Pick a Thanksgiving 5K!

There are so many Thanksgiving run-em-round opportunities in Portland tomorrow!

Here are the big three in Portland proper:

The Oregon Zoo has a 5K with multiple waves that is family-friendly and untimed.  Think a little bit of rolling hills, lovely scenery, and no pressure for finishing at a certain time.  This 5K goes through the Zoo, the Japanese garden, and tree lined streets!

http://orrc.net/events/event-list/turkey-trot-4-mile-run-and-walk-with-kids-tot-trot/

In Beaverton, the Turkeython is a festive running party with a 5K, 10K, and 10K relay, as well as a kiddo run.  Opportunities to donate as well here to many lovely charities.  The 10K is a 2 time trip around the loop of the 5K course.  The 10 K relay is 2 people each running one loop of the 5K course.  The medal here is amazing, some serious hardware!

This race will be in and around Bridgeport Village allowing for some warming up opportunities for those cheering on participants!

http://www.turkeython.com

And I will be rocking the Tofurky 5K in Sellwood!  The course looks lovely.  It will have a decent hill as it starts by the riverfront, heads up the Springwater trail  and curves back into Sellwood.  A tarry into Sellwood Park, down into Oaks Bottom Refuge for a bit, and then back to the start.

Although I am a carnivore, I support plant based diets...and love the locale, and the fact you can stay toasty in the Historic Dance Pavilion until go time.

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/tofurky-trot-2015-in-pdx-tickets-15023191771

Hope to see you there!

Running or walking a 5K is only one way to start a tradition of movement, a dance party, a walk around the neighborhood, a few yoga moves or stretches to savor you health and vitality, all these things count.

Llama related injuries...

Thank you, thank you for the push, friend and client Briar.  This past Friday, she invited me on a run, and not for the first time.  I figured if I didn't take her up on the offer soon, the invites might stop coming! I had been avoiding running for so many months, and after so many attempts and hurts I had turned my focus to pilates, yoga, and other exercise.

She wanted some company for a five miler, so I said yes.   Mind you, I had ran a block or two or random hill sprint for 2-3 reps but almost literally no continuous mileage had been performed on my legs and body.

My foot suffered an injury August of last year.  It has been significantly better! Getting achey with too much activity, but gradually tolerating more and more impact and usage.

SO, despite the fact I should have started with a 1 or 2 mile run,  I went for it. We ran and walked and sang. Needless to say, when I woke up the next day, I was soon-orrrrrr-ah! My foot was hot and mad, but within 30 minutes of waking it felt pretty normal.  Here's a little more about my injury and how I make it better when I do stupid things despite my knowledge and training.

Last year at my birthday, I had an awesome llama, named Roho, and his alpaca bro, Napoleon, at my birthday party because that is what you do, right?

I had to add Napoleon and the Nice Man I Live With because they kinda look like bros here.

Roho, all the way to the left, regal in his formal wear.

As I was leading Roho all around the town, through the house and backyard, he stepped on my foot.  I was so captivated by his expressive eyeballs and grateful no bones were broken, I didn't realize how this unexpected trauma by a 500 pound llama would play out.  But this seemingly minor crush injury came after a severe sprain in 2012, and transition to barefoot shoes probably done too fast.  Add my history of multiple sprains prior to 2012, cumulatively, it was time to get really serious about my right foot flexibility and strength.

Why is my foot so very funky!?  Why the slow recovery?

Research shows that ankle sprains result in decreased mobility at the ankle joint.  Since a sprain increases ligament laxity, this may seem counter intuitive! Also, sprains can lead to butt inhibition, causing muscle like the mighty gluteus medius and big old gluteus maximus not to do there jobs.  Also, injury decreases your proprioception, your knowledge of where your joint is in space.

I can tell you that despite my knowledge of this I did not do nearly enough strengthening and flexibility and balance work after those sprains!

After this crush injury,  I went to work on my ankle flexibility and mobility!

Before we get into it, I must mention that up until 2 and half years ago, I wore resctrictive footwear.  So for 37 years each of my 33 foot joints, 20 articulating and the more than 100 muscles, and gristly parts had been loaded improperly.  And although I have been tranisitoning all my shoes, to zero drop I am still gaining foot flexibility and may have pushed that transition a bit too hard.

After the llama incident, I had a hard time tolerating a long walk, forget about a run, so I took many months off, and was using some tips with form the MELT book by Sue Hitzman.  I made progress and noted better movement but not enough.  Until I got my Hand and Foot Kit!

I am now achieving some better and better relief and here's how!  I will highlight these foot helpers below.

Let's start with MELTING!

Recently, I went to a foot and hand MELT method workshop and despite having the book, and using the method, learned so much MORE from doing the techniques live with a certified MELT instructor.

https://www.meltmethod.com/store

If you have foot (or hand) anything problems, consider this kit!  It using small hard and soft balls to improve your soft tissue hydration and flexibility.

Laypeople and providers, I have used with many people who have had old foot fractures, complicated foot and ankle  reconstruction, hand arthritis with deformity, and have significantly changed the appearance and function of there hands and feet.  Addressing the strength and issues above the feet is essential for optimizing outcome, but it's a really great tool.  Especially for individuals to work on themselves.

2) Ballerina goodness!
I also was turned onto these ballet stretchers by Rolfing awesomeness Terri Poch.  My plantar flexion or pointing of the toe was so limited compared to my left, and these have really helped me become more of a pointer sister.  Just getting into these was an eyebrow raiser, but now I can tolerate them for longer period of time, and I usually do a little self-massage to areas of tightness while in them.

3)  Calf, soleus (lower calf muscle),  anterior tibialis,  and peroneal trigger point release.  This is self treatment, I target my whole body 2-3 times a week, but hit up the lower leg more like everyday.

I like to use the Trigger Point Therapy system, or TP system, a self treatment system invented by Cassidy Phillips.  Phillips did not INVENT trigger point treatment but his system is clever.

I really love the total body kit.   The ball in the kit could be replicated by a tennis or lacrosse ball but the big and little rollers are fantastic for getting at things that the foam roller does not because it is shaped like elbows and thumbs, meant to imitate tools massage therapist's use.  This is how I address my calf muscles, but also the smaller but just as important soleus, and peroneal muscles on the outside of the leg.

If you are an uber athlete with chronic pain, you might relate to Cassidy's story
.https://www.tptherapy.com/about/our-story

The smaller roller on top of the yoga block really helps to get into the lower calf muscles!

4) Buttercersize, footcersize, and balance!  

The last two components,  I am focused on are my balance and butt strength.  I practice single leg balance with my eyes open and closed, and work with the BOSU ball and other balance challengers to improve my ability to know where I am at in space.

IF you are struggling with a foot malady, arthritis or bunion or an ankle sprain that just won't resolve, and want some ideas, email me at beth@gotrainingwithbeth.com.  Maybe some of these self treatment ideas may help you!

If you have had an ankle sprain, or relatively small injury, that "got better". It may have resolved acutely but the strength and flexibility prior to injury may not have.

Note:  I am one of those not-so-flexible types, if you have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, or tend to be hyper flexible these tools may not be helpful! Or even contraindicated.  Always consult with a doctor before starting anything new!

A Leaner Cut of Chuck

Chuck is riding the mechanical bull of life changes right now!  And all of them good!  I am super proud of how he has made time to keep at it this month.  And I am grateful for his perspective, I think many of us have been derailed by projects big and small, dealing with unanticipated consequences, while keeping up with daily life.

I want to identify that every step you take to change, a thought pattern, an internet search, buying new running or walking shoes, counts.

I also admire the honestly Chuck is throwing down.  I think sometimes I can be a little stoic about the tue stress of changes and then think months later how hard something was.  Enjoy Chuck's thoughts! 

Well, I’ll be honest with all of you- it’s been a tough month.  I know that working out with Beth has been really good for me, but I haven’t been as consistent as I would like, and I haven’t been getting the results that I want.  I know that this is my fault, and my goal in the next month is to change this and really work on consistency. 

So, why did I go off track?  Well, it seems to be one thing after another.  My wife has this tendency to realize that some large house project needs to be completed right about when she hits the 7 month mark in her pregnancy.  Last year, it was to remodel our kitchen (which then went on to include installing hardwood floors on the whole second floor, and remodeling a powder room and 2 bathrooms- she has a tendency to bite off a lot at a time).  You read that last sentence and are now probably wondering what else there was to do?  Well, there was one big glaring green issue in our house that remained- the luscious emerald green carpet that covered the floor in our master bedroom, which is the third floor of the house.  This carpet would have turned people green with envy….. if it was 1988.  In this day and age, it really was an eyesore, and a project that we had talked about many times.  With the impending new baby, we both realized that getting those floors done would be much easier before the baby arrives, being that the fumes force us to vacate for a couple nights.  So, that is a long story, but it contributes to my lack of consistency for 2 reasons.  First, the whole process was stressful- moving everything (including my pregnant wife) out of our master bedroom was just very disrupting to our routine.  She and her Snoogle (a pregnancy body pillow she is never without these days) took the guest bedroom and with a queen bed, but she’s not the easiest to share anything other than a king sized bed with right now, so I found myself sleeping on the bottom twin bunk bed- it could be worse, but these were not the best nights of sleep.  And second, the master bedroom is where I do my workouts with Beth, and where I feel most comfortable doing workouts on my own.  When I was displaced from here, I just wasn’t able to adjust to working out elsewhere.  So, I slacked.  I guess this probably happens to anyone on a program like this, but I am disappointed in myself, and I know that I need to get back on track.  I also haven’t been getting out of the house to do as much walking as I know I should.  And, not to blame my pregnant wife, but I do enjoy walking with her, and she’s not the best walker these days, for obvious reasons.  She can do a little bit, but she definitely gets tired, and can’t go for as long as I need to.  

So in the next month, I’m looking to overcome these setbacks.  The good news is that the floors are done, and we’re back in our master bedroom (and the floors look MUCH better with hardwood!).  I have my sanctuary back, and a place where I can work out- complete with an area rug, which is just as comfortable but much more aesthetically pleasing than the emerald green carpet.  My wife and I are going to go and tour some gyms this week to get an idea of what would work for us, and Beth made the great suggestion of finding one with child care.  I love spending time with my son, but I also love the idea of going to the gym and getting an hour of time to myself.  I think that this is a respite that I have been needing, and would also be a way for me to stay motivated to keep going to the gym.  With the new baby getting here in a little more than a week, I know that life is about to get turned upside down again, but I also know that my wife is here to support me, and that I can make some more positive changes.  The nice thing is that she won’t be working for the next few months, and has also expressed a desire to get into a better physical program, so I think that she and I can make some changes together.

So, that is where I stand as of today.  The next month has A LOT in store for me and my family, and I have a lot of excitement…. and some trepidation.  Next month’s report will include a big announcement- baby #2 will be here! So, stay tuned, and keep your fingers crossed with me that I can get some more consistency this month and really look to my workouts to be quality time I get to spend with myself.

A GOOD LIFE: Back to Basics

Here is an update from Cathy! Here is some sweet insight to the link between taking care of home and body.

Check out my new place! This August I moved out of my parent's house and into my own apartment! It's clean, organized and I am intent on keeping it that way.

Which is kinda a new approach for me...

I've always taken my independence for granted. It wasn't until I lost my ability to take care of myself, let alone anyone else, that I realized how fortunate I had been to have that independence in the first place.

Really, I don't think I've ever been operating at full capacity. Depression has always been a sub-text in my life and made the world much harder to navigate. Basic care-taking requirements have always felt hard to me - like the idea of vacuuming sounded so hard I felt like crying at the prospect of tackling it most of the time.  Almost like working out sounded painful and unenjoyable? Something like that

The winter before I started blogging and sharing things I hit an all time low. I revisited this tough time when I went to Atlanta to clean out my storage unit.  I let go of 95% of my possessions, they had to much not so great energy.  The things I rescued were covered in pet hair.  As I took them off to the dry cleaner, I felt pain and joy.  The pain of the winter of 2012 when I stopped everything, caring for myself, my apartment, my pets, my health.

In late 2012, I suddenly stopped - the laundry piled up, the dishes piled up; there was no more picking up after myself, my husband, or my my pets. My parents came down for an early Christmas at the start of December and I did my best to tidy up before they got there but they had to do a lot of work to help me make the apartment nice for us again.

We weren't spending the holidays with our family that year and I had billed it to be "The Worst Christmas Ever" as a result. My depression took me over a cliff and I just stopped. Doing. Anything.

My closest friend drove down to Atlanta with me and helped me clean out the storage unit that I put everything in when I moved out of the apartment last year. I gave away 95% of my possessions mostly because I felt like they still had some not-so-great energy attached to them. I've found that letting go of that "stuff" has really freed me to make a fresh start and let go of the parts of my life that make me sad.

Empty storage unit = A fresh start

But, I recently took a few things to the dry cleaner that I rescued from that storage unit - curtains, winter coat, sweater - and they were literally covered in pet hair. Seeing that, reliving that as I cleaned out the storage unit, is painful. I felt super sad for myself for having gone through what I did. At the same time, I feel such profound joy about being where I am today.

So needless to say, now that I'm back to taking care of myself, I'm hyper-aware of not letting the apartment get dirty. And I'm really glad to say that taking care of my place no longer makes me want to cry. I have a very regimented schedule for cleaning things and it seems to be working.Being regimented, let's me love my home.  The work I do throughout the week, frees me up to enjoy my house.  I have such a deep appreciation for being able to stand on my own to feet these 20 months later. And because of that gratitude I want to clean. I don't mind taking care of the day_to-day requirements. I now understand how having a well cared for home contributes to my well being and that makes cleaning the bathroom much less of a chore.

But wait, isn't this a fitness blog? Well, yes. Yes it is. When I originally thought about this blog post, my thinking was about how my fitness and eating routine has been less organized lately. I haven't planned out my workouts, I've been more casual in my eating, and my weight has totally plateaued. My thinking his that this is the result of the time now required to manage living on my own and having a lot more responsibility to keep my world in order.

But now, thinking about the basics required to care for my home I see how analogous it is to my exercise and nutrition routine. I understand how having a well cared for body contributes to my well being and that makes working out and eating healthy a priority.

Admittedly, my eating has become more casual. I have succumbed to my sugar addiction more than a few times (frozen yogurt shops are back and I love it so very much) and in tracking my calories I see that I consistently overeat when I go out to a restaurant. But at the same time, my fitness routine has not lapsed. I've gone up and down in terms of intensity of my workouts but they have not fallen out. The gym is still one of my favorite places and exercise is a top priority in my life.

I have talked numerous times about the toll depression took on my body. I think of all the hours I logged in my recliner, and the first thing I think of is Cheeze-Its. Shoving Cheeze-Its into my mouth hand over fist. My weight sky rocketed and I only left that damn chair to get more food.

But today, rather than feeling bad about not being 100% perfect in my fitness/eating regimen, I am focused on what is working and feels good right now. I was inspired by Chuck's latest blog post to get a pedometer which has me focused on getting in 10000+ steps per day(which is seriously a challenge) and I've gone back to basics walking outside or on the treadmill as my primary form of exercise. I'm making sure to do strength training twice a week to keep from losing muscle and keep my back pain from flaring up. I'm maintaining my current weight and while I would love to see that number go down on the scale I also recognize that shaming myself pushing myself to a point that I don't enjoy at the gym or depriving myself of food wouldn't be sustainable.

At dinner the other night my friend made such a good point. "Change is inevitable", she said. "Even if you tried to not change at all there is no way to avoid it. So why try to force change to happen when there is really no way to stop it."

Okay, I'm off to vacuum.

Yup.

Leaner Cut of Chuck: Update

I love working with Chuck! He is so all in, honest, and ready to make change.  He is DOING IT!  I feel so lucky to have him on team GO Training!  He is determined and pragmatic.  And it has been a bumpy start, kiddos, illness, life, travel, and career make for a busy life.  Here is an update from Chuck, and his before picture with a ridiculously cute little dude.

FROM CHUCK

I've been on my path with Beth for a little over a month now. It's had its ups and downs- I'm sure that anyone starting a new routine goes through similar challenges. The part that has been so shocking to me was to realize how completely sedentary I had become.  I was sick for a couple of weeks, which also happened to coincide with when I got a new iPhone 6- the phone has a built in pedometer, and I turned on that capability. While I was sick, I was walking about 1/2 a mile a day.... Total. That was eye opening, because the amount I was moving when I was sick was about my average day over the past few years. This is something that I'm working on with Beth, but it was important to know my baseline too. I understand that moving is important, and it's part of my goals.  Over the rest of the month, I had been spending a deliberate 20 minutes or so moving at least 3 times a week. I am also doing a Skype work out with Beth once a week- we are focusing on strength training and stretching, and even though my weights are light, she still helps me break a sweat. I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but I was taking a bath this week and I felt this weird bump on my leg, and then realized it was a muscle. A muscle!  It's crazy that my body had gotten to such a soft spot, but noticing a change like that is really encouraging. 

The other area that we are working on  are my eating habits. I have some interesting ones that I have struggled with throughout my life, and I'll talk about those in another post. The first area that I have committed to tackling is my caffeine consumption. My poison of choice is Diet Pepsi. In my world, this is the nectar of the gods, the lifeblood of my morning... And something that I truly can't function without. I decided to start tracking my consumption to get an idea of what my baseline was so I could figure out how to reduce it. Over the course of a week, I tracked what I had everyday, and found that my baseline was about 16 cans of diet soda everyday- which amounts to about 400 milligrams of caffeine. The recommended maximum caffeine consumption on a daily basis is about 100 milligrams. It was obvious that I have work to do.  Over the past 2 weeks I've been working to step this down, but I'm taking it slow. I've gone off caffeine cold turkey in the past, and I have gotten horrible headaches and ended up getting back on the juice. This time I am hoping a gradual approach and tracking what I have will help me to wean myself off. I've been reducing my soda consumption by 12 ounces every 3 days or so, and though I've had a few headaches, it hasn't been too bad. I know that replacing my soda drinking with water will be better on my body, and my moods. It's a slow process, but I feel like I'm moving in the right direction. 

So, a month or so in, and I'm losing some caffeine, I've gained a little muscle, and I'm starting to feel better physically.  I'm still freaked out that our next baby will be here in 2 months, and the son we already have has just started walking.  But, I am confident that if I can continue to make small changes, the things that wear me out now will get easier. I don't know if I'll be fully ready when me second son arrives, but I feel like I started this program with Beth in the nick of time.   

I should have shared these in my last post, but I want to record my baseline of where I'm starting.  I'm a guy, so this will be simple.  As I started this program with Beth, I weighed 255 pounds, and wearing size 38 pants that are feeling a little snug.  

Oh, and here is a picture of me with my son, Joe. I figured any of you readers would appreciate seeing who this Chuck guy is.  Until next time!

How I Survived the Bar with Barre

Hi everyone!

It's been awhile since I shared something on Beth's blog, but a few weeks ago I e-mailed her asking if I could share my recent workout experiences.

Since I last posted, I graduated from law school, moved to D.C., and took the bar exam. I also won this SWEET hat in one of Beth's contests. I LOVE it.

For those who don't know, the bar exam is a test all wannabe lawyers must pass to become licensed in the state in which they want to practice. The exam is brutally hard and only offered twice a year. This is NOT something you want to take more than once.

I started studying right after Memorial Day weekend in May and studied for 8 weeks - until July 29 and 30 when I actually took the test. My entire life this summer was about studying for the bar exam. One thing I absolutely wanted to make a priority was eating well and fitting exercise into my schedule.

As you know if you read some of my other posts, I like high intensity workouts like Jillian Michaels or some of the BeachBody dvds or Chris Freytag's 10 pound slim down extreme. When I started studying for the bar exam, those were NOT working for me. They HURT - and not in a good way. I have no idea what changed - maybe because I was hunched over my notes all day jumping and lifting heavy weights felt like more stress on my body.

I had to find an alternative, so I dug up dvds I had purchased from a living social deal about a year prior called Barre3. I dismissed these after I initially bought them because I didn't think they were challenging enough to allow me to maintain my current weight.

I was VERY wrong. Barre3 is a combination of yoga, pilates, and ballet movement. It's designed to be low impact, but produce really great results. I found as I continued doing these on a more regular basis, they got HARDER. I did these workouts all summer - it was the only thing (aside from going for a run here and there) that actually felt good after studying. Best part? I toned up a bit!

Up next is a series of pictures of me doing Barre3 so I can better explain. I hate sharing pics of myself, so that should tell you how much I love this program.

This is a move called power leg. And that's my dog, Piper, blocking the picture of me doing power leg.

Better, though you can still see her chair. Barre3 utilizes small weights (I use 3 lbs), a chair, and a core ball. As you can see, the movement is small - I'm not very low. But my legs are SHAKING. You squeeze the ball in between your thighs and the result is crazy. I've never had my muscles shake so hard. This is a popular Barre3 move; they do all sorts of things to change it.

They have you do a lot on your toes slightly squatted down. There's also alternatives where you don't have to be on your toes.

As I mentioned, it incorporates yoga, pilates, and ballet moves. They love side plank - they'll have you move from side plank into regular plank and back again. Really good for your core.

Almost every move incorporates your core in some way because they put a huge emphasis on creating better posture, which was SO helpful while studying for the bar exam. I was constantly hunched over a computer, book, or my notes, so 30-40 minutes of helping my posture was excellent. They have you do a lot of core work on the floor with the ball under your tailbone. It takes a lot of pressure off your low back. As someone who has felt that pain while doing crunches in the past, this was a big eye opener. 

Anyway, the point of this post is two-fold: (1) try something new - you never know what you might get from it, and (2) I love Barre3 and I'm a true believer in the results. Ultimately what mattered to me this summer was that I was doing something that FELT good to my body. The results that came were just icing on the cake.

In addition to the dvds, when I really got into Barre3, I signed up for their online workouts. For $15 per month (and I got the first month free - just google 'Barre3 coupons'), you get unlimited access to their online workouts. They range from 10, 30, 40, or 60 minutes and there are SO many options. I love having lots of options because I get bored easily.

And that's it! I won't know if I passed the bar exam until October 31, but I worked my butt off this summer (in more ways than one). Beth, any thoughts on barre-like classes? Done them? Love? Hate?

I love this post!

Madeline, I have never been to a Barre class, so you got me!  I will check some out and offer idea piles coming up.

I think this puts a highlight on what a lot of individuals, little and big, are gearing up to do!  Sit...Sitting combined with stress can really set us up for some tightness, and poor alignment.

I think it shows good awareness that you recognized that your body wasn't coping well, and finding something that worked.  

I love Pilates!  And after doing the Tupler Technique certification on diastasis recti have eliminated crunches from all my client programs and if I was a sea creature I'd be a plankton cause that is how I approach a lot of my clients core fitness.  

Pricewise that is super affordable for in home workouts, of variable length etc.

Thanks for the awesome post, Madeline!

Also cute workout outfit!

A Leaner Cut of Chuck - Introductions

I love being a part of helping someone reach a goal.  Working with Cathy has been a double gift, she is part of my family, a dear buddy, and an inspiration.  Cathy's will still be contributing via titles called the Good Life. 

A couple months ago, I reached out to the internet world for volunteers for guided transformation this year.   I had a bunch of folks respond to be the next candidate, Chuck being the first!  I am really excited to be on his team.  We start this week.  Our initial format is a weekly Skype check in, workout, and then Chuck works through the week. 

Chuck has amazing self awareness, honesty, and motivation starting out, it is really inspiring.  As with Cathy, I am sure to learn from him as much as he does from me.

Chuck will post monthly and we will post his plan, and diet goals!  Here is his story!

A Leaner Cut of Chuck

My name is Chuck, and I’m Beth’s project for the year.  I actually know Beth through Cathy- Cathy any my wife are good friends, and I met Beth through Cathy.  So, why am I here?  Well, let me start by giving you a little bit of background about myself.

I’m 34 years old, and I live in Denver, Colorado.  My family moved to Colorado when I was 13 years old, and for many years, being outside and physical fitness were a very natural part of my life.  I played football during the school years, and spent my summers at at a camp where we had daily activities that included hiking, kayaking, whitewater rafting, and mountain biking.  In the winter, I was an avid skier, and I loved it.  Physical fitness wasn’t really something I thought about- I was just so active that I was physically fit, and that was that.

When I was 19, my world was turned upside-down.  My father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and passed away within a matter of months.  I was in my first year of college at the time, studying to become a pilot, with my eyes on flying for a major airline.  After his death, I moved back to Colorado, and continued my flight training, but life was very different.  I would liken it to getting the wind knocked out of me, but the recovery was not swift.  I spent many subsequent years wandering in many ways- I was sidelined from flying with a medical issue in my mid twenties, which was another huge blow.  Flying has always been my passion, and having that taken away left me without a direction.  I had various jobs, and certainly had a lot of good times, but I didn’t have a lot of direction in those years, and I certainly wasn’t taking care of myself physically.

In late 2009 I was not in a great place, but I realized that I had to acknowledge that I was at rock bottom, and doing so was a pretty freeing experience.  In December of 2009 I met the woman who would become my wife, and am still shocked that I didn’t scare her away on our first date.  I was brutally honest with her about where I was in life, but she saw something in me, and stuck around for more.  We were married in 2012, and with her support and the support of my family, I have begun to pursue flying again with the goal of teaching flight students full time. I also became a father last year- we had a son last October, and becoming Joe’s dad has been a really wonderful and amazing thing.

So, where does that leave me?  You might have read that last paragraph and thought that I sound thoroughly redeemed…. well, I would say that in many ways my life is more on track that it’s ever been, and my family makes me extremely happy.  The problem that I have is that physically, I am in the worst shape of my life.  We’ve all heard of the “freshman 15,” but is there something called the “first time father 50?”  During my wife’s pregnancy, I seemed to gain the weight right along with her, but unlike her, did not lose 30 pounds of it the day that my son was born.  I love being Joe’s dad, but with this extra weight and my physical condition, he wears me out.  We are expecting another son in December, and although I am extremely excited, I am really concerned about how I will be able to handle another child physically.  I also know that I’m not the best pilot I can be right now because I just can’t handle the physical demands of flying as much as I would like.  Additionally, my wife and I have put our house on the market and are hoping to move before our next child is born (a local move, but a move nonetheless).  With all of this, I stress myself out and literally have no idea where to start with getting myself out of this fitness rut.  I would love to get back to the point where I don’t think about my physical limitations.  I want my sons to grow up experiencing Colorado the way that I did, with skiing and hiking and kayaking, and I want to be able to do these things with them.  

So, with all that said, I am excited to be working with Beth this year, and to share my progress with all of you.  In a years time, here’s hoping that I’ll be feeling better physically, ready to get back into some of the physical activities that I have missed, and I’ll be a leaner cut of Chuck.