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.

ACCOMPLISHMENT

–noun

1.

an act or instance of carrying into effect; fulfillment: the accomplishment of our desires.

Desire? Motivation? Goal setting? Anyway you want to look at it, an accomplishment or achievement is something to be proud of. So I stand in front of you today knowing I am proud of what I did, how I did it, and that I achieved my goal. I set my mind to it, I did it, I'm proud.

Taking a step back: 16 weeks ago I thought of how long of a road it was going to be to get through this. Now, its over, the dedication, training, strict diet. Its now over, yet I have to look at it like life has just begun. My new journey into nutrition, performance, levels of dedication, and drive. Not only for my career, but also in life. I didn't do this for me, but for what I can bring to the table for other people, my clients, family and friends. If I can do it, anyone can. I'm just here to show you how.

It took more than trust in people to help. You learn a lot about yourself in the way others move you to pursue your dreams. I've learned how to trust and how to be trusted. I've learned when to say yes, when to say no, and how to listen to my body. Could I have done things differently? Sure...more protein, less cardio, more reps, no eating after nine. Sure. Would that have changed my outlook about this in the long run? No. I don't look in the mirror and ask what i could have done different to win first, I say to myself...Hell Yes, Congrats.

What was the hardest part? The last week. The final countdown. Eating was fine, chicken and asparagus. I ate to live, I didn't live to eat. The hardest part was taking out what we take for granted. Water. 64 oz, 32 oz, 16 oz, 8 oz, sips. That was the drill. Down to the final day. I found myself licking icecubes to quench my thirst only to feel bad about what I was doing and how it was going to affect my physique the next day. Talk about feeling awful.

What was the best part? Standing on stage, being proud of the body god gave me. Realizing that the people I loved the most were all there watching me and proud of me. Listening to their cheers, praise, and voices kept me going while I held my pose. The best part was the lights, cameras, and action. I made this journey my dance, my performance, and my dream. It became my reality.

I don't leave with just that. Its not over...my competitive nature has just begun. 3rd place...I'll take it. Will I do another, you may have to wait and find out. Will it be soon? My Answer: Football season starts in 12 days.

Until then: I cherish the chocolate covered pretzels, chips and salsa, pizza, and frozen yogurt I'm now putting back into my diet. All in moderation that is :)

Limits

Its Wednesday night, I'm out of water for the day, chewing gum is now hurting my jaw, and I'm craving a new invention at the state fare of a cheeseburger on a krispy kream donut.

http://www.thestar.com/living/food/article/848767--a-krispy-kreme-cheeseburger-only-at-the-state-fair

So instead of salivating over what I can't have, I'm going to focus on what I do have. I realized I had to focus on this tonight when tears came to my eyes at the gym and it hurt more to cry than not because my spray tan chemicals were burning my eyeballs. I realized this when I was running last night and had no idea if my feet were even moving one in front of the other. I felt like I was in a scene from inception. I realized this when I got goosebumps from my group of 30 women singing happy birthday to me from the pool in my aquafit class this morning.

Tomorrow I hit the quarter century of my life...25. I can't believe it. What I really can't believe is that I can't have my cake and eat it too. On the agenda tomorrow is a wal-mart run for a vanilla cupcake candle, lip smackers vanilla cake lip gloss, and I may even throw some Vanilla bean hand soap in there too.

I've realized how many things you can do to overcome your cravings. Countless upon countless times I've let myself go into thinking 'one really isn't that bad,' until it really made a difference. When I started training for my figure show, I was the heaviest and most out of shape I've ever been. I let my anxiety about my career and future take over my body. It wasn't until I started living and letting my brain lead me in my new adventure to understand where and what it really means to BE.

By allowing my brain and body finally become one, I realize why I'm here and what I'm meant to do. I'm here to use my body as my engine to inspire others. After an episode in my life at the age of 16 I've been seeking the answer to why I was still walking on my two feet. There is a plan somewhere, I just needed to be patient to attack it. I don't have the all the answers, nor will I ever stop looking for them. But for now, I let my mind and my body stay interlocked as one. By working together to create an engine that is so great and so powerful to educate and touch the lives of many.

I go into my 25th year of my life realizing the past 24 years have lead me to where I am, brought me specifically to the people I've met, and looking forward to the journey I'm about to unfold.

So I raise my...um...well...16 oz of distilled water tomorrow and cheers to the following:

The Month of August
My wonderful and loving family
my truly amazing and inspiring friends
Pictures
weddings

Facebook
Stride Gum
DJ Emerson Day's hip hop mixes
Mrs. Dash
Penn State football season starting in 17 days
Groupon
Starbucks
YOU for reading my blog!

3 days....

...It's Where the Heart is!

Somehow 16 weeks has turned into 6 days.

6 days until my journey finally becomes a reality. This reality of me stepping on stage is becoming real with every ounce of chicken

and asparagus I consume. :)

Meal 1: 6 egg whites
Meals 2-5: 5 oz chicken 5 oz of Asparagus or broccoli
Distilled Water and supplements.


I look at this week with an attitude and appreciation for
everything around me. Appreciating the moments where I've felt like giving up, only to turn to memories and advice from people who have challenged me mentally and physically. Appreciating the moments where I have seen changes in my physical and mental attributes. Appreciating the engine that God gave me to use to the best of my abilities. The appreciation to transform, engage, love, and hold steady to values and goals. The appreciation for those around me who have been so supportive.

HOME: HAPPY VALLEY:

I laughed this weekend. I laughed a lot. My dad hates the smell, look, taste, everything about green vegetables. I come home and the only thing I'm eating is asparagus and broccoli. I laugh because I can't imagine how much he was cringing inside when he had to smell it not just for one meal, but for 5. Even when we went out to lunch at Chilli's...I order the waitress to heat up my prepared meal for me while my parents order a healthy chicken salad. I couldn't do it without them.


I laugh at my parents supportive sense of humor about my diet, lifestyle, and workouts. I took a step outside of the box this weekend and viewed my life from their eyes...laughed not only because it looks pretty insane, but to see the joy and learn from the insanity. So, I opened up their world of insanity/the newest trend of the vibram 5 finger shoes. My dad now has it down to a science on how to put them on in less than a minute for each shoe. My mom mastered the technique of the the intrinsic movements within her little toe to make the shoe easier to get in. My Parents too, have stepped outside the box of their running shoes into something that separates their style, stability, and uniqueness about their tribute to their own bodies.


This weekend I laughed, learned, and now appreciate more than I ever have the family and friends I have. The support and confidence I have been blessed with from my parents has been something no other two people could have taught me.


I step outside this week: outside my cravings, feelings, emotions toward my goal...put it all together and JUST DO IT.



6 pounds of chicken...check
6 pounds of broccoli...check
6 pounds of asparagus...check
4 dozen eggs....check
4 gallons of distilled water...check.

HEART.SMILE.LIVE.GROW.APPRECIATE.