So I ran the NYC Marathon... {Coach Jason's Journey}

About to become NYC FAMOUS!

I always disliked running while growing up and only ran in the Navy when I had to pass my Physical Readiness Test. I NEVER thought I would ever run a half marathon, let alone a marathon and honestly if it wasn’t for this particular race being on my wife’s bucket list, I still may have never had the marathon on my racing resume.

To be able to run the NYC Marathon, you have 3 options: qualify (with a really fast time that we’re not at; YET!), enter the open lottery and get picked OR join an approved Charity and raise monies to support their cause. We both decided to enter the lottery back in January and come lottery day in February, Sandy got picked; but not me. Maybe it was in her cards and not mine; not sure but thinking about how awesome it would be to run this with her, I decided to run as a St. Jude Hero and raise money for their amazing cause.

Fast forward to 20 weeks out from the race where I started my race training… I have a VERY BUSY schedule (yeah yeah, just like everyone, right?). But to give you an idea, I get up at 4:30AM four days a week to teach HIIT classes at our Fit4Lyfe gym and then I work as a CEO of an Orthopaedic practice (M-F) from 9-5  to then return to Fit4Lyfe to teach night classes (3 days a week), get home around 8:15pm(ish), hang with my family, eat and go to bed by 10:30pm to do it all again. So, yeah, it’s BUSY and hard to find the time for training BUT it’s also the lifestyle I choose and one that my wife and I take great pride in.

My workout schedule included going to the gym on my 1-hour lunch break to do whatever type of HIIT/short runs I could fit in and then doing one long run each week which usually occurred Sunday mornings with Sandy. I would also hit as many Fit4Lyfe classes as I could and during the early part of our trainings, we would run from our home to Fit4Lyfe and take a class as well; you do what you gotta do when you gotta do it.  Training was ROUGH and it also included training for my bucket list item, the 2017 OCR World Championship that occurred in Canada on October 13 -15; which I completed with our amazing Fit4Lyfe Team.

Everything was going really well with my training and all on schedule until I injured my foot in the 15K OCR World Championship race on October 14th. Now I stood 3 weeks out from my first ever marathon, injured and freaking out. I saw my doc immediately and followed orders, which included no activity up to the race--- this had to be one of the hardest things to do!

I showed up in NYC, worried (but I am really good at hiding that from everyone), as I was about to attempt to run 26.2 miles in one of the biggest marathons in the WORLD with my longest run (EVER) being 17 miles and not running at all in the previous 3 weeks!  I was calm and collected on the outside until we attended the St. Jude’s athlete luncheon. At this luncheon, Coach Kevin started to talk about all the amazing things about the NYC Marathon and how this was an incredible experience but he also mentioned how difficult this race was going to be and directly but indirectly said “if you didn’t train, GOOD LUCK”. I totally thought he was talking right to me right then and there… I started getting really nervous and doubting myself.  You see, I pretty much doubt myself in every competition and I’m always nervous of failing and letting people down. I know it’s not what most would think but this is the truth of what goes on inside. So to say that I wasn’t nervous would be lying to all… I was the most nervous I’ve ever been!

Just a little nervous...

Race day we get up at 430am to catch the St. Jude 530am bus from Central Park to Staten Island where we would then wait around until our 11am start time; talk about nerves on OVERDRIVE!  I must have visited every single port-a-potty in that whole staging area as the more I sat around, the more my nerves would get to me. It was a rough start before the official start.

Bus ride from Central Park to Staten Island

The “Village” set up was pretty cool. There were tents to hang out; Dunkin Donuts and other vendors were there and of course, plenty of Port-o-potties.  We were hanging out in the St. Jude tent, well really I was pacing around a lot, for a couple hours and then it finally happened, they called our corral number. EEKS! We made our way over to the start line and then BOOM…a huge crowd of screaming people cheering us all on. WOW, SO OVERWHELMING!!!  No turning back now, it’s go time!

3, 2, 1, GO…and we were running the NYC Marathon! Things started SLOW as there were so many people in our way. The first mile was spent jockeying for a good position so our pace was a bit all over the place. At about mile 2 we were able to start hitting a regular pace and begin running our plan; just as planned.

Man o man a marathon is such a mental game!! I run a fair amount and ran a lot to train for this marathon but only a few miles in my mind started telling me that my legs hurt.  At about mile 5, my quads were hurting (so my mind was telling me), then about mile 7 it was my knees and I thought “what happed to your quads hurting” as they weren’t hurting anymore?  We had a quick pit stop at mile 8 to say HELLO and grab some supplies from the amazing support group that was there for us (Kevin and Wendy Updegrove and Jessica Schoonover). That little break and cheer squad was a nice reboot for my legs as I felt fresh starting up again.

The BEST cheer squad!

As the miles kept adding up, I really tried to focus on the crowd (which NEVER ended). All the people cheering, the signs, the kids giving high fives was absolutely amazing and helped take my mind off the fact that I was about to approach uncharted territory at 17 miles.

Runners talk about “The wall”? What the hell is that?? Did I hit it? I have no idea! All I know is at mile 16 I thought “HOLY SHIT, I HAVE 10 MOR MILES TO GO” and started doing math in my head to figure out how much longer I had to run. I mean you do know that every runner is a math genius, right? At this point I told myself to stop worrying about the miles and JUST RUN! That sounded good but mile 17 was approaching and now I was entering uncharted territory! Never had I run one step further than 17 miles and now I was a bit nervous…can I really do this? Will I fail? Will my body hold up?...those are just a few of the things that ran through my head at that time.

Around mile 19...

Mile 18 came and went, 19 came and went but things were starting to hurt worse with every step; especially my hamstrings which I thought at any minute were going to cramp up big time. We were approaching a bridge right before mile 20 and we saw our support group again and THANK GOD because I needed a break. We stopped, refueled and stretched and Sandy and I said we would start taking thins one mile at a time. After that pit stop I thought to myself “You got this, ONLY 6 miles to go”!

Those last 6 miles did not come easy. There were a lot of stretch breaks but we kept pushing forward at a decent pace.  I told Sandy a few times to keep going as I was holding her back and I wanted her to hit our goal of 4 hours. However she would not leave me as much as I am sure it was eating her up inside.

The final stretch was absolutely frigging amazing! The crowd…honestly I don’t think I can explain it. It was a sea of non-stop screaming, cheering chanting people. The energy was palpable and just what I needed to get me through the end. We finally turned into the park and I knew we had shy of 2 mile to go and I couldn’t believe I was about to complete a marathon.

We approached the finish line like we started the race, together. I grabbed Sandy’s hand and we stepped on that finish line together, sticking to our plan of completing this race side by side. It is because of her that I decided to run this race and her training plan that I followed to be ready for this race. Unfortunately we did not hit our goal time and I attribute that to not being able to run for three weeks prior to the race, but who knows. There really is a lot that goes into preparing and running a marathon.

We DID IT!

People have asked me if I will run another marathon and my answer is “yeah, probably”. Because now I want to know what I can really do, how well I can perform! This was an amazing experience and one I will remember; but it will also help me get better.

Again, I want to thank all of you amazing people that helped make this happen…my parents and in-laws for watching our little ones, the many people that donated to St. Jude’s, Kevin, Wendy and Jessica for taking the trip just to support us, and every person that sent a text, phone call or FB post! Most importantly, THANK YOU, Sandy, you are my motivation… I love you!    

12 Days of FitMAS with Fit4Lyfe

On the first day of fit"MAS" my trainer gave to me...
12 AMAZING workouts to BURN SOME MAJOR CALORIES!

The holidays are HERE and during this busy holiday season of shopping, cooking, and traveling, our health and fitness goals often get pushed to the side. The last thing you want during this time is that extra weight gain, right?

Fight off the holiday weight gain with your Fit4Lyfe FAM and our 12 workouts that will be designed to help you BURN an extra 500-750 calories PER workout---- that is 6000-9000 calories in 12 days!

The FUN begins on December 4th and whether you are a local or a virtual client, you CAN participate with us. If you are local and attending classes, the workouts will be designed as usual and you just need to REGISTER and show up READY to WORK for 12 CONSECUTIVE DAYS (YES, this is a 12 days IN A ROW kind of thing. If you are unable to do the 12 days in a row AT Fit4Lyfe with us, JOIN as a VIRTUAL participant and participate that way.). You will also get to participate in the virtual group for the additional support, tips, recipes, etc etc.

If you are a virtual participant, you will need to pay the $20 fee (http://bit.ly/f4l12dayfitmas) and then join the all yvirtual group on Facebook. This private group will provide you with your daily workout as well as give you extra motivation, support, tips, tools, recipes, etc etc to keep you FOCUSED and on track during this time. The at home virtual group does not require any equipment so you can do it from anywhere and participate from anywhere. You will also need to participate for 12 CONSECUTIVE days in the Group.

AND... if you complete ALL 12 consective workouts during the 12 consecuvtive days and CHECK-IN DAILY using your Facebook APP, you will be entered into a drawing to WIN a Fit4Lyfe Holiday goodie bag worth $100! (If you can NOT attend the 12 days at the gym, no problem... just register as a VIRTUAL participant and you can combine all your workouts and get credit.)

Workouts START December 4th so GET READY and BOOK your spots NOW.

Next steps:
1. Decide if you are a GYM or VIRTUAL Participant (ASK yourself if you can commit to 12 days in a ROW at the gym. If not, NO PROBLEM... just join as a Virtual Participant.) If you are a VIRTUAL participant, you must pay the entry fee: http://bit.ly/f4l12dayfitmas
2. REGISTER at: http://bit.ly/12DaysofFitmasSignUp
3. JOIN the VIRTUAL GROUP at: http://bit.ly/12DaysofFitmasGroup

"VEGANIZED" Trader Joe's Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

September 22nd aka FIRST DAY OF FALL can't come quick enough and in my overly excited jumping up and down like a kid on Christmas morning, I kicked it off a day early with some Pumpkin Muffins and a side mini loaf.

BUT lets not get cray here, I kept it as VEGAN as I could and because I can't seem to find the right recipe for "homemade" bread YET (without a tremendous amount of fat, sugar and carbs), I cheated a little and used a boxed mix (Still higher in sugar than I like but ya know, gotta live a little.)------- OH NO, call the nutrition police on me! ;-)

So here you go, ENJOY it with some vegan butter on top and kick off the FALL season in style. #delicious

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Box Trader Joe's Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Baking Mix*
• 3/4 Cup Water
• 1/2 Cup 100% Pumpkin Puree (NOT Pumpkin Pie Mix)
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
• Vegan Butter
• OPTIONAL ADD INS: Vegan Chocolate Chips, Nuts and/or Raisins

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly grease a standard 12-muffin pan with butter or cooking spray; I also had enough mix for a small loaf pan.
3. Combine water, pumpkin puree and applesauce in a large bowl, and then add mix. Fold together with rubber spatula until batter is smooth, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Fold in optional ingredients until well distributed in batter.
4. Portion batter into lightly greased muffin tins and loaf pan.
5. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes. (Keep checking it because it does take a little longer to bake thank traditional breads.)
6. Top with some vegan butter and ENJOY!

*The ingredient list does state that there COULD be traces of milk, eggs and soy BUT there is nothing actually IN the ingredient list that is related to animal products. I replaced the eggs and oil with other options here so try it or stick to the original recipe. Depending on your level of veganism/allergies, this is where you either opt IN or opt OUT. I gave it a try and WOW... delicious! 

Trader Joe's

Paleo Turkey BALLZ

It doesn't matter if you are Paleo or NOT, these juicy balls will make everyone happy. ;-) Not only are they super easy to make but they're FAST and great for a weeknight when the family is hungry and you're short on time. OH.... and meal prep SCORE cause they are easy to pack up for additional meals!

Gluten FREE, dairy FREE, egg FREE and freaking FREE of any nasty additives---- aka good for the soul! Try them out and let me know what you think.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb lean ground turkey (I use the one with a little fat to avoid it being super dry)
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp Everyday Seasoning (Trader Joes)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup Organic Tomato Soup (lower-sodium and check ingredients to make sure it comply with Paleo OR use whatever one you'd like)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese (NON-PALEO addition and it adds that little extra if you're not following a Paleo diet)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
2. Line a cookie sheet with foil and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix really really well.
4. Form the meat into 2" balls and place on the cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 15 minutes at 400-degrees.
6. Set oven to BROIL and bake for an additional 5-minutes--- set the timer cause if you're like ME, you'll forget and burn them! ;-)
7. REMOVE and SERVE with a side salad, spiralized zucchini noodles or anything else you'd like. You can even add a little marinara sauce on top.

Try them out, add some more chopped veggies if you'd like and share this recipe with your friends and fam cause its really that yummy!

ENJOY!

Fit4Lyfe Memorial Day Workout & MURPH WOD

"Murph"
For time:
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run

The Murph hero WOD was originally posted on CrossFit.com on August 18th, 2005 by Lauren Glassman. The description read as follows:

In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.

This workout was one of Mike’s favorites and he’d named it “Body Armor”. From here on it will be referred to as “Murph” in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is.

THE EVENT:
Every year on Memorial Day, Americans honor those who have fallen serving the United States Armed Forces. At Fit4Lyfe, we will be supporting the Murph Challenge by completing “Murph” workout on Memorial Day beginning at 715am (you have until 1030am to FINISH your WOD).

THE WORKOUT:
Break up the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed but you must start and finish with a mile run (2 miles total). If you’ve got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.

TIPS and TRICKS:
For most of the population Murph’s 200 push-ups are the limiting factor. Many athletes will bite off more than they can chew attempting to break them up in to sets of 20. By the time they’ve accumulated the first 100 push-ups they are struggling to string three together at a time.

Push-up burnout can be prevented by partitioning the workout wisely. Listed below are some rep schemes to consider:

5-10-15
The 5-10-15 scheme is probably the most common pattern people succeed with. This mirrors the rep scheme of the Cross Fit benchmark workout Cindy:
20 rounds of...
5 pull-ups
10 push-ups (If you are new to Murph, be smart and shake out your arms after five reps, from the very beginning).
15 squats

5-5-5-15
If push-ups are a particular challenge for you consider the following scheme:
20 rounds of...
5 push-ups
5 pull-ups
5 push-ups
15 squats

5-5-5-10-5
{Similar to the 5-5-5-15}
20 rounds of...
5 pull-ups
5 squats
5 push-ups
10 squats
5 push-ups

What To Expect
Times vary quite a bit on Murph. The mile route will of course be a big factor in determining your time. As a rough guideline though consider the following for an athlete (male or female) completing the workout without a weight vest:
+70 Minutes Beginner
40-70 Minutes Intermediate
30-40 Minutes Advanced
30 Minutes or less Elite

DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED if you can’t do the entire workout (Not many can)! Anyone can do their own version of “Murph” including scaling the run, reps, movements, or even partitioning the workout as a team. The idea is to challenge yourself and do a little more and go a little faster each AND EVERY year. Let this be YOUR year you start AND JOIN FIT4LYFE as they complete it.

FREE for Fit4Lyfe Platinum Members!
$10 for anyone else
Get registered in ADVANCE at http://bit.ly/2017MurphWOD as space is LIMITED

Good luck Fit Fam!

Its not just another "selfie"

Is it just another morning selfie {with a messy garage}?!?! Nope, not this time. I don't show you my progress and abs to be like "hey look at me", I do it to share a story; one that I'm sure some of you can relate to. It's a story that I hid for years, not knowing that THAT was hurting me more than ever. So some 6 years ago, I started to SHARE.... openly share my life, my progress, my frustrations, my HUMAN mistakes and some really awesome achievements. I'm not perfect, I'm perfectly imperfect and getting better everyday.

You see, all of this has been a journey--- 25 years to be exact. 25 years ago I developed an eating disorder and wanted my life to end. The day to day actions were SO intense that I could mentally talk myself in and out of ANYTHING--- including starving myself, isolating myself and completely drowning myself in negative self talk--- conversations that I had NO idea was damaging my once beautiful smile. Negativity that would eventually CONTROL my life... I was no longer in control. I was sick. Very very sick!

But what happened in the days, weeks, months and YEARSSSS after saved my life. I'm forever grateful for the help and support from others; especially my parents that have ALWAYS been by my side. It was easy to put the blame on others but eventually I grew up and realized that the ONLY thing I can control is ME and if I can control ME, all else will have to be. All else will fall into place in the way that God would want it to be. I know that my experience was meant to be shared and PROOF that you can get better.

It's been a journey and will continue to be a journey. Being hospitalized for 6-weeks and going through intense therapy and self-help was not a walk in the park. I may have walked away a few times but I've always come back, knowing that if I could just fight more day, I was getting better. With time, I started to heal from the inside out. My life changed!!!! My visions became a reality and those negative thoughts became more and more positive.

I get asked often about HOW I do it. How I wake up early. How I keep going. How I continue pushing when everything is pushing against me. The answer is SIMPLE.... it's ALLLL in the way I think and see myself. What I thought is what I became. Who I let into my life effected my thoughts--- positive and negative. You see, the way you talk to yourself, the words you use and the way you write become your beliefs and those beliefs become actions. Watch yourself and be careful what you say to yourself and others! Be careful who you surround yourself with. With a positive attitude, ANYTHING is possible. I mean if I can do it and pull my shit together after sooooo many years, SO CAN YOU!!! Trust me... you CAN!

Until the next selfie, lots of love and self-healing❤️
Coach Sandy T