Loss of Innocence

Well I’ve definitely had some interesting comments on the last couple of posts. In fact, since watching the CBC special on Goji Juice and reading some of these comments, Sunday turned into a real day of thinking and reflection for me.

You see I’m a very trusting and accepting kind of guy. I try to see the good in everyone, you know, believe that what they say is true. My wife likes to say I’m a dreamer as well as an optimist. I can usually see the merit to any argument, from any point of view. For instance, someone will say, well that’s not true because of so and so and I’ll think, good point. That person is right there. Then someone else will pipe up and say, well yes you may say that’s not true but when you take into account this and that and the other thing it sure looks true. I think, hmmm that’s a good point too. And so the conversation goes, back and forth, my opinion, like the wind, changing with each new point. I can’t help but think as I reflect on this attribute of mine that it sometimes makes me feel a little stupid. I mean shouldn’t I know what my opinion is on something and be able to stick with it? Now I know I’m not stupid but why do I sympathize with whoever’s opinion I last heard so easily? And where can this sort of thinking be to my advantage?

Yes, this line of thinking definitely has me second-guessing my involvement with Freelife. I guess just posting that statement will sort of screw me over for any future business. I told you I wasn’t a good salesman. There really has been an unusual amount of progress in my running since I started drinking the juice, which is why I have any belief level in it. (Saturday I ran a half marathon distance in 1:38. 20 minutes faster than my previous best time!!! Crazy!!!!) But if so many people are against the company and against the juice it doesn’t seem wise to be part of it. I don’t want to be associated with a company that has the perception of deception and dishonesty, even if it is just by a few people.

- Just to prove my point, I am proofreading this before I post it and have just realized that I’ve taken the information from Mr. Anonymous Commenter as truth. He’s not even telling me his name and I believe him. Geez. For all I know he and the CEO of Freelife are childhood enemies and this is just revenge! -

It’s too bad really. I like to think that people are straightforward and honest. The people I share most of my life with are. It doesn’t seem right to expect dishonesty and deceit from people, even if you’ve just met them. I feel like this is yet another loss of innocence in a way. I don’t think I’m a naïve person but I do like to expect the best from people. I guess when you expect the best there is always the risk of being disappointed though. I suppose it’s a lot like loving someone. Anytime we risk love there is always the possibility of that love being lost and us being hurt.

Well I’m going to continue to risk being hurt and disappointed. People receiving unconditional love and trust are well worth the cost.

Glenn

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Himalayan Goji Juice on CBC's Marketplace

On CBC’s (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) show Marketplace this week, Himalayan Goji Juice was featured. This is a show that is there to help the consumer make informed decisions. Here’s a description of the show from cbc.ca.

"designed to inform and protect the harrassed Canadian consumer in this age of spiralling prices, questionable sales practices and insidious small print on iron-clad contracts."

Goji’s most prominent advocate Dr. Earl Mindell was the focus for much of the episode, I’m guessing because he is Canadian born. Last time I checked the episode was available to watch on their web site so I won’t get too much into what they said. I felt that they did make some valid points though. They make entertaining television, which is what they are supposed to do so I wasn’t sure how fair everything was presented. I wondered how is Freelife (The Himalayan Goji Juice company) going to respond to this? In my inbox yesterday was an email with a response to the show from the CEO’s of the company. I’ll only copy some of it but if you’d like to read the whole thing just let me know in a comment and I can get it to you.

Last night, a Canadian television station ran a story on Dr. Earl Mindell, FreeLife, and Himalayan Goji Juice. While some portions of the program demonstrated the incredible impact FreeLife and Himalayan Goji Juice is having on people’s lives, other parts of this program were inaccurate and misleading. This surprised us since dozens of other media reports from much larger and more reputable media sources, such as TIME magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and the TODAY show, have had nothing but extremely positive things to say about the impact goji is having on people’s lives.

If the television producer’s goal had been to find out the real story about FreeLife, Dr. Mindell, and Himalayan Goji Juice, they would have taken us up on our offer several weeks ago to bring their film crew to our Corporate Office in Phoenix, see our facilities and people, and do an “on-camera” interview with us. Indeed, in our communications with the television station, we reminded them that their own professional standards required them to interview the company and that we were requesting such an interview to ensure the accuracy of any statements about FreeLife, its product, or Dr. Mindell. Why they declined our written invitation, we may never know. We also find it unfortunate that a television program that claims to be an advocate for consumers would so mislead the public in an attempt to discredit a product that has helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world to enjoy better health. Had the television program taken us up on our offer to communicate directly with us, here is what they would have learned:

Dr. Mindell is a pioneer in the nutrition industry and is considered by many as the father of the nutritional revolution. As with many pioneers, he has been subjected to much scorn and ridicule throughout his professional career. For example, 30 years ago, he was mocked for suggesting that every person supplement their diet with vitamins. Today, the American Medical Association agrees with Dr. Mindell and recommends that all Americans supplement their diet with a daily multivitamin. That’s what a visionary does.

Dr. Mindell received his pharmacy degree from North Dakota State University in 1963. In his 30s while raising a family and working full-time, Dr. Mindell furthered his education and received a Ph.D. in nutrition taking part-time classes from Pacific Western University, a California Accredited Educational Institution and one of the only schools in the country that offered PhDs in nutrition at that time!

The media attention that FreeLife, Himalayan Goji Juice, and the goji berry have received over the past year has been incredible. This year, TIME magazine called the Himalayan Goji Berry the “Super Fruit of the Year” and a few days after that, Himalayan Goji Juice was positively featured on the TODAY show in the United States. This week, Woman’s World magazine featured the goji berry with a fantastic article:
“Chinese Miracle Berries for Perfect Health.” “Move Over Blueberries. The New Super Fruit? Goji berries, used by Chinese herbalists for over 6,000 years known as the ‘herb of longevity.’”
FreeLife’s Himalayan Goji Juice has experienced an unprecedented level of acceptance and passion throughout the world. We have hundreds of thousands of satisfied customers who benefit from Himalayan Goji Juice and purchase it month after month after month.

There is an extensive history of independent research on the goji berry proving its benefits. Consumers interested in educating themselves should log on to www.pubmed.gov and type in “Lycium barbarum” the Latin name for the goji berry. This is a United States government sponsored website that provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date research regarding scientific studies. As of today, you will find 79 studies on the goji berry, including 12 new ones published this year alone. The 79th study was just posted this week.

The renowned Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York has a page devoted to the goji berry which you can view at: http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69287.cfm.

The vast majority of studies on goji, including the 79 peer reviewed scientific studies you will find on pubmed.gov, relate to the research on goji’s unique polysaccharides named LBP-1, LBP-2, LBP-3 and LPB-4. These polysaccharides, not yet found in any other plant on earth, are what make goji unique and the biggest breakthrough in nutrition that Dr. Mindell has seen in 40 years. They are, by far, the most beneficial component of the goji berry. Knowing this, Dr. Mindell and his research team developed our trade secret, a proprietary manufacturing process that maximizes and standardizes the polysaccharide level in every bottle of Himalayan Goji Juice. That is why our customers get better results with Himalayan Goji Juice than with any other goji product on the market.

Interestingly, we had learned that the Canadian television station was testing our Himalayan Goji Juice for several ingredients like protein and beta carotene. We showed them that we never claimed or advertised high protein or beta carotene content in Himalayan Goji Juice. While there are trace amounts of numerous other ingredients, we informed the television program that they were misguided and should be testing for goji’s unique polysaccharides. As with much of their story, their report on the test results of our product was 100% misleading. It would be like testing an orange for its iron content and then concluding that an orange has no nutritional value because it has little to no iron. We all know that nobody consumes oranges because of their iron content—people eat oranges because they are loaded with vitamin C.
We have developed a Spectral Signature to ensure that every bottle of Himalayan Goji Juice is packed with goji’s unique health-promoting polysaccharides. It is your guarantee of potency, purity, and authenticity in every bottle. If the Canadian television station had tested our product for polysaccharides, they would have identified an abundance of the most important health-promoting ingredient in the goji berry. For customers looking for high protein or lots of beta carotene, we recommend saving some money and eating a lean piece of chicken with a carrot.

FreeLife offers a 90-day, no-questions-asked, 100% unconditional money-back guarantee to all of its customers, even if the entire bottle has been completely finished.

Obviously Freelife is about making money, which explains why there is so much hype. I am happy with the response given by Freelife and because of how I feel Goji Juice has affected me and other people, be it placebo or the real thing. I will continue to drink it, learn more about it and tell people about it.

Glenn

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My Goji Juice business update.

Today will be another two-post day. Otherwise there will be one long post.

A couple of months ago I found an opportunity to possibly make a little extra money with a company called Freelife. They have a great product and it’s a great fit with my current job of being a rockstar. After all, rockstars do need money. For the regular readers of this blog I told you I would let you know how it’s going. So, being that it’s a job that entails selling and I’m not a salesman (I knew this going in), it’s starting a little slow, but no slower than I expected. I’m pretty much on pace with where I thought I’d be and I’m figuring the next couple of months will pick up.

So the product is called Himalayan Goji Juice. Here’s the quick run down. I’m not doing this for a sale but just to give you some context for this post and the next one. Of course if you want to buy it from me I’d be more than happy and you could follow the link in the sidebar!! So yeah, the product is Goji Juice. It’s a juice made from Goji Berries. The big deal with this berry is that it seems to be one of the most nutrient-rich foods on Earth. So naturally making a juice from it is a good idea. I’m always happy to get as many nutrients as I can from natural sources. To see some of the things found in the Goji Berry check out the Goji wiki page. The thing that makes Himalayan Goji Juice stand out is this.

"The vast majority of studies on goji, including the 79 peer reviewed scientific studies you will find on pubmed.gov, relate to the research on goji’s unique polysaccharides named LBP-1, LBP-2, LBP-3 and LPB-4. These polysaccharides, not yet found in any other plant on earth, are what make goji unique and the biggest breakthrough in nutrition that Dr. Mindell has seen in 40 years. They are, by far, the most beneficial component of the goji berry. Knowing this, Dr. Mindell and his research team developed our trade secret, a proprietary manufacturing process that maximizes and standardizes the polysaccharide level in every bottle of Himalayan Goji Juice. That is why our customers get better results with Himalayan Goji Juice than with any other goji product on the market."

Many people have some pretty incredible testimonials about changes to their health since drinking the juice. My running started to improve significantly right around the same time I started drinking Goji Juice. To see more testimonials check out this link.

So that’s the quick lowdown on Himalayan Goji Juice. There is lots of information on the web about it and I have a few links in my sidebar so check them out.

There have been many great articles and features on this new juice in the media and from what I understand all of them have been quite favorable. However, this week on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) there was a show that gave Goji some bad press, thus the need for another entry in my blog.

Glenn

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Red Hot Chili Peppers and Gnarles Barkley concert review

It’s quite nice to have very kind friends. One of these such friends called me around 5:30pm on Wednesday and asked if I wanted to join him for a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert that night in Nashville. I had plans already but they were with friends who know me well enough and would understand I’d likely back out of just about anything to see the Chili Peppers. After all, I’d never seen them before, I own pretty much all of their releases, and I’ve been a fan for around 15 years now. (Wow! That makes me feel old.) This friend even said he would pay for my ticket. So this was a no-brainer.

Before I say anything about the show let me just say that buying tickets from scalpers can be very, very risky. Enough said.

The opening act was Gnarles Barkley. Gnarles has been made famous by one song called Crazy. It’s a decent song with a great vibe to it. I figured if that’s his sound I’ll like his show. The seats we had for Gnarles were pretty awful and so was the audio quality for his whole set. It was too bad. I think in a smaller setting I would have enjoyed him and his band. My favorite part of his set was when he introduced his hit song Crazy. He said, “This next song is the reason I am here tonight and the reason I am now so rich and famous.” If you’re a one hit act you might as well make light of it!!

They cleared the stage of the string section, the drums, keyboards, bass and guitar amps, and background vocalists. All that was left was a nice clean stage with a bass amp on stage right, drums in the middle and guitar amp on stage left. Much simpler than Gnarles and much simpler than most bands I see anywhere. We moved to better seats and by chance ended up behind my friend Brock. We were ready to rock!

The show started with the three instrumentalists, Flea (bass), Chad (drums), John (guitar) just jamming. This really set the tone for how the rest of the night would be. This was a show that was more about music and less about entertainment. They didn’t even play a few of their biggest hits, including Under The Bridge. It was interesting that for a band who at one time was all about shock value, did nothing shocking. They came out, hardly said more than 10 words and just played their songs. I guess some people would consider not playing any hits shocking. The crowd definitely missed those songs I noticed as I listened to what people were saying as they were leaving.

I didn’t miss them at all. I like the hits, they are some of their best songs and I can listen to them anytime, but what I can’t hear anytime is Flea, John and Chad improvising on the spot. And they did lots of that. And they did it well! I have a new appreciation of the musicianship of these guys now. I always respected them as musicians and hearing them live brings that to a whole new level.

The sound was WAY better for RHCP and their lights/video production was pretty cool too. I felt like it suited them well. The picture gives an idea of what things looked like. It was taken on my camera phone though so quality is a little weak. So all in all I had a great time and would love to go and see them again anytime we happen to be in the same city on the same night. Thanks for the show Josh!!

Glenn

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Bobby McFerrin

I'm on a posting rampage right now. That's the way it works with me. I go in streaks. Sorry.

I haven't posted any you tube videos on here yet. Not for any reason in particular other than I haven't ever seen anything worth posting to my blog community. But today I have found the one. I have to share it. I don't know if I'm extra emotional due to a pretty long run this morning or what but as soon as the music started in this clip I just broke down! I couldn't stop myself. I tried!! So I just let it out and had a good cry. WEIRD. That's the great thing about music though. Even without understandable words it still has the power to strike an emotional chord in us. I know Ave Maria is about Mary but thoughts of Mary and how blessed she was didn't enter my mind at all.

Anyway, if you love music I think you will enjoy. Crying or not.

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An idea? A Challenge?

OK. Here we go. I will be running the 2008 Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge at Walt Disney World Florida. (Yes I booked another one.) What this means is that on a cool January weekend in 2008 I will run a half marathon then on that same cool January weekend, only the next day, I will run a full marathon. Woo hoo, I'm flying off the deep end now!!!

Anyway, here's my idea/challenge. I've already issued it to my family. I want you to fly off the deep end too. I'd like to invite anyone to come and join me for either run. We live in a world where far too many of us live a sedentary lifestyle and don't make use of the amazing machine that God has allowed us to roam around in. Completing this run would not only be a gift to yourself but also to the people in your family and anyone else in your circle. If by training and preparing for this run you are able to inspire one person to get off their butt then AWESOME! That's another gift for them.

This is just off the cuff and I haven't thought it through much so I'll stop now but expect more to come. Maybe we run for a charity or something . . . not sure. Ideas anyone??

GL

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Ultra Distance Runners Drink Himalayan Goji Juice

Please forgive me for posting yet again about running and my new favorite elixir but when I saw this article it definitely added to my belief that drinking Goji Juice has helped my running performance. I know I'm a little biased now but still. These guys are way beyond my current running ability and they are saying the same things I am about what it has done for them. Check it out!

Here's an excerpt:

Californian Charlie Engle has competed in over 100 triathlons, 40 marathons, and 20 ultra marathons. He's run the Death Valley, Amazon Jungle, and the Gobi Desert races, and competed in Eco-Challenges around the globe.

"I've been an ultra endurance athlete for 20 years and have tried every fitness and nutritional product available to me. Himalayan Goji Juice has provided THE most powerful and fastest results I have ever experienced. The intensity of my workouts and speed of recovery have increased greatly, and my focus and concentration are truly off the charts. It's helped my body's immune system perform at such a high level, expediting muscle and cellular recovery before, during and after the races. I am a true believer that Himalayan Goji Juice is a fundamental cornerstone that will help our team go the distance."

You can read the full article below.

Ultra Distance Runners Drink Himalayan Goji Juice

If you are going to run with Charlie Engle, Ray Zahab, and Kevin Lin, you better pack a lunch.
And a breakfast.
And a dinner.
And a tent.
Because when these world renowned Ultra Distance Runners start moving, they go for thousands of miles. Through torrential rain, blinding snow, and unbelievable heat.

And still live to tell about it.

What would make someone think they could survive running across an entire continent where temperatures hit 136 degrees, sand dunes reach over 1400 feet, and poisonous creatures and perilous plants have the right of way?

Two words: Experience. Preparation.

Ray, Kevin and Charlie have bios that prove they are true road warriors. Californian Charlie Engle has competed in over 100 triathlons, 40 marathons, and 20 ultra marathons. He's run the Death Valley, Amazon Jungle, and the Gobi Desert races, and competed in Eco-Challenges around the globe. Taiwanese superstar Kevin Lin has run in over 200 career races and never finished out of the top 5 percent. He's run the Antarctica, Egyptian Sahara, Atacama Desert, and Gobi Desert races. Canadian Ray Zahab has competed twice in the world's toughest footrace, the Marathon de Sables. He's also placed third in the Trans 333, which is a 333-kilometer (200 mile) run across Niger's Tenere Desert.

As for preparation, here's how Charlie, the tenacious terrain trio's spokesperson, summed up what FreeLife's Himalayan Goji Juice has done for them. "I've been an ultra endurance athlete for 20 years and have tried every fitness and nutritional product available to me. Himalayan Goji Juice has provided THE most powerful and fastest results I have ever experienced. The intensity of my workouts and speed of recovery have increased greatly, and my focus and concentration are truly off the charts. It's helped my body's immune system perform at such a high level, expediting muscle and cellular recovery before, during and after the races. I am a true believer that Himalayan Goji Juice is a fundamental cornerstone that will help our team go the distance."

Article originally found here.

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New Running Gear

I received some gift cards this Christmas for a Canadian running store chain called the Running Room. I had never really owned "proper" running gear. I always figured as long as my shoes were good I could deal with just wearing old clothes that I don't mind sweating in. A little over a year ago I bought my first pair of running socks and WOW! I couldn't believe the difference. Sure they were more expensive, but my feet felt dry even after a hot sweaty run. And that makes a huge difference.

Anyway, I decided this was the year to ask for gift cards for running gear and finally get properly suited up. I need to tell you about is the pants I ended up buying. I'm not really into the whole spandex thing (sorry Jon and Steve) so I was hoping to find some good running pants that were not spandex. I came across these pants made by Mizuno.


I run in Mizuno shoes so I already felt some brand loyalty to them which made me want to check them out. The thing that was weird about them is that the sales person told me that they get warmer as you sweat. That didn't make sense to me so I didn't buy them or any other pants the first time I was there. Eventually though, I did. Here is how the Mizuno web site describes this "Breath Thermo" fabric.

A unique type of insulation fabric that generates heat from the absorption of moisture. Heat is generated via a chemical exchange between perspiration and the properties of the Breath Thermo® fabric. This is especially useful for the protection of the muscle groups and protecting the human body from cold temperatures.

So after a couple of runs in this cool (not cold yet) winter I feel like I get how these pants work. Normally when I get back from a cold windy run, the skin on my legs is quite cold. This can be a problem if you decide to stop for more then a minute or two during a run in the cold. Muscles and joints can seize up if they aren't kept warm. This isn't a problem with these pants at all. And somehow they don't feel like they are too hot. This fabric does the job of keeping your skin temperature regulated very well. So what sounded like a strange product turned out to be quite good. I'm looking forward to testing them out when it gets really cold. I will have to see what else Mizuno may have for me to add to my gear.

Glenn

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It's On!!

Well I've gone and done it. I just booked my next marathon. This whole running thing is getting to be a bit much. I am excited though. I believe I should be able to beat my Toronto Marathon time quite significantly due to my running over the past month or two. I won't post what time I hope to get quite yet but I am planning on a sub 4-hour marathon. I want to get a few more long runs under my belt before I go on blabbing about what my time might be. If you are a downhere fan you'll see Jeremy running that day too and maybe Dave and possibly Marc in the Half-Marathon. The funny thing is, the marathon takes place two days after the Dove Awards which is the end of Gospel Music Week in Nashville. So we'll be pretty bushed but, what else is new?!?

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