In our last episode (I always wanted to say that), I mentioned the mistakes I made with the Sarasota Half Marathon. I usually would never have a client race two weekends in a row and to tell...
Florida Beach Halfathon – Running Recap
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Goof Review – Newton Energy & BOCO Running Shoes
Here it is again, a long time since my last post. Life happens and when it does, watch out. It can really mess up the things you want to do versus the things you must do. I am learning to prioritize what is absolutely important to me versus what is important to everyone else. I hope to soon have that under control, but I digress.
Newton was nice enough to send me both a pair of the Newton Energy and the BOCO. I am reviewing them together since I have found they are the same shoe with the only difference being the BOCO has a tread that is made for the trails and the Energy is made for the road.
To be transparent and honest, I am a certified Newton Coach, so I am a little biased towards Newton. However, I rarely train in Newtons, as running is very personal I have my favorite running shoes to train in.
I do however, love the methodology behind them. For those that do not know, Newton running shoes have 5 lugs in the front of the shoe directly under the ball of the foot. The lugs have a higher or lower profile depending on the shoe.
The lugs serve as a reminder for running form by automatically driving the foot to land on the fore or mid foot, reducing the impact dramatically.
When paired with Newton Natural Run training, the shoe will decrease the effort level of transitioning to a mid or forefoot runner.
In my experience, after the runner has developed the habit, they no longer need to be running in Newtons, but most do not only due to muscle memory, but they also last about 4 times longer than other running shoes.
Prior to the release of the Energy, the core products Newton produced were the Motion, the Isaac, the Gravity and the Distance. These models needed a transition period for the runner to get used to the way the lugs lifted the heel causing some calf soreness.
The Energy now has a lower profile of lug, and a transition plate which actually allows the athlete very tiny transition period, if any, before the comfort of the shoe settles in.
The EVA foam that makes up the sole of the shoe is extremely comfortable and highly accommodating to the road.
The only conflicts I have heard is the heel cup is a little shallow for some, causing some slippage during long runs.
Since one of the core beliefs of natural runners is that shoes should be tied just tight enough to secure the heel, this could be a problem. I have always taught, the athlete needs nothing to support but themselves.
In other words, if the shoe is tied too tight, the shoe ends up supporting the runner. By tying the shoes very light and only tight enough to secure the heel, the feet, the calves, the ankles are strengthened with every activity.
I personally have not found an issue with the heel cup even without the help of a runner’s lace, but I have heard of the issues.
I did get an eleven-mile run on the trails with the Newton BOCO and was I surprised at how well the tread grabbed the terrain. 
The trails I was running were meant for Mountain Bikes and that meant steep climbs and steep downhills and there was not a moment I did not feel secure.
For new runners or for athletes transitioning to more efficient technique, I believe the Energy is the perfect shoe. They are the perfect shoe to transition with before trying one of the core Newton models.
The BOCO is a great trail shoe for anyone wishing to start or continuing a journey into trail running. They are comfortable, supportive and made me feel completely secure on the trails.
That’s my opinion and I am sticking with it. Happy Running!
Carpe Viam!
STOMP – The Goof Review
Special effects seem to be at a the crux of human entertainment these days, doesn’t it? Every episode of almost every studio made episodic drama, situation comedy and major motion picture is loaded with some flavor of special effects. Even shows like, “Big Bang Theory” or “How I Met Your Mother” have increased their effects budget with effects of dream sequences, stunts or layered images to help draw in the audience.
Pop-culture does not seem to have room for TV shows, movies or even plays that have to completely depend on the integrity and talent of the performers.
This was evident as I walked into the Carol Marsoni Hall of the Straz Center for the opening night performance of STOMP last night.
The house was littered with empty seats. The mezzanine and balcony were completely empty.
All I can say is to the lovers of music and theatre that decided to skip out on this performance, it is your loss. The simplistic cohesiveness of this ensemble show is something that does not come around all that often.
STOMP is a percussive music, comedy and movement performance that is matched by nothing I have ever seen. This group of seven performers make music without the use of musical instruments as we would define them. They basically use junk you may find in a dumpster in New York City. Garbage can lids, plastic tubs, match boxes, zippo lighters, are just a few of the items these talented performers use to make a beat come alive in a way that I was not only riveted, but I couldn’t help but want to move my feet with the beat.
The use of the artifacts along with their feet and the movement was visually stimulating as well. Within the first few numbers, all I could think of, was this group is making music with everything except the kitchen sink, and of course in the very next number four of the performers came out with kitchen sinks strapped to their torsos. Water in the sinks plus, cups and utensils seemed to come alive as the ensemble mixed their sounds together in one cohesive unit.
There is no special effects, no extra special lighting, no words, no special costumes just the performers and their props. Simple entertainment at it’s finest and extremely riveting.
Percussion was not the only thing used for entertainment. There was many parts of each number where comedy was used to infiltrate the performance with the laughter of the audience. Comedy alone is not easy, but comedy without one audible word for the entire show is extremely difficult and this group pulled it off with precision and ease.
This was one of the most entertaining ninety minutes I have had in a long time. What made it even more fun was the ensemble incorporated the audience within the show. Patterns of clapping, foot stomping, and finger snapping made for an interactive experience that just compounded on the immense fun this show had to offer.
In simple terms, STOMP was outstanding and I highly recommend everyone take the opportunity to go see it.
STOMP is playing at the Straz Center of the Performing Arts April 30 – May 3. Please visit the Straz Center website for more information.
Ghost the Musical in Tampa FL – The Goof Review
Ghost The Musical Tampa FL – A Goof Review
The supernatural seems to be all the rage nowadays. The silver and big screens are filled with zombies, vampires, demons, spirits, you name it. Prior to the latest trends, the 1990 movie Ghost starring the late Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore was a blockbuster hit. Not only was it the top-grossing movie of 1990 but it took home Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress (Whoopi Goldberg).
The theatre trend started with musicals becoming movies like Mama Mia and Rent, but lately, the trend has moved in the opposite direction to include Ghost. Can movies be turned into musicals and still retain the original vision of the screenwriter?
As I anxiously awaited the opening number in the orchestra section (main floor) of the Straz Center for Performing Arts‘ Carol Marsoni Hall, I pondered this in my head. I happened to notice in the program that Brian Joel Rubin wrote the script for the musical as well as the movie which increased my optimism and my excitement.
Now, as I have previously written in prior reviews, I love the theatre and especially musicals. I have experience on stage as a performer and behind the scenes as a designer and director, which is why my reviews tend to get a little in-depth. This one will be no different.
Ghost’s plot centers around Molly(Katie Postonik), who is in danger after her lover Sam Wheat(Steven Grant Douglas) is murdered. Sam, now a ghost, using a reluctant psychic, Oda Mae Brown(Carla R. Stewart) tries to save her.
This musical was a multimedia extravaganza, with video being used as an introduction and as background, and foreground for a good amount of the duration of the show. For example, video of stock tickers, traffic and crowded sidewalks as a background for a dance number to symbolize the hustle and bustle of New York City.
Most of the time, the ocular stimulus was way too much. It pulled from the actors’ performances as well as the dancers. There was so much going on that my eyes didn’t know where to focus. I literally had to decide what of the action going on-stage was supposed to be the central focal point.
My eyes didn’t feel that way all the time. The scenes underground with the Subway Ghost(Brandon Curry) were incredibly vivid and they worked really well. Unfortunately, most of the other moments where the talented dancers of the ensemble were visually drowning in the fast-moving video that played around them. There was a point that any audience member, focusing stage right, would miss some amazing movements going on stage left, due to the multimedia being shot in the foreground.
When I am asked to review shows at the Straz, it usually opening night in order to turn around the article so it can be used for marketing purposes. In my experiences as an actor and director, sometimes tweaks are taken care during opening night. There are the different sound, lighting, and technical obstacles that appear when the house is full of warm bodies which then lend to acting struggles as well.
With that being said, I was disappointed with the performances of both Katie Postotnik(Molly) and Steven Grant Douglas(Sam). Not only were their singing voices falling flat more times than not, but the chemistry and the heat needed between them was just slightly more than a flicker. There were small moments here and there, but they were few and far between.
The singing was flat overall without prejudice of the performer, which lead me to believe that maybe the monitors that feed the music on stage may not have been fully functional. If the performer does not hear the same pitches as the audience there will be perceptual differences which could sound like their singing is falling flat or sharp.
Robby Haltiwanger, who portrayed Carl Bruner, had more chemistry with Molly in the few scenes they shared than the entirety of scenes with Sam. There was a fleeting moment between them, but it had enough heat that it seemed to linger on stage for the rest of the show. Regardless, of the fact that he too fell flat during most of his singing numbers, his acting skills seemed far superior to those of Molly and Sam.
The best performances came from Carla Stewart(Oda Mae) and those performers playing her sisters, Lydia Warr(Louise) and Evette Marie White(Clara). Their pitches were spot on, and they seemed to have more fun on stage than a lot of the other performers. The characters of Oda Mae and her sisters are what I would consider the comic relief to what should have been a very emotional story. They brought much-needed hilarity at a point where the rest of the show was failing. My opinion must have shared with a number of the other audience members because it was only when these talented women came out for the curtain call that the ovation became standing.
One aspect that did disappoint me was that Carla tried to mimic Whoopi Goldberg’s performance from the movie. Of course, this could have been a directorial choice. It is evident that Carla is a phenomenally competent actor whom given the creativity mig
ht have made different choices that would have played to her strengths.
When a new musical is first presented on Broadway and then sent on tour, it usually takes five years for the rights to the show become available. During those five years there are minimal changes that a director can make from the original Broadway version, so a lot of the issues I mentioned may have fallen into that category.
In summary, while there were some great moments, the multimedia, inferior acting and pitchy voices tended to distract from what was an award-winning script.
Ghost is playing at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts through Sunday, April 27th. For more info please see the Straz Center website.
Jersey Boys – The Goof Review
It seems that I cannot turn on a radio, browse the internet or watch the news without hearing a story about a celebrity scandal. It doesn’t matter if it’s a movie star, pop star, hotel heiress or a political figure, for some reason when a person gains that much fame, they feel invincible.
It seems like these situations have been occurring forever, doesn’t it?
Jersey Boys, at the Straz Center in Tampa, Florida, told the history of the famous Four Seasons pop group and all of the so-called “situations” they were in. Frankie Valli, Nick DeVito and the founder, Tommy DeVito. were four stereotypical New Jersey kids that wanted a way out. As juveniles and young adults Tommy and Nick were in and out of trouble with the law, until Tommy decided to start a group that took different
names until they finally arrived with the Four Seasons in 1960 with the help of writer/producer/singer Bob Guido.
The play brilliantly portrays the history of The Four Seasons in four parts, with each part
narrated by a different member of the band and supposedly reflecting that band member’s perspective on the band’s history. Most of the big hits of the group are sung either in episodic situations or portraying the band on stage either in concert or on television.
A huge surprise to me, was when I opened the program and found the roll of Frankie Valli is portrayed by Hayden Milanes. Hayden and I performed together in a couple of different shows in another life. Without any bias, Hayden’s performance was nothing short of amazing. The song “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, made Frankie Valli’s extraordinary range famous and Hayden seemed to recreate it with ease. Personally, I think the amazing richness in his vocal quality followed with his research of the character honored Mr. Valli to the extreme.
What was even more amazing is Hayden’s talent was only matched by the other members of the ensemble. Nicolas Dromard portrayed Tommy DeVito with the crassness and overpowering attitude of a bully, and sang the harmonies with excellence.
Adam Zelasko portrayed Nick with the quiet determination of the performer that took the back seat a lot of the time, but always tried to help his brother keep it together. Adam’s voice was powerful and played homage to Nick and the rest of the group with perfection.
The biggest corner was turned when the group was joined by Bob Guido, played by Quinn VanAntwerp. I am not a fan of giving extra praise to one actor or another, especially in a show that is ensemble driven, but as amazing as the other members of the group were, Quinn’s acting ability gave him a stage presence that just could not be matched. His singing had this subtle quality, that foreshadowed his actions in the coming scenes. Quinn was nothing short of brilliant which is saying something because all of the actors on stage were amazing.
Another character worth noting was Bob Crewe, the producer that put and kept the Four Seasons working and famous. Barry Anderson’s gifted portrayal of Bob was nothing short of fantastic. Even as a featured actor, he had a command of the stage that allowed him to stand out in the scenes that he was in.
The rest of the actors completed the ensemble with perfection. A few of the actors had multiple roles, and were played with such finesse that it was not apparent unless you read the program.
With all the well deserved accolades I have given Jersey Boys, I did notice a few problems from my orchestra seat. The balance of the microphones seem to be off when transitioning from singing to dialogue as there were several points where it was hard to hear.
The direction while good, had some unusual placement of the actors. There were times when I really needed to see what the actor was feeling, but their back was to the audience. Every novice director is taught to position the actors to face front as much as possible, but in the professional arena, those rules are thrown out the window in order to make room for new visions, art and realism. Unfortunately, there were a few moments where if this rule would have been applied it would have made for even stronger moments within the show.
Lastly, one of the designs I absolutely loved about the show were the sets. They were simple, and clean which allowed for the acting and singing to take center stage without focus going to some special effects. The sets were so simple the actors were even tasked with bringing furniture and props on and off the stage. I haven’t such simplicity since “Spring Awakening”. It added to the charm of the show.
All-in-all, this show is worth seeing. So many times national tours come through Tampa and just look tired. This show is incredibly energized and fun to watch.
A MUST SEE!
Freedom for Passion: Network Marketing Scam or not?
Time is such at a premium nowadays, don’t you think?
If I am not working, I am training. If I am not training, I’m coaching.
If I am not coaching, I am trying to find a way to leave my job, so I can spend time coaching and training because those are my passions.
Crazy right? Shouldn’t the title of this post be the definition of life?
I believe I was put on this earth to help people succeed. Obviously, I would more dedicate that success to health and fitness, but if I can help people find a way to spend more time training, and with their families then I would be extremely proud of that as well.
In my quest to find a vehicle to allow myself and others a way to drop the 9-5 routine and replace income, I have been involved with a couple of Network Marketing companies. I know, I know maybe your thinking, what a scam. While I have not been successful with Network Marketing, I have seen far too many people who believed and succeeded to write it off as a scam.
I have profiled two in my blog already. Jessica Crate and Rich O’Dea. Both of these amazing people are making dollars with Network Marketing and are spending more time on the things they love instead of spending time in cubical city.
Even better is because of the model of Network Marketing, people involved are not scratching for their next paycheck. Their business can grow without them lifting a finger. How much they get paid is directly related to the quality of the time they spend.
A power couple I have had the privilege of meeting, Anglike and David Norrie, spend their days with their little girl, traveling all over the world and making an income where money, bills, and retirement are just not an issue for them. Within a year of focusing on their goals, Angelike had left her six-figure career and was home creating the same income with just a couple of hours a day.
What is even more exciting is there are thousands of people out there just like them. As a matter of fact, according to Entrepreneur Magazine, Warren Buffett called Network Marketing, “the best investment he ever made.”
I am not sure about the rest of you, but that is pretty much all the convincing I need.
If you have ever been approached by a friend asking you to get involved in Network Marketing, or Multilevel marketing(MLM), the alarms probably went off in your head in big red letters. SCAM ALERT SCAM ALERT
Why? Because maybe you heard a story about someone who tried and failed, or maybe even one of the 830 out there was actually a scam. Do we write off the whole industry?
What is Network Marketing?
Simply put, it’s word-of-mouth marketing. In the 1800s how did everyone find about the general store in-town? They were told, right? Same deal.
You are passionate about the products of a company you are involved in. You tell me about it, I become passionate and then I start telling people the same story.
You get paid when I order and everyone below me orders. I get paid whenever anyone I have shared with orders and anyone they share it with orders.
At a high-level that is it.
You may already have heard of these companies.
Amway by far is the largest network marketing company out there. Ladies and Gentlemen, after 40 years it is still around and there are people still successful. Herbalife is probably the fastest growing company.
The next question is usually, well in order to be a member don’t I have to order products myself?
The answer is YES. Most of the time you are required a monthly order to stay an active distributor.
Is it a disadvantage? It depends on how you look at it. If you are really passionate about the product you would probably order it anyway.
Second, if you are telling the story, very quickly, you would probably be making enough where those costs are covered.
Finally, if you do have to order more than you need, it provides you with samples in order to enroll more people or you can retail those products for even more money.
Let me break it down. (Remember, this is coming from someone who has not yet been successful in Network Marketing.)
How do you start? Below is the high-level version of points I have received from successful people in Network Marketing.
First: Find a company with products you absolutely love and adore. Products you can be passionate about.
Second: Learn everything you can about the company, the products, the mission and the compensation plan.
Third: Become a product of the product. Use the products and review them for yourself. If you still feel passionate about them continue, or otherwise go back to step 1.
Fourth: Meet with your sponsor or upline and find out what makes them successful.
Fifth: Tell the story to everyone that will listen
Sixth: Enroll those that become as passionate as you, and then teach them what you did.
Seven: Watch the money come in.
Okay so that sounds pretty easy, doesn’t it?
The next objection is usually, I really do not want to engage my friends and family.
There are plenty of other ways to engage people without having to go to your friends and family.
It does make it a little more difficult, but once you have a running list of interested people it can actually be faster and more lucrative.
It entails marketing online using a blog, landing pages, video, social media or all of them.
This I will get into on a much later date as I am now in the process of learning all of it.
Why am I telling you this?
I am looking at a network marketing company that falls in the realm of what I am passionate about. Health and quality foods that have very little processing.
The company is called Purium and their flag ship product is called the 10-Day Celebrity Transformation Program. A catchy title for a 10-day cleanse, that is certified non-GMO, vegan, organic and is actually manufactured by Purium, not outsourced out like many of the other companies.
I am currently on the program of which I have been documenting via video on my channel.
As my readers, I am not asking you to get involved….yet. I am on day 3 of the cleanse and after I have completed it I will present my results and give you a full review.
Until then, check out my YouTube channel and follow along over the next week and see the differences.
Have you ever been asked to take part in a network marketing company? Did you get involved? How did it go?
Carpe Vitam!
~ Coach Brad
Florida Beach Halfathon – Running Recap
In our last episode (I always wanted to say that), I mentioned the mistakes I made with the Sarasota Half Marathon. I usually would never have a client race two weekends in a row and to tell you the truth I had no intention of racing either, but I did had a client who was supposedly running the Florida Beach Half Marathon as a training run, so my plan was to go and support.
At least, that is what I told myself the night before, but when the alarm went off and I found myself wide awake, I thought to myself.
“Self, I would really like to run today, but I want to support my client.”
“Brad, why don’t you just run with him. He is supposed to do an easy aerobic run anyway.”
“You know, Self, that isn’t a bad idea.” I then proceeded to get up, get dressed and head out the door.
Except for the long wait to park, it was pretty smooth sailing. I was able to sign-up, go back to the car and drop my SWAG and head back to the start.
I was also lucky enough to see Jessica Crate and Jessica Perez, my business partners, out there as well which only inspired me more. (More on the business thing in another post.)
I found my client, and another friend from TeamRWB, at the start and we decided on a 8:45 to 9 minute/mile pace. He had just finished the first two weeks of a grueling strength phase, so I wanted to make sure that this was just going to be a nice easy run. Right.
We started out and the energy took us, but I have to say we were talking the whole way. Even though I kept trying to slow us down, we couldn’t seem to run over an 8:30 pace.
As the miles went by I kept re-assessing, the pace and how we were feeling. The thing was, we were both talking comfortably without straining.
It was a little overcast and the temperature wasn’t bad, but the humidity was pretty high, so I just thought we will keep going and the minute the effort seems to increase we will slow down.
I accepted the fact, that maybe this was just our pace for the day.
Ft. Desoto while still a beach and it was a road I had been on many many times while training was beautiful that morning.
There were well over 2500 people racing and everyone seemed to be having a great time, so I felt lets just see how far this pace will take us.
The first ten miles we ended up averaging around 8:25 and we conversed the whole way, but then we passed the 10 mile mark, meaning there was only a 5k to go.
I think we both instinctively picked up the pace. He blamed me and I blamed him, but I think it was mutual.
We took the next three miles with negative splits, well under 7:50s. When the last 400 came up I took off and while I still felt fatigued, I had it in me.
We crossed 1:50 just a few seconds from each other. I had to cross first, right? I mean while I pledge myself as a triathlon coach, but I am a run coach first, so I had to set the example.
(I know it isn’t going to happen when I start training my Olympic athlete later this summer. For her I am going to have to ride a bike during road runs.)
I have to say, that it was a much more enjoyable race than Sarasota on the performance end. Could I have run faster? Yes, but even though it was an aerobic run, I beat my race time from the week before.
My client mentioned that he felt great on the run as well, and he was only 3 minutes off his PR.
Lesson learned and applied – Start easy and remain consistent. If the energy is available, start negative splits the last 5k. That is what seems to work for me.
Have you ever consciously applied some lessons from a previous race? Did you find you had a better race?
Carpe Vitam!
~IronGoof