TCS NYC Marathon ALZ Association

Monday, June 27, 2016

Work out, Read, Run and repeat

Aside from the busy work schedule, it has been a pretty productive week.

I will be going into my third week of working out at Philosophically Built with Blake. I really enjoy the exercises that he is having me complete everyday. On Friday, I successfully completed two more challenges to get my name on the board. One was doing one hundred steel mace swings in about 4:30. The other one was a similar exercise but using steel pins doing the club throw challenge in a little over three minutes. Everyone that I have met at the workouts have been amazing and awesome to be around. Keep up the good work. Besides the amazing workout challenges, my upper body strength is improving greatly through increasing weights on the bench press.

Along with working out, I got introduced to some amazing supplements from Onnit such as Shroom Tech Sport. This supplement has aided me tremendously getting through a workout and long distance runs. You know what else is amazing about it? The supplement is vegan and GMO free. I avoid supplements containing fish and dairy products. If you are looking for those types of supplements, I would highly recommend checking out their full line of supplements.
 
Besides working out, I have been reading a lot of books lately. As of today, two books were finished within two weeks: Me Talk Pretty One Day and Naked by David Sedaris. Known for his witty humor, he has become one of my favorite authors as of late. I've read seven books and have only one title left to read: Barrel Fever. Audiobooks? Don't bother asking unless you accompany me on a long and tortuous road trip across America. Favorite book? Good luck getting an answer out of me because all of his works have been very good. I was very upset that I missed his reading event at Binghamton University back in April. I am bound not to miss an appearance when he comes to the area again. 





It has been amazing getting back into excellent running form. I'm currently preparing to run my second marathon November 20th in Philadelphia. Running twice a week and working out a few days a week has been very beneficial physically, mentally, and emotionally. It has boosted my confidence tremendously and given me extra energy I never knew existed. I can hear Blake in my ear saying, "Someone's getting stronger!" Sunday, I ran 15.5 miles through Johnson City and Binghamton. The first five miles my pace was the slowest I have ran in a while (nine minutes plus). After a brief stop, I was able to find more speed and lower the pace to where I was very comfortable (8-8:30 per mile). Sundays are one of my favorite days because I look forward to completing a long run and always challenging myself to get faster. Always have a variety of places to run in your area and don't settle for the same spots, especially if you are training. It is refreshing to get acclimated to changing environments and scenery to make running more enjoyable. In July, I will participate in the Saratoga Springs Half Marathon race. I'm want to get a few tune up races completed before November so I am better prepared for the Philadelphia Marathon.
 
Changing gears quickly, I got to do Stand Up Paddle Boarding while I was visiting my family at their campsite. That was one activity I have always wanted to do after seeing so many pictures, advertisements, and people raving about how fun it is. I'm going to take that on again once the opportunity arises. Good night everyone.


Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Shattered gym-phobia dripping in sweat

For the past week, I've been working out with a personal trainer, Blake Hickey. He owns a fitness academy called, Philosophically Built. One week into the workouts, I have to say it has been an amazing experience. I get excited each day I arrive at the facility ready to take on the days workout. In addition, Blake shows a lot of enthusiasm and energy working with his clients helping his clients, including myself, achieve goals. Keep up the good work and congratulations on picking up five more clients yesterday. 

I'm going to continue for the next month working out there and getting very valuable advice and experience with different training techniques and exercises. Philosophically Built has crushed my "gym-phobia" that I have been carrying around for the last few years. If you get a chance to get trained by an Onnit instructor like Blake, take advantage of the opportunity because the workouts are amazing. It is very rewarding ending each workout dripping in a lot of sweat.

What is Onnit exactly? Well my friends, it is an amazing company dedicated to total human optimization. You can get amazing advice on diets, strength training, and conditioning along with an amazing line of food and supplements to enhance your mind and body. I found out about this amazing company through Joe Rogan, host of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. I met Blake at a fitness expo during the Herald of Victory Marathon weekend and we discussed Onnit in more detail and got introduced to some of the workouts that I have used during my workouts. That was my first time getting introduced to kettle bells and steel mace bars. Those have been my favorite pieces of equipment and will have to invest in some to use on my own. The great benefits of working out is you can never stop learning and always challenge yourself each day. Your reward will pay off in the long run. Also, there are endless opportunities to improve your mind and well-being.

Yesterday, I took on the kettle bell squat challenge. In five minutes I did 102 squats using two 12kg kettle bells beating out two other challengers. My goal is to complete a couple more challenges before the month is over. I'm always enjoy a challenge especially when it comes to workouts and learning new ones along the way. So thank you Joe Rogan for introducing me to an amazing brand that you really care about. Also, Blake for challenging me, pushing me, and believing in my potential. I'm really excited for what the next month has to offer. Everyone that I have met at the workouts, you are all amazing. Keep up the good work.

Check out Philosophically Built to get started.

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Sunday, June 5, 2016

Post Marathon recovery and the little victories

That's me, completing my first marathon ever. 
It was a truly amazing feeling and a remarkable accomplishment.


It has been one week since I ran my first marathon, Herald of Victory. Again, thank you to all those who participated and volunteered making it an amazing experience. Despite all the hardships, I thought the event was very successful and hopefully will be an annual event for years to come.

Right now, my recovery from the race has been very impressive. I've gone from a nauseous state post race to an energetic mindset in one weeks time. To get back into a routine, I did a 10 mile run close to home even though the weather was a little questionable. After feeling light rain drops within the first mile, I was debating about cutting the run short. Once I got passed the first mile and the rain let up temporarily, I continued on with my run. Ten miles later, I was very happy with my goal even though the time was a little slow. It is the little victories like that that keep active people going and gain more confidence from it. In between that time, I used it to do some exercising focusing on legs and lower body. After working all week, I exercised in the park nearby and make it a habit any chance I can get. It down poured one day but since the park had pavilions, I finished my workout with the help of a picnic table. Don't use the weather as an excuse not to work out. I was very happy to get those workouts completed while I was at the park.

Be proud of those little victories that you accumulate along the way in your journey. It will benefit you greatly in the long run.