RUNNING AUDIO RESEARCH GROUP WANTED

“Imagine Training Your Brain So You Could Double – Even Triple –
the Effectiveness of Your Running Workouts by Simply Listening to a 31-Minute Audio”

Due to my great working relationship and running career with fellow runner/business owner, Tom Trush, of Phoenix, Arizona, a.k.a. “The Running Audio Guy“, I am putting together a test/research group on the power of audio suggestion while running/working out that can make a difference in your running career and training.

After coaching thousands of runners all over the country and after racing both competitively and non-competitively all over world as a seasoned marathoner and Ironman Triathlete, I have experienced and overcome many personal mental hurdles and coached thousands through their own mental obstacles when it comes to training and, ultimately, how it can transform your life.  I personally don’t know anything more powerful than the experience of setting a physical cardio goal, breaking through the barriers/obstacles along the way, and crossing that finish line.

Did you know that running is 80% mental and only 20% physical? 
Some coaches even say running, or any cardio training, is 100% mental.

Do you know anyone that is looking to improve their running?
Or simply tired of their same old boring workout routine?
Someone who is training for a marathon and could use a mental boost?
Someone who runs by themselves and wants a “coach” to keep them going?

I am looking for 15-20 runners/cardio lovers (or even haters) who want to take part in this FREE opportunity and introductory nationwide running study I am conducting in the month of March.

WHAT’S INVOLVED?

You get a free mp3 audio that you can download and use for your running (valued at $27) pleasure. Simply have this added to your mix on your IPOD and use while running.  This audio is yours to use for life and will train your brain, as you train your body.
Then log or journal what you are noticing about your running and about your thinking/mindset as a result of listening to this audio.
After each week of a four week period, I will assess your running progress, your mindset and what your experience will be.  Based upon your involvement and the findings we create, you may receive more freebies after the study.

Please contact me ASAP so I can add you to my research group.  Time is of the essence, as I want everyone to start March 1st or shortly after (this weekend).

NOTE:  You have until midnight of March 1st to contact me via email to sign up for this initial study. 

Our hope is, that through this study, you will find “Why Some People Run Mile After Mile with Seemingly Little Effort … and How You Can Do the Same Without Struggling Through Boring Exercises, Vicious Diets or Complex Routines”

Please forward this on to anyone you know that might be interested in joining this free study/opportunity.

“Bid me run and I will strive with things impossible”  -Shakespeare

Experience the “fitness effect” of good nutrition and regular exercise.

This came from a fellow health/wellness colleague of mine, Peggy Schwartz, who is offering up a 90-day challenge that provides supplemental nutrition.  I have taken Juice Plus myself before and know that it can provide great support to those bodies that haven’t already found a healthy balance in supplemental nutrition.  Please review this if you are interested in supporting your health in the next 90 days.  This may be a transformational experience for you! 
NOTE:  I am not endorsing Juice Plus, however, am wanting to share another alternative to those of you who may not have found what you are looking for with your supplementation needs.

Nutrition and exercise are both important to a healthy lifestyle, yet we often overlook the relationship between the two.  A balanced combination of good nutrition and regular exercise can have powerful effects. Good nutrition not only provides antioxidants and other micronutrients that help you stay healthy; it also provides the fuel that your body needs for optimal performance – and to help protect it from the rigors of exercise, such as oxidative stress.

U. S. Dietary Guidelines (www.mypyramid.org) recommends that adults should eat 7 to 13 servings a fruits and vegetables per day, depending on age, gender and level of physical activity. The USDA also recommends 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity most days of the week. Children and teenagers should be physically active 60 minutes a day.

The Juice Plus+ 90 Day Fitness Effect is designed to help you bring together those two important elements of a healthy lifestyle – good nutrition and regular exercise – in a way that can help you make both a permanent part of your life.

Take Juice Plus+ as recommended –every day!

Juice Plus+ provides added whole food based nutrition from 17 different fruits, vegetables and grains in convenient and inexpensive capsule form.  It has been clinically documented to help support your immune system, reduce oxidative stress, help protect your DNA and impact key indicators of cardiovascular wellness. These are important attributes of good health for everyone of course, but especially for those who exercise. Serious athletes have more oxidative stress and need extra nutrient for performance, protection and recovery.

Complete the Juice Plus+ 90 Day Fitness Effect and become eligible for an added reward!

To encourage people to exercise and eat well, a special promotion is available for new customers who sign up to take Juice Plus capsules before February 28^th. At the end of 90 days take the Fitness Effect Survey and you will be eligible to receive a free product reward of a complementary 2 month supply of either Juice Plus+ Vineyard  (nine grapes and berries) or Juice Plus+ Complete (whole food based nutrition in a meal replacement drink) when you reorder your second carton of capsules.

“When it comes to exercise and nutrition, we need to bridge the gap between what we should be doing and what we’re actually doing…Taking Juice Plus+ every day helps bride the nutritional gap.”

Jeff Olson - two-time Olympian and three time U.S. national downhill ski champion

For more information contact: Peggy Schwartz at www.peggyschwartz,com; peggyy@cox.net or call 949-455-3600

“Only thing we have to fear is fear itself!”

That is a quote I heard a long, long time ago, sometime in my child hood.  It was said by our 33rd President of The United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, during his inaugural address.  He assumed presidency during the height of the Great Depression in 1933.  It just so happens that The Great Depression was the last time our country was in a severe economic crisis.

Now that we have experienced a similar time in our World’s economy now, I have heard the word “fear” and “afraid” more and more often.  Our television media seems to enjoy reporting about it every night on the evening news.

I know I have experienced fear in different ways. 

At different times of my life, I have had fears, or worries that stem from fear, ranging from, ”Will I pass that test?”  “Will I be able to finish this race?”  “Will I be able to pay my mortgage next month?”  “Will I ever get married?”  “When is the best time to let my employees go and what will they do in making a living once I let them go?”  “Do I really have to get on the 5 freeway in that crazy traffic, again?”  “What will happen to my parents when they get to the point where they can’t take care of themselves?”

And my list could go on……however, how about you?  What different levels of fear have you experienced in life?   Think about that for a minute.  I bet you don’t have to think long…..

Fear comes in many different shapes and sizes and can change forms throughout our lives.  I think fear is what makes us human and gives us the opportunity to grow, learn and support one another through challenging times.  Fear can be our friend, if we let it.  One can not have courage and bravery without fear.  (ie FDR’s additional quote in his inaugural address concerning the Great Depression and fear, “This is no unsolvable problem if we face it wisely and courageously.”)

Yet, how we choose to handle and work through our fears is another story.

What inspired this article was a radio conversation I heard the other day on a local station that shared a news story about a study done in the Netherlands by scientists who have created a new pill that can help block fears in our minds.  In an online story, Bad memories erased with a pill , I discovered more specific information about this study and the pill intself.  It seems to erase our bad memories (which can cause/encourage fear to grow and stay in our mind for a long time) while it “targets nerve receptors in the part of the brain known as the amygdala, the region which helps you learn and respond to fear and create memories, the researchers say in supplementary material” from the study.

I’m not sure I would want to take anything that does anything to influence my nerve receptors and erase my brain in any way. 
How about you?

Medical ethics devotees, according to the article online, were opposed to this pill/drug concept.

“Removing bad memories is not like removing a wart or a mole. It will change our personal identity since who we are is linked to our memories,” Dr Daniel Sokol, medical ethics lecturer at the University of London

“Before eradicating memories, we must reflect on the knock-on effects that this will have on individuals, society and our sense of humanity.”

I couldn’t agree more.  Why is it that we are always looking for a quick “fix” to our fears and concerns in life?  Does a pill solve everything?

I don’t believe that pills are the answer for resolving, or overcoming, our fears.  There are healthier ways. 

Here is a list of my “Top 5 Secrets To Overcome Fears.” (although, I didn’t really keep them secret….)
This is a list of things that I have found that worked for me, my clients and/or colleagues/friends in the coaching and health/wellness industry.

1.  Acknowledge/accept that you have a specific fear.  Once you are conscious of it, you are halfway there in overcoming it!  Fear starts in the mind and the body/Spirit usually follow where the mind takes them.  If you don’t admit you have the fear first, your body and Spirit can’t follow the shift that the acceptance will take you through.  Mental clarity is a key here.

2.  Seek help, ideally professional, and/or even just friends.  Whether you are in a 12-step program, a Bible study group or have a small circle of friends you can confide in, just start talking about the fear and identifying with it.  Once you share it and receive encouragement, coaching and support from those that care about your well-Being, you are in good hands.  No one succeeds alone - and I guarantee you are not alone in having the fear you have.  By reaching out, you may find someone who has the exact same fear and could use your support as well.  I have used many coaches and friends to help me through my own fears.

3.  Exercise no less than three times per week, 30 minutes minimum (ideally 60 minutes).  Exercise stimulates the brain and the neurotransmitters/nerve receptors in the brain that keep you focused and thinking clearly.  The adrenaline rush alone can heighten your confidence and feelings of self-worth when you feel good.  Exercise can do that for you!  Focus more on exercises that expand your breathing and force you to improve cardiovascularly.  Exercising with a group or a partner also makes it more fun, brings about the possibility of laughter and happy emotions will flow more often, versus fearful.  Setting that fitness goal and achieving it can be just like overcoming a fear, teaching you how to persevere through pain. 

4.  Eat right and fuel your body with proper holistic supplementation.  As our economy appears to struggle and the finances are low, our diets are compromised.  We go to the McDonald’s and other fast food, less expensive, places that have super duper low prices and great deals, a.k.a. “twofers” (anyone hear about the two sausage and egg mcmuffins for $3.50?).  What you put in your body, both in food and in supplementation/vitamins, does affect your brain, and ultimately your association with fears.

5.  Have courage and move forward.  Fear can be paralyzing to be sure.  Zig Ziglar created the acronym for fear that I love and use often.
False
Evidence
Appearing
Real
Fear is a very valid feeling, yet based on false beliefs and usually past experiences.  Moving beyond those and even verbalizing to yourself that you are bigger than your fears is HUGE!  Don’t give up!  Your fear may never officially leave you (because it does serve a purpose at times to motivate you), however, once you make fear your friend, you will have stood tall and grown through the process, knowing when to ignore this newfound “friend” and when to acknowledge “him/her”.

One last note through all this.  Be patient.  Rome wasn’t built in a day.  Neither will our economy be built back in a day or a month or, possibly, even a year.  I know I have accepted/embraced that.
Your overcoming fear process is a journey, just as is your own success.

Here’s to your transformational journey!

 Lois Tiedemann Koffi

949-940-0399

I recently came upon a great video from CBS that shares the medical data from doctors that prove that running adds years to your life (and, of course, life to your years!).

CLICK HERE to see for yourself.

Happy Running!

Lois Tiedemann Koffi

Recently, more often than usual, I have been asked the same question about running and injuries that people associate and blame on running.

I have heard this “myth”, as I will call it here, literally hundreds of times ever since I began my running career at age 18.  And it is simply not true.  I thought this was a good time as any to help shed some light on what I believe is the truth (some of you may argue and I would gladly discuss this with you further).

MYTH:  Running is bad for you because it causes injuries, mostly to the knees, hips and feet.

TRUTH:  Running can help your body, which was predisposed for this specific injury you now have, discover the aches and pains.  Running does not cause the injury.  It can help you create balance and better health in your life. 

Just as with any symptom of pain that shows up, your pain in the knee, hip, foot or anywhere else in your body, stems from your basic habits in your life since birth.   Any unattended trauma to your body, an unhealthy ongoing eathing lifestyle, poor posture due to computer work, etc., etc. can all aid and transform your once perfect baby’s body into a doctor’s dream patient!

Case in point for myself.  After running consistently for two years, I found myself injured for over four years with a severe case of plantar fasciitis in both feet (a very rare occurrence, as most people - runners and non-runners - usually only have it in one foot).

Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammatory condition of the foot caused by excessive wear to the plantar fascia that supports the arches of the foot or by biomechanical faults that cause abnormal pronation of the foot (note that it did not say caused by running).

What I found, after seeing several physical therapists, having cortisone shots in my feet, getting orthodics especially made for my feet, sleeping with boots on my feet, getting weekly or monthly massages, going to yoga class 2-3 times per week (and the list goes on), the running I did actually helped me discover the real cause of my aches and pains.

Due to life events and over the course of time of walking on pavement, wearing shoes that weren’t proper for me, experiencing different traumas to my body over my entire lifetime, not going to a chiropractor regularly and keeping my body in alignment, etc., etc., my body was very, very dysfunctional and way out of whack.  Hence, causing the plantar fasciitis.  It would have happened in this lifetime no matter what I did - running or not. 

Thank God for running, otherwise, I would have never discovered the importance of a fully aligned body and would not have developed a solid core (mid-section), as well as gone to see my chiropractor regularly.  Those have been the keys to my success of having a strong body and a healthy/balanced running career.

Oh yeah, and I have not been injured since 2004, after I found my personal trainer who salvaged what was left of my healthy body and got me back on the roads running, biking and swimming again so I could complete my first Ironman Triathlon in 2005.  I also got rid of my orthodics within that same year.

So, the next time someone tells you that “running is bad for you”.  Just simply smile and tell them that the opposite is true.  In fact, it is what will save your life and lead you to many long years of balance, healthy and a functional/symmetrical body!

The key is to never give up and never go it alone.  Allow a coach, a trainer, a chiropractor or a massage therapist help show you the way to health.  You may even have to go to multiple resources until you find the perfect one for you, just as I did.  And that’s okay.  The long-term benefits of running far outweigh the short-term time you may get to rest and cross train.  If you have the desire to run, keep persevering until you find the true cure/cause of your pain.  Then running will always be there for you, no matter what.

And, if there is anything I can do, let me know!

Yours in Transformational Success,

Lois Tiedemann Koffi

949-940-0399

Here’s to your healthy running career!

**A special thanks to my fellow writer/author and home town Iowa friend, Lucas De Koster, who now resides in Hong Kong.  It was his inspiration in his book compilation of newspaper articles, entitled, “Not Yet Home”, and his one amazing article on Lincoln that I read this past week, that inspired this article.   Keep that inspiration coming Luke! 

This week (February 12th, 2009) our country is celebrating what would have been the 200th birthday of the 16th President of our great nation, Abraham Lincoln.

I wasn’t alive at that time, however, Lincoln has been on my mind a lot this past year, really several years of my life.  Whenever I have felt down or uncertain about a goal, a dream or a desire, I always looked to Lincoln’s life as a great example of perseverance and unwavering leadership of self and others.

I believe Lincoln was one of the greatest leaders of our time.

When one thinks of a leader, often times they are the most educated, the most courageous, the most eloquent people that stand out in a crowd anywhere they go, right?  At least when you look at our past presidents (Bush 1 & 2, Clinton and Reagan), didn’t they come into leadership that way?

Leader is defined this way on www.dictionary.com,   Lead”er\, n. 1. One who, or that which, leads or conducts; a guide; a conductor. Especially: (a) One who goes first. (b) One having authority to direct; a chief; a commander.

Yet, what do you know about Lincoln?  What formed his leadership ability to make him the leader of our country in times such as the Civil War era?

Let’s take a quick peek at his life.  And while we do this together, I encourage you to compare your own life and your own leadership to Lincoln’s.

Lincoln was born to uneducated farmers in a rural area of Kentucky.  He came from very humble beginnings and reportedly only had 18 months of formal education himself, mostly educating himself and being a great reader of books on his own time.  There was no Harvard or Yale in his blood (in fact, his son Robert Lincoln was the only one in their family that would go on to college and it did happen to be Harvard)

Leaders know a little (or a lot) about moving forward inspite of what “others” think or say about them and where they came from.

Lincoln didn’t seem to mind that he did not have a big background in education and lost his job and was defeated for state legislature in 1832, then failed in business in 1833.  Yet he bounced back and still became a state legislator in 1834 in Illinois and a lawyer in 1837, where he began his charge againstly slavery less than 30 years before taking the oath of office.  Nothing seemed to stop this man from pursuing great opportunities to serve people and his state/country, in spite of a simple background.  He was fearless and never took no for an answer.

Leaders know a lot about failures (a.k.a. “setbacks”) and successes.

Lincoln would then go on for the next 20+ years to experience the death of his sweetheart, nervous breakdowns, defeats for Congress/House, be defeated for nominations and renominations, rejected as land officer, and the list goes on until 1860.  You can review his list of achievements as well by clicking here.  Yet, it was all of those “setbacks” he experienced, with a few wins along the way, that brought him to become the leader our country so desparately needed

Leaders never give up. 

Lucas De Koster points out in his book, “Not Yet Home”,

**When he became president, Lincoln had to deal not only with a rapidly fracturing country but also with a fractured party.  Several men had gotten their sizable egos bruised by not being chosen as the Republican candidate in 1860…..His (Lincoln’s) solution?  Name them to his cabinet…The men continued to feud with each other….and…privately complained about Lincoln’s leadership and dropped hints about replacements - usually themsleves….(Lincoln) steadfastly refused to keep grudges, absorbing the insults…at considerable damage to his own image and re-electability…

(De Koster writes) Leaders treat others better than deserved, sacrificing their own name to maintain harmony amongst the community…They realize that hate is rarely a personal matter.

One last thing I know for sure, there is a very eerie and striking similarity in many ways to our current President and “Honest Abe”.  President Barack Obama, also a man who entered the presidency from the state of Illinois (just like Lincoln), has been compared to Lincoln in many ways today specifically in the fact that they both entered into leadership as our country was enduring a nationwide crises.  Lincoln got to battle the South in order to keep our country together and abolish slavery during a very well known and well fought war in The Civil War.  Obama coming in now to save our nation’s economy in the greatest economic struggle since the Great Depression.

Ironically, because of Lincoln’s leadership throughout defeating slavery in The Civil War, our country is able to have a black President today.  Not many leaders can say that their effects are still felt less than 200 years later.

Leaders leave a legacy that impacts lives for generations to come.

If you are still reading this, I hope you found encouragement from this article. 

I hope it gives you a different perspective into your own leadership, maybe even leading you to think not “What Would Lincoln Do?”, or what would anyone else do for that matter, but rather, responsibly ask,
“What Would I Do?”

If you want some help or a free 30-minute coaching session to discuss your leadership skills and what you can do to keep moving forward in your own journey, let me know!  I’d be happy to help you discover that leadership potential you have within you.

Leaders also know that no one succeeds alone.

Here’s to you and your leadership abilities, because I know you have them and I know they are great.  Whether you responsibly lead yourself, others or a large contingent, you are a leader.  Every day and every moment of every day.

Yours in Transformational Success,

Lois Tiedemann Koffi

949-940-0399

I found myself in the middle of I-5 traffic in the 80 degree sultry southern California heat, running mildly on time to an appointment, when the traffic came to a dead stand still. 

Then “it” happened.

I suddenly felt trapped and unable to move, unable to breathe normally, sort of a victim of traffic and the fear of being late for my appointment.  Only, this wasn’t a normal type of fear one has when running late. 

I briefly had a vision, as well as a very, very strong urge and desire, to get out of my car and run for the nearest exit.  I was sweating.  Couldn’t breathe.  And felt as if there was no escape.

“It”, what I was having, was a panic attack.

This was not all too new to me.  I flashbacked to the severe one I had in November due to a really bad nightmare that woke me up in a panic, filled with fear, dread and anxiety at a level I had never experienced before (and, frankly, never wanted to again).  I had trouble sleeping after that one.

Needless to say, back on the 5 freeway, I knew what was going on and quickly regained my wits and maneuvered my way to the farthest right lane and got off at the closest exit (thanking God it was so close to where the attack occurred).  I took the back roads and got to my appointment late, more grateful than ever to just get there safely, getting out of my car and into a cooler environment.

After overcoming the embarrassment, shame and drama that the panic attacks have brought into my life, I decided to do some research and found, much to my relief, that panic attacks  are very normal.

1 out of every 75 people in the world experience them at least once in their lifetime.  The symptoms are all set on by stress and overwhelm in one’s life and occur most often in the earlier years of one’s adult life (20s/30s).  Yet they can happen later in life too.

Yet, how could someone like me, a healthy athletic individual, experience this?

What set mine off was also a very, very common occurrence.  I discovered online at my favorite pregnancy website, www.babycenter.com, that pregnant women can experience panic attacks for the first time simply because they are pregnant!  I read that many women don’t even have to experience them in the first pregnancy, several had them with second or third pregnancies.  Pregnancy causes a lot of new stressers in a woman’s life (and a man’s) - and not just hormones are causing this. 

I am not alone.

Then, when I started talking more about what had happened to me, I discovered those closest to me in my life (clients, best friends, business partners) had all had panic attacks at one point in their lives or another.  I was blown away!  These were/are all very normal, happy, healthy people - even athletes!  I felt even more encouraged.  How come nobody ever talks about this stuff?  I had originally felt so alone and so fearful that I was losing my mind!

Have you ever had a panic attack?

If you have, the first thing to realize is, this is totally normal and okay.  Even though there are chances of panic attacks  actually becoming a disorder are there, one has many options/choices as to how to go about preventing that from happening.  Trust me on this one - I have found many, many ways.

Here are some things you can do to help you with panic attacks, if you have ever had one or think you might be having one, or know someone who has (in no particular order):

1.  Do as much deep breathing as possible.  This will help calm your nervous system, your mind and your entire body at the end of the day.  Just remember to breathe.

2.  Seek help.  I talked to a great therapist, my spouse, as well as several friends I trusted who understood what I was going through (or maybe didn’t exactly, yet could talk me through it, pray for me, share affirmations, etc).  You are not going crazy and the sooner you realize that through support, the sooner you’ll realize it will all be okay.  Do your research online too, however, talking to the right professional that you trust is the best place to start seeking help - you never know what you might read/find online.

3.  Take care of your health through a balanced diet.  Lots of sugar, caffeine, etc., can attack your adrenal system and throw your body-mind balance off completely.  Make sure you get plenty of greens and vebetables, lots of water and curb those sugar/caffeine fixes if at all possible.

4.  See a massage therapist, chiropractor or any other holistic type doctor.  Keeping your body aligned and moving freely does your body good in so many ways!  It keeps all systems flowing!

5.  Laugh often.  Whether it is at a funny movie, joke or just yourself. 

6.  EXERCISE!  This is one that I have been missing more than most and undoubtedly is the number one stress reducer of all of these.  Move your body.  Sweat.  Join that gym.  Run with a friend or two and enjoy the social aspects of exercise.  4-5 times per week is ideal, even if for just 30 minutes per day.  Heck, even just 10 minutes per day.  Whatever you can fit in will change your life.  Setting a goal to run a marathon or something that seems bigger than you (in a supportive environment, of course) can help overcome many fears you might have in other areas of your life.

7.  Rest as much as possible.  Meditate every day.  Do whatever it takes to keep your mind/body/Spirit at rest and balanced.

8.  Take some of the load off your plate.  More than likely you are overstressed and could do some “taking out of the trash” to relieve that burden you carry.  Cut out some appointments out of your day.  Make an appointment with yourself to just sit back and relax.  Or, at least, don’t put your appointments too close together (so you don’t stress over being late!).  Don’t answer the cell phone every time it rings.  Prioritize your life.

9.  I believe that, unless your panic attacks become disabling and even therapy doesn’t help, medication can be your last resort.  Definitely see a doctor to determine this.  However, before you medicate or get to that point, seek out holistic/natural alternatives, such as Stress J, a holistic support product, or Nutri Calm, or Rescue Remedy, are all great natural aids.

I could go on, however, I think you get the idea.

I’m glad that I had these panic attacks, if for nothing else to realize that I am not alone.  And if anything, I hope it can help even just one of you to relax and rest easy.

Here’s to your health!

Yours in Transformational Success,

Lois Tiedemann Koffi

www.LoisTiedemann.com