The life and times of Merry Khaos and her alter-ego, Kristie Grey. A romp through the inner workings of a mind in roller derby athletics, training, and business management.
I have begun a project of motivational quotes and messages attached to derby photos. I found that I was tired of motivating people with photos that weren’t related to the sport that so many of my friends and clients relate to. The second part of the project is going to be a blog inspired by each photo. I want to talk about the messages conveyed and how each individual can use those messages for motivation and support along their journey.
In roller derby, we have a huge family. It’s a network of athletes that spans the globe, and a community feeling that is rarely seen in other athletic endeavors. I believe the underground nature of the game sparks the feeling of camaraderie among us (much like skateboarders, BMXers or rock climbers). However, being so spread out can make us all feel a bit like an island sometimes. Even though we have our league-mates for support, sometimes it’s nice to know that the new skater in California has the same feelings as the 3 year vet in Maine.
Hopefully, we can continue to come together, share and support each other through the online community that has really helped to fan this spark of revolution. Flat. Banked. WFTDA. MRDA. JRDA. OSDA. RDCL. MADE. USARS. Renegade. We are all derby family, and I am proud to be considered a motivational leader among us.
If you have a motivational message, or a photo you would like me to include in the project, please send it to me at DerbyAmerica@yahoo.com … Make sure that you have the permission of the photographer if you send me a photo. I also would love to include your favorite quote, or even your own thoughts on the game. Make sure you include your name (real or otherwise), if you’re associated with a league, and if you’re an official or a skater. That way I can give full credit!
It’s amazing how the entire course of your life can change in a year.
Last summer, ECDX was a week earlier (ECDX, for those not in the know, is EAST COAST EXTRAVAGANZA – 3 days of roller derby hosted by the tenacious Philly Roller Girls). So let’s rewind one year and one week…
I knew I had one more year of school left. I was preparing for a Team USA boot camp and 2 WFTDA bouts with Harrisburg Area Roller Derby. I was writing for my Examiner semi-steadily and I had picked up a job at a local pizzeria for cash, and was still working for a fruit farm at a Thursday Farmer’s Market. Matt and I were doing well and we were looking forward to a Florida vacation later in the summer.
I earned MVP of Providence, but it was one of the toughest games I’ve ever played!
I was unhappy with my skating; I wasn’t completely unsatisfied, but I knew I could be better. I had done moderately well against Dominion and had earned MVP against Providence (which was huge for me*). However I was full of doubt. My quick endurance and strength wasn’t where I wanted it. My footwork was improving but clunky. I never had energy at the end of a jam and I was ALWAYS sore. I thought I was doing everything right, and I was just on the biggest plateau ever. When I looked at it – my body hadn’t changed in nearly TWO YEARS. Annoying.
Team USA boot camp Thursday. 3 Hour black and white scrimmage Friday. Sore. Spent. I met so many skaters that made me want to be better than I was (thank you, Gunder N Lightening, Fifi Nomenon and the ladies of the Columbia Quad Squad).
Then I meet Krissy Krash at her Derbalife booth. I’ve talked about this before so I’ll just fast forward.
One year and one week later, I am different.
Coming into a Cape Fear pack (photo by Juan Paden)
Not only is my body completely different, but my mind, attitude, outlook and future have shifted so drastically. I’ve been through a major injury. A break-up. A career change. A graduation. A sponsorship. I’ve played new rule sets, played a bank track tournament and am now pushing myself with the challenge of skate parks. I consider myself a runner now. And I’ve been back to rock climbing.
Using the rail and avoiding the hit.
Today, still write, but I do it for my blog as well as Examiner as well as for a book. Now I am in a house in Lititz, shared by myself and two friends. My diet is high performance to match the intensity of my roller derby and Crossfit schedule. I’m a successful Herbalife coach with a HUGE vision of creating online support communities, pockets of local derby support and a series of training centers up and down the east coast. I talk to people from all over the world on a daily basis, and I have skaters contacting me and telling me what an inspiration I am to them.
The Pivot Center in Virginia is one of the training centers I’m so excited to be working with!
I run boot camps and guest coach fairly regularly. I have people now seeking ME out. I am building my classes for Rollercon since this year I am teaching business classes, off skates workouts and on skates fundamentals.
I no longer have the limiting beliefs that I had at this time last year. I prepare for ECDX with my new team: the Dutchland All Stars. Instead of a Team USA Boot Camp, I will be going to a Team USA tryout. Last night at practice, I was able to not only keep up, but perform consistently throughout practice in a rink with no AC, no air flow and after having done a Crossfit open class an hour and a half before.
I no longer believe that I’m defective. That I’m unworthy of love and that I’ll never be ‘good enough’ for a man to want more than my body. Though, I’m pretty proud of that body, let’s be real. *winks*
I am strong. I am determined. I am a force. Despite the struggles. Despite the hardships of the moment, they will not define me. They do not define me. Not anymore. I am stronger than my struggles. I am the one who will be victorious in the end.
I don’t need a diamond – I am one.
If this is where I’m at this year – almost one year into being an Herbalife Health Coach, almost one year into being a Dutchland Roller … who knows where I will be at this time in 2014. I’m excited to find out.
If you have a big vision for your life, and think this whole Health Coach deal sounds as awesome as I thought .. drop me a line at KGreyActiveNutrition@gmail.com
A lot of people say that the hardest part of a body transformation is getting started. I say the hardest part is continuing the path once you’ve been doing it for a while.
In the past 11 months (wow – it’s been almost a year already??), I have worked with a lot of friends and colleagues who are very strong at the start of their journey. They’re dedicated, diligent and feeling amazing. Then … they start to peter off. I wanted to take some time to talk about why the decline happens, and what you can do to keep yourself on track.
Your Words DO Mean Much
As a communications grad, I am all about the verbage. Words can make a huge difference when you’re making changes in your life. While “actions speak louder” is true, if you do not work on resetting your own vocabulary, you are going to constantly trigger negative emotions as you move through a new challenge. Some examples:
Reset your thinking of the word “Diet”. Diet, by definition, is the list of the foods we eat. It has become synonymous with being “on a diet” ie “starving yourself”. Erase the old definition from your mind and understand that your diet is simply the list of the foods you eat every day.
Add the word ‘yet’ onto sentences that involve struggle. For example, instead of saying, “I can’t do a pull up”, phrase it “I can’t do a pull up YET”. It’s amazing how three letters can add power and confidence to your sentence. Another great word is “will”. Instead of saying “I’d like to be able to do 10 pushups in a row” say, “I will do 10 push-ups in a row.”
Removing negativity and negative self-talk is also CRITICAL to your success. And I don’t just me in regards to your workouts and eating. I mean overall in your life. Think about how often you complain, gossip, criticize or blame others for the negative things in your life. These are toxic habits keep your mind in the mode of failure. Training yourself to not complain or criticize is a mighty prospect, but if you can master your negative emotions, than success in all endeavors is sure to follow. Can you challenge yourself to not complain for an entire week? Not one. If you find yourself about to complain about something, stop. Breathe. Let the complaint go and think about how you can turn the situation to a positive note.
Start with personal development. Books like The Big Leap (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), The Slight Edge, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, or any recordings by Les Brown, Jim Rohn or Zig Ziegler are great places to start to get your mind set for success.
It’s a Lifestyle, not a Quick Fix
So we’re back to that “crash diet” thing.
No one is ever looking to “drop 10 pounds and then gain it back a few months later”. Having goals that stretch past a month or two away is crucial for long-term changes in health and wellness. It’s not about doing something that works for a few weeks and then saying “Hey I feel great!” and then quitting what you were doing.
There’s a reason you feel great. There’s a reason your knee doesn’t hurt anymore or why your stomach doesn’t hate you in the morning. There is a reason you suddenly dropped five pounds or have the energy to get through your day. If you think to yourself, “I’m cured!” and then go back to old routines … well … everything you worked for will deteriorate.
When you’re looking to change your life, think about if you really want to CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Do you really want to heal quicker? To run longer? To lose that 40 pounds? To sleep better? Do you want to do it for a couple months, or for always? That is the important piece of the puzzle to come to terms with here.
Understand that You Are Human
Even the best of us slip. The difference between those who are successful and those who quit are how we deal with our imperfections.
Ok, so you had a chocolate bar at work because the chocolate craving was too much and you forgot to pack your usual chocolatey protein bar (which keeps the cravings at bay). So now you have a choice. Some people will say: “Screw it. Today is blown. I’m going to the Chinese buffet to sulk. I’ll try again tomorrow.”
The successful people will say: “Oops. Where’s my water?” and we won’t let it affect the rest of our plan. Also, most of us will, a half hour later say “Ugh, my tummy hurts” because we’re not used to putting bad stuff in our bodies anymore. After going low-to-no simple carbs for two weeks, I find that, now, when I eat bread I get extremely tired and feel kind of ucky. The morning after drinking a couple beers? Awful. I don’t have time for that anymore. I like being sharp and energized!
The point is – understand that mistakes happen. Don’t use them as an excuse to blow the rest of your day and don’t scapegoat the continuation of bad habits as mistakes. If you make the ‘mistake’ of picking up fast food every other day after you’ve decided to change your ways – guess what? That’s not a mistake. That is a conscious decision that you need to come to terms with.
Even those of us who are very specific about recovery and nutrition have a break now and again.
Reconstruct Comfort
Part of long term success with a body transformation is the ability to reconstruct our internalized sense memories. Many of us get good feelings when we eat a cheesesteak or we curl up on the couch. These feelings are not wrong or bad, but they do set us up to sabotage our healthy habits.
It takes a long time, but committing yourself to changing your concept of comfort foods and stress relief will help your long term body transformation efforts. When you’re sad or feeling low energy, instead of turning to usual ‘comfort’ foods (which are high fat, high simple carbs) make the effort to do something a little bit better for yourself. My new comfort food is thai and Japanese food (as little rice or noodles as possible). When I’m at home, sautéed broccoli or a salad with shrimp and avocado do the trick.
It is not easy to re-train your brain. By repeating the habits again and again, eventually your body will stop craving McDonald’s at the first sign of grey skies, and crave your healthy alternatives instead.
As far as stress relief is concerned, often we crumble under the pressure of it. Even those of us who play a sport like roller derby, football or hockey, will find that we have bad days. Days where we just want to stay under the pillows, and our sports activities cannot relieve the pressure.
This is the time that you get up and move. Do something different. Walk. Run. Climb. Conquer something new. I became a runner because I needed to conquer my mind. I needed to stop being afraid, I needed to stop quitting when life got hard and I needed to prove that I could overcome depression.
So I did something I had told myself for years that I wouldn’t do: I ran. I swallowed my pride and I did something I didn’t want to do. I mastered my mind and I learned more about myself in the process than I ever would have from sitting in my chair watching re-runs of Project Runway.
One of my new favorite comfort foods: lemongrass soup with shrimp nomnom
Find a Buddy Who is Also Making Changes
Accountability partners are awesome. Whether it is for a business, exercising or talking about the things that went good or bad in your day, a good buddy is a great weapon for success. You can keep journals and food logs and keep up with one another. If they haven’t written in 2 weeks – get them rolling again! By keeping them accountable, you’re also reminding yourself that YOU should be doing the same things.
This being said, sometimes your partner will fall off. They will not make the mental commitment that you will. It’s ok to find a new partner and let them know that you’re there to support them when they’re ready. You can also find online communities of people working to change and support each other.
My own community is at Team HarderBetterFasterStronger on Facebook. We’re all remote, so we can’t meet up at the gym, but we post what our struggles are, what we’re eating and how we’re doing. We cheer for accomplishments and support each other in our hardships.
Maybe This is About More than Just Body Transformation
I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist or therapist. That being said, I have noticed something with humans. I’m not concerned that you DID eat the whole pizza, I’m concerned as to WHY you decided to eat the whole pizza, despite goals and commitments and health and all the things we’ve talked about.
Sometimes, the deep-seeded issues need to be addressed and you are not able to handle it on your own. That is ok. Do not be afraid to look inside yourself at the darkness to understand why you are self-sabotaging. Fear will do terrible things to us: it will make us doubt our capacity for change, it will cause us to crave foods we don’t want to eat, it will keep us on the couch when we should be out in the world working.
If you need to seek professional assistance to work through self-doubt, depression, addiction or anything else – it is alright. Do it. You will be able to accomplish anything if you can conquer your mind and your past.
In Conclusion….
All of these suggestions are long-term commitments to changing your mindset and approach to body transformation. Notice how there is not a single nutrition or workout based tip? This is a mental game; a commitment and recommitment game. Healing and shifting internalized thoughts will create a new radiance on the outside.
Think of a tree and the fruit it bears. If the roots are not solid, if the tree cannot get the food and water it needs – the fruit it bears will not be full and abundant. You cannot give the tree food and water for one day and expect the tree to bloom well. It is a constant process, and never ending. Feed your roots now and always, so that everything else may blossom beautifully and deliciously.
And trust me, there is no better feeling than looking in the mirror and seeing the results of consistency and commitment.
Need some nutrition help or want to start your own journey? Drop me a message at KGreyActiveNutrition@gmail.com
No matter how confident a skater may sound, she is lying when she says, “Oh no. It doesn’t hurt that badly. I’ll be fine!”
In her head and heart she is seriously wondering what is going to happen when she puts her skates on. She is honestly worried that she will not be able to push, turn or stop. Even if she can, can she cut? Juke? Thrust? Can she be an effective derby player, not just an effective roller skater?
I hobbled from my car to the rink. I hobbled through the rink to the locker room area. I did my best to tell everyone I was ok, just a little slip at graduation – nothing to fear! Inside though, I was absolutely trembling of what was to come.
I already have deep-seated fear issues from my injury last October that I have been diligently working on uprooting. Now I have a new injury? On the other side of my leg? That can be agitated from slipping in dress shoes? Well damn.
My team mates are awesome.
The Dutchland All Stars – photo by Scott Johnson
My coach, Jocelyn Bassler, told me to just be honest if it hurt too much. Captain Laverne N Surly told me to let Shots know if I needed a break during the game and not to feel ashamed about it.
Treasure Chest told me to ‘fuck it, man. Just go for it’.
She shrugged at me, as she does, and continued to gear up. I made the decision right then to do as she said.
I wrapped up the knee (Using some of the capsaicin in the mix which ended up being more burny than I EVER expected) and I gave it a shot. I drank my 24 Prepare/Hydrate mix to give me that spark of “Whatever! I have so much energy that I can do anything!” and I found out quickly that if I stayed low in PROPER derby position .. It really didn’t hurt. So much that even if I popped up for a quick move, it still didn’t hurt! Ok. Ok. I can do this. No fear. Aggression.
And then something even more amazing happened. The Dutchland All Stars clicked. We played like the team we can be. The defensive blocking was absolutely spot on. The offensive blocking was appropriate and controlled. The Cape Fear Roller Girls were awesome to play. Everyone had fun. Everyone played solid, hard-hitting derby.
Did shit happen during the game? Yes. It’s a high impact sport on roller skates. People get knocked around a bit. But there were not tempers flaring, which is the way I prefer my roller derby. I prefer it hard, fast and FUN.
Khaos attack! by Jim Rhoades
I had my best bout in months. I had maybe my best bout EVER. I only got to jam seven times during the bout, but (with my family looking on) I was able to focus in to the strength and power that I know I have. I was able to score 70 points. I was able to get lead jammer 86% of my jams. I was able to juke and accelerate past opposing blockers. I was able to power through on starts, and take advantage of holes on my way through the pack.
Cape Fear had some awesome positional blocking and definitely played with my head on a few jams. They had some great heavy-hitters and some awesome recycling. They definitely kept me on my toes (and many times, on my behind). I felt like, for the first time in a long time, I was just really good at avoiding the hits coming at me, or rolling off the ones that hit, or absorbing hits as I worked towards the middle of the track.
Ducking past – by Scott Johnson
It’s been a while since I felt very confident in my ability to misdirect my motion, or roll off of a hit to SUCCESSFULLY take advantage of a hole, but on Saturday I did it. It was also fantastic to hear (every time I passed the bench when she wasn’t on the floor) Treasure Chest yelling: “You got this!” “One more lap!” “You’re faster than her!” “Push!” “Don’t you call it!”
Treasure Chest. Photo by Jim Rhoades
My team mates did a lot of amazing stuff too – I have to throw a shout out to Marie Antiothreat who, in a moment of amazing awareness (with just herself an Bayou on the track in a power jam situation) – was able to knock the jammer out of bounds at the edge of the engagement zone so hard that the jammer fell. This gave Marie the opportunity to not just run back TO the pack, but she was able to Mohawk along the inside line PAST the entire Cape Fear team to force the jammer almost 20 feet BEHIND the pack. It was pretty glorious, I have to say.
So this was Saturday against Cape Fear. It was a great confidence boost for going into Spring Roll (which the goal there is – HAVE FUN). I know that my quick twitch endurance is not what it should be (these injuries have really halted my plyometric routine) but I am focusing on getting that stronger currently.
I also have to say that this time around I was on my usual routine of tabs (Multivitamin, Cell Activator, Herbalifeline, Total Control and 2x a day dose of Niteworks) and I felt a definite alertness difference. I didn’t even need the LiftOff that I had made for the second half. My long endurance was fantastic. My short burst was still very good – I just forget that when my short burst is good it means I push harder.
So sites are set on Spring Roll. Nutrition is getting a bump this week (less carbs, more protein, more veggies) and I guess we’ll see what happens next!
If you’re interested in getting a bump in your nutrition or athletic performance, drop me a message at KGreyActiveNutrition@gmail.com
I posted on my Facebook a hint of our Saturday bout. I promised to write about it. I have gotten out of my own way and finally am writing.
Saturday was big for me. I had my Penn State commencement ceremony at the Giant Center in the morning. At night, Dutchland had a double header scheduled. Cape Fear Roller Girls were coming to play the All Stars. This was going to be my first game where I got to be in a fuller rotation. This was going to be the first time my attendance and injury was not going to get in my way. It was also going to be the first time in my 4 seasons that I would have any family member there to watch me.
And it wasn’t just one. It was eight of them.
I was more nervous about the bout than I was about walking in graduation. (Though, we’ve all seen me walk, so maybe the nerves should have been shifted to the morning.) I have heard so many stories of “My family never came to see me and then when they did I tore my _________”
There was also the factor of pride. I hate admitting it, but I was putting pressure on myself to prove to my family that I ‘deserve’ to play roller derby. Whenever I hear of others seeking approval for their passion, I react negatively, and it wasn’t until the day of the bout that I understood that I was doing the same thing. However, yes. I wanted to show them that I haven’t just been skating left and having fun for the past three and a half years. That I have working on an athletic endeavor that has made me the woman that I am today.
Pushing against Black Rose – Photo by JPaden Photography
Not only that – I wanted to show that I was finally GOOD at a highly-intense sport. The theatre girl who was good at slow pitch softball and mediocre at soccer is actually really good at this.
My body was not completely on board with my plan.
As I left the Giant Center floor, climbing the steps to the main concourse in my cap and gown, I felt my knee become tight. We had just spent 3 hours sitting with our feet on sport court that was laid directly on ice, after all. I had to use the restroom before getting pictures (You know, all that hydration) and I made my way against the crowd to do so. I made a move to avoid an oncoming walker and couldn’t. They bumped me just enough that my foot slid on a little wet spot on the ground (damn you dress shoes) and my knee popped.
&*$#!
Look! Proof I was there
I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t put any pressure on it. I was in the middle of the Giant Center with a dead cell phone, half way between the bathroom and the doors to the outside world. This moment was defining. For the first time, I had to deal with this injury all by myself. I didn’t have Matt there to help me. I didn’t have anyone. So I hopped (literally) into the bathroom, tried to straighten it out (which hurt like a MOTHER) and then realized that if I bent my knee –I could put full pressure on my leg.
PERFECT!! I’m not against looking silly after all.
I low walked out of the bathroom (for those of you who don’t know what a low walk is, it’s half-way between a lunge and a walk) and down the main concourse and out into the light of the afternoon where I met my family for photos. They were very surprised to see me as I was, and unconvinced that I’d be on skates in a few hours.
“Nah. This happened a couple weeks ago. I’ll be ok!”
We parted ways.
You can’t see it – but I’m actually squatting here.
I went home, not to take a nap as I truly had intended, but to go to work on my knee.
I could have given in and said that I was too weak to play. I could have avoided the nerves and the pressure and said, “I’m sorry. I’m injured.”
But I’m tired of limiting myself. This injury was a representation of the upper limit problems I have put on myself my whole life. No more would I let outside factors decide how I am going to live my life or play my game.
I came home and spent 3 hours stretching, applying ice & heat, elevating and pushing my body to understand the pain and adjust to it. I took in a lot of protein, lots of water, lots of anti-inflammatory foods, and circulation supplements (like Herbalifeline and Niteworks). I made a plan to get arnica on my way to the rink when my knee was not ‘popped back into place’. I also planned on asking team mate Treasure Chest to borrow her capsaicin for my knee. I also knew I was going to have to go to the gym before getting to the rink to do some weights to try and loosen everything up.
I would not let this defeat me. I got in my car, took a deep breath of spring air, put my “Going Rogue” mix on loud and drove away
Many people claim that they want to be a leader. They want to inspire and encourage people. They say that it is their goal to become the person standing in front of the room that has people following in their footsteps to greatness.
What does that really mean though, and for what purpose do you want to lead?
Wanting to be a leader sounds very self-serving when you break it down this way. It’s not the desire to lead people that we need to focus on, it’s the desire to be making positive change in the world, and being able to affect change in others around you.
It should not be the goal to be the person in front of the room because you want the praise and attention. It should be that you are the one in front of the room setting the example for the NEXT person who will be in the front of the room. Your job as a leader should be to take a machete to the jungle. To mow the path and then to lay a lovely road for those who come after you.
Not for the praise, but because it is the right thing to do and it is for a cause you believe in.
I have, in the past, been one who wanted to be at the front of the room. I wanted to be leading people but I didn’t know in what capacity. I have become very clear over the last few days. I want to be leading people into a better life and a healthier lifestyle.
We all know that I’ve been a health coach for a little while now (about 8 months!), and though my mission has always been to help new friends reclaim their health, now I know that it’s more than that. I want to help people become HarderBetterFasterStronger (the name of my Team) and I want to show people that they are capable of achieving greater wealth and happiness than they ever thought possible.
I want to tell everyone that they are able to unlock their own happiness and freedom – it’s in them. I love being able to motivate people to go out there and just do it.
The first step though, is to understand that I have the same capability. Understand … and embrace. So step 1: creating an event. This Saturday will be my first FIT CLUB!! It will be at Koon’s Park in Linglestown. I’m going to scout out a good spot for it amongst the fields and we’ll do basic cardio and strength training that everyone can adjust to their own level.
A Fit Club out in California
Afterwards, we’ll replenish with some tea and shakes (made out of the back of my station wagon lol) and then I’ll go on my way to my bank track game.
Yes. This weekend is also the Derby Ink Invitational Tournament. I want to show everyone that it is possible to be a full time student, full time health coach, full time athlete and still have a chance to dabble in the things you love. Does life get full sometimes? Yes. Absolutely.
Sunday Practice!
I’m doing what I love though. Can’t really complain about that. My hope is that others see me being successful while doing the things I love and they think to themselves, “I’d love to do that too. I’d love to help people be healthy, get awesome results and integrate it into what I love more than anything.”
Thus, building the next generation of leaders.
Let us lead together and lead wholly. Let us find our passions and live through them. Each day is a sprint to the finish line, but we can either hate the journey or we can embrace it and make it our own.
If you want to be a leader with me, please contact me at KGreyActiveNutrition@gmail.com and let’s build a healthier world together!
It’s the first beautiful day here in Central Pennsylvania. You can tell that the plants were just primed for the weather because branches that were bear yesterday are damn near fully in bloom today! We have gone from 50 degrees as the daytime high to, today, 80.
Well I know that my body wasn’t ready for this –how about yours? I’m regretting letting my supply of Schizandra Plus terminate, because (for the girl who’s never gotten allergies) I think the pollen is putting me to sleep. So how do we combat the fog and the haze that comes over us when seasonal allergies start to get the best of us?
There are many theories and ideas, but here are a few I have seen help and have used myself.
Use local honey daily
No, I’m not joking. Find a farm near you that sells makes honey, go there, and buy some from them. Why does this work? Well… what is honey?
It’s pollen! It’s what you are allergic to in a different form! By building up your tolerance to pollen in small amounts over time, you can reduce (or eliminate) your seasonal allergies. Seriously. Plus honey is delicious and a much better sugar substitute than a chemical product like Splenda or Sweet n Low. Also, it’s a great way to support your local farmer.
Increase your water intake
You should be drinking half your body weight in ounces every day for regular hydration. If you find that you are still having energy drag and effects of seasonal allergies and you aren’t drinking at LEAST this much – get there! When in doubt, drink your body weight in ounces of water per day. (Throughout the day though, do it safely.)
Also – no, eating vegetables doesn’t count as part of your water intake. Stop trying to cheat it and just drink the water. If you are really having trouble with this concept, here is my challenge to you: Go buy 7 gallons of water and on each gallon write a day of the week. For the next 7 days, you will drink the water in the gallon for that day. Carry it with you. Love it.
Daddy’s Little Ghoul takes her ‘hell jug’ to work. The other EMTs and firefighters had some fun with it to support her.
Look at your vitamins intake
Are you taking all your vitamins in the morning? Are you getting vitamin c? How about your electrolytes?
There are a lot of pieces to the vitamin and health puzzle – and if you’re not getting all your vitamins constantly in your day, this could be a major issue. A multivitamin in the morning is going to run through your system and leave your body needing more. Take vitamins designed to be used three times a day. Get other sources of vitamin C, vitamin E and antioxidants. Incorporate Quercetin-rich foods to help as well. (Some examples? HONEY, blueberries, kale, cranberry, sweet potato, red onion)
Electrolytes help keep your body hydrated. Without them, even if you’re drinking water, your body may not be able to put that water to good use. I (personally) use the Herbalife Hydrate to get my electrolytes daily. Putting THAT in your water DOES count towards your gallon a day.
Do 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise once day
It doesn’t have to be anything insane. I’m not saying go run a 5k each day. I’m saying get up and move around! Sometimes seasonal allergies get to us simply because our body is not processing everything very well. If the blood is moving, things are healing. If the blood is moving, adrenaline is being created (and adrenaline is one of the BEST cures for all things wrong in the body). Besides – it’s nice out!! Go for a walk, a jog, a bike ride or go play soccer with your kids for a while.
Sweating is a way that body cleanses itself too, so go get a workout in! Your whole self will be thankful later.
Eat more consistently & healthier
Just like with working out, if your metabolism isn’t running than your blood isn’t circulating as well. You want to do everything you can to make it easy for your heart to do its job. When the blood flows, the body can heal. Also, giving it the good foods it needs to function is critical. Avoid fast foods, fried foods, overly processed foods. Stick to protein, veggies, fruits, good fats (like in olives and avocados).
The body is an intuitive machine. It can detect when something is wrong and if you are giving the tools to fight an enemy, it will destroy all that opposes it. Your body can be like Gandalf and your seasonal allergies and lethargy will be like a Balrog that has felt your strength!
Yea. Kind of like that. You’ll be smoting your enemy upon the mountainside in NO TIME
Detox
Ok, everyone has a different image in their head for a “detox”. Sometimes it can be a cleanse, sometimes it can be changing to all organic. The idea behind this detox is simply giving your body shots of powerful doses of antioxidants and cleansing agents. Like 2-3 oz of wheat grass. 2-3 oz of apple cider vinegar. Juicing carrots, beets, alfalfa, apricots, pumpkins, sweet potato .. they can all help with boosting your immune system, washing out toxins and getting your body healthy enough to deal with the invasion of seasonal allergies.
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I’m going to be honest on this one: I’ve been wanting to write a new blog for about a week and there are sometimes where I just don’t feel like typing. Today, I put on my big girl panties and recognized that I have not yet bought voice recognition software, so I must typey typey all my thoughts and tidbits to you.
So what has been going on? What HASN’T been going on!!
First and foremost, the Fit For Summer Online Body Challenge has started … it’s pretty awesome. I have derby and non-derby; local and remote. I have clients new, old and non-clients. I have coaches and those unsure if they want to coach. I have everyone. It’s already been an inspiring and motivational couple of days. We started with the “Gallon/day” challenge as their homework. This is one of my favorites – it really sets up each person with the hydration they need to be successful throughout the whole challenge.
It’s really great to hear everyone moan and cower at the idea of a gallon a day and then three days later they’re singing that their joints don’t hurt. That they had more energy at practice. That they didn’t feel hungry like usual. They may have peed more and they may sweating more than ever … but the benefits far out-weight the temporary side effects.
On a more personal, business front, I have welcomed SIX new VIP clients and coaches in the last two weeks. There are also several others that are interested in becoming a part of my growing team. This all comes out of the push to get my own sponsor to her Millionaire Team cut. We all had our best months ever. We all reached more people than ever before!
With the growth comes a need to grow as a person as well. So in line with that I have decided, finally, on a name for my team… I am leading Team HarderBetterFasterStronger. These are the things I am passionate about helping become. I am passionate about being myself. Plus, the Daft Punk song is a fabulous anthem.
On a personal front, I am partaking in my own fitness challenge. I am going to be focusing on the strength in my legs to support the further recovery of my knee. I’m also going to be concentrating my short burst endurance so that I can keep improving in the jammer spot. We are prepping for our May bouts against Cape Fear, Arch Rival, Chicago Outfit & Kansas City.
I am also personally prepping for the Derby Ink Invitational that will be in Harrisburg April 19-21. I am playing on Team Rogue – a mish mash of flat trackers from Steel City, Dutchland, HARD, Maine, Philly, Rocktown and River City. I am both exceptionally excited … and exceptionally nervous.
And it’s happened yet again. When I blog in pieces it becomes disjointed! So. I guess I should sign off now and do more homework T minus 30 days until graduation. Bring it on.
Oh yea. And this – Rebuild Strength was voted the #1 recovery drink by Triathlete Magazine. Word.
Let me open this blog by saying that I do not want to go back to Pennsylvania. I’ve been in Melbourne, Florida for almost a week now and to say that I’m dreading going back is not that far away from the truth.
So while I’ve been in Florida there have been a lot of things happening. One is that my business seems to have hit some kind of speed up track. You know, like in RC Pro Am, when you would hit the arrows and suddenly you’d be going a lot faster?
**I couldn’t find an image of the RC Pro Am cars on the acceleration feature! #NESscreenshotFAIL**
So I have a lot of awesome new clients and new coaches and potential clients and potential coaches. It’s been an amazing ride while I’m down here. I’m so grateful for my coach, Krissy Krash. Without her, I would not have been brave enough to dive head first into this business. I would not have gotten awesome health results and would not be building a strong team of amazing people.
That being said, I know that she didn’t do it for me. I did it. I have taken the steps I needed to advance my business. I have talked to people. I have reached out and I have gotten results and SHARED them.
I honestly believe that ANYONE can be a successful health coach. I know that anyone could get the financial freedom they desire while helping people be healthy and happy. Not only am I getting to live the life I want, and am building to be a financial powerhouse, but I am impacting the lives of people as I do it.
You can’t ask for anything better.
Part of my job is to push myself physically. Most of you reading this know that I have injured my knee a couple times in the last two months. Well … I kind of made it owie again at my bouts in Richmond. I thought maybe it wasn’t healing. I thought maybe I was in trouble.
Photo by Tyler Shaw
Now, I think that it just was still draining from my last big owie.
I’ve run 14 miles in the last 3 days. I’VE RUN 14 MILES IN THE LAST THREE DAYS!!!
I can’t even believe it!
My legs can’t either. Or my back. Or neck. In fact, the whole of me is pretty sore. I also got a bit sunburnt between the two runs and the day at the beach. Um. Totally worth it though. Because, you know. I was at the beach while my boyfriend was prepping for the snowfall.
I will say this though … If I didn’t know about my protein levels. If I hadn’t been eating my mini meals, hydrating, taking my multi, cell activator, Restore and Herbalifeline… I think I’d be in REAL trouble. I’m sore; not dead. I really thought I’d be dead.
I am so happy. I am getting to challenge myself. I can walk around in a bikini and not hide. I can go to practice tonight sore but energized. The tea concentrate is keeping me on my toes and alert. I have a ton of appointments in the next two days. I am building my team members.
I am changing lives. Mostly mine. I am so happy. Thank you to everyone who’s let me into their circle. Thank you for joining my tribe.
Now… if any of you have any tips for sore muscles … I’d love it if you would leave them in the comments section. ❤
Oh!! And don’t forget about the Fit for Summer Challenge that I have coming up on April 1!! It’s an 8 week challenge. I want to fill it with 100 people. Let’s get something mind blowing going on, people!!
Ok, we all need a little bit of a push now and again.
Health challenges are a great way to get you up off your bum and to help you re-evaluate what you’ve been doing and what you can do better. It’s a great time to set new goals and stretch yourself further. A challenge doesn’t have to mean pure weight loss (though most people use it for that). It could be a muscle gain goal. It could be to reshape your body. It could just be to look closer to your own version of YOUR personal vision of a “Level 10” body.
April 1st starts an 8 Week Online Challenge. Winners will get CASH. There is a Before/After photo contest and then for the derbyists in the crowd – a prize for the most improved number of laps in 5 minutes.
Every week there will be fitness and nutrition tips. There will be motivation and community support. Because it’s an online challenge you don’t have to go anywhere fore weigh ins. You don’t have to get on a conference call each week.
To enter the challenge, pay your $20 entry fee to DerbyAmerica@yahoo.com and in the notes section include your name, phone number, state you live in and how you heard about the challenge! Also note if you’re looking to make a few extra hundred dollars by helping me fill the challenge with other participants.
The more people who enter, the bigger the prize at the end! Contact me if you have any questions. 8 Weeks could change your life – let the health begin!
Khaos Theory Derby 