2016/11/28 Monday & Reflecting

Accommodating new views, understanding dynamics, and adapting to the situation at hand.




Thanksgiving has always had the same traditions ever since I moved out here to Grand Junction Colorado. The Morning would start with pulling the turkey/goose/and/or/duck from the 5 gallon bucket of brine.

A quick rinse off and onto the second rack of the smoker it would find itself. A very simple breakfast of eegs or potato added burrito or quiche would be snacked on and out the door as a family we would go. I can almost smell the apple wood chips right now.

The Dude and his family would always host and while the meal was smoking we would hike, walk with the dogs, or play a round of disc golf as a family. ( SIDE NOTE HERE: It Just Started Snowing & The Boy Dog & I Are Stoked!! ) We always had the best damn weather on Thanksgiving now that I think about it.

Thanksgiving was always so cool because unlike X-Mas gathers, we didn't have any expectations. Everyone that showed up would bring something special to add and the games ( cards, board, dominos ) would go on into the weeeeeeeeee hours of the night.

In Summery, The past 15 years have always brought on EXCELLENT food. Those dinners delivered something organic and complemented with fresh herbs from the garden. I mean, meals made with real love. FANTASTIC brew!! We always had a special brew for sipping on through the day and throughout dinner time. I so looked forward to the relaxing day of stories, games, and whatever football game was to be watched.

So moving forward ..... This past Thanksgiving would be something totally different.

2016/11/24 Thank You

Happy Thanx-Giving!!! The Boy Dog & I crossed paths for the 1st time 11 Years Ago Yesterday. Thats Right!! The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Sadie Girl picked out the Boy Dog.

Halloween Hippies 2007

Sadie Girl was one of those kinda girls that liked other dogs and then every once in awhile she would loose her SH*T and scrap it out with another dog. My brother had a Blue-Tick Hound that Sadie Girl really like a lot but she hated his Boarder Collie.

Summer 2006

So the Boy Dog never left Sadie Girls side. He would constantly put his shoulder on her hip were ever she went. Thats basically how he got his name..... Shadow Boy

Only 5 Months Old Here

I am so thankful for were I am today. I have ALWAYS had clean running water, I have ALWAYS had a working sewer system, I have ALWAYS had a warm place to lay my head at night, I have ALWAYS had food in a refrigerator, I have ALWAYS had a proper running vehicle and/or bicycles, I have ALWAYS had pets around, I have ALWAYS had best friends that I could call at any moment in time, and I will NEVER take these privileges for granted.

Happy Thanx- 4 - Giving Folks!! Seek The Best Possible Outcome,

Cheers

 I know a lot about cars, man. I can look at any car's headlights and tell you exactly which way it's coming.

Mitch Hedberg

11/22 Another Bitchin Day

Nothing like waking up with The Boy Dog and to that wonderful smell of wet asphalt. Stretching and morning calisthenics have helped me out in more ways then I intended. My goal was simply opening my hips prior to Dreadmill training but I have gained so much than that. I went in very narrow minded physically and now reaping the benefits psychologically.

These past few months have allowed me to focus on goals and set clear intentions for my day and/or week ahead. When I started, my cloudy mind was all about how I screwed up this or didn't follow through with that or what ever old engram continued to play its self out. So cool to experience morning stretching and reflecting on previous events now.

Now, I have noticed that I have a longer attention span/focus while stretching or banging out a few ( 25 count ) sets of push ups. And speaking about that.....

Week of Nov 12th-18th
Push ups - 625
Squats  - 525
Crunches - 600

So clearly the Three Grand Challenge in a month was crushed. This challenge ends Dec 5th and I will be interested in what numbers come up then.

Things I Have Noticed:
My hams and gluteal muscle groups are often tight after Day 5
I can almost say that 25 push up sets are becoming easier
Taking one day off is key for me
Foam rolling has opened my hips, doesn't hurt as much, and breathing makes the difference for sure
Able to drop my butt a little low throughout the whole set
I can really burn my core by contracting my abs and then flexing up during crunches
My legs were a bit slow out of the gate during Spin Class

Early morning walk with the Boy Dog was awesome. The cold air was moving in from the west and damn near froze my face off. The walk back was tolerable. The commuter bike towards the office was brutal but the ride back was incredible. My legs felt so much stronger and pliable.

Tomorrow brings together family circles, added confusion, and I shall be quite an interesting atmosphere. Oh Those Holidays




Overall..... Pretty Sweet Day.... No Injuries.... The Boy Dog Ate Twice.... Pleased With This Time Lapse.... Its Only 40 Seconds Long.... Thank For Watching

MTB w/Style & True Balance

This Video Just Blew My Mind!! Horsethief is in my back yard and I defiantly CAN NOT descend this rock garden. This Guy CLIMBS it and then makes the ride down look effortless.

https://www.mtbproject.com/blog/7418/video-cleaning-horsethief-bench-fruitas-toughest-section-trail

Copy and Paste in YOUTUBE if it isn't linked up.


Training: Solid week in the gym. Feel really good about where I am and miles on the Dreadmill. Basically, found myself listening to my own body and reassessed the days schedule. My hips felt tight on Tuesday so I backed off a "medium" pace day and took it easy. No pulls, tears, or WHY DID I DO THAT horsesh*t. That definitely made a difference and I didn't notice how good I felt until after spin class and while warming up on the Dreadmill. Stoked With Myself.

MON- 4.45 miles Chest/Tri
Tues - 3.37 miles Back/Bi
Wed - 45min spin class, 3.98 miles, and Shoulders
Thurs - No Gym/Rest
Fri - At least 5 miles and Back only
Sat - Easy 3 miles and Arms only

Push Ups - 300
Squats  - 425
Crunches - 450
( Mon-Thursday with Friday and weekend to be accounted for still )
Missed Tuesday PM walk with the Boy Dog but all mornings were met with happy paws

Ortho: Another really good week in the office as well. Started working with an expecting mother and feeling comfortable with meeting her in her model of the world. Helped an elderly gent with some knee issues. A few tune ups with some regular clients. Actually, its hard to believe that it is already Friday.

Looking forward to Portland and the Ortho conference. Found an every Saturday farmers market, an every Monday market, and found a bike shop that offers $20 day rentals. SCORE!

Goals: Deep cleaning at the OM House, editing some movies for my next radio show, meeting my daily numbers of Squats, Push Ups, and Crunches. MAD Racing has another cyclocross race on Sunday Nov 20th and the weather should be perfect. Also, I wanna start a new style of time lapse videos. I have some some ideas in my head so will experiment this weekend.

Overall, I am feeling really good and I sure do enjoy calling Colorado home. It was beautiful day yesterday and the Boy Dog didn't miss a meal. Have A Wonderful Weekend


Cheers

I Am Really Doing This

My last flight in an airplane was back in 2006. I flew on United and they just don't make flying fun any more. I flew GJ to Denver, Denver to SF,CA, and then Air New Zealand over to Melbourne Australia for three weeks of sports, sports, and more sports.

Melbourne was hosting the 2006 Common Wealth Games and the main reason for the trip was that the Big Boys of Formula 1 were racing during that same time frame. SCORE!!

Now, the bad news..... Flying back to the States wasn't bad at all and total first class service the whole trip. The flight from SF to Denver started out OK but the turbulence was unreal scary for me. The plane rolled and rocked and the pilot struggled for lift. I can clearly remember watching the wind tips come up, and back down, and up again, and back down. Bad enough that "they" came on the overhead speaker to apologize and consul us freaked out passengers. 

We bounced along the front range and I SH*T you not..... We landed sideways.... The lady next to me grabbed my hand when the plane turned itself and my window seat was now the front windscreen with a clear path down the runway. Everyone cheered when the reverse thrusters engaged.

The REAL bad news.... I had to board a prop plane and do it all over again.... Denver to GJ in a 22 seater. The one flight attendant told us all to buckle up and no drinks on this flight. She causally mentioned that her arrival was a "little" bumpy. Needless to say, that flight cured me of ever wanting to fly again. And I Haven't.

Until now! The Dude has inspired me to give it another shot. Well, really, its that the car rental quoted me an absurd amount for a weekly rental. Anyway, The Dude has flown to the Southern Hemisphere twice this year and has already booked his Cambodia trip for this December. So now I figure it my time to SUCK it up and fly on.

I am flying to Portland Oregon this January for a four day Ortho-Bionomy conference. Should be pretty damn cool and I am already looking forward to the adventure. Started researching farmers markets, cultural events taking place around the city, and bike rentals. I am not setting any expectations, just stoked for 2017.

Please send me encouraging thoughts, well wishes, and reinsurance..... Thank You In Advance 

The BlueMan Group, Werewolves, and JAWS are featured as the soundtrack in this time lapse.

Cheers

That Was Only 7 Days Ago?

WHAT IS IT

Ortho-Bionomy is a gentle, non-invasive, osteopathically-based form of body therapy which is highly effective in working with chronic stress, injuries and pains or problems associated with postural and structural imbalances.

Who Is It For

Ortho-Bionomy helps people break the cycle of pain – without creating pain. It is very effective for recovering from injuries, surgery and stress. It aids the recovery by reducing muscle tension, soothing the joints, increasing flexibility and range of movement, improving circulation and relaxing the entire body.

Pain tends to ease with Ortho-Bionomy. Educational movements may be taught to help perpetuate the release of tension and muscle contractions. The release of tension and stress in the body brings about the relief from pain and discomfort. Function, structural alignment, balance and overall well-being improve. These benefits generally continue after the session is finished. 

Sometimes the body’s natural ability to remain balanced is short-circuited by stress, injury, accident, improper posture, emotional experiences or by overtaxing the body’s limits. When the body is out of balance, it adapts as well as it can, but in the process it may create patterns of even greater stress. The simplicity of Ortho-Bionomy means the practitioner and client may work together to re-educate dysfunctional patterns and restore normal functioning.

Whether looking for relief from specific discomfort or a safe and effective way to ease stress and promote relaxation, Ortho-Bionomy can be very beneficial. It can also work in conjunction with other healing systems. It is not a substitute for appropriate medical care, nutrition or exercise.

How Does It Work

Ortho-Bionomy stimulates the body's self-correcting and self-balancing reflexes by way of the proprioceptive reflexes located in our joints and muscles. The practitioner uses movement and gentle compression to find positions of comfort which allow the body to change the stress and pain patterns which are causing the discomfort.

Ortho-Bionomy helps people to break the cycle of pain. It works by stimulating appropriate reflexes that monitor the lengthening and contracting of our muscle system. This then allows the body to change the stress and pain patterns, which are causing the discomfort. Educational movements may be taught to help perpetuate the release of tension and muscle contractions. The release of tension and stress in the body brings about the relief from pain and discomfort.

Ortho-Bionomy also employs the homeopathic concept that what cannot be cured from within cannot be cured from without. Using gentle positioning and light touch, Ortho-Bionomy stimulates inner awareness to awaken within the individual a sense of natural balance and well-being, both physically and emotionally. The inner wisdom of the body is recognized and affirmed. Self healing occurs as the person remembers their natural ability to move away from pain and toward ease.

Wednesday was by far the strangest day in the office EVER. All I could think to do was Diaphragm releases and Lymphatic work. All of my clients just needed to discharge out their mouth and I allowed them to do so. One lady states," I just wanna lay here and close my eyes." I believe that she talked the most. AND thats OK by me. 

I released Diaphragms in hopes to allow deeper breathing because oxygenated blood is a good thing. In Theory, I worked on the Lymph Nodes because I don't think folks are going to be thinking proper nutrition or who even thinks of their immune system when they are walking around in a haze, fog, etc. I wanna believe I made a small difference and each client left feeling a little better/stronger going into the end of their work week. 

ONE WEEK INTO IT

Tooting my own horn here..... I reached my goal by working with two new clients already for the month!!! Thats Totally Awesome!! I feel really confident with the THREE GRAND CHALLENGE!!! After 7 days and even completely spacing out on NOV 10th..... 

Push Ups 400

Squats 550

Crunches 575

I noticed that on NOV 7th ( Day 2) my hamstrings were way tight. My chest and core felt strong as ever. I'm confident that I will be able to reach my goal of 1,000+ Push Up's, 1000+ Squats, and 1000+ Crunches in 30 days. I busted A$$ at the gym and pretty damn proud of myself for hitting the gym before the office all this week. Plus, morning walks with The Boy Dog.

So Overall, Its Been A Damn Good Year And I Am Thankful For This Body.

4:31 Min Miles!?!?!???

Oh That Boy Dog.... Always ready for the next adventure.... Doesn't matter what time it is... He is READY!!!

This is how we start EVERY morning 

This week was filled with some of the most magical morning walks. Our valley floor has become full of Fall colors and this time of year is a reminder of how many different types of trees live here. I thoroughly enjoy the sounds of leaves crunching under my shoes, noticing the deep fire red between all of the golden yellows masking the dwellings, and the Boy Dog can't wait to mark the next pile of fallen leaves.

Shadow Boys demeanor totally cracks me up while he anticipates my movements in the morning. I start with the foam roller and slowly transitions into calisthenics and he paces, licks his empty bowl, and stares with his ears.

Halloween Robot Night

The Dreadmill hours added up this past week and I feel way more confident about my running pace. Monday was a chest day, after 5.81 miles. Tuesday was an off day because I was in the office for a majority of the day. The Boy Dog and I still accomplished a double.

Wednesday was arms only. I was in the locker room when Old Man Ken told me about a movie to be shown during spin class. IT WAS AWESOME!! The instructor played a mountain bike video from a drone perspective while we all rode along for 50min. I then made my way over to the Dreadmill for 5.03 miles. Thursday offered a shoulder day but only 3.35 miles of Dreadmill time.

Friday was another chest day and rested the legs. Still rocked a double with the Boy Dog but no Dreadmill miles. Saturday was a solid back day and a very easy paced 4.71 Dreadmill miles.

Ashtonn performing demos during 1st Friday Art Hop

Terry pulling one of his pieces out of the kiln

So I watched the NY Marathon this morning and I couldn't believe my eyes. These pro runners were "easily" clicking off 4:38, 4:31, 4:41, 4:58 minute miles during mile markers 10-14. I know I couldn't pull off a sub 5min mile and going under 6min could be a 4 lap feat and then death. This to me is another amazing example of endurance, strength, and nutrition.

Can you see that crack?? 

Then, I came across The Running Man blog!!!! He took on a challenge and smashed it by 1,000+ and is now flirting with some other challenges. So TODAY, Nov 6th, I will give the Triple Grand a shot.

1,000 Air Squats, 1,000 Push Ups, & 1,000 Crunches. Wish me luck on Turkey Day!!! The Running Man posted his numbers on a spread sheet and that made it look a little more achievable then I first thought. His first couple of days were 4 sets of 25, took a shoulder rest day, went 100+ a day from there on out. I totally dig this and wish The Running Man all the best during his next challenge!!!

Nathan fire dancing

Goals:
01 Focused foam rolling and stretching
02 Complete the Triple Grand by Dec 5th
03 Spin Wed & Dreadmill again
04 Leaves & Hazard Waste at the OM House
05 Hosting the Tropical Aire Radio Show Friday at 6:30pm
06 Two new clients this month
07 Blog update in regards to "new" nutrition/food combinations while training
08 Last But Not Least.... Love On That Boy Dog

Stay Strong & Seek The Best Possible Outcome..... You Got This