Martin is tackling the "impossible" in 2010. What will you be doing?

One of the main reasons I love my job and am passionate about fitness is because it allows me to witness and be a part of the amazing transformations that happen in my clients lives. There is nothing better than getting high on the infectious enthusiasm and happiness that comes along with seeing someone create an extraordinary change in their life. In fact, it starts with creating a healthy, and confident mindset and spreads like wildfire to every part of your life. People who create this change improve their jobs, relationships, self-esteem, social networks, and open up unlimited opportunity in their future. Oh yeah, they get in great shape and feel awesome about themselves too.

Do you need fitness to make this happen? No, but fitness is a great shortcut to creating the mindset, confidence and sense of achievement that is a prerequisite to changing your life! Why do you think so many athletes (not just the famous ones) go on to do great things outside of sport? Because they think differently, welcome challenges, have a dogged determination to get things done, even when the deck is stacked against them! Those are the same traits that you need to succeed in any aspect of life from work to relationships, to weight loss!

Check out what Martin is up to!

The reason I’m writing this post is for two reasons

First is to congratulate all of the FRESH! clients and customers who have and are on the path to making these changes in their life. Keep up the great work and I look forward to helping you reach new heights in 2010!

Second, I want to highlight one example (albeit an extreme one) of what a person can do when they put their mind to it. His name is Martin Parnell from Cochrane, Alberta. Martin came to FRESH! early in 2009 to get an Exercise Metabolism Test. He wanted to measure his cardiovascular capacity and efficiency to make sure he was optimizing his fat usage during exercise. You may be thinking that Martin is some type of “uber” athlete, but that’s not the case. He’s definitely in great shape, now, but that’s a fairly recent occurrence. He is a 54 year old semi-retired engineer and didn’t start running until the tender age of 47. While it’s nothing new to start running in your late 40′s, Martin has accomplished some amazing things since that fateful day! He did his 1st race (a 5K) a year or so after starting running in 2002 and has steadily progressed in his quest for accomplishment.

In 2005, Martin completed a four-month, 11,000-km cycling expedition through Africa from Cairo to Cape Town. During this trip he rode 120 km a day, six days a week and had some incredible and life changing experiences. Since that time he has focused on running regular and ultra marathon distances and is tackling a MASSIVE challenge for 2010 with the purpose of raising $250,000 for charity.

Try this challenge on for size…His goal is to run 250 marathons in 2010! He wanted to run 365, but his doctor said that 250 was more reasonable! The 1st one is on January 1st on the local streets and highways of Cochrane. To read more about Martin’s challenge and support his fund raising efforts, visit www.marathonquest250.com.

What does Martin’s Goal have to do with YOU?

The reason I’m mentioning Martin and his background is that he is a normal person just like you. He just found a healthy activity that he enjoyed doing, that made him feel good, and he made a commitment to himself to stick with it. So, while you are nursing a nasty hangover on January 1st and perhaps feeling a little guilty about your lack of accomplishment over the past year, take a moment to reflect on those feelings and make a pact with yourself that you will MAKE A POSITIVE CHANGE in your health/life/fitness/mindset, or whatever it is that motivates you!

While I don’t like the idea of resolutions (click here to read more about that), January 1st is a natural time to take stock and refocus your priorities. If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, it’s time to make a change! Just remember to do it correctly and with a plan or you will be like the 98% of other people whose New Year’s Resolutions have failed in a matter of weeks!

We all know we need to exercise regularly and eat well to lose weight get in shape and be healthy, but few people actually do it? That’s where FRESH! excels. We show you what to do, how to do it, and provide the motivation and accountability to actually get it done! So before you shell out money for a new gym membership, think about the last time you actually used a gym (even if you already have a membership). Instead of throwing money in the toilet every month, join FRESH! and actually reach your goals!

What accomplishments have you been “wishing” for but never accomplished? 2010 is a blank slate and what get’s written in the history books is up to you! What you do on January 1st and every day forward writes one more page in that book. It’s time you started a new chapter and created a fairytale ending for yourself!

See in you the New Year!

Tim