Tag Archives: life help

Be in Better Shape, Be a Better Person

State of the Union

We began having our powerful classes write goals on the dry erase board. We are doing this so that we can see each others goals.  Just the process of writing a goal down can help keep one honest to their own personal goals. We at UF try to be a team, and hope this practice can help the team moving forward and working together.

 

In addition to this I have had two of the teams we train run to the Roberto Clemente statue at PNC Park this week. Selfishly, I love spending time going to see statues and memorials for humans who changed the world in a positive way. Growing up in PGH Roberto was a always a hero of mine. Tenzing also loves Roberto, he said his favorite baseball player is Jackie Robinson, and his second is Roberto.

 

These two separate actions got me thinking more about how to improve (personally and professionally). One of our awesome members said they wanted to improve in their sport, and be a better person, this hit me hard. Be a better person is such a simple thing. Simple acts can change the world, the butterfly affect is real. I took this one goal to heart and it helped me think about how I need to step my game up.

 

Now I am asking for a favor from all of you. Hold us accountable. We cannot be everything to everyone, yet we can help everyone to the best of our abilities. With that said please feel free to bring your constructive criticism to us. I know we make mistakes, but with trust and respect for one another, I also know we can serve you and our community better.

 

Hamer

Slow Cookin’

Fitness, Life Health

I’ve been training and I’ve been training others for two decades now, and I’ve seen some great strength feats and amazing physiques. I am writing this to tell you that it is all fleeting. Hopefully, this isn’t too negative for you. It’s written to make you enjoy these moments more.

 

Any time that I start to get a big head, I remember what Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay experienced. These two humans summited the highest mountain and came down to tell their story. No one had ever accomplished this and it still is one of the most impressive human feats of strength and resilience. Also consider they climbed above the death zone with none of the technology that we have available to us today. People skiing at Seven Springs have better equipment than they had climbing Mt Everest.

 

This story is important not just for what they accomplished but also to remind us that we have a brief time to celebrate our victories. Anyone who climbs a peak 8000+ meter mountain knows that one can usually only spend minutes at the top and then they must begin descending or they will die. They knew that if they did not begin descending  then the accomplishment would mean nothing. This is the same as training.

 

If you look at social media you will see 20 somethings with 6 packs talking about how to be healthy (mentally and physically). Consider the context, has this person trained, worked, raised a family, bought a house, or dealt with life stress for a decade or more? Generally, the answer is no. We are living in real life and there will be stress and ups and downs. So instead of comparing ourselves to a filtered photo at the top of someone’s life just ask did you take steps forward? This does not mean that you will move forward linearly, even homeostasis moves up and down.

 

So what I am asking you is to not be so hard on yourself. My good friend Ward told me I have a very healthy relationship with food, I truly didn’t grasp what this meant. Yet, he taught me that most see food as good or bad, I see food as something to eat. At times I like cake or beer, sometimes I even have donuts. I know doing this may mean I won’t have abs like Ward yet I also am conscience of my decisions and I’ll try to do and be better tomorrow.