So What Do You Do Here?

It’s 9:30pm and I’m trapped in the middle of blogger’s block…..I think the last 7 days have stripped me from my sense of humor and originality temporarily (I hope)….so I thought I’d share something that has come up pretty frequently at work as of late.

With the opening of our new facility we’ve been fortunate to have a handful of folks stopping in to get a glimpse at our services…and ask us  (sometimes the most daunting question) “So what do you guys do at Pro-Activity?”  In all honestly, this has proven to be a difficult thing to articulate….

• Is this place a fitness facility, a cafe, a physical therapy place, or for personal training? – Ummm….well, Yes.
• To which one? – All of them
• I heard you have people who work with companies and put programs together to help their workforce stay healthy and injury free – Yup…those guys hustle….they consult with literally thousands of folks throughout the tri-state.
• What’s with this Fuel Good Cafe, is it open to the public….it looks like there’s wi-fi…is the food good? – Yes, Yes, and Yes….well at least the feedback has been great!
• Didn’t you guys offer Flu Shots and Cholesterol screenings last year at our job-site- yeah…we did a few of these, like 5,000 🙂
• I heard you guys are into Endurance Sports – do you guys do any endurance coaching – hmm…yup…we’ve actually got a whole team of folks…a few of them have even coached and competed at an elite level…you may have seen them this weekend on ESPN at the USATF National Championships!
• What about if someone wanted to lose weight, can you help them with their nutrition – Yes, most people who have worked with our health coaches remotely have lost on average 1-2 pounds per week over the first 3 months, and have kept it off!  Last year a guy lost 100 pounds.
• Do you ever work with athletes – Sure….at the moment we’ve got wrestlers, cheerleaders, softball / baseball players, a soccer crowd, a handful of gridiron guys, a laxer or two or five, some runners, and then there’s the crowd that does a little of everything
• So are you therapists, or trainers, or consultants, or coaches – Yes
• So what do you do here…..ha

Well try this on for size…..Pro-Activity is a “human achievement company” focused on providing clients the information and coaching required to meet and exceed their performance goals.  Sometimes it might be geared to Fitness and Movement….sometimes to Nutrition or Fuel….sometimes to Rehab and Recovery….and sometimes to the mental will to persist and Endure….regardless, Pro-Activity believes there are no extraordinary people, only people who do extraordinary things.  Know someone looking to achieve something extraordinary…..let us know how we can help!

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A Pretty Fun Crowd! Staff, Clients, and Friends at the 2011 Runamuck Race

 

Owwww, I Fuel Good (or at least much better now)

The time is here….the team is hustlin’, and the Fuel Good Cafe is “fit…and ALIVE!”.  In fact, I’m sitting here right now….had my morning BaseCamp blend coffee, along with my favorite…the Lemon-Blueberry muffin, and a grilled Herbivore wrap for lunch.  I’ve had two meals two day, 2.5 servings of fruit / veggie, and almost a daily recommended dose of fiber….BUT less than 800 calories…..pretty good bang for my buck.

Ok, I’m a bit biased, I get it (although all favoritism aside, it’s probably the best cup of joe I’ve had in a long time)….but I have to say….I’m pretty proud of Lindsay and Amy…and all of the team (and friends / family) that’s helped out, pitched in the extra effort, time, and energy to get this new venture off the ground….and although not all the hoops have yet been jumped through, and getting open has seemed at times an endurance event all to it’s own……with this place now ready to be up and running, I feel and now fuel much better….actually (in my best James Brown impression)…”I Fuel Good”…come check it out!

Now I’ve Done It

So I’m a bit conflicted on this next potential commitment in my life.  You see my brother Mike has this uncanny ability to get these seemingly crazy things into my head and excited, and typically before I think about the ultimate work entailed..I jump in.  But this time it’s a little more than a few all nighters or stressful weeks to push through….we’re talking about following his lead and training for an Ironman….having never even completed a sprint triathlon**.

I mean, I’m confident I could do it….but after spending a few hours researching what the training actually entails…..you’re talking 10 hours of training per week minimum in the beginning, and building up to 18 hours / week….that’s 3 hours x 6 days a week! No wonder they call these people “iron”. Not too mention that there is so much effort that must be spent on technique, and it seems like yesterday I finally took the floaties off my arms…I’ve been a littler reluctant. And the bottom line is, I’m not confident I could do it, while still training for a sub 3 marathon in October, and do it well.

**Side note…years back before getting into this endurance event stuff seriously I agreed to try a sprint triathlon…I thought I was fit enough and could get by with a few workouts treading water in my sisters pool, and my friends Dad’s 10 speed bike from 1965! After all I was an athlete at one point and strength trained religiously so I surely could do it (enter sarcastic voice inflection)! Weeks later, and moments after jumping into cold water in sub 50 air temp without a wetsuit, I fed my cramping body with plenty of humble pie as the life boat took me back ashore for my first ever DNF! It was an embarrassing lesson in the importance of specificity….and what I would later learn to be the S.A.I.D. Principle at it’s finest.

The SAID principle is an exercise science teaching that says the body will Specifically Adapt to the Imposed Demands placed upon it….it’s the rationale behind all sport specific training…..damn if only there were a water treading contest that year!

So although Mike tempted me to sign up tomorrow for the NYC Ironman held next August….I’m going to learn from my previous mistake (and maybe listen a little to the expecting mother that makes my dinner and wasn’t too hot on the idea for this coming year) and first put my time into specific training to do this thing right…I’m gonna master the ride, and seek out some swimming pointers. AND while its not in the cards for NYC in 2012….let it be heard here first, God-willing I will officially enter the triathlon world and complete an Ironman in 2013! Who’s with me?

It’s all happening….

Ever see the movie Almost Famous?  Good movie, but one of the main character’s lines is “It’s All Happening”, and I never really got it entirely…I mean, she was just a groupie and following a 70’s band around….how could that be what life was all about?

I think I’m starting to get it….not that I’m going to quit my day job and follow a band famous(?) for such hits as “Fever Dog”, but after a month of recovery…things in my world are really starting to pick-up….I’m moving again, and I’m finding the juggling act exciting, frustrating, exhausting, and exhilarating all at the same time….can anyone relate?….Probably nothing inspirational or incredible in this post…just something that I’m sure a few can empathize with…

**side note – isn’t it amazing what artists can write / sing about, sell to us, and then be considered inspirational role models***

The life at BaseCamp 31 (our new facility) is starting to breath on it’s own a bit….our team sprinted to get things “unofficially” opened and we’ve been here a week….there’s still a few boxes to unpack and rooms to set up, but the machines are in, the phones / internet is now hooked up and working (finally!), our team is sporting some new gear, the initial fuel supplies for our “Fuel Good” cafe is on it’s way (I can’t wait for lunches!), and amazingly we’re still smiling (at least when out from behind closed doors…ha).  I’m starting to hear the buzz around town a little more regularly, and we’ve been fortunate that our clients care enough about us and this place to tell their friends….. and it’s fun to know I’ve played a role.

Our prevention services team (those professionals focused on keep healthy work-forces and healthy bottom lines) continue to move around the tri-state area, amazingly finding ways to seem as though they’re in two places at once….and every once in a while (like tomorrow) they call out to the bullpen (me) and bring in the right-hander for a little relief.  Thankfully tomorrow’s topic is similar to last week’s blog – managing the summer heat!

My personal training to break the 3 hour marathon mark started this past week, and although base training at reduced speeds and managed exertion levels is a little boring….I’m confident the extra focus on aerobic base will prove exceptionally useful….oh yeah, it helps that my new routes leaving BaseCamp is surrounded by hilly climbs….guess it’s fitting that the first few steps off the property of a place called “base camp” is an ascent.  Keep an eye out for an event like none other coming this fall!

Oh, and one last thing….had a last minute cancellation today and got an unexpected opportunity to see the very first ultrasound of my kid…and in that initial moment…my heart literally jumped in anticipation and excitement….wow…to many more firsts!

Someone quick….throw a flaming sword…I’ve been practicing!

Do I really look like this?