HERO

 

Julie is a hero of mine.  She is a 40 year old mother of seven children including three year old triplets.  Besides family, church and education, Julie has had a passion in her life.  That passion is swimming.  She was an accomplished school girl swimmer.  As a teen and adult she has spent countless hours giving back by teaching others how to swim and more importantly to love swimming.

Julie's pregnancies are most challenging - requiring the last five months be spent on doctor ordered bed rest to lessen the risk of losing the baby.  Imagine what it does to the body to be in bed day after day... week after week... month after month.  The loss of muscle tone.  The atrophy.  After the birth of a child when mothers are trying to drag themselves out of bed, Julie would do that then somehow find the will to drag herself to the pool.  There, in the soothing healing waters, her muscles would slowly begin to rebound.  Her stamina would begin to be restored.  She would slowly begin to feel like a person again.

So here we are, just a few years past the birth of triplets, and Julie is setting swimming records.  She now holds eleven Utah State records including four set just this past summer.  Some of the records she breaks have stood for decades.  She is breaking the records of swimming legends.  So how does she do it?  Unknowingly, Julie has been following the TIPS FROM A MAN guidelines to the letter.  She eats foods in their mostly natural state.  She has mastered the intake of complex carbohydrates and lean proteins.  She finds the time to work out most every day all the while balancing and juggling the caring for and loving nurturing of seven young children.  She doesn't make excuses.  When overwhelmed she pushes through it.  She simply and quietly goes about her business.

This woman is a stud.  She is a giant.  She has received help from family and friends along the way and has accepted this help with graciousness and gratitude.  So here is a TIP FROM A MAN... learn from Julie's example.  If you want to take control of your body... do it!  If you want to look like a million bucks... do it!  If you want to feel great... you can!  This is the perfect example of a person making a choice.  Julie could say that the toll on her body of bringing seven babies into the world was just too great.  She could say that she is simply too tired... or that there just isn't enough time.  But instead, she quietly goes about her business all the while inspiring and motivating people like me.  Thank you Julie!

Enjoy life!

TREAT

Hey, we are always looking for tasty treats that are fun and healthy.  This summer I have found a new appreciation for chocolate covered strawberries.  I have stressed on numerous occasions that the presentation of the food is a big deal.  The options with chocolate covered strawberries are pretty much endless.  You can use white, milk or dark chocolate.  You can mix the chocolates and add toppings and have a result that is very amazing to look at and so very delicious.

This summer I have been giving out chocolate covered strawberries to clients and service providers.  On each occasion the receiver was very surprised as this gift was so unexpected and different than what they normally receive.  I buy my strawberries for client gifts from a caterer called Berrilicious.  Their work is without compare.  Checkout their blog at  www.berrilicious.blogspot.com

So here is a TIP FROM A MAN... find an occasional treat that is healthy, fun to look at, and that tastes delicious.  When I want to splurge, a couple of strawberries drizzled in a little bit of chocolate is an amazing treat that doesn't stray too far away from my eating and nutrition guidelines.

Enjoy life!

SPORTS DRINKS

When you are exerting yourself your body needs to be replenished.  The hotter the temperature or the greater the exertion, the more important it is.  Typically we drink water but most everyone knows the story behind the invention of Gatorade:

 

The first iteration of Gatorade was formulated in 1965 by a team of researchers at the University of Florida College of Medicine, including Robert Cade, Dana Shires, Harry James Free, and Alejandro de Quesada.^[6] It was created following a request from Florida Gators football head coach Ray Graves to aid athletes by acting as a hydrating replacement for body fluids lost during physical exertion in hot weather. The earliest versions of the beverage consisted of a mixture of water, sodium, sugar, potassium, phosphate, and lemon juice.^[7] Ten players on the University of Florida football team tested the first version of Gatorade during practices and games in 1965, and the tests were deemed successful. The football team credited Gatorade as having contributed to their first Orange Bowl win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in 1967, at which point the drink gained traction within the athletic community. Yellow Jackets coach Bobby Dodd, when asked why his team lost, replied: "We didn't have Gatorade. That made the difference."^[8]

Turns out that the scientists realized that our bodies recover more quickly when we replenish the combination of water, carbohydrates, and electrolytes that we lose during workouts.  Now days there are seemingly countless choices in the sports drink category including Gatorade, Powerade, Vitamin Water and on and on.

I've been a pretty aggressive label reader to see if there are great differences in ingredients.  I've come to the conclusion that they are now pretty much the same.  So for me it comes down to taste, calories and price.  There are now basically three distinct choices: There is a sugar free zero calorie choice, a reduced calorie (like 20 calories per 8 oz. serving) choice and regular (which is usually 80 calories per 8 oz. serving).  I watch my caloric intake so I go for the zero calorie or 20 calorie options.  If you drink a 32 oz. bottle at 80 calories per serving that is 320 calories.  Do you really need that many calories while seeking replenishment? 

Sometimes if I drink too much water when it is hot I just feel full and sluggish but not replenished.  So here is a TIP FROM A MAN... pay close attention to what your body is telling you while engaging in physical activity.  Staying hydrated is so critical and replenishing your body is key to your optimal performance.  So I think there is a place and reason for sports drinks.  But at the same time, be mindful of your caloric intake so that you stay on the course that will help you meet your health and fitness goals.

Enjoy life!

CHAMPIONSHIPS

Back of the champions jersey

Front of champions jersey

A bunch of guys who just battled for 3 hours

Championships.  Think over your life time and try to remember how many championships you have won as a youth or as an adult.  I'm not just thinking sports here.  Championships can come in debate, art, music, in any category.  But life is very competitive, so for most of us, championships are few and far between.  That is why they are so sweet.  Why they are to be savored.  The Brew Crew has been a special baseball team.  Like any team, some of the players have come and gone for a variety of reasons, but the core guys like Neil, Tommy, Jeremy & Robby have been together for several years and other guys like Colin, Hunter, Aaron & Seth for a few seasons and then guys like Brian, Kyle, Peety & Brady, new this year.  But from the very first pitch, this team had something special - chemistry.

The playoffs were set up where the regular season first place team (Brew Crew) and the second place team from the regular season played in a best of three format to determine the league champion.  The competition was so even it was amazing.  The Brew Crew pulled off game one in one extra inning by a score of 3 - 2.  Then in game two, it was the Brew Crew again, this time needing four extra innings winning by a score of 2 - 1.  You don't win the close ones without extraordinary chemistry (and amazing pitching!).

So here is a TIP FROM A MAN... set your sights on winning a championship in something that motivates you.  In something that inspires you.  In something that will cause you to make a commitment and to improve.  Perhaps it is to become the golf champion at your country club.  Perhaps you have always wanted to take up arm wrestling or win your age group in a sprint triathlon.  The event isn't what's important.  The journey is.  And if you can cap off the journey by making it all the way to the championship summit - wow, the view is amazing from the top!

Enjoy life!

BASEBALL UPDATE

I'm heading to second base after knocking a double

My son scoring from third

Team high fives after yet another Brew Crew victory

A few months ago I wrote a post titled CHALLENGE YOURSELF.  The post discussed that the way I stay motivated to workout, eat right and stay physically focused is to play baseball.  Well, because I baited you with that post, it is time for me to man up and post the results.  The pressure has been on this season because I knew that in fairness I'd have to share my stats and if I had stunk it up, you may well have booed me.  Our team the Brew Crew just wrapped up the 2012 regular season with a 8 win 2 loss record winning the league title.  This is excellent baseball played with wood bats.  Our team is made up of a mix of current and former college players and a few holdovers like me.  We are stacked with pitching and have had eight different players take to the mound this season.

To give you a bit of an insight to the type of competition we confront, last Friday night the pitcher we faced just got released after three years in the minor leagues having reached Double A.  He pitched five innings against us and left the game up 4 - 2, but we got to his replacement and won the game 7 - 4.  Then Monday night we faced a pitcher who just completed his college eligibility at a Division I school.  It was a tight contest with the Crew coming out on top 2 - 1.  Fun stuff!

So how did I hold up this season as the 52 year old guy playing with the 21 year old kids?  I went 7 - 16 for a .437 batting average with 1 double, 3 walks, 7 RBI's, 2 strike outs, a .500 slugging percentage, a .526 on base percentage, and an OPS of 1.026.  I fielded all of my chances in the outfield cleanly while usually battling the wicked evening sun (love those 6 PM start times).

While I am happy with the stats, contributing to a team and helping the team be successful is what it is all about.  This season I got to play with my 24 year old son who just wrapped up his college baseball career.  He will soon be heading back east to graduate school so this could very possibly be the last time we play together.  Who gets to play on a competitive team with their son?  How lucky am I?  What great memories.

So here is a restatement of a TIP FROM A MAN... figure out what is YOUR baseball.  Figure out what gets you excited and drives you to stay young.  Figure out what you look forward to.  Figure out what connects you to other people where the goal is more of a group success than just a personal success.  For me it is baseball.  I love golf.  I love to ride horses.  I love to ski.  But I LIVE to play baseball.  Without a doubt the clock is ticking on me.  How much longer I can continue to play at a high level no one knows.  I certainly am not going to hang on and drag the team down that's for sure.  But I am going to fight to continue to be competitive and I hope you do as well!

Enjoy life!

SUNDAY DINNER

Sunday dinner must be good right?  Hopefully Sunday dinner is a big deal at your house.  Gather family and maybe some friends or neighbors together.  Take some extra time to enjoy one another without the pressure usually associated with other days of the week.  Can it get better than that?

Here is the dinner that we enjoyed this past Sunday that follows the TIPS FROM A MAN guidelines perfectly.  Grilled Tilapia, fresh asparagus and fresh mixed fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pineapple and grapes).  Fish is one of the best foods we can eat.  Tilapia is a very mild fish.  I know lots of people cannot handle really "fishy" flavor so they shy away from fish altogether.  But Tilapia is excellent.  It is light and is so very easy to eat.  We love asparagus at our house.  It tastes so good and is cool to look at.  It is filled with nutrients.  And everyone knows about the benefits of juicy fresh fruit.  At our dinner table, fruit disappears like it's on sale.

So here is a TIP FROM A MAN... make Sunday dinner a big deal.  Make sure your entire family is invited and knows they are welcome.  Set the time well in advance so everyone can get it on their schedule.  Consider inviting friends or a neighbor that might not get out socially often.  Slow things down and enjoy one another.  Create a tradition here and this may well become the highlight of the week.

Enjoy life!

 

FLOWERS

As you can probably tell from this photo, I am not a professionally trained florist.  I've not even taken a Community Ed course in floral arranging.  But we do raise some pretty awesome flowers in our yard, so this morning I raided the garden and put together this flower arrangement for my wife who returns home today from a week on the road.  Everyone loves flowers... and my wife seems to like the dorky stuff I make for her (probably the thought more than anything) so when she walks through that door tonight, she will be greeted with this fresh arrangement of flowers.

So, here is a TIP FROM A MAN... people you have or want to build a relationship with like and need to be remembered.  That is why a handwritten note, flower arrangement, gift, or other act of kindness is so important and appreciated.  Do not take any relationship for granted.  Huge mistake.  Like a plant baking in the summer sun, relationships will wither away without nurturing and attention.  Do not let this happen.  Make the effort to invest in those who are important to you and the return on your investment will be astounding.

Enjoy life!

THE LAKE

 

Here is what life is like at the lake...


 http://vimeo.com/27059789


2012 video is on the way!

Enjoy life!

THE COMPOUND EFFECT

When I go to the lake for a week each summer, I challenge myself to take an extraordinary book to read while I am there.  This year I treated myself to the book THE COMPOUND EFFECT by Darren Hardy, publisher of SUCCESS magazine.  Before I read a book like this I have a habit of thumbing through the book looking for little nuggets.  I happened on this quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge."  I was immediately hooked.  Please read the following:

 Do you want success?

More success than you have now?

And even more success than you ever imagined possible?

That is what this book is about.
Achieving it.

No gimmicks. No hyperbole.
Finally, just the truth on what it takes to earn success.

As publisher of SUCCESS magazine, author Darren Hardy has heard it all, seen it all, and tried most of it. This book reveals the core principles that drive success. The Compound Effect contains the essence of what every superachiever needs to know, practice, and master to obtain extraordinary success. Inside you will find strategies on:

• How to win—every time! The No. 1 strategy to achieve any goal and triumph over any competitor, even if they’re smarter, more talented or more experienced.
• Eradicating your bad habits (some you might be unaware of!) that are derailing your progress.
• Painlessly installing the few key disciplines required for major breakthroughs.
• The real, lasting keys to motivation—how to get yourself to do things you don't feel like doing.
• Capturing the elusive, awesome force of momentum. Catch this, and you'll be unstoppable.
• The acceleration secrets of superachievers. Do they have an unfair advantage? Yes they do, and now you can too!

If you’re serious about living an extraordinary life, use the power of The Compound Effect to create the success you desire. Begin your journey today!

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This is a very easy read of less than 200 pages.  My mind is now swimming with ideas of how I can improve.  Here is a TIP FROM A MAN, take a few hours and attentively read this book, then share what you have learned with at least two other people you care about.  Then do what is hard to do!

Enjoy life!