, not because of fitness inadequacy but more because the trainer has thrown way too much in. Good form fails, more risk of injury vs good results.

A few years back, when Rowe was working for one of the big corporations that could afford onsite gyms/trainers, she decided she'd add in a "bootcamp" workout during lunch. Now, my wife knows a thing or two about exercise and fitness. So, when this bootcamp class started having the participants do a full hour of sprinting (on concrete at that) back and forth, she immediately knew...this is crap. Why would a trainer assume that clients would know how to sprint! I'm all for explosive exercises, but not for everyone and not the first time out! Always assess people before the workout. Find out what kind of background they have, and what fitness level they are at. Make it simple, doable and realistic (meaning less risk for injury) for the person. It can be built up (safely) vs getting them injured (it would just be a matter of time). That's how you get the best results.

Big Kahuna aftermath!!!

So, what happens after finishing a half Iron Man? Here is my story!

After finally getting home after the 45 minute drive from Santa Cruz my body started to shut down. I expected to feel tired, but my body was literally not functioning any more. After fighting the falling eyes I told Rowe that I needed to lay down for a bit. This was at 6:30 PM. I woke up at 2 AM and fell right back to sleep. The following day I tried to act normal, but it was hard considering both of my ankles were swollen and my whole body was hurting. As the week went by my body kept breaking down rather than recuperating, and finally I got sick! The cold stayed with me for almost a week, and the congestion even longer. Now, 3 weeks out I'm finally staring to feel normal again. After all my years as a decathlete I have never needed 3 weeks to recover from anything, except my patella reattachment.

The race it self was a piece of cake! People keep asking me when I'm doing the IM, and must say that I still have some forgetting to do before I sign up for that one! My next big challenge is .... Rowe's 10 by 12-10-10! Stay tuned!!!