Tag: #getsome

Flaxseed

What the Flaxseed?

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Flaxseed

Flaxseed

It reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. It may help protect you against breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer. It helps you lose weight and it helps clean your GI tract. You could add it to pretty much anything that you eat and it doesn’t really taste like anything so you wouldn’t even notice. And it doesn’t cost much. You can find it for less than $4 online or just get it at Trader Joe’s for a little more than that. If those aren’t reason enough to start adding flaxseed to your diet, I’ve added a few facts about it’s three main components (Fiber, Lignans and Omega-3s) below.

FIBER:

There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Flaxseed has both!

  • Soluble fiber is good for us because it attracts water and together they combine to form a gel. This gel helps slow down our digestion which means that we have that feeling of ‘fullness’ for a lot longer. Soluble fiber also helps lower our LDL blood cholesterol levels by interfering with the absorption of dietary cholesterol. LDLs collect in the walls of blood vessels and causes blockages and blood clots that may cause atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries) which in turn may lead to a heart attack, a stroke or even death.
  • Insoluble fiber is considered ‘gut-healthy’ because it has a laxative effect and prevents constipation. Because it’s insoluble (it doesn’t dissolve in water), it goes through our GI tract and grabs on to all the crap in our body and then we poop it out.
  • How much fiber do we need?
    • 35-40 grams a day for men
    • 25 grams a day for women

Lignans:

Lignans are a chemical compound found in plants and have antioxidant qualities. Just like fiber, lignans help lower our LDL levels. The lignans found in flaxseed help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke because they have been shown to reduce atherosclerotic plaque buildup by up to 75%.

Omega-3 Fats:

Omega-3s act as an anti-inflammatory by helping block the release of pro-inflammatory agents. This reduction of inflammation associated with plaque buildup in the arteries may be another reason that flaxseed helps reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. And because there is less plaque in our arteries, our heartbeat and blood pressure normalizes.

Give flaxseed a shot! What do you got to lose?

Thinking For A Change

Always Think “Big Picture”

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Thinking For A Change

Thinking For A Change

Part I of this book had some really good shtuff in it, but I wasn’t able to make time to write about the key points that stood out to me. I will do a better job for Part II: Eleven Thinking Skills Every Successful Person Needs. I will actually use these types of posts as my “notepad” when I complete the assigned readings for my Leadership & Critical Thinking course. As most of my posts about the books in my “Bookshelf,” I will just report (in bullet form) the more interesting points that I found in each chapter. Hopefully these bullet points serve a purpose for you; whether they be good conversation starters or even serve as “thought provokers.” Definitely, comment on any of these posts with your thoughts and we can have a discussion 🙂 Enjoy!

Skill #1

  • “Where success is concerned, people are not measured in inches, or pounds, or college degrees, or family background; they are measured by the size of their thinking.” – David Schwartz (59)
  • “We all live under the same sky, but we don’t all have the same horizon.” – Konrad Adenauer (61)
  • How many thousands of people had seen what Eratosthenes saw and never made the same connection? (61)
  • When somebody like Jack Welch tells a GE employee that the ongoing relationship with the customer is more important than the sale of an individual product, he’s reminding them of the big picture. (62)
  • Spend time with big-picture thinkers and you’ll find that they: (1) Learn continually, (2) Listen intentionally, (3) Look expansively and (4) Live completely. (63-65)
  • Big-picture thinkers are never satisfied with what they already know…. they often are able to connect the unconnected. They are life-long learners. (63)
  • If I’m going to learn and grow, I must know what questions to ask and know how to apply the answers to my life. (63)
  • Big-picture thinkers recognize that they don’t know lots of things. (64)
  • Big-picture thinkers realize there is a world out there besides their own, and they make an effort to get outside of themselves and see other people’s worlds through their eyes. (64)
  • You can spend your life any way you want, but you can spend it only once. (65)
  • [Big-picture thinkers] experience fewer unwanted surprises, too, because they are more likely to see the many components involved in any given situation: issues, people, relationships, timing and values. They are also, therefore, usually more tolerant of other people and their thinking. (65)
  • Leaders must: (1) See the vision before their people do, (2) Size up situations, taking into account many variables, (3) Sketch a picture of where the team is going, (4) Show how the future connects with the past to make the journey more meaningful, and (5) Seize the moment when the timing is right. (66-67)
  • “He that is everywhere is nowhere.” – Thomas Fuller (67)
  • “You’ve got to think about the ‘big things’ while you’re doing the small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.” – Alvin Toffler (67)
  • One of the most important skills you can develop in human relations is the ability to see things from the other person’s point of view. (68)
  • see what other see… that is a powerful thing. (68)
  • The better the grasp team members have of the big picture, the greater their potential to work together as a team. (68)
  • The person who forgets the ultimate is a slave to the immediate. (69)
  • With preparation, the most important things will be done well. (69)
  • If you want to cultivate the ability to think big picture, then you must get used to embracing and dealing with complex and diverse ideas. (71)
  • Learn from Every Experience: Failing Forward (71)
  • Teachability is an attitude, a mind-set that says, “No matter how much I know (or think I know), I can learn from this situation.” That kind of thinking can help you turn adversity into advantage. It can make you a winner even during the most difficult circumstances.” (71)
  • If you want to be a big-picture thinker, you will have to go against the flow of the world. (73)
8 miles - Lake Merced

“Long Run” Sunday

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8 miles - Lake Merced

8 miles – Lake Merced

This was by far the best Lake Merced Run that I’ve ever had. I’ve run 10 miles around Lake Merced before, but this 8-mile run was fast (to my standards) and I felt so damn good after; I wasn’t too tired, I wasn’t breathing hard, nothing was aching, and I just felt gooooood.

And this is the first time that I used the my Garmin to challenge myself. And what I mean by that is, I set my Garmin to a 8:00 minute pace, whereas in the past I wouldn’t set a desired pace and just used the watch to track my current pace, overall distance and overall time. And to be honest, at the start of my run, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to keep up with that pace, but as I mile 2 came along I was feeling good. And after mile 3, I felt the same. By mile 4 I was in the zone! My strides felt good, my breathing felt good and I just felt goooooood. I’m glad that I used that desired pace function because I think it pushed me and challenged me and it showed me that I can absolutely run an 8:00 minute mile (over 8 miles at least). And to be honest, I think I could have gone another mile or 2 at that 8:00-minute (or faster) pace.

This watch is definitely one of the best Christmas gifts I’ve ever received and I’ve thanked my girlfriend every day since I received it.

Well, that was my “Long Run” Sunday. I’m not gonna lie, I don’t think I’ll post my whole week recap anymore. I’ll keep my running updates short and simple like this post. I hope you all have a great week! Cheers!

Uhhh, What New Year’s Resolution?

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Ok, I know I said I would post something every day this year, but this whole Grad School thing is getting in the way, lol.

I’m just kidding, I’m loving this first week of Graduate School! It’s just a whole lot of work. Between working full time at the Y, keeping up with my running schedule (I ran 8 miles today btw), and completing all the reading and writing assignments for my Sport Management Program, I have not MADE time to post something every day. I say MADE time because I know I have time to write a little something every day, I just haven’t gotten used to this new schedule. Once I get a hold of my schedule, I intend to get back to posting something every day. I hope all of you are running and staying healthy! Know that I am doing the same, even though my work and school schedule is chaotic right now. Take care! Cheers!

New Year’s Day 10K!

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New Year's Day 10K

New Year’s Day 10K

 

Brazen New Year’s Day 10K. @chabeez finished 3rd in our age group with a time of 47:01. I finished 5th in our age group with a time of 55:46. I don’t know what it is, but both races I’ve run with Charlie have had some crazy hills! The first 1.5 miles was the same as my 5K on Saturday; it was smooth and easy with a few small hills, but once you get passed that 1.5 mile marker, the course becomes ALL trail. And from mile 2 to mile 3.2 it was all uphill! I tried my hardest to not walk up the hill but half way up I had to. Once you reach the top (the turnaround point) it was all down hill. My big take away from this race: schedule some hill runs into my workout from now on. This race was important to me for a few reasons. The main reason was my momma @ruelyn. She’s been so strong since her diagnosis and she has motivated me to be stronger, better, healthier, and more faithful. No more excuses in 2013. If my momma could fight and stay strong through all this, I should not have any excuses whatsoever. Keep fighting, stay hydrated and remember to take your meds mah! I love you! I also wanted to start the New Year the way I want the whole year to go. I literally want to “RUN” 2013. I want running to be my main thing this year. Ever since my Lola passed, running has been my “escape” and my “therapy,” and I love that I’ve gotten to that point with running. I’m not running to win the race, I’m running just to run; I’m running because it feels so damn good. The medals and the health benefits are just by-products. I share with you my “WHYs” because those are the most important things in life; WHY do you do what you do? Remember your “WHYs” and all the “HOWs” will be easy. If your “WHYs” are powerful enough, you can and will achieve anything and everything. I wish you all a very happy and very blessed New Year! God Bless #ypowr #health #wellness #fitness #run #running #brazen #10K

And check this out:

New Year's Eve Medal

New Year’s Eve Medal

 

New Year's Day Medal

New Year’s Day Medal

 

NYE & NYD Medals combined!

NYE & NYD Medals combined!

 

 

New Year’s Eve (12/29/12) 5K

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New Year's Eve 5K

New Year’s Eve 5K

 

I like to post my post-race pictures on Instagram and write long captions, so I’ll just share with you what I wrote on IG:

Our third 5K in the books. This was a really nice 5K course. It was all paved with small rolling hills and lots of trees. This was by far the coldest I’ve been for any of my races. I felt good throughout the entire race; I didn’t push it too hard at any point because I wanted to run “comfortably.” As I was approaching the halfway/turnaround point, I saw this pack of 5 or 6 kids who were probably 11-12 years old and I immediately thought: PEDs! But anyways, those kids were absolute beasts. No, literally. They had hairy ass arms and legs, which bolsters my assumption that they were on that Melky Cabrera shtuff. I finished 2nd in our age group with a time of 25:52 and @gojwong finished 3rd with a time of 28:12. Another great race with my bro @gojwong. 2013 is going to be awesome bro, we start our “Race in Every State” with @chabeez. #run #running #5K #brazen #lakechabot

Half Marathon #2: US Half Marathon

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The US Half Marathon on November 4th, 2012 was my 2nd half marathon and boy was it a tough one. The course had a few hills, but that wasn’t why this was a tough race for me. My training for this half marathon wasn’t as good as I had hoped it would be. I had a Vegas trip that made me miss a week of running and I also bought some new basketball shoes that literally tore up my feet, so that took me out for another 2 weeks. I also think that the running program that I was on was a little too aggressive for me. It had a “pace run” once a week and I think that I may have set too ambitious of a goal for only my 2nd half marathon. My goal for this race was 1:45, which is an 8:00 minute mile pace and about 10 minutes quicker than my first half. The reason why I didn’t like this program and the pace runs was because it took out the fun and the freedom from my running. I started thinking about my finish time a little too much and stopped focusing on my love for running. There were a few times during the training that I knew I was over-training, but I decided to push through it thinking that that was the only way that I was going to improve. Over-training: the one thing I caution my own clients about every week, yet it was something I was doing during this training. The good thing is that I learned from this experience. Not that I have strayed too far away from it, but I want to get back to the point I was at when I first read “Born to Run.” I want to love running like I did when I first started running.

 

As for the race, I finished at 2:14:52. There were a couple of times I walked, I tied my shoes a few times, and use the potty once. It wasn’t my cleanest race and I blame it on my lack of proper training leading up to it. But like I said, I learned from this experience and I’m excited to run my next half.

 

I just started training for my 3rd Half Marathon and this time my only goal is to run. Cheers!

 

Mile 10

Mile 10

Training for my 2nd Half Marathon!

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So after the Western Pacific Half Marathon, I took a few weeks off from running to rest my feet and legs from all the miles it had covered during training. And then I decided to plan for my 2nd Half Marathon. This time around I decided to follow Hal Higdon’s

Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Novice 2 Program

Hal Higdon’s Half Marathon Novice 2 Program

 

This training program had me set a goal for my 2nd Half Marathon, something that the Novice 1 Program didn’t have me do. I decided to set a goal of 01:45:00, which works out to be an 8-minute pace throughout the course of a Half Marathon. I figured it was a little ambitious, but I went with it.

 

Here are my Instagram posts from my 5K and 10K experiences:

 

Bear Creek Trail 5K

My first race in my Vibrams

My first race in my Vibrams

“Another 5K under our belts. It was my first official race wearing my Vibram KSOs and it sucked!!! Well, not that bad, but it did slow me down a little bit and I got a bruise on the side of my right foot. The “swag” we got at this race was by far the best of all the races we’ve done: 2 shirts, a really nice medal, 2 cans of coke for our gfs (btw, thanks for the support ladies), good post-race food, a purple bag of goodies, etc. And the race cost only $29 to register!! One thing I learned: don’t wear my Vibram KSOs on future trail races. Happy Saturday everyone!!”

Drag-N-Fly Trail 10K

10K #2

10K #2

 

“Drag-N-Fly 10K…. Charlie 2nd overall, 1st in age group = 48:26 (7:19 pace). Me 23rd overall, 4th in age group = 1:02:44 (9:29 pace). This 10K was no joke! I never knew Antioch had hills like the ones we ran up. Definitely one of the tougher races I’ve participated in. S/o to my brother Charlie for running his first official race since his Cross Country days in high school; my homie killlled it. #brazen #brazenracing #dragnfly #10K #run #running”

So those were my most recent races. I was supposed to run the San Jose Rock ‘n Roll Half, but registration was way too expensive. So my next race will be the US Half in San Francisco on November 4th! I haven’t been able to run or work out these past few weeks because I bought of pair of Kobe’s to hoop in and they realllllly messed up my feet. They’re healed now, so I’ll be training hard these next 2 weeks. I hope everyone is running well! Cheers!

HMT: Days 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 & 36 “Just Around the Corner”

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HMT: Days 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 & 36

HMT: Days 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 & 36

Day 30: 5 mile run

5 miles in 39 minutes; one of my best treadmill runs

5 miles in 39 minutes; one of my best treadmill runs

This 5 mile run felt really good. I started with an easy pace and gradually increased the speed throughout the run. This was def. one of the best runs I’ve ever had on a treadmill. I have to thank my brothers Ant and Gordon for pushing me through this workout. For the past week or so, we’ve been texting each other each others runs, and these texts have served as motivation to keep pushing.

Day 31: 3 mile run or cross

Today was a very light day. I chose to do some cross training so that I could conserve my legs for the 10 mile run that I had scheduled for the Sunday upcoming. I chose to do 30 minutes of boxing drills with my brother Jeff. We did a few rounds with the mitts followed by a few rounds of light contact drills. Jeff has been training Muay Thai for close to 3 years now and has always been the go-to-guy for everything boxing. He’s really helped sharpen my boxing skills and has always given me a great workout with the mitts.

Day 32: 5 mile run + strength

5 miler

5 miler

Today’s run was just an ok run. I wasn’t really feeling it today, so instead of forcing myself to run a good time, I listened to my body and  took it real easy. I would run a mile, then walk a quarter mile, run a mile and then walk a quarter mile and continued this for the entire run. It’s getting real close to my Half Marathon and I don’t really want to push too hard during my running days if I’m not feeling up to it. It took me 55 minutes to complete these 5 miles and I was absolutely ok with that. After this run, I did some back, shoulder and tricep exercises.

Day 33: Rest

If you ever come to my neck of the woods, you MUST visit Little Lucca . On this rest day, all I did was watch the SF Giants game and consume this bad boy (I did not eat the remote. I just placed it in the photo to show you how ginormous this sandwich is.)

Crab Sandwich from Little Lucca... MmMmMmMmMmmmmmmm

Crab Sandwich from Little Lucca... MmMmMmMmMmmmmmmm

Day 34: 60 min cross

Ok, I approached this cross training day a little differently: I just hit the “Start” button on my iPhone stopwatch and did anything for an hour. I do not remember exactly what I did, but there was jump roping, burpees, lunges, pull-ups, bicep curls and much much more.

Hit start and work for an hour

Hit start and get to work

Day 35: 10 mile run

Oh hell yes, my first 10 mile run! And this wasn’t just any 10 miles, it was 10 miles around Lake Merced. Gordon and I started off with a very easy pace, but then picked it up every mile. At Mile 4, I had some water and walked while I drank instead of running while trying to drink. I tried to run while drinking during my 10K, but that did not turn out well; water in my nose + water in my eyes = not good. At Mile 8, I was about to reach into my pocket and pull out the GU packet that I had but I decided to push through, but I don’t think I’ll do that during the Half. I think I will have water and Mile 4, GU at Mile 8, and water and/or GU at mile 12. Here’s the break down of our run

My first 10 Mile run, I loved it!

My first 10 Mile run, I loved it!

Day 36: Stretch and Strengthen

Today I spent a lot of time with the foam roller. I took the knots out of my IT Band, adductors, quads, and calves. I also did a good amount of static stretching for my hamstrings and hip flexors. For my strength training, I did 2 chest, 2 bicep and 2 leg exercises. I didn’t push too hard today; I really want this week to be an easy week because my FIRST EVER HALF MARATHON is just around the corner! Holler!

I hope all is well with you all! Cheers!

HMT: Day 29 “The Stick”

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Stretch & Strengthen

Stretch & Strengthen

 

Day 29: Stretch & Strengthen

 

So this week I am skipping Week 10 and jumping straight to Week 11 because my Half Marathon is on 2 weeks. As I look at Week 10, it doesn’t seem like I’m skipping a lot so I don’t think it should be a huge deal.

 

Today was a light day and that is exactly how I wanted it to be. I went straight to the foam roller when I got to Crunch and spent a good 25 minutes on that bad boy. I worked on my IT Band, my Quads, my Fibularis (Peroneus) Longus and Fibularis (Peroneus) Brevis, and my calves.

 

The Peronei.... well, 2 of them

The Peronei.... well, 2 of them

 

I highlighted both the Peroneus Longus & Peroneus Brevis because these muscles piss me off. My right ankle has been sprained so many times before (inversion ankle sprain) and during my 10K on Saturday I rolled my ankle again. Thankfully there was no swelling and I’m able to walk, but today these two particular muscles were really tight. You see, when you have an Inversion Ankle Sprain (when your foot falls inward, towards mid-line) the outer muscles of your lower leg are overstretched or damaged, and these outer muscles of your lower leg are the Peronei Musculature (Longus, Brevis & Tertius).

 

So majority of my SMR with the foam roller was focused on these 2 Peronei. The massage I had yesterday definitely made it feel better, but it was still tight today. I even used “The Stick” when I was training my client tonight. If you don’t know what the “The Stick” is, you should get one, it works wonders.

 

The Stick..... it works wonders

The Stick..... it works wonders

 

As for the Strengthening portion of my workout, I did 2 back exercises, 2 tricep exercises, 2 shoulder exercises, and my ab routine. Today was a good day at the gym, I’m anxious to see how my 5 mile run goes tomorrow. I hope you all had great Mondays! Cheers!