Classic Races

Here are some links to videos I've taken of swimmers I've worked with over the past 10 years.

Kerry 100 Breastroke

Will 50 Back

Morgan 200 Breastroke

Will 50 Free (slow motion)

Isaiah 100 Free (AA winning)

Updates pending

I'm getting set to relaunch this blog with a combination of material from the past, and new material for the present.

I lost my favorite hat for 2 weeks - only to discover it in the lost and found at the Y just before they were about to empty it out.  Christmas miracle!

Update

Most of my current posting will be on the McAuley High Swimming blog until the season is over.  Check there for new posts.

Season Wrap

Today marked the official end of long course practices.  For the majority of the team at least.  We reached a real milestone this season as we send our first swimmers to the YMCA Nationals in Atlanta next weekend. Though I won't be in attendance I still feel the excitement and anticipation that comes with standing on the national stage - the highest competition offered in our league (YMCA).

The ending of the summer season combined with sending our first national swimmers seems to offer the perfect opportunity to reflect on where we've been.

Over 6 seasons completed, swimmers come and gone, coaches come and gone.   Countless memories and friends made.  Going from sending a single swimmer to Zones to multiple swimmers to Nationals.  Our numbers have grown along with out commitment to excellence.  Of course what sticks with me the most are the faces.  Faces of swimmers and parents as we cross paths - travel together and then part ways - both changed by the time spent together.

I am thankful for those changes and those challenges that I've experienced as part of this team.  They've helped me grow as a coach and an individual.  My goal is to provide opportunities for growth and change for those I work with both at the pool and within my practice.  Physical, mental and emotional growth are needed for positive change in athletics - personal health - and community well-being.  We can all help each other and ourselves by being open to the challenges that provide opportunities for such growth.  I hope to be able to continue to bring new ideas and challenges to this team for years to come and look forward to discovering what the next season brings.

Kettlebell Training Classes

The kettlebell has been around for a while.  It has been used for decades to build both impressive strength and total body stability.  It's been a goal of mine to bring this time tested tool to my friends and neighbors on the west side of Cincinnati.  I'm happy to announce that I will begin to offer Introduction to Kettlebells at my training space in Ross within the next week or so.

Space will be limited so if you're interested in learning how to use kettlebells the right way please contact me to reserve your spot.

Tentative Training Class Schedule

Wednesday: 6:30 - 7:30pm

Friday:  6:30 - 7:30pm

Sunday: 11am-12

Reach your goals by not reaching

What do you train when you go to the gym?  Are you there for chest and back day?  Are you looking to build strength?  Tone up "problem areas?"  Get your cardio in?

Let's take a step back and remember what the point of "working out" really is, or should be.

When it comes down to it I believe people spend their time training for a fundamental reason - they want to feel better.  They want to lose weight = feel better about themselves.  They want to tone or build muscle = feel better about themselves.  They want to not hurt = feel better.

This is where we need to elicit change.  If our focus is " I want to be different" we will be setting ourselves up for unhappiness.  Not to get all Buddhist on you, but remember it's the want or craving for things that creates suffering; that means wanting to avoid the unpleasant as much as it means moving towards the things we desire.  Acceptance of where we are in this moment frees us to take wise action and move towards our goals WITHOUT the constant struggle.  Acceptance is NOT the same as resignation.  Just because you choose to be ok with your current state does not mean you are less committed to eliciting change or movement toward your goals.

Steps to consider for success in your training:

1.  Reflect on where you are and accept it (don't beat yourself up for being ________), this is where you are and it is OK.

2.  Make a plan to move toward your goal (this is where a good coach can help ;-) )

3. Trust the plan and enjoy the ride.

When you disconnect your happiness from your final destination (weight loss, strength, pain, or function goals) amazingly it becomes easier to stick to your plan and reach your goals. AND you may even find yourself ENJOYING the processes.

Smashing Paleo Chocolate Cookies

I love a good cookie.  And I love chocolate.  And so, Smashing Chocolate Cookies were born.  They are easy peasy.  But beware, the chocolate packs a punch.  So keep them away from your toddler unless you actually want a bit of crazy in your life.

Why smashing?  Because it's British.  Yep, I'm one of those.  Plus, these cookies are just so darn good, they deserved a title with some punch.  When you make them, make sure you eat at least one while it's warm. You will be gobsmacked.

Smashing Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

2 C almond meal
1/4 C cocoa powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 stick of butter, melted
1/3 C maple syrup
dark chocolate bar of choice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sized bowl, combine all dry ingredients.  In a small bowl, combine the butter and maple syrup.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until a nice dough forms.

Drop spoonfuls of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes.  After you take the cookies out of the oven, but before you take them off the sheet, place a dark chocolate square (from the dark chocolate bar) on each cookie.  Make sure you do this gently, as the cookies will be very hot and you don't want to either burn your fingers or mush the cookies.  Let the chocolate topped cookies sit on the baking sheet for a minute or two, then remove to a plate or rack to cool.  Enjoy.

Workout - 12/15/2013 Variety

Warmup - mobility, jump rope, armbar

Bench Press: 45x5, 135x3, 155x3, 185x3
30x jump rope between sets

Barbell Rollout: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Handstand hold

Armbar 2x1

12/07/2012 - Hard

12/7/2012
YMCA

Warmup - mobility with armbar

24kg
GU: 3 x 1 with overhead carry
SQ: 2 x 5 with 10 second  hold
SW: 5 x 20
GU: 2 x 1
SQ: 8 x 10
1ASW: 4 x 10

Hip stretches, arm bar

note: felt good throughout, increased second set up GU and SQ by double last week

Primal Asian Dressing

I think a good dressing can make a world of difference for a salad. Especially if you're not a natural salad eater (as I am not). Here is my take on a slightly Asian dressing, minus the sweeteners.

Primal Asian Dressing

Ingredients:

1 shallot, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 C olive oil

1/2 C rice vinegar*

1/4 C Bragg Liquid Aminos

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a container that has a good, sturdy lid. I used an old almond butter jar. Shake well. Enjoy on your favorite salad.

*I know some people would not be on board with the rice vinegar. If so, just use your favorite vinegar in place of the rice vinegar!

Primal Pecan Coconut Cookies

It's the holiday season! Time for sparkling lights, presents, and sweet treats. Staying healthy during the holiday season can seem pretty impossible, but I find the primal sweets really help. Hence, I bring you my recipe for Primal Pecan Coconut Cookies.  

There's no need to indulge in those store-bought, preservative-filled holiday cookies when these babies are around. Of course, all things in moderation. So don't be like me and eat 5 or 6 at a time.

Primal Pecan Coconut Cookies

Ingredients:

1 C almond flour

1/2 C pecans (somewhere between roughly and finely chopped)

1/4 C ground flax seed

1/4 C shredded coconut, unsweetened

1/4 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1/2 C butter, melted

1/3 C maple syrup

1/3 C dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a smallish bowl, mix the melted butter and maple syrup. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, mix the flour, pecans, ground flax seed, coconut, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter/maple syrup mixture to the flour mixture and combine. Add the dark chocolate chips and mix again.

Using a regular spoon, drop cookie dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

  

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are set and golden brown.  Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow the cookies to cool for a minute or two.  Remove from sheet onto a plate or cooling rack.  

Now try not to eat them all.

Workout 11/25/2012 - Variety

11/25/2012

Gymnastic warmup -

• shake out
• shoulder rom
• elbow circles
• wrist circles
• pump
• lizard
• active hip flexion - pike x 10" x 5, straddle x 10" x 5
• butterfly
• arm bar

Headstand - 2 x 20"

Handstand - 4 x comfortable holds

Frog Stand - 3 x comfortable hold

Planche Pushup - 5x

Skin the cat x 5

Back Lever - full, 1/2 right, 1/2 left, straddle, straddle

Front Lever - full (cycle legs), 1/2 right, 1/2 left, straddle

Box Pistol - 15# x 3 x 3

Hollow Body - 3x to 80% fatigue

Dead Bug - 15# KB overhead 10x

Hip flexor stretch/G. Bridges

Workout 11/21/2012 - Easy

11/21/2012

Warmup: 5 min unweighted TGU

24kg

SQ: 3x10
SW: 3x10
Plank: 30"
10 Min GU practice: 1x full, 1x (supine-1/2 kneel), 1x (supine-windmill), 1x (supine-oblique sit)
SQ: 3 x 3 w/ 10" mob at bottom
Plank: 60"
1ASW: 2 x [20kg x 10, 24kg x 10] - total 40 per arm

Workout 11/20/2012 - Variety

11/20/2012

Warmup: WFS, Halo, Pump - 5 min

Deadlift: 135x5x1, 185x5x1, 225x5,4,3,2,1

A1: Handstand Holds - 1 x 5 @ wall

A2: Pullups: 45 x 3 x 5

B1: S/L chair squat: 10 x 3 x 3

B2: Hollow body hold: 1 x 3 (hold till 80% fatigue)

My Mission = Kaizen Wellness

Kaizen refers to philosophy or practices that focus upon continuous improvement.  Therefore, Kaizen Wellness is a dedication to continually improving one’s overall well being throughout one’s life’s time.  This includes all the multitude of factors that come together dynamically to make an individual.

This blog will hopefully serve as a guidepost to stimulate the continuous development of the physical, psychological, individual, global, and spiritual aspects that shape our journey.

Thanks  for taking the time to visit. 

Cheers

Workout 11/19/2012 - Medium

11/19/2012 - Medium

5 min mobility warmup

24kg

SW 5×10

Partial get-up (supine – windmill) 5×1 continuous

1A SW 10 – 15 – 10 – 15

Partial get-up (1/2 kneel – stand) 1×5

SQ 3×10

H2H SW 5×10

notes:  today is day one of a new training program – planned on today being medium intensity and took this workout from the HKC manual since it was listed as medium.  I had to modify it down especially with the get-ups.  It called for 3 sets of 5 partial get-ups from supine to 1/2 kneel – this is much too hard for me at this point with the 24kg bell.  Felt good when finished though right wrist began “clicking” during the 1A SW set, felt fine H2H.