Please help me congratulate these outstanding clients who are chasing down all their fitness goals.

TBP October All-Stars

Harry Bellerby

What happens when you're back is against the wall? When nothing seems to work, you hire Mr. Skinny. Harry has lost over 30 pounds all from his home in Maryland.

Susanne Hynds

The increased focus on nutrition made all the difference in the world. Despite perceived obstacles, Susanne continues to deliver incredible results. 

Connor Perea

School closed. Baseball postponed. Games canceled. These situations can depress anyone, but not Connor. He took the opportunity to up his game, get stronger, get smarter, and get fitter. 

Diana Goltzer

It's easy to make excuses. It's easy to give up. It's easy to say you're too busy. Hard is committing yourself to fitness. Diana has gotten herself in the best-hiking shape ever…during COVID.

Nicole Cannis Collins

Life will hit you in the face. We all get knocked down. What separates us is how we respond. Nicole is using this time to build the best version of herself. And go after her dreams (all of them.)

Eric Etherly

What happens when you don't like what you see in the mirror? You can get depressed. Or you can get mad and take action. Eric took action and is making tremendous gains.

Tazim Rehmat

Dreams only come true when you couple them with hard work. Tazim has recommitted to the proven path. You can work hard at your career, but working on yourself is the best project ever.  

Alex Lopex-Martinez

We show up as professionals. We take care of others. We excel to help others. But always know, to be more productive, more helpful, and more useful you need to build the best version of yourself. Go, Alex go!


My online coaching clients had one primary goal in October: to implement one small habit change. One little habit that we can make easy, obvious, rewarding, and satisfying. 40-50% of our lives depend on our habits. First, we create our habits; then our habits create us. 

What tiny habit can you incorporate into your life?

 

TBP October New-Stars

Sunny Erickson

Sunny has taken care of everyone in her life. Everyone except herself. After a doctor's scare, the time has come to take care of Sunny. Cheers to your re-birth. 


Watch the LIVE video on our social channels:

Tony “The Trainer” Arreola

NASM Master Trainer & Author

 

PS: Ready to start your success story?

Apply here –> Get Me Skinny

Updated: 2/3/2019

“New York, New York. Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today.”

Every run begins with this song playing on my Ipod. I envision the start line, see the crowd, and feel the energy. Have you ever wanted something so bad, so bad,  it took over your life? The New York Marathon has been a fixture on my vision board for weeks, months, years. To qualify for the New York Marathon, you need a time, a really fast time. A time my legs have never ran. Like all big dreams, I first write my goal in my journal. I force myself to believe I can succeed. I force myself to believe it IS possible. Most times I write big dreams down, I don't believe myself. My mind needs convincing. The convincing can only happen through hard, hard work.

“The body can only go, where the mind has been.”

New York Marathon Vision Board

I needed to answer a question, “Can I run that fast?” Only one way to find out… try.  My first qualification attempt took place at the Boston Marathon in 2016. Boston's euphoric event amazed me. I understood the magnitude of the glorious event. Robert and I worked for years to qualify. After hundreds of hours of training and 3 qualifying attempts. We finally qualified in at the Long Beach Marathon in 2015. We broke the coveted 3 hour mark. Coming in at 2:59:52.

 

 

“I remember that chilly, sweet morning in Boston.”

Robert and I boarded the bus to the start line with the world’s greatest runners. Everybody looked fast. My world anxious, nervous, and a little scared. We wore the coveted red bib reserved for the fastest, Wave #1.

“I set the race target 2:53”

The time needed to punch a ticket to the World's Fastest Marathon, the New York Marathon. The crowds erupted as the race began. The nervousness was gone. The fastest march to the finish line began.  Robert and I instantly swallowed by the sea of runners. Besides the sheer number of people, I was surprised by the speed of the runners. Surely this will clear out, I thought. Everybody can’t run at this pace.

But they did.

Mile after mile after mile.

6:25, 6:18, 6:20…

No, matter how fast I ran. I couldn’t pass anyone. Everybody was fast, lightning fast. I was supposed to be the fast one.

“I'm not good enough.”

I'll be honest, I get this ugly feeling, whenever someone runs at my pace. The feeling like I’m drowning, like I can’t maintain the pace, like I’m not good enough. Listen, I’m not a runner, I played basketball and baseball in high school. So running with the world’s elite, I felt like an impostor. Everybody at that level, including Robert, ran track or cross-country. I lifted weights. I wished we we’re lifting weights that day.

Imagine if someone tied you to a car and drove off.  You hang on for dear life, running at speeds your legs weren't designed to handle. That's how I felt and I broke down. My legs felt like cement, heavy cement. The pace was unrelenting. Thousands of runners speeding by me, adding salt to my fresh wound. By mile 13, I knew there would be no New York Marathon Qualification. Heck, there might not be a finish. Robert was nowhere to be found. He dropped before I did. I decided to wait for him.

“To either suffer or celebrate together. We did both.”

The Boston Marathon Finish Line
The Boston Marathon Finish Line

We gave painful high-fives to the thousands cheering. Boston became the celebration for years of effort. As we turned in Boylston’s street. At the finish line Robert and I embraced.

“We did it!”

Well almost…

3:37?

Not exactly the 2:52 we aimed for. I set many daunting goals. They can overwhelm me. I set my business, personal and life goals as big as possible. Then I go out there and fail. I fail again and again. Failing never feels good. But failing is a prerequisite for success. There was no NY qualification in Boston, but I vowed to try again. When I returned home the training began, but unfortunately, so did the injuries…

Devastating Calf Injury
Devastating Calf Injury

The unimaginable happened during a comfortable 40-mile bike and six-mile run, I felt my calf pull. I shut down my run and called Uber to the rescue. I was crushed, why me?

Why do these things happen to me?

Why are my goals so hard? How can injuries happen to me? Why? You can drive yourself insane trying to come up with answers, with reasons. After I had my pity party, I picked myself up and realized all the blessings in my life. I would recover. In the meantime, I focused on different workouts, nutrition, and flexibility. Control your controllables.

One year went by.

I rested, healed, and completed my best Ironman Triathlon to date. 2017 was supposed to be my qualification year. But the injury returned after my event.

I ran my last sad mile of 2017. My leg hurt, but my heart hurt more. I live to inspire, to help my clients, friends and family succeed. And when I fail, it hurts me. It's the reason I try so hard. I'm deathly afraid of failing. Failing at anything. Failure scares the sh#t out of me. I've failed more times than anyone will ever know. It always hurts. Always. As many times, as I've failed. I've always found a way to pick myself up. Never give up on your dreams. In life, in sport, in business. Never give up.

 

Two years went by.

 

But my New York Marathon dream never relinquished. When injuries occur, accidents happen, and life doesn’t go your way. It's easy to be sad. I'm working my tail off and I get nothing? This freaking sucks, life isn’t fair.

Track Run
Why Me?

But wait…

Life is never fair, it was never meant to be. My life is a choice. Our lives depend only to our response to adversity.

Never Give Up on Your Dreams

I spent the better part of 2018 training, waiting and hoping. The frustration was creeping in, I was nowhere even close to qualification. I hadn't even raced. At this point, I just wanted a chance to run. I wanted a chance to test myself. To see if I'm good enough. I finally healed enough to have my chance, the Long Beach Half Marathon.

I focused on my  training.

  • Speed work (fastest mile: 5:07.)
  • Distance work
  • Improved cardio through the bike and swim.
  • Losing weight (5 pounds less than my fittest weight ever.)
  • My secret weapon: Breaking Two’s Turbo Pegasus coupled with yellow laces. My generation’s PF Flyers. Guaranteed to make every kid run faster and jump higher.
Nike's Vapor Fly 4%
Nike's Vapor Fly 4%

New York  Marathon Qualification Attempt #1

The Long Beach Half Marathon

Long Beach, CA October 7, 2018

Goal 13.1 miles 1:24:59  Pace: 6:29/mile

Things didn't go exactly as planned…

Finish Line Sadness
Finish Line Heartbreak

NYQ Attempt #1: Result: 1:30:42 Pace: 6:52/mile

My saddest finish line ever. I did everything right. The weather was perfect. The course flat. The training complete. I just didn't have it. The race was going great. No injuries, minor cramping on mile 6, but no big deal. I faced a huge hurdle at mile 7, but I fought and held up. My pace was still there. I told myself if I can only make it to mile 10, my adrenaline, my heart would take over and I could sail to the finish line. But I was in a world of hurt. My heart raced to astronomic heights.  I had a choice. If I pushed, I would be close. But if I pushed I could blow up.
I chose to push…

Boom!

I blew up. That's runners talk for I sucked. There would be no New York Marathon qualification. In fact, it ended up being my worst half ever. I crossed the finish line, filled with sadness.
After my catastrophic collapse, the time came to reassess…everything.

“What happened? What went wrong?”

I had no idea what happened. I went to the restroom, and then the answer literally came out, bright yellow.

Yellow Pee?

I replayed my water stations, mile two: skipped, mile four: dropped cup, mile six: missed station, mile eight: DONE.

 

Rookie mistake, hydration. A tip so basic, something I always cover with my clients, water?

Nevertheless, I would learn my painful lesson. New training added to my training regime:

  • Low heart rate training (new insight from my NASM Optima Conference)
  • Tempo runs.
  • Sports psychology.
  • Race Hydration Practice

New York  Marathon Qualification Attempt #2

Silver Strand Half Marathon

Coronado, CA Nov 11, 2018

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently” – Henry Ford

 

Result #2: 1:28:11 Pace 6:41/mile

Well… turns out, it wasn't the water.

I hydrated, super hydrated, but I cracked again. The first 7 miles felt great. Then I faded bad. I suffered immensely. And I slowed to a crawl. I fought back hoping to at least match my PR (1:26:47)

No luck.

This race crushed me. After the race, Courtney and I planned to celebrate, but I was so sick. I couldn't stop throwing up. My stomach felt littered with knives. I pushed my body to its limit and my body rebelled. As I cried, bent over spilling my guts into the toilet I wondered if this was worth it. I tried so hard, worked so hard, and I'm in so much pain. Maybe this isn't worth it. I am getting older. Am I still the same athlete I once was?

I contemplated quitting. I honestly did. Sometimes when I push my body to it's edge, the associated pain is absolutely unbearable. It's the kind of pain, where if I was to die, I would be fine, as long as I didn't have to hurt anymore.

Tony Arreola's collapse after failing to qualify for the New York Marathon

Courtney gathered my stuff. We somehow made it to the train home. We sat in deafening silence. I was in pain, embarrassed, and ashamed. I was sure of her response.

And a part of me was okay with not racing again. We wasted another weekend at another failed race.

She looked at me and said, “When are you racing again?”

“Huh?”

“You're not going to quit now?”

I could barely stand, there was no part of me, that wanted to try this again. But, I knew, she knew, we both knew I had to try again. But my training needed to change. Like all problems, I needed to go back to the drawing board. What am I missing? What do I need to do? How can I get faster, stronger and emotionally stronger. I searched, searched and searched. I searched for the latest advancements running technology, training, equipment, and nutrition. I'm not as talented as other athletes, I never was. I was always too small, too little, but I was smart. I needed to use my smarts to help achieve the unattainable.

 

New York  Marathon Qualification Attempt #3

Santa Run to the Sea

Oxnard, CA December 12/9/18

Focused to qualify for the New York Marathon

 

I began the race excited, but I was nervous.

I remember the pain from the last race, would I suffer the same fate. If so, then be it. I'm willing to suffer, I will embrace the pain. I hit my first few miles, but I was suffering. Courtney rode alongside me on her bike. Not letting me slow down. As my legs turned, I tired. A new concerning thought occurred at mile 5,  maybe I had grown soft over the years. Maybe my life has been too easy lately.

Hold the pace. Keep the speed. Stay in the saddle.

And then the miles started piling up.

7 miles done and I'm on track. I'm hydrated, I'm hurting, but I'm on pace.

I slow down to drink water and speed back up.

Mile 10, on pace 6:24.

On pace! I don't feel great, but I don't feel awful. If I can hold on I'm going to make it.

Mile 11, on pace 6:26.

I'm almost there, I need to finish! I need to tolerate the pain for two more miles, 13 minutes of pure hell. My legs are scorched, but they're still moving at the correct rate. Come on, PUSH!

Mile 12 on pace 6:24.

Just one more little mile to New York.

The most important mile in my life. Pain level is at an all time high, this is my limit. The time will be close but I will make it.

I see the finish line. I close my eyes, sprint and dive across the finish line.

1:25:14

14 seconds too slow. I checked my Garmin 1:25:14 Pace 6:28/mile but the distance says 13.2 miles? 13.2? The race is 13.1 miles. Sh#t.

As I laid on the finish line, I couldn't help but smile. Even though I missed my mark by 14 seconds, it was my fastest Half Marathon ever. I finished 10th overall, 2nd in my age group.

Exactly the validation I needed. I was still an athlete, still improving and the training was working. My New York Qualification was now a matter of time.

Not IF, but WHEN?

Result #3: 1:25:14 Pace 6:28/mile

The time came to take a racing break and focus on the training. The winning formula was finally in my possession. I hold the key for the coveted door to the New York Marathon. When I wrote down my goals for 2019, I looked back at my 2018, 2017, 2016 goals and guess what was there, the New York Qualification. But my time has come, the time is now. The next race will be in my hometown of Huntington Beach, California.

New York  Marathon Qualification Attempt #4

Surf City Half Marathon

February 3rd, 2019

The forecast for the race: cold, rain and windy. Great, just great, I thought. The constant rain during the week didn’t give me the confidence to mentally commit to such a monumental effort. I remained optimistic the whole week. But I wasn’t sure if I would race. Not sure is not good. I didn’t sleep Saturday night. I woke up at 2am and laid patiently until 3am. At 3am I arose to great but terrifying news. No rain from 7am to 10am. Just the window I need to race.

Oh, it’s on. Mental game engaged.

It’s gametime.

The freezing cold replaced by the adrenaline of a race start. The race began and I felt powerful. I floated through the first 5 miles, my legs felt incredible. But the joy wouldn’t last, in these races it never does.

As I ran away from the finish line (the course was an out and back) the wind was blowing over 20 mph. I felt the wind, what’s worse I saw the wind. You never want to see wind, but the palm trees faced the wrong direction. I could see the runners coming the opposite way, straight into the wind, it looked like horrific. The wind was in my back, but the party would end at the mile 8 turn-around.

I decided to take a risk.

My race pace was 6:25 per mile. I decided to take advantage of the wind at my back speeding up to 6:15/mile. I took a calculated risk, praying to be right. As soon as I turned around to come back to the finish line. The race changed for the worse. I fell from the floating clouds and sloshed in the puddles of earth. And not metaphorical puddles, real wet ugly puddles. Rain got in my shoes, the cold shooting through my bones and the wind screaming in my face. The legs slowed.

Miles 8,9, and 10 were slower, but on pace. The most brutal game of running Jenga continued. This race needs 10 fast miles to be stacked, and once these miles are stacked then you have a chance to finish the job. 3 more miles in the storm. I don’t know if I can make it, but I’ll try.

Then my training partner Robert, showed up. I was thrilled for a second. But now the stakes were higher. He wouldn’t let me slow, the treadmill from hell would continue. But how much longer can I suffer?

I somehow managed to get my legs to move fast enough for miles 11 and 12. Only one more mile to go, I decided not to look at my watch. I feared what it was going to tell me. The past races, my Garmin has only broken my heart. Robert pushed me, looked back at me, but I couldn’t hold the pace. I just couldn’t.

I quit.

It felt so good to give up, to make the pain end, to not hurt. Time stopped. I looked at my Garmin, 12.66 miles and my time 1:21:45, I can make it, I thought. Sh#t, I can make it. I convinced my legs to jump back on the treadmill from hell. Half a mile of suffering and the longest 3 minutes of my life.

I let out a primal scream as I ran.

The speed 5:55/mile.

Robert shouted, “There’s the finish line. Go get it!”

I winced as I ran and glanced at the clock 1:24:55. It would be close, not again.

Tony Arreola collapsing at finish line after qualifying for the New York Marathon

I pushed as much as I ever had in anything. I dove across the line and stopped my Garmin.

“Did you make it?” Robert asked.

I looked at my watch.

1:24:55

I jumped and hugged Robert like 2015.

I was going to the New York Marathon! The joy radiated in every inch of my being. My eyes swelled with tears. The pain magically gone from my legs. Strangers cheered me. My energy shined like the sun.

After four years, I FINALLY qualified for the New York Marathon

Result #4: 1:24:48 Pace 6:27/mile

Never give up on your dreams.

Never.

 

Tony Arreola

NYC Marathon Qualifier

Author, “Get Me Medals”

Goal: the object of a person's ambition or effort

Ever since I can remember, I had goals. Without knowing the definition of goal or having an adult explain, in my heart, I knew. In kindergarten when anybody asked me that predictable question. “What do you want to be when you grow up little Tony?”

I looked up at the giant humans and responded,

“I want to be President of the United States.”

Please forgive my innocence. I obviously didn’t know better (I was five.) I simply thought of the highest goal imaginable, something noteworthy. Something, anything to help my situation. My upbringing was less than spectacular, and dreaming was all I had. So, I dreamed and dreamed…

Dreaming is Free

Struggle became quite familiar. Our broken family crippled by financial problems. I would close my small eyes and imagine a better life. A life where my mom didn’t need food stamps, a life where we didn’t need to ride the bus, and a life where Santa didn’t skip our house.

It killed me to watch my mom struggle. I asked the tall people for help. The adults preached education. But, I didn’t need an education, I needed money. The giants explained education would earn a scholarship to graduate from college, to get a job, and then get money.

And then get money?

It seemed far away, but okay. I figured if I went to school every day, this would help my goal of graduating college. My very first goal was set: perfect attendance.

My Perfect Attendance Quest

I went to school everyday. Even the days I didn't feel like going, I went. Day in and day out, I showed up. Being poor sucks, and if this would help. Control what you can control. Showing up is the first step in accomplishing any goal. For 8 years I didn't let anything stand in my way, I didn't miss ONE day in school from pre-school through eighth grade, not one.

Showing up is the first step in accomplishing any goal. 

As I stood receiving my first award for perfect attendance. I stood 10 feet tall that day. Every year Jack in the Box would give the perfect attendance recipients a coupon for a meal (a brilliantly sly marketing move.)  The only time I could afford Jack in the Box. I felt like I needed the finest silverware for my cheeseburger combo. I sat like a young prince, eager to eat my well-earned meal.

Fall in love with pride. 

 

 

Total Body Project Goals

Over the years, my goals evolved. Graduate college, move out of the Southeast L.A., help my mom, and start my own company to name a few. I’m proud to say, Total Body Project has helped hundreds improve their lives. Our recent goals consist of our first Get Me Skinny training course, our newest book, Get Me Skinny…Again and the much anticipated release of our on-line training.

But life is meant to be abundant.

Goals must be both professional and personal.

Enter the Ironman Triathlon… Unfortunately, I have a unique ability to make drowning look like swimming. Pools did not exist in South Los Angeles, neither did swim lessons. But I figured, I'm an athlete, let's go for it. 

I almost drowned in my first half-mile ocean swim…

I recorded the longest swim/drown in history. The ocean tossed me like a rubber duck for 47 minutes. It took everything in me, not to quit. Somehow I crossed the finish line. I coughed up salt water for days.

Embrace Failure

Don't be scared to fail. Failure and success go hand in hand. Success cannot exist without failure. My first triathlon was one of the biggest public failures of my life. But I let this moment be the spark, I let it be my motivation for my next attempt. The Ironman Triathlon, approximately 5 times the distance of my first failure. My biggest failure would be followed by my biggest triumph.

The Ironman Triathlon

2.4 miles of swimming followed by 112 of biking and then a 26.2-mile run. When I told people about this goal, some laughed. But laughing at my goals doesn’t anger me, it inspires me. Laughter represents the right direction for my goals. They laughed when I started my own company. People questioned my reason for leaving engineering. Others are surprised when they learn of of my Engineering degree. A few even ask who wrote my books.

When people laugh, I know I’m on the right track.

Two years after my swim/drown I completed my first Ironman triathlon. The joy overwhelmed me. As I crossed that finish line after 13 hours of racing, I realized any goal worth achieving will require hard work, it will require you to show up, and it will require failure. But any goal can be accomplished. Any goal. 

What are your goals? Are they big enough? Do they scare you? Are you willing to do the work?

Let me know how I can help you.

 

Tony Arreola

NASM Master Trainer

Ever thought about biking from Canada to Mexico??

bicycling the Pacific Coast

No?

Me neither.

So how did I end up bicycling from Canada to Mexico?

Eric's “Biking Canada to Mexico” Plan

Back in 2012, Eric and I we're completing a personal training session. He hired me to overcome some serious back issues. No, he didn't have a bulged disk, he had something far worse: 2 shattered discs. Eric experienced chronic back pain for over 20 years. Fortunately, I knew a proven plan to remove his back pain. After assessing his body, I discovered three critical issues. Three troubling issues that would surely stop any attempt of bicycling the Pacific Coast.

Three Critical Back Issues:

  1. Little to No Flexibility
  2. Weak Core
  3. No Glute Activation

 

Critical Issue #1: Little to No Flexibility

Solution: Proper daily stretching coupled with foam rolling(SMR)

I taught him the correct stretches to lengthen his back, hip flexors and hamstrings. The stretches needed to be preformed daily, for months, maybe even years. Eric followed the program religiously. We also employed Self-Myofascial Release(SMR) techniques to give him more flexibility. The SMR is a more effective way to break up tightness in the muscle tissue. If used properly, it can expedite the healing process. This was the first piece of the puzzle.

Click for FREE Guide

Critical Issue#2: Weak Core

Solution: A core strengthening program

The next step was proper core activation. The core consists of roughly 29 muscles that attach the pelvic bone to the spine. If you stand up and cough, you activate your core. The trick is to have your core strong enough to relieve pressure from your back. With simple core exercises, we can strengthen the deep abs and low back. Core activation and strengthening takes time (4-6 weeks) but the results can feel almost magical. 

 

Critical Issue #3: No Glute Activation

Solution: Resistance training exercises targeting glute activation

Go ahead and squeeze your butt. Can you? Chances are you can't squeeze your butt. Under-active or a weak butt can be a cause of back pain. When you stand, you basically have three muscles to hold you up (abs, butt, low back.) If your abs aren't string enough, and you don't know how to activate your butt, then the low back does all the work. Eventually it grows tired, leading to pain. By strengthening the other muscles, less pressure will be on the back. This will help remove pain from the excess burden.

If he stuck with the program, we would see incredible results…

Eric ready to bike from Canada to Mexico

Eric's back pain became a distant memory

He felt as strong as a bull. The strongest 57 y/o around. He then asked me a question that would change my life forever.

 

“Would you consider biking from Canada to Mexico?”

What?

I obviously thought he was joking.

I replied like any normal person. “Sure, no big deal. Let's keep working, three more reps.” We finished the session and I thought nothing more of the proposal.

 

Things Got Real…Quick

The next session, Eric showed up with a map and possible dates. I pooped my pants. This guy is serious? I didn't think it was possible, but I reluctantly agreed.

Eric laying while training to bike from Canada to MexicoOur first long training ride went…awful.

My butt cried. Every hill destroyed us. We found ourselves laying on the side of the road. It took a monumental effort just make it through the practice ride. I just didn't think it was possible. I would have a TOUGH time. And I knew it would be even harder for him. I had doubts, big doubts. 

 

Our Secret Weapon

We had a secret weapon, we each possessed a Bigger Burn. A powerful Bigger Burn. Eric was a cancer survivor. He beat the odds, coming back from near-death made him almost invincible. He wasn't supposed to do any of this, not anymore. I had a starkly different experience with cancer. My friend Amadu fought bravely against the horrid disease. Sadly, cancer won.Picture

 

 

We knew what we needed to do. Make the mission bigger than us. Eliminate failure as an option. We would suffer to  raise money for the fight against cancer.

 

Bicycling the Pacific Coast For Cancer

Armed with incredible motivation, we began our first ride. The first part of this epic dream of biking from Canada to Mexico would be San Francisco to Irvine. 6 days, 500+ miles and 45+ hours of cycling (my butt still hurts.) Our navigation confusing. The days endless. The pain immense. Fun quickly replaced by torture. 

Eric Was Ready to Quit

On the beginning on Day 3, a ride from Big Sur to San Luis Obispo, we started the day in horrific pain. We each carried a backpack filled with all our equipment. The backpacks grew heavier and heavier.  We took a little break so Eric could jump on a conference call (he was still working…) I could see the pain as he struggled of the bike. When he sat in the gas station, I calmly took Eric's backpack and threw it over mine. 

No.

Eric said “No” to me with two backpacks. He shook his head. I told him to pedal. He didn't fight back after that. We biked the next 45 miles through rolling hills, heat and narrow lanes.

“Eric!”

I screamed as my front tire punctured. My body flew over the handle bars. I ricocheted off the asphalt. Sprawled on the ground, Eric came to my help. He removed the extra backpack, and we managed to complete the day. I tore up my shoulder and hip, but I could still ride.

 

Armed with the right motivation, anything is possible.

Luckily, no serious damage was done. Falling off my bike did motivate Eric to work harder. We completed that ride and 6 more rides the following years. Completing his dream of biking the Pacific Coast. All the way from Mt. Whistler to Ensenada, Mexico. I never dreamed I could ever say something like that:

“I bicycled from Canada to Mexico!”

Crazy dreams come true. 

Biking from Canada to Mexico

Today, we start our 8th annual bike trip. A repeat of our first epic ride from San Francisco to Irvine. Eric isn't slowing down one bit. Eric proves that age is only a number. He pushes me to work harder. And honestly, I need to. I need to be ready for whatever loony adventure pops in his head. Wish us luck as we ride from Sam Francisco to Irvine (again.) 

Picture

 

Tony Arreola

NASM Master Trainer

Author, “Get Me Medals”

 

PS: For serious cyclists (or crazy ones) make sure you follow our 3 Quick Tips for Speed. Or for more epic inspiration, you can read my New York Marathon journey.