Ready-Set-Go?

I attended a physiology and bio mechanics workshop presented by Dr. Phil Skiba last weekend. I won't get into a lot of the workshop but the bottom line is "well worth the time and investment to go out east". I'm convinced I will be a better coach with some of the tools and information I learned. I've spent the better part of this year improving my knowledge of power based training and designing specific training protocols designed to elicit specific results. The make up of my client base and the increased use of technology has promoted me to either move ahead in my knowledge base on coach like the majority of the other coaches out there. I have bigger dreams than where I currently sit.

My own personal training is coming along. I had a test week this week and seem to have stagnated in some of my numbers. It is time to implement some new stimuli to the plan. After all, we can't continue to do the same things over and over and expect different results. On Monday I will begin my new plan and in 6-8 weeks we test again to determine progress.

My swimming has stagnated to the point where my wife told me on Friday I was holding up the lane. Not what I wanted to hear but "it is what it is". I'm swimming my 100's on a 1:20-1:25 basis but my ability to hold that speed has dropped in the past few months. I'll need to give this a bit of thought and talk with my swim coach about this as well. I also need to be honest and say my motivation in the water has lacked the past 6 weeks. Last year I came into January flying and by the start of the season I felt flat.

We are anxiously awaiting our new "rides". Kathy picked out the color scheme and we are going with a two tone red/black with red seats and red handlebar tape. We both went with a 78 degree seat angle and I'm eager to ride and see if there is a difference in my back and legs.

In one month I'm heading to Arizona with Jonathan Nixon. Jonathan is one of my athletes and will compete in Ironman South Africa in April. He invited me along for some training companionship. Based on what he has been doing and what I'm doing, I'm sure I'm in for a long week. Putting in some long miles will help me with my current level of fitness.

My article on improving your swimming was just in the last month of triathlon life magazine and I've heard from people all over the US. I've always wanted to be published and this is the second time my article has made it into this publication. I hope to do more writing in the future.

Not a whole lot more to report. Business remains good. I have decided not to take on any more athletes this year unless they are doing an Ironman and have prior experience. Kathy and coach Steve are full as well. Coach Jason still has room for a few more folks. I've actively begun looking for more coaches to join Mile High and have had some preliminary discussions with a few candidates. Kathy travels a lot in January and February and with my two trips we don't see each other a whole lot at the beginning of the year. We celebrate a17 year wedding anniversary in March and I need to think of something romantic to do for the weekend of our anniversary.

Time To Get Serious

Happy 2008!!!

As Kathy and I prepare for the upcoming race season I can tell our desire to train has picked up. We are entered in the 5430 Sprint, The Mile High Duathlon Series, Spirit of Racine Half Ironman and are looking at Love Land Lake to Lake, and the Cherry Creek Time trial series. If all goes well in Racine I will give consideration to another long distance race in August or September (most likely out of state). Kathy has indicated to me that this is a off year for her. Kathy has lasted 26 years in this sport and one of her keys to success is to taking "off" years in which she trains but doesn't really put any pressure on herself to perform. She typically does well anyways and I know she has some goals but she is keeping them to herself. I begin her coaching plan this week and am looking forward to training and racing with her again this year. I've always enjoyed my wife as my number 1 training partner.

GURU:

We were both in the market for new bikes this year and this week finalized a sponsorship arrangement with GURU bikes. WE will both be riding custom fit CRONO. A custom fit on a Tri Bike is critical to comfort, power and endurance. I will keep you posted on the difference between riding a stock bike which is has been custom fit to a bike made specifically to my dimensions. I've always had back issues on the bike and have my fingers crossed that this is the answer.

Swim Labs:

I went to Swim Labs this week and took Matt Beck along with me. Matt is a 6 time All American swimmer from the University of Texas. to have your stroke picked apart by someone of his knowledge was humbling. I need to spend more time in the pool working on the little things.

My training continues to go well. I pulled the plug on a coach and begin February 1st. I've already caught myself twice trying to dictate my schedule (one of my big pet peeves). Kathy and I negotiated masters swim time this morning and I'll be moving to a Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday schedule while she takes the morning M/W/F slot. I'm a little bummed because there are 6-8 MHM athletes in the water in the morning, BUT with our work schedules it is the right thing to do when striving for balance. When you have two people who race it is important that you both feel as if you are getting in quality time. It can be done with very little sacrifice but communication and compromise are prudent.

I lost my orthodics while in Steam Boat over Christmas and I can feel the difference when I run. My legs fatigue and my upper back hurts more. I have a new pair ordered and consider the loss a blessing as I pushed the limits on the old ones (9 years). As you can tell by the above picture, the snow in The Boat was incredible. Skiing virgin powder with my son will be something I remember for the rest of my life. he had never skied in such conditions and told me he "would always remember this day". When kids get to be 14 you don't hear that much. That's me on top and Nick beneath. Lauren was content on the green runs and we didn't push her beyond her comfort levels. Kathy and I split time "chasing" the boy down the mountain and at night couldn't decide which was more difficult, snow plowing a green trail or skiing black diamond mogul runs (not my favorite but I couldn't let my boy see me yield to the mountain).

I'm heading to Jersey next week for a workshop on Scientific Training for athletes. I've challenged myself to understand the physiological responses to training more. It isn't my background and I have never trained with power meters, heart rate monitors (not seriously) etc. If I want to achieve the level of coaching I desire then I need gain some knowledge in a few areas. Business is good and I'm happy to report we are close to full for the 2008 season. I'm in the process of looking for some additional coaches to join the staff.

I'm anxious to get a full season of trianing under my belt and see what level I can bring my performance to in 2008. no pressure, have fun, enjouy the sport and the friendships I make along the way.

Reaching New Heights in 2008

I don't usually use the same post on both my personal and business blogs. I hope not to break this self imposed rule often but I thought that everyone could benefit from the message.

Aristotle once said “we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

I’ve been giving a lot of thought the past few weeks to the coaching profession. Technically this will be my third full year of coaching and although I’m pleased with the progress of Mile High Multisport, I have a greater vision of how I want to coach and develop the business. Each year during this time I ask myself “Why do I coach?”, “What my coaching philosophy will be in the new year for each of my athletes, what areas of improvement I see for myself to become more knowledgeable, what I want to continue doing that worked well last season and what I need to do better in the upcoming year.

As an athlete, I also go through this process when it comes to setting my personal goals. As a youth I played baseball. I used to love the game and am saddened that I don’t see today’s youth out in the parks playing pick up games of ball anymore. I played at a competitive level and my father was “my coach”. It took me many years to realize that he was a very good coach as he taught me not only the fundamentals of the game but the mental aspect that goes along with athletics. One thing he used to always tell me was “see yourself making the play before it happens.” I would envision myself making the plays that the pros made. In short, I envisioned success before it happened.

Every night, my father would take me outside and “drill me”. Perhaps he would tell a different story, but I don’t recall ever saying “no” or “hang on dad, I need to just finish watching this show”. Although it was years ago, I can still remember the “drills” to this day. I wanted to be a baseball player when I grew up. I had a vision that I would play 2nd base for the Chicago Cubs one day. I wanted to be better than anyone else in my town and I worked very hard to accomplish my goal.

As triathletes we need to take a look at how we mentally approach racing and training. I’m often dumb founded when an athlete tells me one week they have this lofty goal and the next week they tell me they are lacking motivation to go train. I believe that the goal itself should be enough motivation to want to train. As I evaluate my clients, and how I want to coach, I’ve been looking at the mental aspect of the sport and evaluating each one of my clients. Some clients require very little motivation while others require a lot.

The approach we take to mental preparation should be part of our goal setting process. Each of us should honestly assess this area. Do you require little motivation and give 100% effort to each of your workouts or are you a “worrier” who often finds excuses to why something didn’t happen. Do you have a mantra that you bring to training and races that helps you keep you focused? If you aren’t sure which type of an athlete you are, ask someone whose opinion you value for an honest assessment. Keep in mind that you may not get the response you want to hear.

It is my belief that mental preparation should be a part of the goal setting process. Your physical ability will only take you so far, it is your mind which defines excellence. The same thing applies to your profession; your intellect will only take you to a certain point. How you interact with others and the mental preparation you take to your job separates mediocrity and excellence. If you have ever wondered about what separates the people on the podium from the people who participate, look no further than your mind. Mentally tough athletes have an inner strength, an inner focus and desire that others lack. They don’t MAKE EXCUSES or justifications on why things happened. The athletes who reach their goals work hard all the time. You don’t hear people on the podium state “they aren’t motivated” “it wasn’t gong to happen” today, “I can’t”, “I couldn’t find time”, “I didn’t feel like getting up at 5:30”, I don’t like riding the trainer”; “I didn’t run outside because it snowed or it was cold”. The mind manifests what it hears. Instead of telling your mind what to not do, tell it what it will do. I’m confident you will find yourself working more efficiently.

I recently picked up a book entitled “Mind Gym, an athlete’s guide to inner excellence” by Gary Mack and David Casstevens. It is a short yet powerful book which every athlete should read. In the book they state “learn to use your mind or your mind will use you. Actions follow our thoughts and images. Don’t look where you don’t want to go”.

As you approach the New Year, make a commitment to be a mentally strong athlete in 2008. Rid your self of all the excuses. There is a huge benefit to the power of positive reinforcement and visualization. See the results from the minds eye. Champions win in their mind first. “See yourself making the play before it actually happens.”

December

The last few weeks have been a bit crazy with Thanksgiving and Family in town. During this time of year it is easy to get throw out of our routines with "other" obligations. Even the most dedicated athletes stray a little during this period of time. I always try and focus on "doing the right thing" during this season and that may mean missing a workout or two to spend time with family or friends that I don't see often enough during the year.

My training has been coming better than expected. I missed a few days this week with a few ribs that were out of place. Not sure how this happened but it could have come from a big pull set on Monday. Once the issue was identified (by one of my athletes who is a PT) she was able to get me fixed.

I went to my first yoga class in a few years yesterday. I was invited by my good friend Scott who has been encouraging me to go for months now. Kathy and I joined 24 hour fitness with the sole purpose of doing more yoga. As athletes we should all focus on improving flexibility while improving balance and mental clarity. I was amazed at the workout I received while doing this. I had swam in the morning and I was sweating chlorine 20 minutes into the class. Right before we began Scott told me not to embarrass him. I'm assuming this meant not falling over in the middle of a pose. A couple times I almost went down.

Kathy is out of town running the Tucson marathon. I didn't do much running with her as she prepared this year and subsequently don't feel as tied to her results as I have with other races. We have always worked together when we have race and this is pretty much a solo effort. Not exactly sure how to describe my feelings. Of course I want her to do well, but I'll be happy when she is finished and we can spend some quality time together. We ares scheduled to spend a lot of time in Steamboat Springs over the holidays and for the first time in years I'm hoping for some much needed snow. We will take the snow shoes and I look forward to getting in some outdoor winter activities then sitting around a fire place, reading and sipping on a cocktail.

The Hawaii Ironman is on tv today and I will be spinning with a few athletes while we watch the broadcast. I've watched the Ironman broadcast for years and typically end up shedding a tear or two when they show the amateurs crossing the finish line. Some of the personal stories have really grabbed at my heart and I hope each year they spend less time focusing on the pros and provide a show which is balanced. A lot of people make sacrifices each year to get to this magical island and some small things could go a long way in enhancing the show. Simple things like giving credit at the end of the show to all competitors who placed in their age group (30 seconds of scrolling names), 5 minutes of the show dedicated to nothing more than people crossing the finish line and some time spent on the days leading up to the race (show the under wear run, dig me beach, lava java as this is were the days before the event take place).

My business has been going well and I'm grateful to have clients who have placed their trust in my services. I've been working extremely hard this season to enhance the image of mile high. Our next step is to bring some more coaches on board. It is my goal to provide a well rounded coaching staff which includes experts in the different fields that touch our clients. I've also been looking at race gear and am close to finalizing a design and company. Selecting race uniforms and design is proving to be a very time consuming and stressful process. I'll be happy when we land on something concrete and begin the order process.

Training

Nothing special about this picture other than it makes me laugh every time I see it. The joy of my daughter and her cat are on other sides of the spectrum.

My training continues to go well. I logged 11 hours last week including a 45 mile bike ride with my wife. The weather in Colorado has been incredible this fall and we took advantage on Friday by riding from Sedalia to Palmer Lake. I was a bit apprehensive about riding for 2 + hours because my back didn't tolerate rides over 1.5 hours this summer. Much to my surprise I had few issues. I've been working on my gluteus muscles and core and this made a big impact on my ability to hold correct form on the bike. After a near high speed crash last spring I have been hesitatnt to descend hills with much speed. Although there were no significant descents or turns on this route I felt more comofortable on the bike and regaind some confidence I lost.

My running is still slow to progress but I'm running longer than I have in recent years. I will continue to be patient and know that my goal at this time of year is to build a strong foundation while teaching my body to burn fuel (fat) efficiently. On Saturday I woke up with an infected right big toe ( I get this from time to time). I usually poke around with a needle to relieve some of the fluid build up and all is good. This time around, the toe was bright red and no matter how much I poked and prodded no drainage. Since I meet some athletes each Sunday to run I elected to proceed as planned. My toe actually hurt less while running than walking. After the run was different. Excruciating pain. I went to Walgreen's and purchased some "outgrow" and it made an immediate impact on the pain. This morning, the toe was much better and I'm convinced I will get in my run tomorrow.

I'm feeling more comfortable in the pool. In past seasons I've made a permanent shift to the "gutter lane" until January or February then I move up a few lanes once I feel my comfortable with any stroke/body modifications I wanted. This year I want to go into race season faster so I'm staying put in my current lane. I seem to do fine on the long slow stuff but when the pace picks up I don't have that next gear. My masters coach has explained that in order to get faster in the water you need to push through some ceilings. At first it won't be comfortable, but in due time you will have a break through in your times. Consistency in the water (3x week) and strength work should help me achieve my goals.

Kathy continues to train for the Tucson marathon. She is running very well and the new weight/core routine is having an impact on our bodies ability to absorb the impact of running. We have never concentrated on running form, but after a recent running lesson from Bobby McGee we are amazed at how much form matters when running. A lot of athletes don't think about form, they just run. If you think about it, most of us can't remember being taught how to run, we just did it. Small changes to arm, head and body position have a dramatic effect on how efficiently you run.

I have one more week of base building then I will re test from week one to see what gains I have made.

Peace!!!

Respecting the History of the Ironman

When Kathy and I began completing triathlons we were fortunate to have some local athletes in the Chicago area share their knowledge with us. Back in the late 80's the sport was just beginning, amateur athletes didn't have coaches. I'm not even sure the professional athletes had coaches. We learned by trial and error. We were fortunate to have a lot of people who gave freely of themselves with the information they had gained. I remember training for my first Ironman and I would ride with a guy by the name of Bill Baldwin (now my son's god father). Bill had completed 3 Ironman's and even had finished Kona. I remember eating Exceed bars and drinking Gatorade because that is what Bill did.

I read a book written by Mike Plant entitled "Iron Will" (Bill suggested this). The book was all about the history of the Iron man. When I read that the very first winner (Gordon Haller) of the race lived in a neighboring town I called him and invited him out to dinner. He brought the original Ironman trophy and I was in complete awe that the I was holding the very first trophy ever awarded to an Ironman athlete.

Some time later, I wrote Mark Allen and asked if he would speak to our local tri club. Mark agreed (for a small fee) and I invited Gordon to attend. What a thrill to listen to a 6 time Ironman Hawaii champion and have the first winner in the room. Mark Allen even signed my poster of the classic dual between he and Dave Scott in 1990. Gordon signed my copy of Ironwill. Mark spoke about that race with Dave and it was amazing to hear what transpired between them on that day. In my opinion, it is the best Ironman race that has ever occurred.

Gordon Haller and Mark Allen

I've often been quoted that a lot of people don't respect the Ironman distance. I've been challenged on several occasions as to the meaning of my statement. When I first completed the Ironman, I believed it was the ultimate one day multisport event. I think there are other races out there now that are harder (Leadville 100 run and MTB races, Lake City 50 mile trail run, some adventure races, swimming across the Long Island Sound just to name a few).

When a person accepts the challenge of the Ironman they need to commit to the training and they need to show respect to the history of the race. You should know who John Collins, Gordon Haller and Tom Warren are. I recently had someone tell me they hated the statement "swim 2.4 miles, ride 112, run 26.2 brag for the rest of your life". I was floored, these are famous words from the founder of the race.

I recently met a young man who lives in my community that is embarking on his first Ironman. He is a history teacher and former college football player at a major football power house. I invited him and his spouse to our local Ironman send off party as I thought it would be a great way for him to meet some of the local athletes, many of whom had completed the Ironman distance. One night at swimming practice I gave him my copy of Iron Will and told him it was required reading. I follow up with him each week to see where he is in the book and I can hear the respect he is gaining for the race by reading the book. It has been a pleasure to give back something to the history of the sport by encouraging others to study the roots of the race.

Since I've coached a number of Ironman athletes I have an innate feeling about how people will fare in their training and on race day. Most of the time my gut is dead on. I already know what he doesn't and how his journey will end. My brother who lives in North Carolina (picture below is of my brother and I on the Helix at IMW 2003)will be completing his first Ironman on the same day. I will be coaching my brother through his journey. I can feel the excitement both of them have for the race and the history of the race. Although the race is 10 months away, I'm already anticipating race day. I'll be back at my perch outside Verona and then on State Street.

The journey to the Ironman start line is the hard part, the race itself is a celebration of all the hard work you have put into getting to the start line. I doff my cap to the athletes who respect the distance and the history of the race. If you have completed an Ironman and haven't read this book, shame on you. Get on Amazon and get yourself a copy immediately.

Don't Think...Just Do.....

My training load has picked up recently. After last season I've committed to be serious about next season and have laid out some goals. I feel like I'm starting all over again, which isn't 100% true as I have years of racing experience and training under my belt.

I'm committed to following the plan I've written out for myself and following some general nutrition guidelines which have worked well for me in the past. The elimination of grains and processed foods has already impacted my energy level. I've considered hiring a coach and have talked with one in particular. I've only used two coaches in my 20 years of racing (one for less than a month) but I keep telling myself that if I want different results I need to train differently. A different perspective may be good for me but I digress........

I've felt a bit sluggish lately in the water. In fact, I feel like I'm swimming with a piano on my ankles. I can't get my hips up and have been falling apart in the middle of sets. Some of this is attributed to the weight lifting I have been doing but the form issues baffle me. I asked Matt Beck, my masters coach to look at me this morning. I moved done 2 lanes from where I normally swim because I had convinced myself I had lost my form and needed to slow down to concentrate. I arrived 20 minutes early to masters and did drill work until the beginning of practice. We started the set and again I felt sluggish. No feel for the water, my arms fatigued and I felt like I was dragging myself through the water. About 20 minutes into class Matt looks at me and asked me if "I think about putting my fork in my mouth when I eat or do I just do it". "I just do it"..... QUIT THINKING AND JUST SWIM..YOU KNOW HOW TO SWIM...NO GO... And with that my issues were solved.
As athletes we tend to over analyze and create issues in our mind. I manifested an issue in my head that wasn't there based on a couple of poor swims. The reality is, poor workouts happen and I coach people on this topic all the time yet I failed to realize it myself. Thus the need to consider someone else to chart my path.........
My mantra for the day became, Don't think, just swim........It was that simple.

The Journey Begins

First of all, Jay, thanks for making me laugh this morning. What a great way to start out the day. Kathy and I went and saw a comedian last night and one of the things he said was "People Don't Laugh Enough".

Official starting weight 168.8. (7:01 a.m.) In the process of downing my salt water drink. UMMMMMM

10/21
12:20 pm.... Have had three drinks and I'm not doing too bad. Have a dull head ache which I had for a day or two last time. Watching football with the cat asleep on my lap. Major snow storm hitting Denver so I'm not feeling the urge to go outside and ride. Stomach starting to growl but I knew the first two days would be the worst. Tomorrow mornings master swim class should be interesting, I'm definitely moving down a lane or two.

4:47 pm... Had/have a massive head ache so decided to go run and then lift weights. Don't ask me the reasoning behind this. I haven't eaten in 24 hours and I have no valid reason for anything I do right now. The running was slow and I felt as I was going to pass out. I thought to myself, I've felt like this in a race before so suck it up. The weights hurt at first but I was surprised I felt better the further I got into the session. Came home, whopped up on the boy in a game of darts and here I sit. Damn, my head hurts. Almost like a hang over head ache. My body is going through detox and it hurts.

10/22

4:42 am 162.2 (-6.6 lbs) Had a massive head ache last evening that wouldn't go away. My wife told me I hadn't drank enough energy concoction drinks. I pounded a double just before bed while watching game 7 of the ALCS and actually slept better than I thought I would. I actually feel pretty good this morning and thought about going to masters swim but with the kids in school I thought I would just drink my salt water flush and get started with work early.

2:46 pm. for a guy who hasn't eaten for almost 48 hours I feel pretty good. As your body rids itself of the toxins you develop a white pasty coating on your tongue. I know, sick... At least you don't have to sit here and feel like you swallowed hair all day long!! When the tongue turns pink again the cleansing is over. The first day was difficult, today not so bad. I even made breakfast and lunches for the kids and didn't once think about sneaking in some food.

10/23

6:30 a.m. 161.2 (7.7lbs). Not feeling too bad this morning. The morning evacuations are the worst. The salt water flush works quickly...........Woke up feeling energized but feel a bit sluggish now. Plan to lift weights and try and run this morning for a few miles. Yesterday I didn't do anything so I felt stiff when I woke up this morning. Besides day one's headache this cleanse has been a lot easier than the first time. My sense of smell is tremendous.

8:21 p.m. Today was probably the easiest of all the days. I should have decided when I started what my goal was. I should know better than this. I feel good and my only complaint is the "drink" is getting stagnant. I switched to lime in the drink from lemon and hopefully my taste buds will be happy. The only difficulty I have is when I open the refrigerator and see food. It has taught me that I can have will power. Staying busy helps keep me focused on not wanting to eat. I eat because I'm board not because I'm hungry. I need to remember this once I end the cleanse.

10/24

Down to 161.0 (-7.8lbs). Felt great waking up this morning. I seem to have more mental clarity. My tongue is starting to turn pink again on the outside which is an indication that I'm on the down side of this fast. I have a busy day ahead of me including a athlete test session, a run and a bike so that should help me focus on not eating. Day 4 and counting.

5pm. It's been 4 days with no food. This is my second cleanse in the last 12 months. I decided that tonight would be my last night. I've accomplished what I wanted to on this cleanse. 1.) lose weight so I may begin a healthier eating habit 2.) follow through on a promise I made myself at the beginning of the year to do one 3 day cleanse each year 3) Remind myself that I eat when I'm board not because I'm hungry. I still will go a day or two with no solid foods. Juice, vegetable soup and perhaps a salad or two for the next few days.

10/25 160.5 (-8.3lbs) And with a mouthful of Cage Free eggs the diet was over. Actually I had some juice and a few nuts last evening to prepare my stomach for what was going to occur in the morning. I feel great, did a spinerval tape this morning with Kathy and lifted weights with Matt after getting the kids off to school. I expect to put half the weight back on but will more vigilant in following a diet based on the paleo principals.

The Master Cleanse Begins Tomorrow

Following is a copy of a blog I put on my athletes page. When I began this process, one of my thoughts was to not duplicate posts on both sites. I want to separate my triathlon life from my business. This is a topic that interests a lot of people so I opted to stray from my own rules. I plan to discuss my day to day experiences on the cleanse on this site. Enjoy and feel free to ask questions.

While conducting year end meetings, a number of you expressed a desire to lose weight and improve strength in the off season. Improving your strength to weight ratio is one of the keys to getting faster. The off season is the perfect time to lose weight since you aren't placing the extra demands on your body that you do during the race season. With Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year holidays just around the corner the time to start a diet is now. I've mentioned to many of you "The Master Cleanse Diet" and "The Paleo Diet for Athletes" which Kathy and I have used over the past three years with success. As with any diet, you should consult with your physician before beginning. Do your research and know what you are getting into before beginning. Be committed to your goal as you will find that sticking to a diet can be one of the hardest things you do. Almost everyone I know who has completed a cleanse and improved eating habits has been satisfied with the outcome. I won't lie to you, the cleanse is not easy to do, especially when others are eating around you, but well worth the end results.On Sunday, 10/21 I will begin my second cleanse in the past year. I will follow the guidelines in the book, The Master Cleanse by Stanley Burroughs. A second book How to lose weight, have more energy and be happy by Peter Glickman is another good reference book when completing the cleanse. When I am finished with the cleanse I will begin following the guidelines in the Paleo Diet for athletes written byLoren Cordain and Joe Friel. Kathy and I first completed the Paleo diet in 2004 while preparing for Ironman Canada and have maintained the principles of the diet ever since. When I stray from the principles of the diet I gain weight (grains and processed foods are my downfall).The cleansing diet is fairly simple. Every morning you begin with an internal salt water bathing by drinking a quart of luke warm water with 2 teaspoons of sea salt. This drink cleanses the colon track and begins the cleansing process. You don't want to be too far away from facilities for about an hour. For the remainder of the day you drink a concoction which consists of 8 -10 ounces of luke warm water, 2 Tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon or lime, 2 Tbsp of Grade A or B dark Maple Syrup and 1/10th of Tsp of Cayenne pepper. You have the drink whenever you find yourself getting hungry.Why do the cleanse?
To dissolve and eliminate toxins and congestion that have formed in any part of the body.
To cleanse the kidneys and the digestive system.
To purify the glands and cells throughout the entire body .
To eliminate all usable waste and hardened material in the joints and muscles.
To build a healthy blood stream.
To keep youth and elasticity regardless of our years.
Besides the weight loss , I noticed an improvement in my sense of smell, taste and hearing. I started today at 166 and plan to chronicle my journey through the completion of the process.
Let the journey begin!!!!