Chicago Athlete January 2013

Thanks for the article Kate Bongiovanni and Chicago Athlete!

Check it out here on page 34!

Goal #3: Branch Out and GROW!

Okay, this is definitely not a SMART goal.   Not specific, measurable, or time- sensitive.  But it is attainable and relevant.  I have been working hard on a few things that I hope will grow my business, my brand, and help me reach that many more athletes.  I am motivated by helping others reach their goals and 2013 is going to be an absolutely amazing year to get that done.  Sometimes it just takes getting a little bit out of that comfort zone to make the biggest things happen.  First branch is starting next week- Sprint and Strength at Well-fit.  I will be teaching this class starting Wednesday, January 9th and would love for you to join me!

Goal #2: Have a hangover free year.

I woke up yesterday, on the first day of 2013, without a hangover. And it felt good. Sure, I drank plenty of champagne on New Year's Eve but I didn't even finish my last glass, knowing it was not going to contribute to anything good. I live a healthy life- I workout, get plenty of sleep, and eat pretty well. One nasty hangover, even infrequently, can just make you feel gross. Why spend most of my days trying to feel my best and then destroy that feeling with too much to drink? Am I going to give up my wine and bubbly in 2013? No way! But I think I can be smarter about how much one body really needs. Here's to a headache free 2013!

2013 Goals: Write Them Down

As I write this I'm driving home from a fun filled 48 hours in Wisconsin Dells. It was a great trip with good friends and lots of laughs. Yesterday while we were playing a cutthroat game of Rummy, my friend Jill made us take turns sharing what had been great about 2012 and what we wanted to accomplish in 2013. As much as we teased her for being so "deep" I loved the exercise. What struck me, however, was that I knew what had been great about 2012, but I wasn't exactly sure what I had WANTED to accomplish last year. All my preaching about writing down your goals and I hadn't even written my own down.

So this year, I'm doing it. Each day I am going to post loud and proud one thing I want to accomplish this year. I'm not one to get too excited about new beginnings or fresh starts, but I am pretty fired up about 2013. I have a lot planned and a lot I want to make happen - it will be fantastic to look back in one year and see if I followed through. Not sure how many days it will take to put it all out there but I'm guessing at least a week;) Here goes....

2013 Goal #1: Finish Ironman Wisconsin, preferably in a best time, even more preferably before the sun sets on September 8, 2013.

Tell me what you want to achieve this year!
-Coach A www.sparkmultisport.com

December/January Newsletter

Spark December/January 2013 Newsletter

New Year, New You Challenge

  If you are interested in making some serious changes in 2013 contact angela@sparkmultisport.com for more info!

10 Life Lessons from Thailand

Yes, this is a triathlon blog, but I am pretty sure I can use some of these lessons and apply it to my training and racing.  Maybe you can too!

1.  Hot weather brings out the worst in me.  Yeah, those of you who know me already knew that.  

2.  Having no control over a situation gives me serious anxiety.   Picture this, in a cab stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, miles from your hotel with no alternative route.  I was the only one freaking out.   

3.  If you prepare yourself for the worst, it probably won't be as bad as you think.  Case in point- bringing my two year old on a 16 hour plane ride turned out to be a piece of cake.  

4.  Kids are awesome.  Not once did my daughter complain about the heat, the traffic, the jetlag, anything.  She was either sleeping in her stroller or laughing.  I think I should try to behave more like that.  

5.  Thai massages are amazing.  As stated in last week's post.

6.  If you expose yourself long enough to something that really really freaks you out, it won't freak you out after a while.  Let's just say there was a large invasion of ants in one of the bedrooms I slept in.  By the third day I hardly noticed.

7.   American bathrooms truly are wonderful.  Just be thankful.

8.  The more you get out of your comfort zone, the more adventures there are to be had.  Almost every experience I had in Thailand was a new one.  It was pretty cool.

9.  Elephants are my new favorite animal.  Ok, probably can't apply this to triathlon training but they are friendly, intelligent and surprisingly coordinated. 

10.  Traveling is amazing, but doing it with friends and family makes it even better.  Thanks to my parents for all their help, Peter for being an awesome host and Gene for your hotel/airline points.  Being with all of you created memories to last a life time!!

-Coach A www.sparkmultisport.com