Austin, TX

Recently I read that the Austin Chronicle and Zen Japanese Food Fast were looking for 6 people who want to lose weight and be healthier. The idea is that they will choose 6 people and with the help of a trainer assist them in reaching the goal of running the Trail of Lights 5K that will take place in December. I thought that sounded like a great idea and since I could stand to lose a good 20-25lbs and I’d like to be in better shape, I applied. Selections will be made on September 24th. I’m both nervous and excited at the thought of being chosen.

Later in the week I received an email inviting me to join Team Zen and get a head start. Team Zen, it turns out, has been around for a while. A joint collaboration between Zen Japanese Food Fast, RunTex and the Brain and Spine Center, Team Zen is the brainchild of Zen founder, Adam Weisberg, who wants to help his customers meet their goals of living healthier fuller lives. The training, the email informed me, would start at 8am.

8am in the morning. 8am in the morning on a weekend during ACL Fest with some 75,000 people in attendance. Still, I wanted to show that I was serious about wanting to be on the team and that I was willing to meet the commitment. The training would take place at Auditorium Shores, one of my favourite places in Austin. I usually refer to it as “Pagoda Park” due to the lovely Pagoda located there. It’s also where the statue of Stevie Ray Vaughn lives. That reminds me, I still have a funny story to tell you all about that statue.

To say that I am not a morning person would be the understatement of the year. I prefer to see morning from the back end. Staying up until 8am, not a problem. Getting up at 8am, big problem! As it was, I got up around 6:30am so that I’d have time to shower, wake up and have a cuppa. On reflection I decided against the tea, thinking that a diuretic prior to running might be a bad idea. I wasn’t sure what to eat so I grabbed a Kashi granola bar and a bottle of Gatorade and headed out the door, grabbing sunglasses and a hat.

I arrived at Auditorium Shores about 7:50am and was lucky enough to catch a parking place right there. Very lucky! I looked around but didn’t find anyone from Team Zen. I did find the bathroom however. Thank goodness because God knows I have the smallest bladder on the planet and I’d managed to drink nearly an entire bottle of Gatorade. For some reason I’d woken up thirsty. I also managed to choke on my granola bar and had to turn up the A/C to cool down my face so I wouldn’t arrive all red and choked up looking. D’oh!

Not long after I arrived Adam Weisberg and his team mates drove up in his truck to unload coffee and iced tea and a few more people gathered around. We introduced ourselves and signed in as Patrick arrived. Patrick is the trainer who Adam hired to work with Team Zen. He has also been a trainer with Gilbert’s Gazelle’s, a team run by Gilbert Tuhabonye, a former NCAA All-American and a very successful running career. Adam introduced himself and talked a bit about Team Zen and how it came about.

From day one, Zen has been about more than just the food we serve; it’s been about helping the people who walk through our doors live a healthier fuller life. Now Team Zen is about community, choices and lifestyles.

With Team Zen you can choose to run or you can choose to walk. I chose to walk because, as Patrick stated, “you need to walk before you can run” and I have no experience running. None. Zippo. Nada. The walkers were told to do the 1 mile loop. I did that and of course everyone else on the planet finished ahead of me. I’m short. At 4′11, my stride was much shorter than anyone else’s. I met the rest of the group on one of the fields and Patrick began running us through drills known as “Plyometrics” aimed at building strength in our legs. I was slow but Patrick was encouraging. “Don’t pay attention to anyone else,” he told me, “it’s more about form, so you just concentrate on that.” Well, I can do that. I regularly do pilates and pilates is definitely about form.

I finished the exercises, tired and red-faced. It was definitely a workout. Patrick sent us off on another mile long walk to cool down and we all gathered back at the Team Zen site where Adam was waiting for us. We chatted and waited for our breakfast which would be supplied by Adam and Zen Japanese Food Fast. Holy cow, Batman! I’m here to tell you that the “Tokyo Breakfast” they supplied was the bomb! It consisted of a small bed of rice that, if I heard correctly, was cooked in broth. The rice was topped with a perfectly poached egg which was in turn topped with a little sriracha and a few chopped green onions. This was served along side some crisp stir-fried veggies. It was truly wonderful. I could go back every week at 8am for that breakfast alone. Mmmm…

And thus concluded my first Team Zen workout. I felt good about going. I was a tiny bit lonely being there by myself but everyone was friendly and I’m sure I’ll make friends. Either that or I’ll drag friends with me.

I should mention that anyone can join Team Zen. If you’re looking to improve your health and would like some team support from a friendly group, look them up!

Zen Team Challenge Week 2
Read about Week 3
Read About Week 4
Read About Week 5
Read About Week 6
Read About Week 7
Week 10 Review ( I missed 8 & 9 )

Exercise, running, Team Zen, Zen Japanese Food Fast, restaurant, Adam Weisberg, tokyo breakfast, Austin Chronicle, Challenge, Auditorium Shores