Talent

"Struggle is not optional, it's neurologically required: in order to get your skill circuit to fire optimally, you must by definition fire the circuit suboptimally; you must make mistakes and pay attention to those mistakes; you must slowly teach your circuit." -The Talent Code

It would be a lie if I sat here and wrote about training being easy. However, Its not a lie to sit here and express my passion for my job and life. Its funny, the most influential people I've met have always told me...you're living the dream when you don't consider your 'work as a job.' I guess I can consider myself getting close to living the dream. *just give me a couple more years to make some other dreams and goals come true!

Training is not easy: Yet fun:

Talents aren't grown by sitting: They're grown by Practice:

I'd like to put these two ideas together to create a talent for training.

I was working out in LA Fitness yesterday morning. After my morning swim and teaching aqua fit, It was time to train legs. I've been testing out concepts of cardio strength training, athletic running mechanics, crossfit, and endurance challenges; all completely different aspects of training, yet all FUN. So I combined them together to create a non-traditional lower body circuit that incorporated all of the above. Dynamic warm up for 2 minutes including high skips, side shuffles, sprints, backpedals, etc. Pistol squats, Kettlebell Swings, Plate pushes into a sprint for utilization. :) Some of this may be written in a foreign language to some, but to others it will just make them smile. What also makes people smile is when they people training 'outside the box' in a traditional gym setting. 5 rounds of this wasn't easy, it was fun. Practicing talent to grow and fire circuits is physically going to be a struggle...but talents aren't grown by sitting...especially sitting on machines!

After my workout, I realized I wasn't doing this to become a professional athlete, or for competition..its my Job. Its my job to stay fit, to create new ideas, to stay flexible and healthy and to push myself to new extremes. If I practice these techniques daily, new talent is created. I then realized, how amazing is it that I have found a position where I can practice my talents daily to create life around me. I create life within my clients Daily. I can teach, practice and create synergy within nutrition and training to create talent. Movement is talent...time to start practicing it!

t-minus one week until Sprint Triathlon #2!

Wetsuit is purchased, run has improved, core strength is peaking...taking my talents to a new level....

Come up with the challenge, practice your talents, create synergy.

On to the next one...

I read a great blog post today by one of the leading strength and conditioning coaches of our current time Eric Cressey, about Accountability. Holding yourself accountable is one thing, but when you have others knowing what your goals are takes you to a higher standard of how you are going to reach your goals.

This is why I created this blog in the first place, for my friends and family to hold me accountable to my goals. Sure, its easy to set deadlines, but if you have someone on the other end watching and encouraging you, it makes you want to achieve that much more. Just when you want to give up...you realize how many people are out there holding you accountable.

I have found myself these past couple weeks questioning a lot about why I did a figure show. It wasn't for the glamor or fame, the pictures, or body. It was a personal drive to see if I could really do what I put my mind to.

The mental game I have been struggling with post show has been the most difficult. I got into a zone of training, eating, drinking (or not) water. Meal prep, cardio on an empty stomach, sacrificing work for training, I was walking a tight rope.

That was easy when it was routine. Its when we are out of our routine and comfort zone that its hard to hold yourself accountable. I've binged on pizza and cake, put back peanut butter and frozen yogurt back into my diet. All too soon...leaving me with regret and an upset stomach!

It took so much to achieve the 'perfect physique,' and now I found myself not holding myself accountable to what is REAL. A real healthy, uniform, and FIT body. A real mental state of desire and passion for my work and life.

In the words of Jay Z--On to the Next One--lets keep it real, real food, real life, real time.

http://www.triandduit.com/cedarbeachtriathlon/Home.html

I am an athlete. I like to compete. I have an athletic body. I love sports. I love the feeling of winning. Not only for me, but when my teams win, I still get a great feeling. *I'll still say this after Penn State plays 'Bama this weekend. GO STATE.

My next goal is to complete a triathlon in under 1 hour 20 minutes. That is 13 minutes off of my last time. Yes, that is a lot of time, I know. This time is different. I'm eating real food, training like an athlete, Swimming and yes...even running.

October 10th. Here we go.

Achievement

Achievement is mental and physical.
Achievement is always positive.
Achievement feels great.
Achievement is in every persons dictionary.
Achievement always has a place in life.

I've always been a goal oriented person...It wasn't until I started training for life that I realized that goals encompassed my life.
I reached my first goal in life when I graduated from Penn State in 4 years. Achievement, check.
I reached my second goal when I started my first job in Baltimore.
I reached my third goal when I figured out what I really wanted to do with my career--performance coaching.
My fourth goal came along when I completed my first triathlon.
Fifth goal-figure competition.
Achievement, check.

My achievement has been personal and set to high standards. Training for life has been everything from fun to stressful, exciting to painful. After the feelings, every outcome has always been achievement. Friends, family, colleagues, training partners sometimes think I'm crazy for always setting goals...its true...I sometimes don't sit down. I learn from partners, teachers, coaches, family members to build my system and figure out what works. I've reached the point of over training, physical exhaustion, under eating, over eating...I would have not reached those points if I didn't try it all.

So I've reached the end of blogging about one journey but I'm not done writing about achievements.

I find achievements everyday through my clients success in their fitness goals, weight loss, and goals to lead active healthy lifestyles. I find this through the young athletes I train that truly want to get faster and stronger. I find this through learning about relationships and creating new ones.

So...go out there...set your goals high...raise your standards...be picky...and find out what it feels like to ACHIEVE.