What a week I had this week!

This was my most complete full body experience for mind, body and soul. The week started after the holiday weekend in Hip Func Abs as usual with Catherine our trainer pushing me to make my body into a sculpted masterpiece (instead of a blob of play doh). I would say she has done a masterful job up to this point and I am looking forward to the final results.

Wednesday came along with my routine's newest addition. Kettlebell the best workout to date. John the instructor had us doing circuit training which made all of us push ourselves to points we have never been before. I will say this is the first time since high school where I thought I might be sick during a workout. The thing is I love it. The addiction of exercise in general is the best drug around. My colleague took the class with me and he said that he felt he got the best workout he has had in ten years.

Thursday was a treat. I got my first experience of a body treatment at Head Games. This I will say after having many massages in my life was the best experience I have had to date. Maureen Emerson using Dr. Haucshka lemon grass oil made me feel so relaxed and alive.

She is amazing and I will tell you that if you have not experienced this go to Head Games and make an appointment with her. You will not regret it!! That night I took Yamuna Body Rolling 90 Minutes WHAT IS YAMUNA BODY ROLLING™? It's Health, Fitness & Massage rolled into one! Yamuna Body Rolling™ is a revolutionary approach to health and fitness using balls designed exclusively for this practice. It consists of a series of routines using 6 to 10-inch balls.

Unlike other ball exercises, YBR goes far beyond random movement and stretch. It allows you to work specific muscles in detail, to create suppleness in tight areas and optimize range of motion.

Friday brought me to The Landing once again to do our weekly group workout. Catherine discussed nutrition with us and gave us a useful sheet of snacks we could use in our diet. We then went through our full body workout pushing each other to achieve our goals. Catherine made sure that we had good form to achieve maximum results from the workout. I believe this has helped me during the harder workouts to not get hurt and end up on a stretcher.

Jon and I then hung out in the heat suite for an hour which, looking back, wasn't a good idea. We had Cardio Pilates at 9:30 and had no idea what we were in for with new instructor Terry Mills. Strolling up stairs at 9:15, Terry greeted us and then said go grab the heaviest weights and do stairs for the next fifteen minutes to warm up for class. At first, I was thinking sure this is a bad idea and of course I was wrong.

We entered the exercise room and the door closed and to my knowledge I didn't registered in the Marine's, but I must have because I think we went through basic training for the next 45 minutes. Terry asked us at that point if we wanted to do Pilates or stretch. The best decision we have made to date other marrying our wives: we decided to stretch. I left the class totally drained, but I have seen results add to my overall success.

The crown jewel came on Sunday at Life Breath with Valerie Davis. I have wanted to take this class with my wife since the beginning and it didn't disappoint. It is amazing that learning how we breathed as a baby brought me to such a great place. I had an enlightening experience that started with me feeling like I was floating down a snow covered mountain, to a grass covered field into a boat where I sailed across glass like lake.

I then came to the clarity of what my purpose of after the Quest will be. I will continue a tradition that was started by my wife Norma five year ago. Every year with collect clothes for Preble St resource center through out the year from friends, relatives and coworkers to donate during the holidays. The vision I had me taking this to the next level to make a part of and event or done on a bigger stage. I plan to make the citizens of Greater Portland aware of our homeless population on the rise and gather clothes, food and donations to stop it. Growing up with very little I have been very fortunate to become very successful.

I hope by doing this I can touch someone that can achieve the same level of success. Giving back in my opinion makes me realize how good my life has become and I want everyone to be able to experience that great feeling. One of my favorite movies is The Pursuit of Happyness and a quote from that movie has been in my head throughout this change in my life. "Don't ever let somebody tell you can't do something…. You got a dream, you gotta protect it…. If you want something go get it… Period." These words I will live by and instill in my son.