Long-term patients and readers of this newsletter may remember that we sponsored Steve Cannon as he prepared for his running circumnavigation of Lake Michigan. After his successful trip I heard Steve speak to an Iowa Outdoor Unlimited meeting and found it to be one of the most inspiring talks I’ve ever heard. I was very excited to read his book, 40 Days. It didn’t let me down and I wrote up this review:
What was your favorite book as a youth? Mine was Hatchet, the classic story of young Brian living through a tragic plane crash in the Canadian wilderness only to find he has to use all of his intelligence and skill to survive for months on the shores of a remote lake with only his hatchet as a tool. When I think back, I wonder if I was attracted to the story because I already had an adventurous spirit, or could that book have been a more pivotal point in my life. Could Hatchet, read at just the right time, have inspired me to seek more adventure through the rest of my life?
40 Days by Steve Cannon does tell the chronological story of his circumnavigating run around Lake Michigan. However, mixed throughout are much more philosophical and inspiring portions. As you learn about Steve’s earlier life, you see that he has chosen a life unhindered by the “what-ifs.” He measures the success of his life in experiences and relationships over security and possessions. When tragedy in the form of cancer touches close to home, he chooses to be inspired to fight for others. Personally, I’d like to be more like Steve.
Steve’s run was not easy. Many obstacles came up in the form of injuries and weather. However, the greatest obstacle was his own head. Frustration and self-doubt threatened to keep him from starting days and reared their head as he nearly finished long, hard days. Seeing how he overcame these times was motivating!
I was truly inspired as I read portions like this:
I believe 40 Days could be the “Hatchet” for adults like me… People who have a little or a lot of adventurous spirit, but need the story of an ordinary guy who did extraordinary things to motivate them to see more, do more, and be more! Buy and read this book ASAP and be inspired to take that first step toward fulfilling your dream.
Smart athletes see a chiropractor to restore and optimize their health!
“Every track and field athlete that I have ever met has seen a chiropractor at one time or another,” wrote Olympic champion decathlete Dan O’Brien about his experience in training and competing in one of the most challenging events in track and field. “In track and field, it is absolutely essential. I think I compete eight to 10 percent better from regular chiropractic use.”
January Door-buster deal: $50 off Standard Process Purification program
“The Standard Process®Purification Program is not a fad diet. The program teaches you how to live a healthier life by purifying, nourishing, and maintaining a healthy body and weight. The 21-day purification program cleanses by removing naturally occurring toxins. You’ll begin to define your “new normal” with a healthy diet and supplements that will support your nutritional needs and lifestyle.”
Read about Dr. Krohse’s transformation back in 2010 using the Standard Process Purification at his blog.
Dr. Krohse’s Before & After – October 2009 to July 2010
Responses from our December Waiting Room Wellness Activity- Top Bucket List Experiences, New Year’s Goals, or Tips to Achieve Goals:
Travel to Africa Pay off student debt Lose 20 lbs! Learn a foreign language Marry Dr. Krohse – Val Go on a balloon ride Scuba dive Sky dive/swim the Australian reef Run the Warrior race Travel to a different country Flew around Mt McKinley on a crystal blue day Get my left knee to work better 30% power increase in LF Spin 18-week challenge Ragbrai Take kite-boarding lessons Finish in the top 40 at Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival Tip: register for a race, ride, or walk to give yourself a goal Have a baby! Back to school
This month our team has each written a recommendation for a bucket list experience they have done in the past or that they look forward to doing in the future:
Sandy Recommends Whitewater Rafting
While crossing off “steering a raft through class III-IV rapids” off of my bucket list – I added another item: “taking my family whitewater rafting”, which was subsequently achieved!
My first rafting trip occurred in the spring of 1998 when I had the opportunity to navigate the Salmon River in Idaho with some coworkers. To this day, this remains some of the most beautiful scenery I have observed in the U.S. The Salmon River, the cliffs, vegetation and wildlife were absolutely breathtaking. And the rapids…..well, let’s just say that I gained an appreciation for just how powerful raging waters can be. No one drowned nor was injured and I’m happy to report that our raft remained upright throughout the time I was steering. Our experience centered on the importance of teamwork and good, clear communication – which is not only key to steering comrades through raging waters – but it’s also essential in running a business. The thrill-seeking side of me could not wait to share an experience like this with my family. So…in the summer of 2001, knowing that my girls were rather young and small, yet very adventurous – I found a gentler whitewater rafting experience on the Snake River. We launched from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. As the photos show – a good time was had by all.
Amy Recommends a Fitness Vacation
For this month’s newsletter topic I have chosen one item off of my bucket list that has been a “dream” of mine for many years: a fitness vacation. Of course there are items on my bucket list like seeing the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and taking a trapeze and silks class. But seeing as it is our January newsletter and everyone is always into bettering themselves by setting new fitness and nutrition goals for the year this bucket list item of mine seems most fitting!
One of my most favorite people in the world happens to be a former personal training client of mine who has turned into a dear friend and my workout partner. Over the 12 or so years that we have been working out together we’ve always wanted to take it outside of the box a little and go on a fitness vacation. There are several options out there for fitness vacations and most of them sound very appealing. Everything from a Bikini Boot Camp on the Mayan Riviera, The Ranch at Live Oak Malibu, to one of the five Canyon Ranch locations- one of which is on a cruise ship- sound delightful to me!
So what is a “fitness vacation” you ask? It’s a week long trip full of workouts (cardio and resistance training), the latest in fitness classes, outdoor activities, spa treatments, and clean/healthy eating. Some of the programs offer consultations with nutritionist and other experts in the fields of exercise and healthy living. Most of the fitness vacations that I’ve looked into while dreaming about one are all-inclusive except for airfare! About four times a year Jungle Bay Resort and Spa in Point Mulatre Dominica hosts week-long boot camps for travelers looking to combine a Caribbean vacation with intense workouts in the rainforest. The program caters to the whole body with workouts coupled with healthy food and outdoor adventures like hiking, snorkeling, zip lining, and ocean kayaking. Organic meals, endless tropical juices, half hour daily spa treatments, and private, upscale yet simple, jungle cottages are all included in the starting price of $240/night. SIGN ME UP! (P.S. This is one of the more affordable trips. Canyon Ranch Tuscon, AZ all-inclusive packages start at $3,990).
If you are someone who often says ” I could live at the gym” this ones for you: Lake Austin Spa. Lake Austin Spa offers a program called “Power of 7”. Its a personalized, week-long program of spa treatments, unlimited fitness classes, discovery sessions (where you learn how to revamp your diet, stress less, and embrace the tarot’s plans for you), and special activities customized to meet your specific goals. The unlimited fitness classes refer to the 27 cardio and dance, 16 strength, 11 aquatic, and 30 meditation and yoga classes offered. They offer over 100 different spa treatments, three healthy gourmet meals a day with calorie counts included, nutritious snacks, and a non-alcoholic beverage bar. Take your pick of a quaint cottage, cabin, or stay in a room at the full-service hotel all situated along the lakefront featuring fresh-cut flowers from the spa’s gardens. Lake Austin Spa Power of 7 all-inclusive costs $5,460, other packages are available.
Last but not least I’d like to mention the Red Mountain Resort in St. George, Utah. Adventure vacations are their specialty! They offer adventure and wellness retreats in the beautiful Red Mountains. They have wellness programs for every lifestyle. Red Mountain’s ideal location allows convenient planning of a customized adventure to Zion or Bryce Canyon National Parks, while Snow Canyon State Park is only about a quarter of a mile down the road. Red Mountain Resort offers three healthy meals each day, an adventure Concierge, more than 50 different fitness classes weekly, guided hiking and biking, healthy life classes and events, full-menu spa & salon, indoor and seasonal outdoor swimming pools, three whirlpools, state-of-the-art Cybex Equipment and cardiovascular center, spa boutique and Red Mountain Outfitters clothing and gift store, pet-friendly policy, wellness testing and nutritional guidance, outdoor adventures, cooking demonstrations, spiral labyrinth and walking trails.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading about my fitness vacation bucket list item! Maybe you’d like to add it to YOUR bucket list.
Anne Recommends Sky Diving
Many bucket-list prospects or New Year goals seem to consist of opportunities that are unique to us or that will improve our lives. Or an encounter that will do both. Sky-diving has always been an endeavor of mine; and it satisfied both ambitions.
The joke goes: “Why would I want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane?” For some of us though, sky-diving can be a salubrious way to satisfy thrill-seeking impulses. Of course, I aimed to feel the matchless rush of adrenaline I had often heard of. Yet, it was also a way to challenge myself- my fear of heights. In 2006, we used my Mom’s 50th birthday as an excuse to do something extraordinary, so I invited about 8 like-minded adventurers and we purchased jumps at Skydive Iowa in Boone at a group-rate. It was very affordable, and so much more exciting to go together; we all fed off of each other’s eagerness.
The picturesque mid-summer Saturday arrived, and we all geared up for tandem dives- the only option for a novice jumper. Since that meant being attached to an expert diver when you plunge into the air at 10,000 feet, it was also a lot less scary. (A certification is required to jump alone. In fact, someone from our group that day fell in love with the experience so much that he spent the next few months devoting time and money to earn that consent.)
During my turn with another friend strapped into the sky-dive equipment and at my side, we scaled thousands of miles in a little, loud four-seater plane, the side door open to the sapphire sky. I felt much more relaxed than I imagined I would, and didn’t hesitate when we were instructed to prepare for the free-fall. It’s a bit of a haze, but my memory is of an unparalleled and amazing feeling- the olive landscape of country fields stretched out below me and whips of cool, summer wind at my cheeks. I’d do it again for certain.
Dr Krohse recommends Via Ferratas
I spent the summer of 2002 leading daycamp for American military kids in Germany. When the weekends arrived we’d hop on a train with our Eurail pass and chug off to a destination for 48 hours. On one of those weekends we headed to the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland for a day. While there we learned of a cog railway that would take you up the side of a nearby mountain to the little village of Leysin. We decided we should spend Saturday night there and boarded the train. At the Hiking Sheep Hostel, I browsed a list of local activities and came across an activity I’d never heard of, “Via Ferrata.” As I read the description, my excitement swelled, and I quickly started working on my traveling friend, Brian, to agree to tackle the Via Ferrata with me on Sunday morning.
A Via Ferrata is essentially big-wall rock-climbing for dummies. Meaning “iron way,” Via Ferratas are metal rungs and cable routes secured to the side of cliffs to create a relatively novice-friendly route up a mountain wall. Many of the routes were created during World War I to assist troops passing through the Italian Dolomites and Swiss Alps. Today routes are created around the world purely for adventure.
In Leysin, you could head to a local outfitter and rent a kit including a helmet and a harness attached to a couple ropes with carabiners on the ends. With that kit and no skill you can hike up to the nearby cliff where you can clip your two leads to the vertical cable and begin to climb the rungs in the side of the cliff. Every few feet you would need to unclip your carabiners one at a time and move them above a bolt holding the cable to the cliff before climbing on.
The view from the top of the Leysin Via Ferrata
Though I have tried some rock climbing, I tend to be impatient with the tedious setup process and dependence on a belayer to assist me in a climb. With a beginner-friendly top rope setup you also are quite limited in how high you can climb. The idea of this simpler adventure to reach much higher and grander views sounded amazing and right up my alley!
Sadly, Brian and I woke that Sunday morning to a steady rain, and had to abandon our Via Ferrata dream to return to Germany. A Via Ferrata experience has sat near the top of my bucket list ever since, and I look forward to making it happen on my next trip to Europe!
had the opportunity to navigate the Salmon River in Idaho with some coworkers. To this day, this remains some of the most beautiful scenery I have observed in the U.S. The Salmon River, the cliffs, vegetation and wildlife were absolutely breathtaking. And the rapids…..well, let’s just say that I gained an appreciation for just how powerful raging waters can be. No one drowned nor was injured and I’m happy to report that our raft
remained upright throughout the time I was steering. Our experience centered on the importance of teamwork and good, clear communication – which is not only key to steering comrades through raging waters – but it’s also essential in running a business. The thrill-see
king side of me could not wait to share an experience like this with my family.
salubrious way to satisfy thrill-seeking impulses. Of course, I aimed to feel the matchless rush of adrenaline I had often heard of. Yet, it was also a way to challenge myself- my fear of heights.
In fact, someone from our group that day fell in love with the experience so much that he spent the next few months devoting time and money to earn that consent.)
I spent the summer of 2002 leading daycamp for American military kids in Germany. When the weekends arrived we’d hop on a train with our Eurail pass and chug off to a destination for 48 hours. On one of those weekends we headed to the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland for a day. While there we learned of a cog railway that would take you up the side of a nearby mountain to the little village of Leysin. We decided we should spend Saturday night there and boarded the
train. At the Hiking Sheep Hostel, I browsed a list of local activities and came across an activity I’d never heard of, “Via Ferrata.” As I read the description, my excitement swelled, and I quickly started working on my traveling friend, Brian, to agree to tackle the Via Ferrata with me on Sunday morning.
untain wall. Many of the routes were created during World War I to assist troops passing through the Italian Dolomites and Swiss Alps. Today routes are created around the world purely for adventure.
