Julian Ho
The ABCDE's of Decision Making
The ABCDE's of Decision Making

A new view on the past, present, and future?

Dear Friends,

As the holiday season approached, I felt the urge and responsibility to write some thoughtful words. Being that I am in the industry of motivation, and an individual that tirelessly aims to spread positive, I typed up words of guidance to my students, one that nudged a 2013 year in REVIEW, instead of an all too common 2014 idealistic goal-setting preview. An edited version for you as follows:

“As we have snuggled into the thick of the cold, and embraced holiday hibernation, we also enter a time of reflection and contemplation. We approach a new upcoming year with hope, promise, and eagerness, but naivety too. We dream before we reflect. We want more than we have. We start new goals before we finish old goals.”

 

After this passage that questions our new year’s resolution process, I proceeded with the assignment prescription.

“Please cross-examine the success of 2013 with a ‘year in review’. Reflect upon your goals for this year and ask yourself if you’ve completed them. Target things that are habitual, financial, lifestyle-oriented, physical, mental, nutritional, career-oriented, spiritual, etc. Write a paragraph describing these goals, the path you’ve taken to achieve them, and comment on the journey. Aim not to judge, but simply report. The purpose of this activity is to bring awareness into 2014 so that you start your year rationally and realistically.
I wish you all a 2.0 holiday, taking your chance to rest to the next level.

Play hard, work hard, rest HARDER!

Sincerely,

Julian”

 

Now that the holiday is ending, I am writing a follow up to my pre-holiday words of guidance. I hope these thoughts will guide you not only through a few weeks, but perhaps throughout the rest of the year. These thoughts have risen to mind as a result of the unfolding of my new life chapter; a moving out of the nesting home of my parents’ and into my own brand new condominium.

A change of habitat is overwhelming and consuming. It is pushing me, pulling me, and stretching me more than any yoga I’ve ever tried. I am embracing the experience as much as it can be held with love (over force). My friend ‘time’, lagged on with many delays in the beginning during pre-construction and pre-occupancy, and now, post-construction and post move-in, ‘time’ is always fleeting! Don’t even get me started with ‘space’, before, there was too much space with too little things, now there is too little space with too many things! Time and space; the most mercurial of house guests. I digress.

As a host, home owner, butler, maid, caretaker, DJ, manager, interior designer, contractor, accountant, financial advisor, and chef, all in one, I never thought I’d say that I feel the shackles of independence; freedom truly does come at a cost. I am learning that these first world issues, as superficial as they can be, still do provide deep lessons to be learned. These “moving” growing pains have given me moments of growing gains.

The reorganization and purging of my life’s belongings has given me reasons to stop, breathe and smile, as I reminisce with old photos, journals and memorabilia. The financial planning challenges have forced me to call upon my skills in fitness in order to make it through: exercise diligence, nutritional consistency, fuel budgeting with marathon training, etc. The stress of uprooting from my only known home has forced me to create my own home dynamic and plant my own roots. This snow storm clashing of past, present and future is turning out to be a blessing in disguise. I am learning that it is in the moments of struggle and challenge where optimism and positivity shine brightest.

1. Reflecting upon the PAST,
2. Celebrating the PRESENT, and
3. Dreaming up the FUTURE…

…are three seemingly equal parts to the planning process of self-development. But in recent readings and life experiences, not quite so. We use these elements of the time continuum to base our actions and behaviors. Depending on our tasks, needs and wants, goals, or inclinations, we tap into our memories of the past, our actions of the present, or ideas of the future to get those things done. But do you use this planning process to your advantage? Do you think too much in the past? Are you a dreamer? Have you been accused of being reactive versus proactive? Is there a balance in your past/present/future thinking?

I believe a deliberate amount of effort needs to be dedicated towards developing awareness of our three elements of time before we commit to any plan of action. Once an awareness arises, we can then use these time elements effectively to create a holistic, well-balanced pathway towards achieving our desires.

As an example of imbalance, the new year bombards us with the typical preaching articles, tips, and advice on how to improve in 2014, the same old “New Years Resolution” chatter takes precedence. The focus of these articles are solely on the FUTURE, without much regard for the past and present.

As someone who actively ‘thinks different’, I advised to reflect upon the PAST with a ‘year in review’ assignment, because I felt it was under preached and under practiced. Why plan goals for the future when one hasn’t accomplished goals set from the past? The idea of doing more when not knowing what has been done has deterred our ability to be present.

An all too common imbalance is our society’s inability to live in the moment. The PRESENT is defined by the midpoint between the past and future. Our imbalance of this midpoint is a result of our insecure ‘needs’ of the past or our irresponsible ‘wants’ of the future. I believe the only way to correct this imbalance is to let go of the idea of filling every moment in time and every pocket of space.

Pause and breathe!

Don’t get caught up with planning meticulously for the future; it’ll leave you with baggage from the past. Don’t lose yourself in the past; you will miss the flight to the future. Allow yourself to get out of the past and future in order to live in the present.

If we were to personify the past, present, and future, we might see the past as a University Professor, the present as a Buddhist Monk, and the future as an Entrepreneur. The professor’s mind is filled with memories, stories, culture, and academia. The monk’s mind is filled with appreciation, awareness, open-mindedness, and mindfulness. The entrepreneur’s mind is filled with promise, hope, determination, and dreams. Our minds are filled with what fill theirs. Each and every one of us are made up of these personifications.

My use of these three elements of time is to provide a re-balancing of thinking. Do not to think only of the future, because that can be unrealistic, limitless, and unproductive. Do not think only in the present, because that can be consuming, obsessive-compulsive, and narrowing. And finally, do not think only of the past, because that can be biased, limiting and judgmental.

WE MUST USE THE PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE IN BALANCE AND BE AWARE OF THEIR INFLUENCE ON EACH OTHER.

We must honor these elements in varying, but all-inclusive degrees, relative to our purpose and meaning.

In question, ask yourself:

– Are your thoughts dominated by the past? 
(I remember when…., I used to…., I shoulda/woulda/coulda…)
- Are your thoughts dominated by the present? 
(I need to…, I want to…)
– Are your thoughts dominated by the future? 
(I wish…., I’m going to…., I will be….)

In suggestion, try to:

– Use your past as a reference, not as an evaluation
– Use your present as map, not as an agenda
– Use your future as a journey, not as a destination

In conclusion, a quote to ponder:

“Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.”
? David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

All the best in 2014,

Sincerely,

Julian



Adding Before Subtracting

A not-so FAQ from my cousin (young skinny female): “I want to build strength and muscle, what should I do!?!?”

 

I smiled after reading this question from my cool open minded cuz from NYC.
Often we hear of weight loss questions, how to combat fat gain, reducing this and cutting out that; always subtracting! It is not often that we inquire about building, gaining, growing, increasing, and adding! In elementary school, I was curious about why we always learned addition before subtraction. I believe there is value in the order of things, not simply in the content of things. We must re-evaluate this concept in the world of functional fitness and health, and perhaps growth and development, longevity and sustainability.

I responded to my cousin with animal references for a more visual approach:
“Believe it or not, your results depend more on how eager and dedicated you are to diet, nutrition, and rest…the building, resting, growing, adding part of metabolism. You must eat like a CARNIVOROUS BUNNY. Lots of leafy greens, lean meat / seafood, and tons of water. Your intake is more important than your output at this early stage, so you must WORK LIKE A HORSE AND REST LIKE A BEAR.”

The “work hard, play hard” mandate needs updating. The one that I promote is “work hard, play hard, REST HARDER”.

I went on to prescribe her 4 primary exercises to focus on that are multi-joint, high load, low reps, multi-set, and maximal effort sets.

In 4-6 months, you should aim to:
1. Deadlift (Goal = 50% bodyweight)
2. Front Squat (Goal = 50% bodyweight)
3. Push Up (Goal = 10 perfect push ups on toes)
4. Pull up (Goal = 3 full underhand from hang position)

Before I recommended any specifics with diet, I explain this general rule of thumb on adding before subtracting:“drown out the bad with the good”.

I believe everyone in this overworking society has food vices and a foodie side to them. We use food to balance shortcomings, emotional imbalances, and pleasure versus pain issues. Admit it, we just don’t make beautiful mounds of kale and spinach, carrot and celery sticks for our holiday dinners, that wouldn’t be holiday, that would be festivus! Instead, continue with being the foodie that you are, someone that relishes in the world of culinary creativity, and add the extra goodness of health beforehand, like a garnish to a beautiful evening. “Before I devour that Confit de Canard on a bed of herb roasted hash frites and side of butter sauteed green beans, accompanied by my favorite bottle of Cab, and flourless chocolate cake to finish….. I’ll prepare myself a small kale and spinach green smoothie”.

If you can commit to adding that small bit of goodness into each holiday-like meal, overtime, your commitment will become a conditioned behavior and thus will lead to a lifestyle of more good than bad! The amount of good will start to tip in your favor as positive changes start to rise over the negatives, hence a drowning out of the bad with the good.

There’s no reason to subtract all the joys of life away. Elimination dieting is most often short lived and usually fights back with a vengeance. The ultimate is living with the joys of life as a bunny-horse-bear by adding before subtracting, and loving the way you look and feel for it all.

Cheers to a results bound holiday season,

Julian

Talk The Talk, Then Walk The Walk

Gain control with your words first, then take action!

As a super avid fitness and lifestyle coach, I too have my struggles. I promised to clean up my summer of “100% paleo, 80% of the time” foodie-dominant attitude by going strict Paleo for the month of September. Honestly, I have been struggling with eating a cleansing and detoxifying Paleolithic diet for the last two weeks (high quantity and quality vegetables and fruits, low quantity nuts, seeds, and meat/seafood). Relatively speaking, I know I can do better.

My consistent pursuit for cute and comfy, hipster-ish and super trendy café spots in Toronto seem like a treasure hunt I will play for the rest of my life. My hunger for that “je ne sais crois” small dessert treat beyond a bowl of fruit seems to haunt me each night out with great friends and fantastic food. My authentic Chinese family dinners aren’t paid justice without that one staple and integral bowl of infamous white rice. The denial of the joys in life seems like a never-ending struggle…. excuses, excuses right? Based on this difficult transitional phase from summer ‘lax attitude to fall “let’s get back to business” attitude, I’ve called upon my secret weapon… EDUCATION!

Taking 10 minutes of my rare spare time, I devoted all of my energy towards tip searching; scouring the internet for all there is to do about #habitbuilding, #temptationcures, #getridofcravings101, #top10willpowertips, etc. I landed upon two blog posts that I have been practicing and preaching in my classes and training sessions:

James Clear from the blog “Buffer” – (A blog about productivity, life hacks, writing, user experience, customer happiness and business.)
http://blog.bufferapp.com/a-scientific-guide-to-saying-no-how-to-avoid-temptation-and-distraction?utm_source=swissmiss&utm_campaign=281832f635-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2660ad4d17-281832f635-393320153

James’ Tips:

  •  Use empowering “don’ts” versus willpower draining “can’ts”
  • Make your restrictive statements into accepted statements. Embrace the change you are working towards, don’t fight it.
  • Affirmative statements, if used strategically, can provide psychological feedback systems that result in successfully conditioned behaviors and actions.
  • Instead of saying, “I can’t eat ice cream”, say “I don’t eat ice cream”.
  • Instead of saying, “I can’t skip my workout today”, say “I don’t skip workouts”.
  • Choose to be the victim of your words or the architect of your words; you have choice, you have control.
  • Learn how to say no to unnecessary commitments, daily distractions, and pointless temptations so that you can live a more productive and healthier lifestyle.

The second blog that I highly endorse to those who need a Dexter “code” of conduct is a tip list by nerdfitness:http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/04/08/the-paleo-diet-debunked/

  • EAT REAL FOOD. The less ingredients; the less steps it took to process; the healthier it will most likely be for you.
  • Minimize consumption of grains and dairy if your goal is weight loss. Consider eliminating foods completely and then add them back in after a few weeks to see how your body responds.
  • Understand that you can’t outrun your fork. Your diet will account for 80% of your success or failure.
  • Eat more vegetables. No, corn doesn’t count.
  • Try to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body weight each day.
  • Minimize liquid calories.
  • Don’t have cheat meals – instead, make conscious decisions when to eat ‘unhealthy foods’ and then get right back on track.
  • Focus on building permanent small changes rather than sweeping changes that only last for a few weeks.
  • Relax! Do the best you can with what you have, where you are.

 

Currently, my goals dictate my behaviors, my behaviors dictate my performance, my performance dictates my success, and my success dictates my satisfaction. This waterfall of cause and effect works to get things done but no where do I imply an outcome of happiness. Happiness to me is a form of enlightenment that only comes during the process. As we know, the reward is the journey, not the destination. Glimpses of happiness and enlightenment are rewarded when we experience things such as flow, enjoyment, mastery, and understanding. We all have high points and low points, but it is in the high points that we shine brightest and act as the superhero we strive to become.

Eating strict paleo doesn’t mean I am one bite closer to becoming Batman, but the moments I earn my personal bests, or teach a stellar class, or go through a day without feeling bloated or sluggish, or wake up feeling fully charged are tiny reminders that my diet rules are not limits or restrictions, but phrases and words that empower and enlighten.

In conclusion, you won’t walk the walk, if you don’t talk the talk.

Creative Outlets

We all have work, priorities, jobs, and daily ‘to-do’s’. We set aside space in our schedules and give up quality time for these activities. We work hard to complete these activities. Sometimes we work too hard to complete them. We lose sleep, we lose time, and we lose sight of why we do them. Like robots, we are unable to think, we just do. We become lost, we become desperate, and we become defined by this work.

Most times, we do these activities because they provide as a means to an end. But when and what is this “end”? Why is the end that we think of the true meaning of our happiness? Why do we continue to chase the carrot at the end of the stick? Why is the reward always one step ahead, one grasp too far? We are living in such a fast-paced, consumer-based, material world, that there is never enough means to supply the demand.  The demanding end is a quick sand cyclical trap to a lifestyle of work, priorities, jobs, and daily ‘to-do’s’.

Alas, realistically speaking, this description of a career and daily chores is somewhat on the dramatic side. We do because we have to survive. We do because we have to provide for our loved ones. We do more because we want more. We do these things because it gives us something to do versus nothing to do at all. But what if we could manage a to-do list that is comprised of things we have to do, and things we WANT to do. Let’s take the lead from some of our world’s most significant people; people who have done significant things, but also make time to do less significant things…things that still make them significant.

  • Albert Einstein – Violin  
  • Mahatma Gandhi – Charkha (Spinning wheel)
  • George Harrison – Gardening  
  • Steve Jobs – Graphic Design 
  • Oprah Winfrey – Acting / Drama
  • Sigmund Freud – Antique Sculpture Collecting  
  • Kanye West – Fashion
  • Steven Spielberg – Video Gaming 
  • Salvador Dali – Photography
  • Lance Armstrong – Running

Honing in on your hobbies, passions, interests, intrigues, is tapping into not only a different part of your brain, but MORE of your brain. These outlets of creativity allow the brain to create new connections, new transmissions, new pathways, and ultimately new ideas. This breath of fresh air for our brains helps rest, refresh, reset, regain, replenish, and reinvigorate our enthusiasm for everything that we do.

I have a fond interest and intrigue with fashion. My latest adventure is the creation (re-creation) of the ‘glasses safety chain’. I firmly believe that form must meet function, design and engineering can coexist, the inside should look just as good as the outside, and a piece should always aim to optimize your style of living.

Overcoming Obstacles Is Conquering Fear

A few months ago, I wrote openly about my life long battle with Eczema, an autoimmune condition from the disease, Atopic Dermatitis. I regarded my skin disorder as a fear of mine because it limited me to my weakest self, I was afraid of it because I always felt conquered by it.

From the start of 2013, I aimed to take a stand. Through a combination diet of The Paleolithic and The Anti-Inflammatory (must respect the food), re-introduction of topical skin medication (must respect the Doctors), and a much stronger focus on sleep and stress management (must respect the physical body), I was not able to conquer it after all. I realized one such disorder could not be fully cured. It is a realization I stubbornly ignored my whole life; an opponent I was not willing to submit to, a fight I was not willing to back down from.

I realized that I experienced so much pain and displeasure not from the disorder, but from my stubborn attitude. My disorder was, and is still sometimes, a mirror to my own bad behaviors, an excuse to blame for my personal vices, and disrespect for my body for having such a genetic flaw. Ultimately, my Eczema can spiral downwards if my attitude, behavior, and desires are not controlled.

What most defines my character growth up to this point in my life is my ability to let go of the battle, free myself of this never-ending cycle of stress, and come to the peace that is acceptance.  Understanding the intricacies of my fear and how it can be managed gives me the freedom my mind and spirit struggle for. Accepting my Eczema in its natural state within my body allows me to gain control and focus on what can be done. I no longer cloud my mind with what I cannot do and what I am limited by, I take action.

I am writing this small follow up because it transitions into another example of conquering fears. In my case, I have controlled fear through the steady route of acceptance and gaining control. I have taken my time, put in the time, and measurably progressed towards a pinnacle of success. This process has taken months of in-depth intervention. Conquer, control, overcome; these are heavy-duty words that can describe gigantic life-changing events like mine, but sometimes, there are anomalies. There are short and sweet moments in life that truly amount to gigantic feats but in a small David-like instant.

I wanted to contrast my vast fear conquering journey with a tiny moment; seconds in length, that I am so proud to be a part of. The link to the video below shows how the action of overcoming obstacles and conquering fears can come in all shapes and sizes, in all lengths of time, and through each and every one of us. We simply need the courage, the determination, the discipline, and the attitude to be our own life coach.

Special thank you goes out to THE DEVASTATOR for trailblazing the path to excellence; overcoming obstacles and conquering fears, one jump at a time.

“Hungry for Change” - My Cole’s Notes

I have seen “Hungry for Change” three times now and each time I see it, I hate it more but I love it more.

The documentary delivers a mini story line that is extremely cheesy. It tries to appeal to yuppy women in their 20s and 30s. Extreme FAIL. I dislike the storyline so much that it makes me cringe and laugh and cry at the same time.

BUT, and a big BUUUT! The experts, who are success stories themselves, put out great points and takeaways, enough to keep me watching each and every time.

Below are my quick “cole’s notes” that I’d like to share.

Intro themes

- We are no longer eating food, we are eating food like products

- Sugar is the cocaine of the free world

- People are overfed but starving to death

- It’s not just what you’re eating, it’s what’s eating you

Fat

- We are programmed to eat fat

- Holding fat is a survival mechanism

- Our most essential organs are made up of fat (e.g. the brain)

- MSG excites part of the brain that triggers fat uptake –> BAD

Hunter Gatherer Gardeners

- High nutrition, low calories

- We need to be more like them

Modern day “Gobblers”

- High calories, low nutrition

- In the past, we used to feast because there were many famines, nowadays, we feast but we do not experience famine

Mindset

- Everything is based on what you eat, what you drink, and what you think

- We eat products that make other people money

- People live in invisible prisons of addiction

- Cigarettes and foods have addictive qualities – these industries purposely make chemical concoctions addictive

Environment

- We live in an indoor lifestyle, a sitting lifestyle

- We have lost the will to maintain self-responsibility and put that reliance on therapists, doctors, and instructors

Diet Cola

- The worst thing for you – they are a nasty combination of highly processed, chemically altered, strategically composed, sugar and caffeine –> craving and addiction

- Pilots know not to drink Diet Colas because they can disrupt vision

- Diet colas cause carbohydrate cravings

- Diet cola manufacturers fund studies, and these studies are published. It is not a 3rd party producing these studies.

Sugar

- Fat is not the issue – fat free means all sugar or carbohydrates

- Low fat diets make you constantly hungry – there are no healthy fats to keep you satiated

- White products are refined pharmaceutical versions of the natural plant based version

(e.g. Cocaine from Coca leaves, white sugar from sugar cane/beetroot)

- Stay away from high fructose corn syrup, stay away from isolated forms of sugars

- Common breakfast foods are loaded with sugar

- Fat does not make you fat, sugar makes you fat (insulin response)

- Beta endorphin rush to relieve stress

- Sugar kills more people on this earth than any other drug on earth combined

Diets

- Diets are temporary

- Do you want to be healthy temporarily?

- Do you just want to look good temporarily?

- People are looking to just look good, changing themselves from the outside in…..approach needs to be from inside out

- People set themselves out for failure, variations of calorie manipulation, carb/protein/fat ratio manipulation

- Supermarket eating will force you to always be “dieting”

- Imagine we are living in a zoo, normally, our fellow chimps would be fed normal veggies and fruits they would find in the jungle, not captain crunch. We are not feeding ourselves food that we would be eating in our natural habitat, we are eating captain crunch.

Take away principles

- I can have it but I don’t want it

- Refrain from restricting

- Add in the good stuff and that will crowd out the bad stuff

- Add so much good that the bad won’t even be an option

- Drown out the bad with the good

TED Talks – “How To Use Experts and When Not To” by Noreena Hertz

Below is my summary of Noreena Hertz’s ode to “experts”, and a mission statement to those who “follow” semi-blindly. What Noreena had to say was something we all know but don’t hear enough. It is easy to tell people to stop acting like herds of sheep and mindless cattle. It is easy to tell people to ‘think for yourself’, ‘speak up’, and ‘use your gut feeling’. It is difficult to express why it is important to understand both sides of the story. She communicates the importance of empathizing with both the storyteller and the audience. She leaves you with the “why”, which will question your own roles you’ve adopted as an expert, and hopefully answer them at the same time.    

All too often we put all of our trust into experts. They have the information and knowledge we need. They have the experience and credentials to back it up. We rely on them to answer our questions. But many times, experts are wrong. Experts make mistakes.

Experts must prove themselves. If we hold them on pedestals, they must guarantee their place. We must challenge them. We must stir up controversy, argument, debate, and conflict to ensure our experts are truly leading us safely and responsibly. We must persist.

High quality answers require high quality questions. If we hope to get the most out of our experts, we must be armed with questions that shake up their methodologies, opinions, and actions.

On the other side, as experts, we need to value disagreement, discord, and difference.

Redefining the relationship with experts means to amplify the voice of democracy, rebellion, and doubt. We must all understand that the question is just as, if not, more important than the answer. And that the experts we all blindly follow can make mistakes, falter, and descend when critiqued with confident disagreement.

In order to create experts of the highest regard, we must create them ourselves. Sitting back ignorantly, passively taking in their every word puts everyone at a disadvantage.  We must actively partake and dispute, dare to confront and challenge, until we get the most out of our so called “experts”. This healthy back and forth prevents stagnation. It ensures a passion and desire to always be learning, sharing, and growing.

Client question: Smoothies?

Dear Julian,

A lot of these smoothie recipes nowadays are quite comprehensive and cover a wide variety of dietary needs and nutrients. At times, they seem like a meal onto themselves. 
Therefore, my question is, how should smoothies be taken? As a meal substitute? Meal supplement? Snack? Pre-workout snack? Post-workout snack? 

Signed,

Confused

Smoothies are meant to optimize.

If you are in a deprived state of nutrition, convenience, time, and resources, then smoothie.

Whole foods cannot be replaced. Mother nature did not invent smoothies, they are man made to cope with our stressful and demanding lifestyles.

For athletes, they help immensely with getting the body what it needs to recover, grow, and repair, but that speaks again to the high demands that we put on ourselves and the results we aim for. High level performance requires higher means of energy and fuel supply, and therefore a higher level method of delivery.

Do not meal replace with smoothies, only enhance with snack smoothies and post recovery smoothies. Drinking your food and eating your water is a luxury that we can afford. Do not take advantage of this ability, but make the best of it.

Do not just chug your smoothies, chew them. Allow for your saliva to mix and mesh with it. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbW3MmRWg_s) Paul Chek reinforces this act of chewing because it tells your brain that food is being consumed instead of liquid, and turns off satiety activity, allowing your hunger to be satisfied.

Experiment with different types of smoothies, not just sweet tasting smoothies, but green smoothies made up of all vegetables. This will give you creativity and freedom over the tool of smoothie making. Once you have achieved creativity and freedom, it no longer becomes a necessity, something to depend on. It transcends into that life optimizing category. It becomes your secret weapon.

For myself, my career that I have chosen forces me to go above and beyond, but If I was on vacation, I would most likely eat my foods rather than drink them. The act of eating food gives you a mindfulness that drinking cannot. When you respect your food by eating it slowly and savoring it, you will start to appreciate it to the utmost, and be grateful that you have it, and plenty of it.

Client question: How do I squat low?

First and foremost, squatting is the most important movement pattern to master. It can tell many things about a human being: flexibility, strength, body awareness, coordination, stability, balance, core control, and digestion too! People who cannot squat low end up squatting above or just to the knees while bending forward. As a kind gym Samaritan, please read this blog, then assist the struggling individual. You can literally change someone’s squat in a matter of seconds! How does a squat show poor digestion? Well, if someone is bloated because of poor dietary habits, or because they are allergic to foods and are not aware, the will bloat. Core muscles will suffer and weaken over time, and therefore, with weak core muscles, combined with many other issues, the squatting movement will be limited!

There are two things that come to mind when helping people squat low: form and flexibility.

Form

  • Imagine you are taking a #2 in the woods
  • Wide shoulder width stance
  • Knees and Toes turned out 45 degrees
  • Tall spine
  • Exercise – Ball Squat against wall with a targeted depth
    • Practice depth squatting with the support of a ball and wall on your mid to low back
    • Use Stepper Risers to gauge your depth and create targets for your desired depth
    • Feet should be under the shoulders, slightly behind the knees
    • Breathing – Breathe as if you were neck deep in water: exhale as you sink down and maintain the exhalation until you stand back up, then inhale. Your diaphragm needs to assist your core muscles in the squatting movement by releasing all of the air in trunk, thus creating a stable and solid unit for squatting functionally.

Flexibility

Breakfast?

So I’ve tasked my specialty class participants (Mind over Muscle 2.0) with sharing their “ideal breakfast”, one they’d serve their loved ones. I’ve received the good, the bad, and the misinformed. Here is a quick response blurb to their efforts:

Below are links that are worth looking through as they relate to breakfast – a meat and nut breakfast that some high performing athletes swear by, by a coach that people swear by (Charles Poliquin), and a youtube nutrition expert’s down to earth thoughts on that style of breakfast. The second last are suggestions for smoothies options, and the last is a blog feed from Meghan Telpner (vegan nutritionista), who I follow respectfully. The blog feed has lots of goodies mentioned from a very responsive crowd.

Please look into the first two and use the pair as an example of how to evaluate any advice/diet/review/nutritional information you come across. I never subscribe to anything and say it is the end all and be all unless I have tried it through and through, and even then, I am weary to advise it to others.

Main point: Achieving the best breakfast for you is exactly that… FOR YOU!

Experiment, try the options our 2.0 teammates have been offering up, and if it works for you (meaning you feel amazing after eating it), then you are one step closer to figuring what your body needs and benefits from. The ideal breakfast is individual to your needs and wants and must be meticulously balanced with the rest of your life, day to day.
Enjoy food as fuel and fuel as freedom.

  • http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/270/The_Meat_and_Nut_Breakfast.aspx
  • http://ca.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_700/719b_best-breakfast.html
  • http://www.optimalbodybalance.com/tag/breakfast/
  • http://meghantelpnerblog.com/2012/09/17/best-breakfasts-ill-show-you-mine-if-you-show-me-yours/

How to… 2013! Preventing resolution plateaus

Preventing resolution plateaus:

 

1.       Tortoise Mind = slow and steady wins the race

a.       A slow approach to achieving a goal makes things attainable and realistic

b.      A steady approach encourages consistency and commitment

 

2.       Game Change = Shock the system with new and exciting exercises. 

a.     Start with small changes to the F.I.T.T. (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type) principle

i.      F = Increase or decrease the volume of exercise – change the number of reps

ii.      I = Increase or decrease the load during exercise – change the weights

iii.      T = Increase or decrease the length of exercise – keep it efficient and under an hour

iv.      T = Try a new class, take on a different style of exercise, play a different sport

 

3.       Eating over Exercise = Emphasize Nutrition as the primary successor

a.       Take control of your eating like you do your exercising

i.      Analyze it, research it, plan for it, and give it your all

 

4.       Working out your rest = 8 hours…period.

a.       In order to gain from the pain, you must rest your body so that it can repair

 

5.       Be Proactive, not Reactive = Don’t ever allow yourself to fall off the bandwagon

a.       There is no “off season”

b.      Make training and exercising a part of your lifestyle

 

6.       Education cures Laziness = If you don’t know, ask, or Google it.

a.       Take the initiative to educate yourself on factors that may cause you to plateau

b.      With a little bit of ammo, you’ll be loaded with confidence when tackling any challenge

What can FEAR can teach us? What my FEAR has taught me.

 

– Summary of Ted Talk by novelist Karen Thompson Walker

– An intimate confession of my own fear

 

Near death experiences, roller-coasters, horror movies, snakes, or disease, these are examples of traumatic experiences turned fears that we never forget. They haunt us. They are our scars. We are chained to our fears, we are victims, we dare not to confront, and we avoid what we cannot control.

But Walker suggests that we can control our fears. We can look at fear in the form of stories. With our highly imaginative minds, instead of avoiding our fears, we can read into our fears. Because fears can be seen as our stories, we have the power to be the authors and the readers. We can choose to be rational instead of emotional about our scary thoughts. Fear can be used as a tool. Walker introduces the phenomenon, “productive paranoia”, whereby fear is used as a motivator for preventing unfavorable outcomes. Studies show that A-type personalities often uphold this “productive paranoia” and use it to their advantage. The paranoia of being unsuccessful, losing, failing, feeling weak, fearing the worst of outcomes, motivate a surge of productivity towards succeeding, winning, gaining, feeling strong and fighting fears.

Fear can be an everyday clairvoyance.

Fear can be wisdom, insight, and truth.

I am sharing with you my thoughts on fear because I fight with an incurable disease. I was born with it, it is genetic, I have had it all my life, and most likely will have it for the rest of my life. It is not life-threatening and not contagious. It is called Atopic Dermatitis.

I am open to my disease, but not public about it. Until now…

I fear the feel of it. I fear how it weakens my morale and spirit. I fear the look of it. I fear the perception of others of it. I fear the hassle of it. I fear the never-ending struggle. I fear its incurability.

Walker talks about fear as something we struggle with, something we fight and try to overcome. I think a fear is also something you hide, something you are ashamed of, something you dismiss, something you don’t want anyone to know about. Either way, on the other positive hand, fear is something that brings out the natural optimist in all of us.

The continual battle with fear drains our will power and puts us in a state of stress. I am always in constant battle with my skin because it is largely affected by lifestyle. I live and breathe fitness. My body works for me; I sweat it, I strain it, I stress it, I put it through the worst conditions possible, I kick its ass. Furthermore, I am a food enthusiast, a wine connoisseur, and restauranteur, and I pay for my indulgences, not through my weight (like many), but through my skin disease. If I eat or drink poorly, my skin flares up, it itches, it reddens, it aches, it cracks, it rips, it dries, and it terrorizes.

But as a born optimist, I have learned to work with it, and I continually learn from it. My indulging habits force me to adopt and practice the healthiest of habits. My disease is my devil and angel, my offense and defense, but ultimately, it is my blessing in disguise. I am an A-type, so I use it to my advantage. I practice productive paranoia because I fear the feeling of a flare-up. Thus I am very clean and hygienic. I understand how much the benefits of exercise and nutrition truly benefit my skin, that I have made the study of exercise and nutrition my career and passion.

So there it is. My secret is out. My motivation to do well in this world stems from my fear of my skin disease. This concept of fear is something I have been working with lifelong. I have grown from it. I have learned from it. I am intimate with it. I am perceptive of it. I choose to see it as a tool. I choose to see it as a blessing. And I am choosing now to not disguise it. I am confronting it. I am unveiling it. I am sharing it.

Most people in this world do not discuss their fears because it is extremely difficult. Opening deep scars, exposing wounds, and shining light on dark experiences can be a fear in itself. I am not telling people to openly share their fears; it is a personal choice to be open about it. I am just trying to lead by example.

It is only when an individual recognizes their fear, takes the time to understand it and work with it that they can consistently manage it, and optimistically thinking, they can overcome it. I wish you the best on your journey of bravery and fearlessness.

Quotes:

“The only way to experience fearlessness is to know the nature of fear”

“Smile at fear”

 

Resources:

What fear can teach us by Karen Thompson Walker

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwgWkUIm9Gc

Fear & Fearlessness by Pema Chodron

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVRT-y2wTBY

Atopic Dermatitis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atopic_dermatitis

Holiday Happiness or Helplessness?

I write to share, I write to vent, I write to provoke, and sometimes, to self sabotage, I write to confess…

I sit here in front of my computer, after a long hard holiday day of sleeping, watching movies, opening gifts, and eating to my heart’s content, I am writing in search for sympathy. I am confessing to my sins of laziness, sluggishness, and lethargy. Or should I be?

As always, it comes down to a matter of perspective. Are my “sins” actually good deeds to my well being? Am I adding years to my life by chill-axing? Am I actually catching up on all the sleep I’ve lost out on during the year? Is the holiday also referred to “the break” for a reason?

I believe that laziness, sluggishness, and lethargy can also be mistaken synonyms to rest, relaxation, and recreation. The body and mind need to be in these states of R&R&R in order to repair, restore, and rebuild. I believe this negative undertone to the holiday break is a result of my overly active lifestyle, highly conditioned career-mindedness, and obsessive compulsive work-life attitude. This mindset prevents me from fully indulging in this rewarding holiday lifestyle. But how do I prevent the feeling of holiday helplessness? How do I prevent this lazy lull feeling and only feel the benefits of restorative relaxation?

George Orwell says, “To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.” The answer is with me every time I engage in exercise!

Because I think in terms of exercising and training, the answer is as simple and best explained as the necessity of warming up and cooling down, before and after a workout. In order to reap the benefits of the exercise workout, we need to conduct a thorough warm up before starting. It must be progressively intensifying and just as mentally stimulating as physically. When we finish our workout, we need to conduct a thorough cool down before exiting the exercise state of mind. It must be a decrescendo of intensity whereby a restful heart rate must be stabilized.

From the days leading up to the holiday, we take on more work, we go above and beyond, and we overstress ourselves because we know the break is near. Then, when we finally finish, we enter the holiday high strung, anxiety ridden, and ready to binge. It’s like jumping into a super intense workout without any warm up; increasing our chances for injury, relapsing into injury, and creating more potential for consequence than benefit.

My introduction to my suggestions on how to avoid such a rollercoaster behavior starts with my inspiration. Movies affect my mood greatly. I experienced such a surge of motivation and energy after watching The Dark Knight Rises (a Xmas gift of course!) that I put myself through an upper body workout during the last quarter of the movie while simultaneously thinking up the foundation of this entry. The following quote from Bane underlines the epitome of this struggle I believe we all need to overcome.

“Peace has cost you your strength, victory has defeated you!” – Bane

During their first confrontation, Bane patronizes and mocks Batman for putting up a weak fighting effort from being out of the game for so long. Batman’s comeback is lackluster, without strategy, and rushed. Just like how we rush into the holiday break without any preconceived plan, Batman rushes into his comeback against Bane, and gets what he deserves. I am speaking to this lack of transition time from one mindset to another – the sense of acting without thinking.

Batman’s “peace” and “victory” time has made him lazy and has put him out of practice. He has fallen off the bandwagon of being the caped crusader, that his abilities have dulled and his tools have rusted. This behavior reflects our need to keep our positive habits consistent. We must not look at the off-season as a time to rejoice in self-sabotage, nor self-enlighten with extreme change, but aim to maintain so we do not lose on all that we have gained during the season.

We must not regard the holiday as a celebration tied to extrinsic rewards. Yes, we do give and receive gifts, eat and drink like kings and queens, but those celebratory actions should come secondary to the main purpose of the holiday season: spending time with loved ones. We get lost in the tangible traditions that we forget the intangibles; love, connection, unity, harmony, and happiness. It is the intangibles that give rationale to the tangibles.    

 “Deshi Basara!” (translates to “RISE!”) – Crowd of Prisoners 

As the crowd of prisoners motivate and cheer on the unmasked Batman to climb up and out of the underground prison, they chant “Deshi Basara!” The successful climb is the warm up to his return to Gotham city and the big battle ahead. We must engage in our own version of the Batman prison climb with the holidays, so that we are ready and fully warmed up for the events ahead. The chanting echoes his attitude and drives his momentum, as do the Christmas traditions and our spirits.

As we push through Christmas and into the future, we come full circle; we must face the beginning of the end. It is New Year’s Eve and we have plans for the New Year. The beginning IS the end and the end IS the beginning. There is unknown, there is change, there is a whole New Year ahead with different goals ahead. It is a contradictory time that brings nervousness, anxiety, and fear. The key is to not resist nor ignore these feelings.

Blind Prisoner: You do not fear death. You think this makes you strong. It makes you weak. 
Bruce Wayne: Why? 
Blind Prisoner: How can you move faster than possible, fight longer than possible without the most powerful impulse of the spirit: the fear of death. 
Bruce Wayne: I do fear death. I fear dying in here, while my city burns, and there’s no one there to save it. 
Blind Prisoner: Then make the climb. 
Bruce Wayne: How? 
Blind Prisoner: As the child did. Without the rope. Then fear will find you again. 

With a rope harness, Bruce Wayne aka Batman, is fearlessly set to climb out of the prison, after many failed attempts. Bruce’s previous failures are due to a contradiction in his mindset and efforts; Bruce says he does not fear death, yet he still attempts each climb with the rope harness. The Blind Prisoner explains to Bruce Wayne that this contradiction is what is holding him back from succeeding. He now understands that he needs fear as motivation.  Sometimes, we need to release ourselves from the comfort of the rope harness in order to experience something spectacular.

Lastly, an outside perspective, whether from a blind person or not, is what we need to realign our path. Ironically, the Blind Prisoner sees what is blinding Batman, he identifies Batman’s fear factor and forces him to rethink his strategy. This Blind Prisoner acts as a metaphor to the ‘cool down phase’.  The cool down should be a time to reflect and think. Once thoughts have been processed, plans must start to take shape, fear must continue to motivate, and thus leaps are no longer made from faith, but from strategy. Just as we finish one year and enter into a new one, our minds must be open to change. As one year ends, we experience a cool down phase which is integral to the mindset of the future.

The helplessness that some of us may experience during the holiday is untimely, but to our dismay, by our own doing. The recognition of this holiday helplessness may simply be the fear that we need to spark a change. Therefore, with a little more emphasis on warming up and cooling down, transition phase planning, fear as motivation, insight from an outside perspective, and some Batman in our back pocket, we may experience happiness over the holiday, without the helplessness.

The NO EXCUSES Workout: Yoga Poses Edition

What is most abundant and convenient force that can not be seen but only felt? It makes us stronger every day without you even lifting a finger. A gym accessible anywhere on earth? GRAVITY!

Here is a routine that fights gravity. Have fun fighting the force.

  • No equipment, just a mat
  • For Intermediates and Advanced
  • Hold all poses for 30 seconds, Repeat Circuit Twice
  1. 2 Point Forearm Plank (Right Arm Up, Left Leg Up) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BDgMHmm0Qk
  2. 2 Point Forearm Plank (Left Arm Up, Right Leg Up)
  3. Side Plank (Right Arm Up, Foot on Foot) -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EPKjJ8hANQ
  4. Side Plank (Left Arm Up, Foot on Foot)
  5. Reverse Plank – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STCe7-aZ-o8
  6. Warrior 3 (Right Leg Up, *Hands on wall for balance) -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6sBWwRNqlo
  7. Warrior 3 (Left Leg Up, *Hands on wall for balance)
  8. Extended Hand to Toe Pose (Right Leg Up) -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82TjGoh5L1Y
  9. Extended Hand to Toe Pose (Left Leg Up)
  10. Chair Pose – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp7XJkG9ubc
  11. Boat Pose – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlTWDamdPS8
  12. Locust Pose – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQpHR5GvTgo
  13. Headstand Pose – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3uGV8Au75w

The NO EXCUSES Workout

A quick workout that I fired off to a client looking for something to do with limited space and equipment. Great for vacation, in-home, travel, time-crunched.

A “No Excuses” workout for anywhere, anytime
Intermediate Bodyweight Routine
Equipment: Mat
Complete 2 Rounds in under 30 minutes

  1. 20 Deep Squats – Butt below knee height with back vertical
  2. 20 Push Ups – Chin, Chest, Hips, Knees 2 inches from floor
  3. 20 Stationary Lunges each leg – 90 Degrees in both knees, forward knee always over shoelaces, not toes
  4. 20 Full Sit Ups – Hands pointing towards ceiling, knees bent at 90 degrees
  5. 20 Parachuter Lifts – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv-V9itHTTk
  6. 2:00 minutes Plank – Take your breaks, 2:00 minutes total time (no need to be consecutive)
  7. 2:00 minutes Cardio split 30s Intervals – Jumping Jacks & Mountain Climbers
  8. 2:00 minute Downward Dog Pose - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbJaj0Aqw5k


​

Gaining Self-Perspective Through Our Diets

Beginning this written piece with my eating and drinking adventures of the past weekend, I feel somewhat hypocritical in the act. But, I redeem my behavior as the piece reads on. Balance is key my friends. Balance is my savior. Cheers to balance!

On Thursday, November 15, I attended the Gourmet Food and Wine Expo at the Metro Convention Center and I enjoyed myself to the utmost. Indulging my happy little foodie me, with foods like Scallop Ceviche, 21 day aged beef, Russian Sturgeon Ossetra Caviar, Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Sliders, Samosas, Spring Rolls, and Fois Gras Ice Cream!  “Sampling”, if you could call it that, more like “Sipping” from some unorthodox vendors, I still found myself in heaven with wines from Niagara’s Winery of the Year ‘Southbrook‘ to Australia’s Peter Lehmann’s Clancy’s Legendary Red to the ever so popular Kim Crawford‘s Malborough Sauvignon Blanc.

I continued living the life of a foodie as the weekend continued with great company, great wine stories over wine, and great food the way foodies do. I shall cut my losses here and redirect with my bigger picture, out of the box, don’t want to hear it but know it’s good for me, Buddhist approach, style of writing blog post.

Below are my thoughts on diet and nutrition as a response to my classes’ brief discussion and query on my views to this sensitive and complicated topic.

Dieting is very personal. I am not a registered dietitian nor a certified nutritionist, but only an expert within my scope as a successful Kinesiologist/Fitness Coach. I too have experimented on my own body with my highly active lifestyle and it has enabled me to do above average things. You have heard me speak about vegan-ism and vegetarianism as a key player of success in my running. I may have told you about my green smoothies and super-foods approach to a holistic  approach to supplementation for high dosage of nutrients. I may have spoken to you about my gluten-free, dairy-free, red meat free diet that I have been upholding to deal with my eczema skin disorder. I have experimented with my own diet to great depths but do not expect the same experimentation out of you. We are all different. We must do what is right for ourselves, but we must know what is right. Hence we must know thyself.

Eat not based on how you want to look but on how you want to feel. Eat to fuel what you want to do not what you want to be. Eat not just to survive in life but to perform in life. Feed yourself what you would feed your loved ones.

I provide advice on diet to those I believe are in need of habitual reassessment. We all have good habits and bad habits. We are not born good eaters and poor eaters. It is not nature but nurture that determines our dietary habits. We are influenced by our environment. Our dietary habits are simply a reflection of who we are, what we do, and how we want to do. We need to be able to identify triggers, behavioral indications, symptoms, and changes. Let’s be proactive rather than reactive. Let’s read into our past, act on our present, and write out our future.

I look as food as more than just fuel but a joy in life. I eat to live AND I live to eat. I make sure I understand the difference, and also balance the two. Along with balance, I look for alignment. Food must complement my work-life balance. It should give me confidence to work hard and live life as fulfilling and meaningful as possible.

You must simply ask yourself two things:

1. What is a better me?

2. Am I eating my way towards a better me?

Change is a crucial element to our health, fitness, and wellness. Sustainable change happens very slowly, hence we must be patient with ourselves and our environment. But we must also be consistent, persistent, and focused. The best way to answer these big questions are sometimes with a new perspective:

  • Try for many small wins instead of one big win.
  • Try adding good instead of subtracting bad.
  • Try a new recipe instead of an old recipe.
  • Try losing inches instead of losing pounds.
  • Try substituting here and there instead of changing altogether
  • Try packing lunch instead of buying lunch
  • Try shopping grocery store perimeters instead of aisles
  • Try: “If you never try, you’ll never know”

Cheers to good eats,

Julian

How to Perceive Intangible Forces


“Poems don’t always have to rhyme, you know. They’re just supposed to be creative.”

–Sam Shakusky, from Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom.

I was inspired by this quote in this beautiful film to write a poem that, according to Sam, does not rhyme, but is creative, and also, a written passage that makes you think.

Brewing in my thoughts post 100km run are deep thoughts influenced by larger than life events and forces. I have not written a piece in more than a month because I have been unsure of my next pursuit. I have been aimlessly absorbing at my mind and heart’s content: a book here, half a book there, podcast here, ted talk there, audio book here, youtube video there, a magazine article here, a research study there. David Mitchell says, “A half-read book is a half-finished love affair.” He is the author of the book Cloud Atlas, of which I have not had the pleasure of reading, but of watching. This amazing film by the directors of The Matrix Trilogy and Run Lola Run has also been on my mind and has been an inspiration to many of my thoughts and actions throughout the weeks. I have experienced many half-finished literature love affairs because there is an unknown to my short term training destination. I have not set myself onto a path to which I can set foot.

I am at a standstill, a fork in the road, a red light, and yet, I am happy.

Below is the poem that reflects some of my big picture questions, unquestionably shared by many in the world. The poem reads as many divided verses written at different times for different reasons, this is true. It is a collage of popular deep thoughts that continue to linger in my mind, simply in need of releasing. The main spark of this poem is from a Ted Talk by Chip Conley called Measuring What Makes Life Worthwhile.

The Perception of Intangible Forces
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?
What happens when time stops?
What happens when opposites attract?
What happens when the unthinkable happens?
What happens when the seven heavenly virtues meet the seven deadly sins?
When chastity meets lust.
When temperance meets gluttony.
When charity meets greed.
When diligence meets sloth.
When patience meets wrath.
When kindness meets envy.
When humility meets pride.
Is all that is good turned bad?
Is all that is gained lost?
Is all that is understood forgotten?
Is this all for nothing?
Why are we afraid of the unknown?
Why is time always fleeting?
Why is the grass greener on the other side?Why are we in pursuit of happiness?
Questions may forever never be answered.
Forces may forever remain still.
Time may never tell.
Never knowing the unknown may forever be our destiny.
The answer to these questions may be lost with the logic and intelligence of science, but may be found with the wisdom and perception of philosophy.
Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.
The most important things in life are intangible.
Knowing the difference between having what you want versus wanting what you have.
The measures of happiness are immeasurable.
If our purpose is better unknown, then we’d be dying to live rather than living to die.
If time is better fleeting, then life would not be precious.  
If happiness is better pursued, then life would be too easy. 
But if what we value most in life cannot be valued, are we going to be spending our lives measuring the mundane? 
Believing that life is ruled by an equation, a path, and an answer, may not be the way.
Believing that life is lead by magic, mystery, and miracles, may not be the way either.
But believing that life has a mysterious path to miraculous answers through a magical equation, may be the only way.
When a dream becomes a reality.
When moments become memories.
When ordinary becomes extraordinary.
When the impossible becomes possible.
When we face our fears and rise to the occasion, courage happens.
When we kiss and sparks fly, love happens.
When we lend a helping hand for the greater good, kindness happens.
When we witness birth and death and life, beauty happens.
It is not what we see but how we see.
It is not what we hear but how we hear.
It is not what we say but how we say.
In order to understand these intangible forces, we must look at the glass as half empty AND half full; we must take the road traveled AND less traveled; we must take both red pill AND blue pill; we must see ALL shades of grey.
The intangibles in life cannot be explained.
The intangibles in life may simply be better unexplained.
In order to live with the intangibles, we must accept the nature of these forces, and nurture the unknown as they arise through our every day moments.

The Conclusion To My 100km Run

After a year long journey of training for my 100 km Great Canadian Sears Relay Run for kids cancer, honestly, at this moment, I am simply happy that it is in its full stage of completion.  To put it into perspective, my mind is only now able to rest without the thought of this 100k run. Every thing I ate, every workout I performed, every person I interacted with on a regular basis, every thought or decision I made revolved around this event. It’s not like I have abandoned all good habits and stopped training, I will never let go of these positive life changers. The weight of 100 km has been lifted from my shoulders, the pressure has melted, the nervous energy has dissolved, and the goal is now an achievement I can look back on proudly. This video will allow me to showcase to my friends and family the build up, the changes, and the adaptations I have made. But as I have mentioned in my video, this project is ultimately for me. I now have something tangible I can look back on. It is a glimpse into a small chapter of my life. It shows me my true potential. It is evidence that I got the most of my 25th year of living the life. Now onto the next chapter!


Pre-100km Thoughts: Training Reflection

I am experiencing déjà vu.

I am standing at the crossroads to another epic challenge. Earlier this year, I just barely conquered The Apu Ausangate Trek of Peru, to be honest, I just squeeked by the most prestigious mountain trek in South America, and perched enlightened (that I made it in one piece!) atop Machu Picchu, one of the most famous man-made wonders of the world. I have powered through a year of progressively intensifying training milestones, earning PB’s (Personal Bests) along the way. Starting the season off with a solid 1:21 Burlington Chilly Half Marathon time, a proud 2:00 Hamilton Around the Bay 30km, a steady Goodlife Toronto Marathon as a first timer Pacer Bunny (3:15 pacer), and my first ever Ultra (any race longer than a 42.2.Km marathon) at the 56km Muskoka Limberlost Trail Ultra Marathon where I finished 3rd Overall. These race experiences accumulate as part of a long recipe necessary to complete such a daunting 100km distance. I have strategically signed up for them in that order to progressively build up my mileage (and my confidence!). I had set these milestone goal races early on to keep me honest and accountable. It worked. Goal setting was the first trick.

I knew early on that 100km would take my body to a place that I have yet to push, so I put together a training program that would provide the pillars of a generic running program, which includes hills, intervals, tempos, short and long runs, and pair them with my previous year’s duathlon training of brick workouts, which is a combination of cycling and running back to back in one training session. I brought everything together with my career as a personal trainer and fitness instructor in mind by forcing myself to be on my feet the whole day, practicing the principle of “time on your feet”. Finally, I knew that I could not build my mileage of my long runs up progressively from 42km to 100km week to week, so I decided to pack in the mileage I ran into a specific number of days. The ultimate goal is to run 100km over the course of 1 day. So I started with running 100km over 5 days. Then 100km over 4 days, then 3 days, then finally, two weeks ago, I ran 100km over 2 days. Strategizing was the second trick.

I have one more trick up my sleeve, a two part trick, dieting and mental training. Reading about the ultra world through the eyes of Scott Jurek, in his book Eat and Run, gave me specificity training. I had a good idea of what he had to do mentally and physically for the “run” part, but what helped me most was what he did for the “eat” part. For the majority of my life, I have been a certain weight, never fluctuating. After my Peru trek, I have found myself at body weight 10 lbs lighter than I have always known. I have maintained this lean and clean weight with what I am most proud of amongst all of my training developments; implementing vegan and vegetarian days. I am not an extremist, I have not fully converted, I may or may not ever fully convert, but going from eating meat with every one of my meals, to eating meat once a day, to once every other day, to once every week, was quite the habitual challenge. My leaner and cleaner diet decreased my recovery time, increased my energy, and boosted my immune and digestive system ten-fold.

Although Scott Jurek is a tall, lanky, and unassuming guy, he has proven to the world that he is tougher than the biggest, broadest, and most macho of them all. I tried my best to empathize and vividly imagine his pains and weaknesses, and how he shielded himself from them with his strengths and determination. The limits of our physical body are dictated by the limits of our mind. I knew that trekking the Ausangate was going to be hard, and it was, but didn’t know how beneficial it would be for my training. Two weeks after Peru, I competed in my first Ultra marathon. I astoundingly finished in 3rd place. I can say my mind was filled with ammo, tones of it from my trek, that the ultra was much easier than I thought; I shot through it with a smile. I am reading about the art of Zen and practicing Yoga every night before bed. It calms me down, forces me to breathe deeply, and slows my mind. I have learned about awareness, mindfulness, openness, oneness, and how boundless and limitless our minds can truly be. I feel like I have only touched upon a raindrop size amount of information as it pertains to the ocean size of Zen, Meditation, Buddhism, and Yoga. But I can honestly say that even a raindrop into this world of mental training and teachings is enough to help guide me through this life changing event as it has already changed my life.

The year of 2012 has been the most boundless and limitless year of my 25 years on earth.

It is not the dark that we fear, it is the light. It is not what I cannot do; it is what I can do. My potential, my capability, my boundless and limitless future is what I fear. I am afraid of how far I can run. I am afraid of how hard I can push my body. I am afraid of how deep I can push my mind. I am afraid of how high I can climb this ladder of success. But should I be afraid? Or should I simply be proud? … “I am proud of how far I can run. I am proud of how hard I can push my body….” Or should I just be grateful?  … “I am grateful for how far I can run. I am grateful for how hard I can push my body… I fear because I don’t know where the end is. We fear the unknown. But we should not fear what we already know. We should be proud and grateful of what we know about ourselves. I am proud and grateful of my present day boundaries and limits. I am proud and grateful to have lived 25 years.

I am ready.

Thoughts on “Steve Jobs: A Biography” by Walter Isaacson

Over the span of 4 months, I have had a love affair with a man and his story, his history. I have finally finished my persistent, drawn-out lengthy process of half book reading and half audio-book listening of Steve Jobs: A Biography by Walter Isaacson. I have picked up, dropped off, purchased, returned, shelved, downloaded, deleted, borrowed, re-borrowed, to have been ultimately drawn in, seduced from the grave, by Steve Jobs and his infamous ‘reality distortion field’ (his ability to manipulate, motivate, and magnetize anyone to his ideas). Although the journey was attractively arduous, his 656 page biography was absolutely brilliant and worth every page.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Reading about Apple almost every day has kept the doctor away, but has also kept me at bay. It has broadened my mind on things once small and microscopic. It has also narrowed my thinking on things that were once ambiguous and largely uncertain.  It has given me ideas, confirmations, insights, brewed thoughts, and motivated me to rethink things pertaining to the foundational areas of career, relationships, lifestyle, and life. Below I share with you a mish mash integration of Steve Jobs’ quotes, sayings, philosophies, and how I have perceived them.

“Know thyself”. This life mantra escapes many people not because they are not in tune with who they are, but simply because they choose not to act on it. Knowing something is one thing, but acting on it is another. As it pertains to Jobs’ life, it should more clearly read, “know thyself AND be thyself”. Jobs took the time to learn about himself. He took calligraphy courses in university, he experimented with diets and fasting, he settled on a vegan diet until his death, he practiced meditation, and he used walking long distances for exercise. He surrounded himself with people who believed in what he believed. He paved his own lifestyle path and stuck to it. At a young age, he developed lifestyle habits that would normally take a lifetime to master, which provided him with wisdom and maturity well beyond his age.

Steve Jobs committed himself to years of Zen training which gave him the ability to focus and filter out distractions. It honed his appreciation for intuition. Some people thought that Jobs was merciless, heartless, and ruthless. To Jobs’ defense, Isaacson says Jobs did not lack emotional intuition and empathy, he knew what he was doing, he selfishly knew that he could not do what he did without doing it the way he did. His attitude served a purpose. It made him effective at enforcing change. It made people do things they never thought possible, and ultimately enabled him to do things he never thought possible.  Jobs always believed that intuition is more powerful than intellect. Jobs was a proponent of intuition, whereby instinctive feeling comes before conscious reasoning. This belief in intuition led his company to hold the goal of creating products over creating profits. Jobs makes it clear that Apple’s success over Microsoft is due to this prioritization. Without a doubt, Apple has integrated the beauty of art and the innovation of technology, and from it, has created a philosophy and mission that all companies should strive for.

‘Think Different’. Jobs believed in balance, but not the kind of balance that comes to mind. Jobs believed inIntegration, in other words, balance 2.0. For example, he never saw two different things working beside each other; he only saw two different things working WITH each other. He lived in a world where form meets function, where the outsides look as good as the insides, where software integrates with hardware, where design meets engineering, where art meets technology, where humanities meets science, where emotion meets logic. Jobs was inspired by the fact that Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were as much scientists as they were artists. Uniquely, Jobs was a big picture thinker and yet equally, had an eye for the smallest details. This made him a genius in the world of business and technology, and a magician in the world of art and design: a CEO 2.0 of our time.

Steve Jobs dishes out his own contribution to his biographical legacy in the last chapter, hence why it is one of my favorites.

I’ve strung many of his life lessons together in point form as they are simple, strong, and self-serving.

Business lessons:

  • Products over profits mentality: the products should always be the motivation
  • There’s no such thing as a dumb user, there are only dumb products
  • Follow the “Less but better” philosophy by Dieter Rams from Braun
  • You always have to keep pushing to innovate – evolve, refine your art, keep moving
  • Value the designers and product engineers first, then the salesmen
  • People do not know what they want, until you put it in front of them
  • No B players, only A players.
  • Don’t just build a company, build a LASTING company
  • A good boss is an honest boss, brutally honest
  • Honesty is responsibility

Life lessons:

  • “If you’re not busy being born, you’re busy dying” – Bob Dylan
  • If you are not busy surviving, you will die being busy
  • Sometimes it’s nice to be in the hands of a control freak
  • Add to the flow of life, don’t subtract
  • Jobs believed that there must be more to our existence than meets the eye, there must be a deeper purpose for us humans to accumulate and acquire knowledge and wisdom over a life time. Jobs thought it would be unfortunate if it were as simple as on/off switches…when you’re alive, you’re on, when you’re dead, you’re off. He recalled that’s maybe why he never had on/off switches on his products.
  • Shake off the erroneous notion that life is there and you’re just going to live in it. Instead, embrace it, change it, improve it, and make your mark upon it.

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