Red Dragon Entrepreneur

Staying Consumer Debt Free for One Year

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 20:21:00 +0000

The following is an opinion and experience piece and NOT financial advice.

It took a long time to climb out of a deep canyon, but this week I celebrated one year of being free of consumer credit card debt. The debt burden saddled me for close to a decade and prevented me from doing many of the things that I wanted to. It is also kept dragging down my moods.

Our financial wealth and our weight often reflect our mindsets. Though I wasn’t overweight and I was undervaluing myself.

It took several years of shifting my own thought patterns, disciplined debt re-payments, support from friends and famiyl and financial education to free myself from the shackles of consumer debt. Thankfully, my interest rates weren’t too bad, however every month I was paying the credit card companies annual interest of over 8%, instead of having this money invested and paying myself.

Have you ever watched shows like “Till Debt do Us Part”? It is actually pretty scary how much consumer debt these participants have. This is money owed that is outside of their mortgage. My fiancée and I have agreed that we want to start our marriage with zero debt that is not building our wealth (such as a mortgage). We have been judiciously putting money aside on a monthly basis so that we are able to pay for a wedding that is within our means to pay by cash. I can’t imagine paying for an extravagant party that means that we spend the next 5-10 years paying it off. What a way to start, eh?

I got into trouble because I was living outside of means and because the credit card company hounded me to take on a line credit of that I originally said no to. They also continually increased my limits to beyond my ability to pay it back; lining their pockets with the interest payments.

My self-esteem during these years was low, so was my earning power. I found it difficult to find work as a Kinesiologist after graduating in 1999. I also started a previous business because I couldn’t find work. To increase my long-term earnings I did use my credit card to pay for various educational investments which have definitely paid off. However, now I make sure that I have the cash before paying for continuing education.

A few of my fears are being homeless (though I know there are many reasons that people end up on the street) as well as not having enough income to support a moderate lifestyle in retirement. Much of the financial advice seems to be all very similar and all makes sense. My goal is to reach retirement debt and mortgage free.

All I can say is live BELOW your means so that there is always cash left at the end of the month. Money is an object, it only has what value we attach to it. What is enough? Enough is to know that I can pay my bills on time, have a roof securely over my head, feed myself and my family and have the freedom to enjoy a moderate lifestyle. Next steps for me are to slowly add to my retirement fund, while building a 6-month cash based emergency fund.

Being an entrepreneur means that I will have income as long as I am able to build and run a business where others can perform work and clients are willing to pay for our services. Our health and wellness is not discretionary, so health care businesses will do well as long as we provide value to our clients.

There is a great piece in the Financial Post on why it is important to pay off your debt NOW. Have compounding interest work for you instead of for the credit card companies. Another good resource for entrepreneurs who are not financial gurus is "Finance and Accounting for Non-Financial Managers," which among other things explains how to calculate the value of money invested today.

The above is based on the author’s experience and opinion it is NOT considered NOT financial advice.

4 Ways to Simplify Your Growing Business

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 17:22:00 +0000

Keeping things simple in an increasing complex environment is quite challenging. In the beginning my business was quite simple, because everything was completed by me and I was the only person involved. However, as it grows it becomes increasingly layered with more complexity because there are more people and more processes to manage. Even the concept “Open New Studio,” which seems simple has many steps and more things to consider than I initially thought.

My goal is create a culture where we are always striving to find new ways to eliminate steps so that our business becomes more efficient and less physiological and well as less psychologically taxing. Moving, hiring new staff and opening a new space have made become acutely aware of the levels energy required when things are complex. So, this week I took some steps to regain control and simplify.

1. How to Create a Consistent Brand Image

Our brand image is very important to me. Everything has to have a consistent level of professionalism, clean design and colours to it. So, creating templates for our staff to write reports and programs was part of this. These templates are in word and include a style sheet. We have particular colours, so those colour numbers (pantone, RGB and CMYK) need to be communicated to everyone who uses them.

Paint companies don’t use pantones so, last Thursday I went to Dulux paints and colour matched three colours that are part of their permanent colour collection with our Pantone colours. This made it easier for the painters to pick up specific numbers and easier for us to match in future locations while increase my confidence that I would be happy with the overall design.

2. Hire a Payroll Service

I have been doing all our payroll which includes adding everything up, creating the paycheque in Quickbooks, sending out statements and paying payroll taxes. All of this takes time away from other activities I could do like gain new clients. This week I decided a payroll service would suit us better because all I have to do is enter the pay information in the system and then enter a general ledger statement into our accounting system.

3. Pricing, Services and Product Offers

If you have more than one SKU – then you know how complicated it can get. Last Friday we sat down to figure out our pricing schedule for new and current services. Making it as simple and straight forward as possible makes it easy for new staff to sell and deliver. Also, our clients will more easily understand what we offer. Alleviating confusion and reduces chances of someone being over or undercharged.

4. Electronic Funds Transfers for Better Cash Flow

To manage cash flow, make it easy to pay bills and have invoices paid. Often regular clients means that you have regular cash flow. This is especially important in the fitness club and personal training environments. With EFTs clients have a predictable payment schedule and you, the business owner can build your EFTs up to point where it at least meets your fixed expenses. We also decided to have one of our third party payers complete EFTs so that our payments are not delayed by mail delivery or having to go to the bank to make the deposits. It is also possible to set-up direct debits for vendors and employees or sub-contractors (you don’t have to wait for them to receive and cash the cheque).

These are just a few ways to simplify your business. Can you think of any others?

Thank you for reading my 75th article on this blog.

Reducing Drag Increases Profits

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 16:34:00 +0000

Do you ever feel as though you and your profits are being dragged down by inefficient processes? I do. With a new location opening soon we have been thinking a lot about new service offerings, how to price them and how to complete them efficiently to maximize profit while maintaining quality. There are several types of drag psychological, physical and systematic that all reduce profits, employee motivation and productivity.

Figuring out what best prices are reflects the value the services provide as well as how much time it takes to provide the service. Measuring profitability is usually done with a break-even analysis and a contribution to margin, however one way we have been thinking about it also what resources (variable expenses) including provider time each service uses.

Reducing Systematic Drag to Increase Profits

We have never priced based on time, but more on value. Our focus is to provide more value to our clients by leveraging our time effectively. It became very apparent recently that even though our billing rate for one service is high, it still takes an enormous amount of time that could be used to provide other services to more clients.

I spent about four hours trying to format a report versus the one hour it should have taken to simply review it, sign-off on it and then send it. This still didn’t account for the additional time it took our staff to create the report which was much longer than it should or could have been. Entrepreneurs are meant to be creating business rather than working soley in the business.

How to Reduce Completion Time While Maintaining Quality

Systematic drag occurs when processes have extra steps, steps that take too long or steps which eat up valuable resources. Like those of the business owner. Entrepreneurs rarely account for their time in financial terms. If my billable hours are at $80 per, then 4 hours is $320. There goes nearly half of our profit on that service.

Another area I noticed that reports were taking too long was that our template was very slow to edit, which forces staff to first write in a basic word document then cut and paste with the final step of me going through it and editing it. This template was also not allowing us to create documents larger than three pages. Writing reports quickly become onorous and staff become unmotivated (including myself).

As leaders of organizations it is our role to reduce the amount of drag in our business so that our employees and our profits benefit. This weekend I decided to stop being scared of MS Word templates and make a project of creating templates for us to use which was easy do and cost effective. We are now able to write directly into these templates which also create multiple pages. This investment of a few hours is going to pay off big dividends in the future.

In my example by saving 3 hours, we increase profits by $240 on that service alone. This also frees up an additional 3 hours to focus on other revenue generating activities like meeting with referral sources. As well, these templates make it easier for our staff to complete the activity, thus reducing the time to completion so that they can book other clients in the newly freed time.

Simply put:

If you charge $100 per service and it takes 2 hours to complete you are billing $50 per hour.

If you pay someone $50 to complete it then they are earning $25 per hour and so is the business.

Reducing the time to completion by 1 hour means that you now earn $50 for the first hour and have capacity in the second hour to earn another $50, thus doubling both your profits and the income of the employee.

Now multiply that by the number of times you provide the service over the year. That is your net increase profits.

Resources

How to create a custom letterhead template in word – click here.

To make it fully functional ensure that you also save a custom style with your brand colours and fonts that applies to all documents created with the template.

Can you think of any other ways to increase efficiencies?

When to End a Strategic Alliance to Grow a Business

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 16:14:00 +0000

A strategic alliance or business partnership only works when both parties are doing their parts to make it function. When one side becomes disinterested or hindering by their lack of attention or action then it is time to move on.

The company I originally made my strategic alliance was bought in late 2009. In 2010, the new owners by lack of action, unwillingness and new operating environment made it difficult to grow my business. We survived because I was determined to lead us into a new direction and I know the value of my business.

Sometimes we get stuck in what is safe even though we are unhappy, and no longer progressing. It is important to turn the page to get unstuck. Having a plan helped me successfully navigate the big change of breaking Lifemoves' strategic alliance with Steve Nash Fitness Clubs (Fitness World) to grow my business.

Tonight I delved a little deeper into the next chapter of my working life by saying goodbye and good luck to a number of work colleagues who are now friends. In early 2000 I joined the Fitness World Cambie club to get a job as a Personal Trainer; twelve years later I moved my independent business out of there.

End of a Strategic Alliance

There are times in life when everything comes to its rightful conclusion and we are ready for something new. For me I think I held on a little too long because I tend to see the best in situations rather than the worst. At times this means that I refuse to see the situation for what it truly is. A strategic ally who doesn’t respond to your request to have a meeting for over a year kills any grand potential the alliance has.

In the Cold Hard Truth, Kevin O’Leary makes that point clear as well. When one side is no longer providing the services that are required under the agreement it stalls your growth, make sure you don’t wait too long before changing your strategy because if you do it could sink your business. In 2010, I waited patiently for all the dust to settle from a merger while I was under the impression that the new owners liked what we were doing and saw our potential (all smoke).

A nearly eighteen month stalemate nearly killed my business. It was finally in May 2011 that I was able to get a meeting to sort out what my next steps were. We mutually decided that it was in both businesses best interests for Lifemoves to move-out as soon as possible. Thankfully due to the circumstances we had until September 2012 to find the appropriate space.

If you own your business it is up to you to take action and pay attention to your financials so that your business thrives instead of dies. In time like these pay very close attention to your financials, perhaps even monthly if not more often so that you can make micro adjustments to steer it straight. If you wait too long it is going to take a massive hard RIGHT or LEFT to stop you from crashing.

I am disappointed because I thought that by aligning with a larger gym which had plans to go national that I would have more influence in the design and programming of future facilities so that they would be more inclusive for clients with disabilities – this is a legacy that I wanted (and still want to) leave. In business and life you can’t be partners with someone who doesn’t have very similar philosophies as you. However, when you truly believe in your dreams and have a vision that is ingrained in your psyche it will manifest itself because you will take subconscious and conscious steps towards it.

Lifemoves' Bright Future

In January we started to move our North Vancouver location to 1350 Pemberton Avenue. During the first week it was apparent that even though we all run our businesses out of that location we all work together to provide a professional, clean, tidy and friendly atmosphere for us and our clients. We have pride for the space, unlike at our old location where equipment would disappear and tools would be strewn around floor well after someone was done with them.

The final phase of the move happened today as well. With a lot of patience and elbow grease I removed the branding decals from the windows. I will miss the clients, members and Personal Trainers who I got to know during the last seven years plus years in North Vancouver and previous years with the original club owners.

The future’s chapter began with our first monthly meeting at our Coquitlam location. We are part of a wellness clinic in which many practitioners share space. Andrea, Hardip and I were all there to meet a few of them and get to know how all of our services can benefit our clients’ wellbeing (a common purpose). Afterwards we had discussions with a designer, a glazier and a painter to help us put the finishing touches to the space. I am really excited and I am looking forward to showing off our new space.

Moving on from the strategic alliance with Steve Nash Fitness Clubs is what I needed to do to grow my business and renew the passion I had for it. Remember when one opportunity ends another starts.

Be Proactive. Take Action Early.

Stopping a Childhood Bully with Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 06:08:00 +0000

February 29^th, 2012 is National anti-bullying day, known as pink-shirt day. A day started several years ago by two kids who decided to stand up for someone who was being bullied because he was wearing a pink shirt. It has since become a National day of protest against bullies.

I was bullied at the end of elementary school and well into high school. The psychological effects of these years of torment lasted me for years, which required counselling to rebuild a battered sense of self-esteem and overcome depression. It was only a couple of years ago that I stopped being stuck in the past and identifying with the self that was bullied.

Perhaps I was bullied because I was the outsider or perhaps it was because I was smaller and what some called a "late bloomer" or perhaps it was because I competed in sports (cross country skiing and biathlon) that kids thought were wimpy (they were proved wrong during a trip to Cypress for PE 11) or perhaps it was all of the above, but I am not sure.

In 1988 we moved to Vancouver from Regina and I started Grade 7 the following September. Even elementary students have built friendships and cliques starting in kindergarten which solidify by Grade 7. To this day it is difficult for me to accept people who want to be friends or have me be part of their group as being genuine.

There are different ideas of how to stop bullying including having the tormented stand-up and push-back. It seems as though some people fold and commit suicide, believing that is the only way out or go on a shooting rampage to get noticed (both sad situations). On several occasions I did consider that ending my life was the only way for me to end the horror. Other times I would run home to lock the doors because I truly feared for my safety.

I am not certain what the solution is, though I do distinctly remember one day in high school when I stopped one of my childhood bullies with pudding.

In between classes I would sometimes go to the cafeteria to get a small bowl of chocolate pudding. After I would find the lockers beside the next classroom, sit down on the floor to enjoy it in solitude. This bully decided that it would be fun to sneak up on me to flick my spoon. With a split second reaction I hurled the entire bowl at him.

It splattered all over his favourite sweater, the lockers across the hallway and the Chemistry room's door. There was this big streak of chocolate pudding down the hall. This was the only time I was pulled into the Principal’s office for bad behaviour.

We were made to clean it up. I washed the bully's sweater then hung it up in the boiler room to dry. That was the last time that he bothered me. Bullying is often group oriented, so the bullying itself didn't stop there.

Bullying doesn’t only happen in school it also happens in the workplace. There is a new private members Anti-Bullying bill to have the Workers Compensation Board pay for the psychological affects of workplace bullying.

What are you doing to take a stand against bullying? It is great see kids taking up arms against it.

I commit to a bully-free life. Do you?

Being the Best: Helping the Hedgehog to the Other Side of the Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 06:13:00 +0000

It always seems that a book or way of thinking is brought to my attention at just the right time when I need my thoughts redirected. Recently Dr. Susan Biali introduced me to Seth Godin’s “The Dip” which helps readers discover when they are in a Dip or a Cul-de-Sac and decide whether or not it is appropriate to quit or stick it out. The other book that is one of my favourites is “Good to Great"by Jim Collins.

The last two months have been challenging for my business and myself. Fitness World was once a place of growth, but it had become my cul-de-sac or dead-end. After weathering the sale of our strategic partner for eighteen months we decided in June of 2011 that it was time to quit and find a new home. Even though I had become lost and unmotivated, unclear of why I started Lifemoves others still knew what Lifemoves is about.

When I created Lifemoves I wanted to build a brand and company that stood for something, made a contribution to society and that had a unique selling position. Until recently I had forgotten how to articulate this. It took speaking with a Physiotherapist, an outsider who believed in my business to help me reconnect to how unique and wonderful Lifemoves is, what we can be the best at and how much potential we do have. It is also clear from the enthusiasm from our clients, employees and her that the growth and changes are positive. Thankfully all of our clients have stayed with us.

The Dip is that period of time when whatever it is can be a bit of a slog, but there is greatness on the other side. During the Dip you might feel like quitting, but if you did you would be missing out. There were times over the last couple of years I thought of folding, however I knew that this was my calling and I still had a lot to contribute (I also couldn't see myself working for someone else).

Godin explains that there are the serial entrepreneurs who love the rush of the start-up, but jump from opportunity to opportunity without building something truly great. Some companies try to be everything to everyone. I have seen this when Personal Trainers who want to cater to ALL clients with ALL goals; it just leads to mediocrity. Godin believes there is no point in being mediocre.

Collins’ book delineates what differentiates Good Companies from Great Companies and one of those things was the Hedgehog Principle (Collins, p. 90). Great companies were able to figure out the intersection between what they were best at, what they were passionate about and what could sustain a robust cash flow and profitability. The hedgehog realizes what is innately simple – being able to curl up in a ball of spikes to ward of attackers instead of being the fox that is chasing at things at multiple levels.

Clients value companies who are robust, who have been around for awhile and who deliver a clear simple message. Moving our flagship location in North Vancouver and opening a new clinic in Coquitlam created a Dip where I was lost in the transitions. Several conversations have helped clear the fog. To push us through the Dip we have to be consistent with our hedgehog message:

We are a health and rehabilitation company founded by

a Kinesiologist which is focused on getting clients with

medical conditions, disabilities and or injuries moving for life.

We are diverging into new markets, because our brand awareness is growing. I have often spoken to store owners who have heard of Lifemoves. People and opportunities come to us because we have been around for five years and our message is clear. Everything that we do, we believe in, we breath and we deliver has to embody the above message. Now is the time to really push forward.

The Dip can be a long process or it be getting to other side can be accelerated. I decided to accelerate it now that our move is completed. Coquitlam is going to be phenomenal. We are not thinking of this as a start-up. We are a maturing organization. This is our opportunity to be GREAT!

We all have it in us to be great at something (for me it isn’t being a mathematician). Are you stuck and in cul-de-sac or is this a Dip? Figure it out and make some changes.

What can you be great at? How can you simplify and stop being mediocre? What are you going to do differently right now and tomorrow?

Further Inspirational Reading

Collins, Jim “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t,” Harper Business, 2001

Godin, Seth “The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick),” Penguin Group, 2007

Rufus, Anneli “Stuck: Why We Can’t (or Won’t) Move On,” Penguin, 2008

7 Steps to Staying Calm During Opportunities and Changes

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 23:20:00 +0000

Staying calm and collected when you are in the middle of a storm of new opportunities and changes is quite challenging; sometimes you don’t quite know which direction to move in. We all have our specific levels of tolerance for change before panic and distress set in; I nearly reached mine recently. Although many of the changes are very good and I am excited about them it’s still a little overwhelming for my head to handle. The several changes to my business and personal life have me in flux without routines. These changes include moving my business, renovating our home with family, opening a new clinic and getting married.

This is the year of the dragon after all, so great things are still ahead for 2012.

Thank goodness there was a buffer in my planning or I might have been frozen in the eye of the storm. No matter how much planning is done there are still unexpected things that get added to the mix. The original plan was to have some of the big changes spaced out over the next six months, however when opportunity knocks and you like what is on the other side, you open the door. The plan was to open a second location perhaps in 2013, however I decided to seize the opportunity to expand Lifemoves into Coquitlam when it was presented to me. All the business planning doesn't take the place of using your intuition as the final decision maker.

A second bump in the plan was staffing, when I thought I was adding staff it turns out I was replacing one instead. This of course added to my daily responsibilities as a business owner who had to take appropriate actions to retain clients instead of adding new business. It was handled well because the employee leaving, the new employee and I discussed, planned and took appropriate action which lead to a high retention rate of current clients.

7 Steps to Stay Calm in Storm of Changes and Opportunities

1. Plan, Plan, Plan (Then take Massive Action)

Big changes mean many parts that need to be accounted for and many more decisions that need to made. Try a mind map and plan your projects. Sometimes I feel as though I don’t have the time to sit and plan. A great software tool I found recently to help with this is Smart Draw. Once you have the plan take action.

2. Know What is Important and Be Ok to Give On Some Items

Not everything is going to go as planned especially when working in a team or collaborating with other business owners. Be clear on what is important to you, especially about brand perception and business processes and then be willing to give on those things that are not impact client experiences as much. Same thing goes with home renovations. When planning a kitchen think about how it will operate, not necessarily how it will look.

3. Communicate

It is important to really listen to and understand those who are involved in the changes. Stakeholders, which include current clients and new clients need to know what is happening (or family during renovations). They will also have questions, so try to understand their motives behind the questions and remember to use different styles of communication to clarify each person's point of view.

4. Be Adaptable and Continue to Learn

During changes life and business are not going to be operating at peak efficiencies. New processes and new environments take time to find their flow. There will be errors and hiccups. Learn to let the smaller errors slide and adapt from the large ones. You can try to anticipate as much as you can, however things come up that you might not have thought about.

5. Know that it is Temporary

Yes, there is a saying that “that the only thing constant is change,” however when there are big changes happening which severally interrupt your routines remember that there is an end and you will establish new routines.

6. Take Action on the Mental Drag

The method of organizing called Getting Things Done or GTD by David Allen is one that I am trying to establish more in my own life as well as ingrain in my business. Our minds are meant for processing information, not holding on it. Writing things down is one way of getting rid of the mental drag.

Another way is to complete those tasks that are occupying your mind the most. That seems to create a sense of mental clarity.

7. Find Somewhere Quiet

We are inundated with stimuli from our environment. This is especially true if you live in a big city or work in an environment that has constant noise. Go enjoy the outdoors, participate in a Yoga class or hide in an infrared sauna. Try to create a quiet space and time somewhere in your life. Let the thoughts in your mind pass by like water rolling over stones in a stream.

12 Business Lessons from Big Box Gyms

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:35:00 +0000

There are pivotal times in life when one decision alters your career path;. mine have been in 1994, 2000, 2007 and 2011. After twelve years of being involved with a larger multi-location fitness facility as an employee and vendor I moved my business to completely independent. Which oddly enough has opened more doors of opportunity.

In 2000, I thought that working as a Personal Trainer who specialized in rehabilitation, such as Fitness World for a few years would help launch my career.

I became one of their top selling Personal Trainers and a Group Fitness Manager during seven years of employment before negotiating a strategic alliance that became Lifemoves.

Before the merger Fitness World was a family run business with the original founder still very much involved. I am very grateful for the support I was given to open my own business within a business in 2007. The idea was to test run a rehabilitation centre within a larger fitness centre with multiple locations however, this changed in December 2010. Little did I know how long I would be involved with them or what I would learn.

12 Lessons Learned While Working in a Big Box Gym

1. Large Companies Take Awhile to Get Simple Things Done

As a group fitness instructor it took me one year to get new equipment for our programs. When there are multiple layers to go through, sometimes there are road blocks that occur. These road blocks prevent organizations from thriving or taking advantage of competitive opportunities. As a company grows make sure that your employees have enough freedom with guidance to see their own initiatives completed. Evaluate each project on its own merits, but don’t take so long that opportunities are missed.

2. Pay Attention to Your Numbers But Not So Much That You Lose Sight of People

We always had to know our daily numbers which lead to our projected figures and monthly revenues. Those without a business sense weren’t sure why it was important. If you don’t know what your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are or where they at for a particular time period you are unable to make necessary strategic adjustments. Over the last few years I have figured that there are specific indicators of our performance that leads to revenue. Our income statement is merely a reflection of the actions we took to execute our strategies.

Part of what makes people want to work or participate in a great environment is the people. With the merger the energy of the gym shifted from something that was really friendly and family oriented to something more corporate. I want Lifemoves’ clients and staff to be part of a family whom feel as though we are all working together to get people moving for life. As a business owner I still have to manage our KPIs.

3. Managers are Not Always Leaders and Leaders are Not Always Managers

A manager has specific tasks to accomplish throughout the day and things to look after. Leaders take initiative, coach and guide people to become better at what they do. New Personal Trainers would approach me for guidance even though I was not their manager because I took the time to help them improve their teaching and business skills. With the merger there is now more coaching happening.

4. Freedom Manager Can Be Detrimental for Some While a Micromanager Can Be a Crazy Maker

There are two extremes of management – Freedom Manager and Micromanager Crazy Maker. As one manager told me “we are all adults, so we are capable of doing our jobs.” This is why we were all left to our own devices. Some people thrived while others who needed more coaching or guidelines eventually left. On the other side is the manager who is always taking over or always checking in without trusting that staff is actually doing their job properly.

Each employee requires their own level of management. I try to find their particular level that keeps them motivated, our clients happy and the business running smoothly. To survive as an employee I had to do my job, learn to let whatever the micro manger said slide off my shoulders and take initiative.

5. Listen to and Take Care of Your Clients and Staff

While we are unable to accommodate every client’s whim or whimsy clients want to know that they have at least been heard. Whether it is a complaint or commendation keep your eyes and ears open. If there is action that can be taken to resolve an issue, don’t just brush them off. Take care of it. If clients are paying for a premium service, such as Personal Training they want the extras like water. Even in a down economy there are ways to cut costs without reducing the quality service you provide or how you take care of your staff.

6. Find Ways to Improve

If you want to thrive in a retracted economy, find ways to improve and add value. Now is the time to innovate and improve the quality of service so that clients remain clients, while they also sing your praises to their friends and family. Taking away little perks from clients or staff only produces more grumbling.

7. Reward Current Clients and Staff

It took awhile, but I believe this is happening. Fitness World would have great promotions for new training clients, but not current ones. This created “a what about me?” attitude. Some of the promo packages now are fantastic. It took several years for Personal Trainers to be part of the bonus system, which we often complained about. Find ways to thank all your employees for their efforts and contributions.

8. Compete on Difference and Value Not Price

Lifemoves© is trying to figure out how we can best reward our clients without offering large discounts. You don’t hear of a Physiotherapist or Chiropractor offering to discount their services, so why should we? The concept is to give something extra instead. It has been our general policy not to discount. Personal Trainers are paid on a percentage fee split – so with discounts they are paid less until the client renews. Clients who paid for packages with large discounts often had difficulty seeing the value of paying full rates. This is why we pay employees a flat rate instead of percentage (it keeps payroll simple too) and don’t offer discounts or participate in GroupOn type services.

9. During Times of Change People Will Often Look Out for Themselves

In times of change and turmoil some people end up protecting themselves. A merger takes a couple of years for the dust to settle and for others to adjust. Sales people are motivated by commissions. If there is the perception that their income is threatened they will sometimes be ruthless at protecting it. If you are in a company going through a merger or big changes try to help each other out.

10. Communicate Clear Expectations

To avoid the above situation and others it is very important to make sure that everyone is communicating clearly during times of change. New staff in one department doesn’t always know what is happening on the other side and vice versa. Keeping everyone involved in the loop will ease tension and prevent conflict from happening in the first place.

11. Have Checks and Balances but Keep Things Simple

It was clear during my tenure that there were multiple redundancies that had to be checked and balanced to ensure that everything was completed correctly. I still believe that this important, but how many steps are really needed is still questionable. As my business grows it becomes increasingly complex, however I am conscientiously always trying to find ways to make it more efficient. A system with redundant or unnecessary steps will cost you money.

12. Learn to Leverage Technology: Databases Are Great

In 2001 I developed an access database to track client sales and sessions; in 2006 I started to use a PDA for my calendar. It was in late 2007 when they were talking about moving to an electronic system. How are you able to search client records in paper? Databases give you a lot of flexibility to manage a lot of information more easily. When I found out about electronic management service providers in 2008, Lifemoves© made the leap.

Conclusions

There are many more lessons I learned throughout my twelve years, including that having systems is important to produce long-term results and business growth.

I will miss Fitness World, as I have many fond memories and am thankful for everything that I have learned while there.

I am looking forward to growing my company and continuing to Get People Moving for Life™

Share the Red Dragon Entrepreneurial Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 15:59:00 +0000

Start spreading the news. Welcome to the year of the dragon. I am excited that Lifemoves is poised for big growth in 2012. This means that we will be adding more content and looking for more ways to share information in all of our blogs: Get Moving for Life, What's Moving at Lifemoves and this one.

We appreciate all of current readers, we are changing our RSS feeds. Please use the link below to update yours. If you don't subscribe you can easily keep up to date by clicking below to subscribe to this blog, click to the right to subscribe to the Get Moving Newsletter or by following us on networked blogs and other social media sites.

Subscribe to Red Dragon Entrepreneur

Please share any content you think others would enjoy.

Sincerely,

Alfred Ball
Life Moves Health and Fitness Inc.
President | Founder | Red Dragon Entrepreneur

7 Ways to Choose Continuing Education

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:42:00 +0000

To become and stay a leader in your profession you need to continue to learn. With all the continue education opportunities available how do you choose? Roger Takashashi, Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Vancouver Canucks and fellow Kinesiologist spoke at the 20^th Anniversary of the British Columbia Association of Kinesiologists in November. The crowd was mainly undergraduate Kinesiology students, though there were a few veterans who came to hear him speak. His session was a question and answer format. A key point he made was that his degree in Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University was the foundation to his current career, knowledge and experience.

A university degree is not the end of professional training. If we stick to one field we have about 30-40 years of work to accomplish before we retire. The world is changing fast and so is the body of knowledge. Takahashi explained that he is able to connect what he learned in his course work to what he does on a daily basis with NHL players. It helps him fundamentally understand how each each exercise affects his clients physiology, state of recovery and biomechanics. I can relate to this. He emphasized that to stay sharp, competitive and prepared we need to be continually be learning.

The average amount per employee that is provided in Canada for education and training is around $650 and great companies spend about 3% of their budget on training. I often hear that continuing education is an expense; instead think of it as an investment towards future earnings growth. Investing in continuing education over the last ten years has made a significant impact on my income and success of my business. Many professions also have a minimum number of continuing education credits needed per year to maintain their designation.

How to Choose Appropriate Continuing Education

There is a plethora of continuing education courses now for Kinesiology, rehabilitation and fitness and I am certain the same is true for other industries. How do we choose, especially when our budget can at times be small.

1. Make a Someday/Maybe List and a Must Take List

Remember many courses and conferences are offered annually or semi-annually. What are some courses that would be nice to take and what courses are must takes?

2. Follow Your Passion

Is there a stream or specialty of your profession that you are passionate about? Make courses in that stream the priority. For me it is musculoskeletal, orthopaedic and neuromuscular disorders.

3. Figure Out What is Missing

Is there a piece of knowledge that you are missing that would add value to your client interactions? Take those. I found a solution to unlocking clients lack of mobility in 2007.I found Fascial Stretch Therapy. A friend and excellent Kinesiologist, Paul Turner of Three Peaks Kinesiology and I looked at each other and said "we have to take this." Three months later we were in Arizona for Level I.

4. Figure Out How You Learn

Kinesiology education has a hands and experiential quotient, however there are plenty of other ways to learn some of the theory. Are you a visual, kinesthetic or auditory learner? Most people are predominantly one, however they are also a mix.

5. Set an Education Budget, But Learn to Stretch It

If there is something you really want to attend figure out a legal and ethical way to make the additional cash to attend.

6. Will It Make an Impact?

Will this new knowledge make an immediate impact on the way practice, run your business or add more value to client interactions? Pick the courses that you can experience immediate improvement in your practice. Sometimes the return takes a little bit of time. People will pay more when you add more value.

7. Find Free Stuff and Share with Others

You don’t need to spend big bucks or travel the world. Though, travelling to out of town places is a great way to learn from some of the best directly and network with others. It easier to learn from your peers by connecting through Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Also, you can easily learn by sharing blog articles, researching online, listening to free podcasts and attending webinars all on your own schedule.

Oh, there is also the library (physical and electronic). You can now download pretty much most things to a mobile device, laptop or table to take anywhere you are. Industry journals will also have CECs quizzes for you to complete. When you find something really neat, share with your colleagues.

Facing the Cold Hard Truth for Enough Growth

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:31:00 +0000

While supporters of the Occupy Wall Street movement complain of excess spending and compensation packages of corporations and banks I have been wondering what is Enough? Part of question comes from trying to figure out how to protect my business and myself from the financial Aftershock. To answer this I have to continually be ok with facing the Cold Hard Truth about my particular situation and the economy. To succeed I have to come to Common Purposes with my fiancée, my family, our clients and my staff.

All of these are books I recently read that have given valuable insight into how prevent personal and business financial crises, grow my business and lead into the next few years. Does my business need to grow to become a large organization like some big box gyms with twenty or more locations? No, but a business does need to grow, evolve and remain profitable as the markets, society and environments change. This growth needs to be done at manageable so that the owner and staff stay sane and don’t have their own meltdowns.

Achieving Common Purpose

The original vision of Lifemoves, locations in at least one Fitness World in each community is no-longer. Fitness World’s new ownership and I were unable to come to agreement in May, so we are looking for new space and a new direction. This new direction has been set (which will be revealed in the appropriate time frame). Engaging your team in discussions based on the question “what is next?” or “how can we improve?” leads to a two major values: 1. team members feels more valued because they are making distinct positive contributions; 2. the conclusions of the conversations become the common purpose.

On Friday, we had a very productive team meeting at a coffee bar that lead to an understanding of what our long-term goals and challenges are as well as knowledge of the steps needed to get there.

Facing the Cold Hard Truth

Growing up with parents who were both librarians (information junkies) and one who understood the power of databases (he created a school library system) means that I know the intrinsic value of having accurate searchable data. Our records give of an idea of what has happened in the business. Accurate records enable a business to make appropriate analyses and decisions. Sometimes this data can be chilling.

Last year I hired a couple of new Kinesiologists with idea of floating the hourly rate with the current session fees that my other Kinesiologist was booking until the new hires were fully booked. That all crashed when the original employee quit less than a month later taking much of that business with them. Action should have been taken a lot sooner to right this situation because it put Lifemoves in a financial hole that we dug out of, but it was an arduous and long task.

As we move from a single location to several remote locations I am thinking more and more about our records management system. How can maintain communications, accurate information and financial control? I am always aiming to build this company so that we are mobile. Adding more employees and more locations adds to the complexity of our systems. However we still need to continually evolve our records management system towards Canadian and ISO standards (which I discovered recently) while keeping it as simple as possible.

Gaining the perspective of your employees also helps the business improve, create new initiatives and understand our strengths as well as our weaknesses. Although, Aftershock primarily describes the future of the U.S. economy Canadians can still take home a few lessons from it. The major one for me is how to position my business in the future. Health care will take hit in the coming years however, it won’t be as bad as discretionary spending such as retail. We need to shift further from a fitness company to a health care provider to continue to grow in a “melting economy.”

Figuring Out What is Enough?

Everyone will have their own determining factors for what is enough when it comes to life, money and business.

Enough is being a market leader in several municipalities.
Enough is being able to pay our accounts receivable on time.
Enough is being to able people full-time in a career which they are passionate about and in a company that they are thrilled to work for.
Enough is being able to provide appropriate benefits for our employees so that they are taken care of.
Enough is having zero commercial credit card debt – business and personal
Enough is having a flexible work schedule to enjoy recreational pursuits when I desire
Enough is being and to contribute more to my community
Enough is have $1.00 more than I need.
Enough is feeling like my family and I are financially secure and will be secure as we age.
Enough is having loving, trusting, mutually supportive and meaningful relationships.

Please share what enough and the cold hard truth means to you? How are you going to protect your business and yourself from the financial meltdown?

References

David Wiedemer, Robert A. Wiedemer and Cindy S. Spitzer Aftershock: How to Protect Yourself in the Next Global Financial Meltdown

Bogle, John C Enough: True Measures of Life, Money and Business

O’Leary, Kevin Cold Hard Truth: On Money and Life

Stay Happy by Redefining Success

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 20:35:00 +0000

What do you immediately think of when someone says “I am successful”? Most often people think of the attainment of wealth or celebrity, however it can be much simpler to be successful all you have to do is achieve an aim or favourable outcome.

Take a good look inside and around you. You have the power to be successful and really define what that means to you. It appears too many people think that being an entrepreneur is about chasing vast amounts of wealth, but instead the monetary return is a reward for creating value. Being a successful entrepreneur is about going out every day and being able to create the value for our clients, our community and our employees.

The only way to be successful is set goals, take action and achieve them. There are many layers to success, health, relationships and finance. Many people become unhappy by defining their success as others see it – massive amounts of wealth or having the latest gadget or stylish home.

Each day set a few aims to accomplish – picking up your socks from the floor, having a good breakfast, calling your parents, going for a walk with your partner or making that call you dreaded then go get them done.

Then take sheet of paper and write down “today I am successful because I ______” and fill in the blank with has many things as you can think of. Read the list, smile and share.

Examples

Today I am successful because I finished and sent the Lifemoves Newsletter

Today I am successful because I completed a post on chronic pain for Get Moving for Life Blog

Today I am successful because I wrote this blog post for you

The next step for a successful day is to get in my own movement training.

How are you defining success?

How to be a Kinesiology Professional

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:26:00 +0000

The recent exposure by CTV of some Personal Trainers claiming to be Kinesiologists, when they are not, just to make a few extra dollars and the Occupy Vancouver/Major World city movement motivated me to seek further understanding about what it means to be a professional and how the financial markets have evolved or devolved.

We often hear of CEO’s being overpaid for underperformance or various people (not professionals) doing unethical things which have at times even been illegal, just to have “more”.

In his book “Enough” John C. Bogle describes mostly how the financial industry has gone from adding value to the investors to taking more value away from the investor as well as how professional standards have degraded. Through his vast experience and knowledge he also gives the reader a solid history of financial excess which has permeated CEO compensation in the USA. He also gives his own thoughts about how to turn this situation around.

On a sunny day in June 1999 I officially joined the working world to become a professional in the rehabilitation and health fields. Often the term professional is reserved for and only associated with lawyers, doctors, teachers, engineers, architects, accountants and others with similar designations. There are even special banking services for “professionals,” but only the previously described qualify. As a Practicing Kinesiologist with over 10 years of experience I consider myself to be a professional. Does having a particular degree and designation means you are a professional, while others with degrees are not? I agree with Bogle, who thinks that there is more to being a professional and that it is more about how you act than what your designations is that defines you as a professional or not.

Mariam-Webster Dictionary’s Definitions

Professional

“Characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession." or “Exhibiting a courteous, conscientious and generally businesslike manner."

Profession

“A calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation."

6 Characteristics of a Profession

In Chapter 5, Bogle mentions how Daedulus examined professions in the 1940’s and then again in 2005. They go on to describe the six characteristics of a profession:

A commitment to the interest of clients, in particular society in general
A body of theory or specialized knowledge
A specialized set of professional skills, practices and performances unique to the profession
The developed capacity to render judgements with integrity under conditions of ethical uncertainty
An organized approach to learning from experience, both individually and collectively and thus the growing of new knowledge from the context of practice
The development of a professional community responsible for the oversight and monitoring of quality in both practice and professional educators

Is Kinesiology a Profession?

Yes, by the above definitions Kinesiology is a profession and I am a professional. Lifemoves was created to promote health, fitness and wellness opportunities for clients with medical conditions, disabilities and injuries. My inspiration was in 2000 when I noticed, during a volunteer practicum with an individual with a spinal cord injury that I noticed that there were very few fitness opportunities for individuals with medical conditions or disabilities. This has changed through the years, especially due to community centre revitalization projects however; there seem to be a very limited number of commercial centres with integrated facilities and programs. I stand by my professional ethics and place adding value to our clients’ lives at the forefront of what we do.

To become a practicing Kinesiologist we have a specialized knowledge and skill set that is obtained during a undergraduate degree as well by continuing our education throughout our career. I am connected with fellow professionals who take pride in what they do and who share their knowledge and opinions through discussions in various forums. I have contributed some of my knowledge by speaking at conferences and contributing to Kinnected, the BCAK’s member newsletter. The BCAK, which turns 20 years old this year, is our professional community that is responsible for oversight and monitoring of both those in practice and those who provide professional education.

What being a Professional Kinesiologist Means to Me

Kinesiology is not a job for me, nor is it a field that I intend to be in for a very short time. I chose a Human Kinetics degree for the specific reasons of helping others become healthier and improve their own physical performance. Lifemoves is my business and my full-time livelihood. Helping people move with greater ease is also my passion.

Contributing to the wellbeing of Lifemoves clients, society and other Kinesiologist
Sticking to my ethics and standards of practice
Continuing to grow, challenge and improve my skills and methods of practice
Ensuring that Lifemoves remains profitable so that we are able to grow and expand our services thus have the opportunity the provide more services to more people
Respecting and valuing the members of our clients medical/health team – Doctors, Physiotherapists, Chiropractors, etc by maintaining open dialogue and communication
Only recommending services and products that clients need while referring out when appropriate.
Transparently communicating with clients and colleagues, which at times means admitting to my mistakes or the need for additional research
Providing current knowledge and passing that on through communications with colleagues, team members and clients
Providing timely communications, effective, innovative and efficient service delivery
Taking care of myself so I can take care of others

References

Bogle, John C. True Measures of Money, Business and Life. John Wiley and Sons¸ 2009

Bogle’s Blog – John C Bogle Media

6 Ways to Elevate Fitness Professionalism

Kinesiology Gains More Recognition in British Columbia

James Cunningham Race Sets Humbling New Standards

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:32:00 +0000

Today was a humbling yet motivating experience in the rain. It was just over ten years ago that I participated in my first James Cunningham Seawall Race.

Endurance running was never something that I had focused on so, I never became all that great at it, however I was proud of what I did achieve, including a 4:08 hr marathon after training for the half (not recommended, but I knew I could do it and that his a another story). In the early 2000s I was trying to prove to myself that my knees were capable of running great distances without giving me grief.

What is measured and acted upon will always improve. The past few months my training has solely been on the Grind; with very little endurance training in between. Entering today was a whim, inspired by a few friends who said let's do the James Cunningham Race and see how closely our Grind times correlate. The point of today was to see how fit I was compared to ten years ago, as well as set a baseline for future training.

In the book The Running Edge, which I reviewed, the authors mentioned that a 10 km race pace is approximately equivalent to your lactate threshold pace. I had not done a blood lactate running test since a few months before Seek the Peak in July.

The Race

It was cold and raining before the race as everyone was huddled under tents trying to stay dry and warm. Unfortunately we didn't have any warm-up time, but the rain did subside before the official gun went off. In big crowds I never seem to get my starting place right. The first ten minutes were spent bobbing and weaving as I strived to find a place to get into a running rhythm. My Garmin was set to beep and if I went below 8.3 mph or above 9.5 mph and every 1.475 miles which was one quarter of the distance. Eleven minutes went by and I was setting a good pace then a stitch hit me like a brick which made it difficult to ran faster without pain. My heart was 183 beats per minute. This is about 5-8 beats above my lactate threshold.

To continue I had to slow-down. I was holding on for the second quarter trying my best to slow down and deepen my diaphragmatic breathing to get rid of the stitch. There were even instances where I drafted behind someone to see if they were going at my pace. In a lap race like the seawall – take the shortest path, the inside lane; most of the time I hung there and somewhere above 7.4 mph. Along the third quarter someone kindly asked if I got rid of the stitch and offered advice about how to get rid of it. It subsided, but never really went away.

While climbing the Grind and now on this running race I noticed that I get a stitch if my heart rate goes above my lactate threshold; there is a lesson there. By the time I hit the fourth quarter I could see a friend ahead in the distance. 7

I repeated the following mantras in my head to stay motivated "Just keep going, place one foot in front of the other and pick up the pace a little"

I caught up to my friend as the tents of the finish line came into view. We encouraged each other as I passed by him. Seeing the finish line, I sprinted to finish in a time of 46:19. This is a minute and a half slower than 2000.

Age Graded Finish Times

How did I do? Do I compare myself to me 10 years ago? My age graded time is 57.7% and 55.6% of the world's fastest times for 10 km. On the Grind my times are about 78% of the fastest in my age group; still in the top 30 As a fitness professional I have always believed that participation and self-improvement are important and need to be celebrated, however as a someone who participated in sport at a National level I still have the competitive drive. It is great to see where I fit on a regional, national and world-class level. To be the best at something you have to know where those standards are. When I competed in Biathlon international competition spots were given on a basis of how close you finished to the top as a percentage of time; the standard to meet was usually 90% or more.

Lactate Threshold and New Pace Zones

Today helped established new pace zones. I use The Running Edge: High Tech training for Peak Performance (p.54) Pace Zone Index to establish my training zones, which need to be evaluated every 6-8 weeks as fitness changes from training stimuli. Since my last blood lactate test this has dropped from 32 to 36.

Conclusions

Seek the Peak is awesome event which I trained for specifically by building my base then going for specific interval runs on the terrain that would be the event route. I want to in top physical condition related to my age as I age for both physical strength and endurance. That leaves me with a few things to focus on the half-marathon, 10 km, Seek the Peak and the Grouse Grind. Overall placement is not important however gradual improvements relative to previous years as well as percentage improvements relative to age group are important. I want to be in the 80% - 90% at the very least.

Now it is time to build a plan around these new standards and goals. There are striking similarities between high performance and business: the need to review, set standards, set a new plan and take actions.

PS - I find it confusing when the chip time and gun time are the same. I pressed my stopwatch when I stepped on the mat, which was a minute after the gun time (see the age group results - here). Either way I placed 16th in my age group and have four more years to reach the podium.

Find your age graded pace – click here

I am still very happy with the last six months of events and training. What are your standards? What are you measuring and taking action on?

Grinding Out Climb Number 50 in the Snow

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 02:50:00 +0000

Friday was the end of the Grouse Grind season for 2011. The reason isn't because the trail is closed, though with the snow starting to stick at the ¾ marker I am sure it won't be too long until it is.. My second climb today was the last one because I am at ease that all my season goals have been accomplished.

That morning I woke up knowing it would probably be cold, wet and snowing up on the mountain, but with the drive to complete two more goals: 10 sub 40 min and 50 Grinds for the season; this meant at least two more ascents. Staying active outdoors in the late fall and winter requires wearing the appropriate layers and planning to have dry clothes close by for when you finish. I decided it was time to pull out the long-underwear for the slightly cool damp weather to avoid hyperthermia and keep my torso warm. When we are cold our blood goes to our vital organs to keep them warm, so by keeping my torso means that some of this blood could go to my arms and legs.

Number 49

It was very close to toque weather, but now quite. Instead what it is raining I need a peaked hat to stay prevent heat from escaping and water from dripping in my eyes. The magic gloves are great during this time of year, so with ball cap, gloves, long underwear, shorts and double knotted shoes it was time get my 49^th Grind underway.

The canopy provides some shelter so the trail wasn't too slippery at the start. Since, I had heard that there was black ice near the top on Thursday I knew that I had to drive my legs a little faster for the first three quarters to reach the top in less than 40 minutes. The first quarter was a little slow, 8:40 min, probably due to my body's requirement for a longer warm-up. My next pace evaluation point was the old blue quarter sign – 11:56 min, just under my goal of twelve minutes. So, far I was definitely on pace. Finishing the second quarter in 9:18, just over my personal best gave me even more encouragement. I passed a couple of multi-grinders who mentioned that I was on target for sub 40 min. Little did they I know I might finish in 38 minutes.

As I climbed the rain started to fall a little harder through the trees. At the third quarter red sign, I might be on pace for a new personal best. There was more foot traffic after this point which made it difficult to navigate at a fast tempo. There was also some snow on the ground making each footstep a little more tenuous. When I started I set my timer to beep every 9:45 minutes, as I reached the last rocky section it had not chimed yet so I knew that 39 minutes was possible. Scrabbling over the top, I hit my watch lap button, 38:35 min! A great time, but not quite what I had hoped for. Still this was one more goal reached: 10 under 40 minutes!

Number 50

Do I go home and come back on Saturday? Or head-back out for a second time? I did bring extra clothes and an additional hat. My shirt wasn't too wet, so all I changed was my hat. It was raining harder at the beginning this time. Overcoming the cold rain in Vancouver is a matter of mental attitude. I told myself it was sunny and 30c outside. Two objectives were set for this climb. Goals for this last ascent were first to finish and secondly to finish in less than 42:30 min which was my season average. Somewhere along the trail it started to hail. It isn't very often that people pass me, however I could start to hear foot steps behind me after the second quarter started. Knowing that at some point he would pass me I kept to the right as best I could, but I wasn't about to slow down at all.

He kept pace with me for quite awhile, but never passed me; there were plenty of opportunities. It almost started to get annoying, but it was admirable that he was trying to keep pace. I have always said, "run your own race and the rest will follow." Steve Jobs was right to be a leader and innovator in business you will always need to think ahead of what is next and there will always be followers and imitators. As the fourth quarter started more space started to open up between us; it was then that I took charge and sped up.

One of my favourite parts is the last set of stairs where you can more gradually by steering left or steeper by heading right to get to the rocks. The rocky area is my favourite because represents the final push of the Grind before the trees line clears. Looking up I saw the familiar gait and umbrella of Terry, a Grind legend. The snow started to fall heavily, coating the ground with the first white blanket of the winter season. The trail was slippery, so each step had to be taken more carefully. A wonderful white world revealed itself as the trees line cleared. This climbs time was 42:07 making this season's average 42:24; it felt like a comfortable and rewarding end to a season full of accomplishments.

I had the pleasure of coming down on the tram with Frédérique and Jim who were just one climb away from finishing 150 and 300 ascents for the season respectively (they finished their 5^th Grind of the day and reached their goals later that day). Congratulations to everyone who at least completed the Grind even once.

As an entrepreneur being physically active outdoors is important to me because I am able to reconnect with the earth, be within my own thoughts and release most of the negative stress that accumulates during the week. Accomplishing each Grind goal this season builds confidence within me that I am able to transfer into my business.

Another aspect of the Grind that are powerful to me the bonds that are formed between those of us who are part of the Multi-Grind Club. There are people who have done some amazing things who continue to inspire me to challenge myself further. If you are ever to improve in business surround yourself with those who are successful and who push you to new heights.

With the snow falling I am looking forward to snowshoeing and trying the Snowshoe Grind at Grouse.

Persevering Through Rain to Reach 100 Grouse Grinds

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 05:35:00 +0000

On Saturday morning I woke up to the rain and the prospect of it not letting up. It did not matter what the weather was like when I awoke because it was my mission this weekend to finish my quest to reach 100 lifetime Grouse Grinds. This is to honour of Barbara, who in her lifetime completed over 100 climbs despite a brain injury that made it challenging to walk. When she passed away earlier this year I knew that reaching my 100^th climb this season was how I could pay tribute to her admirable courage and perseverance. I had pushed through a dark soggy climb on Friday morning and had reached number 97.

As winter approaches it becomes more likely that Metro Vancouver will close the Grind due to safety concerns. The unpredictable closing date made completing my goal this weekend even more urgent. Learning my lesson from Friday I remember to pack additional clothes including socks. It was still dark out when I left the house because the sun rose at 7:42 AM.

Finding a positive outlook is important when it's dark, raining and cold outside. Part of the beauty of the Grind is the wonderful canopy that the trees provide so you don't get that wet. My body started to warm-up once I started moving as well. The trail was wet and full of puddles, but also silent in the darkness. There weren't very people on the trail in the morning; being on my own gives me sometime to be quiet and listen to my own body and breath.

Number 98

Three minutes after starting the battery power drained on my Garmin. I was truly on my own without technology. Could I finish in less than 40 minutes? What does that pace FEEL like? I searched through my memories of previous ascents to find the right speed. As I continued to climb the trail became clearer as the sun rose in the morning sky. My favourite part of the Grind came upon me quickly – the last stairs before the rocky climbs. It was there that the wind shook the trees to nicely shower me. Clamouring over the last bit where many people stop – I reached the timer hoping my card would produce that satisfying long beep which signals that it scanned properly; it did.

Out of breath I waited for my name to scroll on the screen – 39:58! Under the wire! Triumphant! Two more climbs to reach 100. Coming down on the tram listening to the rain fall didn't inspire me too much. I really wasn't looking forward to another climb in soaked shoes. Refuelling with a couple of carbohydrate gels and some electrolyte fluid I reframed my thoughts by realizing I had been smart this time by bringing a second peaked cap and t-shirt.

Number 99

After changing my clothes, setting my bag in the bag check I was feeling warmer and ready for climb number 99. By this time the rain had stopped. The trail was still wet and on several sections it was cascading over the rocks to create mini-waterfalls. With the wet trail, roots and stairs one needs to be judicious about each foot step. There was a moment when one foot went sideways and I had to catch myself before straining my groin. Even though I really wanted to push the pace my body kept telling me that I need to maintain a steady rhythm while my mind kept reminding me that today wasn't about time, it was about completions. The second climb was finished in 43:41.

I really wanted to stay for a third, however I had booked one client that day and had to head to work. It was going to be difficult to wait until Sunday to finish that ascent and feel the victory of crowning the top for my 100^th Grind. Also, I knew there might be some other activities planned on Sunday that would force to wait until next weekend.

Number 100

Looking outside after my session was over I noticed that the weather had cleared a little bit more. There was time in the day to finish that 100^th climb and complete my third triple multi-day. Another inspiring factor was that a friend completed his 500^th climb on the same day.

After having a bite to eat, hydrating and doing a little stretching with self-myofascial release I set out to find a bus. I could feel the excitement build as I approached the gate to swipe my timer card. The third climb was completely by feel. Another goal I had set was to finish ten climbs in less than 40 minutes each, I was at nine. With the first few steps my legs were feeling free, so was this also the 10^th? I decided to let my body set the pace. There were times when I was dragging and had to mentally give myself a kick, while others times I felt like I was flying at a speed that would earn a personal best.

As the trees started to thin out I passed a few people who had stopped. Some smiled as I encouraged them to keep going because they were literally almost at the top. Feelings of joy, relief and elation began to overwhelm me as I crested over the top to the final timer post. My time was 40:12. I strongly believe that part of success is being able perform at a consistent level – so just over 40 minutes is still successful for me. On the way down we could see the snow on the Lions.

While everything worthwhile usually takes quite a bit of investment of effort and time remember the rewards are well worth it. Be patient and keep striving towards your goal. Ensure that each step or action, no matter how small takes you closer to your goal. When you want something enough, obstacles are only challenges. Find your way through them and keep preserving.

These 100 Grouse Grinds are dedicated to Barb Burton. Rest in Peace.

Finding Confidence Climbing a Mountain

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 06:05:00 +0000

The trails and mountains in North Vancouver are where I go when I need a boost of self-confidence which was soaring after setting a new personal best on the Grouse Grind on Wednesday and then receiving the bag check No. 111 on Friday, just before attempting my second triple multi-Grind.

Businesses have their ways of measuring growth and success often in sales or profit. Even those of us who complete athletic events have our own measures. What we measure is usually what brings us personal intrinsic meaning while keeping us striving for our goals.

In business circles it is well know that what is measured is managed". A business can only change, adapt and grow if it is measuring itself against some type of standard.

Confidence is built each time a goal is reached, however we often end up lost if we don't know what that next goal is, especially after major accomplishments.

I remember the months of dedicated training to complete the Vancouver Marathon as vividly as the mixed feelings of elation and disappointment as my finisher's medal was placed around my neck. The standard of finishing the marathon was achieved. The Marathon was a way to prove to myself that my previously sore knees (which took years to rehabilitate) were strong enough to endure 42.6 miles of running. I had forgotten to set the next goal; it took several years to find another athletic endeavour. A couple of years ago I discovered the Grouse Grind's timer card.

Each climb renews my sense of accomplishment while each descent on the tram reminds me of the beauty of Vancouver. Trail running is often a way for me to reconnect with nature on my own. If there are any days I am in need a boost of self-esteem I know the mountain is not far away.

One thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that my fitness level is increasing on an easy to measure standard which my self-confidence.

Between my second and third ascents and during my second gondola ride down on Friday a woman asked "why do I do the Grind? Am I training for anything?" I replied "to keep the comb webs out." I kept thinking of Fuaja Singh who finished the Toronto Marathon at 100 years old, surprising himself with a time of 8:26 hrs. It is the active agers who keep me inspired to keep moving and challenging my own abilities as I age. My tram conversation also inspired further reflection and analysis.

I am training to be the fittest I can be and in comparison to those in my age group. My season goals include single climb time, average heart rate reductions for the climbs, total number of climbs in a day and 100 climbs for the season. Every outing I wear my Garmin Forerunner, both as a back-up to the timer, but also to measure my heart rate and set quarter interval times for my pacing and motivation.

Each outing I measure the duration for each quarter, total duration and average heart rate for the entire climb; this is then compared to previous days with similar times.

Last week I accomplished three milestones:

Personal Best – 37:58 minutes (top 30 in my age group)

95^th Lifetime Climb

Second Triple Multi-Grind

Wednesday was just one of those days when my body felt fluid and like it was moving fast. After looking at my second quarter time of 9:11 (a new PB), I knew that if I could do the same for the third quarter in a similar time I had a good chance of getting under 38 minutes. Looking at my watch it was 9:15. Yes! Now it was time to push to the top.

From that point it was about going as fast I could and repeating to myself that I could do this. Swiping the card then pressing the lap button my watch – I carefully looked at my watch. There is a notice of the last lap time to covers the current time – I could see it was 38, "did I do it?" The timer is the official time. Flying up the stairs I cautiously looked at the computer screen as it scrolled towards my name – 37:58! Yes, with a fist pump. Even with having to tie my shoes once I broke the 38 min barrier three weeks before I hit 38:04 in 2010 so, clearly there is an improved level of fitness.

Looking back over the season I found out that Friday's triple was accomplished in 9 minutes less than my first one and each ascent was on average was 3 minutes faster than my first triple and a slightly lower average heart rate than on September 3^rd, 2011. The third climb on Friday even felt stronger than my third one in September. I started out pretty fast, but then remember – the goal for the day was really about crossing the finish line.

Next was getting up on Saturday morning to finish my 95^th climb. Maybe the fatigue set in, I am not quite sure but I forgot to double knot my shoes again – so there I was pulling off my magic gloves to tie my shoes in the cold, twice, once for each shoe. I clamoured over the top in 40:05.

What does it all mean? The rest of Wednesday I was elated. This confidence spilled over into the rest of the day at work and with clients. Saturday's climb left me confident that I can finish the remaining five to reach my one hundred and most in less than 40 minutes each. It is also really motivating to group my times and look at very similar times to see that the average heart rates are dropping for those times. The confidence on the mountain flows over to the rest of life. It builds self-belief and self-esteem.

I climb the Grouse Grind because it reminds me that I am getting fitter and how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful city with mountains and forests in our backyard. Each climb I know that I that I am making some progress and that with diligence there will be the occasional breakthroughs. This week there were several. After last week's successes on the Grind, I am feeling more focused to tackle what needs to be done in my business this week.

If you are struggling with confidence in your business or feeling unsure of yourself go out and do something that you know you can complete - big or small. Keep doing the day-to-day things that will lead to success and greatness.

What do you do when you are looking for that extra little bit of confidence? For me, it is climbing a local mountain.

(photos top to bottom: Grouse Mountain Grind Timer and bag check card; West view of the Lions and tram tower; north view of Seabus docking at Waterfront Station)

A Breakthrough Grouse Grind: 90th Climb

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 22:40:00 +0000

Today my motivation was waning and I didn't feel like going to Grouse Mountain, but I did. I ascended the Grouse Grind for the 90^th time in my life (that is with the Grind Timer, which makes it more official). Now, the official count down from 10 begins on my quest to reach 100 by the end of the season to honour a client who passed away this year. This is a big audacious goal because the most I completed in one season was 35 (last year) and when I reach 100 it will be 49 climbs for the 2011 season.

The weather forecast for today was 90% chance of rain and sure enough, someone had posted on Facebook that it was like a monsoon in North Vancouver. I decided to get going anyways, because that is what Barb would do and because I always know that I enjoy myself once I am moving along the trail. Finishing one climb today is alson what was needed to stay on track.

My routine is to first release my hip and lower-back muscles, especially around the pelvis with a little trigger point therapy then had some myofascial release with a foam roller called the Grid, next are few upper and lower body fascial stretches to make sure that my body feels loose and ready to roll. If I don't do this I will inevitably find that my lower-back fatigues around the 3/4 mark.

Missing the Seabus on a holiday is always annoying, because you have to wait for another thirty minutes. Finally arriving at the mountain around 10:00 AM, I noticed that I left my timer and pass at home – was today meant to be? Part of being an entrepreneur is being able to problem solve on the fly and sometimes make quick decisions. Guest services are great, they have all my information and they are able print a downloading ticket and manual input our Grind times. People forget to bring their gym pass every day at Steve Nash Fitness World.

After setting my watch for 10:30 intervals, a 42 min finish time I pressed the start button to begin my ascent. The time it takes to get from the start to the big warning is usually where I assess how my body is going to perform on that day – 3:00 minutes. Not to slow, but not super-fast. During the first quarter I felt like my legs were feeling loose and turning over quite well. That quarter flew by in 9:20 minutes, my quickest is 8:16 – today wasn't fast, but it was still well under my daily goal.

My mind started to figure out how much extra time I had due to the first quarter cushion so, I begun to speed-up. The second quarter mark approached in a blistering time of 9:37 (best of 9:36). Alright, "Could I finish in less than 40 min today?" Pacing on this gruelling climb is very important. My hips, legs and lower-back were feeling great, I knew I could go a little faster. I learned the lesson of going off pace during Seak the Peak Relay '11 in July when I had to slow down because of calf-cramping, which meant I nearly missed my sub 2 hour finish time.

"Keep a steady pace," I repeated to myself.

To go faster the trick is to turn-over the legs more quickly, by taking advantage of the terrain by changing your tactics. One example is to sprint wider flatter sections. I knew I was on track for a faster time when finished by the 3/4 in 9:38. Now could I push even more get another season's best on the last quarter? Only time would tell. Feeling charged-up I knew I had a little bit of extra energy, the faster I went the less time there was left to the finish line.

It took a lot of will power not too look at my watch. Technology is great, however there is tremendous power in also learning to run by feel. There is last set of stairs, where you either go left and it is longer and not as steep or you go steep and more intensely up. I chose right. The rest of the climb is scrambling over rocks – which is the most fun part of the Grind for me because I know I am almost finished and I can leap from rock to rock, even using my hands sometimes.

Since the last interval of 10:30 min had not gone off, I knew I was really close to finishing in less than 40 minutes. Sprinting up the last part of the gravel to the timer, I tapped the timer and pressed the lap button. The last lap is a cool-down; it is a measure of my recovery which can be 1-2 minutes. The point is to see how long it takes my heart rate to drop below 120 bpm.

Q1 9:20
Q2 9:37
Q3 9:38
Q4 10:32
(rounded)

Stunned I read my elapsed time of 39:07!

Follow heart beat by heart beat at TrainingPeaks.com- click here or my 2010 Personal Best

The last quarter was nearly 30s faster than my previous time. My official published time starts at 12 am because it was manually entered and is just shy of my season's best.

This was an outstanding time for my 90^th climb. Keeping reading as I go for 100 by the end of October. The Grind closes when the snow hits the ground and it becomes unsafe.

The lesson today is that you can gather all the data you want, but the decision is really completed with instinct and feeling. Some days are break through days while other are steady as you go. Either way keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep climbing.

BMO Grouse Grind Mountain Run Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:06:00 +0000

October 1st - North Vancouver Saturday was the 21^st BMO Grouse Grind Mountain Run. Again it was overcast, a little foggy and looked like it was going to rain. Yes, this is an organized timed run up the Grouse Grind (some would think this is crazy).

Racing this trail is very different than using the timer card because you are running with a larger group which is about your own pace rather than when you are on your own, setting your pace and passing whomever is on the trail. I was in Wave 3, just behind the Elite Men and Women.

This was my third year, but first season that I have really connected with a group of fanatical multi-grinders. Our group regularly completes more than one climb per day; some have even done more than five and few more than 10. We are supportive fans who celebrate each other's accomplishments while motivating each other to challenges ourselves even more.

Several of us competed in this year's event. We all gathered before the race to encourage and cheer each other on. This year was extra special because I was paying tribute to a client who usually participated, but had passed away. Her mother Mavis, called me a couple of days earlier just to see if I would be there.

Since I wasn't able to go up the day before I had to line up at pre-registration to get my race package, including my bib and chip timer. After all the years of competing, I am not shy about taking my warm-ups off in public. There were a few concerned looks as I sat outside of Starbucks with my track pants around my knees while pinning bib 3-131 to my shorts. My next step was to down a couple of gels and finish my water before placing my bag in the bag-check before 9:30 AM.

I found Mavis standing outside of the warm-up area. Giving her a big hug I asked her asked how she was doing. We reminisced while she showed me photos of her daughter. She wished me luck and said that she would be on at the top. To space runners out there are several waves which go off in 1 minute intervals.

There is a lot more strategy in this event than doing it on your own. Scurrying my way around the crowd gathered behind the starting shoot I found my way near the left-hand front edge of my group. With new wider start of Grind there isn't as much of a slow down or jostling to get through the gate. It is really up to you to find your own path around people while staying on the trail. There are also new red painted ¼ markers along the way which I use as my pace markers.

Everyone is in a fairly tight group for most of the first quarter, so you expend a fair amount of energy trying figure out when is the right opportunity to pass someone or instead hang back. I really don't like cutting people off, but with racers literally breathing down your neck there is a certain amount stress that goes with this event. At the first quarter I was slower than my season's best for that piece of trail, probably due to the traffic and my decision to hold-back a little.

During the second quarter there was plenty of back and forth going, but also at one point someone asked me to "hold my line," so I did expecting them to pass. I think I even slowed down, but they didn't pass me. If your intent is to pass, then go by quickly and strongly otherwise I will find any means I need to get up the mountain and run my own race.

My next pacing mark is stony corner that has a waterfall by it. Looking my heart rate which was 181 bpm my time at this spot wasn't where it should be if I was going to finish in less than 40 minutes. Somewhere during the third quarter I felt my right buttocks and hamstrings pull a little, not good. Survival at this point was most important so was keeping a steady pace. It seems as though when I am pushing past my lactate threshold I end up with a bit of gas in my stomach which prevents from going faster.

By the third quarter everyone is spaced out a little more and your are more or less on your own. Rounding a corner you can see that I like to bound up the stairs two at a time if I can because there is so much joy in moving freely.The intensity seems to bring on a bit of stomach gas, which makes it difficult to pursue a faster pace.

The timer on my watch was set at to go off every 9:35 minutes; it beeped as I found myself on the rocks, the last part of the climb.

Now the end is not just over the rocks, but instead the rest of the race loops around to the right, then left to finish near the chalet. The transition from steep climbs to fairly flat ground is similar to that of cycling to running in a triathlon. Your legs feel like jelly as you try to figure out a new cadence and speed.

Just before the finish is a timer pad so that the announcer knows who is about to finish. It is very nice to hear my name while crossing the finish line. The timer pad beeped as my foot struck the line. Looking at the clock at my own Garmin timer - the final time was 40:49, official time was 40:45, 11th in my age group and 77th overall.

My time this year was consistent with the average of the other the years (40:40 and 40:50). The 14 of Multi-Grinders placed in the top 5 of their age group, 9 were on the podium and 5 actually won their category. We celebrated these accomplishments and those of the season with lunch at afterwards.

Experience the race first hand with this video account (not mine)

Grouse Grind Triple: Brought to You by the Numbers 47 and 80

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 23:36:00 +0000

Over the last two seasons of the Grouse Grind I have met some wonderful people who are also in the unofficial multi-grind group. The over forty people of all ages who are in this group complete at least two grinds in one day or more on a regular basis. I was inducted into this club when I finished my first double grind last year.

The support and accomplishments of this group inspired me to take on a "Triple Grind," or three climbs in one day. September 3^rd, 2011 I challenged my mind and body to this challenging task which would also mean finishing my 80^th of all time.

Preparation

I have been talking about this day and planning it for several weeks. Letting others know of my plans really meant that I was accountable and couldn't shy away from it. A massage therapy session on Friday calmed my nerves and helped loosen up my hips, lower-back, legs and diaphragm in preparation. The day before I set out my strategy and made sure I had one energy gel every to ingest at 30 min for each climb and one cliff bar in-between. To hydrate I filled my water bottles with water, one Nuun tablet and glutamine to replenish my electrolytes and reduce any muscle breakdown.

Due to a later night I had to start one hour later than I anticipated, sunny weekends, especially long weekends are busy times at Grouse. While chatting with some tourists on the bus up they asked me how fast I do the Grind and how often I do it in a week. Though they seemed impressed by 40 minutes and three times per week, little did they know my plans for a triple!

Wishing them all the best for the day, we parted ways so that I could go to the washroom to change and put my heart rate monitor on.

Transition

It was nearly go time when I ran into Oliver and Mark, two other multi-grinders as I was dropping of my bag to the back check (one benefit of using the timer card). They gave me words of encouragement which helped bolster my belief that I could actually do it.

Grouse Mountain staff have a large drawer full of bag check cards with a couple of hundred of numbers on them, today they pulled out no. 47!

I am not usually superstitious, however 47 is my family's lucky number. I smiled and thought excitedly to myself "this really is going to be the day to finish three."

Climb Number One

What limits us more in physical pursuits, our mind or our body? Knowing that this was my first climb of three I didn't set out on a blistering pace, but went at what I thought was a moderate pace that I could sustain. Every once in awhile I checked into my breath to make sure that it wasn't out of control and looked at my heart rate to ensure it was around 160 bpm, which is 15 bpm below my anaerobic threshold. The painted quarter markers provide a good sense of pace and a place of encouragement. Passing the first one in 10:30 min, I felt pretty good. Near the half you point a I passed this guy who decided to be my shadow all the way to the top, despite giving him every opportunity I could to pass me, including staying as far right as I could, he just couldn't manage it.

When my timer chimed 30 minutes, I tore open the pack of Cliff gel vanilla and gradually sucked it empty while still keeping my feet going one in front of the other. These a couple of swigs of water washed some of the sweetness away. Despite really wanting to push and shake this guy off, I was able to clear my head enough to stay focused on a steady pace finishing in 43:52 minutes; just a little bit slower than my average time. So far on pace for three sub 50 minute climbs.

After retrieving my bag I head to the washroom to change my shirt. In between climbs I had about 4oz of Nuun water and one cliff bar. I knew that if I had too much rest time between each ascent I wouldn't make it number three. Also, leaving my bag up top added a little extra incentive.

To view climb #1 – click here

Climb Number Two

This was one the one where I wasn't sure of how to pace myself because I really didn't want to empty the fuel tank and not have enough for the third. There is a 3-4 minute section from the gate to the big warning sign that I use as a gauge to see how my body is feeling. Words of self-doubt started to creep in and I wondered if I was crazy to be attempting three. Then I remembered all those people who would be asking if I had done it and how great it would feel to accomplish this goal.

The trail was more crowded than on the first climb, but still manageable. There more tourists stopping at the blue signs to take photos and few people sitting in the middle of trail resting. Just like the little engine that could, I was the "mountain goat that could."

I broke this mission down into manageable parts, thinking that once I hit the ½ mark, I would be only 1.5 more climbs. The count down in time, elevation and ascents really helped. also figured that since I finished Seek the Peak (16 km and 4000 ft) in just over 2hrs that I could easily finish today. The second climb of my first double I felt quite dizzy and almost needed to stop. This time was different. I crested the top to see the finish timer and sprinted to swipe my card – 48:24, average hear rate 151 bpm.

With the sun out I decided to some dynamic hip, low-back and leg stretching on the grass before my last climb. Sometimes if I stretch or shift in the right way I can get my scarum to release, which actually gives me some relief and little more movement in my hips, Theses stretches are important to reduce any joint compression and length any fascia and muscles that have been shortened during the previous climbs. It turned out to be the pivotal break my body ns seeded.

To view climb #2 click here

Climb Number Three

I was eager to start because I knew it was my final climb of the day and I could push my pace in some places. At 11:40 AM, the trail was really starting to get busy with many groups starting. My legs felt light at the beginning and my mind was all fired up ready to get my body to the top. Even though I wanted do this one for time, I also wanted to finish. Time takes care of itself, we don't have any influence over it. What do have influence is on the process of whatever we are pursuing.

This last one was all about getting to the top, the rest was gravy. Hitting the timer after first quarter, I noticed 11:14 minutes, on pace for around 45 minutes at that time. As I continued to climb the trail became more congested. Long weekends around noon are not great times to be trying to set personal records that are time based. There were people littered all over the trail, sometimes not unknowingly stepping right in front of me; just like driving – stick to the right unless passing. There was one younger gentleman who looked like he was going to pass, then held back.

After about a minute of this, I decided to accelerate just to get passed him. There were several places where traffic jams almost put me at a complete stop; if I stopped, I might not get going again. The trick was to find a safe path around the gaggle of people without forcing them to move suddenly, which would make it unsafe. I saved the Hammer Espresso with 50mg of a caffeine for the 20min mark of the last climb. Delightful.

There were moments of speed that lasted only 30 – 40 seconds then my legs wouldn't pick up anymore. Surprisingly there were only a few spots where I miss-stepped losing my footing momentarily. The second and third quarter were completed in 11:55 and 11:56 minutes, respectively; these were very even times. When my watch chimed 40 minutes during the fourth quarter I knew I could finish this one in less than 50 minutes.

It was only the last 5-10 minutes where I really felt my body getting ready to give in. The last set of stairs before the rocks, where you can either go steeply up or around to the left then right arrived more quickly than I chuckled and smiled to myself "you have to be kidding." When I step on the rocks, I know the finish is really close. My excitement rose as I bounded through this next section, scrambled over the rock face to see the finish time in my view. Pushing myself a little bit more to the finish timer I swiped my card and stopped my watch. Astonished I read "47:24."

To view climb #3 click here.

Celebration

All three climbs in less than 50 minutes and one of my season goals completed. Yes! Yes! Yes! Booyah! Now it was time to get a chicken burger and a chocolate milk to enjoy the glory on the deck overlooking Vancouver. One of the things I really enjoy about Grouse Mountain is the view of the city from the top as well as on the gondola ride. There is nothing quite like it to help you appreciate where we live.

What is next? A business coach asked me once, "What is the goal beyond the goal?" I still have a 35 minute single climb and 100 climbs overall to finish by the end of the season. Happy trails!

6 Ways to Elevate Fitness Professionalism: Post-Vancouver Think Tank Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 05:03:00 +0000

Friday night I was invited to a meeting of the minds by Carmen Bott of Human Motion who is also the new provincial director of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). This meeting brought together some of the top Strength and Conditiong Coaches, Personal Trainers, Physiotherapists, Kinesiologists, Yoga Instructors and Fascial Stretch Therapists in Metro Vancouver.

One big question that came from this gathering was "How can we elevate the standards of fitness professionals?" This was in order to figure out who we could invite to present at a provincial NSCA conference who would attract the veterans and the rookies.

I have been involved in the health and fitness field since 2000 and since that time have always surround myself with people who will motivate and encourage me to elevate my standards of practice. To raise our standards as a collective we need to lead by example, those who are poor or weak in one profession will eventually leave.

Anyone who is in the top echelon of their profession is there because they have they too have sought to be mentored by those who have been in the trenches for many years if not decades. I have been aware of a pervasive feeling of annoyance because many Personal Trainers are lured into the business with promises of a quick few weekends of study, an exam and then being able to bill out $65 per hour without really honing their craft and leading clients through exercise that they cannot execute properly – possibly doing harm soon or in the long-term. They quickly learn that after expenses their take home is not $65 per session and hopefully they learn that they are billing their time not their expertise.

The state of the industry is that young and easy to get into the fitness industry, but there is also a lack of mentorship afterwards. I have had clients, have used the services of trainers for years, say "Wow, I have never had someone teach me that," with some something as simple as cueing scapular retraction and depression during a lat-pulldown (that scares me). Trainers get their certifications and then think they can become independent trainers right away – are you an entrepreneur? No, you own your job that is it.

The independent training studios are so full to brim that the experience of clients starts to decrease in quality. Does the consumer know the difference between an expert trainer and someone who is fresh on the floor – who is there to push you to your limits? Generally not. The culture of these studios is to hold on to the clients that you have, don't coach other trainers – because they are the competition. Could they become better than you, maybe? If you have any business sense you will know that there are plenty of clients for everyone and that each professional has their own niche, or at least you should!

Six Ways to Raise the Bar

Is it up to us to elevate the game of those who do not wish to? You can only coach those who wish to be coached.

It starts by creating an environment where we speak to each as peers whether you have 1 year of experience or 20 years of experience – we all have different life experiences, therefore different insights into human movement and how to teach people to become better at it.
Surround yourself with peers who challenge your way of thinking (whether you end up agreeing or not).
Be open to new ways of thinking, new ways of teaching, new ways of doing business – e.g. look at all the technological changes.
We need to mentor the young ones who are eager to learn and are ready to be coached.
Be proud of your profession. It doesn't entirely define you, but shout it out!
Learn from everywhere – books, peer-to-peer discussions, workshops, even outside of your profession

When I told someone I was going to be a Personal Trainer they asked, "When are you going to get a real job?" It took awhile to make a living, because I had to buck the trend that "there is no money in fitness!" What BS! By the way – I am a Kinesiologist (another pet peeve is Kinesiologists calling themselves Personal Trainers, just because not many people know what a Kinesiologist is or does).

Only those who really want to be the best at what they do will go out and meet the best at what they do. They follow in their foot-steps while creating their own path.

Today I met some of the leaders in our field in Vancouver as well become reacquainted with others who I haven't seen in a long time. As Canadians are we too meek to step-up and say confidently "We know stuff! Let's share!"? Today was the first step in sharing our knowledge. Step up and be confident, people pay us for expertise not our time.

Other thoughts from this meeting by my peers that were written in less than 24 hours:

Fit Pro Think Tank Sept 2011

Bridging the Gap Between Strength and Conditioning and Yoga

Breaking Barriers: Achieving a Sub 40 min Grouse Grind and Business Excellence

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 01:16:00 +0000

Several weeks ago I ran into someone who mentioned that my blog and advice on the Grouse Grind have been quieter this summer. So, here I am today to tell of how I broke the magical forty minute barrier on the Grouse Grind (2.9 km, 2,800 ft elevation) and how these lessons apply to business. 38:59 minutes in the 30-39 age group within the top 12% of all who use the Grind Timer. First, if you think grinding away by completing many climbs will get you results, it won't. If you think " if only I work harder, I will achieve my business results, " you might, but probably only mediocre and not excellence.

To break barriers it is necessary to have unwavering commitment to building excellence working diligently and smartly. Working smartly means consistently evaluating your current environment and what you have achieved so that you can adjust your strategy as need. You also need to firmly belief that you will and know how to achieve your goals.

Over the last several weeks I have always known that I would break the 40 min barrier; there were several times when I came close. Each climb there was a plan, some days it was to push my limits, usually Fridays while other days it was to finish faster than my average of 43:30 min. On Wednesday I had a guy trying to keep up with from about the ½ way mark, there were several times when he went of course to try to pass me, however by following the path I was able to keep ahead of him. My goal for the Wednesday climb was to keep a steady pace, so when he finally did pass me just after the last staircase I didn't flinch, I kept to my game plan.

I am committed to finishing my 100^th all –time Grouse Grind at the BMO Grouse Mountain Run in October, so no matter what is happening I am determined to three climbs per week. On the other days I am in the gym completing several power lifts or plyometrics for the legs and strength lifts for the upper-body. Plyometrics and power-lifts fatigue the central nervous system (CNS) and designed to develop quickness on the trail. The power-lifts are 3-6 reps with as much force and quickness I can generate (all with excellent technique). They might feel and look slow, but because they recruit the central nervous system, I recover fairly quickly the next day without too much muscle soreness. Upper-body strength helps me climb up and over the rocky sections, especially that last bit at the top, just before the timer.

Execution follows preparation and planning. Each climb I learned a little bit more about how to my Grind barrier. I broke my each quarter into timed sections, so that I knew that when I achieve all four lap-times and few markers in between I would be beeping in at less than 40 minutes. Last night I set the intent – "Friday, I will finish under 40 minutes!" I prepared by making sure that I completed all my fascial stretches and self-myofascial releases so that my hips, legs, back and spine were aligned and feeling easy to move. I also made sure that I hydrated well with an electrolyte drink (Nuun tablets) the night before. Just before bed I checked to see that my heart monitor watch was fully charged. Yes!

An entrepreneurs need to be engaged in what they are doing. Recently I have been very excited about what is happening at Lifemoves and what is in our future. I woke up this morning very excited. To achieve excellence athletes need to find the right level of what is called arousal, too much or too little is detrimental. I had been experimenting with different gels and discovered for cost and what my body felt was right – Hammer nutrition's are appropriate. A Cliff bar 3 hours before, 500ml of Nuun-water up to 30 min and one Hammer Espresso Gel 30 min, with 50 mg caffeine was my energy preparation.

When I arrived at the mountain, I changed, put on my heart rate monitor and made sure that my shoes were fitting snugly around my feet, but also double knotted. There is nothing worse than sliding around in your shoes during a trail run or having to break your momentum to tie up a shoe! After dropping my bag off at the back-check I headed out into the sunshine ready start my mission. A proper warm-up is essential before the Grind, because of how steep the new beginning is. The point is to raise your body temperature, stimulate your sympathetic nervous system, get more elasticity out of the fascia, elevate your heart rate to its level during the climb and mentally prepare you for the task.

After a setting my watch to 9:45 min intervals, for the quarters and a 5 minute run around the parking-lot that included heel kicks, hops, cariocas, knee-hops and tuck jumps it was time to get going. I always time myself from the start to the big warning sign. My arrival time usually tells me how I am feeling and what my likely time will be; 2:17 min, a new record. "Ok, today is the day!" I said with a big grin on my face. Keeping my focus on keeping a steady pace while periodically speeding up places where the terrain allowed I found myself at the first quarter (the painted signs) in just under 8:30 min. "Wow, another PB!"

While everyone has their own pace it is difficult sometimes not to get caught up behind someone and slow down. What you are trying to be innovative and build an excellent business sometimes you get stuck in rut behind companies doing the same as you, just OK. This was the same as the Grind, I had to keep passing people. Yet, I was having so much fun that in a slightly exasperated way I always asked them how they were doing and encouraged them to keep it up. You can still be friendly while leading the way.

Finishing the second quarter in 9:43 min was amazing. My next unofficial target is the left hand turn, just after some stairs, up some rocks and near the waterfall. To be on track I had to be there in less than 27 min. I looked at my watch which read about 26:30 min. Yes, my mind did wander to different places including work and family, however my mantra that I kept repeating was "nothing but here and now matters, keep your mind, body and legs focused on the task at hand."

The third quarter came flying by in 9:43 min, another quarter personal best for the season. At this time I knew I was on track, but was also wary that I had at least another 11 minutes to go. There was a temptation to push myself even further, however I learned during Seek the Peak that by pushing hard when I was fatigued meant a calf-cramp, which surely would slow me down even further.

"Stick to the plan, stick the plan. Keep a steady pace. Time will take care of itself. Concern yourself with what you are doing, not how you will finish," I repeated to myself.

Bound up the last staircase, I could feel that I was going to be under 40 minutes. However, I resisted temptation to look at my watch until the very end. I avoided the fondly remembered rock sticking out of the gravel that I so graciously tripped over a few weeks ago. Huffing and puffing I had the final timer in my sights! Beep! "What is your time?" an older gentleman asked me.

I told him as humbly as I could that I think it was under forty minutes. He replied explaining that he was now finishing in less than two hours. We all go at our pace, be proud of what you accomplished," was my response. While still catching my breath, I walked up the stairs to the chalet to look at the timer screen. To my delightful surprise – 38:59!

This set me grinning internally and externally for the rest of the day. Each quarter was a season personal best. Remember the sum of the parts equals the whole.

What I do in business and sport is collect and analyze data. Take a look the information collected using the Garmin Forerunner 305, including heart rates, intervals, pace and GPS - click here

More info on the Grouse Grind

As Seen in Impact Magazine! Writing as a Local Expert

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 05:46:00 +0000

It took a little perseverance and patience, but I am now published in the Canadian magazine IMPACT and can officially call myself an author. Impact, is a multi-sport magazine published in Vancouver and Calgary which recruits local health, fitness and sports medicine experts to write articles for their bi-monthly magazine. I am honoured to be able to now say "as seen in Impact Magazine."

This article took awhile to get published. I first noticed Impact a couple of years ago because it is distributed to major gyms, fitness events and medical offices. The idea of writing for them came about because many of the articles were written by local experts and I wanted to write more often to share my knowledge.

Lifemoves has advertised with them in the past. In April 2010 we were invited to attend a fabulous client appreciation party at Monk McQueen's near Granville Island. There I had the pleasure of meeting their publisher and editor at the time.

It wasn't until I attend my first editorial meeting in November that the ball got really rolling. The evening turned into a fun time of sharing and pitching ideas to the Editor, Chris. The challenge was making each idea relevant and relative to the reader.

I was really excited when an email request came in for TWO pieces. One was a book review in the and the second was a more complete article published in the July/August issue. Thank you to all who assisted with the fascial stretch therapy article including client Liam Firus, Athlete Model and Canadian Jr Figure Skating Champion; Dr. Carla Cupido, Baseline Health; Graham Stamper, RMT; Chris Frederick, Stretch to Win Institute.

If you missed the hard copies:
Stretching for Recovery and Performance: How Fascial Stretch Therapy Can Raise Athletic Performance

The Runner's Edge Book Review (scroll down)

How to Combine Strategy and Tactics to Achieve Success

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 07:03:00 +0000

Are you having trouble thinking because of all the noise? Often we get so stuck in the noise of doing that our minds become so clouded and foggy that we no longer know why we are doing what are doing or understand if what we are doing has any positive bearing on achieving our goals.

An over-abundance of inputs such as our cell phone, emails, phone calls, knocks on our office doors, social media sites and in my case the noise of people in the gym combined with the overhead drone of satellite music without the time to process leads to an overbearing number of inputs, feelings of being overwhelmed and then a system crash (burnout). Setting aside time to review goals, strategy and tactics is important to achieving sustained success.

My friend recently posted the following philosophical and inspirational quote from Sun Tzu :

"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat"

How often do you take time to review, goal set, evaluate tactics and strategize? Find time to turn off the inputs to figure out what outputs to need be met to achieve victory.

A strategy is the plan for achieving our goals, while tactics combines the art with skill of employing a available resources and are the means to accomplishing our goal. Firstly, Sun Tzu is implying that having a plan is only part of achieving our goals and reaching victory.

Secondly, it is important to clearly know what resources are available and understand how those resources can best be implemented to execute our plan. Victory is often assured by aligning our goals, strategy and tactics.

For example it makes absolutely no sense to have a great employee without knowing what they are best at, nor does it make sense to have a plan that doesn't implement their strengths to help achieve business objectives. Tactics could also be financial resources – a fantastic marketing plan with all the bells and whistles could sound great, but the cash might not be available. Try adjusting the marketing strategy so that it still meets the business objectives while matching the available resources.

Victory is more likely to happen when there is plan, but Sun Tzu is saying that without adequate resources victory will be slow to arrive. On the other hand having all the best resources without a plan to implement them will in the end leave you confused and defeated by all the noise. There is also an art in knowing when to use the appropriate resource.

9 Steps to Victory: Align Goals, Strategy and Tactics

Set the Goal – clearly define what is to be achieved.
Evaluate and List – resources needed versus resources available
Define the strategy to achieve the goals.
Define the tactics to implement the plan.
Set target interim dates and mini goals to evaluate progress towards achieving the goal.
Adjust 1 – 4 as the situation changes, new resources become available or the environment changes.
Figure out what you next action is. Do it.
Repeat until the bigger goal has been achieved.
Celebrate the Victory!

Each week take some time to unplug yourself from all the inputs to review your goals, measure your progress, re-evaluate and then adjust your strategy.

What do you do ensure victory? What do you do stop the noise and unplug?

Need some help with goal setting from high level to lower level next actions? Read David Allen's 6 Horizon's of Focus from Getting Things Done.

Using Technology to Keep Motivated with vV0(2max) Interval Analysis

noreply@blogger.com (Alfred Ball, Practicing Kinesiologist) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 07:10:00 +0000

Technology helps me keep motivated since my goal races of Seek the Peak and the Grouse Mountain Grind Race are 6 and 9 months away. Performance management tools (software and devices) have come a long way in twenty years. I started using Polar Heart rate monitors to ensure that I was in the target training zone, not too high and not too low. Heart rates had to be just right like Goldilocks. The problems with using a heart rate monitor alone are that they don't show far you go or your pace for each zone. Last July, after using Polar monitors without GPS since I was a teenager, I was convinced to switch to a Garmin 305 Forerunner with GPS to track speed, distance and heart rates.

In business management there is a saying "what is measured, will be managed," so what are your key performance indicators when improving your fitness? Mine are 1. Speed at lactate threshold increases; 2. heart rate at X speed decreases or speed at X heart increases. Recently my focus has been to boosting my VO(2max) and vVO(2max), the maximum amount of oxygen my body can process and at the pace that I can sustain that effort at.

Combining the GPS of the Garmin Forerunner 305 with Training Peaks WK0+ enables me to analyse each training session to see if my speed at certain heart rates is increasing. By comparing the same type of sessions over several weeks noticed some trends. Below is a comparison of the last three weeks of vVO(2max) interval sessions which were mostly completed on the treadmill at 8.9 – 9.2 mph for vVO(2max) periods.

Date	vVO(2 max) Intervals (Work:Recovery min)	Duration	TSS(IF)	Normalized Grade Pace	Min HR	Max HR	Avg HR	Recovery Pace (mph)
26/01/2011	3.0 : 3.0	24:11.0	38.1 (0.936)	7:55 (203.3 m/min)	115	195	153	5.1
21/01/2011	3.5 : 3.0	25:58.0	0 (0)	--	114	188	153	4.5
19/01/2011	3.5 : 3.0	25:58.0	0 (0)	--	108	189	154	4.5
14/01/2011	3.5 : 3.0	25:59.0	0 (0)	--	99	185	153	4
05/01/2011	3.25 : 3.0	24:59.0	0 (0)	--	100	187	152	4
03/01/2011	3.0 : 3.0	24:06.0	0 (0)	--	93	187	151	4

Today was such a beautiful day that I went outside on a fairly flat area of North Vancouver. It was quite a challenge to figure what 8.9 mph – 9.1 mph feels like on the road (see this workout on training peaks). This week is a recovery week, so the duration of the work period was reduced to 3.0 min. Throughout the last three weeks I was able to keep the average heart rate similar for each session, maximum heart is close to the same level, recovery pace increased without a big jump in heart rate while speed for each interval increased from 8.9 mph to 9.1 mph.

All of this data only becomes information when it is analysed and then knowledge when I use it to adjust my training. Over time next four weeks I will continue to complete these vVO(2max) intervals and retest my VO(2max) at near the end of February. Tomorrow I should have the Footpod for the Garmin which will log the indoor pacing more accurately during inclement weather.

Seeing these small increments and feeling the ease at which I am able to run for 40 minutes is keeping me motivated to continue training for Seek the Peak and informed that my workouts are having the physiological affect I want.

How do you keep motivated to reach your fitness resolutions or goals? How do you keep motivated to reach your business goals? What do you measure? How do you translate the data in information and then into valuable information that affects your decisions?

Red Dragon Entrepreneur

Staying Consumer Debt Free for One Year

4 Ways to Simplify Your Growing Business

1. How to Create a Consistent Brand Image

2. Hire a Payroll Service

3. Pricing, Services and Product Offers

4. Electronic Funds Transfers for Better Cash Flow

Reducing Drag Increases Profits

Reducing Systematic Drag to Increase Profits

How to Reduce Completion Time While Maintaining Quality

Simply put:

Resources

When to End a Strategic Alliance to Grow a Business

End of a Strategic Alliance

Lifemoves' Bright Future

Be Proactive. Take Action Early.

Stopping a Childhood Bully with Pudding

I commit to a bully-free life. Do you?

Being the Best: Helping the Hedgehog to the Other Side of the Dip

We are a health and rehabilitation company founded by

a Kinesiologist which is focused on getting clients with

medical conditions, disabilities and or injuries moving for life.

Further Inspirational Reading

7 Steps to Staying Calm During Opportunities and Changes

7 Steps to Stay Calm in Storm of Changes and Opportunities

1. Plan, Plan, Plan (Then take Massive Action)

2. Know What is Important and Be Ok to Give On Some Items

3. Communicate

4. Be Adaptable and Continue to Learn

5. Know that it is Temporary

6. Take Action on the Mental Drag

7. Find Somewhere Quiet

12 Business Lessons from Big Box Gyms

12 Lessons Learned While Working in a Big Box Gym

1. Large Companies Take Awhile to Get Simple Things Done

2. Pay Attention to Your Numbers But Not So Much That You Lose Sight of People

3. Managers are Not Always Leaders and Leaders are Not Always Managers

4. Freedom Manager Can Be Detrimental for Some While a Micromanager Can Be a Crazy Maker

5. Listen to and Take Care of Your Clients and Staff

6. Find Ways to Improve

7. Reward Current Clients and Staff

8. Compete on Difference and Value Not Price

9. During Times of Change People Will Often Look Out for Themselves

10. Communicate Clear Expectations

11. Have Checks and Balances but Keep Things Simple

12. Learn to Leverage Technology: Databases Are Great

Conclusions

Share the Red Dragon Entrepreneurial Experience

7 Ways to Choose Continuing Education

How to Choose Appropriate Continuing Education

1. Make a Someday/Maybe List and a Must Take List

2. Follow Your Passion

3. Figure Out What is Missing

4. Figure Out How You Learn

5. Set an Education Budget, But Learn to Stretch It

6. Will It Make an Impact?

7. Find Free Stuff and Share with Others

Facing the Cold Hard Truth for Enough Growth

Achieving Common Purpose

Facing the Cold Hard Truth

Figuring Out What is Enough?

References

Stay Happy by Redefining Success

Examples

How to be a Kinesiology Professional

Mariam-Webster Dictionary’s Definitions

Professional

Profession

6 Characteristics of a Profession

Is Kinesiology a Profession?

What being a Professional Kinesiologist Means to Me

References

Related Posts

James Cunningham Race Sets Humbling New Standards

The Race

I repeated the following mantras in my head to stay motivated "Just keep going, place one foot in front of the other and pick up the pace a little"

Age Graded Finish Times

Lactate Threshold and New Pace Zones

Conclusions

Grinding Out Climb Number 50 in the Snow

95^th Lifetime Climb