February 12, 2010
Asparaguas:Winter::Saying Sarah (When her name is Susan):During Sex
…I think the titles is rather self explanatory, you just shouldn’t do it.
But Chris, why shouldn’t I eat asparagus in the winter?
It’s not in season!!!; this means you are eating vegetables and or fruit that could be imported as far as Columbia!
"Fresh" Nectarines Imported from Chile
Oh ya, well it says “fresh organic”, so it must be fine!
This is all good and well, but let me paint a picture for you when buying out of season fruits and vegetables.
"Tender" Green Asparagus from Mexico
You could be putting money in the pocket of Sarah Pallin’s campaign to run for president, that would be carnage!
Let me back track with that statement…
You buy organic bananas from Columbia…those bananas are picked fresh from a tree, that banana gets thrown into a truck (fueled by gas), that truck, takes it directly to a plane (fueled by gas), that plane travels the 5,000 miles to get to New York. From there, the banana is moved to another truck (fueled by gas), which goes to a warehouse, which goes into another truck, which brings it to your store, where they market “Fresh Organic”…all of those trucks, needed fuel, the fuel came from lets say GAS PLUS; GAS PLUS supports the republican party, and funds part of their campaign…Sarah Pallin runs for office in 2012. CARNAGE.
See how it all comes full swing…Nothing against the Republican party, or sexy airhead soccer mom Sarah Pallin, just her politics! Spend Spend Spend…
There are multiple reasons you should buy A) Local and B) In-Season fruits and vegetables. These are some summarized points from the award winning book by Michael Pollan, “Omnivores Dilemma”.
- Support the local economy, they could be your neighbors and friends.Finding this source of grocery gives you a face to your food, gives you a relationship to your food and the food grower. Can you put a face to the lettuce you just bought?…didn’t think so.
- The more In-Season and local you buy, the less chemicals used, less fuel burned and less pollution you dump into the atmosphere for produce transportation
- If you don’t or can’t buy local in your direct area, at least support” local” on the national level, buy from the USA!!! Not some foreign country that barely has a stable government! Even then, some fruit can travel upwards of 3-4,000 miles across the country.
- By researching what is “in-season” in your area, and becoming more aware of what you eat, this will play off into many health benefits in the end.
Red Grapefruit from the Good Ole USA!!!!
Below are 3 charts that cover many vegetables and fruits that are in-season, marked by green lines! Stop eating fuel covered produce!!!!!
I know the below charts say New York, but what grows in New York can usually grow in New England and if not, it’s a lot closer than Chile!!!!!
A Complete list of In-Season Fruits and Veg in the New England Area.
Complete List of In season Fruit and Veg in New England
I hope this post has opened the eyes of some to the fact that yes the world has this new found ability to eat whatever we want whenever we want it, but at what cost? The planet? Local Economy? Your health?
To End, let me go on a little bit of a rant, or a tangent if I must…I don’t have millions of dollars, in fact I am actually a poor college student and will be for at least 2 more years from now. However, I will tell you that I prioritize my budget accordingly and eat healthy. If that means, I don’t buy new jeans or stay home from a night out at the local watering hole, then that’s what it means!
Many people make excuses saying that buying locally grown or organic is too much money. Initially it may be that way, but if you look in the long run and what you spend on health care and medications from eating like shit for 35 years…you won’t think about the $7 you saved at the grocery store. Being sick from E Coli or Diabetes is a choice for many, you choose to eat the food you eat, no one else. All it takes is a little effort and diligence; just sad to say that the common man doesn’t have the ability to put in effort or be diligent anymore, and everyone else is paying for it…
Peace.Love & Grow Up and Budget yourself to live a healthier life.
February 2, 2010
…Don’t mess with evolution! Part 1
I went in a bit early this morning to CP and figured I would check out the Daily Newspaper. So I picked up the Globe and even though it was Thursday’s issue, I still gave it a read. On the front cover sat the title “Shoeless running may spare feet” by Carolyn Johnson. While this isn’t anything new to me, because I’m brilliant in all realms of life I keep up to date with new fitness trends and news, it is a growing trend in today’s fitness world.The fact is that humans were not meant to have heels.
The Logistics: Daniel Leiberman of Harvard University completed a study on ground reaction forces that were created with runners wearing shoes and runners not wearing shoes. The difference? There was a higher impact force on the heel with runners wearing shoes. Why? Well, runners not wearing shoes tend to make first contact with the middle or ball of the foot, absorbing the impact, barely touching the heel then pushing off with the ball of the foot again. It was shown that runners wearing shoes land heel first, causing a high heel impact. This impact force can lead to arch, ankle, knee and hip pain if repeated over a long time span. Further research needs to be done to prove whether or not a higher heel impact leads to more injury or not though. I would bet my pay check that it does.
At this year’s ACSM’s annual New England Conference in Providence, a presenter stated that since the introduction of the running shoe in the late 1960′s…reports of running injuries have increased steadily year by year…Wouldn’t you think with all of this new technology and advances in shoe design we would be healthier and less prone to injury?
On the flip side to this, “many barefoot runners report anecdotally that shedding shoes helped with injuries.” What do you think our ancestors wore on their feet while running down a pack of lions and tigers for lunch?…toss on Nike’s and kick some ass?…false. They hoofed it barefoot over rough terrain for miles at a time then kicked some SIMBA and Nala ass! ….(Yes, that’s a Lion King reference, god I love Disney)
The solution: Educate people. It is our responsibility as fitness professionals to educate the general public, friends, clients and anyone that can benefit from this information. There has to be more studies on this topic that aren’t funded by shoe companies, because shit, that won’t be biased or skewed at all! There has to be a big name figure that can promote this concept, someone that the general public can relate too, respect and trust. In today’s world, people just buy stuff becuase someone famous said so!…cough cough, Dan Marino and Nutrisystem..cough cough.
...I won't even say a word.
This entire topic has sparked some thought in my massive left and right cerebral cortex…if the shoe industry is misleading us like this, who else is? More on that in Part 2…
I would love to get feedback from anyone who has tried the alternative to typical running shoes; whether it be barefoot, finger shoes or even a decent alternative, the Nike Free. If anyone wants more information on where they can research more into the topic or where they can purchase the alternative shoe, please leave a comment or email me!
Peace. Love and Barefoot Running.
January 26, 2010
Underwear or No Underwear…?
What’s your future look like?
Do you know where you will be in 3 years?
Do you know where you will be in 7 years?
Underwear or no underwear today?…always a tough one for me.
Raise your hands if you know EXACTLY what you want to do and how you are going to do it knowing that you will be 100% happy with your plan…Ya that’s what I thought, I can’t see any hands raised…but maybe that’s just because I’m looking at the screen of my Dell as I type…either way this is a tough question for anyone!
There comes a point in anyone’s life where you hit a cross roads. One may not see it as a cross roads as clearly as the next person, but its there. Well folks, I am at that crossroad.
- I have an idea…well everyone has an idea, what else?
- I have a plan…congrats Chris, you have a plan…and?
- I have options…well holy crow cheese n’ crackers so did George Bush, read:(EPIC FAIL)
These are all great tools to have while traveling down the path of life. Like any hunter or any adventurer, you can have all the best tools, its how you decide to use them that really impacts the end result. Being satisfied and happy.
The Man
I will be graduating with a Bachelor’s in Science degree in Health and Fitness. I have six years of coaching youth field hockey, small bit of national experience and a unique outlook on life as my tools. As stated above, I have an idea, plan and options to choose from in the next 6 months. This still doesn’t answer my damn question, will I be happy?
The answer, who in hell knows…dude.
How am I going to find an answer and end up living a happy life? I’m not…it will find me.
“What need I fear of thee? But yet I’ll make assurance double sure, and take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live; That I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies, And sleep in spite of thunder”
~W. Shakespeare
I have no clue what that quote actually means…sounds really cool tho right?
...tan lines.
Anyways, back to fate. I truthfully feel that if you look and beg for answers, you won’t find them. Use the tools you have to the best of your ability, whether is be talking, skill work, test taking or even nunchucks. Keep one theme in mind while you travel down your path, be happy. If you are not ultimately happy, change directions, if you come to a cliff, don’t jump, look for another way around it. Trust that by following this path you will reach your so called “fate”.
EXAMPLE: I thought I had my options set; Boston College to get a M. Ed; Applying for phys ed jobs;Kean University for my MS in Exercise Science. I get off the phone with Kean University…got an email reply from an inquiry 3 weeks ago about a Graduate Assistant spot at Springfield College ( I had ruled this out, it was my top choice)…funny how and when things work out eh?
It’ll all work out for me and you as well. If you keep to your true self, give yourself plenty of options and pursue a goal to reach a state of self actualization (complete happiness)…no matter where the wind steers you, it will work out. Simple.
Enjoy.
Live.Laugh. Lift Heavy Things.
January 22, 2010
Chris’ ADD Post #1
I got a feeling that weekly, this will be a recurring theme. So grab your coffee, tea or Bloody Mary and enjoy my ADD in action!
The Good- The most entertaining movie I have ever watched…Avatar. I have only seen it once and I plan to go until my bank account is empty, until I can’t buy food anymore, until I am satisfied. The story line is epic, and you have to applaud JC for taking almost 10 years to design a frigging camera just for this film. The 3-D effects are classy and tasteful, nothing out of whack or have you ducking because you think you are going to get smashed in the head with a rock. Just go see it…
The Bad- Nothing makes me want to stick my hand in a blender more then when I see some meat head, attempting to bench press, yet they can’t do a body weight push up. The push up is utilized in 85% of clients training at Cressey Perforamce in very basic forms to the more challenging variations, via chains, bands and such. Instead of me boring you with an explanation of the anatomy and biomechanics…here’s a video of the man himself, Eric Cressey, performing a proper push up.**
**Notice, elbows 45 degrees, tight glutes (butt) and anterior core, hence the in-line shoulders, hips and ankles.
There are several ways you can go about progressing to correctly doing a body weight push up.
- Eccentric(lowering) Push Up from Knee’s
- Eccentric Push Up from Toe’s
- Push Up to 3, 2 or 1 board(s), pads under your chest…increasing the ROM as you get stronger.
- Push Up, Full ROM (range of motion). FIST PUMP!!!
The ugly- I had too…poor fella’.
Well, my ADD has sent my attention else where, glet me go clean the trunk of my car at 10pm.
Peace, Love and Harmony.
January 21, 2010
Part 1: Coaching; What role do you play?
First off, I want you to define the word coach. What did you come up with?
I am sure if I asked 10 people this question all ten would have very different answers. Webster’s may have a definition of what a coach may be, but in the end, it’s a very grey area and up for interpritation and creativety.
Myself? Coaching wears many different masks. Yet, there is one general theme of my style, passionate. There is no money, no status, no gold medals in my definition of coaching, these all come as a bonus. The ability to coach because you care about the player, about the individual, can go leagues when gauging how much respect you receive from players, parents, coaches and umpires alike. The end goal of any season, tournament or practice for my players; did they learn, did they enjoy the experience, did they communicate with others.
Winning isn’t everything, we have all heard this before and I bet we could split this up 50/50 amongst the crowd and argue. The truth is, winning is everything; it just depends on where you look…on the scoreboard?..no. In the individual?…yes.
I’ve walked away from tournaments where we may have ended up 2-5 or lost 3-2 in the gold medal game…the end result? Players who embrace the bigger picture. They will walk away and say they have learned tremendous amounts of sport and fundamentals, enjoyed time with their teammates and walk away head high and with a smile.
Is this how it always works out? No, but in order to build a repuation, grow a club or gain respect is to treat coaching like this at least 85% of the time. To much focus in one direction won’t get results…compromise is key.
In Part 2, I will discuss the different types of coaching styles and how to present yourself as a coach. Part 3 will dive into character building, situational scenarios and I hope to get some response from the readers on these.
For now, go and define your coaching style!
Peace, Love and Happiness.
January 20, 2010
Spine Suicide…”Arch ARCH”
Before I head into Cressey Performance today, which is always a good ole time. Yea, I play toss with MLB prospects, what do you do daily?….thought so. I figured I would entertain the 8 people who have visited my blog up to this point, 7 of which my 6 yr old sister stumbles upon on accident while looking for Elmo on Google.
Without further a due, here is a video I stumbled upon yesterday while searching “training hip extension”, my intention was to get links related to sprint mechanics and triple joint extension, not this…**
** Between the title and the guy in the background barking arch, which none of these guys are actually doing while pulling, my spine wanted to die. Enjoy.
January 19, 2010
College Recruiting…What a pain!
Part of my material on this site will be directly related to my job, which is coaching field hockey for female athletes ages 10-18 years old. When these athletes get older, 15-16, I always get a parent of the player asking me about college. What is a good program for me? Can I play (insert school here)? I can say that this is the toughest part of my job, narrowing down hundreds of programs, schools and demographics to fit an individual player. Here I am going to give you some key steps to follow when, in my mind, making one of the toughest decision of your life.
Step 1: Answer these 5 simple questions and prioritize them 1-5.
- How far am I willing to travel away from home?
- What size schools do I want to attend?
- Academia
- Program
- Money
Here is a little info at each question.
- Do you want to live near home or be as far away from your mother and father as possible so they don’t show up at your doorstep with cookies and laundry detergent ready for battle.
- School atmosphere is directly related to school size. The bigger the school, the more people you won’t know yet this bodes well for making new friends, as there are more people to friend!
- Are you using (insert sport here) as a means of getting into a good school with your degree in mind, or do you want your sport to be top priority and just getting a degree is what you settle on.
- Finding a proper program could mean the different between loving your experience or hating it. You need to make sure you gel with the team and agree with the coaches mission statement and view points. If the coach doesn’t have one or both…well you have your answer.
- Do you need a major financial backing, 75% or more scholarship to attend college, or is anything you get just a bonus?
Step 2: Once you have answered and prioritized these questions, go experience all the schools that now fit your list!!! Email schools, coaches, past players. Go to showcases and clinics and tournaments. Visit the campus, stay overnight with the team. Even if you know you may not like the school, use it as a tool to narrow down what you may want from another school! Approaches like this will reinforce your overall and final decision, so you can be confident and happy!
Step 3: Narrow your now smaller list to 5 or less schools that fit your “ideal school” you have created by the above steps.(Hint: Find a school or two that are in the same conference, it may come in handy later down the road.)
By now you are in your second semester Junior year and or going into the summer of your senior year. Having to make a decision any earlier is hard to justify. I didn’t know my plan until I was 21…how do you expect a 16 year old too know?
Step 4: Time to get serious, and down to the nitty gritty stuff many people don’t like. Here’s a hint…play the game and play it well. College recruiting for coaches is a business, a game if you will. They are looking to get the best players for the cheapest dollar. You are looking to go to the best school for the cheapest dollar. It can be a fight…and you have to be ready for war. Know your facts; about the school, about your financial situation and be confident you can get what you want.
Step 5: Lastly, demand respect and be smart about what you say. Don’t let a coach give you a deadline for committing…it’s not fair for you or your family. These coaches aren’t showing you respect now and you aren’t even their player, imagine if you were their player…it could get ugly. Is it worth it? No.
Don’t blabber on about how awesome the school is and how you love it so much here, because once a coach senses a persons attachment to the school, it could be used against you! See I told you it was ugly! Instead, be cool headed, and not overzealous. This is where looking at 2 schools in the same conference helps you out, no coach wants to see you say no to them and then end up at another school in the same conference playing against them that next season!
Step 6: Choose your school. By this point, you should be 100% sure of where you want to go, have your offers, weigh your pro’s and con’s and make your decision. **
**Parents, in the end, its your childs decision and you need to be 100% supportive of it, even if it isn’t your top choice. Smile and be happy your child is happy.
Having helped 100′s of players with college recruiting, using these methods and guidlines will in the end help place you where you want to be, and where you will be in a position to be most successful.
Enjoy and good luck to all players going through this process!
January 16, 2010
Excuse me world? Buckle up…It’s going to be a fun RIDE!
I will keep this introduction short by answering only one question.
What am I about?
Lastly…
These are two of the 3 things I think about, dream about or lick my lips too each day….the other?…sleep duh.
I want to be here for the viewer, ya know…my fans. Anyway…if there is anything you would like covered, anything at all, please let me know in the comments section. If I can’t write about it myself, I will find someone who will. It’s my promise.
ENJOY!
