Jarel Cockburn

Why I Train

Jarel — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 10:00:12 +0000

Rue Des Pyramides, Paris, Summer 2011

Since I have been writing about my training and telling people about the workouts that I do, I have been asked the following question by a number of people – What are you training for?

I told Gaetan that I had been getting that question a lot lately. Gaetan told me to answer it in this way: “I am training so that if we return to the survival of the fittest way of life, because I am now faster and stronger than you, I can eat your food.” I might try that reply sometime because questioning someone’s desire to be healthy seems a little odd to me and I really have a difficult time answering that question when it is posed.

My goals are clear. I’ll admit I do care about how I look, but it’s mostly about the way I feel and the long term benefits of exercise and a training regimen. Emotionally and intellectually I need the physical challenge, like a junky, I need my daily fix of exercise to get me firing on all cylinders. The endorphins that are produced during exercise takes me out of any lul I am in that day and flat out makes me feel great

The long term reason is those people in the picture above, for those three beautiful ladies, my two little girls and my partner in life. I want to be able to have the type of life I have right now for a very long time. Put simply, they deserve my best and I cannot give them that if I am not healthy.

I want to be able to travel without the aid of a wheel chair or other device for as long as I can. I want to be able to stand up and applaud my girls – Happy Birthday Maya Renee – as they cross the stage at their university graduation. I want to be able to see my grandkids. I want to be an influence on my family as I get older not a burden. I want to be the example that the rest of the family follows. I want to be able to run with my grand kids in the field or teach them how to throw a football. I want to have a vibrant sex life for decades to come…

That is what I am training for.

Try.Fail.Grow.Succeed.

Jarel

For Teesha and For Us {Part 1 of 2} : From SheShouldKnow.Com

Jarel — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 11:45:57 +0000

Alicia has written a great post about one of our mutual friends from high school, Teesha Izzard-Price, and her struggle with a very rare form of cancer. I felt it was important to share her story here as well. See below for the entire post on sheshouldknow.com and please lend your support in what ever way you can.

I believe that all women must stick together because what can happen to one of us, can happen to all of us…

What started as an irritating foot problem became a collection of misdiagnoses, speculations, challenges and setbacks only to arrive at a preliminary conclusion that would leave any of us in a state of disbelief. In May 2011, one of our sisters was diagnosed with a rare and incurable form of spinal cord cancer. Her name is Teesha Izzard-Price. She could be your daughter, your best friend, your cousin, your mother or your aunt. She is all of us.

I present it to you this way, because we look at other women and their challenges as something that does not really affect us, something outside and far removed from our lives rather than acknowledging the basic truth that we are all intertwined by the unique gift of being a woman. Every door that one woman opens allows many women to follow through. Each door that a woman closes blocks other women as well. We are all connected despite demographics, geography, marital status, upbringing etc…WE ARE CONNECTED.

I started She Should Know™ for many reasons, one of them was to bring women together over common issues and common goals. Our strength and power is most potent when we are unified. We are so strong when we stand together. Help one another. Support each other. We all must make a commitment to other women. Commit to their health, their prosperity, their safety, their well being and by doing so you ultimately ensure your own. I believe in the power of women. I know what we can all achieve when we work together and for one another.

Teesha is currently housebound and unable to work. She has undergone, chemotherapy, radiation and steroids all in effort to shrink the tumour just to begin physiotherapy so she could regain some of her mobility. However the tumour was too aggressive and has grown larger despite the treatment. Teesha and family have contacted world renowned cancer medical facilities only to be turned away – citing the complexity and rarity of her diagnosis. Her treatment is now focused on pain management and quality of life.

So what would you do in this situation? Well, Teesha Izzard-Price, with the assistance of her family and friends, has established a special fund at Sunnybrook Foundation to help others diagnosed with her type of cancer.

On Sunday September 25, 2011 {tomorrow}, the Celebration of Life and Hope for Teesha Izzard-Price, a fundraising event, will be held at North Beach Volleyball with a goal of raising 10,000$ to kick start this fund. Donations will be accepted at this event as well as by the following methods:

Sunnybrook Foundation: ONLINE by clicking https://donate.sunnybrook.ca/SSLPage.aspx. Please quote Teesha Izzard-Price in support of Spinal Cord Cancer Research Fund in the comments section of your donation.
TD Canada Trust: Transit Number – 14502, Institution – 004, Account Number – 06896342326. Please confirm that the donation is for Teesha Izzard-Price in support of Spinal Cord Cancer Research Fund

For more information, please contact Charlotte Caunter via email: charlottecaunter@hotmail.com or Shawna Rossi via email at srossi@rogers.com.

Source: SheShouldKnow.com

My Time = $XXX/hr.

Jarel — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 11:19:29 +0000

Source: Jarel Cockburn Flickr

Your time is the most valuable thing you have to offer anyone. If you are like many people these days, you have multiple ways to spend your day, but I have to make you aware of some very dangerous people who are trying to steal your time from you. The Time Leeches.

They ask you to meet with them to discuss “business” or their new “venture” or their new “job”. These people are everywhere and if you are not careful you can get caught in their web. I always knew who these people were in my life, but a part of me always wants to see where I could help people build their dreams. As my professional responsibilities have increased and have become more global, the value of my time can be clearly measured and associated to revenue. I know what my time is literally worth. So, time to reevaluate! I follow this simple 3 question model before I schedule anyone for a meeting:

Is this person credible? What does their CV tell me? Can they show results?
What have they put into their own idea {i.e. business plan, initial investment…}? If they haven’t put in anything yet, I certainly won’t put in my time!
What does my gut say? I trust myself implicitly; my experience and knowledge is usually the most accurate filter.
What will be the outcome of this meeting? There need to be a clear path to revenue.
Have we identified an agenda that will facilitate the desired outcome? No time for BS.

But back to the people who have been able to leech my time…Not anymore, it was my fault, I let them take it from me. I booked the meetings with them and I did not set an agenda for the meeting. I did not give them a time limit. I did not stop, get up and walk out when I knew I should have. I am just a little pissed that I can’t get that time back. I know exactly what I could have done with those minutes or hours…I know exactly what that time was worth.

Can you identify the people in your life who waste your time? What do you plan to do the next time they want to take something you can’t get back? Do you know how much your time is worth?

Try.Fail.Grow.Succeed.

Jarel

I Fight Brock Lesnar Next

Jarel — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 03:03:30 +0000

I am no match for Brock Lesnar, but Gaetan has me training like a UFC fighter. Weight sleds, flipping tires, drum beaters and burpees, are all part of my daily routine. These drills mixed in with some good olympic lifting stand at the core of my workout. While these exercises are intense and can burn a lot of fat over a short period of time, they are no match for my diet. Everyone knows you cant out train a diet so great exercise coupled with the right nutrition plan are the keys to great health. With that in mind, Gaetan prescribed the following guidelines for optimal nutrition; DO NOT EAT:

Sugar – Really? No more chocolate covered almonds?

Dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt) – Milk and yogurt not hard but cheese? No more 12 year old white cheddar?

Sports Drinks – Gatorade – I was never a big fan of sugared, coloured and chemical filled beverages anyway.

Salt – Does that include sea salt? I put salt on everything, so no more fun!

Bread – This just makes me sad…I have been back and forth to Paris all year; the bread there is special and the cheese…just sad.

Alcohol – I have been warned about this already my fatty liver, but 1919 is a cultural thing so does it count?

Fruit – I had no idea there was so much sugar in fruit.

Chips – no more Miss Vickie’s jalapeno chips!

In all Gaetan has designed a great program especially for me and my lifestyle, do you have a nutrition plan?

Try.Fail.Grow.Succeed.

Jarel

Why You Suck

Jarel — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 09:39:59 +0000

Have you given any thought to why you suck?

You suck because you wake up everyday doing the same thing expecting different results. You suck because you drink uncontrollably and then complain about your lack of success. You suck because you say you want to be great yet you are afraid of risk. You suck because you tried to do too much too fast. You suck because you make excuses for why you aren’t where you want to be yet.

You suck because you hate what you have become. You suck because you think you are better than everyone else. You suck because you think you put in a lot of work and you deserve much more than what you have. You suck because you hate to be honest with yourself.

You suck because you abuse your authority, you suck because you forget who and what is most important. You suck because you continually let people down. You suck because love is at your door but you refuse to answer. You suck because you do not truly believe in anything. You suck because you don’t invest. You suck because you think life is supposed to be fair. You suck because you don’t get that your life – the way it looks and feels – can only be changed by you.

Who am I to judge?…I was You.

Try.Fail.Grow.Succeed.

Jarel

The Ultimate Loser Test: Seeker vs Contenter

Jarel — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 09:08:45 +0000

Ok, I keep stealing Gaetan‘s lessons but you have to admit he is good. We were having this discussion the other day and he gave me his theory on people, to quote him there are two types of people in the world: Contenters and Seekers.

Habits & Characteristics of Contenters:

Happy with right now
Hungry for praise for doing nothing
Come in at 9 leave at 5 on the dot
Love to be told what to do
Love to say…”Well you told me to…”
Passes the buck often, if not all the time
Would rather see you succeed
A buyer not a seller
Talks a lot but never say anything
Love to hate

Habits & Characteristics of Seekers:

Looking for that competitive edge
Very curious
A seller not a buyer
Passionate
Loves to sweat
Loves to get dirty
Walks quietly but carries a big stick
Eyes forward

Which one are you? Hint: if you feel the need to defend your actions or are upset by my description of a contenter, then you are most definitely a contenter, and that’s ok, atleast you know who you are.

Try.Fail.Grow.Succeed

Jarel

I Told Her She Had A Ponch

Jarel — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 02:52:16 +0000

We were on Skype the other night when first I noticed it. It just seemed really weird to me at the time because I knew she was working hard on a new 90 day program.

Well fast forward a few hours and we were having a discussion about the 90 day program and I said to her, “Listen” - never a good way to start this type of conversation - “I noticed a few nights ago that you had a ponch.” There was silence. I knew what I was doing at the time. I knew I was breaking some cardinal rule.

But I said it and now there was no taking it back. This may not be the nicest thing that I have ever said to her but believe it or not it works for us. What works for us? Honesty. No sugar coating and no buttering up. If there is something that needs to be said then it gets said and we work through it. This is one of our cardinal rules. We arrived here through many conversations and a commitment to push each other to be our best.

Honesty is such a doubled edge sword for men because on one hand we are expected to be honest about everything but we are often restricted from saying things like ”you need to lose some weight” or “that does not look right on you”, or “can we talk before you cut off all your hair?”. But let’s face it, if your guy has any backbone he has an opinion on most things. Now the delivery is always important with sensitive matters but for people in high stress jobs working long hours with little time for loved ones or coupled with kids, young kids especially, it can be hard for a man or woman to find the proper time, the right tone and inflection and perfect words to deliver their message.

True honesty, raw and uncut, not mean and injuring, is the way it should be delivered but there have to be certain elements and agreements in place before a couple can start down this path:

Trust
Respect
Commitment
Love
Partnership

I may be a little idealistic but your relationship has to be able to withstand the naked truth, it is a lot and it can take a long time to get there but it cannot work without it.

She finally spoke and said “I know, you’re right, I am working on it and the only reason it is ok for you to say this is because you’re in the best shape of your life. However please note that I will bring this up again whenever I feel like it.”

See, honesty.

Try.Fail.Grow.Succeed.

Jarel

Mental Toughness: The Winning SECRET of Elite Athletes

Jarel — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:00:50 +0000

This article was originally posted on Gaetan Boutin’s Strong-Athlete.com website. I reposted it here because I thought it would be valuable to everyone, not just athletes. Think about the possibilities if you were to apply this to other phases of your life – your work, your relationships, raising your children. Think of how much better you would be. Definitely put Gaetan’s Strong-Athlete.com website in your RSS, even if you are not an athlete. Here is the article.

All world-class champions have something in common and it’s not explosive speed or freaky strength, as important as they are. What all champions have in common is superior mental toughness. They have an ability to dig down deep and deliver incredible performances time and time again. But how do they do it? What are their secrets? Well it’s not magic; in fact, it’s actually rather simple. These champions have built mental toughness through strategic preparation techniques. Here are five simple, yet extremely effective techniques used by top athletes to build mental toughness and deliver award-winning performances:

1. Accepting Failure
Before you can be truly successful you have to fail. If you never fail, you’ve never pushed yourself passed your comfort zone into deep waters. Failure is one of the greatest character builders ever. When you fail, you have to dig down deep and figure out where you went wrong, how you can overcome it, and how you can prevent failing in the future from your learning’s. Once you have failed and accept it, you realize that it’s not the end of the world and you no longer have to fear it. Putting that fear behind you, your mind becomes clearer and you can push beyond your limits and into the winning zone.

2. Mental Rehearsal
This is a time-tested practice used by successful athletes and even non-athletes in all assets of life. Mental rehearsal is repeating in your mind over and over the actions and techniques required to achieve success. If you are a basketball player, you rehearse each individual phase of the jump shot over and over in your head. The goal with mental rehearsal is to create automation. When you watch incredible athletes like Lebron James you think that the game just comes naturally to him. Well it does now but that wasn’t always the case. He trained his mind for years and years on every little detail in every step, dribble, and shot he takes. Break down the skills of your sport and repeat them over and over in your mind, visualizing yourself performing them with perfection. With time, the skills will become second nature and you won’t even have to think before executing them.

3. Success Imaging
This technique is taught to champion athletes by some of the best performance coaches in the world. Super athletes like Tiger Woods and Chuck Liddell have used this technique to win championship after championship. This technique works by remembering and drawing upon a memory of a time when you were successful. For Tiger, it would be the feeling of that perfect shot. How did the swing feel, what did it feel like when the clubface hit the ball. How did that ball travel through the air and where did you see it land. More than just the feeling of performing the perfect technique, you remember how you felt at that very moment inside. That unexplainable feeling of success, the warm inner glow of positive energy. You have to bring that feeling back into your mind and use the energy from it to repeat that successful action again and again. This technique takes some time to master but every time from now on when you perform that perfect action, take a minute and make of mental note of how it felt so you can imagine it again the next time you need to deliver a winning performance.

4. Goal Setting
As it’s said in fighting sports, the more you bleed in training the less you will bleed in the fight. Training hard day in and day out is the true test of mental toughness. The best way to keep focused and stay mentally tough is by setting your goals. The first step is to define goals that are clear and measurable. Set target numbers and apply dates to your goals. You should have both short-term and long-term goals. Have a goal for every week and even every day to stay focused on because it can be hard to stay focused on long-term goals that might be 6 months to a year away. Once you have your goals, hand-write them on a piece of paper. I suggest this instead of typing them or storing them on your computer or phone because when you see them in your own handwriting you are instantly reminded that these are YOUR goals set by YOU and it makes you commit to them that much more. Check off your goals as you achieve them as a motivator that you are making progress towards winning.

5. Support Team
Mental toughness can come from within but it can also come from outside. Having the right individuals around you is critical to achieving success. Always surround yourself with like-minded people who are as driven as you are to push hard, be the best, and achieve success. Negative people, or the “haters” as they are sometimes referred to serve no purpose in your life. Eliminate them and there’s nothing holding you back. Having a strong support team such as your family and friends is also great for defining purpose. Not only will you want to succeed for yourself, you will also want to succeed for them and that is a remarkably powerful motivator.

If you want to win and become a champion at your sport and in the game of life, give these five mental toughness tips a try. And remember, like any skill, you have to practice these skills over and over to get the most out of them. Good Luck!

About Gaetan Boutin, B.Sc Kinesiology, CCP

Gaetan is a firm believer in the ongoing development of individuals mind, body, and soul. Gaetan has an Honours Degree in Kinesiology and Health Sciences. He is also a certified motivation coach and a natural nutrition advisor. Gaetan has worked for many years with elite professional athletes as well as everyday individuals who want to improve their overall health and performance. From advanced performance nutrition and conditioning programs to intensive bootcamps, to beginner routines and weight loss programs, Gaetan leads a wide array of development programs. His techniques are forged through over 15 years of research, testing and application and are based around building a holistic balance between the mind body and soul. He believes that each one of us has lost touch with the roots of our basic biology. Through all natural foods, natural movement and natural water (the life blood of our existence), Gaetan believes that anyone can reach their goal of becoming an ultimate specimen. Email: Gaetan@prosportconditioning.com

An Anxiety Pee & 100 Burpees

Jarel — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 10:59:10 +0000

100 burpees in 9:04 – Thursday August 11th, 2011

Gaetan lets me talk a lot of junk during and after my workouts. After the burpee tabata last week I foolishly said I did almost 100 burpees{I had really done about 40 max}. He replied no way, I said of course I did. He challenged me to best his time {100 in 7 minutes} and like the competitor that I am I took the challenge. I went on to let him know that I would prove it to him and do 100 faster {or as fast as he did} the following week.

Fast forward to last Thursday, we are in the gym and it is time to do my 100 burpees. I was talking a lot of trash and it was time to “man up” as we like to say. I will admit that I was quite intimidated by the task but that was a great thing. It had been a long time since I felt this intimidated by a workout and with the thought of what I was about to do I just had to go pee first. This is called the anxiety pee.

At that the moment, the moment when I knew it was time to start on my burpees, I felt so alive. You have probably heard it said many times, but it is true that if you are not challenging yourself you are not really living. Are you really growing or making progress if you’re not pushing yourself past your comfort zone? If you never have to rush to the bathroom just before a challenge – physical or otherwise are you really living? When was the last time you had a case of the anxiety pee?

For me the answer was pretty clear, time to start living life, and that means facing challenges head on again.

Try.Fail.Grow.Succeed.

Jarel

Being The Adult

Jarel — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:00:39 +0000

Source: Jarel Cockburn Flickr

As I pulled into the Bank of Nova Scotia parking lot at Yonge and Lawrence, there was an older couple parking their car in the middle spot of the parallel parking area. I drove by them to turn around and proceeded to park just behind him. The wife had just finished getting out of the car when I finished parking and I intentionally did not pull all the way into the spot to make it easier to come out.

After parking, I was getting out of the car when the older gentleman jumps out and says “What the hell are you doing? You see me trying to park here and you have made it impossible for me to park here!” We went back and forth and I was trying to be rational saying that I did not know he was still trying to park, but he continued to be belligerent insisting that I was doing all of this just to piss him off. I then got really pissed off, closed my door, left the car where it was and told him he had enough space to park.

After returning from the bank I got into my car and he came back to his car. As I was pulling out I said to him, “look, I did not know you were trying to park but you did not have to be so rude, you could have indicated that you were still trying to park there.”

He pleaded his case again and I interrupted midway through his rant “hey look I did not know, but when you use this attitude you cannot expect great results.” He lowered his head and you could not guess what came out of his mouth next….. He said “I am very sorry I said that to you and I apologize for speaking that way to you.” I said “it is fine, I apologize for reacting the way I did” and we parted ways.

I imagine that he was pissed off because of something else when I proceeded to “block” him from parking properly. But the point is that sometimes you just have to be the adult, well most of the time you just have to be the adult. People will always look to dump their emotions on you like a child throwing a tantrum and most of the time you just have to be the adult and just let them know what the boundaries are. You have to get them to take a step back and make them look at their behaviour. Reacting in a similar way just allows them to justify their actions. The fact that people think that they can talk to you in whatever manner is more of an indication of how people view themselves and how they view the world, people will test you – like a child – but you have to be the adult in the relationship and you have to show them the boundaries.

Try.Fail.Grow.Succeed.

Jarel

Jarel Cockburn

Why I Train

Other Posts

For Teesha and For Us {Part 1 of 2} : From SheShouldKnow.Com

Other Posts

My Time = $XXX/hr.

Other Posts

I Fight Brock Lesnar Next

Other Posts

Why You Suck

Other Posts

The Ultimate Loser Test: Seeker vs Contenter

Other Posts

I Told Her She Had A Ponch

Other Posts

Mental Toughness: The Winning SECRET of Elite Athletes

Other Posts

An Anxiety Pee & 100 Burpees

Other Posts

Being The Adult

Other Posts