October 2012 - Fit Business Issue

Austin Fit Magazine

Austin Fit Magazine

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October 2012 + The Fit Business Issue

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Contents

October '12

@AustinFit

Fitness expert turned nutrition leader Mario Mendias gives customers a chance at total body health 42

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C o v e r a n d C o n t e n t s P h o t o s by B r i a n F i t z s i m m o n s

Eight-year-old Ella Hall is one bad Mamma Jamma Race director Joe Prusaitis shares how Cactus Rose 100 Miler has blossomed into a unique ultra

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AFM spotlights local companies that work fitness

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What goes into putting on a road race in Austin?

October 2012 Contents

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Contents

October '12

@AustinFit

Medical Tent What’s the proper mix of water in your workout? [page 36]

Recipe Diversify your lunchbox with this easy midday meal [page 40]

Dr. Clement explains how to choose a plastic surgeon [page 34]

AFMDC You can safely get from 10K to half marathon the AFMDC way [page 74]

Fit x Family Halloween is the family fitness holiday of the year—really [page 30] An innovative feedback system aims to aid PE teachers [page 32] FIT AFter 40 Dave Goodin shows how fitness is done [page 60]

2012 Fall Shoe Review See what shoes are hot for Fall 2012 in The Running Network's Footwear Review [page 66] Fit Business gUIDE Take a look at these fine fitness-based companies in Austin [page 70] Kick Mo’s Butt!

F.E.M. takes three days to teach the femininity of fitness [page 92]

FiTx3

Publisher/CEO Louis M. Earle eDITOR-in-Chief Melanie P. Moore Managing Editor Leah Fisher Nyfeler Art Director Weston Carls Assistant Art Director Sarah Schneider VP, Sales & Marketing Alex Earle Director of Marketing & Communications Carrie Crowe Advertising Consultants Emily Nash, Amity Ponsetti Contributors Dave Appel, Monica Brant, Paul Carmona, Robert Clement, M.D., Patrick Evoe, Brian Fitzsimmons, Whitney Hedgepeth, Carson Hooks, J. Jody Kelly, Alexa Sparkman, Trey Steele, Diane Vives, Anne L. Wilfong Operations Assistant Jessica O'Brien Editorial Interns Madie Leon, Matt Salmi

Patrick Evoe reveals the full-time demands of being a professional [page 76] Whitney Hedgepeth spills the details on adult swim [page 78]

Design Interns Paul Hathaway, Melissa Warren General Inquiries info@austinfitmagazine.com Advertising Inquiries ads@austinfitmagazine.com Story Ideas ideas@austinfitmagazine.com

Amp up your ride with intervals [page 80]

Subscriptions austinfitmagazine.com/subscribe

P h o t o by B r i a n F i t z s i m m o n s

Muscle Movement of the Month

Use circuit training to boost lower body endurance [page 94]

Every Issue

14 From the Publisher 18 Moore Fit Musings

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Event Listings events@austinfitmagazine.com

Twenty-Six Two turns novices into marathon runners [page 84]

2201 N. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 220 Austin, TX 78705 p 512.407.8383 f 512.407.8393 Austin Fit Magazine assumes no responsibility for the content of articles or advertisements, in that the views expressed therein may not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or any magazine employee or contributor. This publication and all of its contents are copyrighted.

64 Fit Finds 88 Events Calendar

au s t i n f i t m a g a z i n e . c o m Oc t o b e r 2 0 1 2

90 Rides & Races 102 By the Numbers

Austin Fit Magazine is the assumed name of its publisher, Louis M. Earle, who has no interest in the business of Denis Calabrese who operates an exercise program under the assumed name of Austin Fit, which trains individuals to improve their jogging or running skills to participate in marathons. The views, opinions and other representations published in Austin Fit Magazine are not those of Austin Fit or any of its directors, officers, employees or agents.

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Letter from the Publisher

True Grit

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by Lou Earle, Publisher | photo by Brian Fitzsimmons

he smoke has hardly cleared from the firestorms of the recent Republican and Democratic conventions as we approach the final presidential debates that will likely establish the course of our country for decades to come. In this brief respite from that sound and fury until the next act, I am struck by a common theme that coursed through the right, left, and middle of those national conversations. We heard story after story of the struggles and challenges overcome by Americans from all paths of life. Some battled their way out of poverty, some were the first in their family to achieve an education, others fought their way to health from a chronic illness, and still others achieved wealth, stature, and office. Of course, the objective of these illustrations was to establish that underlying all these successes was the fundamental environment of freedom and opportunity that is America.

Few would debate that “America the Beautiful” really does offer much that supports, facilitates, and even catalyzes opportunities.

But what may be the most important aspect of America, “the land of opportunity,” is the overwhelming belief that there is an open path for each of us to realize our dreams. This world view creates a mindset of hope and an expectation of success and that translates into what I believe is the single greatest driver of change and achievement...ATTITUDE. We often hear that Americans are the best in the world at solving problems or that we are great innovators and entrepreneurs. Experience and history certainly support our success in these endeavors.

But we are by no means alone in these accomplishments. In fact, in many ways, we are arguably newcomers. The truth is that the human species is incredibly resourceful and has consistently demonstrated its capacity to excel. But like a plant that is nurtured with good soil, clean air, sunshine, and pure water, America provides a climate that truly fosters that “true grit,” that firmness of character; that indomitable spirit and pluck that accelerates performance and results. And Austin is a cradle of this spirit.

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Nowhere is true grit more critical than in navigating the vagaries of managing a business enterprise and learning how to grow it and make it successful. Every day is different, every problem is new, and every decision is crucial—and then you have to actually execute and delight your customers. But while the challenges are enormous and the hours long, there are wonderful benefits if you can serve a worthy cause like the health and fitness of your community. Business is America’s fuel and small business is the heart of our economy. Not only is it a crucial part of the “dream” for many Americans, but it also pays most of the bills.

In this month’s “Fit Business” issue, we are featuring local businesses that are not only in the business of fitness but are really fit to be in business! We have had the wonderful privilege of getting to know a lot of these folks in Austin and are grateful for the opportunity to shine a light on their significant contributions to the health and fitness of our city.

Our feature this month is a case in point. Mario Mendias of My Fit Foods has done it all—fitness trainer, chef, inventor, a preeminent risk taker and entrepreneur of the first order. Mario has changed the landscape of healthy eating by making good food affordable and convenient while educating his customers about how to eat right. Mario and his team are truly making a difference.

His story is not only inspiring and uplifting, but proves once again that America is indeed the land of opportunity...if you just have some good old fashioned “true grit.”

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Moore Fit Musings

What Have You Risked Lately?

by Melanie P. Moore, Editor-in-Chief | photo by Brian Fitzsimmons

T

hat passion which leads a person to start a business, that thing you would do regardless of monetary compensation (and I realize that for some, money itself—or the pursuit of it—is that passion), that thing that makes your heart beat fast is the work you should be doing. Maybe it’s helping someone else grow his business. Maybe it’s parenting your children. Maybe it’s volunteer work outside of your “day job” but in any case, that work you do which fulfills you and gives—rather than depletes—energy is the ultimate goal. Yes, goal. It’s the “continuing” that matters, not what you accomplish “one day” but what you do every single day.

Do you need intermittent goals, milestones, and—for lack of a better term, work breakdown structures—to focus your energy and provide that sense of completion which is so gratifying and stressreducing? Absolutely. But the true value of work is in its continuity.

One of the greatest human fears is the fear of dying (fear of falling is also very high and can sometimes lead to dying, but I digress). The opposite of dying is continuing. Therefore, continuing to be productive is one of the most healthy things you can do for yourself. Successful people will tell you that the key to winning is simply to persist.

It is the same for productivity; arguably, to be productive is to win.

What is it to be productive? I’m using the term to mean persistent accomplishment that is both self-sustaining—providing all those benefits I mentioned earlier—as well as adding value to the world. Some people add value on a macroscale—think Galileo, Marie Curie, Steve Jobs. Some add value on a microscale—think your mom, your firstgrade teacher, your first sergeant in the Army, or your girlfriend. I don’t mean micro in a diminutive sense. Even the seemingly personal value is the proverbial stone dropped into a pond and the ripples become larger and larger, the reach greater than ever imagined. Think Steve Jobs’ mom, for example.

There are those entrepreneurs who follow their passion—just as artists and inventors do. These business visionaries are also subject to failure to the same degree artists and inventors are. Actually, to the same degree we all are. The difference between artists, inventors, entrepreneurs and the rest of us is that their risks are more public—they reach for glory in full sight, often with a lot of press/

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Tweets/fanfare. Their successes are heralded, sometimes to the extent that they never attain a follow-up accomplishment on the same scale (see Elizabeth Gilbert’s TEDTalk on this topic). But so are their failures very public. And although everyone knows when a business shuts down, everyone may not know that an artist or inventor has an endeavor fail; but fading away might be more painful to the artist or inventor than going down in flames.

What is it, then, about risk, about public risk, that makes it tolerable? For some it would seem inconceivable. Yet even those who say they would be perfectly happy to live in anonymity, even they have reached for something and risked. The lesson seems to be that doing something is to risk, at whatever level, and doing nothing is to stagnate. The book Change or Die has become a staple in corporate change management circles. The book is often given by one person to another in cases of intervention, in an effort to help someone pull herself out of a pool of stagnation.

You don’t have to be brilliant, wealthy, high-profile, or wellconnected to follow your passion. Everyone should do it. If your energy goes up when you go to work, you’re in the right place. If your energy goes down on the way to work, you are wasting your time, which means you are wasting your life. Time is the only real resource. You can always make more money, but you can never make more time. You don’t have to suffer a massive or public failure to wind up in a pool of stagnation. I’m reminded of the parable of the frogs: the ones thrown into a boiling pot of water jumped out immediately; the ones put into cool water that was slowly heated up over time boiled to death.

Pay attention to your passion. Work is where we spend the majority of our time. Work is what defines our lifestyle. It is critical to align your work with your passion…even if your passion changes. It takes courage to change, especially as we age and become secure in many aspects of our lives. But pay attention to the temperature of the pot you are sitting in—if you can change, you won’t die (metaphorically speaking), and what you risk is living in the full blaze of your passion. Isn’t your dream life worth that chance?

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Letters to the Editor

TAKE YOUR JOURNEY TO AN EPIC LEVEL OF PURE, HEARTPOUNDING ROCK. THIS IS A RUNNING REVOLUTION, WHERE LIVE BANDS LINE THE STREETS AND THROBBING CROWDS FUEL YOUR WAVE OF ENERGY. SAVOR EACH MILE, BECAUSE THIS RACE IS ABOUT THE JOURNEY. JOURNEY ON.

The AFM Buzz on Lance Austin Fit Magazine Managing Editor Leah Fisher Nyfeler’s opinion piece on Lance Armstrong’s decision not to contest the USADA’s allegations proved to be a lightning rod of a conversation starter.

On the AFM FITblog and Facebook page, readers took on the topic—and each other—with passionate words. We’ve excerpted some of the comments below; you can find the full text on our blog and our Facebook page as noted.

From the AFM Facebook page: Brian Patton: What's sad is people's willingness to believe guilt first in the absence of HARD EVIDENCE, which in cycling competition means a positive A and B sample, near the time of actual competition. That is the standard. Everything else is hearsay and/or innuendo. I hope you people are never in my jury pool.

Edgardo Gonzalez: It's really sad to hear a magazine article point out that they "don't care" if he doped. And, to say that what he did by not fighting back was the hardest decision he ever made because athletes hate to quit is also absurd. Another reason why this magazine is not respected.

Yes, he has done a lot for the fight against cancer. But to blindly defend him because you saw him run NYC marathon and you saw how hard it was for him is ridiculous.

Ruth Sponsler: Innocent until proven guilty. WHERE is USADA's evidence of guilt??! Lance has done a lot for urban bicycling and for cancer victims. Show me EVIDENCE of his guilt. All they have is a bunch of clean tests.

NOVEMBER 11 , 2012 LACE UP, ROCK OUT. SIGN UP AT COMPETITOR.COM. C

Andrew Collins: I Love AFM. From the FITblog: Tony: Basically the USADA has just said that every event ever run, anywhere, is illegitimate. Because they say Armstrong could have passed all those tests and still by their assessment have been cheating, that means *everyone else in the same races might have been cheating too*. So while they may be stripping him of his titles, the people who will now go down in history as the winners of those races have *no* more claim to have legitimately won than he had, apparently.

Buddy Boudloche: I do Indeed ! I choose to believe he is clean as proven by the plethora of random and scheduled drug tests he passed. Most ANYTHING can be PROVED if you are persistent enough and don’t mind being aggressive enough and “bending” the criteria.

The Latest

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as Lance Armstrong been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and Olympic Bronze medal? The answer is, no, he has not. As of print date, the USADA had announced that Armstrong should be stripped of all results from 1998 onward and banned from cycling for life.

However, the International Cycling Union (cycling’s governing body) has requested that the USADA “submit…a reasoned decision explaining the action taken,” which is required by the World Anti-Doping Code when no hearing occurs, before making official commentary as to what action should be taken.

Amaury Sport Organization, which runs the Tour de France, has declined to make a decision regarding Armstrong’s Tour titles until the information has been provided to the ICU and they have made a ruling.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also declined to take action regarding Armstrong’s Olympic medal until the ICU has made a public decision.

Scan this QR code with your smartphone to read a detailed explanation of how cycling’s governing bodies have responded to the USADA’s position on Lance Armstrong’s case. http://ow.ly/dIXyF

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One Tough Mamma Jamma Gal by j. JODY KELLY | Photography by Heather Zak Designs

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ant to see in person one of the toughest, coolest, most caring athletes you could ever imagine?

Head out to Reunion Ranch northwest of Georgetown on October 27 for the Mamma Jamma Ride, a cycling fundraiser to “Leave Breast Cancer Behind.” You can’t miss this particular athlete. Just look for a blue-eyed blond to cross the finish line—but not on a bicycle. She’ll be riding a unicycle.

One more hint: She celebrated her eighth

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birthday not long ago. She’s Ella Hall, part regular kid, part super kid.

What makes this second-grader care enough about fighting breast cancer that last year she rode her bicycle for 27 miles while battling strep throat and a fever of 102 degrees? Yes, that was Hall’s 2011 Mamma Jamma experience. Her family tried their best but couldn’t get her to stop. She told them, “I can't let all those people down who donated money. I can't let people die because I couldn't finish a ride.” Despite heat,

headwinds, a hilly course, and many offers and pleadings to stop, Hall was determined to finish the ride, and finish she did.

The Mamma Jamma event lives in Hall’s heart partly because of family history. When her grandmother developed breast cancer and her great aunt died of the disease, Hall’s parents began supporting the Mamma Jamma Ride, founded in 2009.

Every year, they ride. Every year, they raise money. For Hall’s first two years, she rode on a tandem bicycle behind her mother. She

pushed hard, though she could barely reach the pedals. Her first solo Mamma Jamma ride came shortly after she got rid of the training wheels on her bicycle.

Hall’s ability to feel empathy for others is another reason she cares about helping to conquer breast cancer. In 2009, Hall and her family were watching the 2010 Masters Golf Tournament. It was the year that Phil Mickelson won, and Hall saw a close-up of Mickelson’s wife, Amy, as the sportscaster mentioned her recent struggle with breast cancer treatments. Hall immediately turned to her mother and said through her tears, “I have to save Amy! I have to ride 100 miles in the next Mamma Jamma and raise a lot of money, like $5,000, to save Amy’s life.

Phil would be so sad if Amy died.” Hall’s mother, Rhonda, had a hard time talking her down to 45 miles on the tandem and settling on a fundraising level of $1,000. As a family, the Halls accomplished both goals, with father Michael and younger brother Nolan helping as well.

Hall plans to ride the Mamma Jamma forever, “or at least until I’m 20 because 20 isn’t too old and it isn’t too young.” The ride always occurs near her birthday, which she shares with her mother, and it is something the two hope they can do together for many years to come. They’ve completed the ride for all three years of its existence. Addi-

tional motivation for the fourth year is that Hall will ride in the name of a family friend, Camile, who is battling breast cancer. They will finish. They have to.

Since Hall is also a swimmer and trains hard in that sport, she hasn’t been able to put in the training for a 27-mile ride. She qualified for the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation state swim meet in three events, competing against 7- and 8-year olds, and was the fastest 7-year-old in all three events.

With two good friends also competing, Hall didn’t want to beat them and make them feel bad. She just wanted to swim her fastest and have them swim even faster.

In this year’s Mamma Jamma, she’ll start a 13-mile ride on her bike; about half way, she’ll switch steeds to pedal across the finish line on one wheel. Since Hall knew she couldn’t train for a long ride this year, she decided to challenge herself in a different way by finishing on her unicycle. How cool is that?

Riding on one or two wheels isn’t all that Hall does for Mamma Jamma. She’s also a great fundraiser, collecting about $300 her first year, $1,000 her second year, and over $3,300 in 2011. Every Saturday and Sunday after her training rides are done, she sets up a lemonade stand in her front yard and provides water, lemonade, sports drinks, bars, and fruit to passing cyclists. She charges

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nothing, only accepting donations for Mamma Jamma.

Traffic at her stand is brisk because she lives in a central Austin neighborhood frequented by training groups and individual cyclists and runners. At her birthday party last year, she asked not for gifts but for donations. How many not-quite-seven-year-olds would think of doing this, never mind carrying out the plan?

This year, Hall’s five-year-old brother joins her at the lemonade stand after training rides. Nolan will pedal the 13-mile route with her, this time solo—no more tandem rides for him either. At Mamma Jamma, they’ll be “Team Ella and Nolan” (which includes their parents as well). You can view their page at www.mammajammaride.org/site/PageServer?pagename=mjr_homepage.

Donations are gratefully accepted, but this year Ella has a bigger idea: she hopes to recruit more teams and more individuals for the ride because “it will help Mamma Jamma more if I get more riders and they get more riders.” Use the Web page address above to join a team or form one of your own.

How did someone so young become such a tough, cool, caring athlete? For one thing, when Hall and her mother do their long training rides, they make up stories and songs. They sing long and loud. They also go on destination rides—to get bagels or smoothies, to visit a friend, to play in the park, to go swimming, or to see a movie. In addition to riding a unicycle and wearing a cool team shirt, Hall shows compassion well beyond her years. But mainly when things get hard, Ella Hall says, “I don’t let myself give in.” From the mouth of a babe come words to live by. afm

2 0 1 2 T e x a s M a mm a J a mm a R i d e

S

ince its inaugural ride in 2009, the Texas Mamma Jamma Ride has raised more than $1,400,000, making it the most successful breast cancer ride in the country. Given that one out of every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, the Texas Mamma Jamma organization hopes to spread a message supporting early detection and preventative care and to raise awareness of the services available for those in need.

The 2012 Texas Mamma Jamma Ride is a charity bike ride to raise funds for ten local nonprofit agencies that provide services to improve and save lives for the thousands of central Texans diagnosed with breast cancer each year. These agencies include the Breast Cancer Resource Center, Seton Family of Hospitals, Komen for the Cure (Austin Affiliate), Wonders and Worries, The Care Communities, Cancer Connection, Wings, Capitol of Texas Team Survivor, Community Action and Sustainable Food Center.

All levels of riders—from beginners to seasoned cyclists—are

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welcome to participate. There are five route distances to choose from (13 to 100 miles) and kids ages 8+ are welcome to join a parent who is also registered to ride. Children are also invited to be a part of the Kids Jam, a fun-packed afternoon of events such as zip lining, treasure hunting, and water fights, while their parents are riding.

For those who’d like to help but not cycle, day-of-ride opportunities range from assisting with stocking pit crews, helping feed participants and pit stop staffing to route signage, registration and finish line support.

This year’s ride is on Saturday, October 27, from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. and starts at Reunion Ranch in Georgetown, Texas. Riders can register for the Texas Mamma Jamma Ride through the day of the ride (October 27, 2012).

For more information, visit www.mammajammaride.org or call 512-371-RIDE (7433).

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Event Preview

Cactus Rose 100 Miler Stands Apart from the Crowd

By Joe Prusaitis

C

actus Rose 100-mile trail race was created because more than a few Bandera 100K (62 miles) veterans started pushing me to add the 100-mile distance to that January event. Because Bandera is such a successful trail race, I was reluctant to add a longer distance and diminish the status of the 100K. Montrail had come in as a sponsor and promoter for the Montrail Ultra Cup and then the USA 100K Trail National Championships joined in, so I felt it would be foolish to minimize either competition with another distance. Still, people kept pushing me, so I knew the interest was high for a 100-mile race in the beautiful and rugged Hill Country State Natural Area (HCSNA).

There were many issues to resolve, so I started going through the mental processes to see how a 100 miler would happen. I knew it would have to be a completely new and separate event in the same park that did not piggyback on top of Bandera, and it would have to stand on its own merits.

My company, Tejas Trails, was already stressing our volunteers to their limits with the all-night format at the Bandera 100K, so I knew that getting them out again for another all-nighter would be asking a lot. I gave some thought to a “self-serve” race aimed at veteran runners, a race with almost no volunteers and a format not much different than a couple of buddies out doing a long run.

This would be a supported race with every amenity—except people to hand out food and water at the aid stations.

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A park trail marker (above) shows hilly and hillier options through the spiny, sotol cactus.

Race markers (right) help runners navigate the course.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HENRY HOBBS

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test run on the first weekend in September to see how that date worked in real life. The day was crazy hot and just about everyone melted out of the race and into a “beer circle,” sitting to drink and talk about their adventure, while one last person, German Collazos, continued all night to finish. Clearly, September was still too hot. Finding the right date would be one of those situations where all the stars had to line up perfectly, so I simply sat on the idea and waited. As luck would have it, the Inks Lake Trail Marathon race director, Sam Voltaggio, decided to kill his event. I had a date; the race was on.

Cactus Rose 100 was held for the first time the following year in late October 2007. For the first two years, we had only 50 runners and the race was losing money. My experiment would fail unless I got the numbers up, so I added a 50-mile distance in year three to push the attendance over 100. The 50-mile add-on brought another good increase in year four and, in 2011, I added the 4x25 mile relay as an option for runners who wanted to take on a shorter-than-ultra distance.

Today, the Cactus Rose 100 mile trail run remains small and intimate, catering to veteran runners, while the 50-mile event has become a good testing ground for those who want a really tough ultra. The relay has blossomed into something entirely new and fun. We treat the relay team just like another 100-mile runner with the exception that each runner does only one 25-mile loop. As one runner finishes his/her loop, the next runner takes off on the same loop, but in reverse. So each of the four runners on the relay follows the same directional rules as everyone else.

And because this race is such a beast, each runner gets credit for running that loop, so if one doesn’t finish, the others can keep going instead of the team having to drop. We give each relay team finisher an individual medal, but the entire team must finish—in sequence—to get credit for the team finish.

The individual relay medals are each a part of a metal jigsaw puzzle that all fit together to form one whole.

The course is still self-serve and hard as nails but there’s still an element of fun with a Halloween costume contest. It’s 36 non-stop hours of self-abuse and grand ol’ camaraderie on some uniquely Texas trails that seem to fit everyone who runs it to a tee. afm

S. C ong ress

The idea was to utilize a minimalist concept such that we created a full-blown station every five miles on the course, with tents, tables, water, and ice, with an option for runners to put their own stuff (clothes, food, crew—whatever they liked) at each location.

Truth is, most veteran runners don't want much help besides water and ice. While this sort of format would not suit many new-tothe-trail runners, it would be a nice throwback to the old school racing where little was asked or expected, and if you wanted something on a course, you brought it.

This race format would be just as much work for the race director. I’d still have to mark the course and take everything down when it was done. I’d still have to set up aid station tents, put medical support in place, arrange for timing and data collection, hold packet pickup, dispose of trash, and secure insurance, port-o-cans, park reservations, campsite and lodge rentals, shirts, awards, medals, and so on. And I’d still have to haul it all there and bring it all back home afterwards. But it would be a different format from the other 100-mile races in the United States, and I thought that could be appealing to trail runners.

The next question became the course. I knew the trails well because we’d been running the Bandera race out in the HCSNA, so I had a variety of trails to put together for a route. Because Cactus Rose would be a self-serve race, I knew it would have a much smaller field that was a lot thinner, meaning there would be long gaps between runners, especially in the later stages of the race...a race that would last 36 hours. So I figured it would be safer if the runners could see one other at regular intervals. That way, they could keep tabs on each other and let me know if someone disappeared or was in trouble. I decided on four 25-mile loops, reversing the direction of the loop every other time. While my initial thinking was primarily for safety reasons, it turned out that this format provided a certain comfort level for runners. If runners had always gone the same direction, some might not ever see anyone at all during the entire run.

Once I’d worked out the format and the course, the next problem was simply finding a date. With Texas heat being what it is, any other time of the year would not work very well for a 100-mile race. I figured I'd do a

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Fit Kids

Fit x Family

The Halloween Workout

by Carson Hooks

W

hen he finally shuffled home, guided by the glow of the flashlights and the streetlights, Robin was sweaty, red-faced, and exhausted. Batman was no longer at his side but was still nearby. He too was moving much slower than when the evening began. But he had a little extra sugar in his system, and it was temporarily fueling his reserve tank.

The Dynamic Duo had not been battling Gotham’s goons on this particular October night. Rather, they had canvassed our corner of Austin, Robin’s chunky nineteenmonth-old legs conquering curbs like never before while Batman led the charge to each and every doorbell—even at the houses with no lights on. Better to receive no response to your piercing “trick-or-treat” challenge than to bypass what may be a candy windfall intended only for those superheroes brave enough to shrug off a lack of exterior illumination.

Now even Wonder Woman was slowed by the night’s frenzied pace. Well, that coupled with the burdens of her red high-heeled boots and her now quite prevalent pregnant belly. The unborn child only slightly camouflaged beneath Wonder Woman’s patriotic leotard undoubtedly would be bionic. The child’s father, after all, was Superman, who tonight was simply and yet oh-so-cleverly disguised as the nerdy but affable Carson Hooks. I’m sorry; I meant Clark Kent.

October 31 of last year was our first all-

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out Halloween as parents. Davis wanted to be Batman, so we all became superheroes.

And we went door-to-door non-stop for what seemed like the entire evening. We accumulated way more candy than any two toddlers should consume before their next Halloween. Not even Batman and Robin could shoulder such loads of sweet goodness. They had to rely on the assistance of Clark Kent and Superwoman and her Invisible Plane (baby jogger). Batman, his muscle-rippled costume sweat-glued to his torso, repeatedly expressed his eagerness to do it all again tomorrow night. Robin merely murmured something incomprehensible as he tried to keep his head up and his eyes open. He had no idea why anything he had just seen had taken place, but he had run directly into the night’s flame of costumes, candy, energy, and excitement like a moth donning a yellow cape.

Experiencing Halloween this time with young kids, I was reminded why this holiday is so much fun for the young and the youngat-heart. Using your imagination not only is allowed, it is definitely encouraged. It’s the great nationwide costume party and for a day, you can be whoever you want to be. Batman can march into his preschool classroom unabashedly, knowing he will be in the company of Spiderman, pirates, and princesses. A very pregnant Wonder Woman still attracts plenty of double-takes, but those aren’t near the number of questioning glances she might spawn patrolling the neighborhood any other night of the year.

Perhaps more importantly, with very few restrictions, you’re allowed to just go. Go to as many houses as your little legs will take you. Run up and down the block screaming “BATMAN!” Sample your candy haul, and then run and scream some more. Introduce yourself to the cowboy crossing the street and race to the next house together. Keep going and going until you have to hitch a ride home on the Invisible Plane / Batmobile. When taken to full throttle (and that’s the only way our boys approach just about anything), Halloween runs laps around Thanksgiving and its family football games or Easter and its egg hunts to capture the crown of most active holiday. Sure, there are “turkey trot” 5K’s and Labor Day half marathons but, for the littles in our lives, nothing compares to the Halloween energy outpouring. They basically chart their own haphazard course and then it’s off on a sprint-marathon hybrid powered by a sugar binge.

Us parents, we almost just have to take a step back for the night and let it ride (within reason, of course). We have to know when to pick our battles with candy suddenly on the menu and the regular bedtime an afterthought. But we don’t have to worry about wearing them out. We only have to decide whether to have the argument over whether the costumes have to be peeled off before bed. Might as well let the superheroes sleep in their superhero beds in their full regalia. afm

I l l u s t r at i o n by J o r d a n g o l e m b e s k i

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Fit Kids

Fit x Family

Technology—Helping Kids Battle Obesity

By Jen OHLson

W

e are all affected by the unhealthy times we live in, whether directly or by knowing someone who struggles with the daily grind of living a healthy life. There’s no question that America’s weight problem is well established.

Unfortunately, the group of Americans this will impact the greatest is our children.

When it comes to our children’s health, who will be their hero?

That’s the question I asked dozens of policy makers, educators, medical experts, corporate leaders, and community members in my first documentary, “Health Needs a Hero,” which focuses on childhood health issues associated with obesity. My background (as a sportscaster in Dallas and Austin and as the author of Every Town Needs a Trail) has afforded me the opportunity to interview thousands of individuals over the years, posing questions about the importance of health. What I’ve

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learned is that, whether professional athletes, college coaches, Little League moms, or famous actors, people’s health—as well as the health of those around them—is of the upmost importance. It wasn’t until I began work on the film that I uncovered a growing segment of our population who had absolutely no connection to health. Much of their disconnect has to do with a lack of education, low socioeconomic circumstances, or limited social messaging. And when there’s an imbalance in any of the three, it can create a perfect storm where obesity becomes a way of life.

When I began filming, I was fortunate to meet a brave young woman named Ashley who, at 19, was a senior at an inner city high school in San Antonio and five feet tall, weighing 261 pounds. She became my film’s star and, in the process, I stumbled upon more than 700 high school students in the district with a body mass index over 40, an indication they may be as much as 100

pounds over their ideal body weight. This shocking revelation motivated me and the district’s physical education administrator, Roger Rodriguez, to act immediately.

Together, we created an innovative physical education course called PE 3 (Physical Education for the Mind, Body, and Spirit) to help these at-risk students.

Over the course of a year and with the help of PE 3, Ashley shed 105 pounds, ran a marathon, and went to Washington, D.C., to address Congress. Like Ashley, so many students found success in reversing their obesity that the Texas Education Agency approved PE 3 as an official, statewide elective course and the Department of State Health Services soon after awarded PE 3 its highest honor for effectiveness. Ashley, and students just like her, inspired me to dig deeper—I wanted to help rewrite physical education’s story within our schools.

As obesity statistics have soared, the

amount of time students spend in physical education classes has diminished. At the same time, technology use has increased. I started to think about how technology could actually become an asset, both in engaging and motiving students to lead healthier lives as well as adding value to PE classrooms— not to mention providing previously unimaginable tools to physical education specialists who manage health education in schools. This train of thought led to my founding of Interactive Health Technologies (IHT), with a mission to develop a complete technological solution for teaching and learning in PE in the twenty first century.

My strategy was simple: use technology and an enhanced curriculum to write about what we all care about the most…ourselves.

My goal was to develop a simple, technology-based program that told the story of each student’s health—using their own body in motion—while connecting every stakeholder.

Finally, the delivery of that story would be in the "language" students could understand best—technology.

Led by IHT’s CEO Ben Bentzin, a former Dell executive and current professor at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, our talented team developed the Spirit System to include four key components.

• Hardware: Students wear a simple, intuitive heart rate monitor every day in PE class. Students may also utilize a pedometer. Once class ends, their data is instantly transmitted into each student’s personal wellness portfolio as well as aggragated with the entire class.

• Software: web-based software simply and effortlessly captures, stores, and delivers each student’s effort day-to-day and year-to-year.

• Curriculum: the enhanced IHT curriculum includes project-based, progressive, cross-curricular materials such as scientifically researched lessons, interactive student journals, and nutritional information. Teachers have access to a library of research-based lesson plans and resources.

• Support: IHT provides training and technical and customer support via schools’ physical education programs and beyond.

Since its inception and implementation in

• • • •

McKinney high school PE teacher Jennifer Hodnett high fives for a job well done.

schools (at both the state and national level), Spirit System and the IHT curriculum have motivated and empowered students, helping to better educate parents about their chilren’s health. It has also allowed teachers and administrators to monitor and assess student performance through an automated system of accountability and correlate that information back to academic and attendance success on a daily and yearly basis.

IHT believes that, if we can enable students to realize their own individual path to success in academics, nutrition, and living an overall healthy lifestyle on their own accord during these formative years, they will be more likely to carry those lessons and habits with them for life. The bottom line is that people have to learn how to do things for themselves and take individual responsibility, all while surrounded by enhanced education and support.

The script for this narrative has all come happily together through the success of the Spirit System, IHT curriculum, and “Health Needs a Hero,” inspiring, impacting, and enhancing young lives and the lives of their families and communities.

When it comes to our children’s health, there are so many heroes affecting positive change and I’d like to think IHT is such a hero.

As one part of the solution, we’re striving to be in the thick of provoking conversations and actions as they relate to the role our schools play in promoting overall health and activity.

Our purpose is to help write the next chapter of the story: making PE and health the fifth requirement in schools, as important as math, science, English, and social studies.

Now that would be a story book ending for our collective future. afm Sp i r i t S y s t e m

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The Medical Tent

How Do You Choose a Plastic Surgeon?

I

by Robert Clement, M.D.

n the past, finding a plastic surgeon was not so much of a problem.

But in the current environment, with changes in medical reimbursements and decreased payment from insurance companies, multiple other physicians are working in the cosmetic field. However, these doctors are not necessarily plastic surgeons. To be recognized as a plastic surgeon by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, a physician must have completed medical school, then either a general surgery residency or other surgical residency (like ear, nose, and throat) before going into a plastic surgery residency. It usually takes nine to 12 years after college to complete this training. Having completed the training, the physician must then pass a written examination approximately a year after entering practice followed by an oral exam, where the physician presents cases while his or her examiners may ask any question related to plastic surgery. After passing both these exams, the physician is then certified as a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. This is the only plastic surgery board that is recognized by the American Medical Association.

There are multiple facets to plastic surgery. These include trauma and reconstruc-

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tive surgery, post cancer, reconstructive hand surgery, and, of course, cosmetic surgery. The cosmetic area is where other practitioners are coming in with minimal to no plastic surgery training.

Any medical doctor can perform plastic surgery or call himself a plastic surgeon regardless of his training. For example, a family practitioner can legally do a facelift with no surgical training for that operation. This goes to the our government’s Fair Trade Commission, which feels that limiting these people will stem competition and, therefore, raise the price of medicine. I think this is an absurd idea that has worked to the detriment of patients. We, as certified plastic surgeons, feel that most of these physicians do not have adequate surgical training to perform the cosmetic procedures that we perform. As one of my colleagues has said, "If your air conditioning system went out, you would probably not call a plumber to fix the problem." This may be a moderate oversimplification, but there is some rationality to this thinking.

It would be wonderful if board certification gave the surgeon the ultimate skill, insight, and three-dimensional concepts to perform perfect plastic surgery. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. As with

any specialty, there are certain people who can perform procedures better than others.

Therefore, how do you find the perfect plastic surgeon for you? I suggest that you get names of plastic surgeons from your friends who have had surgery and who are happy; further, get feedback even from those who were unhappy with their physicians so you can stay away from that particular doctor.

Talk to a family practitioner or physician whom you know in the community, as he or she will have a good idea as to the reputation of various plastic surgeons. Then, I think a very reasonable thing to do is to have two to three consultations with different plastic surgeons. This gives you the ability to evaluate their skills by seeing their pictures, by testing your comfort with their personalities, and by questioning them to see if you are both on the same page as to what you want to accomplish. I feel it is extremely important that you feel comfortable with your plastic surgeon because you are putting a lot of faith in his hands and his expertise.

In summary, ask your friends, ask your doctor, look at the results that your friends have gotten, and then choose the surgeon who you have visited with and feel the most comfortable with to perform your surgery. afm

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Exercise Induced HypoNatremia To Drink or Not to Drink?

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p ©

By SHANNON MITCHEL, MD

W

ith a summer as hot and humid as Texas has had, it is difficult to imagine someone drinking himself to death with water. But that is exactly what happened at the Texas Water Safari Canoe race in June.

The gentleman who passed away, Brad Ellis of Dripping Springs, was a healthy 30-yearold man who had been training intensely for the event. He even kept a blog to document his workouts. On May 7, 2012, Ellis wrote this after a “tune up race” to prepare for the big event in June: “The only issue I am having and I’ve been this way my whole life, is the amount of water I consume. I was going through a gallon of water every two hours and most people would consume a gallon or less for the entire day. Everyone who saw the amount of water I had on the canoe for myself told me it was too much, but to me, I need it.” (Boldface is mine.)

Hyponatremia, which is the most common electrolyte disturbance, occurs when there is too much water (as compared to salt) in the human body. This water-to-salt balancing act is a highly regulated system as we use salt to drive our cells and, thus, all of our bodily functions. Lately, much has been written about exercised-induced hyponatremia. Particularly since the new book by Tim Noakes, MD, Waterlogged, came out, more and more runners are worrying about drinking fluids while exercising. Reading Noakes’ book, it is easy to believe that, unless you were going to be out in the heat for several days, it would not be necessary to drink or consume salt while exercising at all, and, if you must drink water, do so only to quench thirst (and no salt is ever needed).

And yet, in August, an experienced ultra-

runner died when he attempted to run a mere three miles in Death Valley without any salt or water.

All of this has left many of us confused.

We still wish to exercise or run regardless of the heat and to do so in a safe and healthy manner, but who is right when it comes to the correct amount of water to drink? What do we need with regard to salt and water, and how much of it do we need?

I have found that, when there are conflicting opinions on a matter of science, it is always best to simply return to the basics.

In this case, that would be the science of the metabolism of salt and water in our bodies.

To begin, the brain senses either a decrease in blood volume or a concentrated blood volume, meaning there are more solid particles (mostly salt, but it can also be potassium, sugar, chloride, magnesium, calcium and a few other particles that may be present in our blood) than water in the blood. When the brain senses one of these conditions, it signals the pituitary gland to release something called arginine-vasopressin (also known as the antidiuretic hormone or ADH). This hormone goes to work in the kidneys and tells them to decrease the flow of water into the urine. At the same time, the hormone signals another portion of the brain to tell you that you are thirsty.

When all is well again, the concentration of water to particles in the blood goes back to normal and the hormone signals the brain to stop sending the ADH out into the body.

Without the ADH, the kidney begins to work normally again, freely adding water to the urine. Of course, as you can imagine with all hormone systems in the body, it is not that simple First of all, there are other things that can signal the release of ADH. For example, H y p o n at r e m i a

37

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Person without Hyponatremia

Person with Hyponatremia

Balanced water and sodium

Imbalanced water and sodium

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pain, nausea, and low blood sugar are all triggers that may tell the brain to release the ADH. All of these triggers may be present during a long-distance endurance event.

Nevertheless, as with all properly functioning bodies, the checks and balances in the system will usually keep things from going awry. So, even if you are experiencing a condition such as pain or stress—either of which would signal the unnecessary release of the ADH—the brain should sense that the concentration of water to salt was normal and the ADH should still be turned off before any harm can be done.

So, scientific talk aside, where is the harm in your kidneys retaining water and releasing salt? How can this be fatal? Well, as I mentioned before, sodium drives our cells.

Sodium moves in and out of the cell as each cell does its respective job. However, if the solution the cell lives in becomes too dilute, (meaning there is too much water as compared to salt), the cell will start to move salt that is needed inside the cell to the outside of the cell in order to keep the salt-to-water 38

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ratio equal. Over time, this continual process leaves no salt to drive the cellular functions inside the cells and they become unstable. Eventually, the cells break down.

If this deterioration happens in the lungs, fluid enters into the lungs. If it occurs in the brain, swelling usually follows and this can lead to death in the most extreme cases.

This begs the question, however: If the body is so regulated and this system has so many checks and balances, how can people actually drink so much water that they die?

As with any system, there are disorders.

Syndrome of the Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone (SIADH) is said to be present to some degree in about seven percent of people in the normal community and about 22 percent of hospitalized patients.

People with this condition have an inaccurate barometer for the concentration of liquid to particle in the blood and will be thirsty much more often than someone who does not have this disorder. So, their blood will stay dilute, (people with SIADH would always have less salt in their blood

than the standard of normal, but the body would perceive this ratio as normal). While abnormal, this ratio might not be enough to cause symptoms until something else went wrong. Often, this condition is not found until you are quite sick in the hospital. You may also be diagnosed if a routine blood test shows slightly less sodium than normal, but, even then, further tests are needed to sort out what may or may not be done, particularly if you are otherwise healthy. SIADH is often associated with other chronic medical conditions (such as cirrhosis of the liver, congestive heart failure, and certain cancers) but it can occur for no particular reason. It can be treated with either water restriction or medication when caught at a mild level but some patients, such as those who fall into unconsciousness as a result, will often need treatment with salt or extra salty water via IV. Which brings us back to our canoe race fatality. Based on Ellis’ own accounts, he was used to drinking much more than everyone else and had done so his entire

life. This seems to point to the possibility that he did suffer from SIADH. He knew he was consuming more water than others but was still thirsty. As this thirst is present in those with SIADH, you can see why telling someone to simply drink until his/her thirst is quenched can lead to problems. If you have a problem with system regulation, you will continue to be thirsty long after your actual need has ceased.

The increased incidence of hyponatremia at endurance events has been blamed on the sports drink industry as well as on training mistakes. Yet I believe it is simply a numbers game. If hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte problem and we have at least seven percent of the population walking around with SIADH and no knowledge of the condition, why would we not expect an increase in exercise-induced hyponatremia? I have seen at least one large review study propose that most who require hospitalization or die from hyponatremia at races started out with SIADH. The added stress of the event combined with the perception of increased thirst tipped these athletes over the scale. Given how well regulated this balancing mechanism is in an otherwise healthy person competing in these events, this seems to be the only rational explanation.

So, then, what is the right thing to do?

Can a person simply get a test for SIADH? Unfortunately, the answer is “probably not.” It is a complicated diagnosis to make and may only show up when you are under stress or in pain. That being said, if you find that you are significantly thirstier than most other people and you drink more than your training partners, it would certainly be worth going to get this checked out with your physician.

This all leads us back to the hot Texas summers and safely managing exertion in the heat. I have always been a proponent of salt intake when you are sweating. If your kidneys are working properly and you take in a little more salt than you need, your body will get rid of the excess. On the other hand, if you skimp on the salt and only drink water (and just happen to have SIADH), you could become one of those people who have trouble. Since one of the treatments of SIADH is taking salt, this should be a safer bet as well.

How will I know during a race? Unfortunately, this is the tough part. You can be either dehydrated, of perfect fluid volume, or you may have too much fluid and have some edema and, in any of these cases, you can still have an imbalance of salt and water. Confusion is a symptom, but it is also a symptom of low blood sugar or sleep deprivation, so, again, it is very difficult to determine. If you pass out, the medical staff at the scene may think you are dehydrated and start an IV. The problem with this course of action is that if you have hyponatremia, this might not be the best treatment.

Depending on the severity of the salt deficit, a normal saline IV, which seems magical when you are dehydrated, could easily make things much worse when the problem is hyponatremia. The only way to be certain of what the problem actually is would be to do a blood test. So, in my opinion, it is best not to administer IVs in the field unless the medical staff is 100 percent familiar with the athlete and his/her history. Fainting at the finish line is often neither dehydration nor hyponatremia but rather brief cardiovascular collapse. While this sounds far worse than anything yet discussed, it basically means your blood vessels were shunting blood to your muscles during your exercise. When you crossed the finish line, you stopped pushing so hard and your blood pressure simply dropped, which kept blood from getting up to your brain. Generally, folks feel better after just lying down for about 15 minutes without anything further than reassurance and monitoring.

I realize this is confusing. It is hard to put all of this into layperson terms without either accidentally scaring someone or boring them to death. But it is a fact that hormones and their regulation is complicated. At present, there are many conflicting opinions about hyponatremia, so even getting someone to a basic understanding takes more than a cursory article. It is hard to combat three-second headline grabbers with a long discussion of the hows and whys. Which is why, as always, if you have any questions about your own particular case, you should have a thoughtful discussion with your doctor. Regardless of where you think you fall on the sponge-tocamel spectrum, just don’t try to go out to run Death Valley or the Lady Bird Lake trail in Austin’s heat without any hydration at all. afm

H y p o n at r e m i a

39

FIRST SESSION HALF OFF!

photo by Brian Fitzsimmons

Activate Your Body’s Natural Healing!

Decrease inflammation, recover faster, feel better, train harder.

Call for Appt.

(512) 900-3838

6836 Bee Caves Rd. Building 2, Suite 101 www.AustinCryo.com

life is a race. be comfortable.

RUNNINGCHICS.COM

Recipe

Did you know?

Chicken Salad Wrap with Curry

As part of the US Health Care Reform Bill, chain restaurants with 20 or more locations are required to list the calorie content for standard items on their menus (total fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, sugars, fiber, and total protein must be made available in writing upon request).

by Anne Wilfong, RD, LD & Alexa Sparkman, MA, RD, LD | photo by Brian Fitzsimmons

This wrap is a tasty option for a nutritious lunch at work or school. Pack it with some fresh fruit, and the kids will love it.

What You Need 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 2 cups roasted chicken breast, chopped 1/4 cup light mayonnaise 1/3 cup celery, diced 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1/4 pound fresh spinach leaves, washed, stemmed and patted dry 6 whole wheat tortillas

Price per serving: $2.14 Restaurant Price: $8.25

Nutrition Calories 256 Fat 7 g

Serving Size: 1 WRAP

Protein 19 g Carbohydrate 29 g

Fiber 2 g Sodium 577 mg

Makes approximately: 6 SERVINGS

How You Make it 1. Place roasted chicken, mayonnaise, celery, curry powder, and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix with two forks to shred chicken and blend seasonings. Fold in dried cranberries.

2. Line tortilla with spinach leaves. Place 1/6 of chicken mixture in the middle of the tortilla; fold in two sides and roll. Cut in half and serve chilled.

This recipe is brought to you by Whole Foods Market.

Registered and licensed dietitians Alexa Sparkman and Anne Wilfong can provide reliable, objective nutrition information, separate facts from fads, and translate the latest scientific findings into easy-to-understand nutrition information. For more information about their nutrition counseling practice, contact Alexa or Anne at 512.257.0898 or SparkmanNutrition.com

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au s t i n f i t m a g a z i n e . c o m Oc t o b e r 2 0 1 2

Mario Mendias 10

Building A

Fit Nation, One Meal at a Time

by Courtenay Verret photography by Brian Fitzsimmons

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3

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As a personal trainer, Mario Mendias saw the same scenarios play out with his clients on a daily basis: They would commit to following a fitness program, drag themselves to the gym five days a week, but ultimately become discouraged by their lack of results. The time constraints of their busy lives rendered them unable to cook healthy meals for themselves, and their energy levels were low. Mendias believed that the problem lay with what his clients were eating—too much of the wrong kinds of foods—but his lack of nutritional expertise left him guessing at solutions. When a client called him out for being nutritionally ignorant, Mendias began to research in earnest what truly constitutes a healthy diet. His selfstudy led to a business idea that resulted in My Fit Foods—an exploding chain of stores that sells healthy, prepared meals with scores of customers who have improved the quality of their lives through food and fitness.

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A Passion For Fitness endias’ route to personal trainer and successful business owner was a circuitous, and sometimes unlikely, one.

Born in Marfa, Texas, he grew up outside of Los Angeles in Culver City, California. When he was 12 years old, his next-door neighbor, a personal trainer, sparked his interest in health and fitness. “He told me he helped people get into shape,” said Mendias. “He said, ‘People who are overweight, or have diabetes, or want to build muscle; I help them get fit and moving again.’” The conversation made Mendias think about his own grandparents: both of them were overweight, and one of them suffered with diabetes. “As a 12-year-

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old, I thought [being a personal trainer] was really cool.

I thought it was a good job, and that thought stuck with me over the next decade.”

Mendias’ unexpected first step toward this professional aspiration was the United States Marine Corps, where he quickly learned that his physical fitness could use some improvement. “When I started in the Marine Corps, I was slow,” he said. “I almost didn’t make it in.” He was soon whipped into shape, however, and it wasn’t long before he had cut his three-mile run time almost in half and had more than quadrupled the number of pull-ups he could do in one set. Mendias ended his military career at the age of 23 and found a job making minimum wage as a tire boy in Santa Monica. He eventually worked his way up to mechanic and made the decision to move back to Texas, settling in Houston.

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Fight for Survival t was a life-or-death struggle on December 10, 2000, that caused Mendias to re-evaluate… everything. While attending a party with a friend, he suddenly found himself involved in an altercation with a group of gang members who had crashed the event. Out of respect for his host and bolstered by his self-proclaimed “Marine confidence,” he escorted one of the unruly gang members outside, who—unbeknownst to Mendias—was carrying a gun.

The situation immediately escalated. “[He] shot me three times,” Mendias said. “The other three times he missed. I’ve never been in a life or death situation like that, but suddenly I’m on the street wrestling with a guy with a gun that is trying to kill me. It was a fight for survival.” Mendias managed to knock out his attacker and was taken to the hospital where he was treated for his gunshot wounds. Miraculously, he survived.

As he recovered in the hospital, he had plenty of time for reflection. As one might expect, the experience had profoundly affected him—as had the words of the man in the hospital bed next to him. “[He was] talking about regrets he had in life,” Mendias said. “I don’t really have any family members, at least not close ones. I was in a new city with one friend, and it was a pretty lonely time in my

life. I made a pact with myself that I didn’t want to have regrets in my life.”

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A Life With No Regrets ather than return to his job as a mechanic, once he was discharged from the hospital, Mendias walked into a 24-Hour Fitness gym, determined to get a job as a personal trainer.

He walked out instead as a floor instructor, “Which is basically the janitor, which is basically a trainer in training,” Mendias laughed. “Once again, I was back down to minimum wage, but at least I was following my heart.” Within four months, however, he was promoted to personal trainer, and within four more months he was promoted to fitness manager, eventually running eight different gyms.

After spending time with his clients, Mendias began to notice that some of them were not getting the results they wanted because they were not making the necessary changes to their diets. “People are trying to work out all the time. I think it’s so important,” he said. “But, if you’re not eating right, it doesn’t matter how hard you work out. After all, you can be a fit, fat person.”

Knowing that diet accounts for nearly 80 percent of weight loss, Mendias began making—with the best of intentions—nutritional suggestions to his clients. After recommending what he calls a “bad diet” to a client who was diabetic, he was told he was “ignorant” when it came to nutrition. “It really embarrassed me, and I felt terrible that I couldn’t get my clients the results they deserved,” he said.

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Nutrition 101 sing his embarrassment as motivation, Mendias began to self-educate, reading more than 50 books on diet and nutrition in a six-month period. “I read books like Sugar Busters, From Fat to Fit, Ultra Metabolism, and Body for Life,” he said.

Mendias learned from his reading that portion control is only part of the story when it comes to weight loss: “It’s not just calories in versus calories out,” he explained. “The type of calories you put in can affect whether you [exercise] further, faster, and with less fatigue. Eating right taps your true potential. The greatest athlete is probably sitting on the couch and will never even know because they’re not fueling their body the right way and getting the energy their body needs to be active.”

According to Mendias, the food we eat can affect everything from the hormones we produce to inflammation in our bodies. “If the body is in an inflamed state, you’re going to suffer from disease,” he said.

“You’re going to accumulate more body fat; you won’t feel good. When you take away wheat, gluten, soy, and dairy, the body is not in an inflamed state.” Knowing that most processed and fast food—staples of the standard American diet— is full of sugar, triggers allergies, and causes inflammation, Mendias learned which lean proteins, grains, and spices would reduce inflammation and promote good health.

“The greatest athlete is probably sitting on the couch and will never even know because they’re not fueling their body the right way and getting the energy their body needs to be active.”

Mario Mendias

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triangle diagram

The classic napkin diagram used by Mario Mendias and his staff

Mendias also changed his opinion about fats, after learning that so-called “healthy” oils lose their beneficial properties when heated past their smoke point. He explained that olive oil, for example, has a smoke point of 250 degrees—well below the average cooking temperature for most food preparation. He began to research which healthy fats have higher smoke points, and experimented cooking with macadamia, sunflower, and coconut oil.

Rounding out Mendias’ newfound nutritional knowledge was the importance of strategic eating— knowing how much to eat at what times during the day.

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” he asserted. “After all, you’ve been fasting for eight hours.

I’ve never seen anyone take a long [road] trip without filling up first. The same thing goes for your body.”

Mendias explained that properly fueling at the beginning of the day and eating less at night will help the body function more optimally, reducing cravings and promoting weight loss. “If you start out with a strong breakfast, strong morning snack, and strong lunch, you’re not going to crave such a big snack in the afternoon and at 9 p.m. at night,” he said. Mendias

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used a triangle diagram to illustrate his point: A smiling, inverted triangle—wide at the top, slender at the bottom—represents both the ideal daily intake of food and the body’s resulting physical state. A frowning, right-side up triangle—small at the top and wider at the bottom—represents the exact opposite.

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Taking His Own Advice ealizing that he needed to be an example for his clients, Mendias began to implement these nutritional recommendations himself: cooking with lean proteins as well as low-glycemic and allergen-free foods, using healthy oils with high smoke points, and eating strategically throughout the day. He credited his dietary changes with feeling better, having more energy—and finally being able to achieve a six-pack.

Excited about his newfound knowledge, Mendias once again began talking to his clients about what they were eating. “During every single resting set, I starting asking [them] about their nutrition and giving them helpful hints as to what they should be eating,” he said. However, Mendias noticed that a common

problem was surfacing. “They would say, ‘This is great, but I don’t have time to cook healthy and I don’t really know how to.’”

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Late-Night Breakthrough he frustration of wanting to do more to help his clients, combined with the fatigue of working six days a week, began to wear on Mendias. One night, unsure how he would sustain such a hectic pace for the rest of his life, he got on his hands and knees. “[It was] the simplest of prayers,” he said: “‘I want to help people out and earn a good living doing it.’”

Mendias went to bed, only to awaken from a dream with a bright idea: “FitDonalds”—a restaurant serving fast, healthy meals for healthy people. “When I was looking inside, I could see the kids were fit, the parents were fit; there were some who were not fit, but were on their way to getting fit,” he said. “There was one FitDonalds, and then there was another. I could see Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, and the next thing you knew, it was all over the world.”

He relayed the dream back to himself on a tape recorder to affirm his vision, but he knew he didn’t have the money to start opening stores. Undaunted, he began to cook meals out of his apartment kitchen for test clients—a small group of secretaries who worked for his friends. So enthusiastic was Mendias about his idea, however, he had overlooked one significant detail: Taste. “They didn’t want to reorder,” he laughed. “One lady said, ‘Mario, we love you, but your food is just horrible.’”

Realizing that he needed some help in the kitchen, Mendias teamed up with a chef who, ironically, worked at McDonalds. Drawing from his reading on diet and nutrition, Mendias showed her which proteins, carbs, spices, and fats he wanted to use, and together the two of them cooked and packaged meals for delivery twice a week.

Mendias soon began cooking for some of his clients in the gym, and they began seeing results: Their

metabolism was speeding up, they were burning fat, and their hormone levels were balancing out. They were also getting desirable side benefits. Mendias noted the results of one client who had been working out with him five days a week for six months: “[H]er energy levels were going up, she said she was sleeping better, she was off coffee and alcohol, and her mental focus was ridiculous. She was an executive and said her work had never been easier and she had never felt so clear.”

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A Grueling Endeavor lthough the success of Mendias’ business was spreading—others in the gym began signing up for meals—he was quickly learning how grueling and time consuming running a small business could be, particularly when seed money was practically non-existent. He rented a catering kitchen that allowed him to cook from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. twice a week, and he hired two cooks whom he paid with the money he earned from personal training.

On a “cooking day,” Mendias worked at the gym from 5 a.m. until noon, then left to shop for food at Restaurant Depot, Sam’s, and H.E.B. After dropping off the food, he would return to the gym to work until 8 p.m., then head to the kitchen to help cook until midnight. Once the food was done, his cooks would leave, leaving him to package the meals on his own.

“I wouldn’t go to sleep,” Mendias said. “I’d usually finish at about 4 or 4:30 a.m., go straight back to the gym and take about 25 percent of the meals. From noon to 4 p.m. I would make home deliveries, go back to the gym to train, then head to the catering kitchen from 6 to 10 p.m. to wait for people to pick up their food. And then I would sleep, the next day getting up at 4 a.m. Let me tell you, those six hours [of sleep] were wonderful.”

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Small Business Woes endias sustained this grueling pace from April to November of 2006, all the while witnessing the remarkable results of his clients. In spite of the success of his product, however, the business was in serious financial trouble. Out of money and ideas, Mendias was at yet another breaking point: “I was sitting in the car…it was raining outside. I beat my fists against the steering wheel and kept thinking that I didn’t know how to do it.” After a few hours, however, Mendias came up with the 21-Day Challenge program: Customers signed up to eat his meals for 21 days—the amount of time needed to change a habit—as a way of making a commitment

"The Beginning," Mario Mendias in 2006

Mario Mendias

47

to themselves and to their health. “People paid upfront and that’s how I made it out of the slump,” Mendias said. “So from the 40-plus clients I had, they ended up investing in themselves and helping my cause to the tune of $35,000, which floated me until January.”

Things were looking up for Mendias until he left town for a week to visit his grandmother, who had been diagnosed with cancer. Trusting the business in the hands of his catering kitchen, Mendias returned from his trip to discover that the cooks had cut meal portions in half in an effort to save money. The result was a group of very angry customers. “I lost about half of my clients that week,” he said, “and the other half that I didn’t lose were pissed off at me.” Mendias called every single client and offered them free food for a week as a way to restore their faith, but the gesture had the side effect of draining every last dollar from the business.

With no money to pay his employees, and three months behind on his bills, Mendias once more reached out for help—this time to his mother, with whom he had a strained relationship. “I told her I needed $25,000. She told me to ‘go to a bank’ and hung up,” he laughed. The very next day, however, a check arrived from his mother, who had pooled her money with two of her friends. “I ended up paying it back in a few months and with enough interest to put a smile on their faces,” he said. Mendias was also able to buy out his original business partner and take sole ownership of the company, which he renamed My Fit Foods. (He would later give this former partner 3 percent of the company as a thank you for helping him get started.)

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Blood, Sweat, and Tears ebruary 2007 marked—finally—a positive turning point for Mendias when he met his future business partner, Anthony Milton. “I was missing someone who could run the kitchen for me, and I was losing money because of it,” he said. The first My Fit Foods retail location opened in April of 2007 with Milton at the helm of the kitchen, “and that’s when the business took off,” said Mendias.

It was a modest location: 900 square feet, a bench from IKEA that sank under the weight of their computer, and a used cooler from a florist shop whose broken handle had been replaced with a suction cup and a piece of rope. Mendias recounted the hours of preparation leading up to the opening. “I was working with my business partner’s wife and we’re doing the floors, and she started crying: ‘My hands are bleeding; we’re not going to be successful.’ I told her, ‘You’ve got blood, you’ve got sweat, you’ve got tears put into this floor; I can tell you we’re going to be successful.’”

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The Long Reach of Success nd successful they were: Today there are My Fit Foods stores in four states and 22 cities, with plans underway for more expansion. “I’ve been very fortunate to have a lot of good people with nice bank accounts who wanted to help me find some stores,” Mendias said.

“My Fit Foods gave guarantees, never missed payroll, never bounced a check, never missed an investor payment. I always returned their investment money within 36 months.”

The company serves a diverse customer base, from people needing a plan to lose weight, to athletes wanting to maintain their form, to health-conscious people who just need to pick up a healthy meal on their way home from work. Impressively, the store has succeeded primarily by word-of-mouth advertising.

“On average, we give away 100,000 meals a month for the purposes of marketing,” Mendias said. “People need free meals so they can understand that eating healthy can be tasty.” My Fit Foods also organizes “Lunch & Learns” for companies who offer employee wellness programs, and regularly attends sporting events and fitness fairs.

One of Mendias’ original business concepts—the 21-Day Challenge—remains one of the most popular offerings of My Fit Foods. Customers work with a nutritional consultant who identifies their goals and helps guide them through the three-week program.

Part health coach, part cheerleader, the nutritional consultants are trained to educate their clients about

“You’ve got blood, you’ve got sweat, you’ve got tears put into this floor; I can tell you we’re going to be successful.” food chemistry and portion control, and to offer strategies that will help them overcome unhealthy cravings and set them up for success.

Over the years, Mendias has witnessed countless success stories of clients who have dropped weight and gone off of their medications for blood pressure, diabetes, and anxiety. “These are not rare cases,” he said. “It happens quite often. Our programs really work, and we have walking and talking testimonials spreading the word for us every day.”

High Quality Ingredients, High Quality Employees ntegral to My Fit Foods’ success, said Mendias, is the quality of their product: “[We] use the highest quality ingredients and charge less than a lot of competitors out there.” He explained that My Fit Foods meals are made fresh, without preservatives, and the meat is hormone-free and delivered daily from reliable, local vendors. Grains, such as pasta, rice, and quinoa are organic, as are some of their inseason fruits and vegetables. According to Mendias, customers can taste the difference, and that quality is what makes them return.

What also makes My Fit Foods’ customers return,

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A Sampling of My Fit Foods Offerings

Breakfast Tacos - Healthy Breakfast

Atlantic Baked Salmon - Healthy Lunch

said Mendias, are their employees and the company’s culture of customer service. “We have about 1,000 quality employees now,” he said. “It’s not the pay, it’s that they care.” He cited their practice of walking customers’ bags of food to their cars as an example: “[Originally], I’d walk people’s bags to their cars because I knew them; they were my friends, and also because of safety reasons. To this day…it’s part of company culture. Our employees care about taking care of customers. They’re the backbone of My Fit Foods’ success.”

Physical Fitness Still Means Better Results endias strongly believes that when it comes to diet and exercise, it’s a two-way street: Nutritionists need to be focused on fitness, and fitness instructors need to be focused on nutrition. He reiterated that although diet accounts for 80 percent of results in any weight loss program, physical fitness still plays an essential role. “If you’re not working out, you’re not getting the best results,” he said. “Life is too short not to get the best results.”

Ironically, said Mendias, once people begin to eat better, they often feel so good that they don’t want to

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Fit Nugget Nation - Low Carb Dinner

remain couch potatoes: “If you’re eating right, you can’t just sit behind a computer; you have to get out and run—it’s a natural thing that comes from having excess energy.”

In order to ensure that their clients get the best results possible, My Fit Foods works extensively with local professional trainers and gyms that are equally customer focused to provide fitness options for their clients. “If you walk inside the store,” Mendias said, “one of the questions we’ll ask you is whether you currently work out. If you say no, we’ll recommend that you get with a trainer. And the first week of training is 100 percent on the house. There is really no excuse not to give it your all.”

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Focused on the Future oday, Mendias focuses his attention on My Fit Foods’ ongoing expansion, investments, and company culture, while his business partner and company CEO Anthony Milton runs the day-to-day operations. “He is the most important person in my life, and he’s my best friend, and to work with your best friend and a guy who is smarter, works harder, and has a better attitude than you is more than anything I could have asked for,” Mendias said.

Lean Lemon Turkey - Healthy Lunch

Although by anyone’s standards Mendias would be considered hugely successful, his vision is big. He hopes to open a My Fit Foods in every major market and to eventually create a nationwide mail-order program that delivers fresh, unfrozen food with a 14-day shelf life. “My goal is for anyone in the U.S. who wants to eat healthy [to be able to] get food from a retail store front or delivered to their homes,” he said. My Fit Foods has already partnered with H.E.B. to provide kiosks in select stores, and Mendias hopes to begin partnering with other grocery chains, such as Whole Foods Market. The company has already released “MyFit” brand products, such as water, salsa, and nutritional supplements, and more products are on the way. Ultimately, Mendias’ sights are set on taking My Fit Foods global: “My Fit U.S., My Fit U.K., My Fit Australia, My Fit Canada…you get the point,” he laughed. “Everyone deserves the opportunity to take care of their health and fitness, and anything I can do to help that mission, I will.”

Mendias acknowledged that his goals are lofty, but given his track record of hard-earned success, he is convinced that they are achievable. More importantly, he believes that the consumer demand is there. “No one has taken nutrition and fitness and truly owned that concept while making it accessible and desirable for

Fit 2 Go - Healthy Snack

Pear Salmon - Low Carb Dinner

the masses,” he said. “It was a niche that needed to be filled, and we did it.” Mendias’ target is a nutritionally savvy MyFit Nation with healthy, affordable meal choices—and My Fit Foods is the arrow. afm Mario Mendias encourages anyone interested in a nutritional consultation and fitness trainer recommendation to email him personally at Mario@myfitfoods.com with his or her goals, including current weight, height, eating schedule, activity level, and location.

Mario Mendias

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Fit Business

C 3 Presents Takes Care of Employees…and Concertgoers

By Leah Fisher Nyfeler

O

ctober in Austin means Austin City Limits, and so AFM reached out to Austin-based C3 Presents, the company that produces ACL, to find out what they do to keep their employees and music fans healthy. Here’s what Lindsay Hoffman, festival marketing manager, had to share:

What company fitness programs/ incentives/benefits does C3 Presents provide?

Because so much of our team is traveling and gigging, C3 is very conscious about employee health. Health begins with a very comprehensive benefits plan that addresses everything from fitness to mental health. We’ve just started a boot camp for co-workers with Dane’s Body Shop. And we bring in Viva Day Spa during the busy times to massage away the stress.

ACL attendees get their water bottles refilled

Capital Metro Employees Hop on the Fitness Bus

By Leah Fisher Nyfeler

S

even years ago, Capital Metro needed to find a way to deal with rising annual health care costs and so the Employee Wellness Program was developed, its mission to “reduce absenteeism, lower health care costs, and increase employee morale.” This year, Cap Metro was chosen by the Austin Business Journal as one of Austin’s “Healthiest Employers” and has seen a reduction in health care costs that tally in the millions.

How’d they do it?

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au s t i n f i t m a g a z i n e . c o m Oc t o b e r 2 0 1 2

Cap Metro took a three-pronged approach to promoting healthy lifestyles: providing physical spaces and equipment, education, and incentives. It’s not every employer who can provide one 24-hour workout facility but Cap Metro has four separate onsite Wellness Centers.

The main bus depot houses a full cafeteria with healthy food choices and a registered dietician oversees even the vending machines. The bicycle checkout program allows employees who watch a short video on bike safety to take a spin for up to four hours, whether running errands or simply taking a break on the nearby hike and bike trail.

In addition to bikes, employees can check out pedometers and heart rate monitors.

There are numerous opportunities for employees who want education. Health fitness specialists at each Wellness Center offer free personal training and

P h o t o by J a c k E d i n g e r

real yoga • real people • real change

How do you keep employees healthy during the long ACL weekend?

Festivals can be rough on the body. ACL provides a house doctor for employees and caters three meals per day for all staff, crew, and artists. Our incredible office manager, Katie Williams, stocks our working trailers with vitamins, healthy snacks, and first aid kits. The most effective thing is we look out for each other. Your crew is always checking in to see if you’ve had enough water, if you’ve had a break, if you’ve eaten lunch.

Safety is a priority at our events, and many precautions are taken across the board.

Is there anything about your office culture that says "health and fitness"?

In addition to the two-month boot camp, we also have runners, cyclists, and yogis in our ranks. Working an event is a lot of work— you have to be fit!

How does C3 Presents look at health and well being as it pertains to ACL? We see health at ACL as something both individual and environmental. It’s monumentally important to stay hydrated

individualized exercise program design.

Seminars provide information on financial health, disease and pain management, and free fitness programs ranging from outdoor camps to walking to 5K/10K race training.

There are alternative health fairs as well as “lunch and learn” meetings on fitness and nutrition. For customized instruction, Cap Metro has free nutritional counseling with a registered dietician and Polar Body Age assessment (the Polar system gives a fitness evaluation based on the body’s vital statistics, a follow-up summary of findings, and personal training recommendations).

Need an incentive to become healthy?

Several groups (Weight Watchers at Work,

P h o t o by T i m K e l ly

over the weekend, so we have multiple Camelback water filling stations, where fans can fill up on free triple-filtered water.

By addressing that health requirement, we’re also able to keep nearly a quarter of a million water bottles from entering a landfill. At ACL Eats, we work with great local restaurants to offer a huge variety of food. We also work with Hope Farmer’s Market to provide extra healthy fare and options for individuals with special diets.

Since feeding people can generate waste, we offer composting and work with all of our vendors to source eco-friendly, compostable materials. ACL Cares also hosts multiple health and environmental causes, including HAAM and SIMS, two local organizations that provide healthcare for musicians. The nonprofit organization Love, Hope, Strength swabs cheeks for the national bone marrow database and have found 12 life-saving bone marrow matches among ACL fans.

ACL has also partnered with the Nature Conservancy to help spread the word about vital issues affecting the water that so many Austin fitness fans enjoy.

Health Fitness Specialist Abraham Acosta leads employees through the morning "down to the core" class.

Freedom from Smoking, and diabetes management classes) provide support in (Continued on page 54)

F i t Bu s i n e s s

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North Hills Center 10710 Research Blvd #326 Austin TX

Fit Business

(Continued from page 53)

numbers. Even the workplace environment became motivating when the administrative offices, bus, and rail stations became smoke-free. There are cash incentive programs that reward gym participation, average and above ratings in the Polar Body Age

3M Company Offers Award-Winning Health and Wellness Programs

by Tracy D. Nelson

C

onsistently ranked one of the best companies to work for, 3M Company is committed to the health and wellness of its employees. 3M encourages its employees to make positive health and lifestyle choices by offering wellness programs throughout the year, incentives for health and fitness improvements, and an onsite fitness center.

Pilgrimage Keeps Thought Leaders Fit

By Melanie P. Moore

S

eton Cove’s Leadership Pilgrimage helps thought leaders stay fit for leadership. The foundation of Seton Cove’s leadership programs, the Leadership Pilgrimage mixes individual and group experiences that ultimately allow each person to slow down and regain awareness required to do “inner work” that modern life rarely enables. The use of personal stories, tales from the wisdom traditions, contemporary thinkers, and experiential exercises facilitate individual reflection and group discussion.

The guiding principles of the program are • effective leadership flows from the identity and integrity of the person; • every person has gifts to offer to the practice of leadership; • leaders lead from within, not from external expectations;

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assessment, lowered body weight, participation in 5K/10K runs, and tobacco cessation.

With some 64 percent of Capital Metro employees taking advantage of these healthful living options, it’s no wonder this fit business has seen employee health costs decrease. Fit business pays off at Cap Metro!

The state-of-the-art 3M Austin Fitness Center, managed

by HealthFitness, features the following: • A large exercise area with stations and equipment for cardio and strength • Multi-purpose classrooms featuring instructorled classes such as Cardio Funk, circuit-strength, kickboxing, step, Nia, and yoga • Innovative programs, such as 21 Days: A Mind/ Body Bootcamp– a comprehensive goal-oriented fitness program featuring nutrition, cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility components • Massage therapy • Locker rooms • Certified staff who lead classes, perform fitness assessments, and provide 1:1 personal training

• authentic leadership demands spiritual depth and centeredness;

• spiritual depth and centeredness flow from a commitment to contemplative practices.

According to Patricia Speier, Executive Director of Seton Cove, the Leadership Pilgrimage is completing its tenth year. Classes usually contain 22-25 people and the program has served more than 250 leaders to date. “Many of these have been through one or both of our follow-up programs, The Practice of Contemplative Leadership and The Taos Leadership Intensive,” Speier said.

“At The Seton Cove, we define a leader as someone who wants to make a positive difference in the world,” she said. “As a result, we have a diverse enrollment that includes leaders from the nonprofit world as well as individuals whose main work is volunteerism. While the bulk of participants are executives and professionals, you definitely do not have to be a CEO to benefit from this program.

“The Leadership Pilgrimage envisions a world where leaders lead from a place of wholeness. It seeks

3M employees can join the Fitness Center for $15 per month, and membership is free for spouses and 3M retirees (although some programs charge an extra fee). The participation rate is high—with about 350 members; nearly half of the 3M Austin employees belong to the Fitness Center.

Along with the gym, 3M’s healthy lifestyle initiatives emphasize education and outreach, which include the following: • Monthly newsletters featuring employee spotlights, health tips, and announcements • Wellness seminars, stretch breaks, and health awareness booths including blood pressure, weight management, and more • A site-wide Wellness Fair in the fall, and a Fitness Expo in the spring • Weight management courses • Annual health screenings • Incentives tied to health and fitness, including weight management,

3M extends its commitment to health and fitness to the Austin community. For 19 years, 3M has organized one of Austin’s most popular races, the 3M Half Marathon.

To help 3M employees prepare for the race, the 3M Fitness Center offers a 14-week half marathon training program for all levels of runners. Their motto: We don’t just run for the tape, we make it.

And 3M’s wellness initiatives have not gone unnoticed. Last year, 3M was crowned the winner in the “Health and Wellness (Large Company)” category at the Greater Austin Business Awards, organized by the Austin Chamber of Commerce.

to integrate leaders’ external ways of knowing—their reason, logic and empirical knowledge with the deep wisdom of their minds and hearts. The pilgrimage provides thought leaders with the time, space, silence and community to do the inner work that so many long to do but can't find the time or even the permission to unplug long enough to do it on their own. It is based on the belief that leadership that can be transformative has to incorporate a practice of intentional silence.”

Attorney Richard Alexander said, “It was an authentically transformative experience inside and out. I began to see my place in the world from the point of my own sense of integrity (who I am called to be), which may

or may not be consistent with the role others see me in or their expectations/demands of me in a given circumstance.”

“The Pilgrimage gave me the space and the tools to begin the journey from a human doing to a human being,” said Linda Ford, Ph.D., owner of Ford Business Consulting.

“As a classic Type A driver, doing has taken the center role for many years. Now I’m more of a whole human being in whatever I do. This has given my work more power and made my life more satisfying and rich.”

For details about the program, visit the Seton Cove website. The next information session will be October 3 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Call the Seton Cove to register for the information session. afm

completion of health courses, completion of health screenings, and tobacco cessation

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Business The

Side of Roa d

By Micha el Madis on

Racing

Michael Mad ison serves as an employ for the Water ee of the Gaz . He has also elle Founda been with G business m tion and race anager. Mad ilber t's Gaz director of R elles since 20 ison gradua Track and Fi un ted from the 08 as an as eld honors as sistant coac University of a 400/200 m h and Missouri, ga eter runner. rnering All-B Follow him ig XII on Twitter (@ running_ga zelle ).

O

ctober kicks off the busiest period of the year for local race directors, most logging incredibly long hours for the next six months. It’s a dynamic, demanding job of building and maintaining a website, marketing, managing volunteers, assuaging neighborhood associations, planning a course, and navigating through the tepid waters of city permitting.

Outside Magazine recently named the role as one of their “Best Jobs in America,” but don’t be fooled by their moniker of “Live the Dream” and think of smooth sailing—it’s extremely hard work!

Over the years, I have had my hand in a number of events all across the Austin metro area. In each case, I try to inflect a “runner’s perspective” on the overall look and feel.

Whether it’s little things, like starting on time and having a properly measured course, to bigger concepts, such as the general atmosphere, everything is about meeting the desires of likeminded runners. One can achieve this in two ways: A) stepping back and reviewing every step with the mindset of a participant; and B) bringing in volunteers to provide perspective and other ideas.

My experience over five years of producing events is that nothing would be possible without a strong team of volunteers. If you have a great cause, people are willing to help. The job cannot be done as a one-man show nor should anyone try. At Run for the Water this year, the Gazelle Foundation will have more than 200 volunteers on race day manning water stops, handing out race bibs, assisting with a Kids Run, and a myriad of other roles. That doesn’t count the months of advance meetings and efforts by so many to gather sponsorships, run promotions, create marketing material, and tirelessly post social media efforts to drum up support.

If you’re looking at planning a running event, here are five steps that will set a course for success: 1. have a cause and create a name that will stick out above the clutter; 2. gind a date and a venue to suit your desired audience; 3. check the permitting process with the city. Austin requires 180 days advance notice as well as a number of hoops to jump through; 4. work with the neighborhood association or businesses along your route to garner support for the cause 5. build a website, Facebook, and Twitter account; 6. get a team of volunteers to help.

Our town hasn’t made it easy—or cost efficient—for the majority of events to take

! ion ite at Wh c Lo n w Be Ne o @ C So

place on the streets, which is why more and more are moving to Camp Mabry or outside of Austin city limits. To receive approval, Austin requires an event to have police, barricades at intersections, cones spaced no more than five feet apart, insurance, medical personnel, and cash for their everincreasing permitting fees. Throw in the average costs of t-shirts, chip timing, and a couple banners, and one can expect to spend around $10,000 per mile.

Unfortunately, these expenses have never been communicated to the general public, which continues to grow weary of escalating entry costs. Nobody knows the cop you wave and thank for giving up his or her Sunday morning is actually billing the event $84 per hour. Have four officers? That requires a captain who costs almost $100 per hour.

In addition, city Right-of-Way mandates barricades be set up at each intersection, meaning a run crossing South First and Cesar Chavez could be paying for three officers, cones, barricades, and signs diverting incoming traffic. Despite continued pleas to city management, trained volunteers or private security companies cannot perform a single one of those roles.

While you’re out at an event over the coming months, stop and take a few moments to look around and consider what it took to make everything happen. There’s so much that goes into race day that typically gets overlooked.

If enough porta-potties aren’t available, participants will be sure to let the race director know! The food, water, t-shirts, bib numbers, chip timing tags, parking, sponsor area setup, start line, announcer, music, banners, directional signs and clothing drop were all carefully calculated well in advance of the participants’ arrival. Volunteers directing traffic and handing out t-shirts aren’t there to get paid and most likely arrived before you did and will stay well after you leave.

The adventure, obstacle, and trail races can be even more time consuming. At the Austin 10K Plus held around the Dell Diamond, our crew starts building rope walls, Marine hurdles, and numerous other obstacles two days before the event. Volunteers work overnight to ensure everything is ready, including placing small flags every ten yards for all 6.2 miles!

With each job come challenges, and being a Race Director is no exception. The hardest part for many, however, is not getting the opportunity to participate in the event. Instead, the joy comes from producing a memorable run for all of the registrants as well as raising money for any associated charitable cause. And after it’s over, going to sleep at 4 p.m. and not awaking until the next morning is heavenly! afm R o a d Rac i n g

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Fit After 40

Looking Young Forever

By J. Jody Kelly

F

itness after 40 looks great when you’re a bodybuilder named Dave Goodin. If you watched him working through his brutal exercise routine at Hyde Park Gym, you might mistake him for a buff 30-something.

He works so hard that less experienced athletes who try to keep up with him might

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find themselves “puking in the john,” as Goodin put it. At 53, he still competes in shows and has no plans to retire.

Although Goodin started bodybuilding in his early twenties, his work ethic, his mental strength, his careful attention to nutrition, and his career as a personal trainer and former gym owner are the principal factors

for his success. During almost thirty years as an amateur, he won five world championships and three Mr. Universe titles as well as numerous other awards. He turned pro three years ago with the International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB) and will compete on October 12-13 in the Men’s Physique division at a show in Houston.

P h o t o by M i c h a e l N e v e u x

The main motivations for his work ethic are his love of the sport and his love of walking out on the stage.

Goodin settled on bodybuilding after playing many sports as a kid, including baseball, football, basketball, track, and tae kwon do. Although he no longer plays football, he loves to watch the University of Texas football team at Darrell K RoyalTexas Memorial Stadium and the Dallas Cowboys on TV—but only after his lengthy workout routine is over.

Goodin’s work ethic is so strong that he takes little or no time off. If he isn’t in the gym, he’s on his exercise bicycle for 20 or 30 minutes or he’s out walking from two to four miles. He has worked through injuries, including ruptured (and subsequently

K

reattached) tendons, bone spurs, and sore rotator cuff muscles. Four months ago at a bodybuilding training camp in Tampa, he outlasted men half his age during training sessions. The main motivations for his work ethic are his love of the sport and his love of walking out on the stage to demonstrate the fruits of all that labor.

Goodin’s mental strength comes into play when he focuses on improvement. His workout routine has changed little over the years, but his technique has become much more finely tuned. He feels he has a lot more control now. Mental toughness also gets him through the hard times. His favorite body part to work is legs, and he puts his through some savage workouts.

Occasionally, he may not feel like working out, but once he gets started, the “pump,” as he calls it, feels great and he loves having accomplished the job.

His high school football and track coaches helped Goodin develop his mental toughness. He noted that “suck it up” was a common refrain. Under his coaches’ tutelage, he learned that “the body can handle a lot more pain than you think it can.” Nowadays, he knows that he can work through most training difficulties and that things will improve.

If the hard work fails to dissuade beginning athletes from bodybuilding, being unable to follow a strict diet sometimes does.

Goodin said, “They just can’t give up the beer and pizza, and no amount of working out can make up for a bad diet.” His own fuel is high in protein, such as lean chicken breast.

He uses a moderate amount of carbohydrates,

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mostly low glycemic fresh fruits such as berries, cherries, apples, pears, and grapefruit.

His diet is also low in fat. After many years of eating with a purpose, he seldom feels the temptation to indulge.

As a personal trainer with a master’s degree in exercise science, Goodin trains people of various levels. About half of his current clients compete or plan to, while the others want to look better or attain a higher level of fitness. His youngest competitor ever was a boy of 15. His oldest was a man of 64. He also works with women, some of whom want to compete in bodybuilding shows. Most of his new clients already lift weights two to three times a week, but he welcomes people of all levels.

With so much success in his background, Goodin regretted selling Hyde Park Gym in 2006 after owning it for eight years. A 30 percent jump in rent, the opening of what he calls a “big box” gym nearby, and a decline in membership all occurred at about the same time. However, Goodin continues to train clients at the gym and believes that the local fitness business is picking up a little.

Current Hyde Park owner Brook Jones agrees. The gym offers members an experience that chain gyms can’t match—a quiet atmosphere where no music plays, machines with interesting variances achieved by local welders who built them, easy access to equipment and free weights where there is little crowding, and a do-your-own-thing atmosphere that welcomes everyone from high school students to people in their eighties. In addition to bodybuilding, Hyde Park is known for power lifting and Olympic lifting. Members are quite loyal to the gym with the giant, reddish-tan bicep hanging over the sidewalk. The gym opened 30 years ago and shows no signs of closing.

Right at home in this serious but welcoming gym, Goodin tells anyone, young or old, who might be interested in bodybuilding or any other sport to try many different types of exercise. Explore an activity you enjoy.

Aim for gradual improvement. He cautions

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P h o t o by L i s a B r e w e r

against “working so hard that you wind up punishing yourself.” Improving gradually begets a sense of accomplishment. “Always keep it fun,” he advised. The enjoyment of looking good and living a healthy lifestyle can keep you fit well into old age. As Goodin puts it in his tag line, “Train hard and eat clean!” afm J. Jody Kelly, owner of Strengthmobile, is an ACE-certified personal trainer who conducts sessions in the homes of the elderly or disabled. She races triathlons, lifts weights, and takes Pilates mat classes.

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Gear + Apparel + Gadgets + Goodies

Apparel Ford Warriors in Pink | Strength of the Warrior Yoga Pants, Warrior Tank Top, and True Warrior Jacket Where to find it:

www.fordcares.com

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hese 95 percent cotton/5 percent spandex pants and yoga top are perfect for yoga or other daily activities, while the all-season, waterresistant, partially lined jacket (made

by Under Armour) can be worn by men and women.

The Ford Warrior in Pink clothing line is part of the “Models of Courage” campaign to raise funds for breast cancer awareness. For 18 years, Ford has been supporting the fight against breast cancer, and this year’s campaign uses 11 men and women who are breast cancer survivors as models. Ford will donate 100 percent of the net proceeds from these sales to fighting breast cancer, with proceeds spread among a variety of organizations. To make sure your donation stays local, enter AUSTINWIP in the promo code box when completing your order. By doing so, you’re helping to provide FREE breast health services right here in Travis, Williamson, Caldwell, Hays, and Bastrop counties.

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Austinite Natalie Young, shown here, is one of the 2012 Models of Courage, and you can read more about her at http://komenaustin.wordpress. com/2012/01/23/natalie_young/ You can also view Natalie in Austin Fit Magazine’s Muscle Movement of the Month at http://ow.ly/dD9RC

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P h o t o by B r i a n F i t z s i m m o n s

Thinking of buying or selling Downtown or Central Austin?

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ooking for an affordable GPS system? If you have an iPhone, look no further than Cyclemeter. This app records your location, speed, distance, pace, elevation, and even approximate calories burned. Data can be tracked by routes and activity and can also be exported to a csv file. Although called “Cyclemeter,” the app lets you customize what kind of workout you are doing: running, walking, swimming, skating, and so on. Abvio also makes similar apps that are preconfigured for running and walking.

@ Combine Strength and Conditioning csccrossfit.com

Cyclemeter can be integrated with Facebook, Twitter, and even your email to automatically update your friends and family with a map of your location and average stats of your workout. It can be programmed to send updates according to mileage, distance, or time. It is particularly great for races: Your GPS location is updated every five minutes.

Also entertaining is the app’s ability to speak comments and replies to you from Facebook (with a variety of voices to choose from!).

What Makes It Cool:

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Goodie Fit Kit Plus | BlueAvocado Where to find it: www.blueavocado.com for the kit; components can be bought locally at TreeHouse (4477 South Lamar Boulevard, #600), Central Market, and Whole Foods Market locations

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he Fit Plus Kit is a three-piece set of reusable tote bags made from a special fabric constructed out of recycled fibers made from plastic bottles. Each kit can hold up to 35 pounds in combined weight and is machine washable. Two of the bags are called “hip pods” and are of a solid material; the third bag is a slightly smaller “mesh pod.” Though these bags are ideal for groceries (veggies in the mesh, for example, with other goods separated into the two remaining bags), the sturdy material and handy size makes them perfect for any number of uses. Paige Davis, one of the founders, had this suggestion: “People love using our bags for organization. The fact that they are machine washable (means) you can use the mesh bag for your shoes or dirty clothes, one of the pods for a change of clothes, and have an extra pod on you so you can run errands or take a trip to the farmers market after your workout.”

BlueAvocado was developed in Austin by three local ladies, Amy George, Paige Davis, and Melissa Nathan, and has gone to take the eco-friendly world by storm. Each BlueAvocado product comes with an eco-label that tells the number of plastic bags avoided per trip and by year and the amount of carbon emissions saved. In 2011, BlueAvocado’s REPREVE fabric upcycled as many as 805 thousand plastic bottles—and what’s more, the bags are stylish and fun. The bags can be bought separately or as kits and there’s a bag out there for every need.

What Makes It Cool:

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2012 Fall Shoe Review PERFORMANCE / NEUTRAL / MOTION STABILIZING

by Cregg Weinmann Running Network Footwear Reviewer

A

look across the landscape of running shoes for Fall 2012 reveals more product diversity than in any season of the past decade. The potential for confusion points to the need for education, and we cannot stress this message enough: Runners need to know what their feet are like and get the shoes that meet those needs. This knowledge is not static. Rather, it’s a constantly changing equation where factors such as fitness, injuries, aging, and weight gain/ loss, among other things, affect where you are on the running continuum. And you must monitor the role your shoes play in that equation.

Two trends continue, both related to shoe weight. First, 20 percent of the shoes in this Review are new shoes—all of them in the Performance category—so we know that lightweight shoes are readily available Second, more than 85 percent of the updated shoes are both lighter and a bit more expensive than the shoes they replaced. The maxim of the lightweight trend is apparently true: Less is more. That is, less weight costs more. The up-side is that the efforts to lighten these shoes have not compromised performance.

Some of the new shoes follow the path of lower-profile geometry, allowing even more running footwear choices. It has never been more important to know the characteristics of your feet and what footwear choices will work for your current fitness level and your biomechanics. It’s our hope that this Review will help you make great choices!

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2012 Fall Shoe Review

[Motion Stabilizing]

Adidas Supernova Sequence 5

$115

Round 5 of the Supernova Sequence features a few changes to a franchise shoe. The upper is breathable with soft, welded microsuede overlays, and synthetic leather at heel and toe. The lacing features a saddle-like design integrated with the logo stripes, but it’s decoupled near the bottom of the lace throat for better forefoot flexion. Adjustments to the last afford a better fit for a wider range of foot shapes. The midsole is the familiar, though reconfigured, adiPrene+, which provides a responsive feel to the forefoot. A slightly larger ForMotion unit in the heel provides a smoother ride, thanks to the heel bevel’s new sculpting. The ProModerator+ component has been dialed in to effectively support the sidewall. The outersole retains the proven Continental® rubber with blown rubber in the forefoot. Its combination of stability, cushioning, and size range earned the Supernova Sequence 5 honors as our Best Shoe in the Motion Stabilizing category.

Best Shoe Motion Stabilizing

[Performance]

ASICS Gel-Lyte 33

$100

The Gel-Lyte 33 harkens back, if only philosophically, to one of the most popular models in ASICS’ history, the Gel-Lyte. The thin, synthetic mesh upper is supported by welded overlays that provide just enough structure to keep the foot positioned properly. While spare, it doesn’t feel skimpy under the tongue or in the ankle collar.

The resilient, single density Solyte midsole flexes well and cushions without hindering motion. The new sidewall sculpting aids in the flexibility. The narrow waist (where the midfoot narrows into the arch) provides lateral support to the fifth metatarsal bone, noticeable but not uncomfortable. The outersole is carbon rubber, but only where needed for durability (nearly half the sole goes without). Its light weight, sleek design, and excellent cushioning were responsible for the Gel-Lyte 33 receiving our award for Best New Shoe.

Best NEW SHOE Performance

[Performance]

K-Swiss Kwicky Blade Light N

$135

The new Kwicky Blade Light N is the neutral version of the Kwicky Blade Light. They’re equals in every way but one: Here the midsole is a single density. The ride is a good blend of cushioning and responsiveness, thanks to the EVA Strobel board, GuideGlide, and midsole foam. The upper is an open stretch mesh for a flexible, seamless feel. A full-welded saddle secures the foot and there’s extra support from the thermoplastic device on the medial half of the saddle. The interior is cushy at the ankle collar, and the Ion Mask treatment keeps the shoe from absorbing extra moisture in all conditions. The outersole is carbon and blown rubber placed effectively only in the high-wear areas, providing durability without compromising flexibility. The mix of lightness, responsiveness, and performance earned the Kwicky Blade Light N a tie as our Best Performance Shoe.

Best Shoe Performance

Other Notable Motion Stabilizing Shoes: Mizuno Wave Alchemy 12—$115; New Balance 870 v2—$110; New Balance 1260 v2—$145; Saucony Progrid Omni 11—$120

2 0 1 2 Fa l l Sh o e R e v i e w

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2012 Fall Shoe Review

[Performance]

Saucony ProGrid Kinvara 3

$100

For such a low-profile shoe, the ProGrid Kinvara emerges in Round 3 with a highprofile reputation. The upper is a semi-open mesh supported with Flex-Film welded overlays and a synthetic leather toecap. The textured polyester interior and the foam lobes beneath the ankle have been retained as they effectively reduce weight and improve fit. The midsole features the same heel-to-toe drop (4mm) that’s been responsible for its success. Resculpting has improved the lateral release—the ability of the shoe’s heel to flex to the outside so the foot is discouraged from overpronating—and softened the ride a touch. The outersole is still carbon rubber on the heel and selected forefoot lugs, but it’s been redesigned to feel lightweight while providing a better touchdown. The outstanding ride, fit, and innovative use of new materials earned the ProGrid Kinvara 3 a tie as our Best Performance Shoe.

Best Shoe Performance

[Performance]

Nike LunarGlide+4

Best Renovation Performance

$110

The LunarGlide series has been a welcome blend of straightforward stability and innovative solutions. Version 4 overhauls both the upper and the chassis, lightening up the shoe in the process. The upper is an engineered mesh—smooth on the interior and designed to maximize evaporation—while providing support where needed.

The new lacing system extends the promise of Flywire more effectively, with new Dynamic Flywire strands that wrap the midfoot securely and gather in groups of three at the eyestay, providing continuous adjustment based on foot movement. In the midsole, the carrier foam has been pared down on the lateral sidewall to allow the Lunarlon to absorb shock more effectively, and the bottom of the carrier has been opened for better flexion. The cushioning, light weight, and variable fit earned the LunarGlide+ 4 our Best Renovation award.

[Performance]

Puma Faas 350

$85

The Faas 350 is the latest of the Faas shoes, and one of the most versatile. The upper is a closed, though breathable, mesh, and soft sueded overlays help the upper hold its shape but provide little more structure than that. The molding in the sole allows the foot to flex efficiently. Described as a racing shoe, it actually has more "oomph" to it. We say, with its light and highly flexible feel, it’s suitable for tempo runs or some shorter training runs. The midsole is Faas Foam, a very resilient and flexible EVA formulation. The ride is responsive with a good deal of proprioceptive feedback, and it features Puma’s lowest heel-to-toe drop (6 millimeters). The low-profile design makes it stable. The outersole is carbon rubber in the high-wear areas, and toughened and textured foam over the rest of the sole. The combination of lightness, fit, and especially the economical price earned the Faas 350 honors as our Best Value Shoe.

Other Notable Performance Shoes: Adidas adiPure Motion—$110; Adidas adiZero Tempo 5—$110; Mizuno Wave Precision 13—$110

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Best Value Performance

2012 Fall Shoe Review

[Neutral]

Brooks Glycerin 10 Best Shoe Neutral

$140

The Glycerin is Brooks’ premium neutral shoe, and the 10 focuses on “premium-izing” a few areas. The upper adopts a full rand for support, but in a scaled-back approach that relies on suede straps to provide a softer, but surprisingly tough structure. The midfoot TPU cage allows the lacing to flex where needed while effectively supporting the foot. The mesh is a new design with a more weatherrepellent microfiber element. Inside, a foot-conforming layer of foam with a textured surface keeps the foot in place. The midsole cushioning is now a plush blend of responsive performance and cushy protection. The sidewall grooves essentially turn the entire lateral side into an extended crashpad. The outersole has good longitudinal flexibility. The heel clefts are gone, but the keyholeshaped openings in the pods allow articulation. Its combination of protection, plush comfort, and great cushioning earned the Glycerin our Best Neutral Shoe honors.

[Neutral]

Nike Air Pegasus+ 29

$100

The Pegasus has a legacy that stretches back three decades— easily the longest run in the industry. The new upper is an engineered mesh, alternating open areas for breathability and closed areas for support. Welded supports—both internally and as an external saddle—provide security to the fit, and the eyestay is segmented into three pairs of eyelets, allowing them to flex separately as the foot moves. The midsole is Cushlon, and the crashpad has been removed in favor of a new geometry with sidewall grooving that allows a smooth lateral release and streamlines the transition. The outersole features a well-segmented layer of “environmentally preferred” rubber with waffles medially and a texture of tiny fins on the lateral side that add traction and a tactile feel to the ride. The net effect is a versatile neutral shoe for highmileage training.

Other Notable Neutral Shoes: ASICS Gel-Cumulus 14—$110; ASICS gel-Nimbus 14—$140; Brooks Dyad 7—$110; Brooks ghost 5—$110; Mizuno Wave Enigma 2—$135

Running Network, LLC Partners American Track & Field www.american-trackandfield.com; Athletes Only www.atf-athlete.com; Athletics (Canada) www.athleticsontario. ca; Austin Fit www.austinfitmagazine.com; California Track & Running News www.caltrack.com; Club Running www.rrca.org/publications/ club-running; Coaching Athletics Quarterly www.coachingathleticsq.com; Colorado Runner www.coloradorunnermag.com; Get Active! www.healthclubs.com; Greater Long Island Running Club’s Footnotes www.glirc.org; Latinos Corriendo www.latinoscorriendo.com; Marathon Guide www.marathonguide.com; Michigan Runner www.michiganrunner.net; Missouri Runner & Triathlete www.morunandtri. com; Running Journal & Racing South www.running.net; RunMinnesota www.runmdra.org; RUNOHIO www.runohio.com; Track & Field News www.trackandfieldnews.com; USATF’s Fast Forward www.usatf.org; USATF–New England’s Exchange Zone www.usatfne.org; The Winged Foot www.nyac.org; The Winged M www.themac.com; Youth Runner www.youthrunner.com

2 0 1 2 Fa l l Sh o e R e v i e w

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

The Fit Business Guide It’s incredible the number of fitnessfocused businesses that got their start right here in Austin—nationally recognized retailers, nutritional items, and fitness products—all of which started small and have gone global. Because of these homegrown successes, Austin has emerged as a city where fitness entrepreneurs can flourish. Our Fit Business guide gives you a glimpse of just a few companies that aim to help all of us feel, look and live healthier!

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

photo by Brian Fitzsimmons

Castle Hill Fitness | A Gem of a Gym! 1112 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78703 512.478.4567 castlehillfitness.com

L

ocated in downtown Austin, Castle Hill Fitness (lovingly shortened by many to "Castle Hill") focuses on creating healthy lifestyles through a variety of fitness and wellness services. A surprisingly large gem (a gem of a gym) hidden behind a small storefront on the corner of 12th and Lamar, Castle Hill provides a top-notch facility for clients to engage in strength training, Pilates, and yoga instruction and houses a health spa featuring acupuncture, skin care, massage therapy, kinesiotaping, and Structural Integration. In addition to private services, Castle Hill has 100 group fitness, Spin, Pilates, and yoga classes a week in 7 different studios. All classes are open to members and non-members alike.

There are also over 15 different special series and workshops that go on monthly. When it is time to get more in depth training in Pilates, Yoga, or to get your Boot Camp on, they have all the right resources for your focus.

Castle Hill wraps it all up in a very nice package too. They have 18 Certified Personal Trainers on staff with decades of experience helping clients make transformations of all natures from elite athlete to the beginning exerciser just looking to drop a few

pounds. You will find the environment unintimidating, relaxed, and clean. They have all the standard equipment you need plus some special pieces like a Treadwall, Jacob's Ladder, Power Plate, Bod Pod, monkey bars, and inversion tables that bring out the fun factor. There's not a "typical" member when you walk around the halls of the Castle. Every facet of the Austin community is served here: from the busy mom to the indie musician to the downtown businessman. Where ever you are in your journey to whole health, you will find your personalized path at Castle Hill with the help of their friendly staff.

Also nestled within the 20,000 square foot space is Castle Hill Cycles, a Pinarello dealer (the bike that won this year's Tour de France) and bike fit studio and Food for Fitness Cafe, a healthy, organic cafe and smoothie shop. Adjacent to the complex is the Studio, a rental space hosting nationally known instructors and programs year round. Overwhelmed? Don't be. Castle Hill is casual, funky, and fun for all who walk through the doors. You won't find another gym like it.

f i t b u s i n e s s Gu i d e

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Propaganda Hair Group 1611 W 5th Street, Suite 150, Austin, TX 78703 512.473.0700 www.propagandahairgroup.com

P

ROPAGANDA HAIR GROUP is a team of highly experienced hair stylists, chemists and makeup artists who are committed to education and have received national and international recognition. We are a group of educators, whose Senior Team have spent much of their careers teaching for national brands. We bring that level of expertise to you, the client.

PROPAGANDA HAIR GROUP offers a highly professional, approachable salon environment for male and female clients. We are located downtown Austin, Texas in the Clarksville neighborhood at the 5th Street Commons. The 1800 square foot salon is positioned in a multi-use building equipped with a free parking garage for retail patrons.

We present clients with an atmosphere that has every modern convenience, while maintaining an unpretentious, laid back vibe.

Owners, Lati and Sara Domi have had their share of exposure and experience. They place an emphasis on continuing education for "The Group", and use their aptitude for teaching to educate the staff in a variety of mediums, ranging from hands-on practical applications, runway environments, to photo shoots that put our artists on the set. "We feel being a multi-faceted stylist, chemist or makeup artist is the key to mastering the craft."

Lati, has taught classes and seminars on hair cutting to stylists and salon owners traveling to such places as Italy, Brazil, UK, South

Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada and every major city in the U.S. He's been seen doing hair for New York and Paris Fashion Week, The Sundance Film Festival and SXSW, in addition to being featured in Harper's Bazaar, Blender and People magazines.

Sara, author of makeup book "Paint by Numbers", works as an on-set makeup artist and hair stylist represented by The Kim Dawson Agency out of Dallas. She uses her eye for advertising campaigns like Neiman Marcus and Dillards. She has become a staple of the backstage hair and makeup team for Dallas Fashion Week applying looks for designers, Valentino, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, Donna Karan, Cavalli, Marchesa and Carolina Herrera. Sara has had over three hundred published pages and more than thirty national and international publications to her name including Harper's Bazaar, Allure and Vogue.

Our goal is to create a customer oriented environment where our clients will be exposed to current hair and makeup trends. We also thrive in preserving the integrity of the hair, by offering treatments that help repair and protect the hair from sun, chlorine and free radicals. Our products have been chosen specifically for an active lifestyle. We would love the opportunity to create a look for you that is versatile, easy to maintain and grows out beautifully, lengthening the time between each visit.

"We feel being a multifaceted stylist, chemist or makeup artist is the key to mastering the craft."

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Jason Lentske, Triathlete, Bicycle Sport Shop Sales Associate

Bicycle Sports Shop 517 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin TX 78704 10947 Research Blvd., Austin, TX 78756 9900 W. Parmer Lane, Austin, TX 78717 512.477.3472 bicyclesportshop.com

W

hile a lot has changed in the almost 30 years since the first Bicycle Sport Shop opened on Barton Springs Road in South Austin, our core values haven't. We're a company born out of a love for cycling with the simple goal of getting more people on bikes more often. To reach that goal, we focus every day on these four Bicycle Sport Shop priorities:

A Thoughtfully Chosen Selection of Bikes & Accessories Plus Services that Enhance the Cycling Experience

Every bike and accessory in our stores has been carefully selected for quality and performance by our staff of passionate cyclists.

We only sell the products we want to use, and everyone at Bicycle Sport Shop is thoroughly trained on everything we sell, including services like bike fitting. So when you come into any one of our stores, you can be confident you'll always get well-informed advice to help you choose products and technology that will make your cycling experience the best it can be. Whether you're a roadie or mountain bike

rider, aspiring triathlete, cyclocross enthusiast, BMX shredder, committed commuter or first-time rider, you're sure to find someone at Bicycle Sport Shop who shares your passion for cycling.

A Relentless Dedication to the Best Customer Service on the Planet

No matter what your level of experience is on a bike, you'll always find a welcoming, comfortable and fun atmosphere on our sales floor and in our rental and service departments. But don't let our laid-back Austin attitude fool you! Everyone at Bicycle Sport Shop is serious about doing whatever it takes to exceed your expectations.

A No-excuses, 100 Percent Satisfaction Guarantee

If we ever fail to provide you with the very best products or service, just tell us and we'll do what it takes to make it right. This 100 percent guarantee comes directly from our owners, Hill Abell and Laura Agnew. We welcome your feedback and promise to do everything possible

to make every visit to Bicycle Sport Shop a great one.

A Commitment to Community Outreach

While we're committed to an exceptional experience when you buy something in our stores, we didn't become an Austin institution by just selling bikes. We offer maintenance classes – many for free – through our Bicycle Sport Shop University. Beginner and advanced group rides leave each of our stores every week. We've developed clinics for kids, adults, beginners and experienced riders. And literally thousands of people participate in the Bicycle Sport Shop Signature Cycling Series each year.

We are proud of the Bicycle Sport Shop Mountain Bike Team and are fired up about the addition of our first Bicycle Sport Shop Cyclocross Team this fall. Bicycle Sport Shop is also excited to announce the formation of our new Bicycle Sport Shop Triathlon Club coming in January 2013! Watch our website this fall for details on how to join and the benefits of membership. f i t b u s i n e s s Gu i d e

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2012-2013 AFM Distance Challenge

13.1

10-12 10

10 9

9-10

8-9 6-8

Be in the magazine!

6-7

The male and female winners of the Distance Challenge will be featured in AFM.

6.2

Race line-up

October 7 > October 14 > October 21 > October 28 > November 4 > November 11 > November 18 > November 25 > December 2 > December 9 > (distances shown in miles)

Doubling Your Distance the Safe Way

I

IBM Uptown Classic 10K Oct. 7, 2012

by Leah Fisher Nyfeler

f you’re participating in the Austin Fit Magazine Distance Challenge (AFMDC), you’re already geared up for the first race on October 7, the IBM Uptown Classic 10K. New AFMDC runners have prepared by doing some distance, perhaps by running a 5K or 10K here and there in advance; for many, that 10K distance may be their longest run to date. Looking ahead, those same new runners will need to up their distance by another four miles to get ready for the October 28 Run for the Water 10 Miler.

And they must then continue to increase that distance in order to complete the Decker Challenge Half Marathon on December 9. That means that, over the course of nine weeks, new runners will be doubling their distance…while racing.

Perhaps you’ve heard the old axiom that runners should not increase their distance by more than ten percent a week. But where does that rule come from? It seems that this is one of those “facts” that has been passed along without any particular research to back its claim. It’s a lot like that “drink eight to ten glasses of water a day” guideline that people seem to accept but it’s unclear where the idea originated, as there are no studies which specifically support the claim.

Supposedly, runners who increase their distance each week by only ten percent can safely avoid injury. If we follow that guideline, then our new 10K runner who starts out with that 6.2 maxi-

mum distance on October 7 (week one) won’t get to 13.1 by race day on week nine.

However, a recent study done in the Netherlands does not support the ten percent rule. Dr. Ida Buist, Dr. Steef W. Bredeweg, Dr. Ron L. Diercks, and colleagues at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands found that there was no difference in injury rates between study groups who followed the ten percent rule and those who didn’t. So what’s a runner to do?

It always helps to consult the greats, and coach Jack Daniels, Ph.D., is a running great (no relation to the Jack Daniels you may be sipping in celebration of your AFMDC finish). In Daniels’ Running Formula, the coach talks about determining weekly mileage. Now, it’s important to look at ALL your running, not just what you’re doing for your long run—so those who roll off the couch and bust out a long run on the weekend without doing any other weekday runs are setting themselves up for real trouble. Runners should have at least two weekly runs to go along with that long run.

Daniels advises sticking with a set amount of total mileage (that’s all runs for the week, added together) for three weeks before bumping up to a new distance. If we follow that advice, then our new runner would need to hold the weekly distance s/he ran for week one for two more weeks.

So there would be an increase in week four and

Gazelle Foundation Run for the Water 10 Miler Oct. 28, 2012

ARC Decker Challenge Half Marathon Dec. 9, 2012

3M Half Marathon & Relay Jan. 13, 2013

Rogue 10K & 30K Jan. 27, 2013

(Continued on www.austinfitmagazine.com) LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon & Half Marathon Feb. 17, 2013

Scan this QR code with your smartphone for more information about the University of Groningen’s study on the ten percent rule

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FiTx3

Business as Usual

by Patrick Evoe

C

asual conversations with acquaintances or strangers about my career as a professional triathlete usually lead to a single question, “Is that all you do?” I used to be annoyed and mildly offended by this question. Even though I give my heart, soul, and every hour of every day to my career, I’d feel almost as if I had to justify to these people that it is indeed ALL I do. I now understand that they aren’t making a statement about the worth of what I do; rather, the askers are trying to understand my career and fit it within the paradigm of a traditional Monday through Friday, eight-to-five job.

When I decided to make racing triathlons my career, I don’t think I quite grasped the entirety of what that would entail. While

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the training regime alone constitutes a full-time commitment, the business side of racing is an integral part and also the most misunderstood aspect of this job. Usually, the follow-up question to “Is that all you do?” will be “So do you just go get sponsors?” I’ve learned not to take offense to this massive understatement, as most don’t grasp the work that goes into the business side of racing. Their perspectives are built on media portrayals like “Jerry McGuire” and around daily news stories about multimillion dollar contracts signed by superstar athletes. The reality is that business is the fourth discipline in triathlon, equally as important and almost as time-consuming as swimming, biking, and running.

Racing is fun, but I look at the entirety

of what I do as a small business that I own.

I am my own business manager, agent, publicist, Web designer, marketing head, accountant, and administrative assistant. First and foremost, I have to build a team and a support network. Although it appears triathlon is an individual sport, I would never make it to the start line without my support network of sponsors, family, and friends.

Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to partner with great companies in sponsor relationships. I use “relationships” because work with sponsors is always a two-way street. The biggest mistake that I see young or new professionals make is possessing an attitude of “I’m a pro; what are you going to give me?” My sponsors help me in different ways (services, products, or financial

support) and it’s my job to represent them in a positive manner and return value to their company in every way I can.

In my previous career, I managed relationships between a manufacturing company and its suppliers regarding quality, cost, delivery, and contracts. I’ve used this previous experience to manage my relationship with sponsors each season; the best analogy is applying for a job—except that I have to approach sponsors every year. Each fall, companies work on the next year’s marketing budget, so this is the time when sponsorship decisions are made. First, I try to find personal contacts at companies. I’ve tried the cold-contact approach dozens of times with companies to no avail. Like finding a job, making and developing a personal connection is the best way to succeed. Once I’ve made contact, I present potential sponsors with some form of proposal, sometimes a detailed marketing proposal with a business plan and other times, a race resume with a cover letter. Over weeks (sometimes months) of interaction, we work out whether the company and I are an appropriate fit and if there are opportunities there for me as an athlete. Every September through February, I go through this process dozens of times, and this takes up a big chunk of my free time. Luckily, the process can be streamlined somewhat as over the years I’ve come to develop long-lasting relationships with companies. The final step is closing sponsorship deals and negotiating contracts, acting as my own agent.

Not only do I act as my own business manager but I’m my own media consultant as well. I use my Web page (www.patrickevoe. com) as a way to keep my sponsors and the public informed happenings in my racing

career. It’s important to place new content on my website as often as possible in order to drive more traffic to it, so I write and advertise blog entries, create race reports, and promote other news. In turn, I report visitor numbers to my sponsors as a way to provide tangible marketing metrics and show exposure to their brands via my website.

When it comes down to it, sponsorship is part of a company’s marketing strategy, so I must provide evidence to my sponsors that their support is fully justified, and social media, like Twitter (@patrickevoe), is another means to provide tangible feedback. I also keep my sponsors updated with monthly newsletters and race reports, as I never want to be out of sight or out of mind when it comes to those who help support my career.

The remainder of my business time is dedicated to a variety of activities, such as correspondence. I receive a great number of emails with questions about training, racing, and nutrition. I try to answer as many as I can but, again, this takes additional time out of my training and racing. I also put on my administrative assistant/travel agent hat to organize all of my events and accompanying travel. For every race, there’s a process of interacting with race directors as well as coordinating and booking my travel. In addition to my blog entries on my website, I write articles for different publications (like Austin Fit Magazine). As with any other business, I must keep records and perform my own accounting. When I put all of this business management together with 30-40 hours of training time and the additional chores that go along with it, this career becomes far more than a full-time commitment—it is my life.

You can understand, then, when I’m asked “Is that all you do?” that I think to myself, “Yes; it’s ALL I do!” afm

Patrick Evoe Patrick Evoe, professional triathlete, has been a contributing writer in Austin Fit Magazine since 2009. Evoe came off the couch and into the world of triathlon in 2003 after moving to Austin; by 2005, he'd taken fifth place in his age group at Kona. He decided to go pro in 2007 and has had a distinctive and supportive sponsor in Little Caesar's Pizza ever since.

Currently, Evoe has placed in the top ten overall at 20 half-Ironman (70.3-mile triathlon event; 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and 13.1-mile run) and 11 Ironman (140.6-mile triathlon event; 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run) finishes, taking second place overall at both Ironman Louisville and Ironman Cozumel in 2011. For more information about Patrick, visit his website, patrickevoe.com, or follow him on Twitter (@patrickevoe).

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Swim

Trying out a Masters Swim Team

by Whitney hedgepeth

B

eing involved with swimming is what I like. It is what I know.

Right out of college, I was a sixth-grade Language Arts teacher. It was my first job (and a hard one, at that).

I knew quickly that it wasn't my calling. Having been a successful swimmer opened many doors and, luckily, I landed a job coaching age-group swimming at Longhorn Aquatics. I coached some of the top 12-and-under swimmers in the state of Texas. It wasn't a job I was going to make a lot of money doing, but it was a job I was very passionate about and one that fit my personality. When I woke up every day, I was excited to help improve the strokes and techniques of my swimmers. I watched them break meet and state records and go

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on to get college scholarships—and one even went on to become an Olympian. It was so rewarding and fulfilling to see these great kids grow up and be successful both in and out of the water.

Once I started having children of my own, I switched to coaching Masters swimming. The change was much harder than I expected. I went from working with fun, goal-driven kids to a large group of adults with many different reasons and agendas for swimming. I’ve found that 60 percent of my Masters clientele swim to prepare for triathlons, 30 percent swim for fitness, and ten percent compete in meets. Finding a way to accommodate and balance all of these different ability levels, ages, and goals has been quite the challenge.

Over the 11 years I have coached Masters

swimming (almost eight of them at Longhorn Aquatics), I have learned to LOVE the adult interaction and the quirkiness each swimmer brings to the pool. Each person has a story to tell; each person has a life outside of the pool that I want to know about and am fascinated by. I suppose a lot of my swimmers call me nosey but I am genuinely interested in how others live their lives. I like to know how many children people have, how many pets they own, who is married, what they do for a living, etc.

During an Olympic year, Masters swimming gets an influx of adults who are inspired to get back into the pool and join a swim group. There are many different Masters programs in Austin, and each team has a different feel and atmosphere. There is one out there that will fit each person's

personality. Almost all the Masters programs in town let new swimmers try out a practice for free to see what they think.

I recommend this, as I think it is the best way to find a group you feel comfortable with and one that fits what you are looking to accomplish.

To find out what Masters teams are in our area, go to the South Texas Masters website www.southtexasmastersswimming.com

To locate Masters teams around the country, go to the USA Masters website www.usms.org For information about Longhorn Aquatics Masters program, go here www.utexas.edu/longhornaquatics/

Once you decide to try out a team, email the coach and ask what is a good time to come in and find out what the team’s policy is regarding visits. You will need a good swimsuit and a pair of goggles that fit well. Almost all women and 70 percent of men wear a swim cap. Most teams use fins, kickboards, buoys, and paddles in their workouts, so I advise buying your own and using an equipment bag to carry them. Even if the team has equipment you can borrow, it is quicker and easier to have your own accessible at all times (and no telling whose feet those fins have been on or where that buoy has been—hehe). Lane Four Swim Shop is a great place to get this equipment as well as the Longhorn Aquatics

Store, located on the second floor of the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center.

Most of the Masters teams in the Austin area are not “learn to swim” programs and require some swimming knowledge and familiarity with swim etiquette as well as the ability to swim freestyle (at the very least).

Swimmers are usually put in lanes according to speed and ability so, when you visit a program, ask what lane would be appropriate for your skill level. If you haven't been swimming much (or at all), build into the workout. Do as much as you can without hurting yourself while still keeping it fun.

If you decide to join the group, try to swim a little longer or a cover a little more yardage each time you go to practice.

Membership fees and the number of workouts offered per week vary amongst teams. At Longhorn Aquatics, for example, we offer 11 workouts per week for $72 per month. Each team will also have a different focus and way of organizing practices. I like to organize my workouts by days of the week: • Mondays and Thursdays emphasize freestyle; • Tuesdays and Wednesdays are Individual Medley (IM)/stroke days; • Fridays focus on FAST anaerobic swimming; • Saturdays cover distance; • Sundays are sprints.

However, there are times where I just totally change it up to keep people on their toes. Surprises are always FUN!! afm

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Take a look at a typical week’s schedule with coach Whitney Hedgepeth and the Texas Longhorns Aquatics in AFM’s Web exclusive. austinfitmagazine.com

Whiteney Hedgepeth Whitney Hedgepeth, a two-time Olympian, seven-time National Champion, and former American Record Holder (200-yard backstroke), currently oversees more than 150 Masters’ level swimmers here in Austin at Longhorn Aquatics. She has been the head age group coach (’96-’99) and head National coach (’99-’01) and, from 2001-2004, she began coaching the Masters group. Hedgepeth has been the head Masters coach at Longhorn Aquatics since 2004, working with swimmers of all abilities, from newbies to former Olympic swimmers to professional triathletes.

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Bike

The Art of the Interval

by Trey Steele & Dave Appel | photography by Brian Fitzsimmons

N

o matter how long you’ve been riding a bike, there comes a point where you say to yourself, “I wish I were faster.”

Whether it’s catching every green light on your commute, winning the group ride sprint, or setting a personal best bike split, a desire to be faster on the bike is almost an inevitability of cycling. And yes, this also goes for those of you who have already convinced yourself you can’t get any faster on the bike. It all comes down to one simple word: intervals.

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Simply defined, intervals are periods of intense activity followed by periods of recovery. The duration and intensity level of intervals vary based on your current fitness level and training goals but, no matter whether you ride ten miles a week or 200, intervals should be a weekly part of your plan. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has made its way into most recreational sports including cycling. Numerous studies demonstrate that short workouts containing multiple periods of all-out effort deliver as much or more cardiovascular

benefit than long, slow endurance workouts.

Calling all triathletes! You’re already time crunched with trying to fit in training for three sports plus strength and core work. If you want to crush your bike split, stop going long and slow and start going short and fast.

But intervals are not just for triathletes.

They are for everyone who rides a bike.

Intervals don’t just make you faster. They help you burn more calories, lose more weight, and build a different part of your aerobic engine. When you complete an interval workout, your body will continue

to burn calories after the workout is over.

And the great news is that most interval workouts rarely last longer than an hour, so you get big calorie burn, great cardiovascular development, and solid muscle building all in an hour or less. Talk about turning cycling on its head!

How do you incorporate intervals into your training? At Cycle Camp USA, we use a variety of intervals to train our athletes.

We start by selecting one area of focus for our athletes, such as heart rate, distance, time, etc. Then we ask them to hold a high intensity level for the duration of the area of focus. If it sounds simple, it is.

As coaches with many years of cycling experience, we’ve discovered a barrier that prevents cyclists just like you from getting the most out of interval training.

Ready? It’s your brain. The first time you

try intervals, you’re going to think you’ve pushed yourself as hard as you possibly could. But you didn’t. And how do we know that? Because we work with cyclists just like you. And we have watched them the very first time they tried to push themselves to the edge of the aerobic abyss.

Try as they might, they just could not max out their intensity level. Why? When you start to perform an interval, your brain sends signals to get you to stop (think burning legs or searing lungs). It thinks you’re going to continue doing your current activity until, eventually, you keel over dead, so it activates what’s known as the “central governor” to try to shut you down.

But because you are a highly intelligent, evolved creature, your brain will learn.

After the first time you perform intervals and don’t die, your brain goes, “Oh, ok; so

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we’re going to do this from time to time. I get it.”

Once the brain gets it, the body is released to begin adapting so that it can perform high-intensity work with the least amount of effort. The cycle continues—you push yourself; your brain tries to stop you; you go just a bit further; the brain releases; your body adapts, and presto—you now find you can push yourself harder than you did when you started interval training. And you get faster!

This progression is why interval training works as a part of group fitness programs for riders of all ability levels. No mat-

ter your fitness level, you’ll push yourself harder than you ever have at your first class.

For some, it may be because there’s a professional cycling coach to offer “encouragement.” For others, it may be the spirit of competition found in a group.

So go for it! Hop on the bike and try just 15 minutes of intervals. Make it a consistent part of your weekly rides and you will be amazed at the results. Or come jump into a CycleFit class and see just how hard you can go. If you have any desire to increase your cycling fitness, then the interval cannot be beat. afm

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Current and former firsttimers who've trained with Twenty-Six Two (2005-2012) gather to celebrate. PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL CARMONA

Running a Marathon Can Be Simple—And Free

By Paul Carmona

R

unning is simple and free.

Running marathons is hard and often expensive. Getting from simple, free running to a marathon finish line is accomplished more easily with the help of other runners, either as “coaches,” mentors, or running buddies.

That help does not have to be expensive.

Indeed, help is very inexpensive—and even free for first-time women marathoners each year—when it comes from a group of dedicated marathoners in Austin.

Twenty-Six Two (TST) is a nonprofit club of about 250 marathon finishers who dedicate their time to bringing passion for the marathon to other runners in Austin. The club’s philosophy—“You don’t make a living off your running, so we don’t make a living off of you”—goes back to the group’s origins.

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In September of 2004, five Austin runners formed a nonprofit running club that focused on marathon training, especially for first-time women marathoners. All five of the founding members had run at least one marathon, and the group decided on the name “Twenty-Six Two” because it has significant meaning for marathoners. Although the words are simple, the meaning behind the words—the distance—is what makes the marathon special.

This new marathon club differed from other running groups around Austin in a number of ways. First, membership in the club was, and still is, limited to individuals who have completed at least one marathon.

Second, membership fees were ridiculously cheap, with one-time dues of $26.20 (another nod to the marathon distance). Third, the

club’s central mission was to train first-time women marathoners every year for FREE. Finally, although the club now offers free half-marathon training to anyone (member or non-member), the club was to be committed to one central focus: the marathon.

Today, in the fall of 2012, TST is training its ninth group of first-time women marathoners (still at no charge). Since 2005 the club has trained dozens of firsttime women marathoners and boasts a 100 percent finisher rate for those first-timers who completed the training program and made it to the starting line.

Meanwhile, Twenty-Six Two has seen a dramatic change in the size and focus of the group since its founding in 2004. The original membership of five has grown to 250, adding 15-25 members each year. The

one-time dues are still only $26.20, but the club now trains marathoners year-round for races across the country. Although the club charges a modest fee for training plans, the primary focus of the club is not dues, fees, or large groups. In fact, much like the intimate group that first trained in 2005 (ten trainees, one coach), the training groups remain remarkably small.

The typical TST member is not a “serial marathoner,” a record-holder in any athletic event, or a semi-professional athlete of any kind. In fact, a number of members run one marathon, join the club, train for maybe one marathon per year, and still show up to run with the group every week. On the other hand, the club does have its share of Boston Qualifiers and other extremely accomplished runners. One member was the recent overall female winner of the Austin Distance Challenge; there are a handful of “sub-3” marathoners; one member was on the cover of Runners World in 2012; another has run over 100 marathons; one has run 13 Boston Marathons in a row; and the list goes on. But again, the typical club member is someone who simply loves to run, occasionally trains for a marathon, and regularly shows up for the workouts just for the simple pleasure of running.

There is definitely a “family” feel to the club among its “regulars,” where everybody knows your name and your running experience. More importantly, no one has to be a veteran or long-time member to fit into the TST family. It is common for a runner to show up for the first time at a Saturday run, meet other TST members, and, within a week, end up on various e-mail, text, or online lists for weekly runs. Some members gather every Monday evening for track or

hill workouts. Others meet on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 5:30 a.m., Thursday evenings for a tempo run, or Sunday mornings for an easy run around Lady Bird Lake.

Throughout its growth, Twenty-Six Two has remained committed to the stated mission of the club, which is “to support marathoners of all experience levels— from first-time marathoners to advanced marathoners—and to promote the sport in and around Austin, Texas.” In keeping with that mission, the club provides management of the finish line operations of the Austin Marathon, something TST has done since the 2006 Austin Marathon. Every year, roughly 20 club members serve as managers and captains for everything from medals to water to bag drop at the finish line, and oversee approximately 600 volunteers on race day. For the last several years, TwentySix Two members have also served as the official pace team leaders at the 3M HalfMarathon and Relay.

Throughout all of its activities—formal training, social running, the Austin Marathon finish line, and the 3M Half Marathon—everything is member driven and member led.

Even the long run water stops are a group effort; about a dozen members share duties to provide water and Gatorade on the routes.

To cover operating expenses, TST charges a moderate fee for marathon training, but literally gives away half-marathon training, and invites all runners—members or not—to run with TST every Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday. Those who pay the training fee receive personal, formal training plans. But all runners—beginners and veteran marathoners alike—are welcome to run with TST at any time. afm

Paul Carmona Paul Carmona has been the Head Coach for Twenty-Six Two Marathon Club since 2004. He is a lawyer by trade, but running is in his blood. Carmona has run 24 marathons and has competed in over 40 triathlons, including one Ironman. Carmona is currently the Finish Line Manager for the LiveStrong Austin Marathon and is one of the founding pacers for the 3M Half-Marathon. His primary philosophy for marathon training is “stay healthy.” Carmona is married to another marathoner and TST member, Katie Carmona, and they have three children. When he’s not running, Carmona also plays soccer for a men’s Over-40 Premier team and coaches his son’s youth soccer team. To learn more about Twenty-Six Two, visit www.twentysixtwo.org or look for the club’s page on Facebook.

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Events Around Austin

Austin City Limits festival // Photo By K. Damo

Culture OCTOBER 6-7

AIA Austin Homes Tour Showcasing new or newly renovated homes from across the area, the 26th annual American Institute of Architects Homes Tour celebrates the talent and diverse designs of local architects. All 13 unique homes in the Tour represent the wide range of neighborhood character available in Austin. The tour has sold out for the past two years, so purchasing tickets in advance is recommended.

No cameras or camera phones are permitted. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

All over • aiaaustin.org OCTOBER 27-28

“Best place to cure what ails you”

Saturday Natural Talks Always free!

Check out our schedule of free Saturday talks on our website or pick up a schedule in the store.

Always empowering!

www.theherbbar.com 200 West Mary (off S. Congress) 444.6251

Texas Book Festival Free and open to the public, this event includes signings, lectures, and panel discussions to promote literature, libraries, and literacy in Texas. To support the Festival and its sponsored programs, enjoy a cocktail reception and dinner party with three headlining authors at the First Edition Literary Gala. Tables for ten are available in addition to a limited number of single seats. Or be one of over 1,000 volunteers that make the Festival happen from behind the scenes.

Gala: Friday, 6:30 p.m. • AT&T Conference Center • Festival: Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. • State Capitol Building texasbookfestival.org

FILM OCTOBER 18-25

Austin Film Festival A sign of the developing film industry, Austin—a recognized hub for the arts—presents this national-level film festival, which brings in big names and over 180 new films, whose screenings are available to all Austinites.

M-F 10–6:30 • Sat. 10-5 88

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Native Texan Robert Rodriguez serves as the honorary chair for the Film & Food Party hosted at the historic Driskill Hotel to benefit the AFF’s Young Filmmakers Program.

Passes for unlimited screenings are $65.

Single tickets are $10. Check the website for showtimes and locations. Thursday through Thursday • austinfilmfestival.com

FUN OCTOBER 12-14

Austin City Limits Music Festival Three days, eight stages, and more than 130 bands—the Live Music Capital of the World’s autumn salute to rock, indie, country, folk, electronic, and any other genre a music lover could desire. Bathe in the sonic bliss of headliners such as the Black Keys, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers alongside 70,000 other revelers. Arrive early to bask in the sun and tunes, and stay late to dance in the moonlight. General admission tickets sold-out, only VIP and Platinum ticket options remain and are available through the website. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. • Zilker Park • aclfestival.com OCTOBER 31

Halloween Downtown No words do the costumed chaos justice.

Squeeze your way through the masses to enjoy this infamous party, joining throngs of Austinites dressed as everything from naughty nurses to zombies. Enjoy the atmosphere of cheap drinks and easy fun as the streets close down for an all night celebration.

Wednesday • Sixth Street

OKTOBERFEST OCTOBER 5-7

Fredericksburg Oktoberfest Located 70 miles west of Austin, Freder-

Fredericksburg Oktoberfest //

icksburg hosts its 32nd annual weekendlong celebration of German heritage with the traditional cornucopia of food, fun, and entertainment for the entire family. Three stages of oompah music highlight this community event. Passes are available for one, two, or three days. Friday 6 p.m. – midnight, Saturday 10 a.m. – midnight, and Sunday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. • Marktplatz in downtown Fredericksburg • oktoberfestinfbg.com OCTOBER 6

German-Texan Heritage Society Oktoberfest Founded in 1978, the German-Texas Heritage Society has striven to promote and preserve the awareness of the German ancestry in the nation’s 28th state, which dates back to the early 1830s. The tenth-month celebration arrives again with all things distinctly and deliciously German—traditional music, food, and steinfuls of beer. Adults may Dunkel, Bock, or Hefeweizen to their hearts’ content while kids enjoy a bounce house and other activities. Zum Wohl! Saturday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. • German Free School, 507 East 10th Street • germantexans.org

OUTDOORS OCTOBER 27-28

7 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Palmer Events Center 900 Barton Springs Road austinyogafestival.com

SHOPPING OCTOBER 2

HAAM Benefit Day For one day, businesses will donate 5 percent of the day’s proceeds to the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. Musicians will be performing in retail stores and on outdoor stages for your entertainment.

Come listen, shop, and enjoy. Check the website for participating businesses. Tuesday, 6 a.m. – into the night • myhaam.org

(512) 442-6907 www.nilevalleyherbs.com www.mothermaryam.org

OCTOBER 26-28

Austin Record Convention This biannual convention boasts the largest sale of recorded music in the country— more than a million CDs, LPs, tapes, posters, and collectibles from the U.S. and Europe. Ardent audiophiles will find interesting and obscure items to add to their collections. Friday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (early shopper admission only), Saturday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. North Austin Event Center, 10601 N Lamar Boulevard • austinrecords.com

Eating shouldn’t be a mystery

Pantry Purge Cooking Lessons

Austin Yoga Festival A full weekend of more than 50 yoga classes, the Festival features workshops, information sessions, films, and special presentations, all designed to promote a healthier lifestyle through yoga. Both novices and lifelong practitioners are welcome. Outdoor activities in the Marketplace are free and open to all ages. Purchase tickets for indoor master classes and workshops to learn from nationally revered instructors. Saturday, 10 a.m. –

Meal Planning Grocery Store and Farmers Market Tours www.ditchthebox.com ditchthebox@gmail.com 512.294.2447 Events Around Austin

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Rides & Races Around Austin

Tough Mudder //

OCTOber October 5

Five55 Series Triathlon

18216 Weiss Lane, Pflugerville, TX five55series.com/race-info-austin.php October 6-7

IBM Uptown Classic 10K (#1 in the Austin Fit Magazine Distance Challenge)

IBM Campus near the Domain, 11501 Burnet Road, Austin, TX • uptownclassic.com

October 20

Spooktacular Seek and Sprint

Austin State Supported Living Center, 2203 W. 35th Street, Austin, TX • aussicfriends.org Vern’s No Frills 5K

Berry Springs Park & Preserve, Georgetown, TX noexcusesrunning.com Frankenthon Monster Marathon

Brushy Creek Park, Cedar Park, TX frankenthon.com/index.asp Donkey and Doggie Dash

Tough Mudder

Doc’s Backyard, 5207 Brodie Lane, Sunset Valley, TX • donkeydash.com

Bastrop Cowboy Boot Stampede for a Cure

Team LiveStrong Challenge Austin Bike Ride

Cross Creek Ranch, 2924 Highway 21 East, Paige, TX • toughmudder.com/events/austin-2012/ 733 Old Austin Hwy Bastrop, TX bastropchamber.com

October 21

2012 Kraut Run 8K

Palmer Events Center, 800 W. Riverside Drive, Austin, TX • livestrong.org/Take-Action/TeamLIVESTRONG-Events/Ride/Team-LIVESTRONGChallenge-Austin

Pet Fest 5K & Fun Run/Dog Jog

Cactus Rose 100 mile/50 mile/4 x 25 Mile Relay

Fredericksburg Middle School, Fredericksburg, TX • athleteguild.com/running/fredericksburgtx/2012-kraut-run-8k

October 27

San Marcos City Park, San Marcos, TX preventalitter.com/pet-fest-5k-run-walk

Hill Country State Natural Area, Bandera, TX tejastrails.com

Harvest Fest Family Fun Run

Austin Heart Walk 5K

San Gabriel Park, Georgetown, TX harvestfest5krun.org The Naked Foot 5K Multisport

The Quarries, Austin, TX • thenakedfoot5k.com October 13

Outlaw Trail 100 Cycling Tour

Old Settlers Park (Dell Diamond), Round Rock, TX • roundrocktexas.gov

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South 1st Street Bridge, Austin, TX austinheartwalk.org Dash for Dad 5K and 1-mile Fun Run

Camp Mabry, 2200 W. 35th Street, Austin, TX dashfordad.com/races/Austin/ October 28

Ironman 70.3 Austin

Walter E. Long Park, Austin, TX ironmanaustin.com

October 28

Run For the Water 10-mile Race (#2 in the Austin Fit Magazine Distance Challenge)

Georgetown Running Club River Relays

South First Street Bridge near RunTex Riverside gazellefoundation.com/runforthewater2012/

San Gabriel Park, Georgetown, TX georgetownrunningclub.com November 17

November

Vern’s No Frills 5K

Berry Springs Park & Preserve, Georgetown, TX noexcusesrunning.com

November 3

Formula Run 5K

December December 1

Run Pfor Your Life Pflugerville 5K

Pflugerville Lake, 18216 Weiss Lane, Pflugerville, TX • pflugervillerelay5k.eventbrite.com December 2

Jingle Bell 5K benefitting MADD

Circuit of the Americas Formula 1 Race Track, Austin, TX • site.runtex.com/index.php/2012/08/ formula-run/

Walk to Defeat ALS

Mueller Lake Park, Austin, TX web.alsa.org/Austin

The Domain, Austin, TX • madd.org/local/ offices/texas/events.html

PurpleStride San Antonio

Wild Hare 50m/50K/25K/10K

Schlotsky’s Jingle Bun Fun Run

November 4

ThunderCloud Subs 2012 Turkey Trot (5 miles)

December 8-9

OP Schnabel Park, San Antonio, TX purplestride.org/sanantonio

Bluff Creek Ranch, Warda, TX • tejastrails.com

Scott and White West Campus, Temple, TX templeparks.com

November 22

GSA (UT Graduate Student Assembly) 5K Run/Walk

University of Texas, Gregory Gym Plaza, Austin, TX • utgsa5k.com

The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Drive, Austin, TX • thundercloud.com/index.php/trot 2nd Annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K

Lions Park, Temple, TX • templeparks.com

November 10

Juggernaut Ultimate Extreme Adventure Race

2012 Tanger Outlet Turkey Trot (4 miles)

Stunt Ranch, 13317 Fitzhugh Road, Austin, TX beatthejuggernaut.com

Tanger Outlet Center, San Marcos, TX tangerturkeytrot.com

November 11

November 24

2012 Run for the Rovers

Old Settlers Park, 3300 Palm Valley, Round Rock, TX • bluedogrescue.com

Lights Spectacular 5K

Lady Bird Lane, Johnson City, TX jcfirstchristian.org

Austin Runner’s Club Decker Challenge Half Marathon (#3 in the Austin Fit Magazine Distance Challenge)

Travis County Expo Center, Austin, TX austinrunners.org/deckerchallenge December 15

Vern’s No Frills 5K: Race #45

Berry Springs Parks & Reserve, Georgetown, TX noexcusesrunning.com 5K Obstacle Course Zombie Race - Run For Your Lives

Big Longhorn Ranch, Cedar Creek, TX runforyourlives.com

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Rides & Races Around Austin

91

Kick Mo’s Butt! monicabrant.com

F.E.M. Camp with Monica Brant www.femcamp.com

Workout Workout Warm-up: two laps, easy pace

Sprints: 4x20m 4x40m 2x60m 2x80m Rest 10 minutes 800m at 50 percent effort 350m at 70 percent effort 150 at max effort

Plyos: 10x10 tuck jumps Rest 30 seconds between each

Functional Body Movements Involving Core: Planks, Spidermans, Leap Frogs (forwards and backwards)

Cool-down: one lap, easy pace

92

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Oc t o b e r 2 0 1 2

P h o t o s C o u r t e sy o f M o n i c a B r a n t

My Biz...

F.E.M. Camp

by Monica Brant

I

am excited to share what I fondly call “my business,” something I feel is very special, with AFM. Imagine flying to a variety of locations on any given Wednesday and taking two days to organize, plan, and adjust all details of a special fitness event, playing host to 20-30 ladies while providing educational seminars and intense boot camp-style workouts.

Topics such as healthy wellness and nutrition, modeling for beginners, poise and presentation, and the scoop on Figure, Bikini, and Fitness competitions (or just learning to walk gracefully in heels!) are all covered (among many others) over three days. Does this really sound like work? Some of you might not think so, but I promise you IT IS! The good news is that I LOVE what I GET to do and always feel completely blessed to have spent the weekend giving the attending ladies Fun, Education and Motivation (or, as I lovingly call it, F.E.M.).

I started F.E.M. Camp in Calgary, Canada, in August 2004 and then opened the first US location in California in September of 2005. At the present time, I am working on finalizing details for the eighth annual California camp.

My business partner, Lynda Thoresen, and I share camp responsibilities. We work well together and things always seem to flow, which I understand is not always the case with partners in a business. In 2004, Lynda was living in Canada and owned a training studio; she and I met by phone (another fun story, which I won’t reveal in this feature!) and found we shared mutual ideas on topics based on our experience and skill that we wanted to bring to the fitness community.

With our instant connection, we put together a camp designed to give back to those new fitness generations.

Keeping the business going takes a lot of effort. I don’t have a marketing team nor do I have a business manager; I handle these things as best I can. Social media and email marketing are crucial tools for me to raise awareness about the camp and its locations and dates. As with any business, we strive to keep content and sessions up-to-date and informative with what is current in the industry.

Each camp has top staff trainers, a nutritionist (at some locations; otherwise, I host this session), photographers, and makeup artists to assist in presentations.

Along with running the camp, it is crucial to keep myself well fed, hydrated, and, when possible, exercised! This is hard to do, as I spend many hours speaking and sharing in each session. Lynda, and I both bring cooked food to the camp locations and request refrigerators for our rooms, sometimes two if they are small! We make sure to have plenty of protein, healthy fats (primarily nuts, as they are easiest to manage), protein powder, and protein bars on hand at all times for quick meals with healthy options.

I’ll often jump in the boot camp session or on the track with the ladies, depending on what times I’ve found for my own workouts.

My favorite workout is doing sprints and plyometrics, where I can incorporate all kinds of functional movements to make a really great session. If I can’t find a track, I can make any gym work—even a little hotel gym can be useful. I can make a workout short and sweet by targeting one muscle group at a time and lifting heavy, which is very effective for quick sessions on the road.

I’m hoping to bring my F.E.M. Camp back to Texas! Watch for that announcement or look for another location if you’re interested in the attending by keeping an eye on the official website (www.femcamp.net) for upcoming 2013 dates and locations. Please feel free to email me personally with any questions at Monica@femcamp.net. I love to share what I do! afm Special thanks to my sponsors, Hair Goddess (http://hairgoddess.net) for continual great hair design and CryoStudio of Austin (www.cryostudioofaustin.com/index.php) K i c k M o ' s Bu t t

93

Muscle Movement of the Month

Blast Off with Powerful Legs

by Diane Vives, MS, CSCS | photography by Brian Fitzsimmons

H

ere is a circuit that is a surefire way to build overall work capacity (more work in less time) and a stronger, more enduring lower body. It’s a great complement to any type of training you may be doing currently and can be used as a metabolic “booster” for your overall program. It can even be a measuring tool to see where your current overall conditioning level is over time by experiencing how each phase of the circuit becomes easier or harder. What does increasing this kind of work capacity mean to you? Well, if you are running, it means better strength endurance, which boosts running performance. If you are targeting weight loss, the more work you can do in less time allows you to accomplish more within a training session, again boosting energy expenditure. Furthermore, if you are a busy person or one who travels often, this can be a great tool for getting some strength and conditioning with no equipment needed.

“Super legs,” as this circuit was originally called by world-

Phase One: 1. A (rest) B (rest) C (rest) D (rest) = one complete set 2. Complete three sets once a week for two weeks (Rest 30-60 seconds between exercises, and 1-2 minutes between complete sets) Phase Two: 1. A + B (rest) C + D (rest)= one complete set 2. Complete three sets once a week for two weeks (Rest 30-60 seconds between exercises and 1-2 minutes between complete sets)

renowned strength coach Vern Gambetta, is something that I have put into my training repertoire for over ten years. You’ll notice the circuit combines both strength and power endurance, both of which will positively affect your conditioning level. Like any new exercise or circuit, progression is the key to success. Research supports the concept that it is not necessary to train to failure or experience severe muscle soreness in order to see results (although many training cultures hold a contrary belief). Conditioning with this type of compound circuit (four sets of four different exercises) can be quite intense and definitely warrants following a volume progression in order to build safely while achieving the best results.

Before we introduce the circuit, let’s talk about how we are going to progress the circuit safely. In the box below, a letter identifies each exercise (for example, A=Speed Squats with High Arm Position); proper progression of the circuit is broken down by phases, each of which lasts for two weeks before moving to the next level.

Phase Three: 1. A + B + C + D = one complete set 2. Complete three sets once a week for two weeks (Rest 1-2 minutes between complete sets) Phase Four: 1. A + B + C + D = one complete set 2. Complete four sets once a week for two weeks (Try to complete each set in 90 seconds or less and rest for 1-2 minutes between complete sets)

A) Speed Squats with High Arm Position

B) Alternating Lunges

(20 repetitions) • Start standing tall with fingers behind the ears, elbows straight out to the side, and feet shoulder-width apart.

• Keeping arm position, sit back into a squat until thighs are parallel with the ground (chest is out and eyes are forward).

• Perform repetitions as fast as you can control while maintaining proper form.

(20 repetitions) • Start standing tall with hands in same high arm position and feet hip-width apart.

• Step out into a lunge while maintaining a vertical torso. Then push back from your heel.

• Repeat on the opposite side.

• Again, perform repetitions as fast as you can control while maintaining proper form.

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A

B

Mu s c l e M o v e m e n t

95

Muscle Movement of the Month

C) Box Shuffles

C

(20 repetitions) • Using a 6-12” box or step, start with one foot completely on the box in a flat position.

• Lean slightly over the front edge of the box, loading the foot resting on the box.

• Push though the box—be sure to get full extension of the ankle, knee, and hip—and then switch feet in the air.

• With the opposite foot completely on the box, repeat on the other side.

• Again, perform repetitions as fast as you can control while maintaining proper form.

• If you do not have a box or step available, replace this exercise with split jumps or scissor jumps.

D) Squat Jumps

D

(10 repetitions) • Start standing tall with fingers behind the ears, elbows straight out to the side, and feet shoulderwidth apart.

• Quickly (but with control), squat to parallel and then push through the floor to perform a jump.

• You do not need to get high off the ground, but legs should be fully extended.

• Control each jump. Be sure to land softly and quietly.

• NOTE: This last exercise requires only half the repetitions of the others because of the intensity of the movement!

So there you have it—a super boosting circuit to supplement your existing program and help you achieve that extra edge for performance and training results. afm Diane Vives, MS, CSCS, is an Advisory Member of the Under Armour Performance Training Council. An internationally recognized fitness expert, she has appeared in several publications such as Women’s Health, Shape, and Muscle & Fitness Hers.

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The 2012 Fit Company Challenge Results (Austin) Last May, business leaders throughout Austin came together for the Fit Company Challenge, an event to recognize, challenge, and showcase those professionals and companies that make health and fitness a top priority. After an exciting event bringing together inspirational business leaders from many different industries, we are honored to present the top finishers of the Fit Company Challenge.

Fittest Doctor Winners

Fittest Exec Winners

Tim Zeddies, Ph. D. Tim enjoys a bustling practice in clinical psychology and sports psychology. He is the consulting psychologist for the Texas Football program, and he consults with amateur and elite athletes of all ages. In his spare time, Tim enjoys time with his wife and three young daughters. centralaustinpsychology.com

Bucky Gardner Bucky Gardner is the Director of Risk Management at Green Mountain Energy Company. Green Mountain Energy Company is the longest serving green power marketer in the nation with a mission to “change the way power is made.” Headquartered in Austin, TX, Green Mountain’s commitment to a healthy environment extends to healthy employees, like Bucky. greenmountain.com Krisstina Wise Krisstina Wise leads one of most technologically advanced real estate companies in the country. Her firm, GoodLife Team, has been recognized by Apple Computer as a power user of Apple products, won the Inman Innovator of the Year award, and was recognized by The Austin Business Journal as one of the best places to work. Krisstina is a voracious reader, and is never far from her running shoes. goodlifeteam.com

Photo by Brian Fitzsimmons

Dr. Jessica Tranchina, D.P.T Physical Therapist Jessica is owner of PRIMO Performance and Rehabilitation and loves what she does which is evident as soon as you meet her. Get her talking about her passion for fixing people and you can tell that she loves her career. She has been practicing physical therapy for 13 years. She has a loving husband and precious 2 year old. Jessica boasted the best overall time amongst men and women and all age divisions at the Fit Company Challenge. primorehab.com

Runner-Up

Runner-Up

Tony Dale Tony, a British native, founded The Karis Group in 1996 to help individuals and groups that have not been able to afford adequate health coverage. thekarisgroup.com

Steven L. Henry, MD, FACS Dr. Henry is a double-board certified reconstructive plastic surgeon at the Seton Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, specializing in hand surgery and microneurovascular surgery. setonplasticsurgery.com

Tracy Diggs Lunoff Mrs. Lunoff is the Supervisor of Health Services for Austin ISD. Tracy is very passionate about the health and well-being of children and adults; specifically, how health impacts their ability to learn, be academically successful and productive. austinisd.org/wellness

Melissa Cady, D.O. Melissa Cady, D.O. works for Westlake Anesthesia Group and is boardcertified in Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. Dr. Cady also promotes 90-Day Challenges via Visalus. drbodybyvi.com

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Special Promotion

Fittest Entrepreneur Winners

Fittest Lawyer Winners

Fittest Fitness Pro Winners

Mark Cunningham Mark Cunningham is the owner of a 4 person technical staffing firm that finds talent for Austin’s software startup firms. Mark’s team makes an effort to eat healthy and live fit as a busy firm. "This is a special time to be living and working in Austin and we’re grateful for the opportunity.” thebiddingnetwork.com

Nicholas Pritchett Nicholas Pritchett is a graduate of Baylor Law School and a trial attorney at The Carlson Law Firm where he zealously represents injured clients throughout the State of Texas in personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death and product liability litigation. carlsonattorneys.com

Carey Rouse Carey Rouse owns Group4Fitness.com where their training program is extremely limited to those who are truly serious about lifelong fitness.

In addition to personal training, Carey is a full-time business consultant and enjoys road cycling and fitness competitions.

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Natasha Van der Merwe Tri Team Transport, provides triathletes with bicycle and race gear transportation to destination races. In between training 20-30 hours, as well as being a Triathlon coach, Natasha acts as the CEO for Tri Team Transport, handling all the marketing, logistics and communication with athletes and teams. triteamtransport.com

Alison Gardner Alison is the in-house counsel for E. ON Climate and Renewables North America. As a mother of three girls, Alison works out in the wee hours of the morning before starting her day. “I am truly blessed to live in a city with so many healthy options, have a job that I love, and a family that helps me juggle it all.” eoncrna.com

Photo by Kathy Whittaker Photography

Brook Benten Brook is Austin's only female RKC-certified kettlebell expert.

In 2012, she was a national finalist for Personal Fitness Professional's Personal Trainer of the Year. Her DVDs are sold at cardiopump.com. "Kettlebody

by Brook" was awarded Best in Class in 2011. brookbenten.com

Runner-Up

Runner-Up

Runner-Up

Frank Santos Frank Santos is the President and CEO of Santos Alliances, Inc., a leading public affairs firm servicing a myriad of clients representing a wide-array of industries and interests. santosalliances.com

Randy Christian Randy Christian is a trial lawyer at Bowman and Brooke LLP where he defends pharmaceutical and medical device companies all across the country. Randy competes in marathons and triathlons. bowmanandbrooke.com

Shawn Martinez Shawn and his wife founded FXfit in 2009, a personal training and fitness amenity development company. FXfit has 3 facilities and a fitness class at The Austin Stone Community Church. getfxfit.com

AJ Joe AJ Joe is passionate about promoting health and fitness to others. "The team at Austin Peak Fitness believes in changing lives forever for their members…physically and mentally!" austintrx.com

Nicole Goldstein Nicole Goldstein owns Rivas Goldstein, LLP, a health care law firm with her husband. Rivas Goldsetein, LLP represents home health agencies, DME companies, and other health care entities and professionals. rivasgoldstein.com

Sarah Stewart Sarah Stewart, Owner of Kinetic Fitness and trainer at The Hills Fitness Center, uses her vast experience to teach and train her clients for optimal fitness, performance, and nutrition! sarahstewarttraining.com

Most Inspirational Contenders Dr. Daniel Shaddock Dr. Daniel Shaddock is the owner of Absolute Life Wellness Center, a Marine Corps Veteran and the exclusive Chiropractor for Austin Independent School District. Shaddock is the principal sports and family Chiropractor. atxwellnesscenter.com

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Robyn Pettinger Robyn exudes passion. Not only for health and fitness, but for helping others get more out of life.

She owns two fitness communities, Boot Camp U and CrossFit REP. Both built on a strong foundation of knowledge and a passion for helping others. crossfitREP.com

By the Numbers Everybody wants good health—whether that refers to one’s business or one’s body. Here’s the fitness of business and the business of fitness by the numbers:

2

Dollars in billions made each year from the sale of Halloween candy, more than any other holiday in the year

10,000

Square footage of Well at Dell Fitness Center, the employees’ gym at Dell’s Round Rock, Texas, campus

344

28

Years spent by Finnish researchers studying a group of 800 workers; the study determined that there can be negative long term cardiovascular implications from not taking breaks throughout the workday

42

Average age of office workers in America

U.S. health care dollars in billions expected to be spent by 2018 due to rising rates of obesity, a 119 percent increase in just over a decade

5,000

820

55

Average calories burned per day by an employee who works a desk job

56

Billions of dollars given to businesses by the U.S. government to aid in providing health care for employees

Number of U.S. employers who currently offer company gyms

121

Height in feet of America’s tallest indoor rock wall, found at Stonework Silos in Carrolton, Texas

2

Millions of pairs of Reebok’s Zigtech shoes sold in 2010

3

Number of copies in millions of the P90X workout program sold since 2009

1,100

Average price in dollars of a stand-up paddleboard and paddle

Millions of dollars in annual income for celebrity fitness guru Jillian Michaels

15,000

50.2

30

Millions of people with a U.S. health club membership as of 2010

80

Percent of gym memberships that go unused except for the first days of a new year

9

Cost in dollars of the world’s most expensive bicycle

75,000

The mean cost in dollars to train for and then climb Mount Everest

2.07

Billions of dollars in total revenue for GNC, retailer of health and wellness products, in 2011

90

Reported worth in millions of dollars of women's Olympic All-Around gymnastics champion Gabrielle Douglas’ endorsement contract with Kellogg’s cereal

250,000

Average cost of a heart attack in dollars

Percentage of yoga practitioners with an annual household income of more than $85,000

400

Mileage at which the typical running shoes should be replaced

Billions of dollars in revenue earned by Whole Foods Market in 2011

20

Minutes it would take to burn five calories by squeezing a stress ball S o u r c e s l i s t e d o n www. a u s t i n f i t m ag a z i n e . c o m

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Austin Fit Magazine

Austin Fit Magazine

Review

Best Of 2012 Fall Shoes

October 2012 + The Fit Business Issue

Mario s Mendia Fuel Creates Food to Your Fitness

by Courtenay Verret

Meet an EightYear-Old MammA Jamma

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Can Water be Dangerous in Your Workout?

Mo’s F.E.M. Camp Combines Modeling, Wellness, and Beauty October 2012