Coach JP's Journey

Why I've Put Away All My Spartan Race Medals...

Why I've Put Away All My Spartan Race Medals...

I’ve been struggling this past month with a feeling of…ambivalence, I guess would be the word (or maybe indifference?), when it comes to my own training and nutrition. This may seem a strange thing to hear from a personal trainer and nutrition coach, but hey…I’m just as human and fallible as any of you!

I made a commitment to endeavour to lead by example this year, and this is hardly the example I want to set, so I’ve been keeping these thoughts / feelings to myself and just trying to work them out behind the scenes. Again, though - sometimes I just need to get stuff down on “paper” (or the current digital equivalent) to work stuff out, so here goes…

Reflections On A Rough Start To 2021

Reflections On A Rough Start To 2021

As I sit here, NOT running my first training sessions of 2021 this morning due to a gout attack (something which is, thankfully, quite rare for me these days, but this one was particularly ill-timed), I find myself reflecting on what I plan to do with myself this year, and the challenges I may face.

I have set myself four main tasks to work on this year to help me become a better coach and leader, and in particular to aid me in leading by example with those over whom I have some influence (however small):

  1. Practice and improve my craft as a Nutrition Coach.

  2. Explore my limits as a Multi-Disciplinary Athlete.

  3. Further develop my skills as a Cook and Baker.

  4. Practice and improve my craft as a fitness, nutrition and lifestyle Content Creator.

Here’s what I’m thinking…

Why We Train - Part 1: My Journey

Why We Train - Part 1:  My Journey

At The BTG, the majority of our members are not competitive athletes, nor do they have jobs that require them to maintain a high level of fitness year-round (E.G. front-line first responders, active duty military, etc.). As a result, we’ve often had folks ask “what the heck do you guys train so hard for?”

The short version is pretty simple - to just kick ass at life, able to meet any challenges that come our way with a balanced spectrum of physical abilities, and to maintain those abilities for as long as possible. To borrow a phrase from Dr. Peter Attia, our aim is “to be the most kick-ass 100-year olds possible.”

Where that gets a bit more complicated is in the details. What constitutes a “balanced spectrum of physical abilities”? If we have no specific demands from a sport or our work, how do we determine where we need to focus our energies?

To understand that, I need to tell a different story…