New Turbo Jam Infomerical is out

So back in November I got fortunate enough to be invited down to California to be a part of a new Turbo Jam infomercial! It was an absolutely amazing time and I got to meet and spend time with people I will be friends with forever!

Below is a clip of the final product!

Whirlwind Weekend - TEXAS STYLE!

Wow!!! How much fun was this weekend!?

Well Heather and I went to bed Thursday night around 1am after lollygagging and taking our sweet time getting packed for our trip to Texas.

We had to be up and out the door early, which was painful Friday morning. We hopped in a cab at approximately 430am and headed to the airport for a pleasantly quiet, and uneventful flight to Dallas! Our friend, Kevin picked us up at the airport and we stayed with him and my awesome friend Gen (who I met in person when we did the Turbo Jam™ infomercial together back in November of last year).

*****By the way....That INFOMERCIAL IS ON TV!!! AS of YESTERDAY!!! WE SAW IT THIS MORNING!!!! I'M NOT IN IT A TONNE..BUT I AM THERE!!! YEEEEE****

We spent some time running errands with Gen and Kevin (and their cool sons Austin and Daniel) and then headed to a Japanese Hibachi Restaraunt. I was surprised by my friend Jackie Bull and Missy who met us at the restaraunt and we had a birthday lunch (it was my birthday!) Jackie got me a cool Texas Longhorn hat (that I wore a lot over the weekend).

We spent some time at Gen's house after lunch and then headed off to 24Hour Fitness where Chalene was doing a special class (since she was going to be in town for Mindy's wedding, like we were).

We got their pretty early (about 1.5hours early) and there were LOTS of people already there. I was MOSTLY surprised by a bunch of folks who I hadn't met before who were excited to meet ME! I was mostly speechless about that but got to meet a lot of REALLY cool folks which made the day amazing!

Chalene came out and did her thing to more than 300 participants. It was absolutely stunning how many people made it out (good thing they held the class in the basketball court instead of the GroupX room!) We had a blast!

Janice, Doris and Pilar are three friends I've known through the Beachbody message boards for quite a while (I think I've known Pilar for more than 4years now) and got to meet them all in person for the first time before class! What an absolute treat!

I'm not going to list everyone else for fear of missing someone, but there wasn't a person I met over the weekend who didn't leave a lasting impression on me!

So my weekend has already been made amazing by this point and we haven't even gotten to reason why we came to Texas, and that was Mindy and Lee's wedding!

Saturday was HOT! Soooo freaking hot...but it was Sunny, beautiful and we got to the Ranch where the wedding was being help about 15minutes before the wedding. What an amazing place! The wedding was outdoors and at the foot of a small lake (or big pond). Lee took his place at the edge of the water shortly after we sat down and Mindy walked down the aisle. I hadn't seen Mindy in 2months and she is always in amazing shape (being the ultra fitness professional that she is) but WOW! She was not only stunningly gorgeous, but just amazing! The ceremony was short and sweet and the reception was an intimate and fun luncheon.

A great group of girls who are friends, family and colleagues of Mindy's did all the catering and they did an AMAZING job!

Heather, Myself, Gen, Jackie, Chalene and Bret shared a table and had a great time chatting and munching away on lunch while Mindy and Lee made there way around from guest to guest. The reception itself ended mid-afternoon and after relaxing and being mallrats for a little while, we met up with everyone downtown for a post-wedding party.

It was great and we slept like logs that night!

Today was very cool too! I got to meet Gen's inlaws (we all went to pick up Gen's youngest son from a sleepover with grandma and grandpa). Very nice folks and Gen's father in law has the COOLEST model train setup in the house! Oh man! He's been doing this since he was 17years old and the room he has setup now has apparently been "in progress" for 40 years! It was like nothing I've seen.

Gen and Kevin and the kids took Heather and I downtown in Dallas for lunch today (and we got to check out some JFK history too). I know my mom would be excited about this as she is a huge US History buff. We stook on the "grassy knoll" saw the Book Depository and I even stood right on the spot where the third shot hit JFK (and took a photo up the road so you can see where the car was coming from). It was all a little eerie really. But very interesting and cool nonetheless.

We made it to the airport and survived a minor delay to make it home just before midnight!
We've got a few pictures (Heather is playing with them right now) and are hoping to get some of Jackie's (I think I took 900 pictures with her camera this weekend) and Gen so I will post some of them later this week.

All in all it was an absolutely amazing weekend! I saw old friends, made some really cool new ones. Did I mention it was HOT?!

Anyways, what a blast! I can't wait to see a lot of the Texas folks again in August, when we head to California for camp TK (Everyone needs to join Team BLUE by the way)!!

Turbo Kick™ in the Park

Turbo soothes the savage beast?
Well I found out this morning that it does. My Wednesday morning class at Fitness One begins at 630am. The gym opens at 600am (usually) so I've never had a problem. But this morning was a little different. Heather and I got off the subway train and turned the corner towards the gym and we saw about 25 people not looking as happy as they should have on a Sunny Wednesday morning, all standing in front of the gym looking very put out.

It looks like somebody slept in this morning. The gyms only has one staff member on duty in the mornings, so the whole gym relies on them being on-time. Well today whoever it was, was far from on-time. I walked into a pretty angry bunch. So for about 5minutes I waited with the group, sympathized with them but quickly realized that nobody was on the way and that there was no point continuing to be upset about something we obviously have no control over.

So instead of letting the anger of the crowd fuel our fire, I let the ladies know that if they would rather get their workout done, and have some fun in the park instead of hanging around a door that may or may not open for the next hour that they were more than welcome to join me in the park!

I had my IPOD Speakers like normal (and I have batteries in them just in case the power goes out at the gym. don't laugh it's happened!)

So about a dozen ladies (a few stayed back to make sure whoever was late knew that they were angry I suppose) came with me and Heather and we busted a move in the park around the corner!

It was FANTASTIC! Its amazing how great a cool breeze, and fresh air feel while we're sweating to Michael Jackson and MC Hammer! ;)

I have two more classes to teach tonight, and I'm sure they will go smoother but I can say with 100% certainty that they won't be as improv or as fresh as this morning!

What a great way to start the day! An Hour in the park!!!

Tuesday!

So this morning Heather was planning on walking to work with one of her coworkers, so we were up (ok SHE was up) way earlier than normal. She got a text message from her coworker who was calling from the train (she lives outside the city) and said it was raining, so the walk was OFF. So that leaves us LOTS of time to chill out this morning!

Class last night was awesome! There were over 60 ladies in class and the energy was pumping! It was such a blast! Tomorrow is my Big 3class day, so I will use today as a recharge and rest day!

No classes today, so as long as I am able to get my errands done I think I am going to head out to the gym and get in a light workout.

I'm excited about Camp Turbo Kick even more now too! I'm going to be a team captain and I am so excited about it! Camp Turbo Kick is basically a cross between summer camp and super extreme workouts! We do a LOT working out over 4 days, but we ALSO get to spend a tonne of time just enjoying life and fitness! So this year, along with Lana, one of the craziest, most energetic and creative people I've ever met I get to lead "Team Blue" at camp! We're going to have such a blast!

Friday Mornings. My Favourite!

I've now decided that Friday morning is my favourite time of the week!!! I teach a class at 645am, which I have also decided is the BEST time of the day! Its JUST late enough that I feel REALLY good when class starts but not too late (I still make it to work on time).

This time of year especially, the sun is up and shining on my walk to AND from the gym which is amazing!

The class we're building up at Premier Fitness is amazing as well. So energetic, willing to learn and are loving this "new" thing called Turbo Kick™ that they get to try! It's amazing!

I think my Turbo High is at its best this morning! I LOVE bringing Turbo to new people and I already have folks interested in getting certified at this new club! I can't believe how fast they catch on too! Faster than I ever did thats for sure!!

So awesome! The next couple of weeks will be interesting for me. I've been offered more classes and another class at a third gym. I need to figure out how I can fit things into my schedule. Some juggling may have to happen.

Well time to head to work! One more class tonight!!

Confusion

There is a yahoo group called Turbo Kick Fanatics that has lot of members of, who because of Chalene Johnson, and the Turbo Kick Program she has created have a place to talk to, and share their passion for Turbo Kick and Fitness in General. People on there are either enthusiasts of Turbo Kick (and Turbo Jam), Instructors of Turbo Kick as well as Area Promotions Directors and Presenters of Turbo Kick. Basically a LOT of people who really love this program and the lady who brought it to them.

Chalene is a very gifted athlete, Instructor, Dancer, Fitness Presenter and has been a feature at IDEA Fitness quite a few times . She is very well respected, not only in the "Turbo Kick" circles, but in the Fitness Realm in general.

Now Chalene is in a contest right now for the next IDEA Conference
Click here to check out her entry and PLEASE vote.

http://www.ideafit.com/health_fitness_video_contest/ContestVideosView.aspx?vid=133

A few people seemed to get upset on the Turbo Kick Fanatics board that a couple people were leaving posts, encouraging people to support Chalene, the lady who if it were not for her, the board would not even have a reason for existing.

The TK Fanatics board is always trying to keep content pointed towards On-Topic, but to be honest there are SO MANY off-topic posts daily that nobody says boo about, and I am very surprised at the attitude of some of the so-called TURBO KICK Fanatics who say that they love Chalene but shun those people who are publicly supporting, and reminding other FANATICS that Chalene needs their support.

Chalene would never ask for the support herself, which is people who know and love her were posting to folks, reminding them and keeping everyone updated on the status of the contest Chalene is in. I am just a little surprised that people on a board called "Turbo Kick FANATICS", showed a lack of support of the lady who CREATED Turbo Kick by shunning the people who were trying to drum up support for her.

Well that's it for tonight. Two TK classes tomorrow! One at Each gym, so I am super excited, and TFIG tomorrow too! It's been a stressful week at work and I can't WAIT to blow off some steam in my classes!

Aches be gone

Well I'm feeling great today! All the aches from yesterday's Turbo Marathon are gone! Heather left for work early today, because one of her coworkers and her decided to walk to work (instead of taking the 20minute streetcar ride).

Tonight I'm planning on heading to my buddy's bike shop and bringing over some spare parts and bike frames I have and dropping off my broken frame for him. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I should have a new bike put together and can be back on the road again! I am REALLY excited about that!

8 more days until we flight out to Dallas as well! I am SO excited that we get to be with my good friend, Mindy for her wedding! We're staying with another awesome friend, Gen and her family for the weekend and from the looks of it, we should get a Turbo Class or 2 in as well! Chalene is coming to town as well, so she's planning on getting a class or two going! It's going to be a fun weekend!!!

Well time to get moving! I made Heather and I our gourmet omelets again this morning for breakfast! Tasty! Tomorrow we need to find something new though. No more of this eating the same thing every day for 6months!! :)

Ouch!

I ache.
It was such a busy day today! Class 1 was awesome but Class 2 and 3 really had me fired up today! Today was my first 10 Turbo day today as well! I felt amazing through all 3 classes. At the end of each class I was absolutely wiped out, but by the beginning of the next class I was ready to rock! The walk home from the gym at the end of the day was actually the toughest part of the day! Its about a 40minute walk home and by the time we arrived I was definitely ready to sit down!!

Tomorrow is an off day as far as teaching is concerned but if my aches are gone I'm planning on going for a run after work. Something else I discovered at work that I'm excited about...

A panini press! I'm going to buy a loaf of whole wheat bread and a package of cheese slices for snacks! Well that's it for tonight!

Big Day!!

Today is off to a great start! I just got home from the first of my three classes today. I'm just letting my omelet cool down before having breakfast and heading off to work! Today's first class was a little smaller and we had some new faces, so I took this opportunity to work on form with the class, and I think they really enjoyed it! It was definitely less high impact than normal, but everyone was sweating like crazy and groaning at the end of class!

Food-Wise my biggest focus is getting my water in-take back to where its consistent. I've been all over the place with that. Some days its been 2 litres, some 4 litres, and I've had a few days with barely any. I will be making sure I hit a minimum of 4 litres per day (not including post class water).

I've really noticed a lot of new folks in my classes lately, which is awesome!
I'm looking forward to this afternoon after work! I LOVE the new Skydome gym I'm teaching at and really am excited that I have the opportunity to bring Turbo Kick™ to a whole new group of folks! This is a gym which, unlike my current gym I know nobody and Turbo is new to EVERYONE!

Well that's it for now! I will be back and will post later tonight after classes!!

Consolidating!

So the last couple of months I think I have been spreading myself a little too thin and as a result I don't think I have been as consistent as I would have liked. Work is going amazing, and my classes are going great (I'm teaching regularly at two clubs now, and am happy to be having to turn down offers to teach more, as I am teaching Turbo Kick™ at least 7 times per week which I think at this point in my life is fine).

I have booked my first Turbo Kick Certification here in Toronto as well (Sep29) and am starting to ramp up the promotion of that which is really exciting as well!

But keeping in touch with my long distance friends has been tough. A lot of them are part of online communities, which makes it easy to keep up with them when we're online, but with everything going on right now, I just haven't been spending as much time online.

I've noticed in the past that many of my long distance friendships seem like and "outgoing" relationship, and now that I am in a place where I'm basically working full days and teaching twice per day during the week I haven't been as good at calling my friends as I feel I should have. No surprise to me, because of that I haven't heard from many of them at all. People get busy with life, but I am quickly realizing that the people who are truly your friends will be there, and will return calls if you are quiet, they will call you out. I'm moving on. I have way too many exciting things going on, and too many supportive and amazing friends to stress about those who have decided to remove themselves from my life.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is my most challenging day of the week (self imposed). I teach 3 classes tomorrow on top of my work day which has me in a total whirlwind from 530am until 900pm door to door but MAN do I sleep well!! Days like Wednesdays make me REALLY appreciate my days off, and REALLY appreciate the days where I teach 1 class!

Anyways, I've definitely not been using my blog as much as I used to, but I think that will change. I believe it helps me stay focused and I'm ready to re-focus!

Kicking it up a notch - Chapter1

Just back from TK class!! It was awesome!! We had a pretty awesome turn out considering it was Holiday Monday here! We still had about 30 ladies which considering the long weekend is pretty great! And they worked it!!!

It's awesome too that since getting home from Presenter Camp in the OC I really feel renewed! I feel like I did when I first started teaching! In many ways its very similar to just starting out because all of the feedback, and new knowledge that they poured into us, the first few weeks back at home have felt so new which is AMAZING! I am really trying my best to take all of the tips and advice I've been given and put it into practice because I not only want to be the best I can be, but I want all the new Instructors to start off on the right foot, so I have to definitely UP my Game! Man this journey keeps getting better!!!

Please Pray for Holly!

Hey Folks!

I just wanted to ask you all to send positive vibes, prayers or anything else you've got to my friend, Holly. Holly was at Turbo Kick™ Presenter Camp with me two-weeks ago and for those who know her, she was the most warm, friendly and awesome person you could meet (not to mention that she kicks some major Turbo Butt!)

Holly had an accident while 4-wheeling this weekend and did some major damage to herself. Breaking bones in her face, dislocating her wrist and thumb and breaking bones in her wrist.

PLEASE send positive healing thoughts and prayers to her!!! (She is Number6 on my friends list, so if you wanted to send her a nice HELLO I'm sure she wouldn't mind either!!!

http://myspace.com/wildchildhowell

Thanks!!!
RoBBiE

What a week!

What an insane, amazing, draining, inspirational, emotional, energetic, humbling week!

I, along with 14 amazing folks were fortunate to be selected to attend the Presenter Training Camp, hosted by Powder Blue Productions in Orange County, California.

From the moment I arrived I was in awe of how amazing all of the other attendees were. Energetic, Physically Gifted, Kind, and all with one in thing in common. Everyone is passionate about fitness, and more than that, about Turbo Kick™.

Throughout the week and the hours of workouts, inspiring speakers, bonding and team building I went through a tonne of different emotions. Joy, Excitement, Happiness, and Gratitude for just being there.
The other attendees were amazing in every way! Heidi, Annette, Michael, Kamryn, Janet, Jeanette, Alex, Maurtisha, Holly, Fene, Ali, Judy, Merideth and Francee are some of the best all around people I've ever met. Some I knew before, some were new friends but all of them inspired me. I REALLY feel blessed to even be put into the same group as these amazing instructors and motivators.

We were all treated to some Presenters who have been doing this for a while and they were all at another level. Their confidence, strength and kindness made our week that much better! The advice, and tips they gave us was so valuable and if I can be half as good as they are I will be an allstar!

Without going into all the details, let me just say that I've never worked so hard, been inspired so much nor have I been so motivated to take Turbo Kick™ to the next level here in Toronto.

I landed in Toronto and 7hours later was at work. 8hours after that I was teaching my first Turbo Kick™ class since Camp. It was amazing! I felt stronger, and worked harder myself than I ever have! Man did the class respond too! I walked into the class and there were over 50 ladies ready to rock! WOW! It was amazing! One thing is for sure, spending this week with these amazing people and knowing that my phenomenal wife was at home, not only supporting me, but taking care of everything at home has definitely changed me. As an instructor, and as a person I've definitely grown and will use this experience to continue to grow and improve!

End of Day Zero - Here comes Day1!

So after landing last night, I got back to the hotel and grabbed a bite to eat, because I had missed the rest of the folks who had headed out to a class (which apparently was absolutely amazing and wore them out!)

I got to meet a couple of the other folks (Annette and Judy) for the first time and got to see my friends Ali and Heidi, and Christine again! I also got to meet Julie Voris in person for the first time (we've emailed and chatted on the phone but never met). She is so nice, and what a physical specimen! Girl is in SHAPE!

Anyways, we chatted and hung out for a few hours (we were almost all still on Eastern Time, so it did feel pretty darn late by the time we finally got to sleep).

I got back to my room (I do have a roomate, but Mike is driving in from San Diego, so last night I was solo) and there was a message on my phone. I called to check it and it was the front desk tell me that I had a gift basket.

So I went and got it, and I could FIT in this basket!! All the snacks, and goodies we'll need all week is in here, along with our detailed itineraries! I got a workout just carrying it up to the room! I talked to the girls and everyone got theirs at pretty much the same time! I still haven't opened mine yet because I want Mike to be able to share the fun of ripping it open! :)

Landed

What's one of the last things you want to see on your plane before departure? Well a team of four airplane mechanics walking up and down the aisles, in and out of the several exits of the plane, all the while carrying these tractor trailer sized rolls of duct tape ranks right up there!

After a very quiet an uneventful time in Denver airport that basically consisted of sending the emails I wrote while ON the last flight, eating some lunch and chatting with a couple friends who were excited about my trip and some former APD Campers who were offering me oodles of amazing insight and advice I'm off to the OC!!

We were boarded about 30minutes prior to our departure time and then for the next half hour the mechanics kept showing up, and at one point the pilot actually left the plane WITH a mechanic as if the mechanic had said, "Oh dude you HAVE to check out the duct tape job I did on your landing gear!"

It ended up that it was something to do with leaking brake lines...I can't believe that the captain actually came on the loud speaker and told us that the leaking brake fluid issue was being worked on and should only take 15 or so minutes...As it turned out they replaced some entire brake mechanism (the pilot told us that they swapped it with another plane LOL!)

Anyways we landed about an hour late and once the baggage came out I had missed my chance to hang with some of the other Presenter Applicants and do my friend Monica's Hip Hop Aerobic class which from what I've heard is absolutely insane! I don't think I'll get the opportunity to do it again this week so I'll have to make sure I do next time I'm in town!! :)

Since I've missed everyone, I think I'll have a quiet night and watch some TV and have some dinner!

Leaving on a Jet Plane...again! :)

Well its been a pretty insane few weeks here in Robbie-Land and I have lots of new stuff going on that I wanted to get up here today.

A few posts ago I showed the video portion of my application to be accepted into the Turbo Kick™ Area Promotions Director (APD) training to be held in Orange County. Well on April 10th I got the call and was asked to be a part of the training program! I am so blown away! This REALLY is only the beginning though. Lots of practicing, reading, training and planning is coming (and has been since I received the call).

I am sitting in the departure lounge at the Toronto airport right now waiting for my flight to Orange County (via Denver) to arrive.

As per my usual nervous self, I slept less than 4hours last night, and as per my normal unorganized self, Heather did the majority of my packing for me as I scrambled around trying to figure out what the heck I was doing! To be honest, I was mostly just sitting on the couch looking bewildered, while Heather flashed pieces of clothing to get my travel approval. Man, I am lucky to have her!

I am not sure what is on tap for tonight, but I do know that if my flight arrives on time and all the stars align, I will HOPEFULLY be at my hotel before 530pm. If I make it on time I get to take a HIP HOP Dance/Aerobics class from my friend, Monica! I REALLY hope I can make it, but that is totally out of my hands at this point, so we'll see where the sky takes me! If anyone has seen me dance, then you'll know that this will be quite the sight if I do the class. Thank goodness nobody is bringing a video camera (I hope!) ;)

- - - - -

Right about the same time I found out about the APD Training, I also found out that a promotion I had been working very hard for and interviewing pretty frequently for came through! I have been given the opportunity to work in our newest Corporate Travel Division of our Company (Called FCM Travel). Its going to be quite a different pace and environment than what I am used to. From what I've observed and heard, the learning curve is pretty steep but since getting the call at the beginning of the month I have been working VERY hard and doing everything I can to try and minimize that so that when I start the new position (THE DAY AFTER I GET HOME FROM MY TRIP TO ORANGE COUNTY) I won't be too over my head. I am SO sad to be leaving my current team at the Agency I am currently situated in. The team is one of the best groups of people I've ever worked with in any situation. We get along and work so great together, which is one of the big reasons I was chosen to receive this promotion. Without the guidance, help and teamwork that my team provided me, there is no way I would be close to ready to take this leap (most consultants who move to corporate have had 5-10years experience in the company, I had 9months). So although this position is a dream job for me, the actual move is somewhat bitter sweet. The cool thing is that the new team I am going to is very cool too. Its a small team (just three of us currently) but I think we're going to work really well together! I'm excited!!

- - - - - -

During all of the running around, preparing for the APD Training, working for the new position, tying up as many loose ends at my current position as I can, I am still teaching as much as possible! I actually picked up a few classes as a sub in addition to my 5classes during this month. This has basically led to a month of 15+ hours out of the house EVERY day teaching, running, working, training etc. I had my first real DAY OFF this past Saturday (well I still had a class to teach but after that it was all mine) and I didn't know what to do with myself!

In hind-sight, perhaps a little too much on the plate, but what can ya do!?

It's actually kind of cool to be so overwhelmed, but having EVERYTHING on my plate being something I WANT to be doing, and HAVE to be doing its amazing how the time management kicks in. I am a firm believer that if there is something you REALLY want to do, you will find a way to do it. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices, and this month sleep has been a small sacrifice, but I know I'll sleep well after my next few days in California! I am anticipating a BUSY week!
- - - - - - -

I guess its just a matter of what you perceive as important. For example: keeping in touch with my friends (especially the long distance ones since I don't see them) is EXTREMELY important to me. So I will call, email regularly. In fact, much of the time, I feel like some of these friendships wouldn't exist if it weren't for the effort I put in to keep in touch. Some friends don't put the same emphasis on that kind of thing (or perhaps because they know me, they know that they don't have to), but my biggest pet peeve is when someone tells me that they were too busy to keep in touch. Busy job? Busy Family? Teach/Take Classes? Working 15hours a day? It takes 5minutes to make a phone call or to write an email if that sort of thing is important to you. If that sort of thing is not a priority that's cool, but I get annoyed at the folks who pretend that it IS a priority, but then don't make an effort because no matter how busy someone is, if they want something bad enough, they make time for it. Too busy to sit down and have a good dinner? What do you do? Do you grab something on the run? You still eat though right? You found a way to make it happen because its necessary.

My friends who put in the effort or who I perceive put the same kind of priority on relationships are the ones I cherish most because its something in common that we share that is at the core of who I am. It doesn't mean I love my friends who have other priorities any less, but I do share a different bond with those whom I have more in common with in general and this is a big thing to have in common for me.
- - - - - - - -

Ok sorry about that side-note mini-rant. Just airport boredom setting in!
I am literally bouncing off the walls in here I am so excited! In about 9 hours I should be landing in Orange County, California and starting the next chapter in my fitness career! Just being able to share the next few days with the all-star instructors, presenters, and fitness professionals I am going to meet, and re-meet is going to help me evolve as an instructor and person! I really feel blessed to have everything happening at once!
- - - - - - -

30 in 30! Day8

Food Hangover?
I heard rumours about this sort of thing, but I don't think I ever recall feeling this crappy before!
We enjoyed Easter foods yesterday and took it as an OFF day...What a mistake. In the past, I liked to enjoy "cheat" days or "treat" days...but I think my body has decided that those days are done. I feel like I have one of the worst hangovers ever (and I didn't drink!)

Back to reality and back to the 30in30...Today is day30 and I am ready to focus!

Food
Meal1: Cereal with Skim Milk (5points)
Meal2: String Cheese (2points)
Meal3: Whole Wheat Chickpea Pita (7points)
Meal4: String cheese (2points)
Meal5: Whole Wheat Chickpea Pita (7points)

Working on getting RE-HYDRATED too. I've downed 2 litres this morning (its 7am right now)...gotta feeling that the bathroom is going to be my friend today!

Workout: Turbo Kick Class - 730pm!

30 in 30! Day6

Yesterday I ended up eating a little extra when my parents came to town and took me to the Mongolian Grill for dinner! We came home and watched STIR OF ECHOS...If you've never seen it, you should! It's kinda like 6th Sense but not really..scarier though. I hadn't watched it in a long time, but LOVE it!

Todays food

Meal1: Cereal with Skim Milk (5points)
Meal2: String Cheese (2points)
Meal3: Chili with Rice (8points)
Meal4: String Cheese (2points)
Meal5: Low Fat Grilled Cheese Sandwiches x2 (4points)

Workout
Turbo Kick Class 930am!

30 in 30! Day5 - Good Friday!

Today is going to be a Great day. Relaxing, productive and Quiet! Heather is heading out to her parents house for the day, and I since I have to teach and work tomorrow, I am going to stay home. I'm going to do some spring cleaning, re-arranging and relaxing.

I have a few errands to run, but other than that I really don't have a lot on tap today. My challenge today is to not fall into "boredom eating". All my meals are planned for the day, I just need to stick to it all!

Meal1: Fibre One Honey Clusters (5points)
Meal2: String Cheese (2points)
Meal3: Chili and Rice (8points)
Meal4: String Cheese (2points)
Meal5: Pasta and Sauce (8points)

Workout: Cathe Core Max. I have never done this workout, so this will be my first time checking out the DVD. I'm a little scared, but excited!! :)

30 in 30! Day4

So far so good! 1 week is over half-way done and I'm still feeling great! Today is another busy one. I have an appointment at 830am this morning, then off to work at 9am. I have an early class to teach tonight (I'm subbing) at 630pm and t hen I have a work function to attend. I am supposed to be at the work function by 7pm, but with the class to do, I won't make it until closer to 745pm. Either way, I won't be making it home until closer to 10pm tonight.

Today is the most important day of the day to have my meals all planned out!

Meal1: Fibre One Cereal with Skim Milk (5points)
Meal2: String Cheese (2points)
Meal3: Chili and Brown Rice (8points)
Meal4: String Cheese (2points)
Meal5: Chickpea Pita with veggies (7points)
Meal6: Pasta and Sauce (8points)

A little more food than I planned, but I was hungry so I added on some extra food today.

Workout
Turbo Kick Class: Class was OFF THE HOOK! About 35 of my ladies came out to class and I got a few new ladies out (who usually come to the class I was subbing). We had a blast! I pushed hard today and was WIPED after class!

30 in 30! Day3

I have caught myself trying to weigh myself like 10 times in 3 days!! what a weird habit I've got. It's almost, ok it IS compulsive! I SHOULD just put the scale away somewhere for the month!

The event planning is going pretty well. As per usual, I've had a bunch of folks who have said they will come from out of town, and as per usual half of them will likely not come. It's just the way it goes. There is only one person who finds this event EXTREMELY important and that's me. For anyone else, its extracurricular and something cool to attend, but for me, its an event, a job, a commitment and part of my life...So the one constant I can definitely count on, is that I WILL be there :)

I know on one of the message boards I'm on, a few people have bailed and those who are still planning on coming are a little bummed, but I think thats a "glass half empty" kind of feeling. I am WAY more excited about who is coming, than I am upset about who isn't.

I love all my friends but those who ARE coming are the friends I'm excited about. There's no point getting upset about things we can't control so I'm just focussed on my 30in30 and will be excited to see whoever ends up making it on May5!


I've got my meals Planned out again today. I added one extra meal to account for the one extra Turbo Kick class today!

Meal1: 2Grilled Cheese Sandwichs (2 pieces of Whole Weight Weight Watchers Bread, Fat Free Pam, and 1Slice of Fat free cheese) (4points)
Meal2: Fibre One Honey Cluster Cereal with Skim Milk (5points)
Meal3: String Cheese (2points)
Meal4: Pasta and Tomato Sauce (8points)
Meal5: String Cheese (2points)
Meal6: Whole Wheat Pita with Chickpeas and Veggies (7points)


Workouts:
Turbo Kick 630am - 738cals burnt
Turbo Kick 730pm - I forgot my Heart Rate Monitor at home so I don't know how many calories I burned, but I do know that I was jumping and sweating like I came from a swimming pool! I feel REALLY great today!

30 in 30! Day2

Here we go! I nearly stepped on the scale twice this morning already. I have a meeting early this morning, so I need to get moving pretty soon, but before that I had to get all my meals ready for today!

Meal1: Fibre One Honey Clusters Cereal with Skim Milk (5points)
Meal2: String Cheese (2points)
Meal3: Chili with Wild Brown Rice (8points)
Meal4: String Cheese (2points)
Meal5: Whole Wheat, Chick Pea Pita with Veggies (7points)

Workout: After work...I got a massive headache at work, but didn't want to slack off, so instead of doing anything too intense so I did a nice 1hour walk after work then walked home.

30 in 30! Day1

30 days of being extra strict with myself...workouts and food. This is something I really need to keep myself motivated and get myself ready for the 10km race on May6!

For the first time in YEARS I have also vowed NOT to weigh myself until the final DAY (May5). I am an EVERY DAY weigher....So THAT will be the toughest part of this whole process for me!


My Food for today:

Meal1: Fibre One Cereal with SkiM Milk (5points)
Meal2: String Cheese (2points)
Meal3: Chili and Rice (8points)
Meal4: String Cheese (2points)
Meal5: Whole Wheat Pita with Hummous, and Veggies (7points)

My Workout for today:
Turbo Kick Class! My right leg is a little sore from pulling my hamstring, but I felt GREAT and had a terrific class! I burned 775calories in class today, a little less than I have before, butit was still great and Heather and I walked home afterwards!

I drank 3 Litres of water at work and am now half way through another 3 litres! I'm DYING to weigh myself....thats the TOUGHEST part of this...It's almost compulsive for me! Not until the 5th of May!

I will be back to post about how today went...everything is planned out though...so its all about execution now!

Sweet Weekend!

Another busy week! Its month end at work tomorrow so after I teach class and have an awesome brunch with Heather and a couple friends, I'm going to head into the office to help clean up and close the accounts for month end. Its been a spectacular month at work! Both Tammy (a good friend and coworker of mine) and I have had the best months of our careers!

I also found out yesterday that I actually GOT the job I was talking about on the 14th. (See a couple posts back). Its the same position, just in a different office. We have 4 Coprorate Travel offices in Toronto, and after NOT getting the one back on the 14th, I was called in to meet with 2 of the other offices. I met with 8 people that morning and afternoon and GOT offered a job in one of the offices yesterday! I start there on May1! I'm really excited, and really nervous..But mostly excited!

Classes are going great still! I'm getting really excited for the May 5th event I'm planning! Its going to be 9am-11am at the OIP Dance Studio (Same as the last event) at 190 Richmond Street East here in Toronto! :)

Starting Monday I've decided to start posting all my workouts and food again too. I loved the way I felt and how my results were when I was doing that, and I really feel I need to get back to it. SO my commitment to myself on Monday is to begin that again!!! :)

ExciteD! :)

Too Long between Posts

I was going through my old posts and realized that I definitely don't have the same consistency I did during that first year of posting. It's no coincidence that I don't have the consistency in my food intake either...The journaling helps me so much! I mean I don't have 85pounds to lose anymore, so I don't have to be AS strict, but I do have lots of goals ahead of me so I need to be much more consistent!

Work has been very busy, and I am in the tail end of my best month ever. It's been challenging, but very busy. I've applied for some positions internal to our company and have had some really amazing feedback, but so far no jobs. I love what I do, so I am continuing to do it, but I am very ready for a new challenge and hope that what I am working towards pans out soon!

Classes are amazing! They are huge, fun, exciting and we've still got new faces coming all the time! Man I love this!

I have planned our NEXT event for May5 and I couldn't be more excited! I have a bunch of friends coming from the states for the weekend for the event, which has me almost giddy! These folks, in addition to all the folks already here in Toronto is gonna make this the best one yet for sure! I'm trying to get some sponsors for raffle gifts like usual and some friends have already let me know that they have goodies then can donate! I LOVE getting to give stuff away!! Its such an added bonus to the day!!

Anyways...I will be posting here MUCH more often. So if anyone is reading, you can check in more often but I need this place! :)

Putting Myself out there

Well I've never been one, thin or fat keep things to myself. So here goes.
I applied to be an APD for Powder Blue as I mentioned below. The application process is very involved and includes a long application as well as a requirement to send in a video of you. The video is supposed to encompass who you are, and should act as a supplement to the written application.

I don't know if I will be chosen to go to the Presenter Camp to audition in April, but regardless...This is me! I love Turbo Kick™ and I wanted to share this with anyone who is interested.


Here is what I sent in.



On the DVD I sent in, there is a "SPECIAL FEATURE" called OUTTAKES. This is what comes up with you click on that.

A long time....

A long time since I posted, and a lot has happened both good and bad. Let's start on the good side!

I had my Turbo Kick™ Round29 event this past weekend. Man it was rockin! The venue, the OIP Dance Studio here in Toronto was amazing! I think everyone really had a great time and Round29 was so freaking amazing! It's my favorite round BY FAR!!! I think the gals in my class are starting to really like it too! KICKS!! LOTS OF KICKS!!! My friend Lisa from Milwaukee flew all the way to Toronto just for the event! How amazing is that! If she was the ONLY one in class my weekend would have been made...But instead I had another 45 or so ladies (and 3 guys) come out and just tear the place apart! This was smaller than my last event (over 60 ladies) but this event was the most fun for me! I think each one is the MOST FUN because its the most fresh in my mind! Man I love teaching this stuff!

Ok on the not so positive side, I found out today that I didn't get a really important job today. This would have been a promotion and the selection committee was down to a select few (from a lot of applicants). I wanted this position very badly (more than I let on) and for the first time in my life, I lost out to someone else in an interview. The person who ended up in the role is outstanding and I think he will do amazing, but I am totally torn about by it. I'll survive and I will grow because of it. I talked to the manager of the team (and his boss) today and got feedback and asked for things I could do to make myself a stronger candidate. They didn't have much to tell me actually (which was a bit of an ego boost) and they told me that they thought I was a great candidate and that in future positions (there will be several in the next few months) that they wanted me to re-apply. I think I will, but I don't remember ever wanting something so badly and losing out.

Also I applied to become a Area Promotions Director (Presenter) for Powder Blue Productions, the makers of Turbo Kick™. This is also something I want VERY badly. I had to put together a video and send it in to California. If they like my application and video I will get invited to California for 3 days to audition to be a presenter. If I get through that, I will get the opportunity to run events and certify instructors in Turbo Kick™! Talk about a dream come true! From fat, out of shape Rob, to Turbo Kick™ Fanatic, to APD for Powder Blue! I don't know what the superstars in California will think of my application or video but I sure hope they like it! My cousins, Pete and Sarah helped me put it all together (they are amazing) and I couldn't be more grateful! I love em!

Here are some pictures from our turbo kick™ event! :)




Just a group shot! I love these people! And no, Steve and Lisa are not standing on chairs, they are both that tall! Happy Post Workout!!! ;)




My buddy Koko, modeling his "I HEART TURBO" T-Shirt that he won in our draw!



Just me, going through the "how to" part of our day.

We have already decided on a NEW event. May 5, 2007! I am hopeful that some more of my friends can make it! I will post more info on that over the next couple of weeks!

Well that's it for now!

Kids, Kids and more Kids!

So this weekend we got up early and headed to Turbo Kick Class! I was excited as usual and there were lots of ladies waiting when we got there! Class was awesome! We really pushed it and I was WIPED at the end of class!

I chatted with some of the ladies after class and the quickly changed in the back stairwell and threw on a dry shirt and headed downstairs where one of the ladies from class, Marisa was waiting for us!

We hopped in her car and headed EAST to Scarborough and landed at the Boys and Girls Club WINTERFEST. It's a big event that they hold each year to promote healthy living and MOVING.

So we got there, the kids arrived, were fed and then it was GO TIME! I did 6 classes, shorter than normal of course, but still 6 back to back classes with a total of over 200 kids (7-9 year olds) over the next several hours. It was amazing! The kids were GREAT, energetic and wildly un-focussed, much like myself! It was an absolute pleasure seeing the kids have fun with Turbo Kick and getting high 5's from 200 kids in an afternoon is an experience I will remember for a long time!

The pain I felt by dinner time though...Holy Cow! Stiffy-McStiffalot! My goodness I was a complete mess! I was still pretty sore Sunday, but by class time tonight I was good to go!!! Class was great and I got to spend a few minutes after class chatting with some of the ladies! It was a great night!!! I am ready for some sleep now though!!!

Awesome Start to the day!

So I was at a Product Day for one of our biggest suppliers yesterday. I spent 8 hours at THE OLD MILL INN learning about Transat Vacations new European Packages. Lots of cool stuff but it was a long day. I didn't get home until after 9pm.

Class this morning came quickly! I basically came home last night and went straight to bed. It felt like I had been asleep for 2 hours when the alarm went off at 5am. I had slept pretty well though, so once I got moving everything was good!

Class was phenomenal! A friend from Orange County, California was in town for 2 days and came out this morning! 2 days!!! What a long trip for 2 days! Anyways, Tiffany is as much of a Turbo Fanatic as I am and I was SOOOO lucky to have her come out! She's wonderful and considering she hadn't really slept in a couple days with traveling, jet lag etc...she was on fire!!! AWESOME!!!

I've got a meeting early this morning, so I've gotta clean up, pack for this evening's class and get moving!


UPDATE!!!!!

Class tonight was...All I can say is "WOW"
The energy was amazing! I lost count at 63people, but I know there were more. I was tired after a long tough day at work and already one class under my belt for the day, but it is impossible not to get pumped up, and crazy when you see that many other folks jumping, punching, yelling and kicking in a room that barely holds 40 people comfortably!! :)

Anyways it was amazing and I loved every second of it!

The gym manager (another new one) wants me to do another event at the gym now too. He saw class tonight and was over the moon. He's offered me compensation for each non-member who shows up. I told him I'll think about it. I think I will ask him to attend my off site event on March 10, and to offer prizes from the gym as a good-will gesture. If he does that, then I may do another event for them. Otherwise off-site is looking like a great place to do these events. Its only once per month (or once every 2months) and only $5. I really hope

I also got to chat with one of our New Turbo Ladies after class for a bit. Very cool gal! I love getting to know the ladies! All in all...WONDERFUL night...just settling in to watch LOST...then its ZZZZZzzzzz.

Turbo Kick™ Event! Come on out!

Studio Success!

So I'll start this post with the GOOD news of the day! I found a booked our venue for the Turbo Kick™ event on March10, 2007!!!

I will be putting a flyer together in the next couple days and posting it here as well as emailing it around to my Turbo Friends local and remote! I'll also be putting up flyers around here locally!

The venue is right downtown Toronto and has a KILLER sound system! I can't wait! This is going to be the first event that I am hosting that is Co-Ed as well! I REALLY hope that my Turbo Ladies all show up and help the few guys that will be there how to really Kick it!!!

I will post the flyer shortly (before Monday)

***---In my day job---***
Probably the worst 7hours in my career today. This week itself has been bad news after bad news. I don't want to get into all the cruddy details, but it really has been a crap week! The bright spot of the week was one of my new clients who came in to book her trip in hour8 of my day today. She was really funny, and we got along super well. All of us ended up joking around with her and it really lightened the day up! Ended up finishing the work day on a high note which was really nice and much needed. This week the stress has really got to me and its hurt my food too. I kind of lost focus and didn't really pay attention to my food. Next week I really need to get back to focus on that.

Late Shift!

So today I'm working the late shift at the travel agency, so I have a choice. Get up like normal and try to get lots of stuff done before work since I work until 8pm....OR...lounge.

I think today is a lounge day.
The A-Team is calling my name (it's on at 10am!)...

I have an appt tomorrow at 530pm to check out another studio that I am really hopefull about!
I'll take pictures and post them if it turns out well!!!

As soon as I can confirm this venue I will send sending out an email and posting a flyer here with all the details!!!

Turbo Class last night was great! It was still pretty big (over 30ladies) but I believe that St. Valentine took some of my ladies from me. To add to that, it was the worst weather day of the winter yesterday! Lots of wind and snow! I was actually surprised that my early morning ladies made it out at 630am yesterday! Man I love the dedication of these ladies! 630am and these ladies trudged through 6inches of new snow on the ground and still made it! These ladies continue to impress/surprise me!!! Gotta love em!!!!

Studio#2

Well the lady we met today was super nice! The price was a little high, but the facilities ended up being kinda cruddy for what we're looking for. When they told me "hardwood floors" I expected Sprung wood aerobic flooring. I got real "little house on the prairie" hardwood floors. The room was way too small too. But we had a nice time, mostly because the owner was so sweet!

We went over the YMCA and asked them about space. There is a big auditorium that may be possible to use, but I need to talk to a specific person who wasn't around. So I will be emailing her tomorrow.

So the search continues!!

Tuesday!

Ok I'm almost late for work already, but I wanted to get back in the blogging routine, so here I am!

I have an early morning meeting in 40minutes (work is only 15mins away) so I didn't work out this morning. I will get "SOMETHING" done tonight. Likely a run on the treadmill. We're expecting a big snow storm this afternoon. Can't WAIT!

Class last night was out of this world! A few of the ladies regularly hoot and hollar, but most of the other 40-60 people typically just smile, kick and sweat. But something rubbed off last night, and the new and old Kickers alike were yelling, groaning and hooting all together! It was awesome! Class was pretty big as well, and that always gives me more energy too! We had over 50 ladies in class which was just awesome!!!

Today, besides work I am going to follow up on a couple more Studio Places and hopefully get closer to nailing down the venue for our event!

Food

Meal1: Power Crunch Bar (4points)
Meal2: Chickpeas, Veggies on a Whole Wheat Pita (7points)
Meal3:Power Crunch Bar (4points)
Meal4: Whole Wheat pasta and Sauce (8points)

Workout

Nothing specific tonight. Running around in -20C. looking for venues to host my event was enough of a workout today!

Studio#1

I went to a studio to check out today after my meeting at head office (for work). I had my hopes up because the location was pretty convenient (about 3 or 4 blocks from where I currently teach). The people were nice, the price was excellent. And the venue was pooh.

There were two rooms, both with mirrors and lots of natural light which was nice. The flooring was cruddy. This kind of plastic/linoleum that seemed very fragile. The room was also a little small (and that was the LARGE room). Its too bad, but that's just my first place.

Tomorrow I will be at work, but if I have a little spare time I will follow up with a couple other options.

Bitten off more than I can chew?

Goals are great! Writing them down are wonderful. But in the dead of winter, when you make a lofty set of goals and you don't accomplish them, things can begin to spiral.

So back to basics. I have an event I am in the midst of planning right now. This will be the first event I am organizing OUTSIDE of Fitness One.

I will have to charge a small price per person ($5), but I think that this will be a really good step towards establishing Turbo in the city. This will be a Co-Ed Event, and I am really excited at the potential of this event! The money will go towards paying for the rent on the venue and some of the prizes and snacks we provide. I hope that the people feel that I'm worth $5, if not, perhaps I'm in the wrong business.

I have some leads on venues that I will be following up on today and I definitely need to make sure the venue is nailed down for sure by the end of the week. So that is my number one priority.

Number 2 is working on my ACE Material. I want/need to get through this stuff and get my test planned. I want to have the test scheduled by the end of this month so I need to make a good dent in the material this month!

So back to basics....Food, Activity all blogged. I'm going to get back to what was successful for me and let the good things happen when I'm working hard to meet my goals!

I had an awesome chat today with an amazing friend in Connecticut today and afterwards I really feel great and am ready to focus! This month is gonna be great, I can already tell!

Food

Meal1: Fibre One Honey Clusters Cereal (5points)
Meal2: Fibre One Honey Clusters Cereal (5points)
Meal3: 2 Cups of Whole Wheat Pasta with Sauce (8points)
Meal4: Power Crunch Protein Bar (4points)
Meal:5: 2 Cups of Whole What Pasta with Sauce (8points)

Total Points Consumed: 30points

Workout

Turbo Kick Class 730pm

Daily Goals

So today is day1 of a new intensity for me! I'm not training to be an Ultimate Fighter, but I AM training as if I was! I am going to push myself!

Mondays Goals:

#1 Clean Eating (including at least 3 litres of water)
#2 Weighted Workout (Power90)
#3 Cardio Workout Turbo Kick
#4 Education. Complete Reading Chapter1 in ACE Manual

I will update my blog at the end of the day regarding these goals.

Also I do have WEEKLY goals which I will update at the end of the week.

#1 Clean Eating every day
#2 4 Weight Training Workouts
#3 6 Days of Cardio (Tuesday will be the NO-Cardio Day)
#4 3 Chapters read and studied in ACE Manual
#5 Research Workout locations outside of my gym. Make a list of 20potential places and contact info for each.

Inspired!

Well I'm home, rested and ready to get back into my routine! I don't have anything out of town planned until the spring now...So its time to get busy!

I'm really beginning to realize that although going to an event like the UFC Event I went to this past weekend was amazingly fun, there is a LOT to be gained from it as well. For me it treated like a renewal, refresher, and inspirational day. I met and saw some of the finest athletes in the world! Regardless of the fact that I am a huge fan of these fighters, its their conditioning, discipline and intensity that has inspired me!

Thanks to these guys I am more fired up than ever to really step up my training! I know these guys train for a living, but at the same time there are 24 hours in a day...so plenty of time for work, sleep, eat and train :)

Tomorrow is going to be a great day! Today is rest and sleep and enjoying the lingering effects of some jet lag.

Flight Delay

So our time at the airport in Phoenix was a little longer, and more eventful than we had anticipated. We were able to get that earlier flight from Vegas to Phoenix, which got us into the Phoenix airport with plenty of time to spare, unlike our first entrance into the Sunshine State earlier this week.

We were all excited to have a few moments to relax and not have to rush to our next gate. We joked around, and decided that since there would not be any meal on the plane (except for Heather and I, who were in first-class) we would all get some lunch. Our selection was pretty grim. The airport in Phoenix is pretty lacking.

Our food choices were the following (the names are incorrect, or changed because I’m either bored, or didn’t pay attention:

1. Greasy McPizza’s PoopHole
2. Filthy Employees Cheese Steak Crap shack
3. Tony Hotdogs French Fry Palace (which was closed because of a deep fryer accident)
4. Dirk Colombia’s Free Trade (NOT) coffee house

So everyone in our group except for, my mother and my brother decided that Greasy McPizza’s PoopHole would be the lesser of multiple evils.

We got our “personal” pizzas and a bottle of water and sat down to eat while mom and brother lined up for Filthy Employees Cheese steak Crap Shack sandwiches. We had all finished eating and drinking and had already started feeling sick from our cruddy food before we noticed that mom and Peter were still in line. Wondering what was going on, I put on my “ScoobyDoo T-Shirt” and went to investigate.

I interviewed my family to see what they thought the problem was. I received several curses from my brother and mom just shrugged. I decided to take a more observant role in my investigation. I lined up with the family and watched what was happening.

It looked like several employees, whom I will name for you were not the most cohesive team. “Acid Burn” was taking orders and shouting them over to “Pink Eye”, who was not particularly amused by the sheer volume and speed at which “Acid Burn” rhymed off the orders, nor by the fact that she sounded like she was chewing on sponges when she talked. These two were shouting at each other and yelling at each other yet nobody was making food. Acid Burn continued to yell at Pink Eye while taking orders, but Pink Eye was less skilled at Multi Tasking, and therefore could only manage to do one thing at a time, which unfortunately for those in line was curse back at Acid Burn.

The most pertinent quote that I captured throughout my investigation was the following from Pink Eye,

“You may as well close, and stop taking orders because I’m not making anything!”

To this my brother, who had now been in line with 10-15 other people for over 20minutes decided it was time to cut his losses and find other means of sustenance. The next 15minutes was spent trying to get the attention of Pink Eye, who would make slight eye contact, make some sucking noises through her teeth, the go back to cooking food, which was ironic, because she was in fact not cooking anything. She chopped up a lot of onions and mushrooms, but nothing was actually being cooked.

I tried to help by searching out the manager and was able to have her sent over (she manages both Filthy Employees Cheese steak Crap Shack and Greasy McPizza Poophole simultaneously.

She came over and fairly quickly gave my brother and mom their money back. In the meantime, I had also run down the hall to Tony HotDogs French Fry Palace and got a couple orders of fries for Peter and Mom to share. I tried to get them something else but found out that ALL Tony Hotdogs could sell was French Fries because their FRYER was down. They can sell FRIES with a fryer down, but not HotDogs.

Anyways, back to Greasy Cheese Steak Crap Shack. As I walk back with the fries I’m feeling bad for mom and Peter because we were all starving and now they had waited almost 45minutes with no food. I’m about to put down the fries when I see something I had to do a double take for.

An older gentleman, who was at least 70 years old had been in line probably about 15 minutes longer than my brother, had decided that enough was enough, and went completely mental. He marched up and down the line cursing at the employees. Not that they didn’t deserve some sort of reprimand for being so moronic, but I learned early on into my college days as a waiter. NEVER treat your food service employees poorly, lest ye drink urine in your soda.

Anyways, Mr. Old’s tirade was awesome! He went off on each employee and exclaimed that he had been in line for a god damned hour and you morons can’t even make a god damned sandwich!?

Then another employee, we’ll call “Special Sauce” comes over. This dude is about 40years old, and about 6 foot 5 inches tall. He looks like one of those big, but soft- spoken type guys. He looks over at Mr. Old, and says fairly calmly,

“Hey You, FUCK YOU!”

At this point the manager comes over and gives Mr. Old, the customer some grief for cursing in public. I laughed out loud at this point

Mr. Old was speechless. Now what baffles me is that out of nowhere within a minute, Mr. Old has his sandwich and is quietly eating it! NO WAY would I be eating something from:
1. This place at all after what I had seen over the last hour
2. This place after just telling the guy who is making my sandwich how much of a moron he is, and receiving the reply “Hey you, FUCK YOU” from him.

But Mr. Old chewed up his body fluid sandwich and licked his plate clean.

So after everything had somewhat settled, I headed to the restroom to wash my hands after lunch and saw a brawl erupt over at Greasy McPizza’s PoopHole between PINK EYE and Acid Burn. Pink Eye Who is in her 40’s was swinging, screaming, and cursing like MAD at Poor Acid Burn who just seemed shell shocked. The manager was between them and keeping Pink Eye at least an arms length away from Acid Burn.

Just when Pink Eye seemed to quiet down, Acid burn would mutter something, which kind of sounded like some sort of voodoo or gypsy curse, which completely set Pink Eye over the deep end. We were scrambling for our cameras and I had tears streaming down my face. Unfortunately the manager had physically dragged Pink eye out of public view before our flashes could go off. Nonetheless we had laughed ourselves silly.

Gosh I love flight delays!!!

Vegas Baby!

Off to Vegas! 730am.

Well four hours of sleep and I we were up and ready to go this morning! My brother and sister in law picked Heather and I up around 6am this morning and we met my parents at the park n fly lot then headed off to the airport. US Customs was the best I've ever had. No Lineups and the customs agent just chatted with me about which Cirque Du Soliel show we should see in Vegas! I hope I'm not jinxing us, but so far its been pretty sweet. Security checkpoint was quick and painless too!

We have 3 hours to wait until our flight, so we're just gonna hang out and pass the time. I will write more when we get to the next stop.

Most of these may show up together because we have no internet connection here at the airport.

...

So we begin our descent into Phoenix and we're way late...not so late that we will DEFINITELY miss our flight, but late enough that its gonna be close!

On the descent we get hit with lightening twice in about 10 seconds! It was loud like a gun-shot and the flash was like someone put a camera up to you eyeballs and started shooting! I poohed myself.

...

We got off the plane at 200pm and our connecting flight was to depart at 215pm...so off we run! We got to the gate at about 210pm to find out that this flight was delayed...SIGH of RELIEF!

We hung around for about an hour then off to Vegas!!! The flight to Vegas was very pleasantly uneventful and our stretch Limo driver was hilarious!! It was cheaper to take a stretch limo ($46) than to take airport Shuttle ($10 per person. Since there are 6 of us).

We went to the RIO for dinner at their buffet. Oh my god. I know that Vegas is known for its extreme everything, and I've been here before. But I've never seen a buffet THIS big before. Not even close to be honest. This place was exponentially bigger than any place I've ever seen!

We ate! I did pretty well and loaded up on veggies, but my small dish of pasta did look like it was bathed in Oil. So after dinner, we all felt pretty sloth-ish. My parents took a cab back to the hotel to crash, where Heather and I, my brother and his wife decided to hoof it and check out a few sites before bed!

We checked out the Bellagio water show, which was fun and then headed over to FAO Schwartz to look at TOYS!! If you've ever seen the movie, BIG that is the toy company that Tom Hanks worked for! If you've never seen the movie the next picture won't be too exciting, but if you HAVE this picture is kinda cool! This is my younger brother and I on "the keyboard"

Out with the old?

So class was amazing yet again tonight, and we had a terrific time! The ladies were energy personified! After class I got to thinking though.

There were a few people in class who have been coming to class since I started, there were some brand new people, and some "mid-timers", but as of January I have noticed that some of the "original" folks have all but stopped coming. I mean the classes continue to grow, so its not a concern in that respect, but I do feel a family vibe with all my ladies when they just leave all together, it does feel a little sad. I've seen this sort of thing when I used to teach martial arts, but in that there is more of a commitment, because people are working towards belts and don't typically just stop coming.

I know that new year sometimes bring new trends and new ideas, so perhaps some of the folks are pursuing those, or perhaps life just changes folks priorities. All I know is that some of the folks who seemed as excited as I was about Turbo have either disappeared, or have changed their priorties.

I know I should be less sensitive about it, and should be continually happy for the fact that my classes are amazing, and I truly love all the ladies in class but heck I'm a sensitive guy!

Friday Friday!

Well yesterday was an overwealming day! Work started off normal but as the day moved on it just got busier and busier. Even after 7pm, when we were down to a skeleton crew it kept going. The 3 of us left in the office just kind of sat down at about 830pm (we close at 8pm) and looked at each other. I think we all felt the same, as if a truck had just rolled over us. I think we'll appreciate the business come month end, but last night for some reason it was just overwealming!

A few friends and I decided to hook up for a phone call last night too, so I got home, called in and chatted with "7 including myself" of the funniest people I've ever met. We talked and laughed for about an hour and a half! Something I really needed.

Back to reality though. I'm brainstorming ideas, and working on some stuff for my Presenter Application, and for my ACE Certification this weekend, so it will be more of a work weekend for me, but ALL work that I love!!!

10 in 10 is done!!

Hey Folks!!! The 10 in 10 went great!! I successfully got rid of all the Christmas / Holiday meals, and am back down to "fighting weight"!

It was fun pushing myself for 10 days with no breaks in workouts, and planning my meals a little more. Sure I still eat the same things every day but, heck I'm a creature of habit!

I had my Turbo Kick Class last night and it was amazing! We had a surprise guest who popped up briefly. The dude who owns the gym (and 7 others) decided to stop by to see if this Turbo Kick thing was all its been rumoured to be. I've emailed with him, and told him about the classes / size / energy etc...But hearing it from me is like a parent telling the world that his kid is the best. I'm a bit biased. Well we had about 45-50 ladies in class yesterday and "Owner" popped his head in and could barely walk through the doorway because so many ladies were in the room! I caught him out of the corner of my eye and although I didn't know at the time that HE was the owner, I had a feeling because no other 'guys' beside ME and the employees would be walking around through the womens only gym!

We had a few new faces in class too which was great, because some of the regular ladies took them under their wings and helped with the choreography which I loved!!!

But do you ever have such an awesome day but wake up the next day and feel really LOW? That's what I've been feeling this morning. I just had some great exposure, class was amazing, my ladies were out of this world yet I'm in the blues mode right now. I need to get out and get some fresh air (heading to work shortly) and get off my butt about setting up Turbo in other locations. I need to lift my own spirits today I think!!

Day9 of the 10 in 10 Challenge

Busy weekend away from the computer but I'm still plugging away! Today is day9 and overall this has been a really good challenge!! This sort of challenge I think is PERFECTLY suited for this time of year. The time when we get depressed, feel crappy, don't see the sunlight and don't get outside as much as normal. This challenge for me has really helped balance the S.A.D. factor that usually catches me at this time of year. Not only am I going to come out of this winter with a smile on my face, but I'll do it in the best shape I ever have!

I'm getting excited about this winter/spring. I have some fun events coming up. Here is my next 6 months!!!

-Jan31-Feb03. I am going to be in Vegas! This means I have a few classes to cancel at the gym. Jan31 classes, Feb2 and Feb3 classes are cancelled at the gym

-Feb24. I am teaching Turbo Kick to a bunch of under 10year olds for the Boys and Girls club of Canada! I am so excited about this!

-Mar17. It's our annual St Patty's Day Pub Crawl. This is a lot of fun! There is a significant amount of beer that does get consumed, but the day is REALLY about seeing 30-40 friends all in one place!

-April26-29. I am applying to become an Area Promotional Director for Powder Blue Productions (Turbo Kick). If my application is picked I will get an invitation to California for this weekend to audition for this position! If I get it, I will be able to certify new Turbo Kick Instructors up here in Canada!!!

-May6. The Sporting Life 10km Race here in Toronto! I am excited about this race. It's a blast, and its partially downhill which makes it possible to really go FAST! I'm training for this race and am very hopeful that I can great!

-June22 - My Birthday!

-July. My company has sent me to Dublin Ireland for our Annual Global Ball. I've won an award already this year that has guaranteed my spot at the ball, so I am super excited!!

Day5 of the 10 in 10 Challenge

Today is the half way mark of our 10 in 10 Challenge!!! It's going well!! I WISH I was a little less flu-ish, so I could ENJOY this a little more, but regardless of that it is working!!! Physically I'm feeling REALLY good, and REALLY strong right now and we still have 5 more days!!!

Food

Meal1: Fibre One Honey Crunch Cereal with Skim Milk (5points)
Meal2: Whole Wheat Pita with Chick Peas and Veggies (7points)
Meal3: Fibre One Honey Crunch Cereal with Skim Milk (5points)
Meal4: Whole Wheat Pita with Chick Peas and Veggies (7points)

Workout

Turbo Kick Class- 730pm. Class freaking ROCKED! Class was a little less crowded today (about 25people) but was so energy packed! The ladies CHEERED after each section! I was feeling amazing, and the energy everyone brought just had me going even more!! It was such a blast!!! I'm excited for tomorrow morning's class!!

Day4 of the 10 in 10 Challenge

I feel awesome this morning!! Day4 is usually the day where the FOOD part of the 10 in 10 gets tough for me. If I've ever "cheated" on one of these challenges, its always started as a result of Day4! I don't know what it is, but perhaps after 3 days of being strict, maybe I just get lazy...well not today! I don't work until noon today, so I am planning on getting my pushups (and my running) done today before work!

Tonight is TV night for us! THE OFFICE and SCRUBS are on tonight, so my goal is to chill out in front of the TV tonight, and to do that I need to get to work early!!

Food

Meal1: Fibre One Honey Crunch Cereal (5points)
Meal2: Whole Wheat Pasta and Tomato Sauce (8points)
Meal3: Whole Wheat Pita with Chickpeas and Veggies (7points)
Meal4: Whole Wheat Pita with Chickpeas and Veggies (7points)

Workout

Running - 5.5 miles done in 45minutes! Still really stuffed up so this was a challenge!!!
Pushups - 100 done during Commercial Breaks of the OFFICE and SCRUBS ;)

Day3 of the 10 in 10 Challenge

Well the day started off great! I woke up starving! Yesterday's lack of food caught up with me in a BIG way! I had a nice bowl of cereal and then head off to teach my Turbo Kick Class! Class was AWESOME, and we really pushed it this morning! Heather is sick (no doubt thanks to me) so she stayed home and slept. I hope she's feeling better tonight!

Meal1: Fibre One Honey Crunch Cereal (5points)
Meal2: Fibre One Honey Crunch Cereal (5points)
Meal3: Whole Wheat Pita with Chickpeas and Veggies (7points)
Meal4: Whole Wheat Pita with Chickpeas and Veggies (7points)

Workout

#1. Turbo Kick Class -630am. Class was awesome!!! There was no early morning slacking here! We jumped in and busted ass from the very first second of class and cranked out 3 solid Turbos during class!!! Felt amazing after class (although a little hungry, which is why I ate another bowl of cereal!)

#2 Turbo Kick Class- 730pm. Class was HUGE! We're cracking 40-50 people every evening class these days. I don't know if its just because its January, or if people are just loving class. I think its probably a combination of the two. Anyways I was drenched after class. Everyone, including me were drenched at the end of class!!! What a fantastic way to end the day!

Feeling Better

So I've had this rotten flu for the last 4 (tooday would be the 5th) day and lemme tell ya it sucks! Not being able to breath, coughing until your throat bleeds...good times....

Anyways, I made it to teach class last night and for the most part I think class was unaware that I had been ill and I was able to get through class without issue. The flu hasn't affected my energy at all, and once I started moving, it helped clear up my sinuses. As soon as we finished working out, my voice went as well as getting instantly stuffed again, but it was an AWESOME hour of freedom!!!

This morning I do feel better though. Not 100% but good enough to go to work, get my workout in this afternoon and very relieved that I can breath again!!! AHHH!!!

A few friends and I have decided that this week would start a 10 in 10 challenge! Anytime we're feeling sluggish, lazy or blech this usually is the kickstart we need! 10 in 10 basically is 10workouts in 10 days, and 10days of clean eating...no white food (bread, rice, etc) or processed food. I still eat protein powders, bars etc...but no processed meats and stuff like that...

Today is day 2 of that!!! I didn't weigh myself or do measurements on day1 so I won't know the exact results of the challenge, but I do know that times in the past that we've done this, its done AWESOME stuff!

I will get my workout in after work today and post the bulk of my food at that time too!

Food

Meal1: Fibre One Cereal and Skim Milk (4points)
Meal2: Whole Wheat Pita with Chick Peas and Veggies (7points)
Meal3: NEW Fibre One honey crunch Cereal (5points)

I ended up eating too little yesterday but my appetite wasn't really there (thanks to an upset stomach from the cold and a real busy day kept my mind off food). This kind of day is a rare thing, and I will not be following this one up tomorrow!

Workout:

Running: I did 45minutes on the treadmill and did 5.5miles. I just push the pace, just jogged it out for the 45minutes. I was not feeling great, but HAD to get 45minutes in for my 10 in 10 challenge! I felt very accomplished at the end of the day!

It's been too long!

Those folks who post on blogs, message boards, or journals will know that when you're absent from those for any decent amount of time, typically something is wrong.

So what's my reason...
Lazy. Plain and simple.

I'm actually really angry at myself about it. Life gets busy, things come up and priorities change. But I decided way back at the beginning of this journey that I would make my Health a top priority in my life...and sure enough I let it slip.

There are plenty of things that came up these last few weeks. Work-wise, money-wise, stress-wise...but none of those are an excuse. Regardless of WHAT happens, my Health needs to be a focus otherwise EVERYTHING will slip.

I find it interesting to look at the last couple of weeks. No blogging, not journalling...and it just so happens that today is day4 of a horrible illness I've been plagued with. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not...But all I know is that I wasn't sick when I was journalling!

So workout-wise I'm still going strong, even being sick. I have my commitments, and I won't miss teaching any of my classes unless I am physically unable to be there and even with how sick I've been..I'm still mobile!

My eating has been...well...not measured or journalled. But as of now, its back to the basics. I'm still in great shape, I haven't gained 20pounds or lost my results...I just feel blech and lazy.

Food

Meal1 PowerCrunch Protein Bar (4points)
Meal2 Wild Rice with Chili and Veggies (8points)
Meal3 Whole Wheat Pasta with Tomato Sauce (8points)
Meal4 Fibre One Cereal and Skim Milk (4points)
Meal5 PowerCrunch Protein Bar (4points)

I had 6 litres of water BEFORE class today. I think the cold, and the medication both are doing a number on keeping me dehydrated. I'm working hard to fight that though!

Workout

TurboKick Class at 730pm - I was sick before class but I was able to put on my "GAME FACE" before class! I powered through class, burned over 1000 calories and sweat buckets!
I went straight home and bundled up, took more medicine and am now going to bed.

ONE THING I'VE LEARNED. The next time someone asks you "HOW ARE YOU?", tell them you're GREAT, or AWESOME, TERRIFIC...Something EXCELLENT! Even if you aren't..Even if you're normal response would be to complain, or say "OK"...Tell them, and at the same time tell yourself that you're doing GREAT. You'd be surprised, but a lot of the time, you'll actually end up feeling the way you've just described yourself!

Pushups- 1400done / 1600 remaining. Still pushing away at it. I haven't missed a day and although I haven't done any MORE than 100 per day, but I haven't done any LESS either ;)

A little Sore!

This morning I woke up with a little soreness pretty much everywhere!
My abs are a little tender, as is my foot (where the cuts are) and my chest is sore too. I love it! I remember when I was doing Power90 that pushups came a LOT easier, but now that I've been pretty strictly cardio for the last year plus that I really am not near as proficient as I once was. I'm hoping that by the end of January and this challenge I'll have not only a sense of accomplishment for the challenges we're doing but also so more strength that I've obviously lost a little!

Food

Meal1: PowerCrunch Bar (4points)
Meal2: Fibre and Protein Enriched Pasta with Sauce (14points)
Meal3: PowerCrunch Bar (4points)
Meal4: Whole Wheat Pita with chickpeas and veggies (7points)

Workout

Pushups - 100 done / 2700 remaining
Still Just plowing along!

Running- 2miles done / 67miles remaining
I was doing alright, and at a decent enough pace but my foot really started bothering me and I had to stop rather than doing something silly. I ran for 16minutes 50 seconds and ran 2miles.

January 03-Feeling good!

Well I woke up pretty well this morning after a nice 7hour sleep. My legs felt un-used which was great! No soreness or tenderness or anything after yesterday's run! I was a little disappointed in my pull-ups, but by the time I got to them last night I was so exhausted that I could barely keep my eyes open, let alone pull my weight up! I will do some more a little earlier today (although I teach Turbo Kick classes today with a full day of work in between so I imagine sleep will be high on my priority list by the time I get home tonight as well!

Food

Meal1: Power Crunch Bar (4points)
Meal2: Whole Wheat Pita with Chickpeas and Veggies (7points)
Meal3: Power Crunch Bar (4points)
Meal4: Whole Wheat Pita with Chickpeas and Veggies (7points)
Meal5: Spicy Noodles with Curry Chicken (?)

Workout

Turbo Kick Class#1- Class was fantastic this morning at 630am! We had quite a few ladies out there, smiles were all around and we worked! 4 turbos and a LOT of sweat! I couldn't find my heart rate monitor strap this morning, but I know I would have cracked 1000 calories easy this morning. I haven't sweat THAT much in a while!

Pushups-I knocked off 20 pushups right after class this morning, and finished the rest of them as soon as I got home from class. I am tired as heck right now, and am just downing a litre of water to get some fluid back in my body! It's nice to get the pushups done early and not have to worry about them all day!
Pushup goal 3000 / Remaining 2800

Pullups- Goal 1000 / Remaining 995

Running- Goal 75miles / Remaining 72miles

Turbo Kick Class#2 - Class was insane! Over 40 ladies showed and the place was HOPPING! I worked the ladies hard and they busted their butts!! I was completely wiped after class! My foot was bugging me still but it was mostly just uncomfortbale tonight, not overly sore.

Plan Making 101

Well I learned never to make plans for New Years Eve and goals for new years day at the same time. Recipe for disaster!

We had a blast on New Years Eve, saw friends caught up with people and really enjoyed the celebrations. To the point where I was physically unable to function on New Years day. Without getting into any details, let's just say I have a little catching up. We did get out for a few hours to see some friends and have a great meal on New Years day as well, but that was the extent of my energy for the day.

I will do my fitness test today and will do my running tonight and am about to start on the pushups right away. Since I am at work all day the blog will be updated in the evening when I get home.

Food- I didn't have much of an appetite today so I had a few protein bars to keep my calories up

Meal1: Power Crunch Bar (4points)
Meal2: Whole Wheat Pita with Chickpeas and Veggies (7points)
Meal3: Power Crunch Bar (4points)
Meal4: Whole Wheat Pita with Chickpeas and Veggies (7points)
Meal5: Power Crunch Bar (4points)

Now this isn't the most exciting diet today, and those who know me or who have read my blog at all over the last year and a half will know that when I like something I eat it often. The important thing is that I got a tonne of protein today (from the bars and from the chickpeas), Lots of Veggies (in the pitas), plenty of good carbs from the (chickpeas, whole wheat pitas and the bars) and I felt great all day.

Workout

Pushups- Total to do for the month 3000 / Remaining 2900
100 pushups done in several sets of 20-30 at a time.

Pullups- Total to do for the month 1000 / Remaining 995
Pathetic I know. But I as tired, and forgot all about them until bed time.

Running- Total mileage to run for the month: 75miles / remaining 72miles
I ran for 3 miles today. 23minutes and 50seconds.
This morning when I woke up I tripped and sliced my foot open on the metal frame of my bed. I sliced open my 2 smallest toes. I bandaged them up all day and then retaped them before my run. If you've seen any movie about Steve Prefontaine, you may recall an NCAA championship race he ran after slicing his foot open. At the end of the race (in which he won) you could see the blood soaking through not only his socks, but also his shoes. Well that's kind of what my foot looked like after this 3miler. I didn't break any Prefontaine records, but I was in pain by the end, and I am own one less pair of socks!

Happy New Year!

Wow!!! 2007 here we are! Heather and I got in real late last night (this morning) after having a lot of fun at a party hosted by a couple of my really amazing friends. We had an absolute blast! We definitely brought in the new year in grand fashion last night, but this morning it feels like I have been hit by a train!

We got up early to watch QVC this morning as our friends, Mindy, Jackie, Jenelle and Angie were on tv promoting Turbo Jam (another awesome lady named jAnelle was there too, but I've never had the pleasure of meeting her). They did GREAT. Normally on the Turbo Jam segments for QVC, Chalene is there and does the talking with the host of the show, but today she was not there and Jenelle (who happens to be Chalene's sister, in addition to being phenomenal in her own right) did the honours. She was terrific! They all were!

I tried to call in on the "testimonial line" but wasn't able to get through. They sold like 800 sets of Turbo Jam DVD's in the 8minutes that they were on TV!!! How insane is that? Not bad for 700am on Jan1!!!

I called the girls about 15minutes after they got off TV and chatted with them all which was great! Its always so exciting to see your friends do such cool stuff (and being on TV is pretty cool in my books!) so I was so thrilled for them.

I am going back to bed now though, because I really do feel aweful.
When I wake up I will continue this post. I am doing a Jan1 Fitness Test to see where I am (and will compare it every few months to see how I am doing with my fitness).

I will also get going on my Challenges (Running, Pullups and Pushups) for the month.


Workout

Fitness Test- x
Pushups- Total to do for the month 3000 / Remaining x
Pullups- Total to do for the month 1000 / Remaining x
Running- Total mileage to run for the month: 75miles / remaining x