To runners, John Stanton is the Canadian version of a Messiah. Taking literally a small room in a store and turning into an international haven for running/walking enthusiasts didn't come overnight. A legitimate businessman in every sense of the word, John has managed to do something with his business using one key principle: Keep it SIMPLE. A treat for runners and non-runners alike, this week's podcast is well worth the listen! Can't see or having problems with the player? Click HERE to download a FREE mp3 of this week's show!
0 Comments
This is a "must listen" interview. At first glance, Ken Franczek may resemble your typical business "suit". The General Manager of Crystal Glass is also a successful entrepreneur, a pro MMA Manager and a philanthropist. He frequently hobknobs with some of the biggest business people in the country, and is well known and respected within his community. Ken's story is what sets him apart from virtually everyone else. Join Mike and Ken as they share some stories, including Ken's truly INSPIRING story of his rise to success, as well as the importance of making choices. Get ready for something you weren't expecting! CAN'T SEE THE PLAYER? CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE mp3! Wisdom from @TheRock It's been an interesting week. Earlier in the month I was visiting the BMO Vancouver Marathon website and I saw the big graphic up top that said "Less Than 100 Days To Go". Every race it's been the same. Training starts out feeling like the final day is eons away. This morning, seeing that we are 79 days away, it's a great reminder that the time for "taking this lightly" has passed. I recently saw this tweet from Dwayne Johnson. Even with this latest experience of being an "official" race blogger, it's sometimes difficult to keep the message simple. Like "The Rock" says, much of life comes down to one battle: YOU vs. YOU. One of my teammates recently told me that I have "every excuse NOT to do this", but I don't see it that way. There was a time in my life (I think I've spoken about it either here or on an episode of the podcast) where making excuses was just too easy. I was lazy, and perhaps unmotivated. Today, I look back at that past version of myself with a smidge of disdain. Those days, I was a loser, and what made me a loser was the fact that I allowed excuses to stand in my way. The fact of the matter is, stuff happens. To be completely honest, the weather, the wind, the snow, the ice... all these things have made this training season an incredibly trying one for me. The Edmontonian attitude is "if you don't like it, then why do you live here?", but I think we can all admit that it's more than just that. It's tremendously discouraging some days to wake up to a blizzard and know you have to go out there and eek out a run. Fortunately, the end of winter is in sight... I hope. To add to that, if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you may notice that I keep myself busy. Between all my online fun, there's a radio station to build, and that is no easy task. Add to that a busy volunteer schedule and a fundraising campaign, and I could easily use schedule as a reason to take my training less than seriously. The best way to compensate for these shortcomings is to give it my all when I'm out there. It hasn't been easy, but I've still noticed some improvements this season. I'm not at my "optimum", but I'm finally starting to feel comfortable with how I'm performing out there. Last Saturday, it was almost like a different world when during a 2hr 20min Long Slow Run, something in my body seemed to "let go", and I finally started to get a real groove going. My pal Jeff, Coach Charles and I covered a lot of real estate throughout Edmonton, and we did manage to find a lot of what we Edmontonians call "hills" (lay off Vancouverites, we're doing the best with what we got lol!). Actually, taking on the river valley here in Edmonton provides many great inclines, which can kick your ass if you aren't smart about how you take them. Even after a monster of an incline (not quite Prospect Point, but still an almost 2K uphill), I managed to find a decent pace and even push enough to keep up to Jeff and Charles as best I could. By the end of the run, we were all feelin' it in our legs. The pain is a scary thing for some, but for me it's the ultimate reward for a job well done. As we start counting the days down together, I hope you're all finding your pace, and that it's still fun for you. Most importantly, if you're reading this and you're on the fence about joining us, the BMO Vancouver Marathon crew sent out a release saying that the event is over 80% sold out! Whether it's your first endurance event or a course you've never tried, I can't recommend this race enough! Hope to see you out there, and keep it up! Remember: It's You vs. You... one of you has to win! As always, I'd love to hear from you! Please leave your comments, suggestions, etc by commenting below! Thanks! In the first of what will be the occasional podcast where we shift to one of my passions, I'm happy to welcome one of my running coaches, Charles Lefebvre to the show. Charles is a very different runner than I am, which is why I think it's great to have him on the podcast. Somewhat of a natural athlete, Charles talks about what got him into endurance sports and what motivated him to take the daunting task of becoming a coach to a group of runners from every level. Charles sits down and provides a great chat for runners and those who think runners are crazy alike! Can't see the player? CLICK HERE for the mp3 Download link I made a new friend. Jeremy Thompson is the type of person you can start a conversation with and quickly realize that there's a lot goin' on there. A lacrosse player virtually since the day he was born, Jeremy has managed to accomplish some great things and gets to live his dream of playing lacrosse for a living. A lot of fans may not know is the harrowing story behind the athlete. Everybody has a story, and Jeremy's is worth checking out! Can't see the player? CLICK HERE for the mp3 Download link I have one of those gimmicks installed on my phone that helps track your kilometers, progress, etc. While I know how beneficial a proper diet and hydration is, my biggest battle every day is eating. Some days, it seems more than easy to stick to my regiment and keep the calories in check, but food is the toughest opponent during my training. Still, I like to be positive, and frankly, I can't help but make fun of my own life some days. For example: I'm in the grocery store picking up some green veg, and juicable fruits and veggies for my juicer when I get to the checkout. This store has a "scratch and win" contest. The grand prize right now is a massive TV which would look exceptional in my basement, so of course, I'm grinning ear to ear when the first word I see is "WINNER!" Then, as only my life would dictate... 2 months into training, I discover that my prize, is a bag full of cookies! There was a time when store-bought cookies were downright banned in my home. I was raised by my Grandmother you see, so there was always an ample supply of cookies, cakes, pastries, etc in the house. This is by no means a way of blaming her delicious confections for my later-in-life weight gain - I did that all by myself. Still, there wasn't much appealing about cookies from a bag back then. Today, we live in a world where everything has been individualized and marketed to that nostalgiac feeling of chowing down and bringing back the happy feelings that come with something tasty. Just to make it more interesting, the replication of "home-made" seems to get better and better every year. While I fought the temptation, I ultimately decided that I had to give in to the desire: to cash in on my winnings. I immediately sought out the most destructive looking treats I could find. As a challenge and a bit of a joke, I decided that the best thing to do with these little belly-bursting biscuits was to save them for my pal Andy, who in addition sharing a love of all things pro-wrestling, also prides himself on his ability to be a personal trainer who believes in "eating for real people". In fact, it was his love of half-pound peanut butter cups that actually ignited our friendship. Weird story, I know. Andy was last week's guest on The Mike McGuire Podcast, and you can hear my presentation of the cookies to him. Now comes the moment of truth. We shared a two-pack. That's right, I ate a cookie. The difference between that time and most other times I am faced with the decision to indulge, is that I have a goal to reach. I don't know how many actual pounds I'll lose over training, but most importantly, what I've been figuring out when it comes to eating during this time is KNOWING WHEN TO STOP.
When it comes down to it, I've learned that moderation is the key. I've greatly decreased the amount of junk-food in my life. Still, while the old enabling statement "one won't kill you" seems to be a pass to deviate from a healthy eating lifestyle, I've learned that much like walk-breaks during my run, it depends how often you say it that makes the difference. Another thing I've picked up on is that when I look at that calorie counter on my running program, the whole "burning off what you put it" theory is even more destructive. All too often I've managed to talk myself into an eat-a-thon with the justification that "I can work it off with my run". It hasn't been easy, but the shift in thinking is probably the biggest obstacle I will face during my training this year. Still, being reasonable with myself seems to be the easiest way to stave off the cravings. In short, yep... I will have a cookie. I just won't have another one for a while. Besides... they still don't come CLOSE to Mom's. |