Here is another testimonial about the Feel Good Challenge! It is amazing what Raw Foods can do to you and how can improve your athletic performance!

“I just want to thank you for the guidance you provided over the last seven days. I learned so much about eating cleaner and living a healthier lifestyle. I now understand how to properly fuel my body before and after a tough workout. I replaced my coffee habit with tea. I also lost 7 pounds and plan on extending this 100% raw diet for another week. Afterwards, I feel I can adopt a 70% permanent raw diet. I feel amazing!!”

WE ARE WHAT WE EAT!

FEEL GOOD,

RW

Here is another Feel Good Challenge Testimonial:

“Last week I completed the “Feel Good Challenge”. A 7-day all raw food plant based diet program guided by Richard Wygand of RW Training. I went into the challenge wanting to see and learn what a raw food diet would do for me. How would I feel? Would I have more energy? Would I feel better with some previous stomach problems and heartburn? Would I like the food? Would I lose any weight?

Richard was there to guide us and help answer any questions or concerns. The lunches he provided were tasty and nutritious. The recipes he provided looked easy to prepare and didn’t require any complicated equipment. I found out that I actually do enjoy foods made with hemp seeds; a “nutritional powerhouse” ingredient. I had more energy daily and during my workouts, my skin was clearer, I lost 5 lbs. and had an increased feeling of overall well-being. Best of all, my heartburn/stomach issues just about disappeared.

I will continue to try new raw foods and increase the amount of raw, plant based foods into my daily diet. Especially now that I know how good I can feel from it. Thanks RW for this wonderful learning experience!”

Allyson

Next Challenge is coming soon! Stay tune!!!

Hello,

Last week I did with some of my athletes a Feel Good Challenge, which consisted on eating just Plant-based RAW food for 7 days straight, where they had me providing to them: 7 raw meals (because of work hours we know how hard it is to find a raw meal around, so it was established that I was going to make for each day their lunch meal), and I also gave them the diet plan with recipes, meal and snack plans, including food substitution.

The main goal of the challenge was, as the name says itself, to feel good and show them how powerful a plant-based raw diet can be for you, affecting positively not just on your athletic performance, but also on your life style, providing you more energy once, for example, you will save a lot of energy not having to digest cooked heavy meals.

Here it is what one of my athletes that did the challenge says about his experience:

“I went into the Raw Challenge with the intensions to find out if eating raw would improve my energy levels and enhance my workouts throughout the week.  Also, I am always looking to increase my knowledge of nutrition and how my body reacts to different foods. The week started with RW explaining the concept of the raw food diet and taking participates through the grocery store showing the different types of raw food.  He laid out an easy to follow guide regarding what to eat for breakfast, snacks and dinner each day and previewed the lunches that he would provide. During the week there was daily communication with RW regarding recipes and to see how I was reacting to the diet.  My workouts improved progressively during the week and so did my mood.   At week’s end I lost 5 lbs. and felt strong and relaxed.  I would recommend this challenge to anyone like me looking for additional knowledge on the subject and someone who wants to find ways to clean up their diet.  I was introduced to new nutritional sources and now have a better understanding of the benefits of raw foods. The lunches were great and best of all very simple to make. Jimmy”

The second edition of the “Feel Good Challenge” is already in the oven, I mean, in the dehydrator (ahah), so contact me if you are interested. Limit spots available!!

Feel ALWAYS Good,

RW

Hello Everyone,

Every month RW Training choose one of it’s athletes to be “the athlete of the month”, basically based on how closely they follow the training plan and the feedback they give me (which I consider really really important, because it is how I can analyze and plan the future plans). On February, Tracy Lehner was nominated the RW Training Athlete of the Month and here it is her testimonial.

Thank you Tracy!!

Feel Good,

RW

“I’m a triathlete, but I’m not exactly sure how this came to be.   It all started with the smallest of goals, complete a 5K.  I enrolled in training with Coach Richard Wygand of RW Training in August 2010.  Within six months, I ran three half marathons and all the distances in between mostly because of the confidence Richard had in me.  In February 2011, I considered training for a sprint triathlon that was in April.  So, off to talk with Richard fully expecting he would prefer I develop my run training more.  His answer was, “you can be ready”.  But, he had a larger goal in mind.  April to October, I completed three sprint triathlons, an indoor triathlon, runs ranging from 5k to 10 miler, and wrapped  up 2011 with the grand finale in November by  completing the Miami Man ½ Iron Distance Triathlon.  I was never a runner and certainly not a swimmer or cyclist which is why these accomplishments are still amazing to me.

The best part of my training is that it’s developed by Richard specifically for me and my level of fitness.  It is not an “all for one” training program.  Without even thinking about it, I was able to easily complete distances never imagined.  If I didn’t have the pictures as evidence, I still would not believe I completed the Miami Man ½ Iron.  The best part of that race is that I followed Richard’s instructions exactly and there were no problems with an easy recovery afterwards.  With RW Training by my side, I embark on 2012 with new goals and challenges.  Looking forward to new PR’s, continuing to improve in training, feeling good and become an example for others – YOU CAN DO IT!

So far in 2012, completed Disney ½ marathon; Ft. Lauderdale A1A ½ marathon (PR’d 2:03:17); Georgia Shamrock N’ Roll 10k (PR’d 56:15), this race was with my best friend’s 11 year old son who wanted to run his first 10k.  He also trained with RW Training and took 2^nd in his age group.  2012 races yet to come; FAU triathlon, continued training for triathlons and races throughout May to September.  Also, picking this year’s ½ half iron distance.

So the question remains – how did this happen?  RW TRAINING, that’s how!!

Tracy Lehner

RW Training Triathlete”

In the picture, here it is coach Richard Wygand and his Athlete Tracy Lehner after her first triathlon, FAU 2011.

RW Training is doing a 7 day raw challenge starting next month!

-5 to 7 meals (2 of the weekends are optional)

- Recipes

- Walk thru Whole foods to learn how to shop ( Or farmers market)

-Diet plan (what to eat during the 7 days)

- Meal replacement options

-3 meetings

-Restaurant option (I will teach you how to eat good anywhere)

- The goal is: Mini detox, feel better, add more foods on your diet and feel the benefits

-Investment: $200.00 (all included, 1 meal a day, recipes, meeting etc etc)

For more information email me @ richard_personal@msn.com

I know when we talked about strength training for endurance athletes, lots of different points of view will show up! Here is my opinion, I did several of strength training, but the one that got me the best results were the ones I used my own body weight. When I used to go to the gym I felt like I was strong but I did gain weight as well (muscle mass “big”), but with my own body weight workouts I felt I got stronger without getting weight, and that for endurance athletes is key! Because you do not want to carry an extra 4 pounds when you run!

Also I notice that own body weight strength training, make the body “look” nicer and more natural. Of course there is time and place to add strength training to your training plan, and you should ask your coach about it!

Here is a few of my favorite exercises, I used the TRX but it can also be done without!

Biceps curl

Shoulder raise

Single leg lunge

Push ups

Burpee

Oblique leg raise

Those are my favorites but there are a lot more exercises! The good think about TRX and using your own body weight is that you don’t only work one specific area, you work your entire body! And of course you can do it any where, specially outside!!! (better than going to the gym)

FEEL GOOD,

RW

I came across with this text (my Brother Edward sent to me) when I first started to train and change my like (from fat to fit, and to quit smoking) and every once is a while I read it! Is something good to read, specially if you are planing your New Years resolution….I hope you enjoy!

“My mother said to me, ‘If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.’ Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso.”

A friend and training mentor once told me, “The secret of the pros is that they train in secret.” For a while that made sense. It seemed that where performance is highly optimized — and where optimization is highly coveted — it would make sense that methodology would be closely guarded.

But secret methodology is the province of world-class athletes; not of participants; nor of enthusiasts. Most people — if sufficiently motivated, and if unemcumbered by lame excuses that they assign to genetics — want to know the secret that distinguishes the pros from themselves. The real “secret” of the fit, the fast and the “talented” is no secret at all; it’s a much harder pill (than genetics) to swallow. And no one will accept it because of what it demands: real commitment in the form of regular, consistent, indefinite practice. And real practice demands devotion.

THE PROS TRAIN. And they train consistently and indefinitely. In other words, they commit.

People love to say that they don’t train (or practice or study…) They think it makes their mediocre performance more impressive. Or they use a hero as an example, saying he or she doesn’t practice either. But the truth is that anyone who becomes really world-class good at anything has devoted a large part of their lives to that thing — often to the exclusion of all else. They may not call it “training” or “practice;” the actual labels are irrelevant. It’s the time spent that counts.

“Practice” and “training” are not timelines and diet plans — although those are effective parts of it. Real training means committing to the process: showing up at the keyboard or behind the lens or in the ring or on the rope, and doing it religiously, even when you’re tired, even when you’ve got nothing to say, even when it’s too cold, too hot, too hard.

People wish they had talent. They see it as a practice-free ticket to crowd-stunning skill. But talent doesn’t exist. “Talent” doesn’t get results; practice and devotion do.

Was Picasso gifted from birth with the talent to become an artistic genius? Or was he gifted with the tenacity to become a genius at anything? As he wobbled down the street on his first bicycle, did his mother see her son’s uncommon ability, or his uncommon focus and determination? What led her to predict that he would be great? Was he out-of-the-womb a brilliant finger-painter? Or was he just stubborn?

Ok, so I put a few things together that I learned with time to check if you are ready to start running with minimal shoes!

1-if you can, keep big toe on the floor and all the other four toe up:

2-If you can keep 4 toes on the floor and the big toe up:

3- if you can lift your foot of the ground (keeping the heel in touch with the floor) (hard to show on picture, but I tried) more than 15 degrees

If you can do all these 3 things you can get a minimal shoes and start running slowly, like 1/2 to 1 mile a day and start adding more miles slowly. If you can’t do you should start working on strengthening your foot with some exercises that I show below.

1-Play with a tennis ball and try to hold the ball with your toes:

2- grab the towel with your toes like I show in these pictures:

3- calf lift at the gym

4- Get a pair of minimal shoes, preference Vibram FiveFingers and start walking around with them, or walk around barefoot more often.

5- walk barefoot at the beach (sand)

Doing all that, starting slowly, and getting your feet (specially arch) stronger will make you run faster, lighter, pain free and naturally!

It is very important to start slow even if you feel super good (and you will!), but good easy on it, because if you always ran with regular shoes you were running in a “cast and your foot is weak”. So, start building up slowly, get stronger and run free!

Feel Good,

RW

“Train Smart, Feel Good, Race Faster is the RWtraining motto, and it is true to its word.  I have now been training with Richard for just over a year, and I have never felt better. Over the past year year I have accomplished many feats and I am amazed with the results. My biggest accomplishment has been completing my first ½ Ironman, an accomplishment I never would have thought possible without Richard’s advice, training and encouragement.  The most I have ever done before had been a sprint triathlon and never properly trained for those events. The worst part was I was training but had no Idea what I was doing until Richard set me straight.  Richard sat down with me and put a plan together to achieve my goals and compiled a training plan that met my individual needs.  From nutritional advice to what shoes would best suit my running style Richard was there to provide the necessary advice a novice like me needed.

My ½ ironman accomplishment was not the best part of the RW experience, it was the journey along the way that made his training the best. From my first workout to my first ocean swim every step was a new journey towards Training Smart, Feeling Good and Racing Faster.

The “training smart” helped me to eat better and workout more efficiently and with Richards encouragement I was able to reach heights I never imagined.  As a result I started losing weight, felt muscles in places I never knew existed and ultimately felt better. This feeling carried over into my personal life where I started feeling better not just on the track but more importantly, while hanging out with my family.  Ultimately, the training smart and feeling good let me to race faster than I ever had before. I started posting times in Sprint Triathlons I had never seen before. I received my first trophy at a 5k for a top 3 finish in my age group. I reached my goal of a sub 2 hour marathon and lowered my marathon time by over an hour. The best part is, I am setting new goals for the New Year and am looking forward to seeing what I can do in 2012.

I have all of this to thank as a result of training with Richard of RWTraining. Not only is Richard a great coach, he is an even better person who is always looking for ways to help his athletes. I am fortunate to have him as my coach and recommend him highly to anyone looking to better their life and performance.”

1^st avoid overtraining! Most people over train a lot, so having a coach you will avoid overtraining.

2^nd Train with quality! Having a coach will help you train with quality; a good coach will be able to make sure you train with quality instead of quantity, avoiding overtraining and injuries. I always say, “quality better than quantity”

3^rd Work on your weakness! A coach will be able to indentify your weakness and work on. Most people avoid working on weakness because they usually don’t like.

4^th Training on the right intensity! Athletes have a tendency to train faster than they should, so when they get to the race they are too tired. Having a coach he will set up your training zones such as heart rate, power, or pace.

5^th Organization! A lot of people don’t know when to schedule hard workouts and easy workouts. Also the coach will help you organize your training with you work.

6^th Motivation! Training is hard, and we go to ups and down just like in our life so a good coach will give you an extra motivation.

7^th Planning a race! A coach will be able to show you the right intensity for the specific race; therefore you will have a better race, have more fun and of course race faster!

Feel Good,

RW