Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

For my 38th birthday, I went off the grid and to a farm. A week or so birthday my birthday, Karel and I saw on social media  that our friend Dane and his wife Celia celebrated their anniversary on a farm. I didn't consider the idea of visiting a farm, but I couldn't stop looking at the pictures of the cute farm animals. Oh do I love farm animals. A few days before my birthday, Karel mentioned that we should go to the same farm to celebrate my birthday. What a great idea! Yes that's right. This trip wasn't my idea. It was all Karel. It wasn't more than an hour after Karel mentioned it on an evening walk with campy that I was on the phone with Julie (the owner) to book our trip. The entire process of booking our stay was rather easy - I called her and told her when we wanted to come and that was it. We paid the $125 for our stay when we arrived. Originally we wanted to stay on my actual birthday of the 31st but she had someone visiting that weekend. So we deci...

The American Dream The hope for a better life. Human rights. Democracy. Attaining success from sacrifice, risk-taking and hard work. Freedom of speech. Independence. The land of opportunity. Economic prosperity. Safety. In 2000, Karel left his home country of Czech Republic and traveled to the United states with nothing but a backpack. He told no one that he was leaving his country in an effort to pursue the American dream. It takes great courage to leave your country, family and friends and go to a new country where the language is foreign and you have to start a new life with nothing. For the dream to function properly, the basic rights of individuals must be respected. This was far from the truth in Karel's story as an immigrant trying to make a living in the United States of America. When Karel arrived to America, he quickly realized that his dream was harder than once imagined. But like most immigrants, he persevered with a strong work ethic. He kept fighting...

We are all experiencing challenges during which words just can't describe what we are feeling. Politics, police brutality, a pandemic and an international human rights movement - alongside other ongoing issues like global warming, animal rights, LGBTQ discrimination, wage inequality, homelessness, human trafficking, disability discrimination, deforestation, weight bias, air pollution - may make it impossible to make sense of our emotions. No matter how hard you try, you can't avoid stress. And sometimes it gets the best of us. Stress can become a problem when you are unable to cope. Without a productive and healthy outlet, stress levels can escalate. Poor body image and an unhealthy relationship with food can cause stress but it also works the other way around. The relationship between stress and disordered eating is a vicious cycle. When you feel overwhelmed or out of control, it's natural to find ways to cope with those unpleasant and uncomfortable feelings. Fe...

And just like that. I am 38 years old. A birthday is much more than an occasion to receive gifts. It's a chance to celebrate and to give thanks. It's a special occasion to rethink life, to reflect on the past, evaluate the present and make plans for the future. A birthday is a transition from what was to what can be. It's a spiritual refresher. 37 was a difficult year for me. I wrote about (most of) it in my 2019 Year in Review blog.    "Life can be difficult, unfair and tough to understand. If I had to use a word to describe our 2019, it would be strength. We had to find strength to experience the highs and we had to find strength to get through the lows. Triathlon provides us with many life lessons but in 2019, life hit us hard. Throughout the year, there were several occassions when our hobby of triathlon was put to the aside in order to deal better with the hard times.  As athletes, it can be difficult to stay positive, hopeful and focused during stressfu...

Dear dad, It's been six years since I last saw you, spoke to you, touched your hand and hugged you. Six years ago I had to say good-bye to you. The time we had together wasn't nearly enough. I only got to spend 32 years of my life with you as my dad. There are still so many questions that I need answers to and you are no longer just a phone call away. I miss your words of wisdom. I miss your sense of humor. I miss your knowledge of everything. Not a day goes by when I don't think about what life would be like if you survived your 10-month fight with cancer. When I find myself in a situation or scenario that leaves me confused, concerned or worried, I imagine what you would say or do if you were still here. I wish you were here to share in the happy moments and to help me through my struggles. You left this world with so many great memories and you left people with a lot of great memories of you. You liked people and people liked you. You made people laugh. You a...

In today’s fast-paced, stressful and unpredictable world, it’s important to have a toolbox of healthy coping mechanisms. A coping mechanism is something that helps you deal with something that is difficult or uncomfortable. Truth be told, nearly every coping mechanism can provide a benefit. However, some coping mechanisms have negative consequences associated with them. For example, do you often reach for a beer, glass of wine or hard liquor to help unwind after a long or stressful day of work? What does your alcohol consumption look like in social situations or during difficult times? Alcohol functions to slow down the central nervous system, helping you feel more relaxed. It also reduces inhibition, memory and judgement. For many people, having a drink is the easiest way to deal with something that is uncomfortable or to distance from a stressor or challenge. As a result, alcohol becomes a crutch and barrier to developing more effective and healthy coping strategies. Another exampl...

In our body-image obsessed culture - supported by a multibillion-dollar industry that profits from body dissatisfaction, the idealized body image, dieting and fear of fat - creating a healthy relationship with food and your body can be incredibly difficult. Sadly, even in a global health crisis, weight loss, appearance and body image are still priorities for many people, athletes and businesses. The diet culture is constantly reminding you that you are not good enough at your current weight and being a bit thinner or more toned will improve your health and happiness. In other words, changing what you look like will make you happier, more successful or will make people like you better. What starts as an innocent attempt to eat a bit healthier or lose a few lbs can easily spiral out of control. When body image dissatisfaction is present, "healthy" eating can quickly turn into dieting which can turn into disordered eating. For many, it doesn't stop there. Dieting is ...