New Year’s Note by Coach Dan Potts
Hi guys- Just a final note on the year. I’ve never been a big fan of New Years resolutions, but I do like reflecting at this time of year and having those honest conversations with ourselves. It’s our chance to begin anew and let the mistakes of the previous year fall away. Ultimately this thing called life is our chance to grow, Mentally, Physically, Spiritually. It’s the reason we exist, and part of that existence is our travel in and through our challenges, trials, pain, and conquering our fears. It’s a joyous process, but one that has a better chance of success if we indeed are aware of it. So,…
There Is No Finish Line
“Beating the competition is relatively easy. But beating yourself is a never ending commitment.”—Nike, There Is No Finish Line ad copy Since the moment I saw this image, from Nike’s “There Is No Finish Line” ad campaign, I was inspired. Everything about it was—is–me. When I first laid eyes on it, in college, I was weightlifting with equipment that looked a lot like that, in a room that looked a lot like that, and wearing outfits that looked a lot like what the model is wearing. I fully admit to wearing those tall socks too (which I only figured out many years later were highly unflattering on me!) Most importantly,…
A New Year’s Note
There’s a collective energy in the air at this time of year. Wafting all around us are feelings of freshness, motivation, potential for change, new opportunities, and chances to make ourselves and our lives better, promoted and perpetuated by newspapers, magazines, books, social media, our friends and family, and of course, ourselves. I’m a sucker for it, as I think most of us are. I love starting fresh in the New Year! Usually, we fall back on New Year’s resolutions which don’t tend to lead to lasting change (to which I can definitely attest.) In fact, nine years ago in my very first column for My Edmonds News, I suggested…
Audit and Edit Your Fitness Regimen For Winter
Lately, it hasn’t felt in the Seattle area as though winter is near (and hardly even fall) although this may have changed by the time this column is published. In fact, this is the perfect time to take a good look at your current exercise program and think about how you may want to prepare for a smooth transition into colder darker weather. Whether or not you take note of seasonal-related adjustments in your exercise routine, there is always a certain degree of adapting and altering as the weather changes. But it makes for an easier transition to consciously prepare and plan. Consider the following ways to audit and edit…
An (extra)ordinary Father’s Day
Last summer, as I sat there one day at my dining table (AKA my office) I could hear my parents in my kitchen making themselves lunch. It was just another day out of the five weeks they stayed with us, visiting from New Zealand. I could hear the low hum of their casual conversation and the sounds of their food preparation and cooking, nothing special. But something on that random day caused me to pause, get fully present, and take it in. I felt a deep poignant blend of love, nostalgia and memory. I knew, even then, I would forever remember that moment of comfort and familiarity and stability that…
How do you want to show up for your future self?
This has been an unprecedented and overwhelming year. Even as we move into winter, Covid is not letting up. Our lives have been compromised by the significant consequences of this pandemic and we all feel the cumulative and collective stress and worry. We’ve figured out various ways to cope this year, and with good reason to do so; if a pandemic doesn’t give us license to do whatever we have to do to keep our chin above water to get through this, then nothing does! Consider what habits you have leaned into this year as a survival mechanism. Are you overeating? Drinking too much or too often? Not exercising enough…
Get Back Into The Working Out Game
After an unexpectedly intense workout this morning, I found myself crying. This is not unusual for a lot of people who work out hard; sometimes, after pushing your mind and body, it’s easy to find yourself overwhelmed with emotion. Just about all of my clients get emotional at some point during our work together. This is not the first time I have cried post-workout (or, sometimes during!) But today I cried because the workout was hard. I mean, really hard. It was only my third strength workout after almost two months of inactivity, and I was humbled. I was frustrated with myself, for allowing myself to become so de-conditioned. And…
Back to Basics with the Whole 30 Diet
For those of us looking to meet our health and fitness goals there are many eating plans from which to choose. Take your pick! Paleo, Vegan, Mediterranean, Whole30, DASH, Raw, Keto . . . to name just a few. Each plan comes with its own set of promises of what you will accomplish through it . . . and plenty of limitations and restrictions. One factor that everyone can agree on, however, is that it is beneficial to eat more fruits and vegetables. (However, the quantity and type of fruit and vegetable is still up for much debate depending on the diet.) With our busy lives, it is far too…
When Indoor Cycling Becomes A Community
Years ago, I heard a reverend say to her parishioners, “If you can’t find the faith you need then you can borrow it from me.” Similarly, in my role as a strength coach and trainer, I provided energy and motivation to my clients that they may not have been able to find within themselves 100% of the time. But last year, as I struggled to make sense of my new life after relocating to Texas, I wondered who—or what—would provide me with the motivation that I was unable to find anywhere within myself. Isolated in a new location, limited by an ongoing painful foot treatment that prevented me from walking,…
How One Minute of Daily Breathing Changed My Life
One year ago, on the fourth anniversary of my late husband’s death, I huddled in bed to stay warm, utterly alone, defeated, and hopeless. It was 20-degrees outside and the furnace was broken, my husband Eric was out of town and the pain from my foot treatment was opioid-level agony. I knew I had to do something. I was struggling. Just a few months earlier, we relocated to Dallas for my new husband’s work and the opportunity for the future that it presented. Although exciting, I was devastated to leave Edmonds and the community I had built up after many years, not to mention my business, my loyal client base…
