I’ve lost it . . .

. . . Fatty weight, some body fat percentage, an inch off the waist, that is … and more importantly, an addiction to rice in my meals (for this Filipino guy, that’s quite a feat!). It’s rare that you’ll ever hear me speak the words “I’m on a diet,” and, don’t worry, you still won’t (technically)! I work out regularly in the wee hours of the morning. I train/compete at running events throughout the year. Just today I rode my bike for an hour on an all uphill route. I consider myself in pretty good athletic shape, and I believe those who know me personally would agree. Probably because of my active lifestyle, but my metabolism has yet to slow down, as I can still eat various guilty pleasures and not gain weight, not work on a Santa belly, or even worry about counting calories. However, I knew I really should look at what my intake was, and be more aware of my food. This thinking prompted the beginning of one of my most non-scientific of real-life experiments, and just recently… I’ve decided to take it back to the roots of eating and take on the “Caveman Diet,” also referred to as the hunter-gatherer diet, the Paleolithic Diet, or simply paleo. I wouldn’t do this write-up justice if I didn’t credit the coaching/tips/recipes from my friend Erica Goldsmith to this new eating lifestyle that Ruth and I have made a commitment to work on. The almost two years prior to Erica being crowned Miss West Virginia USA 2010 she adopted the paleo lifestyle of eating, and she continues with paleo to date. Not that I have any desire to (or even have a chance of) winning a Miss USA title, but I figured a fellow TRX Training fitness junkie who can keep up with a full schedule, maintain a decent eating regimen, and still have high energy, well, her eating lifestyle just might fit into my similarly unorthodox schedule of activities. As with most dietary approaches, paleo has its critics, especially ones referring to it as a fad diet. Those who know me well know I’m the guy who will shop at Costco for bulk pricing on ribs, steak, pork chops, etc. I’m the guy who will admire the garnish, I mean the vegetables, at restaurant meals and who will leave them on the plate, except to perhaps sample them once in a while, or if Ruth asks me to set a good example to our kids by eating my veggies when our kids are present. So, paleo is a fad diet? I’m not so sure about that, at least not in my situation the past 30 days …and going forward, as this lifestyle is a part of me now. Here’s the skinny on paleo as I see experienced it: there is no strict measurement of food, or a time of day to eat, or a firm pattern of days to eat this or that, or fancy fluids or meals to purchase, or calories to count. Not that there’s anything wrong with those other diets (just my opinion), but we’re talking about a diehard carnivore, so this “unga bunga diet,” seemed right up my alley. I need to add the fact that in May I’m participating in my first OC Marathon (wearing combat boots from The Boot Campaign, in support our troops!). For me such training meant carbs, carbs, and more carbs equated to my energy for training. Erica shared some reference material on “paleo for athletes,” (as my go-to rice, potatoes, pasta, etc., aren't paleo) as I didn’t want my OC Marathon training to falter because my energy stores were low. Sure enough I’ve not complained about lost energy. In fact, I feel as though my energy level has gone up, probably since my body doesn’t have to waste energy burning off processed foods! I also need to add that I almost fell into analysis-paralysis of this lifestyle. It was the last full week of February and, as it sounded right, I told Erica that Ruth and I would start on March 1st. (It was neat that Ruth was going to go paleo with me as well; yay, for spousal support!) As we hit Friday, February 25th, Ruth and I decided that that Saturday we’d begin. Talk about a Filipino guy who eats four servings of starchy white rice (yummmmm) in three meals, and to start paleo on a weekend where temptations are all around? Geez, Louise! Shocking you out of your comfort zone usually works best, right? (Now we’ll make the rest of this just about me as I know females do not disclose their weight loss statistics. Just a smidgen, however: While Ruth didn't have weight loss issues before paleo, she lost weight during this time as well, loves the healthier cuisine/snacks that we eat … and a happy wife is a happy life!) In my first seven days of paleo, I shed six pounds and dropped three percentage points off my body fat percentage. My energy levels didn’t falter (even though I ditched my rice & breads), and I actually felt more energetic during my 5:30 AM workouts. Overall, by the end of this initial 30 days on March 26, I lost 9 pounds, ditched 6.5% body fat percentage, and gained self-awareness in my choice of food ingredients. I’ve lost craving for processed food, and gained more energy to fuel my workouts. Our kids love the "caveman" desserts and snacks (granted we're not forcing anything on them). At this point in their lives, they're growing kids. While Ruth and I have supreme rule over their diet, if they're 70% paleo with us out of their own curiosity, that's better than having 100% grumpy kids who'll find ways to secretly consume ice cream, hot dogs, rice, etc. Remember this eating lifestyle is supposed to make you enjoy life better, physically and mentally. Ruth and I would rather to have open communication with them on their likes, rather than force something on them. I digress ... What I like about this lifestyle is something Erica (and other paleo veterans) reminds me: you can’t be 100% paleo, 100% of the time. I know what I should avoid, and I enjoy what is recommended. I enjoy the results of this lifestyle, and this lifestyle lets me enjoy random non-paleo items, without damaging what I’ve set in motion this past month. The whole purpose was to have a better lifestyle; not for me to suffer (hence why I shun against the term “diet”). How could I have a better lifestyle if at a friend’s surprise luncheon I have to just watch others enjoy what’s served, while I preach about my new lifestyle as I eat a carrot stick? Hypocrite! LOL! One Saturday, a neighbor poured some beer in two steins and walked it over to me one weekend our kids played together. In our conversation of my upcoming races and training, the topic came up about my marathon training, which I briefly described my eating lifestyle as I finished the drink he poured. He felt so guilty that he handed me a beverage that didn’t meet the criteria. I laughed as told him that it was nothing to be bothered with, and this lifestyle gave me leeway. Now his interest was piqued, as we casually spoke about paleo more. Mission accomplished about getting the word out that this is NOT a diet. At home I’ll cook what’s scrumptious (paleo-style) for my family, but I’ll not restrict our kids’ craving for a bowl of ice cream, a batch of starchy steamed rice, or even alter our scheduled Daddy-Son lunches where they get to choose where to eat and talk, without Mommy around. So, again, what that it’s “only” 70 percent of the time that they’re our little caveboys? I’ll take that over 100% of haphazard eating that contributes to obesity. I love that they enjoy my caveman bread, my caveman cookies, etc., and even assist in making them since they prefer to snack on them! I love that they even joke about my caveman lifestyle and the usual quibbles about cavemen not owning iPhones, cavemen not wearing Oakleys, or cavemen not driving cars. Such as how casually Erica introduced this lifestyle to my family, I believe I’ve gotten the message across the next generation in my household just as subtly … and those messages/methods are the most effective ways to gain support. So a note to my friends who now know what my eating lifestyle is these days … PLEASE do not discount me for pot lucks, receptions, picnics, happy hours, etc. I can still throw down with the best when it comes to eating, and I can still whip up delicious food on the grill or in the kitchen! I'll still drink and do shots with you! LOL Just to make a point, the food I ate during these 30 days is not what most would consider “diet food,” and the following are a sample of these easy-to-prepare AND delicious caveman meals … unga bunga …

BBQ pork ribs

Chicken, with peaches, almonds and raisins

Curry shrimp, with spinach

Grilled golden pompano w/ sea salt, ground black pepper, with Chinese broccoli

Blackened pork chops, w/ pompano/onion/bell pepper omelet (yes, this was a breakfast)

Steak (black/red peppers) and eggs (sea salt/paprika) (yup, for breakfast)

Cookies: almond meal, honey, cinnamon

Cookies: coconut, chocolate nibs

Caveman Brownies: pear, almond flour

Cookie sheet: almond flour, dark cocoa, raw agave

Oozing chocolate lava cake: dark chocolate, almond butter, almond flour

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I had to include the Oakleys in the pictures. BTW, I'll run out of Oakleys to put in the pictures, before I'll run out of paleo dishes and goodies to make! So now you see that this longtime carnivore (and STILL one!) didn’t have to starve himself the past 30 days. However, this caveman did: enjoy his delicious meals/portions, maintain his energy for the marathon training, learn new recipes along the way, drop some body fat percentage points, and lose & keep off some weight.

In summary ... Things I had to work on:

• paying more attention to what "alternative" ingredients I could use in my cooking


• browsing through new recipes and adding new cuisine to my palette


• controlling myself in cooking ALL the delicious desserts that are paleo-friendly

Things I have found to be positive experiences:

• maintaining a lower body fat percentage


• maintaining a lighter body mass (good for running LOL)


• powering through longer workouts due to increased energy


• liking the more critical "chef's taste buds," as my taste buds are more aware


• loving the fact that this is NOT strict when it comes to casual non-paleo eats/drinks


• enjoying the fact that I still LOVE all the foods I eat


• continuing to be happy that my family supports paleo (makes for easier kitchen duty)


• (OK, I'll have to sneak this in here: increased libido, not that there were issues before)

I told Erica that should paleo become a lifestyle for me, I would love to share the paleo lifestyle with at least ten others, in order to continue to spread the word …and some of these ten have already hit me up, so I’m happy that I have intrigued interest along the way! You think you want to eat better choices, manage the weight/body fat statistics, curious about the food I shared above ...or just want to sample my oozing chocolate lava cakes? ...then hit me up! LOL

Life is short, and you should enjoy the fruit of your labor. Why settle to torture yourself over what you can or cannot eat? Opt for a lifestyle, instead of a restriction … and enjoy!

Oakley-dokely!

Thankful for Life Lessons

(all photos in this blog entry were shot for The Boot Girls and The Boot Campaign, and are courtesy of professional photographer Scott Roeder of Scaughty Photography)

In 2005 I had a successful LASIK surgery. After wearing glasses or contact lenses since sixth grade, I became the poster child for LASIK, as I could see better than 20/20, I didn’t suffer from any “halo vision,” and my eyes did not dry up. It was neat to be able to purchase sunglasses and not have to pay the extra $200 - $300 to convert them into prescription sunglasses, or if a particular style could even be converted. Gone were the days I had one pair of prescription sunglasses, as my sixty-nine pairs of Oakley eyewear can tell you … I loved it! Then on October 16, 2010, I felt blind to the world around me.

My friends and I regularly participate in the Irvine Lake Mud Run (ILMR), a 5K muddy obstacle course along scenic Irvine Lake in Orange County, CA. Nothing like thousands of runners tackling hills, mud pits, walls, nets, and even more mud, all in the name of fun! On October 16 our Gavin’s Groupies team planned something special, with two runners who running blind: John Flores, Team Captain of the Gavin’s Groupies team, and model Heather Rene Smith, would wear specially designed goggles. These goggles were spray-painted so John and Heather would not be able to see. This was a way to experience how a little two year old, Gavin Stevens, experiences the world around him.

Gavin was born with Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), a very rare, genetic hereditary disorder that causes blindness in infants and children.

Not novices to the muddy fun at ILMR, it was always neat to see that at each race the ILMR organizers continued to top the previous race with more muddy surprises and challenges. However, imagine running a 5K muddy obstacle course blind! Imagine the day of a race you were to lose your sight. How would you find your way to just make it to the start line? How would you know what obstacle awaits you? How would you even take that first step? Would you even take that first step … and miss out on the fun others would have just taken for granted? John and Heather took that first step, in order to bring awareness to Gavin and the mission of the Gavin R. Stevens Foundation. As such with someone losing their sight, friends and family are around as support, and Jayson Nelson volunteered to be John’s guide and I was Heather’s guide. It was an eye-opening experience for me.
Heather and I didn’t practice the blind/guide coordination, and quickly we learned how it would be in real life should one be stricken with blindness out of nowhere. Let me just add to the equation that John, Jayson, Heather and I wore combat boots from The Boot Girls, to support our troops, as it made it that much more difficult to not step on each other’s feet when I’d say, “turn left,” and I really meant “turn right.” Come on, how many times has a sighted person had to verbally say such directions? It was quite humorous at first, but I think we were both using humor to hide the fear, the fear of uncertainty. Oh my goodness, what were we about to get into?

At the start of the Gavin’s Groupies wave, the organizers of ILMR asked Troy Stevens, Gavin’s dad, speak to the crowd about our Foundation, who the Gavin’s Groupies are, and what John, Jayson, Heather, and I were about to do. Whatever fears I had about tripping over Heather five steps into the race were slowly going away, as Troy spoke about all the Gavin’s Groupies teammates wearing orange, and how we were there to help find a cure for Gavin’s blindness … SOON. It was an emotional talk by Troy.

Around me I could see the sea of orange shirts and I could hear the cheers, and it was comforting. My strategy with Heather was to interlock our arms and I would turn her hand the direction we were to go, and provide verbal cues about hills, dips, mud pits, etc. Oh boy, easier said than done. Heather was blind before we got to the start line. I had to describe the hundred yard dash to her, as it led to a hill where we would have to hang left. She was already asking what we needed to do first, what was just ahead of us, how far away it was. Oh my… During Troy’s talk I felt calm. Now that Heather was asking me all these questions, I started imagining the running sound of the hundreds of runners in the wave we were in who were behind us, stampeding behind us as we charged across the field. The horn sounded and our wave took off!
I looked at John and Jayson to observe their stride, and they were fearless (Oh, did I mention the four of us did some friendly trash-talking among us before the race? Such grownups … who knew? LOL). I observe folks on a daily basis, looking at verbal, auditory, and kinesthetic cues, to see if they’re congruent or in conflict with each other. That start of the race had to be one of THE MOST classic example of congruency ever. There was no holding back from Heather that she was friggin’ shocked at this experience: squeezing my arms and hands, the haste in her tone of voice, and the words she used … yeah, no mixed signals there! Could it have been the sound of shoes pounding the pavement around her? Could it have been the uncertainty of the terrain her boots made contact with with each stride that she took? Or could it have been the misdirection of her guide (ahem) who had problems with his left/right directions, causing some minor crashes?

We made the first hill and turn relatively OK, and we were not trampled upon. As we reached a downhill slope Heather went at a lot faster pace than I would’ve expected. Considering we were interlocked at the arms, she went forward, I slowed down, she slowed down, and I went forward… we could’ve been a pair of bobble-heads filming a skit. What the heck? Couldn’t Heather read my mind?

It was at this point that it really clicked, “Reggie, she’s blind and you are her guide. You need to build trust, and trust is a two-way street.” I should no longer rely too much on mental telepathy. She should no longer rely on my cracking jokes when we ran into each other. We should experience our surroundings together. This was BLIND MUD RUN LESSON #1. (It was a much-needed epiphany for us to get through 5K of this.)
I found that while I tried being proactive and describe the layout way in advance, it didn’t matter too much. What was important was the here and now. BLIND MUD RUN LESSON #2.

Aside from the fact that Heather was blind, she is quite a capable person. Know that she can handle herself; as long as I don’t steer her wrong, I should concern myself to focus on us moving forward. BLIND MUD RUN LESSON #3.
When I sensed uncertainty from Heather, it was my job to recognize those signals and counter them with acts of confidence, so she could build trust in my judgment and direction. It was fun to crash into each other and into our surroundings, but it was more important to let her know that I knew what I was doing and that she could trust me. BLIND MUD RUN LESSON #4.

At times I had to let go of our interlaced arms, place myself ahead of her, and face her, so I can test the terrain sliding down the muddy embankments. Doing so, Heather could just slide down against my arm, knowing I’d stop us both at the bottom. BLIND MUD RUN LESSON #5.
At times I had to loosen my grip of death, when the path was flat, clear of rocks or hills, so she could enjoy as much of the surroundings as she could. It was neat to see her smile and actually run with some freedom. BLIND MUD RUN LESSON #6.
This was the ILMR, where mud and fun mixed well together. Enjoy life, have some laughs … and dunk your friend in the mud, given the chance to do so! It’s pretty rewarding to enjoy some fun, especially as your goals are well at hand. BLIND MUD RUN LESSON #7.
I’m not a swimmer and I don’t execute the best swimming strokes at all. Being so close to the edge of the lake at times, and with Heather crashing into me she didn’t know any better that it was too close for comfort for me running closest to the edge of the water. Face your fear, run along it, and it will just blend in the background with everything else. BLIND MUD RUN LESSON #8

Folks would stare, point, and make comments, at our mishaps during the course. When they found out Heather was blind, their demeanor was open and helpful, and offering cheers of encouragement. Awareness of other people’s circumstances helps bring the inner Good Samaritan out of people. BLIND MUD RUN LESSON #9
Over the course of various walls, hills, mud pits, tires, and rocks, I observed Heather’s transition from showing signs of excitement change to fear to confusion to trust and to accomplishment. Our official photographer for The Boot Girls expertly captured moments of our race, and as I look back at those pictures, each picture is definitely worth a thousand words. I consider Heather a close friend, but I found out even more about how she views life, from the interaction and conversations we had about the course, in addition to the casual interaction and conversations we had about random topics. Sometimes during the most obscure and challenging times is when you find out the most about the people you surround yourself with. BLIND MUD RUN LESSON #10 … wait a second … these lessons don’t seem to apply to just BLIND MUD RUNS now. Wow.
This whole experience gave me a perspective of Gavin’s life, and others who do not have sight. Gavin relies on his family and friends to support him, but he also wants to experience life as he “sees” it. Gavin has trust in those who he has built a relationship of trust with. It’s not a matter of just verbal cues or physical cues, but a matter of his experiencing the world together with them. As a sighted individual, I felt blind to some of the emotions associated with walking, running, falling, and getting up. I was humbled by what I experienced that day. I was humbled by how two year old Gavin impacted me this way. I was humbled by how The Stevens Family opened their world to Gavin’s Groupies.

We walk around with blinders that we inadvertently place there, which hinder us from what we want to do, while those without sight live life blind to barriers as nothing could hinder them from what they desire to experience. I’m dedicated to helping find a cure for Gavin’s blindness, as I know Gavin will do amazing things. I hope you can help us? (check out our video on this page)

Oakley-dokely!

Bring On The Men!

I thought there simply was not a more fitting title for this blog.

My friends know I'm up for just about anything fitness-related. Whether it's a new series of fitness DVDs, an invitation to participate in a mud run, or more recently, an opportunity to work out with some fit folks at Pure Barre at their newest location in Mission Viejo. I heard about Pure Barre through friends, and I might add an important factor, my female friends. I accepted an invitation to Pure Barre's "Bring On The Men!" the weekend of June 19-20. Guys were encouraged by their female friends to experience 55 minutes of the Pure Barre Technique (PBT) that has the motto: Lift, Tone, and Burn!

My friend Ashley Affeldt (everyone say hi to Ashley, above) sponsored me for this unique opportunity, and, wow... let me tell you all about my day at Pure Barre...

WARM UP: As with any fitness program we started with a warm up. Granted I've not worked out in front of room full of mirrors in a while, I found it actually helped me see how my form was during this phase of the workout. It also gave me a chance to see all the guys and gals in my class, so there was that bonding experience going already.

As you can see I'm already out of sync, this whole reverse-image-in-the-mirror and following Monica Pommier (Instructor, Owner of the Mission Viejo & Newport Beach studios) movements, was confusing for me. How will I last the full 55 minutes? On the one hand my lack of coordination was saved by some floor exercises and some work with the weights. On the other hand, I soon realized this was the calm before the storm.
The competitive nature in me prompted me to sneak a peak in between sets at some of the other fellas and it looks like we were all on par with our female counterparts thus far.
CORE WORKOUT: Soon the core of the PBT began: Thigh, Seat, and Ab Work. I underestimated the intensity of the PBT as Monica led us through some of the most intense, but small, isometric movements combined in a class. If not for the high-energy music I would've been too focused on the burning feeling these movements created on key areas of my body.

About a month ago I suffered a crazy hip injury that knocked me out of my workout routine for three weeks, and at this point I wasn't sure if I should tell Ashley that this "Manly Man" may have to bow out. However, I found that the exercise movements of the PBT provided the burn, but since it did not involve any bouncing or jumping, I would have to find another excuse to not go through this intense program. Monica had to help adjust my stance a couple of times, but other than that, I continued with the program.
After various focused exercises my abs, hips, glutes, and arms were telling me in unison that THIS had to be one of the most intense 55 minutes I have ever worked out...yet my recently-recovered hip was still intact! I spoke with the other guys in the class and we all had the same sweaty, exhausted, and relieved look ... giving me some cue that I was not the only guy wondering how Ashley, Monica, and our female classmates could do this regularly and not smell of Icy Hot.

I'm very grateful for Pure Barre welcoming me and the other guys to "Bring On The Men" as guys very seldom get a chance to participate in fitness classes for females. Personally I like to try various programs and routines, as I'm usually asked by both guys and gals alike, "What would you recommend if I want to...?" I consider myself very well-versed in some of the innovative programs out there, but was not so much with the ones that especially focused on goals and areas on most females' checklists. I also consider myself a pretty fit individual and may have done a great job masking my pain. In the days that followed my abs, my thighs, and my glutes were STILL burning from ONE session at Pure Barre! I cannot make that statement about my previous or current programs.

I hear that Pure Barre invites us guys twice a year to experience how the PBT works out the body through zero- to low-impact movements, providing effective results in a short amount of time. You can be sure I'll have my guy friends check it out for themselves, if I haven't already flooded them with stories from my one day with Pure Barre. As for my female friends, you all are fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in the Pure Barre classes. It's no wonder talk about Pure Barre has caused more studios opening up. It works and more folks want to experience it. On Saturday, June 26 the Mission Viejo studio will have a Grand Opening Party. Please check it out for yourself and speak with Monica, other Pure Barre instructors, and the Pure Barre students!

Thank you, Monica (above) for inviting us guys to Pure Barre for "Bring On The Men!" It was quite a rewarding experience!

Tracking my Insanity

My friends know me for being a pretty active guy in terms of fitness. In the past couple of years, I've been the guinea pig and crash test dummy for P90X and the TRX Suspension Training System. The results are crazy awesome and it's why it's cool whenever I hear my friends purchase these fitness programs and take on the challenge!

Not to disappoint, it was bound to happen...a program that describe the state I was in in wanting to punish my body further...INSANITY. I started the Insanity: 60-Day Total Body Conditioning Program. I started my 60-day journey on June 7th with a Fit Test of eight exercises to establish a baseline for my improvement. I consider myself pretty fit, so when I really did push myself to log this initial measurement of my performance. As with anything that can be measured, it can be improved. I decided to shoot for a 10% improvement on my counts by the time my Fit Test came in two weeks.

Two weeks later, on June 21st it was time to see how I fared, not sure if the 10% improvement in two weeks was aggressive or not. The first two exercises I didn't hit my 10% targets, so at 5:30am (when I usually work out) it was not looking too promising. Fortunately as the Fit Test went on, I was able to hit my 10% targets for the remaining six exercises...I was pretty stoked!

In two weeks it will be time for my third Fit Test, and I'm thinking an increase of 5% from my June 21st results might be a more realistic goal. In any case, seeing my overall improvement from the first Fit Test was encouraging. Even the first two exercises where I missed my mark, I'm pretty proud of the increase from my initial fit test. Overall, I'd say it was a pretty darned good performance. There was no merit in hanging my shoulders low after missing the mark on the first two exercises.

It's important to stay focused on the big picture and not getting hung up little things.

Oakley-dokely!

It's been a while!

Wow! Looking at the last post there have been a lot of activity that I really SHOULD have blogged about. Fortunately Facebook has pictures, videos, and some story to tell about the last seven months in the the active life of OakleyOC!

In January, I missed the deadline for the World Famous Camp Pendelton Mud Run ... again. The Xterra Trail Run at Crystal Cove was postponed again as Mother Nature was having fun with her rain machine.

In February, Mother Nature continued to pound sunny Southern California with rain the week before the Xterra Trail Run at Crystal Cove was to happen. It became known as the "Crystal Cove Curse," and was set for an April 25th date.

In March, it was all about continuing to train for Irvine Lake Mud Run happening on April 17. It was exciting to have about 30 people register for our socialMUDia team, comprised of Twitter, Facebook, and in-real-life friends!

In April, the Irvine Lake Mud Run proved to be a HUGE success. It was not so much that the venue was scenic and challenging at the same time. It was more about the socialMUDia team having a wide spectrum of fitness/running levels combining into a team that had a lot of fun that day. Also in April the Xterra Trail Run finally happened! It had to be THE MOST CHALLENGING 5K that I have ever run! Nothing like punishing yourself on a beautiful outdoor trail in Crystal Cove, and reaching the top of the course towards the end where you see a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean! Simply amazing!

May was a recovery month for me. While I wish I had a better story for my hip injury that knocked me from running for three weeks, I don't. I was casually running through a parking lot and decided to hurdle over a parking barrier. I landed fine, but I may have twisted incorrectly. It didn't help I had the Xterra race the next morning. By that Monday I could not lift my left leg using its own muscles. Walking around with a cane, electroshock therapy and physical therapy for three weeks and my doctor cleared me to train again ... for the June 5th Playa del Run in Huntington Beach!

On June 5, I participated in a 5K Beach Run at the Playa del Run in Huntington Beach. It was June Gloom time, but just being along the sand for the race was refreshing. It was my first race since my infamous imitation of House, M.D., and I didn't feel any pain during or after the race. There was a second part of the Playa del Run event ... a one-mile sand sprint with obstacles. That was so much fun as there was the challenge of the stop and go motion in between obstacles on loose sand, in addition to the mere fact the race was on loose sand! Nevertheless, I survived without any injury!

I promised myself after the above, it was time to put myself through the INSANITY: The 60-day Total Body Conditioning Program. Follow my progress through the next 60 days!

With any program, whether someone else's or one that you create, set up a log and your goals. How can you hit a target if you can see the target? Set a target and visualize it!

Oakley-dokely!

And like a good neighbor...

The fastest route to a destination is a straight path. Whether I’m diving out of a plane from 12,500 feet or facing a 145 foot long mud pit before the finish line, that option holds true. However, pulling the chute at 7,000 feet I was able to observe a 360 degree view of the surroundings I generally do not see. Perhaps, if I didn’t crouch down and waded through the cold mud I would not have corrected the knee problem I developed mid-way in the race. As they say “It’s the journey, not the destination.”

When I lived on the East Coast my home and car insurance policies were with State Farm Insurance. When I bought my engagement ring, through my MULTIPLE attempts at proposing at the right moment (and chickening out) I was happy to know that the ring was insured by State Farm. After our wedding we moved to Orange County and one of the first things we did as a couple was to visit our local State Farm Agent, the late Jonathame Wang, and his son Steven Wang. After completing our initial evaluation and writing of policies, we continued to develop our relationship through additional policies as we entered various life stages. I would even stop by just to hang out with the staff at the office and catch up with everyone.

It was sad news when Jonathame passed away in 2008. However the calm came from knowing he lived up to what he advised my family and many others, that life insurance is for those we leave behind. Steven continued in advising my family and as we hit another life stage, we added an additional policy this summer.

As part of a reorganization within State Farm, my family’s policies were somehow transferred to a new agent. We were surprised with this development and we worked on having our policies serviced back to Steven and his office. Our requests were met with some resistance, and for a brief moment we felt our relationship over the years was falling apart. Over the course of three weeks we eventually received a post card from our “new” agent confirming the fate of our long-established relationship with Steven, and with State Farm for that matter.

As with any journey we expect some bumps on the road and we could’ve taken the “easy road" and switched all of our policies with another insurer. That decision would have been swift and without much emotion. However it would also feel like instead of floating around in my parachute, I was essentially cutting off my harness. That journey would come to an end quickly.

As people use social media for various purposes, I’m friends with @StateFarm on Twitter. I made a general comment about my situation, within 140 characters of course! I received a Direct Message from a Public Affairs professional at State Farm’s Corporate HQ that the appropriate individuals would hear my concerns. This person added, “Let me know how it turns out…I’m happy to help.” Within a few days my family received notices in the mail that all of our policies were back to being serviced by Steven Wang and his office. Various comments, pros and cons, toward social media exist and people forget that it’s not a “thing,” but rather a community. I’m going to sound like a commercial for State Farm … BUT … through the Twitter account @StateFarm “…and like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” Thank you, @StateFarm! You demonstrated well your commitment not only to the social media community, but also to the community of policy holders who value relationships fostered over the years.

Our journey continues with State Farm, and I’m certain various life stages will occur, prompting updates to our policies. This chapter had its bumps, but that experience made this portion of the journey a memorable one. Most see me as the mud running, skydiving, mountain biking, fitness training, Oakley loyalist, who loves to BBQ and support local Orange County restaurants and businesses. I also want to point out that I’m a CPA, an Investment Advisor … and I’m licensed to write insurance policies as well. I have colleagues who would gladly reciprocate these professional services back to me and my family. Nevertheless my family and I choose to stay with State Farm because of Steven and his staff. We were fortunate to have met Jonathame and Steven when we first settled in Orange County over a decade ago. We’ve found that our relationship with their legacy will continue through many life stages in the years to come!

As with any journey it’s easy to take the quick way out. However memories built on relationship and time? Those live on well past that mile marker in the mud!

Oakley-dokely!

*****
I am not being compensated to write this plug: I just want to provide Steven Wang’s contact information for those who want to just even meet Steven and his team. You’ll find Steven exudes the relationship-building that is important in addressing personal and confidential needs.

Steven Wang
State Farm Insurance
15333 Culver Drive
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 552-3600

Got it right the first time

Wow, I’ve not made an entry since after my first ever mud run? The summer plans and back to school adjustment for the kids REALLY took charge!

On October 25, 2009, I participated in the Inaugural Irvine Lake Mud Run with my friends, spread out over team and individual participants. It was great to have my friends join me as we’re all just about getting together for fun. Going into this event, for the most part, we never competed in timed events (except Karaoke contests…right, @PaulTTran?). Coming out of it, we joke about the memories from our first timed event (@RicDizon joking that it was his belly that edged out @PaulTTran by 1/100th of a second; at one point during the race @smashgirl even yelled out "Reggie!" to me just say hi, as she rounded one of the trails that ran above where I was). That is the kind of experience we looked to have at this mud run, and we’re proud to say that this event delivered BIG TIME!

STAFFING: Brent Weber with his megaphone theatrics made sure he was “that guy” that the thousands of people had to listen to in order keep the pace and direction of the day’s events in line. My friends and I would ask when/who/what questions, and would hear Brent in the background with the answers. There were volunteers set up at various check points as we made our way up and down the scenic trails at Irvine Lake. These volunteers were helpful at reminding us which direction to go, how far we’ve run, and what’s coming up next.

TIMING: The race started about ten minutes off mark, but I believe that everyone appreciated that ahead of time Brent already alerted us about the slight delay. However, as the event was run in waves, when my wave (fifth and last wave) was cleared to start, we were only a couple of minutes off mark, so we made up time and avoided any long wait.

FLOW: There was a long ways to maneuver along a trail of uphills, downhills, and loopty-loops before we hit the first obstacle. This allowed us to get our momentum going, as well as to spread out the participants, avoiding bottlenecks at the obstacles.

SAFETY: I found that the trails were cleared well for the participants. “Taking over” a beautiful lake shore while preserving it for long after our footprints have blown in the wind, I felt the trail was well-prepared. While this is not a full on “trail run” I found that the rocks, craters, etc., provided a nice touch as we faced the challenges of the hills and loopty-loops. I volunteered for a mud run, not a serene treadmill run, and I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary of what an average mud runner should expect to come across running in Mother Earth’s playground.

SETUP: It was neat to see professionally-constructed obstacles, and not temporary parking control barriers. The location of the obstacles was spaced well to avoid bottlenecking. Running through the mud pits the only challenge was the mud. Compared to my first mud run, the 145’ long mud crawl initially gave me flashbacks of scraping my knees in sharp gravel and being poked by rebars that were accidentally left during the construction of the obstacle. At yesterday’s event, as I crawled under the markers and made my way across, it was all mud! The sun was shining and this was the last obstacle before the final hill to the finish. I decided just flop my body in for a quick “freshening up!”

SUMMARY: The steps involved in the planning of the Inaugural Irvine Lake Mud Run could have been good, great, bad, or total chaos...who knows? However, the greatest of plans are without merit when they’re poorly executed. I am certain that the planning of an inaugural mud run is a big challenge for any organizer. Executing a successful one such as Paul Rudman and his team did for the Inaugural Irvine Lake Mud Run must be a tremendous uplifting feeling. Great job, guys!

I like the concept of mud runs. I thought my first one I participated in gave me that sense of accomplishment after I completed it. I recommended mud runs to my friends after that experience. A novice at it, I blogged about some things I would probably do for the next one. I blogged today on the same topics in order to compare apples to apples. There were some negative comments about my first mud run event that were on my blog, or elsewhere. It at least confirmed that others had their opinions as well, and were willing to express them. Thank you.

I STILL like the concept of mud runs. Now it doesn’t take a genius to get the hint that I preferred my second experience better. My teammates this time around were first time mud runners. I had friends who ran in other teams or as individuals, and they got their friends to run as well. Darrell Robinson, my good friend from my high school and college years flew all the way from Virginia Beach because I had a feeling that this would be a great experience to share with him. I would’ve really felt bad if all these friends would have resented participating in this mud run. I’m happy to hear that everyone is looking forward to running in the April 10, 2010 Irvine Lake Mud Run!

I close with the echo of the quote: “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” With my experience at the Inaugural Irvine Lake Mud Run, I’m happy that the challenges from my first mud run did not repeat at my second mud run. I’m happier that the based on my friends’ experience yesterday that they would ALL repeat that experience with me again. I’m thrilled that I have friends who now want to experience their first mud run in April 2010. The biggest affirmation of the aura of a fun and challenging experience of them all … I’m ecstatic that my wife wants to run on April 10, 2010 for her first mud run ever!

Oakley-dokely!


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My teammates from The RED C (Reggie, Eric, Debbie, Chelsey) did awesome for their first time mud run:

CHELSEY VETURIS: College Student, spreading cheer to everyone as she's a cheer coach, runs regularly, has a cute dog Ally. On Twitter @ChelseyVeturis is one-third of the “OC Triumvirate,” a respected source for the goings on in Orange County, CA. A special shout out to Chelsey especially, as midway through the mud run, she walked with @OakleyOC a few times after my slight knee problem.

ERIC DIXON: USA Track & Field (USATF) Certified Level Two Track Coach. Founder of Tachyon Training Center, Eric continues to compete at the World Championships, recently finishing 4th in the world in his sprinting championships. He also trains various Orange County athletes in speed conditioning. His longest timed races are done in 60 seconds or less. Nevertheless, Eric joined in the mud run for some fun and time with friends.

DEBBIE WATKINS: In addition to finishing her studies to be a Nutritionist, Debbie also operates SoCal Dog Walking, teaming with individual clients, pet stores, and vets. Debbie helped set the tone for The RED C’s teamwork by suggesting the team name that was made up of our initials.

Pictures from the 2009 Irvine Lake Mud Run

The following videos are courtesy of @RochelleVeturis and @ChelseyVeturis:

Video 1 from the 2009 Irvine Lake Mud Run

Video 2 from the 2009 Irvine Lake Mud Run

OC Mud Flop

The OC Mud Run on Saturday, July 18^th was its inaugural race. As such there will be complications to overcome and some mudslinging (all pun intended) after the fact. What’s unfortunate about the experience is the bad taste left in a lot of people’s mouths (again, all pun intended … fellow participants, you know what I’m talking about!). If I were one of the organizers of this event, I would have taken notes from the world-famous Camp Pendleton Mud Runs. Granted these are US Marines who live and breathe planning and order. Nevertheless, using their model is only half the battle… proper and effective EXECUTION is key.

Having a local Orange County location, with decent registration fees, and proper execution would have contributed to a lasting memory … on the positive side. I have shared some of my gripes with fellow OC Mud Runners who are Twitter friends of mine (OakleyOC) as we were excited about putting together all the runs and workouts together in order to get ready for race day.

I’ll list some of my concerns here but from a different angle, one that focuses on corrective suggestions. (You can get the disgruntled version if you Tweet me.)

As with any organization, event, or family setting, it is important to list out these gripes and concerns. What’s even MORE important is the part where we suggest corrective courses of action, lest we repeat our flawed actions. There’s quite a list of observations already noted on the Eco Mud Run Tour's Facebook page, but I’m certain many would agree that proper planning and execution at a FUTURE mud run in Orange County would be welcomed. Let’s not kill the event; let’s just kill the execution style. Here’s my two cents:

STAFFING: I’m all about volunteers, regardless of age, as long as they provide value to their role at the event. Let’s train and prepare the volunteers to guide the participants; let’s have them live and breathe course layout, guidelines, pace, direction, etc. The participant needs to just run, run, run, and look for volunteers to guide them should any confusion arises. In unknown terrain a participant would like to feel relieved that trained/prepared/competent/willing guides are around. There also needs to be “that guy” or “that girl” that is prominently directing the events on race day … to avoid multiple happenings, yet exponentially multiple confused participants.

TIMING: Races need to start on time. Every participant knows the race goes on without them. It’s essential that published start times are adhered to. There’s a difference between being wimpy about the heat in mid-July versus having your warm up and game face countered by prolonged delays. Also, early morning races tend to be better than midday races. Add sun to mud, and you may not have the best mud conditions around anymore, unless those sections are hosed down again. (Again, STAFFING concerns here.)

FLOW: Thousands of bodies stampeding on the trail need to be met with similar/multiple obstacles spread wider. The tendency will be to migrate to the target with less resistance. Two narrow side-by-side obstacles created unnecessary bottlenecks. Participants will appreciate not losing their momentum by having to pause three to five minutes to have a turn at the obstacle. Fighting for position is key, and the hard core participants are out front. Being only about two or three rows in, I didn’t expect the bottle necks I experienced that day.

SAFETY: As an organizer I would have disclosed to participants that the sections with stagnant water were adequately tested for general safety and health concerns. While no one should make it a practice to swim in stagnant water, seeing that there are a couple of sections where it’s just water, it might make sense to slosh through it as quickly as possible. However, if the toxic levels were adequately tested and disclosed some might find it refreshing to swim through. There might be some health concerns brought up if the organizer’s intent was a net sprawled OVER the lagoon, later to be changed to a row of inner tubes, further changed to just open water…and later have cases of infection documented that related to the murky trenches that were not intended for prolonged skin contact.

MUD: I’m not an expert in this field but I would take a guess that “mud” may be inherently different than “topsoil?” The mud pits at military boot camps and at other mud runs may not be as aesthetically looking/feeling as the Glen Ivy mud section for the kids and parents (that section rocked for the kids by the way), however, I would probably refrain from adding anything closely resembling the aroma and texture of “freshly/naturally fertilized earth.” I’m all about communing with nature, but …

SETUP: I’d have a supervisor inspect the setup of various obstacles for general safety and common sense. Yes, in a fight for my life in the jungles of enemy country there’s no question that the path less traveled by inspectors may be the best ones to stay under the radar. However on a mud run course a supervisor’s inspection and sign-off might have documented/corrected the bed of sharp gravel in the sections intended for crawling on hands and knees … as well as the two rebars I knelt/crawled on in the sand crawl towards the tunnel.

DIALOGUE: As with the advertising of the event to the participants and the sponsors, it might be common business sense, even just overall people sense, to respond to these recent concerns brought up through this Facebook fan page. I would probably do it sooner than later, as people would probably like to know that this wasn’t a fly-by-night organization, but rather a group of people with a similar sense of fairness and good intentions.

SUMMARY:

I appreciate the time and effort to bring the event to Orange County. It is not easy to execute an event like Pendleton does (hoo-ah!). However, with proper planning AND execution, one can plan quite an event that will be worthy to stand in the thick of it all (again, all pun intended) and be judged on its own merits. The best laid plans don’t matter if poor execution is what’s observed. (Again, STAFFING concerns here to direct the flow of the event.)

I look forward to hearing from the organizers, perhaps even through a representative. I have experience in “heated negotiations” and I’m sure there are others on the Eco Mud Run Tour's Facebook page even more experienced than me. However, SOON some sort of communication with the event organizers is needed to address these participants’ concerns. Otherwise, this will become a one-way badgering that will yield no fruitful ending and will most likely propagate ill-feeling and/or medical/legal lawsuits.

Staying silent doesn’t necessarily mean innocence, or guilt for that matter. In some folks’ eyes though, staying silent in a situation like this doesn’t help with goodwill towards fans (or previous fans). PLUS, there are some who just like answers!

Oakely-dokely!

Foosball lesson

I have a nice championship foosball table at home, and recently my wife has been beating me (close games I might add). It’s neat how we can get pretty animated during these daily matches, while our stationary players stuck on steel rods just spin away. Last night after a great workout she challenged me again. I prefaced this match with a, “I hurt my left wrist from tonight’s workout, so my backfield won’t be scoring goals tonight.” (I have a killer spin that scores a majority of my goals from the lower left corner!) She said that was just another excuse to her beating me … no mercy, I tell ya! (This time my pain was for real, though.)

With not much torque action with my left wrist, this game I focused on my front lines to keep the ball past midfield and the backfield was strictly for blocking goals and feeding to the midfielders. Fast forwarding to the end, I won 10-6. Simply awesome!

Each time we take the field my four steel rods of foosball players take their positions and play their plastic hearts out. Sometimes they win and sometimes they lose. Nevertheless when called upon, they’re never late for practice and they’re always there at the games come rain or shine. One thing that kept them united was the coach’s guidance, and the players’ commitment to play until the whistle blew.

Isn’t this what the coaches see as the “big picture?” They’re constantly evaluating the players’ strengths and weaknesses and adjusting the game. In the past my backfield provided key goals, yet the other rods of players were always there and still part of the team. When called upon, they delivered as they were part of the team. They earned their place on the team and as they say, “A team is only as strong as its weakest member.” Last night the weakest members were the backfield, and the rest of the plastic players stepped up and scored goals and defended the midfield. Together they were able to beat the dominant dynasty my wife’s been coaching on the foosball table the past few weeks.

When you’re on a team you practice as a team, you play as a team, you win as a team, and you lose as a team. Each one earned a spot on the team, while some make receive more of the spotlight. It’s fine. Remember, the team name is what’s on the front of the jerseys, not what’s on the back. Don’t be just another number; be a team player. Earn your place on the team, but more importantly, earn the respect of your team. Be prepared to be in the shadows, but continue to play your part.

This is true as well in family life. Yes the figure heads are there to provide for the family, and the little bobble heads in the family continue to do their thing. When the little bobble heads have trouble with a school project do you let them suffer to burn the midnight oil on a second grade presentation or should you offer some suggestions for a more comedic approach in order to ace that oral? When you’ve had the most tiring day ever, do you lay down for some me time, or should you ask if your spouse’s day was even more frustrating? You can be the most relaxed and refreshed bobble head in the family, but your fellow bobble heads may soon bobble into shambles before your very eyes.

As my left wrist recovers, it looks like my four steel rods of foosball players will do just fine in the art of teamwork as they always have.

On a team, expect to be in the superstar’s shadow, but continue to play your role well, as you earned that jersey as well. Are your actions ready for the spotlight should that moment arrive?

Oakley-dokely!