Are you a beginning runner? Already a runner? Haven’t run in a long time?  Either way, you can finish a half marathon. Learning some of the basics will help you get started.  But don’t kid yourself, half marathon training will be challenging, but should be fun and enjoyable.   And that is why you want to train with Coastal Motion Fitness.  We are all about Fun and Fitness for Life!!

Our first Half Marathon Training is beginning next week!!! Yay!!!!  I want to invite everyone who has signed up, thinking about signing up or those of you who are teetering on the fence of “to train? or not to train?” to our kick off meeting Wednesday night November 2, 2011 at 7:30PM in the CMF studio. (302 Pier View Way (up stairs)  Oceanside, CA 92054)  This is the meeting where the training schedule will be made for all members who are taking part.  Bring your calendars!

The secret to successful half marathon training lies within staying supremely motivated, training smart & safe, and maintaining proper nutrition.  This just taps the surface of what you will be getting in training with Coastal Motion Fitness.

Our ten week program is richly packed with so many details of making it through your first or maybe 50th half marathon successfully, that once you are done with our training program you will be mentally geared to endure anything thrown your way.

The cost of the program is $220.00 for the ten week training!  That’s $11.00 per training session.

To accommodate everyone, you can either pay the whole amount or we have the option to break it into to $55.00 (auto pay) bi-weekly (every two weeks) for eight weeks.

At our kick off meeting November 2, our Operations Leaders will be available to you to make the payment schedule work for you.

I look forward to seeing all of you there and remember, ”If you ever get a second chance in life for something, you’ve got to go all the way.”(Lance Armstrong)

Take a chance… who knows what will come from it.

Mahalo,

Candace CC Matsuura

I haven’t written in a few weeks.  I’m sorry for that too!  I have no excuse, except family, work and oh yes… moving.  But truly, that is no excuse.  I have been thinking about all of you a lot though.  What have I been thinking you ask???  Well, I’ll tell you — I’ve been thinking about the Carlsbad 1/2 Marathon.  Ughhhhhhh… I hate running.  I despise running.  I would rather get a colonoscopy than run… uhhh, maybe not!!

So, I was unpacking all my stuff last week and I came across something I received from colleagues a while back.  I read it and it made me rethink the running thing. It lit that fire under me and I hope it will do the same for you.

“At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. And with boiling water comes steam. And steam can power a locomotive.

Raising the temperature of water by one extra degree means the difference between something that is simply very hot and something that generates enough force to power a machine – a beautiful, uncomplicated metaphor that ideally should feed our every endeavor – consistently pushing us to make the extra effort in every task we undertake.  This one extra degree…makes all the difference.”

So what the hell does all that mean???  It simply means that I am making the commitment to enter into training myself for the Carlsbad 1/2 Marathon taking place in January 2012 with that one extra degree.  I am making this commitment to put aside my feelings about running, and not only do what is required of me to make the 13.1 miles, but rather what is now expected of me as I take it up one degree.

I am going to take action with commitment and I know that the 211degrees served its purpose but the 212 degrees is the extra degree that will bring me exponential results…not just to me, but to all of you I hope.

I would like to personally invite you to raise the temperature of the water.  Take it to the next degree and train alongside with me.  It’s your life.  YOU are responsible for your results.  It’s time to turn up the heat!

Join me, and from this day forward let’s commit to operating at 212degrees in everything you do.

Mahalo,

Candace

 “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re usually right”

~ Henry Ford

All three of my daughters have played fast-pitch softball since they were old enough to swing a bat. I’ve spent many years cheering them on, honing their technique, and coaching various teams during the past 10 years. During this time, I’ve seen Mr. Fords quote in action more times than I can count. Recently, I had the opportunity to see it again during my 13 year-old daughter’s games.

My daughter Taylor plays for a travel softball team, which competes at a much higher level of play than the average city recreational league. She practices three times a week, and works with professional coaches to perfect her technique and performance. At this level of play, minor mistakes can mean the difference between winning and losing, and each player has a role to play in the overall strategy. It’s an exciting game to watch, especially when the team is all performing at their best. These kids are amazing athletes.

Last weekend, I was watching Taylor’s team play, and was very excited to see her play. She had her game face on, and came up to bat with a runner on base. She had a good battle at the plate, but struck out watching strike three go by. Never a fun experience for a player, and I knew Taylor wanted that pitch back. Her second at-bat came, and again, after a great battle, she struck out swinging. After seeing her body language, I knew she would need some encouragement during the game break.

In the game break between her double header, Taylor and I sat and ate lunch together in the stands. I asked her how she did, and she simply stated “I can’t hit the outside pitch.” I immediately quoted Mr. Ford to her, and explained that her striking out has nothing to do with her physical technique, that it’s all in the mental attitude she brings to the plate. I reminded her of how highly trained she is, and how hard she worked to earn a spot on this team, and what a tough kid she is. I told her that the only thing she needed to fix for the next game was the space between her ears. Of course, I got the “whatever, Dad” look and she scooted down the stands to sit with her team. As she headed back to the dugout, I told her “Taylor; Yes you can.” I saw a sneak of a smile escape from under her visor, and knew the seed was planted.

As Taylor warmed up in the on-deck circle before her next at-bat, I yelled from the stands “YES YOU CAN!”, and I got a thumbs up from her as she strode to the plate. After running the count to 3 balls, 2 strikes, Taylor rips the next pitch to left field, scoring a run and making to base safely. I stood up, and made a spectacle of myself cheering for my kid. Ahh, parenthood.

At her next at-bat, she was facing the dominating pitcher from the first game. This girl held our team scoreless during the first game. Again, I yelled “YES YOU CAN” to Taylor as she went to bat. Again, Taylor send a shot into the shallow gap in left, making it to base safely. My heart was bursting with pride when Taylor stood on first base and raised her arms in victory. What a great way to recover! Her team went on to win the second game 14-2, and Taylor finished the day on a very positive note.

Taylor’s experience during her game perfectly illustrates how much our mental attitude can affect our physical performance. Not a single thing changed during her break except her mental attitude. She didn’t get stronger, taller, or faster during her break. She didn’t get a new magic bat, or spiffy new cleats; she only changed her attitude.

Cognitive Behavioral Psychology demonstrates that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are directly linked to produce our experience of the world. If our thoughts are negative, we’re more likely to feel negative, and our behaviors will fall in line. When we notice this process happening, our only recourse is to make a positive shift in one of those areas to help the others become more positive too. For example, Taylor struck out, which made her feel bad. Her thought process went negative and said “I can’t do this”. Her behavior (physical performance) at her next at-bat was influenced by her negative feelings and thoughts. When she made the mental shift from “I can’t hit the outside pitch” to “Yes I can”, she was able to see a difference in her physical performance. Our minds are powerful things..

The next time you’re faced with a challenge, look for negative messages in your self-talk. Look for common negative statements like ‘I can’t..’, or ‘I shouldn’t’ in your daily conversation or internal monologue when you think about the things you want to accomplish.
These thoughts can be sneaky, and we’re often so used to them that we hardly notice them affecting our performance. Ultimately, remember Henry Ford and his adage, and decide what you want to be right about. “Can” you, or “Can’t” you? either way you’re right.

Thanks for reading,

Tray Thomason, M.A.

Owner

Iron String Life & Achievement Coaching