Gratefulness and Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I truly hope that you are taking today to be thankful for everything that you have.  Whether it’s your health, family, friends, freedom, and/or many other things, be thankful.  We are incredibly lucky and blessed to have the opportunities we do.  Yes, they come from working hard, staying focused, and being prepared to take on challenges, so we can enjoy the opportunities when they arise.  There’s no doubt that if you want something, you will have to go get it and work for it.  But be thankful that you are able to go for it, be thankful for the opportunities that come your way.

For me, I am extremely grateful for all of you.  My readers, my friends.  Without you and your support I wouldn’t be where I am today.  Thank you for everything.  I am extremely blessed by having an amazing wife.  Her and her family have encouraged me and supported me when going after my dreams.  I would like to thank my co-workers, students, and families who make so much of my day amazing and fun.  

I would also like to thank Beachbody and everyone involved for helping me become the best person I am today.  Not only physically but mentally.  The organization has truly changed the way I think and act on a daily basis and my life has changed for the better.

Lastly, but most definitely not least, I want to thank God.  He has blessed me with the amazing people and opportunities in my life so I can go after my goals and dreams.  And I can only hope that I can help other people go after their dreams.

So today, of all days, be thankful.  Find not just one, not even two, but multiple things to be grateful for.  

4 Tips for Running in Colder Weather

Winter is coming in a hurry and the temperature is dropping.  As many of you probably know running is a great way to get your heart pumping and lose weight.  Running in the warmer months is easy but hitting the pavement when it’s cold out takes a hair more planning.  Follow these 4 tips to have a successful and enjoyable winter run.

0.5 Warm-up.  Do a quick cleaning around the house, run up and down the stairs a bit, anything to help get your heart rate up.  Be careful though as you don’t want to start sweating.  After warming up, do some basic running stretches to make sure your muscles are ready for the run.

1. Dress for the 15-20 degree warmer weather.

Your core temperature will rise when you start running and you don’t want to break into a sweat right away.  To help you stay as comfortable as possible when you’re out, dress for 15-20 degrees warmer.  For 30 degrees, I’d suggest wearing 1 pair of pants, and 1 long sleeve top, perhaps a vest of to help keep your core warm.  For every 10-15 degree cooler add another top and bottom layer.

2. Dress to be Seen

With the snow banks, and the glare of white snow on the ground it can be harder for drivers to see you run.  Add a headlamp, blinking light to your back and/or a reflective vest and you’ll be very visible!

3. Dealing with the Wind

There’s no doubt about it, the winter wind can be brutal.  It is only worse when you are sweating.  To avoid getting the chills while running, start your run into the wind before you start sweating.  On your way back, while you are sweating up a storm, the wind will be behind you and won’t be chilling you to the bone.

4. Change Quickly after the Run

Avoid getting the chills after your run by changing out of your clothes quickly.  After your run, your core temperature drops rather quickly.  By changing right when you get back, you’ll get the wet clothes off and stop them from dropping your temperature even more.

2 moves to gain a stronger paddle stroke

Let’s face the truth...many of us are kayak anglers.  And although Winter is breathing down our necks you can start getting ready for soft water and have a stronger paddle stroke. We got into kayak fishing for our own reasons but really, we want to catch a new personal best.  To help us get those honey holes we need our trusty kayak and motor.  Oh WAIT! We don’t have motors, we have paddles.  So let’s rev up your guns chilling on the outside of your shoulders and gain a stronger paddle stroke. Why? So you can get to that honey hole faster and catch even more PB!

Making 8’s - sideways

Paddling our kayaks utilizes many of our core muscles. So let’s make them stronger! Sit on the floor with your legs slightly bent.  Your kneecaps should be facing the ceiling. Then while maintaining a straight back lean backwards towards the floor.  Without falling onto your back interlace your fingers and let your palms touch.  Then with your hands make a sideways figure 8 motion.  Your upper body should rotate with your hands.  You should feel this in your abdomen.  Do this move as long as possible To intensify it, add some weights and/or get lower to the ground.

Boulder Shoulders!

Our shoulders are the one muscle group that attach our arms to our body and help transfer the energy from our torso to our paddle.  So let’s not only get them stronger but build up endurance. Stand tall with your feet shoulder length apart.  Now imagine you’re a zombie and raise both arms forward without bending the elbow.  Bring your arms down and then raise them sideways without bending your elbow.  Repeat, repeat, repeat.  Do this as many times as possible.  To intensify this move, add some weights!

5 Road Trip Snacks for the Health Conscious

5 Road Trip Snacks for the Health Conscious

One of my favorite things about kayak fishing is our community.  You can meet people at tournaments, boondoggles, trade shows, Facebook, and at many other places.  These events usually include a road trip but then we may take a trip to go visit our friends and fish with them.  That calls for…. you guessed it!  A ROAD TRIP!  As we drive on the concrete river to our destination we start to snack.  Sadly, many convenience stores don’t have the healthiest options.  So here are 5 snacks you can either bring from home and/or pick up at a gas station.

-Apples

            These tasty fruits are a great way to stave off hunger and get a fruit in your diet.  A medium apple is just shy of 100 calories and counts as 1 of the 2 daily recommend cups of fruits adults should get every day.  On top of that they are a great source of soluble fiber, vitamin C, and are suggested to help lower the chance of a stroke.

-Jerky

            Beef Jerky is a great snack while on the road or water.  It is packed with protein and doesn’t raise tell your body to store fat by raising insulin levels.  Many people think that it isn’t healthy for you because of the preservatives and high amounts of sodium that can be found in many packages.  This is true to an extent.  There are a number of preservative free and low sodium options out there.  Give them a shot and get some protein while on the road.

-Nuts

            I can’t think of a better snack while I’m driving than nuts.  I can literally go through an entire can in a 4 hour drive without even thinking about it.  I really need to measure out how much I’m going to have in one sitting.  I do this by putting the nuts in the lid, taking one handful, or if I’m smart and thinking ahead pre-pack them in a container or bag.  Nuts are great because they are packed with protein and filled with the right kind of fat.  Depending on the nuts, they have unsaturated fats, Omega- 3 fatty acids, Vitamin E, Fiber, and much more.  Remember you do need fat in your diet, just the healthy kind of fat!  And as far as the sodium goes, look for unsalted or slightly salted nuts.  I have just recent found Planters NUT-rition to be a delicious and healthy treat.

-Bananas

            Unless you are on the water (bad juju and all), then bananas are a delicious and easy snack for your road trip.  Already set for easy handling, just unpeel and eat!  Besides being easy to eat bananas are great for you. They have numerous essential nutrients, fiber, and several antioxidants. So grab some of these yellow beauties and enjoy!

-Baby Carrots

            I mean really, baby carrots.  How can you go wrong!  Colorful, crunchy, and super nutritious health food that’s easy to handle!  These little guys are packed with Fiber, Vitamin K, antioxidants, and so much more.  You could almost call them a Super Snack!  Grab a bag of rinsed baby carrots from the store and start snacking away.  Instead of dipping them in ranch or something not as healthy, try peanut butter.  A fun and different way to have these amazing roots.  Give it a try, it may become your favorite food!