The Weekly Word

I Almost Face Planted
On Thursday of this week I set out for a jog after my last PE class. I only had about 25 minutes for exercise due to a work call so I decided to run for as long as possible until my phone rang. Roughly 15 minutes into the jog, I complete the first loop and set off for another. I am taking in the sights and sounds and then all of a sudden my body jolts forward as gravity attempts to send me straight to the ground. My left foot caught a bump in the sidewalk and if it wasn't for my right foot swinging forward to catch me I would've have face planted. 

This story reminded me of something I heard years ago in regards to agility training. As we age, our ability to react slows down. Our mind and body just don't seem to move with the same amount of speed and efficiency that it had in previous years or decades. This is one of the reasons why the incidence of falls increase. What was once a stumble in our 20's, 30's and 40's becomes a fall in our 60's, 70's or 80's. Father time is cruel but we should not capitulate. 

Health Tip of the Week
I have been trying to organize a training plan that fits my own schedule and realized this format may be good for all. Below I quickly detail what I will call the 4321 Program.

• Step One: 4 days of slow cardiovascular training. This could be a slow jog (watch out for bumps in the sidewalk), a walk with friends (this I recommend), or something on that piece of cardio equipment nobody ever uses in your basement. Healthy lungs = a longer life. 
• Step Two: 3 total body strength sessions. The goal here is to get stronger...in something. It could be adding 2.5 pounds to the bar on an exercise, holding a plank 5 seconds longer, or working toward your first chinup. Just work on improving something. 
• Step Three: 2 days of interval training: This could be as little as 4 minutes following the Tabata protocol or a more sustained, longer interval session like 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off for 30 minutes. 
• Step Four: 1 day of recovery. This is a day where we work to avoid stress, both physically and mentally. 

If you do the math on this, it equals 10 training sessions. That means you can use a slow cardiovascular day prior to a strength session or perform a 4 minute Tabata after you lift. The goal is to keep most sessions to roughly 50 minutes. 

What I've Been Up To...
I am only a few weeks in of launching my new podcast (Chris & Friends) and I am beyond excited about it. The premise of the show is this: Over the years I have met some pretty amazing people, some of which I have lost touch with. So, under the guise of work, we reconnect, talk about life, health, parenting, and anything else that may come up over the course of 60-75 minutes. This week I released two episodes and looking back, I learned a ton from these two people I am fortunate enough to call friends!
 

• In Rising from the Ashes with Westley Morris I learned that you cannot change the past, but you can change the meaning. When you do this, you reframe a negative past experience into something positive that serves you today. Your past doesn't define your future and if you can shift your mindset on how you view previous experiences, you can then start moving forward in a positive direction. 
• In Be the Person you Never Had with Megan Duerring I learned that you are not always going to be accepted and the importance of identifying your core values. When we identify what we value, we can let those values drive our decisions on the path of self-improvement. In doing this, it is important to not change your core values for acceptance into a group because eventually, the dust will settle and your true self will shine through. It is always best to be authentic and not shy away from who you truly are.  

What I've Been Reading...
Gods & Generals: A Novel of the Civil War by Jeff Shaara

Gods and Generals is a novel which serves as a prequel to Michael Shaara's 1974 Pulitzer Prize–winning work about the Battle of Gettysburg, The Killer Angels. As you can see, these author's share the same last name. They are a father and son duo who embarked on telling the story, behind the story of the Civil War. Father Michael set the stage with his classic book and upon his death, son Jeff set out to write the prequel and sequel to his father's work. It is a unique legacy project that I admire and enjoy.

Quote of the Week
“Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating...too often fathers neglect it because they get so caught up in making a living they forget to make a life.” -- John Wooden

I hope you all have an awesome week!Chris Fluck