Sunday Story…Gratitude

Is a skill and a feeling to be cultivated. The very act of feeling and expressing gratitude moves us up the human chain. We just finished celebrating, in this country, Thanksgiving. But the fact is you could celebrate Thanksgiving again today or any day.

I am not talking about the celebration of myth and lore of poor pilgrims and settlers having a feast of a bountiful harvest. That is a celebration of scarcity averted. No, let’s celebrate a couple different things:

The people in our lives who give us the support and love we need to make a difference, and…

The opportunity to build something bigger than ourselves, something worth contributing to. The ability to make connections, lend a hand, invent and create.

There are more of both of those now, more than ever before. For all of us.

I thank you for all you do, and for the difference you make to your family, the people around you, and the world we live in.

Thank you.

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

With much thanks to Seth Godin for this! https://seths.blog/

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Story…E-ride tickets

We often say that youth is wasted on the young. The perspective we gain from every year of life is irreplaceable. Way back in the day when you went to an amusement park you had to have a ticket to get on a ride. Then certain rides took more tickets, or you had to have a special pass to get the privilege of certain classes of rides. Then came the unlimited ride ticket. You can ride anything you want.

When we are young life looks like that…an amusement park with unlimited rides. The problem with unlimited rides is that we lose appreciation and enjoyment of the individual ride. I mean the mad hatter’s teacups versus the Matterhorn? Both are good rides but one is a bit more exciting than the other.

On the other hand, if I had to use a certain number of tickets to ride the ride, I may have a greater appreciation for the ride. And if you have a limited number of tickets, you will be more mindful of how you spend them.

Life is not an unlimited-ride amusement park. You have a limited amount of time, opportunity, money, or other resources. How are you going to spend them? When I was young it felt like I had all the tickets I would ever need. Now, given the fact that I can see the finite number of tickets left, I appreciate the value of every ticket.

What ride are you spending your tickets on today?

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…WWJD

What would John do?

 

Just a quick return to training for a moment. One of the most important shifts has been in mindset. It used to be that I never ever missed a workout or made any changes to doing the work listed…no matter what! I would keep working in the face of almost any obstacle. And if I didn’t or couldn’t, I would be upset and try to make it up if it was at all possible. Now I have given myself permission to miss a workout or adjust the work as I see fit. Now, I have been at this game for quite some time, and I know my body well. If something comes up occasionally and I miss a day, no big deal. I just move on. No guilt, no recriminations just smile and move on.

 

Now as far as supplementation…I believe every adult over the age of 25 should take 2000mg of glucosamine sulfate every day. It works and will help keep your connective tissue healthy. As a bonus, your hair and nails will grow faster. Also 1800 mg of turmeric every day for inflammation. Inflammation is the killer and when we train hard, we are inducing inflammation. Our body’s healthy reaction to inflammation is to create adaptations…build muscle, get stronger, faster, and fitter but as we age, we need help to manage the process. I take a multivitamin and a probiotic as well every day. I do take a healthy sleep supplement that has 1 gram of melatonin in as well as some other things. There are a ton of supplements out there and they may or may not work for you. Most have spurious studies if any at all. So, if you are going to take something try to figure out how you will know it is working. And try to make sure you can measure those results, not be based on feeling alone!

  

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 Sunday Story…WWJD

What would John do?

Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about what I am doing…training-wise, nutrition, supplementation, and things like that. So, here’s a rundown of the training and nutrition end of things and we’ll cover supplementation next week…

Training…I try to get at least 2 LSD sessions a week and most weeks it is 3. I also try to get these in first thing in the morning before I eat anything (a “fasted” state). This helps with kick-starting my metabolism (think fat burning!) and the rest of my day goes smoother. I also try to get at least one pure strength day. That is a day dedicated to moving weight and doing more “body-building” type work. For example, after back squatting the other day, I did a session of 100 each strict pull-ups, pushups, and dips. I will also take another day with a met-con in it and slow it down, using heavier weights but less speed. And finally, I rest at least 2 but often 3 days a week. Now rest is relative…working outside in my yard all day may not be restful for some but for me it is.

Nutrition…The key remains to get enough protein to support my training. I eat whatever I want, in general. I am fortunate in this regard…I don’t want to eat CRAP (Calorie Rich and Pathetic) food. I enjoy well-made food made from fresh ingredients and prepared with love. My breakfast is the same every morning (cream of buckwheat, nuts raisins, and 3 eggs), but the rest of the day consists of food I enjoy eating. I rarely indulge in alcohol but if I do I keep it to 1 or 2 alcoholic drinks a week.

 

More next week!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.coom

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412