Thursday, November 4th, 2010
Yes…we are.
There is much going on here behind the scenes. It’s kind of cool.
I had much on my mind when I wrote the Power of Ten article a few weeks ago and much of it is coming to fruition:
Joanna, as you know is going behind the scenes. She is helping us with the much needed re-design of MP4 and the development of our affiliate companies. Who is coming to forefront will be announced tomorrow. Just know, great things come in small packages.
MP4–and the rest of our affiliate companies–are going live in 2011. (Wait for that info…you will like it when you hear it.) And when it does, there will be more MP4 staffers coming out of the wood work! Very excited.
Our blog is getting a face lift and with the addition of our new blogger and MP4 staff member, we will take on a more refined approach to the information we provide for you.
All of the programs mentioned on the blog thus far will be released in 2011. They will enable you to reach your goals, both weight loss and performance, in an organized, affordable manner. Your food will be done for you, your weight training, functional and supplementation schedule laid out for you. Short of it working out for you, it is complete!
Heather is moving to the Northeast. Oh wait, did I say that? Ok…she’s not, but I tried. Haha! Wishful thinking.
The sister company to MP4, for those of you who want what MP4 has to offer but are not prepping for an athletic event, is on the way. This has been the number 1 request of 2010. “I love what you have done for me and my ‘fill in the blank’ is not getting ready for anything, can she still work with you?” Up until now we have said no. But not anymore. Many are hounded when they are in the gym by folks wanting to know ‘who they are training with’ because our programs are so fun and unique. If you are tired of the same old weight routine that looks like it was plucked out the back of a magazine, just know that there is more to working out than a four day split. Or if the power/Olympic lifting thing is not quite for you, just know again that there are options out there that get you to the same place without you having to learn a clean and jerk.
Have patience with us as we unfold everything over the next 3 months. Email us at info@modelper4mance.com because many things will be in place before you see it on the site so keep in touch. Although I will say, there are lots of you who are doing that already and we thank you for your support! Hang tight!
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
Do you ever feel like what you're missing in your program is really simple?
Then get faster.
Ok, it is not that simple, but it is a start.
Our passion here at MP4 is the everyday athlete: the person who gets up every single day rain or shine and just gets it done. You are not looking to go to the Tour De France, but you are looking to win your local race or sporting event without having to give up life with your kids or weekends with the friends. We love working with folks like you for 2 reasons: your resolve is absolutely no joke. Some of you scare us with how focused and detailed you are (although we love it) and the second reason is the room for improvement is tremendous.
For the majority of clients, you are not doing many things “wrong” as much as you have no focus and are just doing whatever the latest magazine told you to do and you either switch up every week as to what you should be working on or you start right into a pro athletes program and fizzle out after a few months. The following is a checklist needed to build a solid foundation as an athlete who really does want to win their 5k, 10k, marathon, hockey tournament, soccer match, etc.
Nutrition:
Get the junk out of the cabinet and actually eat breakfast. There is a new type of food in town, it is called protein. Try it. It works. I have been doing this for years and it still amazes me in this day and age how many people do not eat enough protein. I am not asking you to kill a deer on the way home from work and stock up your freezer with some meat, but a stop at your local supermarket should land you some gems like fresh fish, lean meats and poultry. Heck, I’ll take beans and tofu, too, if we are anti-meat. Don’t hold back now. You need to have some with every meal.
Workout:
Get an assessment of some kind. I know many of the tests out there are expensive and that may not be where your head is at, but that info is worth it. But say you really are “anti” formal assessment. Perform your own standardized test. Pick a distance that you run or a drill your league does every week and measure your performance in some manner. This is baseline. You must have this info. Then, start basic and easy with your workout program BUT ramp it up every week in a way that actually makes sense. Do not follow your favorite pro athlete’s plan that he/she used to get ready for the Olympics! OY! Instead, find a beginner plan or better yet, have us put one together for you and you’ll be good to go.
Recovery:
Take a day off, psycho. Yeah, I called you psycho. What else should I call you when you workout 7 days a week with no rest because you think that’s going to make you lose weight faster? Contrary to everyone’s belief, a protein shake (just whey protein only) is not a recovery drink. You need a lot more in there. You are not “recovering” by throwing back plain protein (although I am impressed that you are eating protein), but at least you are on the right track. You get an A for effort with this one.
Nutrition:
Now that you have a foundation you need to work on three things: meal timing, meal components and supplementation. When you start feeling like you have a bit of a swagger in your step because you are eating clean and showing restraint, begin to hone in on perfection by eating on a consistent time basis with all the right foods in each meal. And then top it all off with the right recovery nutrition at the right time. Having this together is a mark of maturity and is rarely seen with athletes whose workouts are at the “progression” level.
Workout:
Once you are consistent with your workouts (and I mean for your sport—not the weight room), now it is time to track them. Here is another sign of maturity. Yes, you are running a marathon and distance is important. But please do not just get up and run every day without tracking *something*. And once you start tracking, go back and *compare* to see if you are improving. If you are not, come see us and we’ll get you there.
Recovery:
Now you have ample days off built into your plan and you are not trying to fit everything you possibly can into one week. You have time to rest and you even have a few mind/body classes built into your schedule. Lastly, you take your multi-vit everyday and your protein shake has more than protein in it. Life is starting to take shape.
This is a very simplified check list of “where to start” to begin improving in your sport. This is not for the mature athlete who is now looking to dominate a national event but more for the athlete that is trying to do this on their own for the first time but are not ready yet to invest in the “Lance Armstrong” treatment.
Next week we’ll talk about the Advanced Progression and I will be much more specific as to what this looks like. Stay tuned because it will be worth your while. Til then, can you please just have some protein?
Monday, May 10th, 2010
I suck at letting go. Of some things, anyhow. Seriously, my mind is like a dog with a bone about some things. Mostly this applies to me-and-only-me. I am too busy passing judgment on my past—and my future, if you can believe that—to do to it anyone else. For example, I perceive myself as unathletic. Fit enough, sure. But “athletic”? Um… no. Yet I’ll be the first to slap that label on to anyone who shows effort, heart, and talent–however minimal–followed up with a rousing: “You go, girl!”. Unfortunately this perception does something much worse to me than causing me to fail. It causes me to never try. I’m getting better. I’ve done some things that have been downright embarrassing in the last few years, but what I remember more is that I tried. (Yet another benefit of aging. You just know as a school-aged kid I’d have remembered the embarrassment part more.)
Clearly we learn the p-word too early in life!
This reminds me of a story about monkey traps. Someone, somewhere (Southeast Asia? Doesn’t matter…) figured out how to trap monkeys by putting beans in the bottom of jars that had wide bottoms but very narrow tops. Once a monkey encountered the treats, they reached into the jar and grabbed the goodies, only to find that they couldn’t free their now-clenched fist from the neck of the jar. While it stands to reason that opening their fist to be able to liberate their hand from the jar would be an obvious solution, the smart hunters knew that it was monkey-nature to not want to let go of the beans—even with a hunter in sight, fast approaching with a net! I’m using past tense here, but this could very well still be a monkey-hunting practice used today for all I know. I don’t want to think about it. But the message is clear: A silly monkey can be trapped by its unwillingness to let go, thus changing the course of its life. In this case it is decidedly not for the better.
Goodness knows we’ve all heard enough stories about people who have had less-than-nothing in the way of emotional, financial, and/or physical resources and support rising way above what anyone thought possible because they were able to let go of any limitations, real or imagined. And ultimately, don’t those stories pretty much demonstrate that they are all imagined? Maddening for silly monkeys like myself. I’ve decided that overcoming the mental barriers I’ve set up requires a very conscious override… and some discomfort. Since I have so many of these blocks in place, I need to take one bite at a time. One of my ongoing ones is the whole “unathletic” thing. I’ve done some conscious (and very uncomfortable) overrides such as: competing in a fitness competition and learning to navigate the Women’s Tri-Fit Obstacle course. I’ll be honest, I really sucked at both. But I did them! I’ve also registered for the Warrior Dash coming up at the end of this month. Hardly a hardcore race (I think…), but some obstacles have me nervous, such as the wall. It is not lost on me that the wall in the Tri-Fit O-Course gave me the most trouble too. Poetic, eh? Oh, and the monkey bars too—now there’s some irony! Nonetheless, my husband/cheerleader has already taught me to spryly jump a chain link fence without even snagging my running skirt (love you, man), so I’m already overcoming things. I’ll report back on the Dash. In the meantime, I am being 100% honest when I tell you that I enrolled in long-term disability insurance this morning. Just in case.
You want me to get over what wall, where?
So, woo-woo-make-you-think stuff aside, what’s holding you back? What are you not letting go of right now? Better yet, what are you doing as a conscious override? Please share. We can all learn from each other. Or is it just me who could use a push and some inspiration here and there? 
No longer my nemesis!
Thursday, April 15th, 2010
This is a great time to live in Boston.
It’s marathon weekend.
This weekend marks the 114th running of the Boston Marathon and you can believe that MP4 will be there somewhere in that humongous crowd. From the expo to the people watching, it is one of the most exciting places to be. I have gone every year since I graduated high school but have missed the past 3 years…it’s good to be back. I have missed the organized chaos.
First, you cannot get within 5 feet of the finish line because the crowds are so big. Next, you enviously wonder who the folks are with the rooftop apartments who have the best view. Lastly, find yourself extra hungry midday from sympathy miles you ran in your head watching the race so you need to find the most hopping pub or café around that can accommodate your needs. Good times.
Being that it is the oldest and most prestigious marathon, it only makes sense that it attracts approximately 25,000 runners per year (umm, that’s a lot of runners) who decide it’s their mission to take on Heartbreak Hill. If you are running it please let us know so we may cheer you on—we promise we won’t be distracting.
Having a lofty goal such as the Boston Marathon is awesome. Setting your sights on something that seems so far away but yet is very doable can give you a sense of satisfaction that is hard to explain. What has been your biggest challenge this year so far? What’s your next one? You know I called the staff to the carpet last week (come to find out Heather had a race already it’s Tamara who’s the slacker, lol) and made them choke up a goal. What about you, now?
Setting goals can be intimidating and we tend to not think big when we choose them. Or better yet, we choose big, lofty goals but really do not think about the follow through. Do not be a victim of either scenario. Instead, choose a big goal like a marathon, a 50 mile bike race, a half iron man or etc. and then set about putting your plan into action by:
1) Researching how long it will take and what it will involve
2) Are there any newbie resources available?
3) What are the time commitments?
4) What are the costs involved?
Then make it more realistic to you by setting mini goals along the way:
1) Are there smaller races you can run before the big race?
2) Are there other goals you can tie into your race such as weight loss or fundraising?
3) Can you chop the goal into 3 or 4 phases and set a plan for each phase?
Every time you cut that goal down into smaller, more doable pieces the closer you are to reaching your destination.
We challenge you to find a big, lofty goal and tackle it. We know you can do it so please let us know all about it. If you find that it seems beyond your reach no matter how small you chop it up, hit us up and we’ll help you out. We know of all the resources and will be glad to point you in the right direction.
Til then, consider yourself punk’d.ha
Friday, January 22nd, 2010
Decisions, decisions!
Last week I mentioned that the MP4 team is going to train me for an upcoming event. Now all I need to do is pick the event. The question is…
Do I tri again in twenty-ten?
