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March Star of the Month – The Talbingo Timetrialler!
Talbingo Technician, Ben Marshall, approached me August 18’. I suspect Ben’s interest in me came from the ‘obvious’ (healthier) transformation of fellow Team Talbingo Member, Andrew Symons.
Ben’s natural (larger) size was a huge asset when playing representative rugby in his younger years. Now, 40, and with a young and very active family, carrying additional and unnecessary kegs makes life harder. And, statistics suggest will likely lead to a (health) risk.
Ben’s yearly weight increase and the consequent dip on lifestyle energy, was a result of the ‘typical’ middle-aged lifestyle.
• Work commitments,
• Tired, and too tired for activity outside work,
• ‘Higher’ complex carbohydrate choices; bread, pasta, white rice, & root veg,
• Snacking on ‘energy pick-up’ processed choices,
• Rarely eat breakfast, snacked around 10 am, off the charts hungry at midday, and enough food at dinner to feed five, and,
• A few evening beers while watching mindless drivel on the TV.
Apart from unnecessary weight gain making life uncomfortable, Ben tells me, those close him have made it clear he could snore for Australia. **Statistics say 9/10 male snoring is caused excessive weight in the form of fat. Males store ‘some’ fat in the back of the tongue.
Ben’s simplified 6-Week reboot plan looked like this;
Weeks 1-3:
» Prioritise Breakfast; Starting with a ‘grainy’ breakfast – The Nutritious Nine – CLICK
» Eat enough to satisfy his hunger until 12.30.
» Lunch now features more ‘good’ fat but generally lower in caloric volume.
Note – like many Aussie men, if Ben doesn’t switch off his hunger trigger with sustained slowly metabolised choices, he WILL go searching for unfulfilling pick-up food – which – drives weight gain.
» Dinner – Ben chose a protein choice, but not from a box, he added a little good fat, steamed whatever garden veg he likes, and, for weeks 1-3, only, avoided alcohol.
» He cleaned up his old faithful mountain bike, investing in a much needed new chain!
» Ben rode 15 minutes, daily. Yep, 15 minutes, only. He ticked off these sessions on his planner.
Week 4-6
» Breakfast is still King, but we changed to a more hearty ‘quick’ cook up – CLICK
» Lunch now involves choosing between three protein choices, only, while adding leafy options.
» Breakfast & lunch are deliberately repetitive, which, some may call boring! Boring works!
» Dinners are now family friendly, but again, avoiding unnecessary sweets and complex carbs.
» He now spends 30 mins each day in the saddle, with a time trial test every 3-Weeks with the coach. If Ben fails to hit a personal best, through lack of training, he will perform the Timetrial with the Coach, twice.
» He also throws in daily sit-ups & push-ups.
Weight: lost 16kgs
Waist: lost 9cm
Snoring: Now bearable! Ben claims his daughter (in the adjoining room) has claimed, Daddy is like a mouse! I will be seeking clarification on this!
Daily energy: from 3/10 to 9/10.
Good work, BM!
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February Star of the Month – A family affair!
I met Cooma Engineer, Martin Beattie, 12 months ago.
On first impressions, apart from being a ripping bloke, it was clear Martin’s current health mirrored about 80% of younger Australian Dad’s. That being; 1) gaining unnecessary weight, 2) decreasing postural balance, and 3) lowering daily energy. And, as a consequence, his collective ‘motivation’ was dimming.
Like ‘many’ hardworking Australians raising a young family, Martin was finding it challenging managing his best health. Meaning, structured exercise, appropriate food choices and prioritising nutritious sleep fell second to work and raising his busy family.
Most of us know the outcome; the output for work, parenting, play, and self, runs at 50%. 50% is sub-optimal.
From experience, I made clear to Martin; we needed the buy-in from his family. His families moving and eating choices needed an alignment. Thankfully, Martin’s wife, Jo, was well up for ‘necessary’ changes.
The Start.
» 3 x 20-minute walks per week.
» The Breakfast Club – Nutritious Nine self-made cereal mix – CLICK.
» No screens after 9.30pm.
Building Up.
» 4 x 30 minute walk:run sessions/ Push Ups & Sit Ups per week.
» Dinner focus on preparing (planning & cooking) high ‘fibre’ meals – CLICK
» Create best sleeping conditions – CLICK
Now
» 5 x 30-90 minute runs + dumbbell weights per week.
» Canberra Half Marathon – ENTERED.
» Daily, whole, fresh, food; balancing ‘good’ fat, varying protein, and garden veg galore.
The Result
Collectively (Marty & Jo); Fat loss: - 57kgs.
Minutes Moving: 270 mins per week.
Mainly, quality Z’eds.
Go Marty!
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January Star of the Month – Go, Mum!
The purpose of this month’s Star of the Month is to open up the possibility for others to perhaps consider the lifestyle friendly sport, or past time, that is a triathlon.
The benefits of triathlon are:
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Train in and around your lifestyle.
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Select your distance appropriately – building up with increased confidence & fitness.
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Your gear list for a shorter event: Googles, a safe bike, joggers!
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Push yourself as hard as you wish!
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All finishers get the ‘same’ medal.
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There are loads of friendly volunteers helping you.
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Oh, and you’ll remain fit & healthy as a result.
Name: Alicia Rampal
Region: Cooma
Team Snowy Yrs: 5 yrs.
BP: So, Alicia, how long have you been doing triathlons?
AR: I have only been competing in triathlons over the last few years (in between babies).
BP: Babies! Right, so it can be done while juggling bubs!
AR: Certainly, in fact, it’s helped me return to pre-baby fitness!
BP: How often do you train?
AR: I try to incorporate my training as often as I can into each week - I run at least 2 times a week and ride my bike about the same - I also play soccer basketball & netball to maintain fitness - I take our 3.5-year-old riding along the bike path as I run behind her- soon I'll need my bike as she's getting too quick!
BP: What do the family think of all this?
AR: My family are super supportive - My husband competes as well - I look forward to when our children are old enough to compete in the little minimans, but for now they are on the side cheering us on.
BP: Have you a favourite race!
AR: I absolutely Love the Bisk Husky Triathlon festival - Thousands of people come from around to participate and Spectate - The atmosphere needs to be experienced at least once - Canberra is also good and close to home.
BP: Is there a plan to go longer?
AR: Absolutely I wish I had found this sport earlier in life - so now I am making the most of it I can only get stronger and go further - I really enjoy the sport.
BP: What is your favourite discipline?
AR: My Favourite leg would have to be the bike - I am not a strong swimmer so it's nice to know I can make up time when i get out of the water which puts me into a good position for the run - I feel so free when riding.
BP: Where do you ride around Cooma?
AR: We are pretty limited around here in Cooma - I tend to Ride from home, along Myalla Road and return, or out along Mafra Road (both of these roads are pretty quiet - If it's terrible Weather then I tend to ride on my trainer at home.
BP: Do you train with any groups or other Snowy staff?
AR: I occasionally ride with a friend from here or My husband who also works here but honestly, I do enjoy riding, or running by myself - It gives me some "me time" to clear the head.
Thanks, Alicia,
Go get em!
NSW Triathlon - CLICK
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December Star of the Month - Plan, Prepare, Pulse!
Name: Jenny Smith
Answers to: Jen
Region: Cooma
Team Snowy Yrs: 25
Join ‘Team Snowy’ – The Summer Event.
The Canberra 21.1km Half Marathon, 14th April 2019.
With the City to Surf proving a stand out success, I felt ‘Team Snowy’ could well benefit from another community event.
Why join our Team?
It’s a ‘somewhat’ local event,
It gives us something to train for,
It could be the ‘New Year’s (health-weight) booster you’re after,
I’ve loaded three graded preparation programs FYI,
You’re welcome to contact Brad Pamp for more personal advice, and,
We’ve formed a group chat, and you’re invited.
In promoting the event, I found an unlikely ally in Cooma’s, Jenny Smith. Jenny and I have agreed to prepare for the race together, start & finish together, and celebrate after the race together.
This will be Jenny’ first ½ Marathon. In fact, this will be Jenny first race, ever! Race organisers give us 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete the course. This has us holding an average speed of 6.5kph. We will be employing the walk:run method with a ratio of 4(min) Walk: 1(min) Run [a conservative and economical shuffle].
We will be preparing for the event, we will be starting the event, and we will FINISH the event!
Come & join us!
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November Star of the Month - Ride em Cowboy!
Name: Tim Hammond
Answers to: Hammo
Region: Murray
Team Snowy Yrs: 10
The purpose of this month’s Snowy Star wrap is to highlight a rare snowy talent.
My first Q&A with a 'real' Cowboy!
BP: Hi, Tim, I’m Brad.
TH: ‘G’Day, Brad’
BP: So, mate, what are your interests?
TH: Well, currently I compete as a professional bronc rider!
BP: Oh, yeah, what’s that! (Hey, I’m from Sydney).
TH: To put it simply...If I stay riding a bucking horse for 8-seconds, and I ‘sort of’ look like I’m in control and make a neat spur ride, I score well and beat the other competitors!
BP: 8 seconds! So, what if you don’t stay on, or look like you’re in control?
TH: Well, firstly, consider bucking horses are every bit the athlete we are. They're bred by rodeo contractors guided by bloodlines just like, Winx. Then, they’re expertly trained to do one thing; buck you off! So, if you don’t bring you’re A-Game you're going to get a good lesson on how your body weight and gravity works! And, like practising any mastering any new skill, usually, you fail, lots. In my sport, this means, pain! You really have to love it! I do!
BP: Got ya, well, sort of…tell me more!
TH: I focus my efforts solely in the saddle bronc event these days. I rode bulls for about eight years and got on the odd bareback horse now and then! It was fun!! But the best way of describing riding them bigger bulls or them heavy horses is like tying your hand to an anvil and dropping it off the Sydney Harbour Bridge!
BP: No, I don’t know! Keep talking cowboy!
TH: I earned a rodeo scholarship competing for Western Texas College in the US, riding bulls and broncs! I found it kinda a handful managing to compete in both events, so I focused on the horses and never looked back. After three years of competing professionally in the US and living to what I like to describe as "a poor rock star", it was time to bring it home and put it to the test.
BP: OK, given we’ve only got half a page, can you give me your top three (‘ridin’) injuries!
TH: Mate, I been pretty lucky! I mean, my top three smash ups would be fracturing my ankle leading to two operations, my right wrist has been screwed and pinned twice and a partial face reconstruction after fracturing my orbital socket, cheekbone, jaw and a hairline crack in my forehead. Nothing to serious
BP: Yeah, right! Maybe Olympic SKi jumping might be safer!
BP: So, how does the comp work? Last man alive!
TH: Na, that’s funny!,
BP: I wasn’t being funny!.
TH: The sport of saddle bronc riding is based on an 8-second contest. Two judges score your ride out of 50 points, 1-25pts for the horse, and 1-25pts for the rider with a possible total of 100pts. You’re judged on control, timing, style and degree of fluid motion in their spurring style. The horses are judged on their degree of difficulty, their bucking style (how high or hard they kick).
TH: I’d like to mention and make clear; these much-loved animals are our livelihood, and just like your cat and dog at home, they get fed and treated better than most husbands and boyfriends do!
BP: How are you fairing this season?
TH: I’ve competed in 63 events this season, and while my podiums in the States are career highlights, winning an Aussie title would rank right up there. I'm coming in ranked second in Australia, and I'm hot on the tail of #1. Some good horses, mixed with some aggressive riding and a fistful of luck, I hope to bring home the gold!
BP: So, Tim, how on earth can I help you! Would you like to borrow my cycling helmet?
TH: Na, at 30, I reckon I can sharpen up my skills, and win the season, with just a bit of additional training and preparation.
FYI: Tim’s Training Principles.
* Train daily, but only for 15-20 minutes.
* Challenge coordination & balance, always – more than focussing on raw strength & aesthetics.
* Use, only, free weights (dumbbells) and balance equipment like bosu balls, swiss balls, and wobble boards.
* Once the technique is mastered, close eyes to make it harder again. It's all about the practising the counterbalance.
* Focus more on holding balanced strength through a range of movement, opposed to holding static stretches, alone.
I’ll post out Tim’s year ending result next flow. Good luck, Tim.
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October Star of the Month - The Comeback!
Name: Martin Grant
Answers to: Marty
Region: Jindabyne
Team Snowy Yrs: 13
The purpose of this month’s Snowy Star wrap is to highlight the value of (physical) goal-setting.
What do I mean by that?
Many of us select physiological goals or interest, for example; reaching a given weight, clothing size, ideal blood pressure or glucose reading, but I’ve found great value in dissociating from those subjective numbers by shifting interest towards achieving a physical goal.
Here’s an example: over a given period, and step by step, work towards developing the necessary fitness needed to move from point A to point B. Perhaps include completing this task in a given time as well. And, it doesn’t have to be a commercially driven pumped up event, like the City to Surf.
Enter: Marty’s Miles.
Marty and I agreed on working towards completing a local (Jindabyne) 14km walk/run. We coined it ‘Bringing the City to Surf to Jindy’! Of course, my proposal was initially (and understandably) met with some apprehension and trepidation. Marty hadn’t covered that sort of mileage on his feet for some years. Fears overcome, we designed a lifestyle friendly preparation program, involving 3-4 sessions a week for a 10-week period.
Preparing through winter, we used a treadmill during the week (2 x 30-40 minute sessions) and performed just one, longer (45-90 minute session), outdoor session on the weekends.
Our focus was to never exceed his fat-burning heart rate limit. He didn’t.
We performed a short 5-minute body strengthening set after each session. Like the sets listed in this month’s Theme Project – Ultimate Spinal Balance.
He missed just one session in 10 weeks! Reason; he really struggled coming to grips with Queensland losing the State of Origin series.
The Result…..Bingo!
14 clicks nailed! See his efforts in the short 60-second video below.
Oh, and with that shift in focus, what do you know? He dropped 21kgs, reduced his blood sugar, lowered his blood pressure to a perfect balance, and he also dropped three belt sizes! Great job Marty!
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September Star of the Month - Snowy's Forrest Gump!
Name: James Murphy.
Answers to: Jim, Murph, Big Jim, & Mate.
Region: Cabramurra.
Role: Civil.
Snowy Yrs: 21
I’ll start with a few facts,
March 2017 – Weight; 156kgs.
September 2018 – Weight; 114kgs (42 kegs, gone, somewhere).
Over the last 75 weeks, kilometres logged; 2,250.
85% of kilometres logged at 1488 metres.
Strides logged; 2,025,000.
Heartbeats when exercising over the last 75 weeks; 4,567,500 beats.
Exercising breaths @ 4.5 litres of air over the last 75 weeks; 6,851,250 (that’s serious carbon emissions).
What Jim did!
The first 15 weeks he walked, easily, then briskly.
He dropped most industrialised food, mainly unnecessary refined sugar (products).
Then, he used the walk/run method, with the running split starting at 45 seconds.
He added more real fat & veggie choices and naturally learnt to enjoy and thrive on the ‘real’ taste.
He practised & perfected an economical shuffling running stride.
He ran, mostly, before work, before his brain registered he was actually exercising.
He drank to thirst, which, for someone who sweats for Australia, he drank lots.
He ran ‘long’ once a week.
‘Long’, at first, meant; 20 mins, now it means 2 ½ hours.
He changed his wardrobe, but, sadly, maintains his Cronulla Sharks hat.
He teamed up with other Snowy folks, and logged miles together (go Ant Russell).
He still enjoys a beer, and rightly so.
His pain-free shuffle is now a faster pain-free shuffle.
He now sleeps for Australia.
So, what next!
On September 16th Jim will run his maiden Half Marathon (Sydney Running Festival).
He has never entered a running race before.
His race experience, his time, his place, does not need a write up.
Trust me, he’ll finish, well.
So why the exercise, the running, the race?
Well, maybe it was just time. Time to get out of the stands on onto the field. Maybe it was to impress his kids, or simply to set the right example. Running, well, it’s free, it’s possible, and it works a treat to burn fat! I suspect the race drove training motivation, particular through those ‘hard’ winter months. The point is, Jim, 44 years, has now set himself up to play hard in the second half. Run Forrest!
So, what next?
Well, tomorrow, his alarm will ring at 5.30 am. He’ll get out of bed, throw on his shoes and go shuffle! As for races, reaching his ideal weight, or seeing another Sharks win, well, you’ll have to wait and see!
