Joy and Merriment

 * This is a letter I wrote to the Power Fitness PDX Portland Team.  They are incredible and their hard work can motivate anyone to work out and reach their goals.  So proud and grateful am I to have trained such a wonderful group. * 


Merry Christmas Eve! 

I was up at 5:10 am and felt I was sleeping in, I assume you might have done the same. ;-) I can't thank you enough for giving me your mornings the past 3 1/2 months (and some a lot longer).  You are the most wonderful group to train and I thank you for that gift.  It has hit me that I am moving, and I am getting sad about the real concept. But I am also beyond happy and grateful to have been given the gift to train YOU.

YOU allowed me to help you reach new levels. YOU opened yourself to me telling you not only what to do but how to get there, and did so with a smile.  YOU challenged me to create better workouts each day and not sit back. YOU tried new skills that at once may have not seemed possible and did so asking for more too! I am blown away and so in joy and love with all of you and how wonderful you are. YOU are athletes and there is no stopping you.  YOU became a TEAM and truly are encompassing the phrase I use "TEAM- Together. Empower. Achieve. Motivate TM".  YOU have learned that any bar set will be passed...again and again and while whining (or swearing!) it was fun getting there.  YOU are the reason I LOVE what I do and didn't want to give up staying in Portland.  I thank you beyond measure for the time we did have in Power Fitness PDX.

Please keep up your goals and keep in touch with me.  I will set up the calendar once we move and would love to train you from afar for a half marathon.  I am also looking into the excursion boot camp trips, what fun that would be! So at this time of joy and merriment, I am not letting myself be sad for the changes that lie ahead but am grateful for the time we had training and the changes YOU made in our past.  The future is an adventure for all of us, and I know YOU will rock it like no other.  I toast YOU this holiday and look forward to the new goals and adventures in 2010.  Maybe a Power Fitness PDX weekend away in Sunriver can even begin it all, or the Oregon Coast.  Regardless, we enjoyed a fantastic ride and it helped launch you for your next road ahead.

Much love, joy, happiness, health and cheer to you!

Colleen is the WINNER

Colleen was the Winner of the Uber Hottie Holiday Challenge and rocked it!

She got 260 points, 76 points more than the next participant.  Colleen made every day count. She worked out with Power, ran longer than normal, did strength work at home and made each day count.  She found out she was stronger than she thought and come testing day busted out 40 push ups!  All the training and UHC Challenge work made her the winner and recipient of a Foot Bar Body Bar Foot Treatment, Craniosacral Massage by Tracy Brisbois, and goodies from Fit Right Northwest. 

Other peeps mentions: Denise exercised almost daily and added in more walking to her days.  Jennie played with her kids intensely and did pilates on Saturdays, riding her bike to the studio.  Shellee did Power Fitness PDX workouts at home and incorporated more exercise in her workdays with her students. 

Way to rock it Colleen!!!

Friday Funnies

This morning in Power Fitness PDX it was full of Friday Funnies. Everyone was "on" and throwing out one-liners making it hard to teach with a straight face. Then again, it is often hard to teach with a straight face all of the time!  Regardless, class today led me to say again "Thank you!" for letting me do what I do.  I am overjoyed teaching and helping everyone reach their health and fitness goals, especially during the holidays.  Be realistic with yourself during this time of year- work hard daily and enjoy LIFE daily.  Take in this time for all that it offers and do some wonderful holiday activities with your friends and family:

• Add an additional 30 minutes of cardio exercise and RUN through your neighborhood at nighttime checking out holiday lights.
• Do a walking tour of downtown Portland's highlights with visiting family.  Head from shopping on NW 23rd, to wine tasting at Cork in the Pearl, to yonder over to the Benson for delightful decorations, visit Santa at Macy's Pioneer Place and end enjoying the view and a nice meal at Departures.  The walk will add in 4 miles of distance, and 7 miles if you include the downtown waterfront loop too. 
• Bring your family and friends to the drop in classes for Power Fitness PDX on December 21st and 22nd.  Share with them the way you kick off your morning and enjoy hot coffee after! 

Have fun this holiday season and make sure to remember the memories you are making verses rushing through them.  This time happens once each year, cherish it!!

Last Date for Power Fitness PDX In Portland

The question has been where the potential new move may be for Power Fitness PDX.  Decision was made on Tuesday that my family will be moving to the San Francisco Bay Area.  Thus, the last day of Portland classes will be Tuesday, December 22nd.  

While sad about leaving Portland, I am grateful for having been given the opportunity to train such an incredible group of people in Power Fitness PDX and Power Outdoor Fitness.  To see you gain confidence in your athletic "selves", find a way to get stronger and like doing so, gain knowledge in how to exercise when outside of the gym environment and have FUN being active.  You made training YOU at 5:30 am easy since I always knew it would be full of laughs and sweat at the same time. 

Power Fitness PDX Last Portland Classes: December 21st & December 22nd, 5:30-6:30 am

Drop in classes: 1/$20 or 2/$30

Now I bring Power Fitness PDX to the Bay Area.  Yes the PDX stays in the name, I am forever grateful for the wonderful City of Roses that helped evolve Power Fitness PDX into a business.  Classes start the last week of January for Power Blast CAMP and the first California session starting February 1st, 2010.  Share with friends and family in the East Bay, it would be wonderful to have them start Power Fitness PDX too!  Email to be put on the newsletter list- powerfitnesspdx@gmail.com .

Cheers!

Monday started SESSION 8!

Monday morning started the new Session- Discipline. I even found one exercise that had everyone beyond focused, but so intense and quietly breathing you could hear a pin drop on the floor.  The Team was very eager to train the whole hour and decided to blast a workout today, and do testing on Wednesday.  Thus for those still heading back from Thanksgiving holiday, you won't miss out on checking where your current level of fitness is.  We will still have Friday, December 18th, as the final testing and measurement day. 

We talked about goals for this 3 week session.  Being December, the month is very busy and chaotic.  But it also provides needed joy and excitement with all to dive into the holiday spirit.  This session is one to focus on reaching one goal, not the 5 on your list that you try all at once.  It is also the time that some people are more stressed, thus bring that intensity and stress to be worked out in Power Fitness PDX.  Bring "it" and know that the 60 minutes in the morning belong to YOU.  Use them wisely, and make sure you are moving the entire class.  One goal that was brought up with quite a few people is to work on nutrition....

While December isn't the month to suddenly become vegetarian, give up dairy, or decide to wipe out every processed food it is a month you can monitor what you put into your body.  Today Colleen shared that she wants to think about her food choices when in social situations, and Maggie said she wants to work on her weekend nutrition that isn't great compared to her weekday choices.  What I want you to do is make a check off list that is basic.  Make sure you are consuming good choices for your body that help you stay strong and energetic during the busy days and nights.  If it helps to make a smoothie in the morning that has 2 servings of fruit, 2 servings of vegetables, 1 dairy and 1 protein than do it.  Morning is when you can start your day with good choices which will help encourage your body to crave good foods.

Water: 10 glasses
Fruit: 3-4 servings
Vegetables: 4-5 servings
Dairy: 3 servings
Protein: 2-3 servings
Grains: 5-8 servings

Write everything down, it helps you monitor what you are eating and where your goals are.  Then, when you head to a holiday party with your favorite egg nog, cookies and tapas you will feel satisfied with one serving of each instead of 5 servings.

Have a wonderful morning.  Work hard, play and train hard, have fun!