This Is Not a Story About Last Place
![[image]](http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/PJ-BN118_SP_GAY_G_20130313192154.jpg)
Stefano SirottiTaylor Phinney’s solo ride during the Tirreno-Adriatico on Monday.
This is a story about a guy who finished last. Which is technically true. You can look up the results of the race, and you’ll see his name, right there, lonely at the bottom. Taylor Phinney. USA. Finishing time of six hours, twenty-two minutes, fifty-four seconds. One hundred-and-ninth place. Last.
But this story is better than that. (more…)
Five Lessons About How To Treat People
1. First Important Lesson – “Know The Cleaning Lady”
During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?”
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
“Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say “hello.” (more…)
Man in the Mirror
MAN IN THE MIRROR - you’ve got to get it right while you’ve got the time
This morning I had a call with a client who had tearfully told me how she wished that she had known how important our food choices were, when she was younger. You see her father passed when he was 36 from Cancer. And after doing some research she came to realize how important diet and lifestyle habits are , and how him changing his habits earlier in his life could have very well saved him. Because of this, she is making changes in her own life and seeing me for Health Coaching/ Nutrition Counseling.
This was immensely meaningful to me. It reaffirmed that I love what I get to do daily, help people improve the quality of their own lives by the little choices we make. I could also relate to her, as I became a health coach after realizing that my friends and family members were suffering from depression, cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. Are these diseases preventable – absolutely !
We are a product of all our Movements. Every step and reach you make, every gulp and bite you take , even the thoughts you think – make up your well-being!
I get to help people become healthier, happier and achieve their goals – by working on all these little movements they make. I help people improve the quality of their own lives- how cool is that? !
I know this post is a little cheesy/ Oprah like, but I wanted to share that with you
It also led me to put on my favorite song – ” Man in the Mirror” – Michael Jackson. We all know it but have you really listened to the words? I have them in my next post- mostly if inspires me because it is so true – and confirms that by being our best we have the power to change things around us. There is no glass ceiling – only the one you create.
Yours in Health,
Breanne
25 Advanced Life Tips
- Develop the ability to forgive. Forgiveness is something that most people fail miserably at even thought it’s so simple. Grudges only bring more misery to those who hold them and prevent good relations with the target. YOU makes mistakes all of the time so why not have mercy when other do? Remaining angry feels horrible while forgiving someone brings a refreshing sensation to the mind and healing to the relationship.
- Be the person that makes others feel special. Be known for your kindness and sympathy.
- Learn to lucid dream, or to realize when you are dreaming so that you can control your dreams. Sleep feels good, but it’s rather boring and unproductive. With lucid dreaming under your belt, night-time can be even more exciting than when you are awake. You can do anything: fly, travel to other planets, party with a celebrity, get intimate with your dream boy/girl, etc. Many lucid dreams have also reported being able to speak directly with the subconscious during dreams by demanding to be taken to it after becoming lucid. For those that know a thing or two about your subconscious, that is a BIG deal. (more…)
25 Life Secrets and Tips
- Memorize something everyday. Not only will this leave your brain sharp and your memory functioning, you will also have a huge library of quotes to bust out at any moment. Poetry, sayings and philosophies are your best options.
- Constantly try to reduce your attachment to possessions. Those who are heavy-set with material desires will have a lot of trouble when their things are taken away from them or lost. Possessions do end up owning you, not the other way around. Become a person of minimal needs and you will be much more content.
- Develop an endless curiosity about this world. Become an explorer and view the world as your jungle. Stop and observe all of the little things as completely unique events. Try new things. Get out of your comfort zone and try to experience as many different environments and sensations as possible. This world has so much to offer, so why not take advantage of it? (more…)
A Little Deception Helps Push Athletes to the Limit
By GINA KOLATA
Published: September 19, 2011
The trained bicyclists thought they had ridden as fast as they possibly could. But Kevin Thompson, head of sport and exercise science at Northumbrian University in England, wondered if they go could even faster.
So, in an unusual experiment, he tricked them.
In their laboratory, Dr. Thompson and his assistant Mark Stone had had the cyclists pedal as hard as they could on a stationary bicycle for the equivalent of 4,000 meters, about 2.5 miles. After they had done this on several occasions, the cyclists thought they knew what their limits were.
Then Dr. Thompson asked the cyclists to race against an avatar, a figure of a cyclist on a computer screen in front them. Each rider was shown two avatars. One was himself, moving along a virtual course at the rate he was actually pedaling the stationary bicycle. The other figure was moving at the pace of the cyclist’s own best effort — or so the cyclists were told.
In fact, the second avatar was programmed to ride faster than the cyclist ever had — using 2 percent more power, which translates into a 1 percent increase in speed.
A Full Life and Real Courage
New Orleans Saints cult hero Steve Gleason battling ALS
Today is the five-year anniversary of the highlight of Steve Gleason’s football career — his epic blocked punt against the Atlanta Falcons in the official reopening of the post-Katrina Superdome. It was a seminal moment in his life, the exclamation point to an inspirational eight-year career that saw him rise from relative obscurity to cult hero status in the city he would eventually call home.
The New Orleans Saints invited him to serve as a ceremonial team captain for today’s game against the Houston Texans at the Superdome. He’ll handle the coin toss and initiate the ceremonial Who Dat chant before kickoff.
He’ll undoubtedly receive a thunderous ovation from the sellout crowd of 73,000 but many fans won’t understand why Gleason is moving so slowly on the field.
Gleason has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a rare terminal disease that damages the nerves that control voluntary muscle movement.
The Exercise That Makes You Smarter
Jul 11, 2011
I don’t run. More specifically, I don’t run pointlessly—that is, up the street, around the block, on a treadmill, or anywhere else for the sake of a cardio workout. If I wanted to expend all my energy going in circles, I’ll argue politics with my inlaws.
No, when it comes to running, I require a purpose. Someone just passed me a basketball. My opponent just rocketed a backhand down the line. The building’s on fire. These are all great cardio workouts. So is this quick body-weight workoutthat every guy should try.
My coworkers at Men’s Health have come to accept this about me. We’ve agreed to disagree. It was all very amicable.
And now, I regret to admit, I may be wrong.
According to a new study, running—with a destination in mind or not—does have a point after all. It makes you smarter. In a recent study, researchers at UCLA monitored learning-related brain waves in mice, and found that the waves got stronger as the mice ran faster.
Granted, we’re not mice. But this is more evidence on what’s become a towering stack of research suggesting that regular aerobic exercise boosts your brainpower and lowers your risk for age-related dementia. To wit:
- A study in Neurobiology of Memory and Learning found that participants were able to learn vocabulary words 20 percent faster after high-intensity exercise.
- In a University of Illinois study, college-age men and women given a mental test after running on a treadmill for 30 minutes were able to work more quickly while making more accurate decisions.
- Several studies have found that running for 30 minutes three times a week can improve your decision-making proficiency, bolster your memory, and lengthen your attention span.
- A U.K. study discovered that employees work 15 percent more efficiently on days they exercise. In other words, you can pack 8 hours of work into 6 hours and 48 minutes. In other words, you can run your way to your next promotion.
With efficiency gains like that, who says you don’t have time to work out during the day? Still not convinced? A few years ago, Fitness Director Adam Campbell talked to dozens of successful, time-crunched men who are dedicated aerobic exercisers. Steal their simple strategies:
1. Wake up early. “Once you form the habit, it just becomes ingrained in your lifestyle,” says Joe Hogan, CEO of GE Healthcare. He’s been waking up at 5 a.m. for 30 minutes of cardio, 4 days a week, for 20 years. A 2005 study published in Health Psychologyreports that it took new exercisers about five weeks to make their sessions a habit. And hitting the road at dawn doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on sleep. Researchers at Northwestern University found that men who started exercising in the morning slept better than they had before they began working out.
2. Prioritize your life. Calculate the average time you spend daily doing everything from analyzing spreadsheets to watching TV. “Once I counted up the wasted hours, it was easy to see that I could fit exercise in by deciding what’s most important,” says Joe Blesse, a pilot for Continental Express who lost 150 pounds after initiating a cardio program two years ago. Blesse’s advice: Always give priority to activities that serve the greatest purpose—those involving work, family, and exercise. For example, a 30-minute run trumps a 30-minute sitcom, every time. It’s that simple.
3. Call it multitasking. “I work on my most challenging business issues while running, cycling, or skiing,” says David Varwig, CEO of the Citadel Group, a global investment firm. Exercise isn’t work time lost; it’s an opportunity to focus on problems without distraction. At home, exercising with your spouse or kids is quality time. “Whether it’s a hike with my wife or hitting the streets with the baby jogger, I make exercise a family event whenever possible,” says David Daggett, an Ironman triathlete and a managing partner at Lewis and Daggett, a North Carolina law firm.
57 Tips To Create An Exceptional Life
How do you craft an exceptional life? Ultimately, life goes by in a blink. And too many people live the same year 80 times. To avoid getting to the end and feeling flooded with regret over a live half-lived, read (and then apply) these tips:
- Exercise daily.
- Get serious about gratitude.
- See your work as a craft.
- Expect the best and prepare for the worst.
- Keep a journal.
- Plan a schedule for your week.
- Know the 5 highest priorities of your life.
- Say no to distractions.
- Drink a lot of water.
- Improve your work every single day.
- Get a mentor.
- Hire a coach.
- Get up at 5 am each day.
- Eat less food.
- Find more heroes.
- Be a hero to someone.
- Smile at strangers.
- Be the most ethical person you know.
- Don’t settle for anything less than excellence.
- Savor life’s simplest pleasures.
- Save 10% of your income each month.
- Spend time at art galleries.
- Walk in the woods.
- Write thank you letters to those who’ve helped you.
- Forgive those who’ve wronged you.
- Remember that leadership is about influence and impact, not title and accolades.
- Create unforgettable moments with those you love.
- Have 5 great friends.
- Become stunningly polite.
- Unplug your TV.
- Read daily.
- Avoid the news.
- Be content with what you have.
- Pursue your dreams.
- Be authentic.
- Be passionate.
- Say sorry when you know you should.
- Never miss a moment to celebrate another.
- Have a vision for your life.
- Know your strengths.
- Focus your mind on the good versus the lack.
- Be patient.
- Don’t give up.
- Clean up your messes.
- Use impeccable words.
- Travel more.
- Honor your parents.
- Tip taxi drivers well.
- Be a great teammate.
- Give no energy to critics.
- Spent time in the mountains.
- Know your top 5 values.
- Shift from being busy to achieving results.
- Innovate and iterate.
- Speak less. Listen more.
- Be the best person you know.
- Make your life matter.
Real Shortcuts to Your Dream Body
Sometimes a girl just doesn’t have the time (or money) to do a two-hour workout, hire a personal chef and devote endless hours to primping. We rounded up fitness pros, makeup mavens and lifestyle experts to spill their personal shortcuts to looking — and feeling — their best. With these beat-the-clock secrets, you’ll feel confident and wonder what to do with all that newfound free time.
HIIT the Gym
Scorch calories with HIIT, high-intensity interval training. The result is a stronger, sculpted you. According to Anthony Nehra, a New York personal trainer and author of TheFitFeed.com, the method focuses on working at a very high-intensity level for a short period of time, then recovering at a low level. Beginners: Aim for a 30-second sprint followed by a two-minute recovery walk.
Find the Right Support
A properly fitting bra will lift breasts, making you instantly appear taller and thinner, says Susan Nethero, owner of Intimacy Boutiques. The right support can also make back fat disappear instantly, since bulges are commonly caused by ill-fitting bras.
Keep Your Perfect Smile
Brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss and use a rubber-tipped gum stimulator to keep stains from building at your gum line, advises Hugh Flax, a dental surgeon. Also avoid stain-makers like blueberries, red wine and coffee.
Dig Deeper
MAC – Make A Connection
By KIM STERN for Magnuson Athletic Club
People connect. It’s a natural state of being. And it is personal. Connection can be a simple “hello” and “good bye.” Or it can be an intense, life-changing experience. In fitness, connection happens most commonly in three areas — ourselves, the Club and with other members.
Self
People join clubs with a specific intention. This intention may fall into the category of “healthy lifestyle” or it may be more specific to an event such as running a marathon. While good intentions usually get us moving, they do not always carry us through. Connection can be a powerful motivator. How do you feel- – physically, mentally, emotionally–when you start your workout? At the end? Compare the two. Take note of what you can do at the beginning of the month, then at the end. Has you your body changed? Your mood? Has your positivity increased? How? Ultimately it is about looking for the link between where you started and where you intend to be.
Read More…
From the Trainers – Exercise Motivation
By TRAVIS MOTLEY for Magnuson Athletic Club
1. Set a quantitative goal - Base your goals on numbers, such as “I want to weigh 185 lbs. by August 1st” or “I want to run one mile in 11 minutes.” Having a non-specific goal, such as “to lose weight” isn’t good enough.
2. Find and use a support system - Tell some close friends and/or family members about your goals so you have people to encourage you and hold you accountable to the goals you’ve set.
3. Sign up for an event - Events have a time and place that you must be ready for and can be a big motivator in keeping you accountable. Bonus points for signing up with a friend!
4. Have a workout partner - Find a friend or another fellow gym member with similar goals and interests as you. Not only will it make coming to the gym easier, it’ll be twice the fun!
5. Just get up and do it! - Most of the time it’s not going to be easy and it’s going to be work. But the sooner you figure that out and stop feeling sorry for yourself the better. You know what is fun? RESULTS and results can only be found at the gym!
Trainer Spotlight – Kate Towell
Kate is from a big family and grew up in Michigan. She attributes her early love of sports to her two cousins Scott and Jason, who would include her in pick-up street basketball games, and played team sports throughout high school. In college she discovered yoga and mountain biking, and since then has indulged in many physical pursuits but found the most passion in yoga, snowboarding, surfing, biking and swimming.
“I love yoga because it is such a complete practice. Through yoga you gain flexibility, strength and endurance all while calming the mind,” Kate explained. “I savor that time of quiet movement in my day.” After having spent so much time playing competitive sports, Kate finds it nice to have a practice that is so personal. “I love teaching and it’s so rewarding because I meet so many wonderful people and get to seem them transform each week in class. When you practice consistently, the power of yoga sneaks up on you. It’s subtle but powerful, and I like that.”
Recently, Kate organized the Magnuson Athletic Club 21 Day Yoga Challenge and was met with great success! “The benefits of yoga are best seen with regular practice. After 21 days of consistent practice – even if it’s just 10 minutes – you will see and feel a difference in your body. Watching the challenge participants deepen their practice over the 3 weeks was really great for me.”
Kate lives a fairly busy life. When she is not teaching yoga, she works as a research biologist for the National Marine Mammal Laboratory. She mainly works with two declining species – Steller Sea Lions and Northern Fur Seals – but was recently given the privilege of traveling to Australia to help out with studies on Australian Sea Lions and New Zealand Fur Seals. Kate is also in school to become a holistic health counselor, and in her free time can be found playing outdoors with her husband, Rod, and their dog, Luna.
Kate holding a New Zealand Fur Seal pup
Member Spotlight – Carol McKean
Think you’re an avid cyclist? Meet MAC Member, Carol McKean, who is about to embark on a summmer cross-country bike trip with her husband, Bill.
MAC: Tell me a little bit about yourself?
CM: Well it took me a long time because I’m 71 years old. I grew up in Northern Wisconsin and I came out here after high school and I’ve been here ever since, except for a 6-year stint in North Carolina where we lived in Raleigh. I’ve always been sort of an outdoorsy person interested in sports and physical activity. Ever since our last bike trip about 4 years ago I’ve sort of became a slug and I was feeling very sluggish at the beginning of this year and then I got something in the mail about the opening of this facility and I knew we were going on this bike trip, so it thought maybe this would be a good thing to do. It was near our house, it was convenient, and I couldn’t use the excuse that it was too far away. So I came and took the tour, I liked it and decided I needed some structure so I signed up with Maryann and it was a great decision – both of them.
MAC: Tell me a little bit about training with Maryann? How does she push you?
CM: She made me work hard which was great. That’s exactly what I wanted. She gave me a lot of exercises to do, and so I worked out with her for four weeks in January and then went about 6 weeks on my own. I then decided to sign up with her again, going two times a week for two weeks, so I did that and then finished that about three weeks ago. I signed up with her once a week until we go (on the bike trip) because I decided I had to just stay with her until we left. I’ve been very motivated; I feel a whole lot better, lost 12 pounds. Things really have turned around, so I feel ready for the bike trip now.
MAC: You’re going on a bike trip with your husband soon; can you tell me a little about that?
CM: We’ve taken 6 long bike trips, two in Europe, and one on the Oregon coast. We took the mountain loop, went over the North Cascades Highway and back over Stevens Pass through Winthrop and Chelan. Actually, our first one was in 1996 when we went to Colorado for my husband’s 40th high school reunion. That was our first bike tour and we really like it. It’s a great way to go, you get a lot of great experiences; it’s an adventure, it’s great physical exercise and I think people think we’re nuts but this could be our last hurrah, I don’t know, we’ll see. For the first time I’m having a few doubts about coming all the way across the country but I hope we make it.
MAC: So it’s a cross-country trip… where will you be starting?
CM: We’re flying to Raleigh, NC and visiting some friends there for about a week. Then we’ll leave from there and go up through Virginia and along the C&O Canal Towpath, which is now a biking and walking path. In fact you can go all the way from Raleigh to almost Pittsburgh on a bike path, we don’t even have to go on a road so that’ll be great.
MAC: How long are you anticipating the trip taking you?
CM: At least two and a half months. I suspect we won’t be back until toward the end of July.
MAC: What has been your favorite (bike) trip so far?
CM: It’s hard to pick one because they’ve all been very different but the two in Europe probably were my favorite ones just because we were in such a different place. Our last one we went through, starting in Switzerland, went through Austria and the Czech Republic which was very interesting because it’s sort of a former third world country and some parts of it are still struggling to get back. But it was so interesting and we spent several days in Prague, which was a beautiful place, beautiful city, and we had a very interesting train trip from there to Munich, Germany. And all in all, I think for interesting experiences in a different environment it was probably my favorite one. And we were with a couple of friends for most of that trip.
MAC: What do you like best about the MAC?
CM: I like the atmosphere; the spaciousness and the newness of everything. The staff is very friendly and they just make you feel welcome and motivated to come back. I like it a lot. And it’s convenient to our house, I’ve walked down here several times or back or both.
Carol with her husband, Bill, in France on one of their many bike trips.
Motivation – Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford University Commencement Speech
Drawing from some of the most pivotal points in his life, Steve Jobs, chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, urged graduates to pursue their dreams and see the opportunities in life’s setbacks — including death itself — at the Stanford’s 114th Commencement on June 12, 2005.
