Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Thanks

Thanks for rolling out of bed and down the street. Thanks for taking instruction and sometimes crazy rants and rage. Thanks for believing in this deal and making it happen. This has been one of the greatest blessings!

Jenny 12
MiMi 12
Allison 11
Lisa  11
Barb  10
Chris S. 10
Cindy 10
Jimmy F  10
Kaffee  10
Kathleen 555 10
Kathleen 10
Lacie 10
Susie Mac 10
Wendy Conrad 10
Harriott  9
Mary D. 9
Reba 9
Wendy  9
Caroline  8
Charles F. 8
Irene 8
JenJen 8
Katie  8
Mary Blythe  8
Jennie 7
Kwithee 7
Mary B 7
Roxanna 7
Dave D 6
Jill Princess 6
Johnathan 6
Toni 6
Wendy Thom 6
Amy Glamour 5
JoEllyn 4
John S 4
Paige 4
Jill 3
June 3
Laurie 3
John G. 2
Molly  2
Sally  2
Lisa Long 1
Chris W.  

Monday, November 25, 2013

Schedule

Tuesday - Weights in the rain. We will seek cover
Wednesday - Pre Turkey Core Exercise
Thursday - OFF
Friday - OFF

MiMi 11
Jenny 11
Allison 11
Wendy Conrad 10
Lisa  10
Lacie 10
Kathleen 555 10
Kathleen 10
Susie Mac 9
Reba 9
Mary D. 9
Kaffee  9
Jimmy F  9
Cindy 9
Chris S. 9
Barb  9
Wendy  8
Katie  8
JenJen 8
Irene 8
Harriott  8
Charles F. 8
Mary Blythe  7
Mary B 7
Kwithee 7
Jennie 7
Caroline  7
Wendy Thom 6
Toni 6
Roxanna 6
Johnathan 6
Jill Princess 6
Dave D 6
Amy Glamour 5
Paige 4
John S 4
JoEllyn 4
Laurie 3
Jill 3
Sally  2
Molly  2
June 2
Lisa Long 1
John G. 1
Chris W.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Confidence

We exercise every day. We meet in a parking lot and head out. It is a daily deal. There are almost no days off. For those of us who show up and crank every day, we get in shape. Our days are anchored by a routine that awakens our bodies.

We also find a connection with like minded folks who enjoy the same routine. The camaraderie gives us a feeling of belonging. The connection also gives us power. (One Sunday morning, try and run 3 miles and do 600 repetitions alone.)

Getting in a routine, establishing rhythm in our days and gaining fitness and energy also produce a calm confidence that other can sense. We carry ourselves in a way that people notice.

When that happens, tell them where you got it.

Allison 9
Kathleen 555 9
MiMi 9
Barb  8
Cindy 8
Jimmy F  8
Kathleen 8
Lacie 8
Lisa  8
Reba 8
Wendy Conrad 8
Chris S. 7
Harriott  7
JenJen 7
Kaffee  7
Mary D. 7
Susie Mac 7
Caroline  6
Charles F. 6
Irene 6
Katie  6
Wendy  6
Amy Glamour 5
Dave D 5
Jenny 5
Jill Princess 5
Kwithee 5
Mary B 5
Mary Blythe  5
Wendy Thom 5
John S 4
Johnathan 4
Paige 4
Roxanna 4
Toni 4
Jill 3
JoEllyn 3
Laurie 3
Molly  2
John G. 1
Lisa Long 1
Sally  1
Chris W.  

Monday, November 18, 2013

Yap Fest

Yappers will Yap. There were 5 different conversations going on simultaneously in Princess Boot Camp today. It is a special talent to be able to carry on a conversation, eves drop on the conversation next to you, interrupt your conversation to add to that conversation ALL while running and doing exercise. Any normal lady would be exhausted with just the yapping. Our robobabes can crank and yap.

The Triple Nickle girls and boys do a fair job of yapping as well. Mixed company tends to tame the content of the yapping. Monday is always a big yap fest. Spending 72 hours away from our workout family requires intense yapping to catch up.

What are the yappers yapping about? They are yapping about the folks who missed the workout. Seriously, if you don't show up, the yappers are talking about YOU.

Allison 6
JenJen 6
Kathleen 555 6
Kathleen 6
MiMi 6
Reba 6
Barb  5
Caroline  5
Chris S. 5
Cindy 5
Harriott  5
Jenny 5
Jimmy F  5
Katie  5
Lacie 5
Lisa  5
Mary D. 5
Susie Mac 5
Wendy  5
Wendy Conrad 5
Amy Glamour 4
Charles F. 4
Dave D 4
John S 4
Kaffee  4
Kwithee 4
Roxanna 4
Irene 3
Jill Princess 3
Johnathan 3
Laurie 3
Mary B 3
Mary Blythe  3
Jill 2
Paige 2
Wendy Thom 2
Lisa Long 1
Molly  1
Sally  1
Toni 1
Chris W.  

Friday, November 15, 2013

Superfood

It is human nature to follow fads, no matter how strange or cultish they may seem. Anything from Beanie Babies to cupcakes to even tech IPOs fall into this category, but, ConvergEx's Nick Colas asks, why do some of these trends manage to stick around while others die 

Via ConvergEx's Nick Colas,
Note From Nick:  In today’s note Sarah addresses the psychology of short-lived trends, the humble avocado, and the challenge of investing.  If you have a set of Crocs in your closet, or went to prom in a leisure suit, or are waiting for headbands to come back, please read this note. Please…
Remember when pet rocks were “a thing”? What about lava lamps and mood rings? Bellbottoms and “leisure suits”? If you need something a little more recent to test your memory: how about MySpace and Furbies?
Feeling nostalgic (or more accurately, embarrassed) yet? Don’t be. Consumer research and psychological studies across the spectrum of sectors and disciplines tell us joining in on a fad is a natural and expected human behavior:
So-called “superfoods” – the topic of discussion today – are still on the rise after first gaining popularity in the mid-2000s (charts from Google Trends above). Unlike some fad diets or exercise trends, superfoods have gained some real traction that has lasting potential. 10 years ago, you weren’t likely to find kale or Greek yogurt in anyone’s fridge at home, much less chia seeds or quinoa in their cabinets. And yet there they are. What is it about the superfood fad that’s made it outlast trendy diets, weight loss supplements, and even Beanie Babies and bellbottoms?
At the most fundamental level, superfoods share a few key elements with successful fads like the iPod and Ugg boots. Good endorsement is one, of course, but even the best ad campaigns can’t prop up a failing product. Instead, there are a few key elements superfoods have that enable them to succeed, all of which we can attribute to learning more about long-term investment:
1.      Simplicity. All of us have seen one version or another of the “get thin quick” diet, where you’re promised 3+ inches off your waistline within a month if you stick to the rules. The Atkins diet, the “Master Cleanse”, Nutrisystem, and weight loss pills are all iterations of this concept. Just eat no carbs – or no solid food, or only the food we give you – and the results are there. Notice something here? All of these trends also require quite a bit of effort on the part of the consumer: rules and exceptions and prohibitions must be observed. It’s no wonder many of them fade out after a while.
The message of a superfood, though, is perfectly simple: eating this is good for you. Nowhere on an avocado or a can of lentils will you see any phrase relating to a “superfood diet”, let alone that the product is a superfood at all. Moreover, superfoods are not exclusionary: choosing to buy a bag of pistachios alongside a bag of potato chips is not off limits. Nor does buying turmeric necessarily mean you’re obligated to buy chia seeds. Superfoods are independent. The same concept goes for the iPod and Ugg boots: they are utterly simple, non-chaotic, functional products. And that’s part of the reason they’re so successful.

2.      Reach and affordability. Superfoods, unlike many fads gone by (remember the “Snuggie” blanket? Neither do I…), catch the entire population in their net: they are accessible at virtually any food market you walk into, regardless of whether it is a health/organic food store or not. Kids, adults, teens, you name it – all of them are the target market of a superfood.

And anyone can buy a superfood. Avocados range from $1-3, quinoa from $2-5, and nuts are usually about $3/lb. Consumers of virtually any income level are capable of buying superfoods at their local grocery store.  They will probably buy them more than once. When we extrapolate this affordability concept to the iPod and Uggs, remember: “affordability” is in the eye of the consumer. $100-200 is the sweet spot for iPods and Uggs, but it’s doubtful any avocado would go for that much. Rather, consumers buy these products because the perceived benefits – in the case of superfoods, more vitamins, minerals, omega 3s, etc. – outweigh the costs.

3.      Popularity. According to research from Jonah Berger and Gael Le Mens at Wharton, the quicker a fad is picked up the faster it is doomed to fail. To rework an old phrase, “the quicker they rise, the harder they fall”. Kids’ toy fads are probably the best retail example of one of these fads: sillybandz and webkinz only lasted about a year in the spotlight, according to Google trends search data. They rose quite quickly, as any parent could probably tell you, but (as the Berger and Le Mens research predicts) fell out of fashion just as fast.

The adoption speed of superfoods, by contrast, was years in the making. Dieticians began to identify certain foods that had “more bang for their buck”, or a disproportionate amount of fiber or protein or vitamins for their size or composition. Soon you could find lists of superfoods on the web; next television hosts were doing “top 10 lists” of their favorite superfoods. The movement wasn’t advertised like a diet or weight loss plan, and the trend caught on relatively slowly. The same happened with the iPod and Uggs: not everyone owned them at first, but with some organic growth in the consumer base they became the successes they are today.

4.      Psychological positivity. Finally, superfoods have managed to stick around partially because of how the consumer reacts to buying them. Purchasing a superfood is cognitively positive: the consumer is going to feel better about him/herself for choosing this over, say, a burger. Moreover, that’s a feeling that, if repeated, is likely to last.

Allison 5
JenJen 5
Kathleen 555 5
Kathleen 5
MiMi 5
Reba 5
Wendy  5
Barb  4
Caroline  4
Chris S. 4
Cindy 4
Harriott  4
Jenny 4
Jimmy F  4
John S 4
Katie  4
Lacie 4
Mary D. 4
Susie Mac 4
Wendy Conrad 4
Amy Glamour 3
Charles F. 3
Dave D 3
Irene 3
Jill Princess 3
Kaffee  3
Kwithee 3
Lisa  3
Mary B 3
Roxanna 3
Johnathan 2
Laurie 2
Mary Blythe  2
Wendy Thom 2
Jill 1
Lisa Long 1
Paige 1
Toni 1

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Holiday Workouts

We absolutely love the people we work out with every day. Group training is very social. We are in good enough shape that we can hammer and carry on a conversation at the same time. We love sharing bits and pieces of our lives with workout buddies. This time of year it is especially important to show up, work out and share.

The holidays can make people crazy, lonely & fat. Our God given family knows the exact buttons to push to put us right back into that adolescent behavior they grew up with. Worse, being separated from these folks that make us nuts can be leave us depressed and lonely. Of course, we deal with these issues and others (always in a hurry) by shoving garbage down our throat like a pig. 

The healthy and cost effective way is to drink/eat less, graciously leave the party early, get a good night sleep, then show up on time for the workout. It is not written in stone that we have to close the bar down or finish the last piece of pie. Overeating and missing the workout is the triple whammy; too many calories, not enough burn, and no opportunity to bitch about the floozy stumbling around last night.

Boot camp = thin group therapy with a healthy dose of gossip

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Racing

Racing starts in our minds. The second we make the decision to register and participate, the race has begun. We usually start by telling those closest to us our intentions. Then we begin training. For a marathon, training requires a commitment to long hours on the trails and roads. For the shorter races, we can cross train and hammer in preparation of faster paces.

The weeks leading up to the race will give us information about how fast we can run. If we have been slack bags, denial may lead to bravado and smack talking. Proper training with appropriate sharpening wont require words for a peak performance. Sometimes we work hard and run our mouths to create unnecessary pressure on ourselves.

Stepping to the line is one of the greatest feelings in the world. There are very few places where excitement, nervousness and fear are met with a calm demeanor and sometimes pleasant politeness. Its a hell of a thing to willingly toe the line with the knowledge that a tremendous price is going to be paid to reach our goal.

The gun has an amazing ability to make thoughts, aches and pains disappear. Once the chase begins, focus is on execution. Some folks like to tear ass out of the blocks and run straight to the front. These are folks who will be passed. Others lay back and watch the race unfold in front of them. The key is to apply the right amount of energy at each point of the race that will allow us to continue without sacrificing the stated goal.

Late in the race, thoughts will come pouring back in. "I can't do it" is the typical mind's response to stimulus the body sends to the brain known as pain. Pain comes in waves. The trick is to stay on pace until the next shot of adrenaline and endorphin are released by the brain. For those of us who are junkies, leaning into the pain and pushing harder will produce an even greater dose.

The finish line has immense spiritual significance. The sight of this fixed point can change one's complete despair into a hopeful joy. Seeing is believing. With the knowledge that the end is here, we empty the tank and pour out whatever we have left.

Finish lines look like your local pub on a Friday night at midnight. Some folks are stumbling. Some are being carried away. Some are walking around with a stupid confused look on their faces. Many people are drooling. Most folks are smiling and laughing and talking about their experience and enjoying their time together. Hugging is common.




Friday, November 1, 2013

Seasons

Halloween 2013 is in the books. Thanksgiving is on the radar. Christmas is around the corner and the 3rd annual MLK Day 5K is happening January 20th 2014 in Piedmont Park.

The leaves are just know hitting the ground. The squirrels are scampering around collecting nuts. Traffic is converging in Jacksonville Florida.

The days are getting shorter yet, next week, the clocks fall behind. Daylight will visit Boot Camp again. We will LOVE waking up on Monday morning for the workout. Half of Boot Camp will show up early. Harriott, Caroline and the Preacher will be on time.

Daily outdoor exercise gives us a special appreciation for the changing of the seasons. Come and enjoy it with us.