The Race!!!!

The alarm went off early like any other day, but today was not like any other day.  Today was a day i had been anticipating for a while.  It was the day I signed up to run my first 5k. This does not seem like a long distance to much but to me it was more than the distance. It was what the run symbolized.  It was the culmination of two years of hard work and determination.  I felt a sense of nervousness i had not felt sine my wrestling days.  It was that competitive edge that i had lost so long ago.  I packed my stuff up and headed off to the run.  I got there and sat in my car and listened to my google play to get pumped for the next 30 min or  so.  I got out and mingled with the crowd a little.  I saw on old friend from high school and one of my best friends wife and sister.   I started to feel my stomach turn a little more.  I stepped  away from the crowd and gathered my thoughts as i stretched.  My mind went back to my wrestling days.  I uses to listen to the hardest rock or metal music i could find at that time.  I switched to google play to Hatebreed radio.  I stopped long enough to listen to the national anthem an watch the marathon and half marathon runners take off.  It was almost go time.  I felt my heart rate accelerate from the adrenaline rush.  There use to be no better rush than waiting for a big match and getting called out to take the mat.  I heard the announcer call out and tell everyone to get ready to start.  He directed the speedsters to come up front and the slower people to stay in the back.  I had  no idea what to expect since this was my first run.  So i opted to stay towards  the back.  As i stood there waiting for them to finish the countdown all i could think about was my wrestling days stepping on the line waiting for the whistle to blow for .  My coach would always have us visualize the match before it started.  We would always have our first three to four moves planned out ahead of time.  It was so crazy because i hadn't even moved yet and my heart was pounding.  Then the time had come.  The horn sounded and we where off.  

My first instinct was to take off like a bat out of hell lol.  Only problem was i couldn't.  There where so many people that from the time the race started to the actual time that i crossed the start line was almost two minutes.  It seemed like the longest walk ever.  As i got closer and closer to the start line the first stage of my emotional roller coaster began.  I started to think about how a little over two years ago I had to have my wife come pick me up from a 1/2 mile walk.  I thought back to the day i stood on that scale and saw 386 lbs flash back at me.  I thought about how i wasn't able to play with my kids without getting winded.  All these emotions hit me at one time.  I hadn't even crossed the start line yet lol.  Once i stepped over that line i began to run at a pace that was comfortable for me. As we headed down M st i felt like everything was going so fast.  I tried to focus on my breathing and not get to far ahead of myself.  I  was trying to just take in everything as it was happening in front of me.  I heard my Nike App say 1 mile 11:09.  I thought holy crap that 1st mile went by fast.  Old habits die hard first thing that popped in my head was wrestling.  Round one was over time for round two.  We headed out of downtown and into the residential area.  I was amazed on how many people were in front of there homes cheering us on as we passed by them.  Some homes even had water for us if we wanted it.  As we wound past Enselen Park they had a music group playing .  I don't know what they were playing because I had my ear buds in blasting my play list i had set up.  

I heard my app say 2 miles.  My time had gotten better by almost a minute.  Did that mile in 10:13.  This past mile was in the tree lined neighborhoods and the cold was making my legs stiffen up.  As we came around past the Great Valley Museum all i could think was round three lets finish strong.  So i picked up the pace a little bit and as we turned the corner the sun was finally on us.  I started to sweat more than i was before and decided to take off my wind breaker. I only regret this because it slowed me down some.  We came around and ended up on Ninth St.  They had a band playing under the bridge as we came through.  I didn't realize that the finish line was so close or i would not have messed with my jacket lol.  I also never realized that there where mile markers on the side of the road to let us know how much further we had.  I heard my app say 3 miles.  As i turned off ninth onto N st i could see the finish line.  I kicked it into what i would call high Gear (probably most peoples trot lol) I sprinted to the finish line.  The feeling of accomplishment was overwhelming.  My mind was filled with so many emotions.  My eyes began to swell up a little.  I walked past the water station grabbed a water bottle and went off to the side by myself to collect my thoughts.  I had accomplished my first official 5k Race.  I looked at my phone cause i forgot to turn off my app.  It said 34 minutes.  I was happy with that time.  I waited around for my friend Lupe and her sister at the finish line.  We made our way through grabbing our goodie bags and checking our finish times.  I was surprised that i finished two minutes faster than i had thought.  

I am super proud of not only my time but of finishing in the top 12 out of 32 in my age group.  The run was almost like a a summary of my life so far.  The first mile was the past. The 2nd mile being my present and the third mile being my future.  I was amazed on how much the running community is like the wrestling community that i have loved for so long.  There were many different runner from many different levels.  You had your distance runners your speedsters and your walkers.  All with one common goal to cross that finish line.  Not only did i find that competitive fire again but i also found a new love for running.  I cant wait to sign up for the next one.  I challenge anyone who hasn't done a run to give it try.  You just might surprise yourself and fall in love with it.

My Chocolate Tea Experience

Ok so who doesn't love chocolate?  Chocolate and I have had a long lasting love affair for some time now. I have also always had a love for tea as well.  So to say I was excited when I found out I could have both in one cup is an understatement! Have you heard of Tisano Tea? Well if not, you have NO idea what you’re missing out on!

This tea brings me back to my childhood, on cold mornings my mom would brew mint tea for us before school.  This tea gives you the “burst” of natural energy to tell your mind “Good Morning World”.  It combines the Organic Egyptian Peppermint and the refreshing organic cacao which creates a rich yet refreshing chocolate experience that lingers on your lips and brings me back to those cold mornings when I was growing up.

This was really my first experience making “loose leaf tea” I’ve always used the tea in a “filter bag” so this was a new experience for myself.  I would mix 1 tsp of the Tisano Mint Cacao Tea in my “Tea Infuser” with 8 ounces of boiling water, I’d let it steep for 3 to 4 minutes (as it suggests on the can),  As it steeps in the water you can really smell the mint, it literally “wakes UP your senses”.  When you’re drinking this tea you can actually taste the mint and chocolate, they blend well together for that minty chocolaty goodness that we all crave.

In India tea has its roots in Ayurveda, a holistic approach to medicine focusing on food and lifestyle.  From there, India’s most popular beverage – Masala Chai, “Spiced Tea” was born.  Tisano takes this 5,000 year old tradition into the 21^st Century.

Once again the Tisano teas have taken me back to my childhood.  The Chai Cacao Tea reminded me of the Mexican hot chocolate my mom would makes us after dinner.  As I was steeping and drinking this tea the aromas of cinnamon, cloves, and the chocolate filled my senses and reminded me of those evenings of my childhood. 

My recommendation would be that the Tisano Mint Cacao Tea would be a morning wake me up tea, something you drink in the morning to start your day in place of the usual coffee.  The Tisano Chai Cacao Tea is more of a mid-afternoon/evening, after dinner type of tea to soothe your senses before bed.

Both blends that I’ve had the opportunity to try were great but I would have to say the Tisano Mint Cacao Tea would have to be my favorite of the two. 

So you too can experience these greats teas too, Tisano allowed me to share the 15% discount with my readers and followers, use this code Tisanolicious15% when ordering your own wonderful tea from their website at www.tisano.com  

Also, use the following link for a chance to WIN a 4oz tin and two 12g samples of Tisano tea.

http://www.imfitpossible.com/#!Brands-We-Love-Tisano-Tea/cds9/CD480D3D-3CEA-4F46-8780-400405D6A9A1

My two year anniversary

Its hard to believe two years has passed since I started my journey. On march 10,2012  I decided to take back control of my life. I had went to my doctor after my best friend told me he was worried about me weight. I never realized how much my weight had gotten out of control. I avoided taking picture except from the neck up. I avoided scales and would rarely look in the mirror.  I figured if i didn't see the number on the scale or me in the mirror that i could avoid how unhappy i was with my weight.  It wasn't until my best friend told me that i was going to die young and leave my kids with no father that i really opened my eyes to what i had created. I was suffering from depression lack of self esteem.   I drank and ate thinking it would make me feel better.  But it never seemed to work.  The food or alcohol would only numb the pain i felt inside for a short period of time.  I went to the doctor the final time and when i saw 390 lbs flash i knew i had to do something.  The next day i told my wife Nancy i was going to walk a mile. She had a look of surprise and said OK.  i made it maybe a half mile down the road and had to call her to pick me up. every day i would walk a little further than the day before even it was just a step. I took me almost 28 min to walk that first mile.  I continued walking everyday building up to 3 miles day after a few short months.  The weight was coming off and i joined in shape city in turlock after seeing a friend of from high school worked there. i started weight training and continued walking. i still had no clue on what i was doing. I logged my food on the app my fitness pal.  It was hard for me to go to the gym.  I was intimidated and felt embarrassed because i saw all these ripped guys walking around throwing up a bunch of weight. I finally went as far as i could and had to ask for help.




I had met Bill Sienerth at the San Jose Fit expo in July 2012.  Hew was the only person who actually talked to me and that actually listened to what i had to say.I will never forget when he told me he could train me.I was thinking yeah right. The one thing that stuck in my mind was when he said i will change your life.  We stayed in contact over the next few months via twitter and facebook. It took me a few months but i finally took that step of faith and signed up with Bill. he told me to get ready cause he was going to help me change my life.  I was a little over 310 when i started the program.   he designed a program for me and my goals.  The first month i lost over 25 lbs.  the weight continued to come off.  At my one year Weigh in i lost 125 lbs in the first year.  But it wasn't just the weight loss that was victory.  It was the start of a whole new lifestyle.  I knew that in order for the weight to stay off it couldn't be a diet it had to be a lifestyle change.  The second year was about not just losing weight but also growing mentally.  I have had the opportunity to do things i never would have been able to do if i hadn't gone for that walk that day.  I had the opportunity to be on stage with Bill at the la fit expo. I had the opportunity to be a brand ambassador for Gnc. I think the greatest thing i have gotten is a better quality of life not just for myself but for my children,. The past year has had its up and downs.  Its Victories and its failures.  I take the failures as lessons to learn from.  I still struggle like everyone else does.  I have my good days and my bad days.  the key is not allowing those bad days turn into weeks or months.  I struggled in December after getting denied for skin removal surgery.  I sometimes  would look in the mirror and still the fat guy looking back at me. I don't see the physical results as much as i would like but i know that i am not the same person i was yesterday and wont be the same person tomorrow.  I continue to press forward and try to focus on the now.  I take the tools I've learned and try to apply them on a daily basis.  Sometimes it takes more than one try to get it correct but the key is to never give up.




So today marked my two year anniversary of my journey.   i hit some am cardio and them the scale.   i weighed in at 230 lbs.  I am proud of what i have been able to do over the past two years. I know that there is no end to the process just new beginnings and will continue to learn new things everyday.  Here is to a great 2014 filled with new adventures and new opportunities.  I was so excited to find out today that i was accepted as as FitFluential Ambassador. It was  like a birthday present for my two year birthday lol.






I would like to thank my wife Nancy for supporting me over the past two years with my journey.  I would not have been able to do it with out you and your support.  Here is to a great 2014 filled with new adventures and new opportunities.