My passion in life is to live free and to learn; thus, I approach life living in the moment and enjoying the ride. Not to say I don’t get caught up with goals from time to time as applying a strategy for our future is vital, yet I constantly strive to detach from any expectations as the future is unknown and being built by the present.
I have learned in my life through sport that it is very easy to get caught up on the goal. It wasn’t until recently that I developed sufficient enough wisdom to truly realize the destructive manner in which I approached sports which caused all types of injuries. Having to coach myself many times, I had to learn to temper this and find a balance through my training regimens lest I end up regularly damaged physically, mentally, emotionally and, deep down inside, spiritually. Once I came to terms with my destructive behavior I found the peace and calmness I was always searching for. I still have my ups and downs, as we all do, but instead of fighting the down portions of my life I search for understanding like a soul surfer experiences the troughs of waves - feeling for a way to get back up.
On Saturday I raced a couple of sprint events; the 400m and 100m. Initially I signed up for the 400m and the 800m, but in the 8 I would have been running alone and decided on the 100 for some fun. Here is the video of my first 100m race in over 20 years:
I didn’t want to come out of the blocks this time. I haven’t done blocks training in a very long time and felt like a standing start to explode off the line will suit me better. My time was 11.63.
Hours before the 100 I participated in the 400m, running a time of 51.8. It was earlier in the morning and my legs were feeling flat no matter how much I warmed up. Here is the race video:
Not sure if my legs feeling flat had to do with the distance training I was working on or the general load I put on my legs through over training, but either way I feel I should enlist the services of a qualified coach to help with my training program. I have a tendency to over train and once I get to the races I am taxed out.
Apropos, after running the 100 I finally realized that if I am going to run and train as I do I might as well do exactly what I enjoy no matter what. In this sense, I enjoy sprinting more than mid distance and distance work only doing the latter because I doubt my sprint ability. I figured that I’d have more success in the 800m rather than the 400m with the speed I have, but through the process of training the 8 I had a grimly determined view of the world pursuing mid distance with a scowl on my face. That’s no good and something I will presently rectify. In other words, I am happy to say I will now focus my efforts on being the best 400m runner I can possibly be through my Run Holistic approach. At least that is where I am at right now in this point of time. 🙂
Take off your shoes and let your bare feet touch the earth. It’s a liberating experience chock full of health benefits. For starters, your feet get the chance to splay naturally, you allow underused areas the chance to strengthen now that they are being activated, and most importantly, you’re absorbing some of the most potent antioxidants on earth. Don’t just take my word for it, check out this video from a researcher curious about the effects of grounding and the benefits of such:
I hope you enjoyed the presentation. If you just started it, realized it was over an hour and are now reading this, I urge you to take the time later and investigate this as it will change your life. Tonight, do something different and invest in your Self. Trust me the benefits are worth it.
(As of 2021, this video has been removed from youtube due to the attempted cancellation of Dr. Joseph Mercola. His interview with Dr. James Oschman, PhD, regarding the scientific matter of grounding is no longer available. I hope it will be available soon through another platform.)
Once you finish the presentation, I’d like to draw your attention to a product I feel very strong about. They are earthing sandals that provide you with the benefits of barefoot walking, and running, all the while still protecting your feet. They are called Earth Runners. Here’s a picture from their instagram account I think is worth noting.
Now that you are invested in your health and you’ve heard of these simple things you could do to improve it, then I have more great news for you. I’ve been fortunate enough to develop a relationship with Earth Runners and I can offer you 10% off your purchase when you use RUNHOLISTIC as a discount code. Not only will you get a wonderful product that will enhance your health, but you’ll also be buying from a small American business that is passionate about their craft, invested in helping people reach optimum health, and supportive of the community they live in. 🙂
In one week I had the opportunity to race in both an 800m on the track and a 5K. As usual, in both cases we made it a family affair. It has been over a year since I ran a 5K and 3 years since competing in an 800m. I am having a blast right now as I’ve found a rhythm that works for me. Usually, I can be quite wordy with my posts, but in this one I’ll try and just share snippets of our events and describe the actions when necessary. Enjoy the pictures and videos and I hope this inspires you to get out there and have fun learning about what makes you tick and how to express your self through movement. 🙂
In the track and field meeting, Kanoa and Kaden both raced the 100 and 200, and I did the 800. I won the event with a time of 2:01. It was electronically timed, so accurate in its measure. Not bad for my first 8 in 3 years. My master runner friend Oscar is featured in the picture at the end of this gif. He’s a really fast 60, 100 and 200m runner; he gets off the line fast making others have to try and run him down.
Here’s the full video of my race. Do you want to do the macarena? LOL
I won my 5K! 🙂 First one ever. Been a challenge developing an aerobic base coming from a sprinting background, but step by step I’m learning to pace myself properly. YAY!!!!
Below is a snippet of the events from my run to the kids run. It was a blast and I’d love to do it again next year. The best part was during the first mile I passed the gibbons (mind you we are yearly zoo members and frequent this location a lot so I like to think I have rapport with the beautiful animals there) and one was hanging on a branch watching me pass by as at this time it was only me and the bicyclist in front guiding me around the course. Next were the Rhinos. I was still conscious of my surroundings for this exhibit and one Rhino was clearly gazing at me and the bicyclist. It was very cool getting the feeling of these powerful animals while trying to push my own limits. From looking through the hashtag #zoorun5k on instagram I noticed others got great views of more animals while making their way around the zoo. Shortly after making eye contact with the Rhinoceroses I had only enough energy to focus on continuing to maintain my pace.
Look at Kaden’s face, ever the cautious one
Beautiful
I’m looking forward to more races as each and every time I learn more of what I’m capable of and get the opportunity to push past preconceived mental limits. Remember, the sky isn’t the limit it is belief in Self. What can you do? 😉 Believe, practice, achieve. Don’t stop, the rewards are worth the effort.
I wanted to share four tips I live by to conserve the precious resource we know as water.
Be conscious of the water flow when washing dishes or your hands. In other words, don’t open up the stream to a point of it gushing out. Take your time, adjust it properly and then proceed.
When washing your hands, rinse them with water, turn off the stream and then proceed to lather with hand soap. Obviously this applies as well to washing dishes. You shouldn’t have water running while you are in the sponge phase.
After rinsing in the shower, turn off the water to lather the soap on your body. Lots of water is wasted in this case while it is not being used.
This one everyone might not want to do, but I’ll share anyways. Basically, since I hydrate throughout the day my urine is light in color. When this happens I won’t flush as it’ll just be a waste. Every little bit counts.
These are 4 simple tips to apply to your daily life that will help alleviate some of the symptoms of drought we are having in many parts of the country. Our community is our responsibility and we should do everything within our power to take care of it and its resources.
What are your tips on conserving water usage? Comment and share below.
Kanoa and I hiking Koko Head Crater (Oahu, Hawaii)
We have been a very active family from day one. As an avid runner myself, I find enjoyment in being able to move from sprint speeds to paced 5ks. For both of our kids, we had running strollers that weren’t just for show. Those things saw all sorts of miles, speeds and terrain. 🙂 Both of our boys were raised around running and even from an early age they were encouraged to walk with us to stores. Hiking trails, and running them, is a lovely experience that is enjoyed by all of us. Our eldest was fortunate enough to experience quite a few beautiful hikes when we lived on the island of Oahu. Where ever we found our lives, we would search out local trails and hikes and discover life as nature intended. This is something that I feel is being lost nowadays with the advent of so many different technological devices. On top of that, most kids are primarily already eating very unhealthily, couple that with the sedentary lifestyle of our modern age and you got a recipe for disaster.
The United States is undergoing an epidemic of childhood obesity and this has consequences way beyond the present. Our kids are the future and if they are not healthy then our communities won’t be healthy. I have a saying, “healthy individuals create healthy communities”, but the opposite is true as well. Hence, Diana and I have decided to focus our energy in this area and feel that is where most of our efforts should be placed. We want to bring awareness to this problem and offer the solutions as exhibited in our way of life. This is why we will feature prominently that every step in the right direction counts as they all add up in the end. What this means is that there is no miracle fad from exercise to diet that will change things over night, what needs to be done is just start from where you are at and make an effort to change.
For example, two days out of the week I walk to pick up my boys from school, it’s 1.2 miles each way. So, my boys cover that twice a week. Even under hot conditions we make the effort. On the particular walk I am referring to, the temperature was very hot and humid. I remind my boys on the days we walk that during the early afternoon they should remember to drink water in anticipation. It’s a smart idea to stay hydrated while moving around in such weather.
There is so much to do and see while walking. The first thing to do is get out of your head and use your eyes and ears to take in the sights and sounds. The bonding experience with your children will be well worth it. Of course, with all the modern convenience kids, and adults for that matter, have grown accustomed to, it will be challenging at times to keep them encouraged and moving forward. The best thing for you to do is lead by example and just have fun with the experience. There will be many things encountered along the way; the kids will have an open forum to ask you all sorts of school related and life questions that at other times is hard because of our daily duties. And, on top of everything, you all get exercise in the process. Talk about the ultimate form of conscious multi-tasking.
One good thing we’ve encountered during our walk is a sea grape tree and it has fruits ripe for the picking.
Foraging
Yum!
The kids love this part of the walk and look forward to it. There’s nothing like finding edible food in the wild (read: not a supermarket) to revitalize one’s sense of nature. One word of caution, please don’t eat anything you don’t know for sure is edible as it can be harmful.
Our children will lead us into the future and continue the process of this experience we call life. Let’s leave our legacy healthy and capable to tackle all the challenges they will face.
Waking up this morning to torrential rain down here in tropical South Florida, and after a week of intense training sessions that left one of my hips tight and stiff, I decided to feel my day out leaving the training program to a decision made later on. I had planned for an easy 5 mile run barefoot on grass at the beginning of the week, but with the rain and the way my body was feeling it was better that I approached today’s session with wisdom.
As the day progressed, and one thing came up after the other, swimming sounded like the best option. I grabbed my goggles and headed to the pool for a relaxing easy swim for an hour. About 7 laps in I noticed my eldest fidgeting with his goggles so I stopped to help him. After adjusting them I grabbed mine and went to put them on when, SNAP!, they broke.
My first reaction was an expletive I’d rather not write down. The next reaction was playing the blame game like, “why did my eldest get in the way”, “if I only was able to keep swimming without interruptions”, and more blah like that. As I started to shift the focus towards a solution in terms of what will I do instead, “shall I just run later”, “borrow my son’s goggles”, “go home to get a snorkeling mask”, or “just stop swimming all together”, as it was just not my day; through all this I searched my feelings and decided upon doing some breaststroke without immersing my head under water. After a few laps this was not doing it for me. At that moment, side stroke came up for me and as soon as I started down to the other side of the pool I realized why I never thought of this before as the scissor kick in side stroke is so reminiscent of a running stride, for swimming related strokes that is; it’s a perfect way to loosen up tired muscles and joints as well as getting the blood flowing with water resistance. With the freestyle stroke’s flutter kick, I mostly use my arms for distance swimming primarily working a part of my body that isn’t going to assist with me being a better runner. And, even if I kicked hard all the time, it still won’t simulate a runner’s gait. I know the cardiovascular benefits are there, but the development of sport specific adaptations are not. Now, if you have an underwater treadmill, awesome, but for the majority of people who don’t have access to one or can afford it, the side stroke is a great addition to a runner’s program. I have also used the water belt that keeps you afloat, but I dislike how my legs don’t feel anchored not being able to grab onto anything.
Putting everything into perspective, it’s never a wise course of action to stay focused on a problem, as soon as one arises shift the focus towards solutions and search your feelings during these moments as one of the solutions will be the best fit. We are all given everything we need in life as all our challenges can be handled, just be open to the opportunities that are presented by letting your spirit flow free and clear.
Hello All and welcome back! For this installment of my blog I will detail a wonderful product that I came across in the beginning of 2013. Its called Guardian Technology and its manufactured and sold by Evolving Life Innovation. What struck me first in terms of getting to know more about this product is that it reduces the impact that wireless radiation has on our bodies via use of modern day electronics (i.e. cell phones, wifi, computers, GPS watches, etc.). Now this is not a conspiracy theory, it is well documented that these types of devices have effects on our cells and the evidence continues to mount that this is a problem needing to be addressed. So, when I first heard about the Guardian Badge, which is applied to the back of cell phones or cases, I promptly ordered for my wife and myself. Now I have peace of mind when using and storing my cell phone close to my body.
Guardian Badge
The next thing I learned about Guardian Technology is that on top of absorbing a percentage of the radiation that constantly surrounds us in our modern society, it uses this as a power source to create a signature that water understands and uses to revitalize itself. In other words, stagnant and low quality water is primarily what most people drink considering day in and out water is piped to us after being chemically treated or, if you buy bottled water, that water has been sitting still (read: stagnation) losing its energy over time. Think about it this way, if you’re cooped up in a small container all day long, or longer, what will your body feel like once you try to stand? Being a runner, I immediately clicked with this as water is what I usually drink throughout the day and the more energy water has the more energy I will have. And the best part is, this water can be used for making coffee and tea, enhancing the qualities of the beverage and drawing out more of the essences. Evolving Life Innovation (ELI) made this accessible by creating lovely coasters that can be used throughout your home for all your beverage drinking needs.
Guardian Coaster
Guardian Coaster Back
Last but not least, is ELI’s Guardian Tag which can be worn around your neck or placed in a water bottle.
Guardian Tag
I have one in my glass water bottle (Note: use glass for all your sports water drinking needs as exposure of the plastic to the sun will promote leakage of potentially harmful chemicals), and I wear one around my neck.
Now it’s your turn to own one of these great products. Both my kids have tablets (a Nabi for the youngest and a Kindle Fire for the eldest) and I made sure each one has a badge on the back – I would be remiss if I didn’t state that, even with the Guardian Badge protection, you should limit kid’s use of such devices as there are other psychological effects of using them all day long. That is: Get them outdoors! 😉
Enjoy the ride!!!! 🙂
Update: All Guardian products will now be under the coMra Wave product line. A passive approach to managing your health and wellness. Purchases will be made available at coMra For All. Stay tuned as we unveil the new line and what’s next to come.
Dear lovely readers and fellow runners, today I am going to cover a very important aspect of ones training routine: the easy run. I feel inspired to cover this topic as I just ran my best and most enjoyable easy run (or run in general) ever. Not to say that I haven’t enjoyed efforts in the past or appreciated the accomplishments from hard work after the fact, it’s just that today during this barefoot, on soft grass, 5 mile 9:48 pace I was in such a lovely groove that I now truly understand why this time spent running easily is so important.
In the first place, aside from the fact that many runners are looking for better times and more accomplishments, we initially started running since this activity is so primal it brings us back to an element of our self that is easily overlooked in our modern society (i.e. when we were little kids we ran because we could). It’s like mini rewilding vacations even though one may be surrounded by a concrete jungle. For a human being, nothing is purer than running. So, the easy run is just that, a time to return to our natural roots free from the bondage of modern life without the need to conquer any goal – it’s running for the sake of running.
Furthermore, and in regards to a run training program, the easy run allows our body to recover from the harder efforts all the while still prompting the body to understand that it will need to continue making adaptations to endure the stress from running. This means, we will give it the opportunity to get stronger and faster without over doing the stress level. And if you’re a runner you know full well what over doing causes, no need to explain that.
Along with both of these points, an easy run is a great way to refresh your running drive, that deep seated passion to push the limits of our bodies and see what we are capable of.
The point is, take time to love your self and respect your body with these easy runs. Trust me, you will enjoy it to the fullest and feel refreshed and ready for your next hard efforts.
I love this statement, “make haste slowly”. An apt way to express how to develop running longevity.
This is a follow-up to the “Will Power” post I wrote some months back.
Because of the nature of my life, I regularly hear the people that I connect with speak about enjoying the journey, living in the moment, being present, etc. And these words, as great as they are, are just that, words. When faced with difficult life situations one finds it hard to embrace the now when the now is kicking you in the face, or maybe in a worse spot. LOL Basically, easier said than done.
I bring this up to touch base about the challenges I had when I wrote that previous post and how I’ve fared so far. At that time, I felt cornered with the amount of issues being felt in my body as I had recurrent injuries and noticeable discomfort muscularly that developed in rapid succession. These experiences began to weaken my mindset even to the point of considering various systemic debilitating neurological disorders that matched some of the symptoms I was feeling.
Now, throughout this recent period of my life, deep down inside, I still harbored a semblance of belief in myself and even though this belief was so faint at times to be practically unnoticeable, I still knew that one way or another this was an opportunity for me to learn. Learning is what the journey is all about. It is the process of taking the worst out of any situation one encounters and turning it into an experience of knowledge. Some might say I was overthinking the issues I was having and I will not deny the hypochondriac in me, but that is my personal learning and in that process I was able to recapitulate, with the help of my sister, of my maternal grandmother and mother’s own preoccupation with thinking the worst of physical illnesses. You see, this is part of the learning I took from the challenges that I faced and still face in some ways. Shifting the focus from feeling hard-done-by to looking for gems of learning in any situation is what constitutes embracing the journey. With each step, and as one gains proficiency in any task, we get more fluid and able to make life’s challenges more about experience and less about being a victim of circumstance.
Now I have a deeper respect for life, for my body (as I learned more about it, how it works, what works better for it, and how to love it more), and most importantly, respect for my Self, and if you ask me, this is what life is all about.
Thank you for reading and my wish is for you to also find that heart in your life, the passion that fuels your drive. And remember, Life is not a problem to be solved, but a journey to be enjoyed and experienced…..
As runners we have many different tools of our trade. From foam rollers, compression gear, lacrosse balls, physio appointments, massage therapists, chiropractors, yoga, tai chi, ice baths, supplements, high-end running shoes, coMra-Therapy and so on. In each of these we look for ways to maintain healthy and injury free to continue pursuing our passion of running.
I am now going to properly introduce you to a life changing solution that I have found invaluable in overcoming some serious injuries and running conditions that would have otherwise proved difficult to recover from. Now, knowing that a tool is just that, a tool, it’s all in the manner of how one uses such and makes the most of what is in front of them. I mention this because knowing the stubbornness of runners firsthand I need to share that life is a natural gradual process of evolution and running is no different. This means, even though coMra-Therapy will cut most injury healing times in half, compared to only using the R.I.C.E technique espoused by most, one will still need to see through proper rehabilitation strengthening exercises and appropriate rest.
Maintenance
After a day of adding some additional miles to my training regimen, I noticed an ache in my knee that made walking a bit uncomfortable. That evening I proceeded to treat it with my Delta Pro Medical Terminal as I didn’t want to take any days off for it to normalize nor did I want it to progress further. And it worked out exactly as I wanted it to as my training program continued without a hitch.
Recuperation from Injury
I recently developed my first case of plantar faciitis. One thing I’ll state upfront is that having the ability to effectively treat many of my sports’ conditions at home has made me quite bold about training through certain injuries. I do this especially in the case of grade 1 muscle strains where I’ll return the following day to running with a toned down approach in terms of a shorter stride and slower cadence all the while treating the affected area with coMra. I did the same with the plantar faciitis injury because at first I didn’t know it was plantar faciitis, being my first time experiencing it. Not knowing exactly what was the problem with my foot, I ended up training on it for 3 days one of which included a 10 mile run. This was the second day I trained on it, the first being a strength and conditioning circuit including tuck jumps and many more high impact movements. And the best part was, it was getting better! Well, that was up until I did the 10 mile run. LOL My bad!!!! After that run, I took two running days off (I cross train) and then I did a nice run set which was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Realizing that I want to have this issue heal fully, I decided to only cross train around it and treat my foot with my Delta.
A week later I ran a total of 10 miles at varying speeds. Now, to be fair, I did notice the area was a bit tender the evening of this 10 mile day and decided that on top of coMra a lacrosse ball under foot, rolling back and forth, would add an additional healing dynamic with its gentle, yet firm, rolling motions. The combination was magic! Like I mention above, the extent of a tool’s efficacy is all in the manner of how you use it. Furthermore, builders don’t just use one tool when they are constructing something. Instead, they employ an assortment of tools to accomplish their work from nails and hammers to power tools and cranes; running is no different. I liken coMra to the high-end power tools that get the job done more effectively and efficiently when used under a thorough rehabilitation program.
Family Matters
Being an active father, and married to an active woman, we have raised to very active boys. Now boys will be boys, pushing their limits to times of physical harm. Case in point is an abrasion my eldest attained by doing his natural freerunning/parkour practice at the park. The two images on the right side of this picture collage are from February 28, 2015 and March 1st, 2015 (1 day!). As you can clearly see, the healing that took place was rapid. We only cleaned the wound properly with soap and water and then administered a 3 minute treatment on the Delta 1000Hz setting. And that was all!
The 1000Hz setting is used for superficial conditions of the skin. The Delta also has a 5Hz setting – for deeper penetration, 50Hz setting for medium depth penetration, and a Variable setting which cycles through the above mentioned frequencies and where it is preferable to reach various depths.
The speedier healing time also occurs in a similar vein with internal injuries for any tear, strain or sprain. Times do vary when it comes to acute or chronic conditions and taking into account the type of tissue involved. So, be patient, give your body love and care and enjoy the ride.
How does it work?
As complex as it might sound to some, this is a simple therapeutic approach that is very easy to use. Basically, coMra-Therapy works only by supporting the body to heal itself. In other words, the body has the intelligence and the capacity to heal itself, what coMra does is provide an energetic stimulus the cells understand and use, then the work is done by the innate ability of each specialized unit of the body. This is primarily why coMra-Therapy is considered a holistic modality with no harmful side-effects. It doesn’t change anything, move anything around, or alter the body in any way. As the radiances are absorbed by the body, the most notable effect is increased ATP, the energy currency of the cells, via natural cellular metabolic pathways, and here it is plain to see how just this process alone can induce quicker healing times for an assortment of conditions.
I truly hope this information helps you become a healthier and more vibrant natural athlete. And remember, above all else, the most important part in healing, training, and life, is belief in Self, which is the true limit not the sky.
To receive 10% off your purchase of a Delta device and make an income sharing the benefits of coMra, please visit coMra For All and sign up to become an ambassador.
