The Cybex Arc Trainer

Chances are your gym has a Cybex Arc Trainer. If it does, chances are you've never used it and aren't really sure what it is.

Well, here is all you really need to know about the Arc Trainer: IT'S AWESOME! A bunch of smart people from the University of Wisconsin - Lacrosse conducted a study to determine whether the Precor AMT, Precor EFX, or Cybex Arc Trainer burned more calories in relation to exercise intensity.

To cut to the nuts and bolts of the study, it was found that oxygen consumption and caloric expenditure was 9% higher on the Arc than the AMT and 16% higher on the Arc than the EFX. Now, the EFX doesn't have arms as it is a lower body exercise machine, so caloric expenditure is expected to be lower on it. One of the main differences between the AMT and the Arc, though, is that the Arc has a greater range of motion in its arms, allowing for greater activation of back muscles, which in turn would allow for greater oxygen consumption and caloric expenditure.

The study ultimately concluded that "exercising on the Arc Trainer provides the best overall workout compared to the AMT and the EFX, and would result in the greatest increase in aerobic capacity and reduction in body weight in the shortest period of time." Isn't that what every overweight or short-on-time person wants?

Still need more proof that this machine is great? Check out this video of Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowl fullback Michael Robinson:

I was first introduced to the Arc Trainer when I went to a three day seminar at the Cybex Research Institute in Massachusetts in June 2012, but had no real reason to use it at the time because, well, it was summer.

However, the Arc Trainer intrigued me. The scientists at Cybex talked about how college football players preparing for the NFL Combine would use the Arc Trainer to get ready. They also told a story of a guy who trained for the New York City Marathon on the Arc Trainer because he had an injured knee and couldn't train on roads or treadmills. Pretty cool stuff if you ask me!

My training routines in the summer and training routines in the winter are two entirely different programs. My body takes a beating in the summer from all the running and biking, so I tend to focus a little more on lower impact exercise in the winter. However, I have HUGE aspirations for the upcoming 2013 race season, so I can't ignore training my cardio system like I have during past off seasons. With this in mind, I've taken an opportunity to play around with some of the other pieces of cardio equipment at the Casco Bay YMCA in Freeport.

One of the things I've really started exploring is the Cybex Arc Trainer, and let me tell you, this thing is really is a badass piece of equipment! My knees and ankles feel like a million bucks after a 30-minute session. I can absolutely blast my quads, glutes, and hips if I want. Or I can focus a little more on upper body resistance and burn out my chest, back, and/or shoulders. I can make it a little more cardio, or I can make it a little more resistance. Either way, I can escape the boring hell that is the dreadmill and get a MUCH better workout while giving my joints a rest. There will be plenty of time to pound my joints during the upcoming race season, but for now I don't have to worry about that one bit. Once the weather warms I'll undoubtedly be back out pounding on the roads and trails, but until then I fully plan on using the Arc Trainer at least once a week.

One of my clients, the newest Miss Maine USA, recently told me, "I think the Arc Trainer is going to be my new best friend."

Check it out at your local gym. It might become your new best friend too.

Thirty-one 3.1 mile races in my 31st year of life? Bring it on!

People who are close to me know that I like a good challenge. Most of them also know that I can be totally foolish with different things I challenge myself with. Some of these challenges don't work out for me but might for a lot of folks. Some are just completely absurd. And some might inspire other people to do something similar or to at least think outside the box when dreaming of new ways to push their body to its limits.

Well, I've got a new one for you. Because I had such a blast pushing myself to run 30 miles on my 30th birthday last summer, I just can't resist trying to up the ante for number 31. But what can I do on my 31st? It's a long ways off, but maybe I should start prepping now, just in case? But what to do? Do I run 31 miles? Nah, been there done that (pretty much). How should I incorporate 31? Something with swimming? Nope, I hate swimming. Biking? Maybe. 31. Three, one. Hmmmmm.

BINGO!! DUH!!! What is the most popular race distance there is?? The distance I ran my fastest times in during the summer of '12 since high school?? The distance that started it all WAY BACK in high school. Why, it just so happens to be the 5K, or 3 point 1 miles. Three-one. Ohhhhh, we can have some fun with this!!

But what to do with it? Well, obviously I could run a 5K on my birthday, but that would be a pretty lame follow up to last year's 30 mile effort. No, we need to go bigger. How about 31 5K's ON my birthday? Is that possible?? What's that, only 96.1 miles? Unrealistic? Probably, but I'm putting that idea on the back burner for my 96th birthday....

Ok, how about this...31 5K races AFTER my birthday? Well, looking at the logistics of this thought, that will probably be unlikely. Race season starts to wind down in September and October, and by winter runners have a relatively hard time finding 5Ks here in Maine. I'd most likely be behind the 8-ball come spring of 2014. No, this needs to be a year long event, and what better time to start it than with the turn of the New Year?

So here is the challenge: I will run 31 5K races sometime between January 1st, 2013 and December 31st, 2013. Yeah, that's it. Does this seem easy to you? Well, let's take a brief, more in depth look at what this is going to take...

-For 31 5Ks to happen in 2013, I'll have to average more than 2.5 5K races per month. Ok, not bad so far...

-I competed in a total of 11 races in 2012 (triathlons included) with a mere 7 of these being a 5K.

-Timing. 5Ks in Maine are most common on weekends, the occasional holiday, and during a weekly race series in Portland. The weekly series occurs on Wednesday evenings starting in late May and ending around the end of August and usually includes about 14 races. Due to my busy summer schedule, I was only able to compete in one of these in 2012. This could be a major benefit for the challenge or a major let down if my schedule becomes its usual busy self.

-Money. Races are not cheap. A 5K in Maine can run ya about 20-25 bucks per. Thirty-one of them could cost me upwards of $800. Surely I can find other things to blow 800 bucks on. The weekly series cost $20 for the entire season in 2012... definitely going to have take advantage of that. This still doesn't include the cost of the new pair of shoes I'll need.

-Injuries. One injury could derail everything. I've been extremely fortunate to have never had a serious injury during my 18 years of running (just knocked on some wood). Hopefully that trend continues.

-Other events. I'm running the Bay of Fundy Marathon at the end of June and will most likely try to reclaim my rightful crown (GRRRR!) at the The Great Adventure Challenge in August. There might be other triathlons, 10Ks, and half marathons tucked in there somewhere, too. Training for these events is different than training for a 5K (what, you didn't think I was just going to show up and run a 5K, did you? I'll be a racin', baby!).

There it is. There will probably be other unforeseen obstacles along the way, but that is my own personal challenge for 2013 and for my 31st birthday. I may get there or I may not. Either way, I will try like hell and have a ton of fun, a decent amount of pain, and a whole lot of stories to share along the way.

What are your goals for 2013?

Happy New Year!

In 2013, have a merry little fun with your workout

Here's my last post of the year. Hard to believe!

This past year was a pretty big year for me in terms of helping people get fitter, happier, and healthier. I worked with dozens of people one-on-one and in my classes, and I watched almost every single one of them (can't help the fact that there are always going to be slackers) work their tails off to become better at what they want to become better at. So I decided to have a little fun with my last couple of fitness classes of 2012.

Any trainer will tell you that you can only reinvent the wheel so many times when it comes to a specific class. I primarily teach a circuit-style class both at the YMCA of Southern Maine and Fitness Success, and have played around with different interval lengths, exercises, muscle groups, etc. all year long. With it being the Christmas holiday season and all, I decided to turn up the ole brain-power creative juices and create a Christmas themed workout for folks in my class.

Donning my Santa-style thinking cap, I developed a routine that was based on the 12 Days of Christmas song. Each exercise was Christmas related, and each one was 25 seconds long (because Christmas falls on December 25th, duh!). Granted 25 seconds is the shortest interval I've ever done for a class (with the exception of the occasional Tabata training), but people loved the fact that it tied in with Christmas and the rest of the routine.

Fitness Elf

Anyway, the routine went something like this: On the first day of Christmas, your Fitness Elf (me, of course) gave to you, "a medicine ball in a pear tree!" So the first set "station" or exercise would be Tree Pose from yoga while holding a medicine ball straight over head. Then: On the second day of Christmas, your Fitness Elf gave to you, "two legs lunging!" So the second set would be some form of lunges. This went on, around the room, for 12 exercises. My creative juices were GUSHING, but it was completely worth it as the folks in class seemed to love the fun break in normal routine. There was such good feedback, in fact, that I set up a similar routine for one of the hardest working and most dedicated one-on-one clients I have. Joy to the world!

So as we look forward to 2013 and put a good, bad, or indifferent 2012 in the rear view mirror, I challenge you this: Add a little flavor to your exercise. If you are a dedicated gym rat who has been crushing the iron for what seems like forever now, change it up. Get your bike out, put it in a low gear, and go for a ride on your next legs day. Try some yoga if you've never done it. Give your favorite gym's boot camp class a whirl (these sound scarier than they really are...there are ALWAYS modifications.) Go for a run outside instead of on the dreadmill. There are endless ways to exercise and get healthy, you just have to turn on your creative minds. If you are having trouble with finding new ways, ideas, or routines, make an appointment with a trainer at a gym and have him or her give you some advice.

Let's make 2013 the healthiest year you've ever had! Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Enjoy your time with your families and I look forward to writing to you all in 2013!

Walking vs. Running: Which gives you the better "burn?"

As most of you who read my blog know, I'm an avid runner and have been for a long time. I ran my first cross-country race in 1994 at the age of 12, and haven't really let up much since. I've always preferred running to walking as it's simply a way to get you to where you need to go, faster.

During freshman year of college, I worked on one side of campus and lived on the other side. The walking distance from one end to the other was about 1 mile. More times than not, it would be bitterly cold (just ask anyone who has ever been to UMaine Orono during the winter), so I would set off running across campus after work because it got me to where I needed to go quicker than walking would have, and warmed me up nicely along the way. Now, this was waaaayyyyy before I ever got involved in all this health and fitness stuff, but I have wondered if this was one of the reasons I never gained the dreaded freshman 15. What do I mean? Well, a mile is a mile, right? Doesn't it take the same amount of energy to cover that distance regardless of whether you do it in 10, 20, or 30 minutes? I've heard both sides of the argument, with one side coming from a renowned scientist, and the other coming from the running community. Let's take a look...

The first argument (well, it wasn't even really an argument at all--it was more of a statement) came from a very respected and well-known scientist at a fitness equipment manufacturer that I visited this past summer. The statement was simple and bold: "You burn just as many calories walking as you do running when travelling an equal distance." Really? This is fantastic! So my clients can either run or walk 3 miles and they will both burn just as many calories as the other.

After sharing this exciting news with several of my clients, I decided to dig around a little bit. There is an old-school way of thinking and it goes something like this: No matter how fast you move, if travelling over level ground, you will burn about 100 calories per mile. Whether you walk, sprint, crawl, run, or do any combination thereof, you will burn about 100 calories over that distance.

Really?

Well maybe, but not really. What am I talking about? Well, a study was done by the Washington University School of Medicine that took a look at perceived exertion levels of running and walking at various speeds. The subjects of the study were asked to walk at various speeds ranging from 4 to 10.4 km/hour for 5 minutes and run for 5 minutes at 7.2 to 10.4 km/hour. The conclusion drawn was basically this: There is a point when walking becomes more difficult than running, and that you when you hit this point, you will burn more calories walking than running. This point is 5 miles per hour.

Ok, so the good doctor's statement is supported! Right?

Well, there is now a new-school train of thought that has come around.

This past spring, a group of researchers from California State University published a research paper that firmly supported the theory that running burned more calories than walking. The test was done with 30 college-aged students (15 males and 15 females) averaging 156 pounds. They were asked to run a treadmill mile in 10:00 minutes on one day and to walk a treadmill mile in 18:36 on another day. After each session, they sat quietly for 30 minutes so that their metabolic rate would slow down.  It was determined that the participants burned almost 3 times as many calories per minute (4.78 for walking versus 11.25 for running) when they ran as compared to when they walked. When taking excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC, or the "after burn") into consideration, the difference between running and walking was even greater.

Interesting, right? Well, hold on. The study does have a few caveats. For one, the study was done on an "average" of participants, with each "averaging" 156 pounds. According to the study, weight, along with age, is a huge factor in how many calories a person can burn, due to how fast one can run. To figure how many calories per mile you might burn while walking, multiply .57 by weight in pounds. For running, the calculation would  be .72 x weight in pounds. This should give you a general idea of how many calories you are burning per mile.

So which one of these schools of thought is correct? Well, they both are, really. There can't really be a definitive number given to how many calories you burn when walking or running at different speeds. There just can't. The more efficient you become at it, the fewer calories your body will burn while performing what it is that you are doing. Perhaps your preferred run-walk transition speed (PTS) can shed some light on this. That is, if you run at a slower speed than your PTS, it will feel harder and you will expend more calories. The same can be said for the opposite: If you walk at speeds higher than your PTS, it will feel harder and you will burn more calories. Intervals, anyone?

Still confused? Probably. My advice to you is that if you can run, then run. If you can't run for whatever reason (bad knees, hips, back, etc.) then walk as fast as you can at a sustainable speed. Or as I mentioned above, give intervals a shot. The most important this is getting your 30-60 minutes of activity per day.

Guest Post: Success! Wedding day readiness, achieved.

I love my job. For a variety of reasons, I get to work with people to help them better their lives. Some want to lose weight, some want to train for a sport, some want to reduce back pain, some want to just feel better. Erica, a client and friend from Fitness Success in Yarmouth, Maine, worked with me in an effort to get ready for her September 2012 wedding. She was determined to look her best for the most important day of her life, and I was determined to help her get to where she wanted to be.

After her wedding, I asked Erica if she would like to write about her journey in a guest post for my blog. Here is her story, in her own words. Enjoy, because this is truly awesome...

I've always been in what I considered to be "decent" shape. I'm naturally small-boned, and while I've always been fairly active, it's been awhile since I've been really "hardcore" about fitness. Being relatively thin for most of my life, I never worried much about what I ate, and "healthy" foods weren't usually my first choice--I am one of those people who loves carbs (grilled cheese and pizza are my favorites) and I love anything chocolate. Salad was something I'd try to eat now and then, but I never really enjoyed it, and since I didn't think I had to in order to look good, I didn't push myself to eat it too often. Same with exercise--I did it when I wanted to, because I enjoyed it, but didn't usually push myself if I didn't feel like it.

Fast forward to my early 30s. While not overweight by any means, I could sense the effects of a gradually slowing metabolism and a family history of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension threatening to creep up on me. I began to notice little things, like thigh fat and flabby triceps, that weren't there before. Although no one could call me fat, I could tell that I wasn't at my physical best, and that bothered me--especially when I got engaged and started planning my wedding. I knew I was capable of looking my best with some hard work, but I also knew I would need some help to get there. A full time job, long commute, and busy lifestyle meant that I wasn't always motivated to exercise at the end of the day. 

I had taken a few circuit-style fitness classes with Nate Priest at Fitness Success in Yarmouth. During one such class, I won a competition for most improved from the beginning to the end of the 8 week class. My prize: A gift certificate to a natural food store and 3 personal training sessions with Nate! I couldn't believe how fortunate I was to have this opportunity a few months before my wedding. Nate asked what I wanted to work on most, and I was very clear: I wanted to improve the part of me that would show in my wedding dress-- my arms! During my one-on-one sessions with Nate, he designed 3 different workouts for me, focusing mostly on arms/upper body, but also working in some lower body, core, and cardio. The workouts were fast-paced, easy to follow, and actually fun! I aimed for 3-4 workouts per week, following the routines developed by Nate. In between, I went to Zumba classes, did a bit of running, and hiked. However, my primary exercise for the last few weeks leading up to the wedding was the circuit workouts. At first I did them in the gym in my apartment building, but then realized I could do them right in my apartment using nothing more than 5 and 8 pound dumbbells, a yoga mat, and a chair for those killer but oh-so-effective triceps dips. I could even watch TV at the same time!

The key to the workouts was the timing--my favorite workouts involved doing each exercise for 30 or 35 seconds, rather than a certain number of reps. This way, I didn't have to "force" myself to do a certain number (which usually results in me stopping the exercise before I should)--instead, I just did each exercise until the alarm on my phone went off, signaling the end of the 30-second interval. The exercises weren't easy, but I had a clear goal in mind that kept me going: I wanted to look great in the wedding photos! All the while, I remembered Nate's encouragement -- "you're doing great, nice work" -- while at the same time not letting me off the hook when I was tired -- "come on, you can do this!".  I haven't met many fitness instructors who can strike that balance between motivating you to push yourself, but not making you feel inadequate if you can't do something -- but Nate definitely has that skill as a trainer, and it makes a big difference.

Oh, and about those carb cravings -- it was funny, but once I started working out more, I actually felt more motivated to eat better -- and strangely, I found myself craving salad instead of pizza! I didn't do anything radical --I just made small changes that were easy to maintain but added up to a much better diet. Instead of getting a hot dog at work, I'd get a salad. When we went out to eat, I would ask to substitute a vegetable instead of pasta. Rather than using the full-fat half-and-half in my coffee at work, I brought my own fat-free coconut milk to keep in the fridge. When I ate dessert (yes, I still ate dessert), I would put my fork down between bites so that I could really taste what I was eating. It stopped me from eating so fast, and ended up with me eating less. I didn't worry much about the number on the scale -- in total, I think I only lost the extra 4-5 pounds I had put on--but it was enough. My muscles were back. And on my wedding day, I was perfectly happy with the way I looked. 

If you're looking to go from being in "decent" shape (or even bad shape!) to being really fit, here are the steps I would recommend based on my experience: 1) Set a goal with a timeline -- whether it's a major life event, a race you sign up for, or a just-for-fun photo shoot -- something to you want to look and feel great for. 2) Make exercise fun -- try varying what you do so that you don't get bored. Mix in weight training with running, dance, hiking, or whatever you enjoy. 3) Follow a routine --treat exercise just like a doctor's appointment -- it's just as important! 4) If you need a jump-start, team up with a fitness professional who has the experience, knowledge, and personality to help set you on the right track to getting healthy. That's what Nate did for me, and I'll always be grateful.

Play your way to a healthier you

If you don't love sports, there might be something wrong with you.

Sports are a part of our lives on a regular basis, whether we realize it or not. We go to sporting events, whether it be a major league baseball game or our kids youth hockey game. We make Sundays in the fall a big deal as we get together and cheer for our favorite teams. We drive by stadiums, fields, and sporting good stores all the time. You'd be hard pressed to flip through the TV nowadays and not see some kind of sports event or sports talk happening--they're everywhere you look! But maybe you should add a different way of looking at them...

By playing them! That's right, you don't have to be a high school student athlete or a pro in order to play a sport you love. If you live in or near a big city in your state, you probably have access to a sports league right in your neighborhood.

Here in Portland we have a lot of sports "leagues" to choose from

(I say "leagues" because often times the organization is more than a league, it's a social club of sorts). One that I've played with for several years now is called Portsports. They have a plethora of sports to choose from--everything from kickball to volleyball to walleyball to bowling to ultimate Frisbee and more. My favorite is kickball, although more exercise would come from playing a sport like ultimate, but I use kickball as an active recovery day during my summer training months. Plus booting that big red ball is a ton of fun--maybe even more fun than it was back on the playground in elementary school!

One of my clients plays in a local beer-league softball league, with his team being made up entirely of 60-somethings. A lot of the guys on the team have chronic back, hip, and knee problems, but that doesn't stop them from playing a sport they enjoy with other "old guys" (as my client affectionately refers to them). Plus he's outside, moving around, and losing additional weight in the process. What's not to love here, other than the fact that I am scared to death that he'll blow out a knee at some point? "Just be careful,"I tell the guy who is old enough to be my dad.

Another place to look might be your local parks and rec leagues. My girlfriend played in both a soccer league and a basketball league last winter and absolutely loved it. The only downside to these types of leagues are that the number or participants may not always be consistent, so be sure to check the time and day of games. Her soccer league met on Sundays in late fall and early winter--conflicting with the  NFL schedule--so she never really knew who would show up on what week. But her mid-week basketball games were a a ton of fun and she looks forward to doing it again this winter. So be sure to check around to see what leagues are in your area and what kind of sports they offer as one may not offer the same as the next.

So as cooler weather approaches, remember this: You don't always have to drive to the gym, park the car, go inside, change, walk to the treadmill, run for however long while sweating all over the place, hop off, walk back to the locker room, towel off or shower, walk to your parked car, then drive home. Mix it up and join a local sports league! Soon you'll find yourself getting all kinds of exercise while reliving your glory days or learning a new sport altogether. You'll have fun, meet new people, and get some exercise. Doesn't that sound much better than pounding away on the ole dreadmill all winter long?

Be inspired and never be afraid to dream.

With autumn fast approaching, the leaves on the trees outside will soon tell us that summer is over. The "end of summer" is sometimes synonymous with the "end of fun," often symbolizing the end of life as we currently know it. Picnics, swimming, beaches, sailing, and shorts are all replaced with big feasts at dinner tables, dying leaves, driving with the windows up, and pants (I hate pants!). Sounds like the end all of end all, doesn't it? Wrong.

Autumn can be seen as a fresh start to lots of things! School, football season, and people returning to the gym after their summer adventures are all prime examples of starting new when the world outside is telling us we should be doing otherwise. There will be many new folks starting up through several of our programs at the YMCA in Portland in September, and I'll have the privilege of working with them and helping them start out on a new path for a healthier life.

Thinking about the influx of new clients I'm about to get, I'm reminded of when I started off on a path of healthy living not all that long ago.

Let's rewind to the year 2006. It was autumn (ironically enough), and I had just moved back to Maine from Colorado. I didn't have a definite long term place to live, so I moved in with my brother in a tiny Portland apartment and got a seasonal job working at LL Bean. I had been relatively active in Colorado, having been a member at the Denver YMCA and doing a lot of hiking, trying to bag as many 14,000 foot peaks as I could. All I was really doing was trying to have as much fun as possible while maintaining the level of fitness I achieved while hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2005.

When I moved to Portland, I signed up for a Planet Fitness membership under my brother's card. I didn't really like it as it was crowded and full of teenie-boppers, but it was free and only about a mile from where I lived. So I started going there, spending most of  my time waiting for machines and benches, slogging through countless sets of chest presses and lat pull downs, and chatting with pals I hadn't seen in a long time. I had no idea what I was doing, but didn't really know otherwise.

My job at LL Bean was for second shift warehouse work. I'd usually get home around midnight, eat something terrible, watch a little TV, then go to bed. It was during one of these late night TV viewings that I saw something that changed my life....an infomercial for P90X.

What was this? Some cheesy at home workout along the lines of The Firm, Billy Blanks, or some God-forsaken Richard Simmons routine? Or was this different? After a lot of research a little "what the hell" attitude, I ordered up P90X.

The conclusion was that this was different. Way different. Working out was suddenly fun AND convenient! No more waiting around to do an umpteenth set of chest presses. The workouts were fast, efficient, and hard. I went through the 90 days once, and then again. I got fit. I mean really, really fit. "This is great!" I thought to myself. "I'll never go back to the gym again!"

Then I got bored. As good as the program was, there's only so many times one can do the same routine without getting tired of it. But I was inspired. I learned that exercise didn't have to mean countless lat pull downs, crunches, leg presses, or chest presses. There was a world of exercise programming and variety out there just waiting to be tapped into. So I went through the next two years putting together my own routines and seeing how creative I could get with all kinds of different exercise equipment. Man was it fun!

 I was still at LL Bean at the time (March 2010), and I spent much of that spring not working due to low work volumes. The retail world is very up and down depending on many uncontrollable influences, so I thought to myself--do I want to continue on this path in life, always wondering how much my paycheck would be, trudging along in a truly meaningless job? Or do I want to take control of my life, help people in the fight against obesity, and show them that exercise and healthy living can be fun? Yeah, I think I'll choose the latter, thanks...

I went to the computer that spring and did extensive research on finding the best personal training certification I could, and the National Academy of Sports Medicine was the answer. I ordered up the materials, spent my work-less days studying, and became certified in May 2010. I got some experience at a small training studio in Yarmouth, Maine, and  year and a half later I was able to leave LL Bean after landing an absolutely unbelievable job as a full time trainer at the Cumberland County YMCA in Portland. I still teach classes in Yarmouth and coach cross-country and track, but the bulk of my time is spent at the Y.

The dream was relatively short as I didn't waste much time turning it into reality, and now I'm happier than I've ever been. I've made some incredible like-minded friends within the past year. A client has even thanked me for saving his life. Inspiration comes in many forms; mine can be traced back to an infomercial. So I ask you: Where does your inspiration come from?

As the leaves start to fall this autumn, think about what inspires you and how you can start something fresh and new. Maybe it's a hobby you've always wanted to do. Maybe it's going to a far away place you've never been. Maybe it's joining a club and making new friends. Maybe it's looking for an exciting new job so you can quit your current boring one. Whatever you come up with, make sure you follow through on it. Life is an incredibly short ride that can take you on a number of journeys, so why not spend your valuable time on a journey you truly enjoy?