The objective is simple. Do full pushups on the floor.


The process is also pretty simple, at least how I coach it.


So let’s get to it.


Step 1: Establish your start
To begin we need to find out what you can do for pushups. If you’re at a gym, I’d like you to set up a barbell in some J-Hooks on a squat rack. If you’re at home, I’d like you to find a counter top, sofa back, sofa arm, ottoman, stairs, etc . . .


Step 2: Measure your reps
At whatever implement you found (squat rack, box, sofa, ottoman), I want you to try TWO pushups. Was it easy? Could you use the full range of motion? If both answer are yes, I want you to set a timer for 10 minutes and at the top of every minute, I want you to do TWO reps.


Step 3: Evaluate your success
If you are successful, you will have done 20 reps. Congrats! Next time you will move down a notch on the squat rack or find a lower object.


If you were not able to do all ten set, no problem. How many did you get?
8 sets? -Try it again in a couple of days and see if you can get all 10 sets.
6 sets? - Try moving to a higher notch in the rack or a higher object.
3 sets? - Move up much higher. Maybe even practice pushups off the wall


Keep this rhythm going 3-4 times each week. Over several weeks, you will notice how you can now do pushups from the floor or at least much closer to the floor!


If you have any questions about progressing your pushup, please reach out and I would be happy to talk!

After a long run we have likely depleted our body of a significant amount of hydration, calories, and micronutrients. At this time it’s important to get fluids and a meal. How long after a run? I say start sipping water or an electrolyte drink as soon as you can. While it’s hard to deny a post-race beer, remember that water will hydrate you better and increase your recovery. For food, I recommend getting food in as soon as your stomach will allow it. Not a ton, but what you can throughout the hours after the race. BUT, it doesn’t stop there! Keep fueling well. Keep drinking water. Keep eating food. Your body went through a lot. Treat it well by rehydrating. Eat carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Whole foods will help you recovery. The vitamins, minerals, and calories in natural foods will help this process. I don’t care to make specific food recommendations other than- eat whole foods and make sure your plate is colorful. Keep this in the mind for the next couple of days post race.

​Nancy Clark offers great advice in her book, Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance-

You’ll likely be pretty tired after a long run. Sleep it off! I don’t mean just come home and crash on the couch, but instead prioritize good sleep in the evening. Set yourself up for the best possible sleep that you can. Get things prepared early so that you can go to bed on time. Quiet the home. Draw the blinds. Take away the stressors like phones and computers. Sleep is when we recover. Our body releases Growth Hormone abundantly when we sleep. As the name implies, this is a big hormone for us to grow after stress. Sleep is when your body can make all of its natural processes that promote recovery. A body that does not recover will become over trained and susceptible to injury.

When you’re sore, it's important to keep moving. Yes, okay, rest once you get home from your run. Kick your feet up in an elevated position. Take a relaxing shower. You do you immediately after the run, but the next day and several days afterward- keep moving! Don’t run another marathon, but take easy walks, swim, or do light exercise. Let your body's natural “pumping” via movement push out the metabolites that promote soreness. By and large, of all the active recovery strategies that exist, simply walking is the most effective.


Fuel, Sleep, and Active Recovery are the big pillars of recovery from a long run, but there are other strategies that will help, just not as much. These are the cherries on top. If you can do them, great! But don’t expect great results if this is all you do.

​Over the years RICE has been dropped for numerous reasons. In fact, Dr. Gabe Mirkin who originally coined the term RICE in 1978 has come out and denounced his former protocol. It turns out that Rest and Ice may not give us the healing affects that we once believed.


There is however a new acronym on the block PEACE & LOVE.

​These are just a few modalities we can use to improve soreness after a long run. Refueling, sleeping well, and doing some easy active recovery will always be the most beneficial, however if other modalities such as compression feel helpful to you, they probably are! What our brain perceives as helpful will likely speed up our recovery process. The brain is powerful. Okay, the brain cannot necessarily will away your soreness, but if you provide a “treatment” that you fully believe in, there is a better chance that it will actually be helpful. So if you read this article and you swear by drinking pickle juice for recovery, but I didn’t include it on the list… you do you! It probably does work. Don’t let me stop you from using your harmless recovery strategies. Find what works for you!


In short, after a long run it is best to make sure you begin refueling almost immediately. Rest and kick your feet up acutely post run. Over the next few hours and day continue to eat well and do some active recovery. Most importantly prioritize and protect your sleep. This is when your body will do all of its recovery.

Follow these steps and you'll be feeling like yourself in no time!

For building muscle, the best thing we can do for success is to pick the right exercises. Generally speaking the best exercises for muscle growth are large compound movements. These are movements that require several muscles across multiple joint to work. Typically there are some muscles making the moment happen while other stabilize. Examples of compound movements are Squats, Presses, Deadlifts, and Pulls. Sound familiar? 


When we use compound movements we are able to use our full body. Ranges of motion are often large. Many muscles are contributing to the pattern. They’re dynamic. Because they are full body movements we tend to have a lot of ability- ability to control and handle fair amounts of weight…Which leads us to the next points.
​

When it comes to building muscle, one of the best factors that we can manipulate is speed. Working slow controlled movements is a great way to stimulate muscles growth. Slow movements, loading the muscles through their fullest range of motion, and creating force with control is a recipe to ensure muscle growth while lowering the risk of beginner inefficiencies.
​

Like Tempo, Load is another fantastic variable that needs to be considered when building muscle. In your first couple trips to the gym, the weight you lift should not be a big factor in your training, but as you progress, you will certainly want to increase the amount of weight you’re lifting. So then what is the appropriate load? Well, it’s hard to say exactly since there are so many variables at play. For ease, my advice is that the weight you use, should make you a bit fatigued by the end of your set.


Again, we’re beginners. It doesn’t need to be perfect right now, we just need consistency!
​

Lastly, I do want to touch on repetitions. Many people wonder how many reps they need to do. Well, the answer is that it doesn’t matter too much. Like the weight you use, it should be enough reps to create some fatigue by the end of the set.
​

​Tempo, Load, and Repetitions are three simple, but very important variables that can be manipulated to stimulate muscle growth. All three do not need to be improved at the same time, instead just focus on one or two at at time.


In summary, there are many ways to build muscle when you are an absolute beginner, but after your first couple of weeks, you should begin to get more specific with your program. Use your large compound movements first. Find fatigue via load, tempo, and reps. Most sets should illicit some sense of fatigue, not exhaustion. After that have fun with isolation exercises to add a bit more on top for your specific goals.

Push, Pull, Squat, and Hinge. 

Follow these patterns, pay attenetion to your Load/Reps/Tempo,  and you’ll set yourself up for success!

Before we get to the answer, I want you to imagine what a warm up means to you?


Is it running on the treadmill? Performing banded exercises? Stretching?


Warmups can take many shapes and it really depends on what the individual person needs. The warmup demands of an advanced athlete and a beginner at the gym can be very different.


Most of the readers of this blog series are beginners so let’s focus on possible warmups for a beginners at the gym.


First, let’s explain what is happening during a warmup.


Warming Up
We are literally “warming up” our body. We are increasing our body temperature. With this the fluids in our muscles and joints begin moving more freely. More flow of fluid allows for better function of tissues. In addition, hormones (such as endorphins) begin to get released which make us feel good. It’s like the Tin Man. The warmup is the oil.


Mental Switch
The warmup also serves as a marker in time to signal that you are leaving behind the stresses of work, home, etc . . . When you begin your warmup you are making the conscious choice to workout. You’re investing in yourself for a set amount of time when you can set aside the other stressors of life.


Movement Education
Warmups are typically time to practice. You can practice the movements you might do in the gym with easier intensity to teach your mind and body how a movement looks and feels.


These are only three of the amazing things that can happen during a warmup. Other aspects of a warmup could in include injury prevention, rehabilitation, skill acquisition, mobility training, etc . . . For today’s purposes Warming Up, the Mental Switch, and Movement Education are the biggest aspects of our warmup.


So what does a good warmup actually look like?


In my last blog post I wrote about setting a plan for the first trip to the gym. In this blog I explained what your experience may look like as a beginner at the gym and created a play-by-play for anyone anxious to get started.


In the play-by-play I wrote about taking few minutes on a piece of Cardio Equipment such a treadmill, elliptical, or bike. When we do this we are accomplishing the first two aspects of our warmup- Warming Up and the Mental Switch. On the cardio equipment we are moving our bodies and fluid within. You’ll likely feel your body literally warming up. Start slowly it’s a warmup not a sprint.


In addition to warmth, use this time to recognize that you have already done much of the hard work (getting to the gym, changing, pausing your other commitments). Let this be your Mental Switch to signal that this is your time to commit to your health. The workout has begun and its YOUR time!


Lastly, we have Movement Education. By this I mean that we can use our warmup time to practice the bigger movements we will do in our workout with light weights, slow tempos, and big ranges of motion. For example, if you know you want to chest press in your workout, you can start with the lightest dumbbells on the shelf and take some slow repetitions to “mime” the movement. You’re working slowly as you go. You feel the full range of motion. Perhaps you notice the points in the movement where you are tight or unstable. Use these reps to learn about how the movement will feel for you. This will set you up for success when you take your proper sets.


Really, even amongst beginners there can be a lot of variety in warmups and how they look. So if you see someone else in the gym doing something different from what I explain- they may very well have a good reason for it!


Warmups don’t need to be complicated when getting started at the gym. Take some time to bring warmth to your body with general aerobic work then get more specific by practicing the movements you intend to do. Doing both of these things will put you into the right mindset to workout and will prime your body well.


If you have any questions on warmups or anything gym related, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Okay, so you get to you new gym. It’s busy. There’s music playing. It’s warm. Everyone there looks like they know exactly what they’re doing (they don’t). It can be overwhelming. Take a big breath in, and follow along to this play-by-play.

1. If you haven’t already, introduce yourself to whomever is working the front desk. They will likely show you around. If they don’t- ask them where the locker rooms/bathrooms are as well as the water fountain.
2. Head to the locker room. Let your things down, change, do what you need to do.
3. Fill up your water bottle at the fountain (which you now know where it is).
4. While you’re filling you bottle have a look around for the cardio area (this is where you’ll find treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, etc…
5. Find yourself a piece of cardio equipment that is interesting to you. It doesn’t matter which one you use, and long as you’re comfortable on it, and there are no signs of anyone else using it (water bottle, towel, headphones, etc. . .)
6. Take a moment to look at the machine and step onto it. Similar to when you rent a car, they’re all different. It’s worth a moment to familiarize yourself visually with the display before you start moving. Like a rental car, when you begin moving start slowly and see how the machine reacts just like the accelerator and brakes of a car.
7. Once you’re comfortable and going- let’s do a minimum of 5 minutes of the machine- you can definitely do more if you’d like! During this time, have a look around the gym. Notice where there are a lot of people. Look for quieter areas. Where are the dumbbells? Where are the TRX which you used to love? Is there a quiet corner you can do your work? Do you want to jump into the busy areas? Notice what you like and what you think you might use.
8. Once you’re done clean off your machine and we’ll head to the next part of the workout!

*Note- you do not need to take this checklist into the gym with you, but it’s worth reading this over a couple of times and visualizing what your trip to the gym may look like especially if you’re anxious.

Now it’s time for the workout. It’s your first day in the gym, we’re going to keep it as easy as you need. This foundational workout can be completed at your own intensity. In this full body workout you will work through 5 patterns-


Push
Pull
Squat
Hinge
Core


We’ll pair them up so that you can go back and forth with two exercises for efficiency. Below are a few lists of common exercises that belong in each category. Read them over, maybe you recognize some. Many people will be able to begin right in the middle of the lists. Other people who have been working out for longer can begin higher on the list. Those who are brand new to the gym may need to go lower on the list. All of these exercises are good exercises, you may need to explore which are the best for you.
​

Videos of each exercise can be found on this Youtube Playlist

​These are FAR from exhaustive lists. Each exercise listed has infinite numbers of iterations. This is just a good starting point for many of us!


So now, let’s get to it.
​
We will begin by taking one Push Exercise and one Squat Exercise. We will pair these together. First you will perform 8-12 reps of your Push Exercise, followed by 8-12 reps of your Squat Exercise. We will do this three times.

Example:
Incline Pushup x12
Air Squat x12
Incline Pushup x10
Air Squat x12
Incline Pushup x11
Air Squat x12


Find some space- and take the items that you need. Be sure not to crowd other people or use items that are in use by others. You can always ask or signal by pointing toward an item with raised eyebrows.


Once completed, clean off your items and replace them.


Next we will move on to your second pair of exercises- one Pull Exercise and one Hinge Exercise. Just like our last pair 3 sets of 8-12 reps.

Example:
TRX Row x12
Hip Bridge x8
TRX Row x12
Hip Bridge x8
TRX Row x12
Hip Bridge x8


Clean again and replace.


Lastly, we have our core work to do. Core is something that I say you should decide how much to do with your heart. Kind of like cooking with garlic. Don’t measure, just go for it. For the Core Exercises, find some place where you won’t be near the weights of in the way. Grab a mat and lets get into it. Spend 5 minutes-ish working some exercises that are interesting to you and then you’re done! Oh, and make sure you clean up anything you used :)

Example:
Forearm Plank x30 sec
Bent Knee Side Plank x20 sec each side
Farmers Carry x60 sec

How do you choose your exercises? Well, this will likely require a little bit of trial and error. If you're working with a coach, you can trust that they pick and choose the exercises that are best for you. If you're working out on your own, begin with what you're comfortable with. If that's the very bottom of the lists, fine! If you recognize some exercises and you remember enjoying them in the past, begin with those! There is no right or wrong. What matters most is that you find the exercises are agree with your body and that you WANT to do. This will set you up for better success than choosing exercises that "think" you should be doing, but hate. It's your workout that you're making for yourself, you're the boss. 
​

​At this point- you may feel accomplished and ready to go home. If that’s the case- great. Go home and be proud. If you’re having fun and you’d like to spend a few more minutes stretching or returning to the cardio equipment- please do! You’re the boss!


The gym can be an intimidating place when you’re new. I get it. The space can be big. It can be busy. Equipment can be confusing. Music can be loud. There’s a lot going on. At times it might seem like everyone is looking at you. I can assure you that while the gym may seem intimidating, it’s actually a beautiful place where wonderful people are spending time to better their lives. People just like you are taking time out of their day, away from work, away from their family to improve their health. Your fellow gym goers are also there to socialize with their friends who are similarly health minded people. They are there to support each other and you! It’s really a beautiful thing to see a gym full of people on a Friday evening or a Sunday morning. So many like minded people spending time and money to improve their quality of life.


Author H.G. Wells is quoted saying, “Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race” 


Coaching Keenan Erickson is quoted saying, “Every time I see a room full of adults communally working on their respective health goals, the next generation becomes so much richer.”

Okay, I don't actually say this, but I do feel this way.

Exercise regularly, Eat intelligently, and Sleep well. Share it with other people, take part in it together, and absolutely always make it visible to the younger people in your life.

This course has been on my radar for a number of years. It was created by Dr. John Russin whose articles I have been reading online since I was in high school/college. In 2018 he and his team launched the course I took last weekend and I have seen ads and references to it regularly since. I remember when I was at The Body Architect, some of my coworkers were pushing hard to get a few of us to attend. (More on The Body Architect later)


At the certification the instructor opened with an icebreaker that frankly every coach has done before.


“Raise your hand if you’re in pain?”


Typically nearly every hand goes up.


The instructor then goes to tell everyone that it’s because of something they aren’t doing or how they promise this education will teach them to resolve the pain.


The PPSC instructor took it another way. He noted that, “if over 90% of us are currently in pain, what do our clients feel like?"


At this moment I smiled and had a feeling this was going to be a worthwhile course.


Obviously, when your go to a PAIN-PERFORMANCE SPECIALIST course you intend to learn how to work with pains. In fact, one can surmise that you will learn how you can help your clients work with their pains. This is clearly in the title, the curriculum, and ethos of the course, but all too often the objective (teach people to work with pains) strictly becomes a selling point for the course/brand/ego.


I’m not entirely sure what it was in this delivery, but way the instructor conveyed this line ensured a genuine feeling of deep charismatic concern for the clients that will ultimately be on the receiving end of our education.


Many coaches get into this career because they like to help people. We sincerely want to help our clients meet their goals, feel better, become more confident, improve performance, etc. . . It’s lovely but I will say, it’s possible in this career to lose track of this. Early mornings and late nights clouded by caffeine and fluorescent lights can make well intended and committed coaches forget that we got into this for the people we can help. Unfortunately, we see this often. I heard a statistic once that the average career of a personal trainer is 18 months. It’s not easy to keep with it long term.


The coaches I know who do make it in the career are those who always keep their clients first. They care deeply about their clients’ goals, stresses, emotions, families- their lives. We take it as our job to do all that we can to help you with your health so you can live your life for yourself and loved ones.


Coaches are trusted with multiple hours a week of our clients’ time. Two, three, four hours a week that you could be spending with your loved ones. Instead you choose to spend it with us and you trust that we will help guide you to better health. This is something I do not take lightly. I spend a tremendous amount of time and money each year to constantly learn and refine for my clients because it is thoroughly what you deserve.


So when I heard that line in this course, I was ready to listen and learn- not for myself, but for you- my clients.


Overall if was a nice course. We learned a good system for helping people work with pain, but we are coaches. We are not physical therapists. A good coach will NOT promise to get you out of pain. A good coach will have a well vetted system of physical therapists, doctors, acupuncturists, dietitians, chiropractors, massage therapists, etc . . . to whom they can happily refer you.


With that being said, a good coach will help you work with pains as they pop up, while you’re being treated by a professional, or at time when you may not be able to see someone else. Again, good coaches know their scope of practice. While we are not meant to treat pain, we absolutely should be aware of common discomforts, how to avoid exacerbating them, how to work around them, and evaluate deficits that could be contributing.


According to the World Health Organization 619 million people reported back pain in 2020. It is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Should these 619 million people never exercise? Absolutely not! Intermittent pains are common for all of us- young/old, active/inactive, rich/poor.


A good coach will help you find exercises that don’t exacerbate the pain. For example, you may have back pain, but exercise on the floor may feel good. For overall health, it’s better that we do activity that we can safely even when in pain. Our job as coaches can be to help you navigate that. Again, we won’t fix your pain, we’ll refer you to the correct professional, but there is likely a lot that can still be done.


Similarly, a well educated coach will be able to screen for a common deficits that may be contributing to pain. For example, for the many people who suffer from back pain, a coach may notice that they’re lacking mobility in their hips which could lead to more stress in the back.


I took a course a few years ago (Sleep and Recovery Coaching) where a point was nailed home- “The coach plays a vital role in one’s healthcare team.”


Your coach sees you multiple times a week, whereas a physician may see their patient once a year. A chiropractor my only see their patient if something goes wrong every 18-months. Maybe massage therapist may see their patient once a month, but a coach has such a unique role in seeing the person in front of them multiple times a week. We might see changes in you that go unnoticed by others.


We know when you’ve had a long weekend.
We see how you struggle if you’re coming down with a seasonal bug before you even know it.
We notice when you lose the weight you’ve been trying to lose for years.
We observe how your mood changes with regular exercise.
We celebrate when that nagging knee pain goes away over time.


While a coach may not have the scope of practice to help you in the way licensed healthcare professionals can, we get a lot of time with you where we can take a holistic approach to help you with your health which includes pain.


The PPSC reinforced this idea. We know our roles. We do what we can along with your providers all in the name of helping you.

The thought process presented was logical, pragmatic, and science based. Overall, highly applicable.


--


For the coaches out there:
Is it a good certification to take? Yes!
Is it novel? No.


The more certifications I take, the more I realize a couple of things

1. I’ve gotten a great education over the years.

• At Hope College in my undergraduate degree studies we learned so much physiology and biomechanics that I can’t forget this stuff.
• At The Body Architect where I earned my chops as a young coach, we became professional technicians for helping people individualize workouts around pains.
• Through the various certifications that I have taken- the mechanics are always hammered home.

2. Most Strength and Conditioning certifications aren’t making up new ideas instead they’re just organizing the latest literature and best practices from over the years and putting it into their thought process (this isn’t a bad thing). In fact, I feel like most S&C based certifications are just portions of the NSCA: Essentials of Strength and Conditioning rewritten with 10% novelty added (not a bad thing-it just shows that many of us are already on the right path. Table tests, exercises, mechanics, physiology, etc. .  don’t change, but application and interrelation can).

​
This is more that I can talk about in length and if you’re ever interested in sharing thought and ideas I’d love to get your take.


Still take the course though. It was really good. I think you’ll find a ton of value in it if you’re looking for a “home base” or a “set of rules” to base your programming in. New coaches, get your base level certification through the NSCA, NASM, ACSM or whoever, get a few hundred hours of personal training under your belt, form your own ideas, then take this cert!

It all started with a good amount of pressure from Elisabeth to run the marathon. She decided that she absolutely wanted to do it, and I decided that I absolutely wanted to spend more time with my wife. Anyone who has trained for a marathon knows that it takes up a lot of your time.


Second, running the marathon via a charity team allowed us a good platform to fundraise for an organization that we love to support called Nourishing Hope. This is an organization that is right in our neighborhood that helps to provide food and health services to our neighbors in need. We volunteer there often and really believe in the work that they do. In our fundraising efforts Elisabeth and I fundraised enough money to provide nearly 10,000 meals!


Third, running the marathon was a bit of a proof on concept for me. My background in athletics is mainly in power sports- primarily the Discus and Hammer throws. These events require tremendous amounts of energy output in the blink of an eye. The marathon is exactly opposite. I have never considered myself a runner- so signing up more a marathon and using another person’s a training plan put me into my clients’ shoes. Like my clients, I had a goal, but I didn’t necessarily have all of the knowledge to get to the goal, so I hired out the programming. In addition, running this marathon spurred another professional project which will be coming up soon.


So, how did I actually train for the marathon? Well, I ran a lot!


I began running in June of 2023 quite casually. In September of 2023 I ran a half marathon which I was mostly well trained for. Running was then sporadic throughout the winter. Spring got a little more mileage in and proper training commenced in June of 2024.


From June to October we worked with the Chicago Area Running Association to prepare for the marathon. They’re a great group that sets you up with a training plan, group runs, and plenty of social opportunities to better yourself as a runner. Training consisted of running 4x a week. In the beginning mileage was reasonable with as few as 15 miles per week with 6 miles begin our long run. -I know this sounds exceptional to some people, but this is the point in which I was able to jump into training. Not everyone will be at this point and that is okay- As the summer went on weekly mileage increased as well as our long run mileage until Week 15 which required 40 miles, 20 of which came as our long run. That was challenging.


I can happily say that the plan went quite well. Each progressive week felt a little more challenging than the last, but nothing ever slapped me in the face. It always felt appropriately progressive.


Eventually we made it to October and we ran our first marathon! It went very well. We crossed the finish line injury free and we can both say that we don’t hate running! The race itself was such a fun experience. It was cool to see the entire city come alive. There were people spectating the event quite nearly the entire course. People both sides of the street for 26.2 miles. It was an exceptionally unique event. I would do it again…just not immediately.


All in all I am happy with the experience. Going into it, I had expectations. I had no belief that I would actually be able to commit to run 4x week. My work schedule as a coach makes mornings as well as evening difficult to participate in many things, but I made it work. I didn’t keep track of all of my runs, but I only missed a few throughout the entire cycle. I also expected the running to be harder, but as I mentioned before- everything felt appropriately progressive. The training plan really works well. Overall, it was a very positive experience, but there are some cons. First, it does take up a lot of time especially as a slower runner. Running for hours on end on the weekend takes away a good chunk of your day. Then you have to deal with the fatigue the rest of the day. In some ways, I felt like I was missing some of the beautiful Chicago summers. Also, as we crept into September and the sun began setting earlier and earlier- motivation to run in the evening hit an all time low. I had to really call on some extra energy to make those runs happen. In addition, I spent less time strength training which I love- but that is okay.  All in all, if that is the worst of my experience- I am still very happy.


What did I actually get out of the Marathon? A shiny medal.


Well actually, quite bit more. I raised money for an organization I believe in. I followed through with what seemed a very daunting goal but because of my training plan it worked well. I felt very accomplished.


With my body, I lost a few pounds of weight due to the high running volume and decrease in strength training. Overall, I was in a better mood due to all the exercise and time outdoors.


I did track my blood pressure throughout the training. I expected to see some change, but it didn’t change much throughout. I was reminded that it was a fairly short test period so the results only carry so much weight. If I continued to track more more weeks and months with very regular readings, I do suspect I would see more of trend toward change.


Now, this is just me. What would others expect to gain from training for a marathon? Well, It really depends on your starting point. If you’ve never ran before you will definitely become a better runner- assuming you follow a slow progressive responsible plan. If you’re already a runner, you’ll probably increase your aerobic ability and running proficiency. If you’re unhappy with your body composition- you may make some change (but really this is highly diet dependent). Overall, to make blanket statements, most people could experience better moods, increased aerobic capacity, improved health markers, decreased stress, improved sleep, etc. . .


However, I am not convinced that training for a marathon is for everyone. First of all, it’s a long distance and it requires a lot of training. If your goal is to be healthier, marathon training may be superfluous. Training for a 5k or 10k could very well be sufficient. Maybe training to walk for 15 minutes is enough for you. Again, it all depends on who you are. Depending on your health, running just may not be appropriate for your own situation. You may be better served by walking, swimming, biking, or dancing.


If you’re interesting in running a marathon for sport, that is great. I support you running a marathon just the same as I would if you chose to play golf. At the end of the day, it’s a sport! It can make you heather, but it’s probably not the most efficient means to get healthy. A good mixture of aerobic training with strength training sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes heavy, sometimes light is probably the best way to get comprehensibly healthy. But again, the later is ideal- humans don’t always work on ideal. If training for a marathon, a 10k, or a 5k is the thing that gets you excited to exercise regularly more than anything else, it’s PERFECT for you! There are many ways to become healthy. Marathon running is just a bit too mono-modal for me, but if you like the accessibility, clearly realized improvements, and the activity, it may be what is right for you. I support you either way. `


At the end of the day, many of us choose to run a marathon for health purposes, but there are many ways to be healthy. I chose to train for a marathon. That doesn’t mean you should. Depending on who you are maybe its healthier for you or more interesting for you to train for a hike, a recumbent bike ride, or a walk.


So from this, I hope that everyone has seen my experience marathon training. Hopefully you saw how I picked a goal, I found a plan, I stuck to it, and accomplished what I set out to do. It’s not my intention to convince anyone else that they should train for a marathon. If you do, great! I support you, but I also encourage you to find something that is meaningful and realistic to you. Whatever it is. Set a reasonable goal, make a plan, and have fun with it!

Marathon training continues to chug on!


We just finished up Week 10 which had a couple of notable events.


First, the good- Elisabeth and I ran 15 miles for the first time in our lives! This is two miles further than our previous furtherest run. Other than some calf tightness and fatigue, we both felt really good afterward! This is a great accomplishment for us because I feel as if the jump from 13 to 15 miles would be pivitol in our training. The two mile jump is about a 15% increase in distance which feels big. Knowing that we can do that makes the next few jumps feel more plausible. This is a big win. Lastly, we’re at a pretty neat point in training where the end is in sight! We only have 4 more longer runs (including race day) where our mileage will increase. There is still a lot of work to do, but it feels within reach now.


Second, the bad- After 10 weeks, I have finally missed a run. Okay, this isn’t actually that bad. I’ve been following the training plan as it is written because I want to be as prepared for race day as possible. As I’ve mentioned before, I trust the plan.


Unfortunately this week, travel and time with family made it difficult to make my 7 mile run happen. Could I have woken up earlier to run? Yes, but having coffee with my dad and canoeing with Elisabeth was more important to me at the time.


So that brings up the question, is it okay to skip workouts? My answer is yes! ...and no.


It’s important to acknowledge that training plans are designed to be efficient. The workouts planned are designed to get you to your goals quickly and safely. If you hit all of your workouts the plan works. This however is totally in vivo. Training plans made for thousands of runners do not account for individuals’ unique schedules, illnesses, injury, etc. . .


Sometimes plans do need a bit of individualization. In this scenario, I chose to forgo the seven mile mid week run for other priorities in life. Will it affect me in the long term? Maybe. Significantly? Probably not.


Missing a workout is okay when the intention is correct. Previous meaningful commitments, Grandmothers coming to town, injury, subjective physical feelings of accumulated fatigue, objective data, etc. . . are reasons to skip a workout. This is fine because there is good reason. Poor reasons would be feelings of laziness, not wanting to sweat, choosing to unload the dishwasher instead, etc. . . If there is good reason, if the intention is sound, and if missing the workout will not complicate your training plan, it is okay to sometimes miss a workout.


What is sometimes? It’s hard to say. This is the first workout I’ve missed in 10 weeks. Once a week might be another story. Missing your long run every week? That will likely come back to bite you.


What happens if you miss a workout? Don’t sweat it too much. The most important thing you can do is make a plan to get back into the routine. Don’t let one missed workout turn into two, then three, and so on. Instead, acknowledge it, adjust your schedule as needed or is possible, then jump right back in! It’s not the end of the world to miss a workout, just don’t let yourself take too many liberties.


If you’re working with a coach, it becomes even easier. Talk with them! They’ll help you adjust. Remember, training plans are made for efficiency. If you have an individualized program by a coach they will help you get back on your individual track. If you’re using a general training plan as I am, you may need to do a bit more work on your end to decide what is right. Whatever the case, I believe that in most cases doing SOMETHING will always be better than doing nothing.

tl:dr- Big goals can be accomplished with relative ease as long as you have a good plan/coach.

So far, training has been going very well. We have a good rhythm going of four runs per week. A short run, medium run, short run, long run. Week 8 gave us a nice routine of:

3 miles
6 miles
3 miles
13 miles

I have to say, when the training started I thought I had no chance of running four days per week. I assumed that time constraints and maintaining other training would limit me too much to hit more than two runs per week, but I’m making it happen!


The runs themselves have been going quite well, too- nearly every run has felt good. I’ve even had energy afterward. Other than a little calf soreness, no issues have come up. Yeah, I’m constantly hungry, but really the training has been going smoothly. The progression is very realistic. As I’ve mentioned many times before- I believe in training programs. Thoughtful plans work! This is no exception.


I do understand that this is probably where the training begins to get challenging, but I feel very encouraged at this halfway point. With that being said, there are some difficult parts of training. Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate which means I have to do some runs on the treadmill which aren’t very stimulating. Sometimes I ignore the weather not cooperating... like last Wednesday when I ran 6 miles when it was about 90 degrees. Another bother has been timing of the long runs. I work weekends, so in order to get the long runs done before work we’re beginning at 5am. It’s cooler at that hour so that’s nice, but it makes for early Friday bedtimes and early Saturday wake ups. Lastly, the hunger is real. With this much volume of running, I am constantly hungry. Prepping enough food, waking up earlier to make full breakfasts, and shopping more frequently all take up valuable time.


Really, these are all small problems that we’re handling well. Overall, I cannot say it enough, the training program works. It’s very reasonable and I think it is setting us up to reach our goals.


Speaking of goals, how are my goals coming? Last time I wrote about my training I mentioned two goals:
1. Gain 5 pounds
2. Run the marathon

Well, I accomplished the first goal. I was able to gain 6 pounds. My strength training was going very well while building mileage. I was feeling very good. I was looking the way I wanted to look while balancing running. Unfortunately, as mileage crept into the double digits on our long runs, this has been harder to maintain and I have lost a fair amount of this weight as expected. This was the plan.


Going forward, the goal is to continue to try to maintain some weight as the running training continues. Mileage will increase and strength training will continue to decrease a little more, but not significantly.

The second goal of running the marathon is still very much in progress, but we’re halfway there! Again, I’m feeling really good. The runs have felt strong. I have no nagging discomforts. Nothing is dreadful. Sometimes it’s even fun!


I can’t say it enough. Training plans work. We’re training with the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) and they really put on a good program. The programming of runs is effective. They have multiple training groups to join. They provide aid stations along the lakeshore. They really do a nice job!


I believe that most physical feats are possible with a good program, a good coach, and most importantly a good perspective. With those three elements, it’s just a matter of planning, communicating, and staying realistic. I never thought I would be running a marathon, especially while trying to do all of the other things I like, but here I am and it’s going very well!


So my final thoughts, don’t be afraid to step out and try something. Set some realistic goals and you’ll do great. If you haven’t read my last blog about prioritizing goals, it may help you gain some perspective on what’s possible.


If this blog has made your curious about running a marathon, beginning exercising, or anything else- I would be happy to spend some time to talk to you about your goals. Together we can get you started on your next goal!

To begin answering these questions for yourself, it is important to first outline some definitions. First is training. What is training. Training is simply working toward an objective with intention. You have a goal and you select the proper exercises, mode of exercise, intensity, etc… to achieve success.


Well, then what is a goal? A goal is the outcome. What is it that you want? Is it a feeling? An objective number? More ability? Skill acquisition? Goals are highly individual to the person training and come in many broad shapes. There are many ways to come to a goal for yourself. Perhaps you’ve heard of SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time Bound). This is a great starting point that will help direct your training in an efficient way.


Many websites and books can help you work through your SMART goals (or any other goal acronym), but if you’d prefer to work with a coach- Send me an email or give me a call!

Once you have your goals clearly defined, the training program can be created.


Let’s use the example of myself.


I currently have two performance goals. My first goal is to increase my muscle mass by 5lbs. My second performance goal is to run a marathon in the fall.


Goal 1- Gain 5lbs of muscle mass. This is specific - I know the change I want to see (increased muscle mass). 5lbs is measurable on a home bathroom scale, but I also have access to a body scan that breaks down muscle mass, fat mass, etc. . . It’s also achievable (only a  2.5% body composition change). In addition, it's relevant to me because I like the way I feel when I fill out my clothing better. Lastly- it’s time bound to the third week of June when I officially being marathon training.


Goal 2- Run the Chicago Marathon.

• Specific- I’m running it!
• Measurable- 26.2 miles
• Achievable- I have a well vetted training plan
• Relevant- I want to do this with Elisabeth and raise money for a great organization
• Time Bound- October 13th 2024

The goals are outlined, so now how do I train to accomplish these goals. This is where it can become challenging. These two goals are generally inverse to each other. Why would I try to do both? Well, the timeline is different. My short term goal is to gain 5lbs before the major marathon training kicks up because I know that when I am training for the marathon, I will inevitably lose some muscle mass. So we can say my short term goal is to increase muscle size. My medium term goal is to run the marathon. 


So how do we train for that? 


We need balance!


It's not realistic for me to only strength train (which would increase muscle size). I need to do some aerobic work too because the marathon is coming up. My main priority is to increase size, so it will likely take the majority of my time. Aerobic training is definitely still important, but it is not acutely the most important. As a visual, my time spent training may be divided 70-30 Strength Training-Aerobic Running. 

I am prioritizing Strength Training workouts currently because these workouts will give me the stimulus to increase my muscle mass most efficiently. Large compound movements performed slowly and through full ranges of motion are currently the means for me to gain muscle. I only have so many hours a week that I can workout, and for now about 70% of that time is spent Strength Training. As previously mentioned, I don’t want to fully give up on running at the moment. I want to maintain what I currently have and make small improvements over the next few weeks, but it’s not biggest my priority yet.


As the summer progresses, Running will become more important for me as the mileage increases. Naturally, my time spent exercising will shift in that direction so my chart will look differently. For example, in late summer, my workouts may be represented as below.

This is just a brief example of how training should be chosen to help you work toward your goals. I believe that most all exercise is good. It will always help you, but we want to be as efficient as possible. The way that you train for running a marathon is very different than the way that you would train to be a weightlifter. Training for fat loss is different than training for sport. Specificity in the training plan is crucial for efficiency because remember, our goals should be specific and time bound. I would encourage everyone to think about their goals and make sure that the choices you’re making are inline with your goals. Your choices are broad ranging from exercise, nutrition, relationships, time commitments, etc…


How do you plan for all of this?

1. Outline your goals. Make sure you can define them using guideline such as the SMART goals.
2. Check yourself. If you have more than one goal, do they clash? Can you realistically accomplish more than one goal at a time? Is it better to prioritize one over the other first. This can be a big conversation.
3. Pick the training that will get you to your goal.

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I understand that this can be daunting. Any of these three steps can hang anybody up!


The third step can hang up a lot of people in the same way that I get hung up by taxes. I’m not an accountant, I don’t understand how to do taxes. I didn’t go to school for that. Yes I do them once a year, but really the tax website does 99% of the work. If you’re a tax accountant, it’s not expected that you should know how to exercise to reach your goals.


This is where a good coach comes in handy. Whether you have a coach you work with regularly or one you consult with, having a professional’s opinion can help you to formulate a training plan effectively. It can absolutely be DIYed too (like my taxes). Will it be perfect? Maybe. Definitely worth a try!
If you hit the nail on the head, that’s great, but if you are ever having trouble, please reach out!


If you’ve read this far into the blog I want to thank you and also offer to help you. Fill out the form below and I would love to have a chat about your goals and how you may be best served getting to them! Please don’t be afraid to reach out. My goal has always been, and always will be, to help as many people as I can to be habitually healthy.

So how did this come about? It all probably started around ten years ago when Elisabeth decided to run the Chicago Half Marathon when she was spending a semester living in the city during her undergraduate studies. At that time I was supportive of her, but I wasn’t able to help her train in any way and I was okay with that. While I did wish her the best, I saw marathons as an event that broken people slogged through because they had something to prove to somebody that didn’t care. The runners I knew fell into two groups- my teammates throwing down some fast time on the track and the 55+ jogger who couldn't lift their gaze off the spot on the ground six inches in front of them. There was no in between to me. You were an elite athlete or a shuffling mess of plantar fasciitis, stress factors, and your knee injury du jour. 


I’d like to say that I had a change of heart after seeing Elisabeth complete that half marathon or any of them after that, but I did not. I held the same thoughts for a number of years later. 


Now during that time I did still run some 10ks and 5ks especially if they were for a good cause. I still knew strong runners existed in my periphery, but I also had many more clients blame their discomfort (probably wrongly) on all their years of running. Needless to say, running didn’t click with me. I would much rather have been on a bicycle all day than run for more than an hour. 


To this day, my throwing friends and I will still make jokes about the futility of running to each other. Comment such as,
You’ve changed…
What about your fast twitch muscle fibers?!
There goes the gains


These jokes are all prevalent in the group that prides themselves in single attempt, max effort power events. It’s all in good fun, but for a lot of us it’s a silent statement of disbelief that anyone could commit so much time, effort, and discomfort to a sport that is done for “fun”.


Again, this mentality continued on for some years. No disrespect, just some jokes. 


---


Last year marked the ten year anniversary since Elisabeth ran her first Chicago Half Marathon. Being ten years older, wiser, and stronger, she decided to run it again. I joined this time. My motivation was not to run the Half well or fast or because it interested me. Instead, I wanted to run it to spend more time with my wife. Training for a big race like that takes a lot of time. Our schedules are already full enough. I figured if we wanted to spend more time together, this was a great way. 


We ran the half. It went well. Lessons were learned. We both decided we could and would do it again, but agreed that we would never run a full marathon.



This thought process didn’t last long. As we watched the full Chicago Marathon from our apartment last fall, we both became inspired. Sure enough a few days later we had signed up to take part in the 2024 Marathon.

​The way we chose to sign up for the race was through a charity team. This means that you pledge to fundraise a certain amount of money for a charity in exchange for a spot in the Marathon. 


Elisabeth and I both chose the run for the Nourishing Hope Team. Nourishing Hope is an organization right in our neighborhood that we became involved with early on when we moved to Chicago. They do great work providing food, healthcare, and social services to our neighbors right here in Lakeview. Whenever we volunteer there, I am always amazed how much food gets distributed to so many families. It’s quite inspiring to see such an efficient and effective system. Nourishing Hope does good work.


Elisabeth and I knew we had to fundraise for this organization. So we committed and signed up. We spent the winter maintaining mileage from our half marathon training last fall. We added in some cross training too. All the while we continued to volunteer at Nourishing Hope. 


Now, here we are, late spring. Pre-season for the Marathon training. Mileage is fairly conservative, paces are easy, but the build is beginning for when we kick off our training program with the Chicago Area Runner Association (CARA). We’re excited.


Just the same, we’re now at the point where our fundraising is also beginning to kick off! We have some big goals of raising quite a bit of money for Nourishing Hope- an organization we’ve really come to respect and care for. 


Next month on June 9th, Bolt Fitness (the gym I work at) is running a special class to fundraise for our team! All are welcome. Runners, non runners, exercisers, whomever. HERE is a link to the class if you’d care to join.


If you’re unable to join, but would still like to donate, below are links to our fundraising pages.

Keenan's Fundraising Page

Elisabeth's Fundraising Page


This is a big investment of time and effort both on our parts. We haven’t really trained for anything like this before, but I’m eager to try the “other side” of the science of exercise. Well thought out training plans work, even if it is something totally new to you as running a marathon is to me. I’ve seen it hundreds of times over with strength training, sports skills, etc. . . Now its time for me to do it with an endurance sport! 

I still do not identify myself as a "runner". I'm not sure if I ever will. Maybe I just don't like labels.

Over the summer I plan to write and document the training process as we approach the Marathon. Stay tuned for the training reflections, program review, fundraising updates, and all the fun that follows this awesome event. 
​

-Saw my family four times in 2023
-Travelled to CA for the first time in April
-Visit CO in July for Elisabeth’s grandmother’s 90th birthday
-Mollie lost her snaggletooth
-Made it to northern Michigan for Grandmom’s memorial
-Drove to Maine to visit for a long week in September
-Ran my first half marathon
-Visited Milwaukee for the first time in nearly 15 years
-Travelled to Puerto Rico for the first time in October
-Dove deeper into PRI education
-Continued to build my own business while coaching at the gym
-Logged more miles on my bike than I have since 2017 or 2018
-Drank a lot of good wine
-Got my sourdough recipe down

-Did not prioritize my sleep
-Read fewer books than I have in several years
-Did not get to finish all the PRI coursework I would have liked
-Got a record number of flat tires
-Did not read the fine print on the rental car agreement and nearly missed out on our trip to Maine

Looking into 2024, it should be a great year. Many things are already planned in fact. There is much to look forward to and much to challenge us that we are ready for.


2024 will start off with Dry January as I have done the last couple of years. I think that it is good practice for myself to show some self control, but more importantly I like to do it to support those who may be challenged by it further than myself.


We have some trips in the works too. In 2024 we hope to travel to Michigan several time to see my family. After all, seeing my family more was a big motivation to move back to the midwest.


Speaking of the midwest, we hope to explore more of the midwest. Maybe Minneapolis? The UP? Places that have always been “near” to me that I’ve never made the effort to reach.


Later in the year we have our first proper international trip in years- which is funny for us. We are planning to go to Mexico City which will be my first trip to Central America.


Sometime mid-year we plan to head to the Pacific Northwest to see some of the beauty of Washington and Oregon while enjoying some of the wines from the region.


Hopefully in the fall we’ll make another trip back to Maine to see family and fiends.


Educationally, I plan to finish some coursework I’ve been eyeing. If one comes up locally enough, I’d love to attend another NSCA conference. I’ll continue to look for degree programs that may suit my wants (although I’ve been striking out here).


Business-wise I plan to continue to maintain my current level of work and maybe add a little more. Work and the gym continues to be steady and enjoyable too. Wherever I work, I plan to further help people through all the education I prioritize, but also through all the things I learn about my clients over time.


On the day to day in 2024, I will continue to get more and more miles on the bike, eat good food, drink good wine, walk Mollie more, sleep better, read more, meet new friends, run steadily…


Oh yea, that’s another goal. Fall 2024 I plan to run my first Marathon. I’ll be running it right here in Chicago and I secured my spot by running on a charity team.


Since moving to Chicago Elisabeth and I have been volunteering at an organization called Nourishing Hope. The organization exists to provide people right in our neighborhood with food and necessary services. Every time we volunteer we are always surprised by how many people are being served and by how many groceries each family gets. The organization does great work to help a lot of people.


Because of that, both Elisabeth and I chose to join their Charity Team to fundraise money so that they can continue to serve so many people in the community.


If you’d like to help me raise money, you can follow the link HERE

2023 was a good year. We learn a lot, saw great things, spent time with family, and continued to live healthy lives. We plan all the same for 2024 and so much more. Wishing you and yours all the same!

​The NSCA is special to me because it is my main credentialing association. I am as Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA. I wrote about this certification HERE.

It is an agency that I support strongly for several reasons. Most prominently, I feel that the NSCA pushes the sport sciences further and further ahead. Through their regular scientific journal publications, advanced certifications, conferences, seminars, and other educational materials the NSCA regularly reminds everyone that it is the gold standard when it comes to educating and certifying exercise professionals.


Their mission statement is simple and descriptive: 

To me, the NSCA is an organization that I have been aware of since I began studying Exercise Science in college. Holding student membership was recommended for access to their FIVE journals. Many of my professors held certifications through the NSCA. It was inferred that after you graduate, you take the test to become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist whether you decided to go into strength and conditioning, physical therapy, athletic training, or any other career. In fact, we even had a class where we had to buy the CSCS textbook and it acted as prep for the test. The NSCA was spoken about with high esteem, it simply became natural to be associated with it.


As I became more established in my career I travelled around New England attending multiple state or regional conferences each year. The speakers that they highlight are well regarded and inspiring. The content is always novel and applicable. Every time I leave a conference, I feel motivated to do more with my career.


Some of my favorite presentations included-
Building culture in the weight room
Exercise and depression
The vagus nerve and the sympathetic nervous system
GPS tracking on the sports field
Deceleration Training


Just to name a few.

​To say the least, I was very excited to visit the NSCA. Unfortunately, because we were quite busy on our trip visiting family, attending parties, and other events. We could only go to the NSCA on a Sunday when it was closed. Nobody was around, but we were able to walk the outside grounds which features a beautiful building with big garage bay doors that open up to state of the art weight room. Pristine and clean too. Just outside the doors a turf field the serves as a blank canvas for any drills one could throw at an athlete. I’ve seen a lot of weight rooms, some brand new, heck- I trained in a very new and well equipped one for four years, but this place had a special feel about it. I was jealous that I couldn’t get inside.

​Oh well, another trip.


Outside on the wall that faces the turf field there was a sign-

This sign was very cool to me. It recognized and honored influential coaches.


Reading this sign made me think about the great coaches I have had. Sports coaches, academic coaches, career coaches, life coaches. These teachers that I have had my whole life that have had influence on me. There are many.


I was touched that this wall facing the main training area is devoted to the coaches that have inspired many athletes. It goes to show that the NSCA is a credentialing agency and they are proud of the coaches that they can give approval to.


To me, this was such a cool feature.


I have been inspired my so many of my coaches and I aspire to inspire my athletes in the same way.


While I may not ever be on this wall. I do hope to someday be on someone else’s “wall”. Maybe it is at a high school. Or maybe it is simply my name on the back of a program from a track meet tucked away in a folder of memorabilia. Hopefully, I am just a memory of positive experiences in sport and life. I know that I have so many memories of great coaches that helped me learn about sport and myself. I intend to continually do the same.


The influence of a good coach is irreplaceable. As coaches we have the power to influence our athletes and clients. We can turn around someone’s day. We may be the part of the single hour one looks forward to. We can be an ear that listens. For student athletes, we can be an adult that offers positivity that may not be received in other parts of life (home, school, etc…) For some coaches hold the position of a guide who helps to make exceptionally meaningful change in ones life.


Recognizing what we can give as coaches, what our clients/athletes need, and how we can communicate within the relationship is how a coach can have great influence. Perhaps this is considered mastery of compassion. I believe that if all coaches did this we would all end up on someone’s “wall”.

If you're interested in reading more about coaching, I have a couple of other blog posts I have written:
My Coaching Principles
The Ethics of Coaching

​While reflecting on my work, what I’m doing well and what I could improve on, I came to revisit my ethos. What are my principles? What foundation do I stand on in my coaching? I’d like to share my principles with you, but first I want to speak on why this is important to delineate values as a coach in order to avoid a major dilemma.


Within fitness coaching there are a million-and-one stances in which coaches will live and die by. Anytime you read an article about ketogenic diets, there is a coach that will insist that it is the best diet for everyone. When it comes to “strength training” thousands of voices of coaches that will only coach with the conjugate method, strong lifts, or whatever method is popular. For some coaches, pilates is the final answer to all things physicality (and if you don’t do that, it’s wrong). Yogis may insist there is no need to do anything other than yoga. For every idea that exists within exercise, fitness, wellness, and health, there are very strong voices that will sing it high from the mountain top and belittle any contrary ideas.


In my opinion, this is a major dilemma for coaches helping their clients and expanding their own abilities. Being so bound to one idea limits progression. There is no one best way. If there was, we probably would have found it by now and everyone would accept it. In fact, most of the ideas we think are best turn out to be less than ideal. We’ve seen this time and time again with fads- the Atkins diet, low fat diets, shake weights, sauna suits, 60-second abs, etc... Many coaches will not endorse these exact ideas, but they do represent a potential narrowness. A coach “stuck in their ways” will have less ability to serve their clients.


I pride myself in the amount of time and resources I invest my continuing education. I like to follow what’s new, what the science is leading toward, and what the clients are interested in. I have gone deep into systems that offer knowledge in hyper-specific coaching styles that promise the best results. I have “specialist”- “this and that” after my name. I’m very proud of this, but I do not sell my soul to one system, method, or ideology. While some coaches may route their entire set of principles within a system created by another coach, company, or culture, I choose to avoid such a state of constriction.


Instead, I have two principles that I always come back to in my coaching. No matter my clients. Period. If their goal is to lose weight, I keep my two principles. If they have performance goals, it’s only two principles. Lower their blood pressure, the same two principles.


Each of my clients receives my highest level of attention and coaching based on the two principles: SAID and Compassion. Let’s unpack these.
​

SAID is the only principle that concerns me when it comes to the physical side of training my clients.


SAID is an acronym that stands for Specific Adaptation of Imposed Demands. You’ll learn about SAID in just about every physiology or training text book on the shelf. I pulled out an old textbook from school- The Manual of Structural Kinesiology. The author wrote, “This principle [SAID], which states the body will gradually, over time, adapt to the various stresses and overloads to which it is subjected, is applicable in every form of muscle training, as well as the other systems of the body.”


In short and as the name implies, our bodies respond to the input we give it. If we want to train our muscles to be stronger, we need to challenge their strength through modalities such as weight training or isometrics. If we want to make the heart healthier, we need to exercise it through aerobic activity. The body is a beautiful, ever-reactive sensory machine that reads the stresses we put into it and elicits a response that will allow the body to better handle the stress next time. For example, in the case of someone who wants to become stronger, we will likely do some weight training. The act of weight training will “damage” the muscles (microscopically, and in a healthy way), the body senses that there was damage and it responds by healing the muscles and making them “grow back” stronger and better able to handle stress. This series of events happens again and again until we have muscles that are strong and resilient.
​
It’s not just in conventional weight training, either. The body is incredible. In some cases when someone tears their ACL (a strong ligament of the knee), surgeons will take part of a hamstring tendon and put it in place where the ACL was. While these tissue are similar, they are different. With a good rehab program, the tendon that was used as a replacement ligament actually becomes a ligament. t can be observed under a microscope that the tissue will change to another type of tissue if provided the right signals (load monitored by a rehab professional).


So, the body will respond very specifically to the Imposed Demands.


This is my guiding principle because it is the duty of the coach to understand the Imposed Demands necessary. What is the clients goal? What kind of demands does the body receive normally? What demands can the body recover from? What demands should we use to most effectively and efficiently get the clients to their goal? When do the current demands have diminishing returns? When do demands need to be adjusted? A good coach will be able to assess and make a specific and progressive plan to help their client reach their goals.
​

​​The second principle isn’t about the physical side of coaching. Instead, it is about the human aspect of coaching; and that is compassion. While the SAID principle is important and always present in my training, what is more important is the relationship between the two people involved- myself and the client.

Working as a coach for years has taught my how different every person is. Not just physically, but also emotionally and mentally. I’ve worked with clients who want to know everything about their training because they are very experienced. I’ve had clients that haven’t stepped foot into a gym in six decades. Some of my clients are very brave, other very hesitant. Some want to discuss every minutiae of training, other appreciate training as the one-hour each day that they don’t have to make decisions. For some, exercise is stress reliever, for others it is a major source of anxiety. My high school athletes learn exercises very quickly, whereas some of the adults I coach are very new to all things physical and take a little more time. Most of my clients fall somewhere in between.


Regardless of background, each and every one of my clients past and present is unique. We all come to the training floor with our own attitudes, beliefs, fears, and experience. Therefore, the best way I have found to train is with compassion; meet each other where we are, have open and honest communication, allow for endless questions, and speak clearly and respectfully.


Compassion is a skill I learned in childhood. Maybe I learned to communicate with compassion early because I was someone who needed compassion. I was a shy kid- easily frazzled. Maybe I didn’t like the things my friends liked such as movie theaters, monster trucks, or football. I was comfortable around loved ones who would speak and act with compassion. Those who didn’t force the anxiety provoking activities, sports, or events on me are those whom I am closest with.

I think about this as I coach my clients. What do they need? How do they want to be spoken to? What may limit them? How open are they willing to be with me? Do they need more or less compassion to be their best self working toward their goals?


I believe that this principle is what makes me effective in my role in empowering my clients.


I haven’t always consciously coached with compassion forward. My training has always been well-intentioned, but compassion may have been overlooked by the new training protocol, time constraints, or pressure from others. Now that I have made this distinction, compassion is put over everything else- even the SAID principle. Since I have outwardly made that commitment to myself and my clients and made it one of my two guiding principles, I have had better relationships and results with everyone I have worked with.


When I work with the lens of compassion the experience for the client becomes much more valuable. There is undeniable respect as we see each other as humans rather than a transaction. Goals become more clear and attainable in this type of relationship because we both understand each other and we can recognize what is needed. Yes, scientific principles absolutely matter, but what matters most is creating an environment that is looked forward to, therefore reliable, and long-lasting. With that comes achievement of goals. A good coach will tune into this.
​

​Effectively helping a client toward their goals is task that I love. Many goals of my clients are probably not so dissimilar to yours. Fortunately, we are at a time in history where we know so many good practices to help clients reach their goals. If weight loss is a goal, coaches are no longer peddlers of the new fad diet. Instead, most of us are science based and pragmatic in the practice of long standing habits that lead to safe and healthy weight loss. Just the same if strength is your goal. It is no longer just guess work in the gym wandering from machine to machine or endless sit-ups. Exercise sciences have given us endless peer reviewed research on the most effective protocols to gain strength.


Now more than ever, coaches have confidence in the Imposed Demands that they need to offer for the Specific Adaptation.


Hard sciences are only half of the equation though.


A good coach must be able to communicate why things are being done and how they will help their client.


A great coach will be able to communicate these things, but also tune into how certain exercises, requests, or reasons will be understood by the client. Again, we all come to the table with past experiences and preferences.


Regarding the latter, compassion will make a good coach a great coach. A coach that knows the principles, can make a progressive plan, follow through, AND allow for appropriate individualization even if it isn’t justified by all the text books is the highest level coach.
​

​When it comes to finding a coach, I suggest you do look at their credentials.


Absolutely.


They matter. They confirm that the coach has invested in themselves so they can improve the ways in which they can help you.


However, what is even more important than credentials is how the coach treats you. Do you feel comfortable with the person? Do you feel as if you can trust them? Do they prioritize your health? Will they be a good companion for you as you reach your goals?


You will likely see this person multiples times a week. They will become deeply invested in your health. You’ll likely see them 100x more each year than you see your physician. A trainer is a positive part of your physical, mental, and emotional healthcare team.


Be sure you feel as if they will treat you with compassion. If they do, success will follow.

Have you ever tweaked your back, bothered your shoulder, or broken a bone? When this happen we inevitably always make the realization that we take for granted our ability to move.


Unfortunately, due to the nature of this beautiful universe we all live within, everything will degrade with time- including us. Maybe we are already feeling it. Can you do the splits like you did as a kid? Can your scratch between your shoulder blades? Is your ability to move ever limited?


Probably.


That is because with time, and without stimulus, we lose our ranges of motion. As we age we often lose the ability to move our bodies in the same way. Everyone has experienced this or known someone who has. It seems to be the fact of life.


Fortunately for us, we can keep this at bay for a long time because our mobility is highly trainable and can be thought of as a “use it, or lose it” kind of thing. If we use our fullest ranges of motion often, our bodies will maintain the ranges of motion; if we stop as we often do as we age, we will lose it.


So, it is not actually a matter of aging that makes us lose our abilities. Instead, it is an unconscious removal of movement from our lives.


All we need to do then is put in some work to maintain it!


For decades people have known about stretching. Muscles get tight. Stretch them. Hold it for 30 seconds and you’ll probably be good.


Well, that doesn’t always work. All too often, stretching is an afterthought. Maybe we mix it in once in a while, but seldom do we progressively improve it. Therefore, it never really has the effect we hope for it to have.


In addition, stretching may not always be the answer. Traditionally, stretching is very muscle-centric whereas a lot of modern research will suggest that to have more mobility, we must be able to move the bones about each other. We now believe it is more about bones than muscle. Moreover, it isn’t even that simple. There is so much to be said about the nervous system and pressures within the body that must be considered to truly influence our mobility.


If we really want to train our mobility, we need active inputs- not passive stretching. We need to be able use our muscles to orient our bodies. We need to be able to breathe well. We need to be able to relax when necessary.


Really, it’s a deep topic.


Fortunately, there are great coaches such as myself that have spent a lot of time keeping up on the latest research and methods to improve our mobility. There are many schools of thought. Most of them work. At the end of the day the one that serves the best chance of working is one that:

• You will stick to
• Offers progression
• Begins with a proper assessment

This is all hard to pinpoint by yourself, but with a coach it can become much more clear. Together you can find a progressive plan that works for your physically and mentally. Remember, mobility is largely influenced by the nervous system. If your brain tells you it won’t work, your bones and muscles will never stand a chance. A good coach will help you identify your strengths, weaknesses, interests, and abilities that can be programmed to.


Here is a video a floor based hip mobility routine that I do variations of with my clients often. It’s largely based off the work of Functional Range Conditioning.

Functional Range Conditioning is a very thoughtful and objective system that works well for many people. It may work for you, it may not. It is definitely worth trying to see if it fits your body. I would call this intermediate level. All the exercises are on the floor but may require some level of coordination for different positions. Like learning any new skill or trying a new physical activity, it is best with some help. This video is no exception. It will give you a good feel for a new way to train your mobility, but it will always be more efficient and effective with a coach.


Keep it comfortable and if you ever have any questions about this video, mobility training, or anything else regarding your health, wellness, and fitness, please reach out!

Reading through these bookmarks is a nice snapshot into where my mind was at the time. Most of these bookmarks come from my time in college when I was interested in all sorts of different things. Studying in college, competing in track and field, and trying to find my way in life all show in these bookmarks. In this blog post I’d like to reflect on a few.

1. MSU S&C- Growing up in Michigan there was always a big rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State. I didn’t go to either school. Nobody in my immediate family did. I didn’t have a strong allegiance to either school. In high-school I enjoyed watching UofM football and MSU basketball. As I got into college, I didn’t care too much for either because it was too far removed for me. I was interested in my own sport. I did however come to be interested in Michigan State Basketball Strength and Conditioning. At the time, an upperclassman on the track team landed an amazing internship at MSU working with the basketball teams. I remember him talking so proudly of it. In my mind it became the gold standard for what strength and conditioning should be. At the time I was very much still interested in S&C at the college level so I studied these videos closely.                           
2. Dan John- One of the earliest and biggest influences on my career. I found him as a young throws athlete because of his exceptional discus career. Later I learned of his catalogue of writing on competing in throwing events (including the Highland games), coaching, discus camps, etc. . . As I developed and became more interested in S&C, I read his work on kettlebells, olympic lifting, his work with Pavel Tsatsouline, his speaking engagements, etc. . . In so many ways he was doing what I wanted to do-coach throws and coach S&C. At the time I read his collection of writings reverently referred to as the Gospel on Dan John. His advice was no-nonsense. Exceptionally intuitive and pragmatic. He spoke the truth in a field where there is so much unnecessary flash and so many gimmicks. While I now find much of his modern work pedantic, I always enjoy rereading his accounts of Discus Camp and Coaching in the High-school. A major inspiration whom I still hope to be at least microscopically comparable to.                                                                            
3. T Nation- for anyone in the field, need I say more? For anyone not in the field, no need to go down that rabbit hole. I do however have so many fond memories of reading through those endless articles of varying levels of ethical advice. 
4. Dick Hartzell- A man unknown to many. An absolute mad scientist. We all have a lot to thank him for. If my memory serves me correctly, he was involved in basketball and developed a new training device and protocol. This device was the super band. You know, the giant rubber bands you see at the gym. He used them with basketball players for stretching and strengthening. Again, my memory may be choppy, but I think he may have been involved in an ankle sprain rehab protocol that got Michael Jordan back on the court. Using his bands he rehabbed all kinds of athletes back to competition shape. Somewhere along the way, putting on a camp, or while selling them, Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell found him. As I recall, he was immediately enamored by the possibility of these bands which led to exceptional pushes forward in the science of S&C via his Dynamic Effort Methods. I think his videos are still up on Youtube. He is/was a real character (both Dick and Louie).
5. I don’t remember all of the details of these websites or how I found them, but they do represent something to me. As I got later into my junior and senior years of college I knew that I didn’t want to be a college strength and conditioning coach. I even became aware that I wasn’t interested in Physical Therapy programs. Stereotypical personal training wasn’t calling to me either. I knew I wanted to do something different in my career which led me to researching endless companies that were related to Health, Wellness, and Fitness that didn’t fit within the superficial stereotypical jobs. Movement analysis software, breath work, force plates, blood analysis, sleep monitoring, applied kinesiology, biomechanics. The list was long. I find myself now in a position where I enjoy what I do, I work with clients in the way I like, and I proudly do not consider myself one to conform to the stereotype of what I should do for work. 
6. MobilityWOD- and Kelly Starrett were a big inspiration to me as a young professional. Kelly is a DPT who was doing the rad stuff that I thought all PTs did. I admired his excitement for taking care of your own body. Rather than going straight to a doctor because of a pain, try some things on your own first. I admired this attitude. I admired a lot about him. His excitement, attitude, his California coolness, and his lifestyle of sport where there was no separation between work, home, health, and athletics. Heck, I even wrote a senior thesis on a case study I performed using his protocol for improving the deep squat. Without my exposure to this, I do not think I would have been led down the path to further systems such as FRC, Flobility, PRI, etc. . .
7. Throwing Websites- I read these religiously. Track and Field- particularly the throws- are such a big part of my life. I’ve been obsessed since I was 16. It’s a big part of who I have become. I will always owe so much to the sport.
8. National Strength and Conditioning Association- My main certifying body. The NSCA certifies me as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Throughout college I had a student membership and was exposed to their journals which have some of the greatest research coming out in the field. Since then I regularly attend their state and regional clinics. The CEUs seem to get steeper and steeper, but I like the organization a lot- I can’t give it up. In college, it was taught to us that becoming a CSCS was the gold standard. Whatever career you chose to take after college, it was their mission to prepare us to take the CSCS exam. I took mine about a year after college when I moved home from Thailand and passed it easily. Hope College did prepare us well for the exam. 
9. PRI- Wow. I discovered PRI in college as I was searching for different organizations within the field as I was so unsure of what to do with myself. At the time, everything was way over my head so I wrote it off as too dorky. For many years, I continued to see it that way. It continued to come across my radar regularly. I learned some concepts here and there, but it still remained unbelievable or gimmicky to me. Why? Entirely because I was too dense to consider that the body is so much more than muscles and bones. Instead it is a magnificent virtual reality device that senses, interprets, and comprehends more stimuli than we can list. PRI understands this and programs in a way that I am only beginning to understand. In 2019 I became more serious about figuring this stuff out. I read a lot, then FRC took over, I continued to pick it up here and there, but then it wasn’t until I began working with an Athletic Trainer who is certified through the system that I began to study in depth. Hearing his approach to our shared clients baffled me and only made me more excited to learn more. The course work is frustratingly dense and long, but it is so entirely fascinating to me. So much more than when I was 20 years old. And yes, the purple balloons, Nebraska pride, and pleated khakis are still dorky.

There are so many bookmarks here that I could elaborate on. These are just a few that caught my eyes and brought up good memories . I feel as if I have come so far since then. I now stand confident in how I like to coach, what I want to do, and how I can continue to do it. 


Regarding the knowledge of the body, I suppose when I was 18, I thought I would know more by now about the system that creates us- instead I have so many more questions. The box has been opened and there is far too much for me to learn and I love it! 

Dry January takes on many different forms. Some use it to completely abstain from alcohol. Others will only consume it on the weekends. Some will give themselves 3 “passes”. However you do it the goal remains the same- drink less.


The motivation to do it varies too. Shed some weight gained during the holidays. Increase mental clarity, Decrease reliance. Everyone’s reason for doing it is personal and highly important.


For myself, I’m doing it for a three reasons.
1. to return to a diet that makes my body more comfortable.
2. to support others who are taking part and may be having a difficult time.
3. to remind myself how powerful substances can be and how I know that I need to be careful.


My first reason for taking place in Dry January is to feel again how my body feels better when I fuel myself with good foods. Now, I eat well normally, but during the holidays I have a few more drinks and cookies than I normally would. It creeps up on me and before I know it I notice that my hip hurts more, I appear more “puffy”, and my energy is lower. By abstaining from alcohol, I tend to make better food choices and feel much better physically.


The second reason is to support others who are taking place in Dry January. For me, it isn’t too difficult. Yes, I would like to go to the wine class down the road, but it’s easy enough for me to put it off until next month. Some people don’t have it that easy though. Alcohol can be a powerful thing. I am doing Dry January to support those who are not having an easy time. Let me know if you’re having a tough time!


Lastly, the third reason ties back to the second. Addiction is nasty. It’s powerful. It ruins lives. Unfortunately, it’s a bit too close to home for me and many others. Making a purposeful effort to not drink for one month is a good practice and reminder to me that I am in control. I never want to lose that.


On a lighter note, I’ve done the same thing with coffee. I wrote about HERE. I took a very systematic approach to decreasing the amount of beautiful, delicious, scared caffeine in my life. Coffee was much more difficult to kick. For whatever it’s worth, I still have my one espresso every morning.


I believe in New Year’s Resolutions. I think they’re useful, if they’re realistic. If they’re reasonable and well defined, why wouldn’t you tackle them now while so many others are also trying to accomplish their goals. Use your community to your advantage.

In fact, the narrative of resolutions should be changed from what do YOU want to do for YOURSELF, to what can WE can do for OURSELVES?


I think Dry January does this well. It brings people together. We share our struggles and successes. We aren’t so different. It’s a great reminder of humanity.


Accountability is huge when it comes to reaching your goals. If you’re practicing Dry January this year, let me know! How can I help? Let’s use the resources of our community.


If you’re not doing Dry January, but are struggling with another goal, let me help with that! It’s never easy to do these thing alone.

Reflecting back on the 2022, there was a lot of good and bad. Really, there has been a strange collective wrestling match of good and bad that has occurred since 2020.


When the pandemic hit, many peoples’ lives were turned upside down. Our lives certainly changed, but everyone was having change. Fortunately, Elisabeth and I came out of 2020 in reasonably good condition.


2021 was largely the same. Many of us spent the year restrained by Covid, but we did see light at the end of the tunnel as many of us received vaccines and life was showing glimpses of normalcy. Again, Elisabeth and I came through in reasonably good condition.


We learned a lot and improved on many things in these two years. Just to list a few in no particular order:


Teamwork and understanding for each other
Leadership amongst disruption
Empathy for those secluded
Risk management
Importance of regular exercise for mental health
The bonds animals can make
Trust (in so many ways)
Importance of human connection


The list is long. Those are just a few.


While many people were having the worst years of their lives in 2020 and 2021, we kept it together fairly well. Having previously lived in far away places with no family or friends nearby gave us a leg up. Some might argue that being two middle children helped us approach the situation logically. Having many privileges certainly helped, too. Naturally, there comes guilt with having success while other’s are having such difficulty. From the beginning of 2020, we gave our time and resources as we could which helped us feel as if we were doing our part for our community.


In 2022 we all began to see more hope as we were coming out of the pandemic. Many people were still getting sick, but with lesser complications. Good things were coming in 2022.


I’m happy to say that my year began wonderfully. Some highlights early in 2022 were:


Taking high school athletes to the New England Championship in Boston (I am very proud of these kids)
Exploring new areas in midcoast Maine
Practicing snowshoeing
Spending a few days with my family in Vermont
Visiting Quebec with Elisabeth for Easter
Taking Mollie Mae (dog) to Boston


The first third of the year went off with few hiccups.


April of 2022 brought us surprises as Elisabeth’s work slowed at the CDC as the pandemic lessened. My job at The Body Architect came to an abrupt end which left around 200 people without a “home”. This brought me and many others pain.


May was filled with a wonderful graduation celebration for Elisabeth earning her second Master’s degree. I began a job at The Form Lab (which I consider to be the best gym in Portland, Maine). Many Body Architect members joined and found a new “home”.


While it was a short time that we were without a gym, the pain was sharp and surreal. I still feel badly for the members, especially those who never found a new “home” at another gym in Portland.


Roe v. Wade was overturned. A cloud came over Portland as the clocks turned back to an unimaginable time.


The summer continued on and we hiked weekly, camped regularly, visited Vermont and Montreal, celebrated often, deepened friendships, said goodbye to our first exchange student, welcomed our second exchange student, and made big life decisions.


The biggest decision we made that summer was to leave Portland- something we knew we would do eventually. We value travel and change highly. While Portland was a lovely home full of family and friends, we could not live with ourselves if we had too many “what ifs?” In life.


We chose to move to Chicago for more work and education opportunities. I intended to enroll in a massage therapy program but was underwhelmed with all of my tours. Unfortunately, at the same time the economy began to tighten and hiring in many industries slowed.


Elisabeth and I landed in Chicago, found a great apartment and have steadily been making friends and finding new volunteer opportunities. Work is slower than we would like. We thrive on staying busy. I’ve taken a job at a gym that I’m very excited about, mostly teaching group classes until personal training fills up more of my schedule. It’s slow, but a normal process. Elisabeth is in the very late stages of interviews for a couple of exciting roles.


Not having full work schedule has affected us both more than we had expected. Life moves more slowly. Confidence is questioned. Regret becomes a thought. Generally speaking, everything “tightens”.


We can say that 2022 was not our best of the last three years… ironically. While most others are starting to look-up after the pandemic, we have the frustrating temporary feeling of sliding backward. We know it is not forever and this is a “one step back, two forward” kind of thing, but patience is difficult.


It’s necessary to recognize that much good has come of this. Mollie Mae is getting long walks. We’re volunteering and feeling connected in our community more than ever. Regular visits with my cousins across town bring us joy. We got to spend Christmas with my family. Chicago is a sprawling, diverse, colorful, and ever enchanting city.


We have a lot to be thankful for.


We have a lot of challenges to be thankful for.


We value the challenges and all that we learn from them.


2022 was not our greatest year, but I know that a lot of great things happened. I also know that 2022 was a year to set us up for an amazing 2023. It’s important to be thankful for the changes that we can make. Inherently, with change there will be an adaptation phase that often sets up for an exponential phase of growth.


As we move into 2023, we don’t dwell on the negative parts of 2022. Instead, we listen to them, learn from them, and find our way to leverage them for success in the next year.


Happy New Year, everyone.

It was a warm spring day in 2016. A lovely day. The sun was shining. The spring flowers were in bloom. Winter was surely past and spring was here. It was a perfect day to celebrate the union of Elisabeth and Keenan.


Family and friends had gathered from near and far. Tables were set. Cakes were made and not a detail was out of place.


The ceremony was set in a quaint New England church. They proceeded down the aisle to a piano accompaniment of Hoppippola. Kind words were said about the couple. The marriage became official and they left the ceremony without a flaw.

Every detail of this day had been planned to the minute. Nothing was out of place.


After photos in front of lighthouses on the beach, everyone arrived at the venue of the reception- a beautiful brick building sitting on the shores of the Atlantic overlooking the islands. There was laughter, sharing of memories, wonderful food, and decadent cakes.


It was the perfect day until...


We were invited to the dance floor and the first chord of the song we had chosen for our first dance was played. Elisabeth and I froze. We looked at each other. Fear shot straight through us. The rooms started to constrict as we both made the common realization that we had never danced together before.


Here we were alone, in front of dozens of people. Staring at each other.  Embarrassed that we forgot such a detail. Embarrassed that we had never danced together. We slowly found each other and pulled something off.


I don’t know if it was known to anyone else, but we felt so out of place. Dancing isn’t something we grew up doing. It felt so unnatural to us. Could anyone believe that we didn’t plan for this?


As one could imagine, we recovered. The day was not ruined. Probably no one noticed, but it is funny that we have held on to this memory for years. In fact, we now tell it is a funny story.


Our fumble on our wedding day encouraged us to sign up for this class when we heard about the studio that was offering this introductory ballroom class. We wanted to make sure we had at least the minimum skill set to pull off a dance at the next wedding, gala, or party we attend.


Neither of us have danced much. I don’t think I have particulalry good rhythm. Fortunately, Elisabeth does. It is fair to say that both of us felt out of place, self-conscious, and silly. However, we had a great time. We made many mistakes. We looked like fools at times, but it didn’t matter because everyone else in the class was either looking like us or having a great time doing their own thing! As much as we believe others are watching us, they’re not. They’re enjoying their class for themselves.

 The class was a great learning experience.


I know that the way I felt going into that class- self-conscious, apprehensive, shameful - is the same way that many people feel when they begin working out. Taking the first step to doing something outside of your comfort zone can be daunting. Whether you’re taking a dance class to become a passable dancer or you’re taking a fitness class to become healthier, the emotions leading up can be scary.


Even for me. I’ve taught thousands of classes. New people are always coming in and you can tell when they’re nervous or unsure. Something I pride myself in with my work is helping those people feel at home in the gym. 99% of the time after class I ask them how it was and they respond with, “That wasn’t so bad” or “That was a lot of fun!”.


I should have known that I would have said the same thing to our instructor after our dance class. I think I actually told her, “We had a blast!”


Regardless of the class or experience, I think it is okay to feel these emotions. It’s okay to be nervous or self-conscious as long as it doesn’t stop you from trying something new! I can all but guarantee you, once you get started, those emotions dissipate quickly. A good instructor will always do their best to make sure of that.

So let's go out  and try a dance, yoga, fitness, pilates, or whatever kind of class you want. 


Getting started with exercise is hard. If there is ever anything I can do to help you overcome those barriers (emotions, strategy, accountability, etc…) please reach out!

​Being able to pop down to the gym and get a kettlebell workout in or jump on a Peloton has been awesome. It’s like when I lived two blocks away from The Body Architect. It’s so easy to jump down for a quick 20 minute workout. No need to drive, park, change your clothes over, etc. . . you just run down and go!


This got me to thinking how convenience is king. There are so many barriers to exercise. Common barriers are lack of knowledge (how to exercise), accountability (it’s easy to blow off), self consciousness (exercise can feel vulnerable), difficulty (exercise is hard), and inconvenience. Just to name a few.


Having a gym right down stairs, or living near a gym, makes that one barrier minute. For me, there is no commute. I just go! I’ve pinpointed for myself that convenience is my biggest barrier. It’s hard for me to go back to the gym after a long day of coaching, but if I can just run downstairs, that barrier is hardly a factor.


I’ve known this about myself for a while. That’s why I’ve always kept fitness equipment in my closet.

​I don’t let lack of equipment be a barrier to exercise. That’s why when we moved, having a good gym in house was important to us.


It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all of the factors that make exercise inconvenient, but I think it is a worthwhile thought experiment to evaluate for yourself what is your biggest barrier. There is no right or wrong answer, but I’ll bet others have the same answers as you. Convenience, knowledge, self consciousness, difficulty, accountability, community, guilt, time. Answers are highly individual and exceptionally important to only you.


My next question in the thought experiment would be, what is one thing you could do to decrease the size of your biggest barrier?


Can you find a friend to exercise with? Would it be helpful to simply write expected workouts on your calendar? Could you find a gym near your home?


Is that enough to get you over the speed bump? Or at least get you started until you can make another small step?


Thinking about many of the clients I’ve had in the past. They’ve figured it out. They found a gym near their home. They settled into a class schedule they enjoyed. They worked with knowledgeable trainers. The list goes on.


In the last couple of years, some clients have figured out how to make it work despite a pandemic. Virtual training proliferated fitness. Miraculously (unfortunately due to a pandemic) the barriers of convenience, self consciousness, time, etc . . . were trimmed down enough by taking to exercise in a new fashion- virtually.


Virtual training offers great benefits. As mentioned previously, many of the objections to exercise are cut down. In addition, you get the face-to-face attention and instruction of a coach more closely than in a gym. You never have to worry about crowds, equipment being available, or distractions in gyms. It’s efficient and convenient.


Convenience is king.


Since moving to Chicago, I do intend to find work at a gym. I look forward to finding some community here through exercise, but I intend to continue with my virtual training. Training clients virtually offers too much value to give up on it and them. As a coach, it is my job to help people live healthier lives, often times that involves helping people decrease their barriers to exercise. I believe with virtually training we’ve opened a new door.


If you’ve never tried virtually training and are interested, I’d love to talk with you about it.


If you have tried it, I hope you can turn a friend on to it who may be halted by these barriers to exercise.


There are many ways to exercise, there are many objections exercise, we are all individuals that need tools to find what works for us!

In today's blog I'm writing from the perspective of a high school track coach. While the concepts are the same for any population, I will write with that lens.

Fortunately and unfortunately, a coach has a great deal of influence on their peers. Good coaches leave us inspired and wanting to learn more, ineffective coaches can turn us off from a lifetime of healthy habits. Sadly, coaches can go weeks, seasons, careers without ever realizing the influence they can have on their athletes.

Again, I've been lucky enough to have great coaches set me on the right path, but I've also been highly influenced by one BOOK.

The USATF Level 1 Coach Education Manual.

This book is a technical manual for coaching every track and field event from the pole vault to the race walk. Technically speaking, it a great resource for learning the fundamentals to coach students through events. USA Track & Field (USATF) hired many professionals to produce detailed explanations for coaches. However, where this book really shines begins before any technical explanations- the very first chapter.

Chapter 1 - Positive Coaching

This chapter written by Dr. Rick McGuire is the most valuable chapter of coaching material I have read. It's all about the importance of everything outside of the sport itself. The headings in the chapter speak to the thoughtfulness and weight of importance of psychology in sport and working with young athletes.

Stage 1- Discover the Calling
Stage 2- Build the Foundation
Stage 3- Cultivate Positive and Caring Relationships
Stage 4- Empower Growth Mindsets
Stage 5- Inspire Passionate Hearts 
Stage 6- Produce and Achieve Optimal Performance

I love that in this chapter performance is the last thing! The calling, foundations, care, relationships, growth, and passionate hearts all precede any wins or performances. 

Within this chapter is the single more important sentence I've read as a coach:

"Because coaches are the ultimate model for their athletes, they should model and develop positive character relentlessly."

With emphasis!

"Because coaches are the ULTIMATE model for their athletes, they should model and develop positive character RELENTLESSLY"

Coaches have such an important role to their athletes. A very unique role in fact. 

Let me tell a story.

One day I was working with a woman whom I had gotten to know over a couple of years of coaching. She has a big heart for teenagers. Particularly teenagers that have had issues in the past that led them to be in juvenile detention or foster care. She lobbies for the teens rights and treatment everyday. You see how involved she is in helping them from the moment you meet her. 

She explained to me how important my role is as a coach can be to the right person. She explained to me how sports are often one of the few things that may keep the students coming to school. Athletics have an ability to remove the student from a bad home situation for a couple of extra hours each afternoon. For some students, sports may be the only arena in which they receive recognition or praise. She taught me how influential and important that role is. There is a big responsibility to show up for the athletes because they may be counting on it in ways we don’t understand. 

She further explained how relationships with a coach may be one of the few positive adult relationships teenagers can have. A good coach understands psychology and encourages the athlete to be the best person possible (just as Dr. McGuire wrote about). Being in a place where the student wants to be, they are so much more receptive to learn than in a setting they are forced into. 

She went deeper to explain how coaches also have a strict responsibility to know and understand body language. A simple act of raising a hand for a high five or a pat on the back may be very different experiences for a teenager on the field than at home. Again, the coach must understand the use of supportive actions and body language with their athletes.

Lastly, she taught me how we cannot stereotype which teenagers are having these problems. They are all equally susceptible regardless of neighborhood, race, household makeup, etc. . . Moreover, they are all equally deserving of a relentlessly supportive coach. 

I always knew how important a coaches role was in helping with skill acquisition, team dynamics, and even individual growth. I had great coaches that did this. The conversation I had with my client expanded that beyond what I had ever considered. 

I would wrong to not mention how many lessons I learned from my athletes. These are many and varied. Lessons came daily. Coaching high school athletes is never dull. I'll have to write another blog totally committed to only the lesson I've learned from them. 

I am constantly working to better myself as a coach for both my high school athletes and adults. The goal remains the same- get more young people interested in living healthier lives. Books, videos, mentors, etc . . . The education continues because I am “the ultimate model for athletes” and I will “model and develop positive character relentlessly.”

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More positive quotes from the USATF Manual:

The Seven Cs of Success:
Confidence- The athlete’s self-belief.
Concentration- The athlete’s control of focus.
Courage- Desire and confidence are treated than fear. Courage is learned.
Commitment- The athlete makes the final decision before meeting the challenge. 
Control- The athlete takes it.
Choice- The athlete makes it.

“The coach, by the very nature of the position, is a role model for athletes and a representative of an entire profession and sport.”

“The coach’s respect for the athlete develops athlete-coach trust.”

”A coach’s primary goal is to help athletes develop self-trust.”

The first three chapters of this book, Positive Coaching, Ethics and Risk Management, and Sport Psychology are gold for coaches of any sport, team, group, or person.

Grandmom was a loving, honest, and pragmatic woman. Her love and excitement for her grandchildren was never ending. She always gave her support but advised fairly with details of what might need further thought. We joke of her pragmatic, sensible, and “thrifty” behaviors such as making tomato soup from ketchup packets, but we all know she was committed to her beliefs far beyond what we could ever imagine.


Grandmom passed away about a week after I moved to Prague. I was not able to attend her funeral, hear and share stories, or reflect on her life with family, but I sure was able to do that myself. I’m happy that I have all of those stories in my head and I could reminisce even if I wasn’t with everyone else. I have so many memories of lessons learned from Grandmom. Some when I was a child, others as a teenager, and many from around the time I was getting married. She had a great way of teaching no matter the age of her audience.


I could go on for days about all of these lessons, but this is a health and wellness blog so I will speak only to those at this time.


As a young child some of my earliest memories were walking around my grandparents’ Olivet property with Grandmom. We would prune trees, do away with invasive species, and walk over to the neighbors yard to feed the horse. To me, this place felt huge- like an orchard! Days were filled with these chores, other busy work, a dinner of frozen veggies and over cooked chicken, a family walk afterward, Scrabble after dark, and a book before bed.


Once a summer we all met as a family in Northern Michigan where everyone, including Grandmom, would spend their days traipsing through the woods, climbing sand dunes, swimming in the lake, canoeing, and maintaining the many duties of an aging cottage. Just like in Olivet, every evening consisted of a healthy meal, a family walk, a stimulating game of Scrabble, and a good book before bed.

As teenagers and adults we all came to know Gradmom’s routine as predictable. Like i said before, she was committed to her beliefs. I remember one time she read that you must chew your food exactly 22-times before swallowing. I guarantee you she did that until the day she died. She believed in getting daily vitamin D, so every day, despite the cold, she would go outside and make sure some of her skin saw the sun. Her most predictable, admirable, and important habit (which has now become a lesson) was to take a walk every day. Just like we did after supper everyday as a family, she insisted on taking a walk everyday for her health.


As a kid we often struggled to keep up with her pace. She was long legged and well conditioned. Everyday, if she could not swim, she was walking. I’ll bet she even walked on days that she did swim. She set this routine early in life and carried it through until the end.


Grandmom was in great shape because of this. I don’t remember her ever opting out of physical activity with us kids. She was always hanging in there with us. Because she was in such great shape she swam in the cold lake into her eighties, dove for golf balls, and did more than most people half her age.


Her physical shape was often put on display in family ping pong matches where she would fairly and calmly level us. We liked to say she had one up on us because she spent her summers stuck in the family basement in Kansas playing ping pong during tornado season. Embarrassingly, I think I have to me admit that I think she beat me left handed.


As Grandmom got older, she slowed down a bit, ping pong stopped, Scrabble continued, walks were taken indoors. Overall, Grandmom aged slowly and gracefully. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was still shuffling around now if it weren’t for a fall that broke her femur. When she broke her femur, it slowed her down. Her balance and confidence were never quite the same. She diligently did her exercises to improve balance and leg strength, but she lost some of her zip.


I can confidently say that Grandmom must have hit the ground hard when she broke her femur. In any person, that is a big bone, but Grandmom was inadvertently a health nut by today’s standards. She loaded her bones through daily walking. She ate nutritious meals with lots of vegetable (even if they were frozen). She valued sleep. Her bones, while they did break, must have required a tremendous amount of force. I remember as a kid, probably around the time when my older sister was about 12 years old, Grandmom lecturing my sister on why she MUST eat leafy greens because she read in the newspaper that young women have a great propensity for building bone density in their teens. Grandmom knew what she was doing.


Grandmom is a great example of consistency. She had her beliefs and she stuck with them. If we all did that we would all succeed in reaching our goals. I do wonder, how did she stay so consistent over all of the years? Well, I think there are a few things we should all recognize and appreciate. First, she was a woman of faith and her ability to have faith reached far outside of the church. She had faith in science. If the research said to chew your food 22 times- she did it because she trusted that it was correct. Second, Grandmom lived a life separate from fad diets and yo-yo-ing of attention grabbers. She grew up in the depression. She had no room in her life for luxuries such as arguing about food and how to eat it. Just eat real food. Lastly, I like to think that Grandmom just enjoyed living healthy. She felt good. She could keep up with her grandkids on the sand dunes. She got to spend everyday with her best friends. Gradnmom recognized and appreciated good things like warm sun on the skin in February, waking up with energy, being able to hike miles to see a Glacier in Sweden. I don’t think she had any great tips for staying consistent with a healthy life- it just came natural to her and she recognized the benefits it gave her, so why stop?


Grandmom eventually passed away at the age of 90. She had 90 active and healthy years. If it weren’t for the broken leg she probably would have lived longer. Regardless, her lessons sing to me everyday. I think her lessons sing for everyone she knew. She brought cheer to so many people daily. I’d imagine it would be hard to find someone who didn’t have a lesson learned from Grandmom. To me, she was a loving grandmother and a voice of reason. When it comes to health, she stands as a memory to of the simplicity of maintaining our body. It doesn’t need to be fancy, just go walk, get some sun, eat healthy foods, and sleep.


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Post writing this article. We were told of the news of the passing of Grandma’s younger brother- George. He was a life long athlete who ran and cycled often. Like Grandmom, he was an academic and educator. He spent his time teaching at the home, university, and prisons. Good genes and habits run strong in that family. I find comfort knowing that I may have inherited some of that.


I hope that lessons from Grandmom and George can touch people far beyond their family. I hope that we all can relay these messages to younger people in our lives. Whether we speak them or lead by example, I believe it is exceptionally necessary now more than ever that we let these values be forward in our lives. 

We stayed at a lovely private campsite owned by an older couple that has been buying up small parcels of adjacent lots since the early 70’s for the sake of conservation. They now have about 400 acres where they plant native species, maintain a wildlife pond, and allow for minimal camping, hiking, and exploration of the river. Their goal is conservation and they love sharing it with others while keeping the private feel. Driving into this place was a maze which made it feel even more far away and private.


While in Greene we canoed the river and saw a monstrous snapping turtle, river otter, and a bald eagle. We were there for the Fourth of July so we saw many fireworks too. This spot was very idyllic in a lot of ways. My only complaint is that we could have used more shade in the spot. It was hot in July. Would I take the heat of Greene or the chill of Georgetown, hmmm?

After a couple of weeks off, we returned to Bradbury Mountain to camp again, but this time with Elisabeth’s younger brother, Gabe. This trip was really just for fun. We had s’mores and other campfire foods. We didn’t do a whole lot other than hang out and takes some small hikes. It was just for fun. On this trip I even tried my hand at sleeping in the hammock. It was comfortable enough, but temperature regulation is much harder in a hammock than on the ground. I went from way too hot as I went to bed to freezing cold by the early morning. There are some things to be learned here.


What was really neat this trip was waking up in the middle of the night. It was a very clear night. A very quiet night too. The moon was nearly full and it lit up the landscape like a floodlight. I cannot remember ever seeing the moon so bright at night. It was almost startling.

Elisabeth pulled up the state parks website and found an incredible spot right on the lake at Lily Bay State Park. This spot was incredible. Our tent was 15 feet from the water. The water was quite warm at the end of summer. In the evening we had wonderful sunset views with the mountains and lake. As we laid in bed we listened to the Loons more active than I have ever heard them. I don’t know if we’ll find a better site than this one without back packing to a remote area. It was about as perfect as it could be.

​A major reason we wanted to go to Moosehead lake is because we’ve never seen a moose in the wild! Elisabeth grew up in Maine, and I had been there for several years at that point. We knew we wanted to see a moose before we left the state. As the name of the lake implies, there are moose. We woke up before the sun to set off on our makeshift moose safari. I had researched some areas that are popular moose hangouts- sides of roads, DOT lots, logging roads, etc . . . As you drive in Maine there are signs to watch out for moose, but we take them with a grain of salt since we’ve never seen one. It’s no different at Moosehead, you see the signs, they’re there. Within the first 10 minutes of our makeshift safari Elisabeth spotted one outside of the car window in a swampy area next to the road!

​Stoked on seeing our first moose, we continued on to the other spots in hopes to see more. Unfortunately, we didn’t see anymore moose, but we saw incredible views of the area.

​Our camping trip to Moosehead Lake was really unbelievable. For $26 we got to spend a day on a beautiful lake, take in wonderful scenery, and finally see a moose! It was the best $26 we spent all summer.

​At Acadia, we stayed at the Blackwoods Campground. The site was quite nice, but we were really her for the hiking. We love to hike in Acadia. We were able to do some trails we love, but also mix in a couple of new ones. It’s alway a good time at Acadia.

​We finished a great day with a delicious meal at our favorite restaurant Downeast- Sweetpeas. Well fed and tired we returned to our campsite where we slept well only to be interrupted by the occasional owl.


It was a very nice final camping trip in Maine.


The neatest part about camping for me this summer was how approachable it was. Like in exercise, I’m all about approachability. I like to knock down barriers to good things as much as possible. Exercising, camping, healthy eating, etc. . . I think it’s important that we take advantage of what we can if it makes us happier and healthier. Yes, camping can be quite expensive if you go to LL Bean or REI and deck yourself out with all the best equipment, but we pulled out the camping equipment that had been sitting in the basement for the last 20 years. It worked great! Don’t let equipment keep you from trying it. Dig out your old tent, borrow one, or find one second hand. It doesn’t need to be expensive. On our coldest trip of the summer I didn’t even have a sleeping bag, just a wool blanket and an extra layer. The reservations don’t need to be expensive either. Through the state and national park website, campsites can be found very inexpensively.


All in, we spent very little money on camping this summer, but we rediscovered a nice hobby. A healthy hobby too as it is often paired with hiking. Even without the camping, a state parks pass takes you a long way especially in a place as nature forward as Maine. Regardless of where you live, I would encourage everyone to take advantage of the state parks with or without camping.