Over the weekend I competed in my first multi sport event in 10 years.

Brief history lesson for you…
Back in 2001 through 2003, I competed in Triathlons (swim, bike, run) and Duathlons (run, bike, run) to get my mind off Tae Kwon Do.

One of my coaches at the time, David Martin, thought I was taking fighting too serious and thought I needed to do something for fun. Out of everything out there to choose from… He didn’t realize I would pick another sport.

Now back to today’s story. If you’re in Georgia, you know it rained over the weekend. It rained a lot!

We were driving to Newnan to stay the night at my parents before heading to Callaway Gardens early Sunday morning for the race.

I was putting the bikes on the truck… in the rain. I was thinking to myself while I was getting soaked, “this isn’t going to be any fun!” But, I went through the motions of preparing and gathering everything we needed anyway.

As Stacy and I drove down for the race, we kept looking around to see if there were other cars with bikes on them , but no one was on the road.

We finally pulled in to the parking lot where the race was being held to find a few participants there. About 100 people showed up of the 200 plus that were supposed to be there.

Looking around, you could see the determination of people’s faces and some frowns from the rain conditions of course, but they showed up.

In my 2.5 year span of competing in races I had never raced in the rain.

The race director cautioned everyone over and over about the slick conditions on the course and that the bike portion would be cut from over 18 miles to 9.5 due to the technical aspects and the dangerous areas of the road.

After our briefing, we gathered up our gear found a prime spot in the transition area, dropped off our gear and headed to the starting area.

The gun sounded and we were off!

It was rainy!

Start of the bike course

After 1 hour and 18 minutes I arrived at the finish line. I was 2nd in my age group and 13th overall. The time was good.

I originally planned to do it closer to an hour, but I used a lot of caution in order to not go down on the bike. With that said, me and two guys stayed together through the entire bike portion. Our average speed was over 19 miles and hour!

I wouldn’t have placed if I didn’t show up!

and the Finish!

Now, this was just a race. But, there are days in life when it rains. Sometimes it will rain hard. But, you have to show up. It may not be the best conditions, it may be more difficult than perfect weather, but in order to see results, you have to show up!

Start Strong, Finish Stronger!
Nathan

Trinity Fitness and Team Trinity are known for producing Tae Kwon Do champions. Since the first team in 1999, we’ve collected an impressive amount of hardware over the years.

Stacy Wins 9-1 (first black belt fight)

The training program works and has worked well for over 10 years, but if the women who fought couldn’t perform their jobs it wouldn’t matter how good the program was.

The Olympics are coming up so and we’ll see underdogs and champions win Gold. We can do this all from the comfort of our living rooms.

However, we can all be champions! It may not be a sport, but whatever you’re passion is in life. You too can be a champion.

This past weekend we took 4 ladies to the N.C. AAU Regional TKD Championships and in Trinity fashion, brought home 4 GOLD medals. When Trinity’s team performs, even our junior belts, crowds come to watch the fights.

Rachael Wins 7-0

Why? Because our team fights like champions!

No, they may not win every fight, but being a champion is more than that. It’s how you conduct yourself in training as well as day of preparation and the competition itself.

Junel Wins 5-2

And that’s why we draw crowds. Coaches and spectators come up to me afterwards to congratulate and inquire about our program. It’s because of the hard work and dedication to a single purpose that these ladies win and are Champions!

Jenna Wins 8-1

You can be a champion too. You have to pick your competition, schedule training, follow through and compete with everything you have, every time!

We are Champions!

Start Strong, Finish Stronger!
Nathan

Oh, Those Dirty Girls!

As many of you know, Trinity is sponsor of the Dirty Girl Mud Run series. This past weekend we were out in full force to support the race and Team Trinity.

photo courtesy of Levette Bagwell

It was a great and exciting event.

First, it supports breast cancer research. My mother had breast cancer in 2000 and this past Thanksgiving was diagnosed with it again. So, it hits close to home.

Second, it gets women out and doing an adventure race event. This event is easier than the Tough Mudder or even the Spartan Race, but that’s not the point. The point is, this is a starting point for some to get out there and see if it’s something they want to really get into.

We found lots of women coming over to our booth and asking, “This was my first event. I loved it! What’s next?” Of course we talke about Team Trinity and our event schedule we tackle as a team.

Team Trinity showed up with several members. Stacy, Lacey, Aisha and Steph made up the team. This was Steph and Aisha’s first event.

photo courtesy of Levette Bagwell

Let me say…. THEY KILLED IT!

They finished the 3 miles and 11 obstacles in 45 minutes!

After they crossed the finish line, the first thing they said was, “we can run that faster! Let’s do it again!”

photo courtesy of Levette Bagwell

Geez oh Petes, we’ve created monsters! Well, they did run it again and finished it less than 35 minutes.

photo courtesy of R.M. Bailey photography

It was definitely obvious to passersby that Trinity is more than a gym, as Robert put it, “Trinity is a family!” and that’s what we are!

I’m so proud of everyone who showed up and participated. We had several team members running with other groups of friends come out too. Sidney, Crystal and LeAnn finished the race too. Congratulations to everyone and a big thank you to all the gym members and Team Trinity members who came out supported our team and helped spread the word about Trinity!

Start Strong, Finish Stronger!
Nathan

It’s so easy to quit.

Quitting is all around us from an early age.

We see it on the news… government bailouts

We see it in school… classmates don’t finish

We see it in sports… players walking out on a team

and on and on we go.

Don't show up... just leave a note

When I was training for the Junior Olympics (I was 15 at the time) my TKD coach always talked about leaving it all in the gym (training) and leaving it all on the mat (fighting) when it came to your effort. Give it all you have, every time, regardless of the odds or who you were fighting.

“It’s never over , til it’s over,” is something I say to the teams I coach now.

A friend of mine, David Martin said, Quit once, it’s pretty tough, quit twice it’s not as bad, quit for a third time… and your nothing but a quitter! 

It gets easier and easier to make excuses rather than make a successful effort.

At the end of it all, when we’re facing the end of our lives, it’s just us staring back at our reflection in the mirror. What will you remember?

The shoulda finished this….

and the

Coulda finished that’s….

or will you remember

The races (competitions) you completed, maybe even won and the commitments that you made to yourself and others which in turn made you a faster, stronger, better more confident person?!?!

What’s the worst that could happen?

If it’s a competition, maybe you don’t win. Maybe your best wasn’t good enough, but you DID IT! You finished what you started.

It’s easy to say we’re going to do something, but it takes an all out effort every day to get from where you are to where you want to go. Especially, if the goal is a BIG one!

Look at what you’ve started, weight loss, a competition, a healthier lifestyle, etc. All excuses aside, you’ll see the only thing stopping you, is YOU! 

Recommit to yourself today and FINISH WHAT YOU’VE STARTED! 

To your continued success!

Start Strong, Finish Stronger!
Nathan

It’s getting closer to March and the excuses have already begun.

“Excuse is a sign of weakness!” that’s what my former TKD coach use to say on a regular bases. Just for the record, she produced many senior and junior national champions (including yours truly) and was a national medalist herself. She knew what it took to be a champion!

Which will YOU Choose?

When I say that comment to people that are truly babbling, I hear, “It’s not an excuse. It’s the truth,” or “It’s not an excuse. It’s a reason why I can’t.”

What?

A reason is an excuse and an excuse is a reason. And truth is you’re being lazy!

No Excuses!

Get off your butt and do something to make your future and the future of those around you better.

Keep in mind, your decisions impact everyone around you too. And, don’t you want to be an inspiration to your friends and family?
All the clients and members we see on a daily bases aren’t the most athletic or have everything in their personal or business life in a pretty little box.

The thing that separates them, the thing that gets them the results they are looking for, and the thing that puts them on Trinity’s “Wall of Fame,” is the determination and the leave-the-excuses-at-the-door attitude!

This not only gives them the appearance they are looking for, but confidence in other aspects of their lives too.

The Confidence to Have, Be and Do Anything!

So, start today by leaving the excuses at home, and together let’s make your 2012 the greatest year ever!

Start Strong, Finish Stronger!
Nathan

P.S. If you’re having trouble sticking to your goals, we’re here to help. Schedule a fitness consultaion today!

Team Trinity ready to take on the Mudder!

As many of you know, Team Trinity completed the Tough Mudder – Georgia last weekend. (02.11.2012)

The team trained for 15 weeks in preparation for what is known as the “Toughest Event on the Planet!”

This race can be called anything but easy, even on a mild temperature day, but the temperature Saturday was the coldest it’s been all winter with wind gusts at 25-30 mph. This made the course more difficult.

The Tough Mudder course was 12 miles with 27 obstacles along the way to the finish.

Checkout some of the pictures of our adventure below.

Let the madness begin!

Chad, Orlin and Will having second thoughts about the Arctic Enema!

Really wet and cold, but not muddy... yet.

Jessica and Georgia keeping up the smiles!

Shara climbing the 12 foot Berlin Wall!

off to the next obstacle!

Sidney carrying her log and making through the tires!

Stacy hanging strong with the rings!

Nathan's turn at the rings.

Now, we're muddy!

Nathan - the first of two electric shock obstacles.

Stacy in the water, Ryan in the air and Nathan contemplating life before jumping!

Nathan Climbing Mt. Everest.

Ryan, Lauren and Nathan racing through electric shock therapy to the finish line!

for more pictures please visit Trinity Facebook page. Trinity Fitness FB page

Are you ready to except the challenge and be part of an awesome team? Join Team Trinity today! Learn more at Join Team Trinity!

We have 12 days left until Team Trinity tackles the Tough Mudder adventure race.

11 Miles

26 Obstacles

and lots and lots of mud!

Our team has bee training for the last 12 weeks in proeperation for the event. With less than 2 weeks left, we’re putting the finishing touches on training. For example making sure everyone can climb up the 20 foot rope climb, belly crawl under barbed wire and run the 11 mile course.

Checkout one of the team videos here.

The hard work and determination of the group has been awesome. Many of the members couldn’t imagine 12 weeks ago, doing some of the workouts we’ve been completing, but they have!

Several team members have lost over 20 pounds in the last 12 weeks!

Anything is possible if you put your mind to it and stick to it until the end!

TEAM Trinity - Tough Mudder

Find something you want to accomplish and go for it. What’s stopping you? Nothing… just YOU!

Get started today and make 2012 your BEST YEAR EVER!

For more info on our team checkout our team site… Team Trinity

Start Strong, Finish Stronger!
Nathan

This is week fifty-one of fifty-two.

Use your excitement to fuel you when your energy is low. But, remember to give yourself a break from your pursuit on a regular basis.

This will prevent burnout and boredom.

Here’s a great goal strategy for you…

2012

What will 2012 bring for you?

What do you want to get out of 2012?

December (and even January) is the perfect month to reflect on the past year and set goals for the upcoming year. Focus on making short-term and long-term goals.

How do you plan to meet these goals? What steps will you take?

The best way to accomplish goals is to write them down!

Don’t simply move into 2012 without articulating what new wonderful things you envision for yourself.

First, find a quite place where you can be alone.

Second, right down everything you’d like to accomplish over the next year.

"If they're not written down, they're not goals... they're wishes!" Nathan Nowak

Finally run through the year in your mind as if you’ve already achieved everything you wanted for the year.

Use all of your senses while creating the pictures in your mind. The more you can bring these images into your mind, using all your senses, the faster you will attract them into your reality.

See YOU at the TOP!

and don’t forget to have fun with this!

Start Strong, Finish Stronger!
Nathan

Challenges are a part of life. Especially in sports and working out.

We can create them ourselves, by setting weight loss goals or a target time for the next 10k.

Some challenges are outside of us and outside our control.

These could be injuries in training or well-meaning people telling you to give up or that you can’t do it.

Whether internal or external, challenges are good and should not be looked at as negative (even if they are), use them to fire yourself up and get to your goal faster.

Never give up!

Growing up, I had several people in our Tae Kwon Do school, even my coach, tell me that I’d never make it to the Olympic level of competition. My coach once told me, “Just to settle for having fun and except that I was an average TKD athlete.”

Well, in 2004 I made it to the Olympic trials!

VICTORY!

If I would have let the negative comments dictate my future, I would have never known how good I really am.

If you have people telling you, you can’t or are trying to discourage you from trying something new, you either need to reevaluate who you hang out with or use their negativity to help fuel your desire to accomplish your goal and prove them wrong.

Believe in Yourself!

Success... is sweet at any age!

If you thought of the idea, then you have what it takes to follow it to completion.

Don’t stop until you’re satisfied. It’s okay to lose; it’s NEVER okay to quit!

Start Strong, Finish Stronger!
Nathan

I’ve been a coach and mentor for almost 20 years now. I’ve pretty much seen and heard it all when it comes to excuses as to why people can’t get what they want from their fitness and nutrition goals.

One of the most common is, “It’s not the right time.” or any variation of this statement. 

When is it ever the “right time” for anything?

We have to work with what we’ve got. PERIOD!

There will always be set backs.

There will always be outside forces we can’t control.

There will always be other people to deal with.

There will always be economic crisis.

There will always be too much of this

and too little of that.

There will always be… there will always be… there will always be….

It’s real easy to sit in the downward spiral of negativity and flush yourself away in self-pity, but when does that ever help?

The Time is NOW!

Instead of focusing on all the reasons why you can’t do something, look at the things you can do and do them.

There will always be positive people in your life.

There will always be opportunities for you to get what you want.

There will always be a way to fit workouts in.

There will always be healthy options for you.

There will always be time for what you make time for.

It’s time to suit up, step up and get your ass in gear!

You have to want it. Not just say it, but live it!

Just Do It!

There are too many talkers… it’s the doers that get it done! And the talkers just envy the doers.

Start now, let’s go and work toward the results you want.

Don’t let timing be the excuse of why you didn’t get to your goal. Because you’ll never get it if you keep on thinking the “perfect time” will come.

Remember, "YOU can DO It!"

Start Strong, Finish Stronger!
Nathan