A recent update from Flywheel Hall of Change Update!

Hall of Change Winner Update

August 1, 2018

It’s been three years since Fly Texas rider Nia Kelley became our first Hall of Change inductee. Since we’re just weeks away from announcing our newest winner, we sat down with Nia to see what she’s been up to—no surprise, she’s STILL crushing it inside the studio and out!

In Nia’s own words:

I am so honored and appreciative for being recognized as the first inductee into the Flywheel Hall of Change in 2015! Since my induction, I am proud to say that I am still a loyal member of the FlyFam, taking classes 2-3 times per week. I even got engaged at Flywheel Plano on July 4, 2016! On October 21, 2017, a number of my FlyFriends attend our wedding. Suffice it to say that Flywheel remains a staple in my life, and I am forever grateful for the lifelong bonds that have been formed!

In August 2017, I formed Sew Happy Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that uses sewing and other crafts to encourage creativity and provide functional therapy for adults with acute brain injuries. Our mission is to prove to that you can lead a “sew happy” life, even after a stroke or other brain injury. Our intent is to produce garments, mobility aids, and accessories that will be donated to the local community. Our five-year plan includes securing office space in north Dallas, TX and launching technology education programs for survivors who want to return to gainful employment after their injuries. Sew Happy Foundation(c)(3) relies on other stroke survivors and volunteers to sustain the organization. Our website is launching in early 2019.

I personally suffered from a stroke in July 2014, and I learned how to sew as I healed. I discovered that sewing improved my motor & problem-solving skills, hand dexterity, critical thinking and mathematical capabilities. I designed and developed a sewing program, which I implemented at Pate Rehabilitation in Dallas, TX. This program is the cornerstone of Sew Happy Foundation(c)(3). I have lectured about my experiences to various groups, including undergraduate students at University of Texas at Dallas and graduate students at the Callier Center for Communication Disorders.

Currently, I am enrolled in El Centro College in Dallas, TX where I am studying fashion design. I am double majoring in pattern making and apparel design. My ultimate objective is to create, design, and produce sewing patterns for Sew Happy Foundation(c)(3).

First Inductee to the Flywheel Hall of Change

Introducing the FLY Hall of Change

FLY HALL OF CHANGE We’re inducting our most inspirational members into the FLY Hall of Change – and you could be next!  Every quarter we’ll honor one rider or pulser who has pushed beyond the burn and positively impacted his or her own life as well as the entire Flywheel community.  We’re thrilled to announce our first inductee, Texas' own, Nia Kelley from Plano.  Watch Nia’s incredible story HERE and see how she’s inspiring us to #NeverCoast.  And, click HERE to learn more about the program and to submit your own story.  You could win a one-year membership among other amazing prizes.

Lack of Posts to due a Brain Blood Clot

In July 2014, I had a blood clot to the brain (stroke).  

I have been recovering for 6 months.  I couldn't speak, lost mobility in my right side (leg, arm), and lost vision in my right eye.  Even still, I was very lucky! 

I have aphasia and apraxia.  I am talking now, but it's a process.  I am starting to feel again in my right side.  I started spinning consistently in Nov 2014.  I spin 4-5 times a week, and I lost 25 lbs (and still losing).  Last week, my doctor said I was cleared to fly, sit for my driver's evaluation, and start lifting weights!  I go to physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy 6 hours a day for 5 days a week.

As part of my recovery, Jay's mother taught me how to sew (Dec 2014). She is a sewing master, and I was thrilled to learn from her. Even though I am new, I am hooked! I have athletic frame and store bought pants, jeans, and dresses are problematic for me. I started sewing blog.  I love vintage dresses, skirts, and workout clothes. For now, I am working to create a personal wardrobe for spring and summer, with quality and pride, and gain sewing skills.

Today's Workout - Aerobox

Today I repeated the Aerobox workout.  I haven't done it since last time, but it went much more smoothly in terms of improved sequencing.  I'm glad that I wrote it down and followed along.  It was still a killer workout.  41 minutes, 610 calories.  THAT is a job well done!  I'm taking it along with me this week in the hotel to do in the mornings, and I bought some 2lb hand weights.  I've been using 3lbs, and that's just a tad bit too much for the speed of the combinations.  I feel great and am so glad that I got it in!  Whoop Whoop!

Good night!

Truth Moment: Health is always a Top Priority Task

I was about to logoff when the title of one of Ross Enamait's recent blog posts caught my eye.  It was called "Prioritize Your Training".  It definitely struck a chord with me, because I recognize that I have not prioritized my training over the past 3 days.

As I wrote earlier, I've been sick for the past 7 days.  My first 5 days were really bad (Friday, Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues).  They truly did warrant taking time off from the gym, especially since I was going to be working out at home and not going to the big box. At home, I obviously have my garage gym.  It is insulated, but not heated.  So, it's still cold as sh*t in the winter.  This is not ideal when one is sick.  Anyway, I went against my better judgement and did a light workout on Monday night.  I paid the price on Tuesday (fever came back, more coughing, still no voice, etc).  However, I resumed my work schedule at home on Wednesday (from my bedroom, which served as my makeshift office while I was sick).  I put in 14 hour days on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, even with my voice not being restored!

However, I did not work out during either of those 3 days.  I fully intended to.  Even on Wednesday when I was still slightly feverish, I probably could have done a 15-20 minute walking workout in my bedroom.  But I didn't.  I took the necessary preparatory steps each of those days.

* I turned on the heater in the garage to let it warm up as soon as I woke up in the morning.  It was so cold that I thought it best to try for a lunch time or early evening workout.
* I put on my workout clothes and wore them all day.
* My backup plan was to do the day's boxing workout in my bedroom if the garage was still too cold.  I even brought my boxing gloves and hand weights into my bedroom and placed them on the chair in plain sight.
* I told myself that even with a 14 hour work day, I still need to carve out an hour to get my body moving. A little bit of something is better than whole lot of nothing.
* I planned how to be remain active during next week's business trip.  I worked on converting my DVD library so that I could take them with me.

Regardless of all of that, I failed to execute. Not because I wasn't capable. I was sick, but not completely incapacitated.  The truth is that I failed to prioritize my training. I failed the simple task of getting it done.  I had all sorts of reasons, but at the end of the day, it didn't get done because I didn't make the time to do it. I don't have anyone else to blame but myself.  I put other things in front of one of the most important goals that I've set for myself in quite some time.  I have 82 days left, and I failed to take advantage of 3 of them.

I'm not going to give up on myself or on reaching my goal.  I am simply acknowledging that I can execute in a more consistent fashion, reduce distractions, and stop placing other tasks in front of my top priority.  In all honesty, my photoshoot in 82 days is really just a culminating event. The bottom line is that I still have quite a bit of fat to lose in order to reach my true goal of improved overall health.

Are you putting your wellness goals at the top of your list?  Only you know if you are truly giving your best effort.  You are in control.  Find a way to make your personal wellness paramount!  No excuses.

"No one will remember how bad you wanted it. They’ll remember what you were willing to do to get it." --Ross Enamait ‏

Random Tech Post - Converting my Workout DVD Library

I have a longer term goal of building a Linux based home media server, which I've been too lazy to do in the past.  I want to be able to create more ways to utilize my very expensive and extensive library.  In the past, I've ripped the audio from a few select kettlebell DVD workouts so that I could use them at the track or at the big box gym.  That has been a good option for me, but I also want to have access to the actual video workouts when I'm not working out in my garage.  The first step is to get my media in a format that allows me to start experimenting. Time to digitize (is that a word?) Then, I can explore avenues for serving up the digital files while inside and away from my private home network.  I hope that you find it helpful if you dig this kind of stuff.

Step 1. Rip & Convert DVDs into digital video format
I found a timely discussion on turning DVDs into mp4s on the video fitness forums.  Another great resource has been the "How to turn your DVD/CD Library into a Digital Library" article that I found online.  I've been experimenting with various software products - both freeware and licensed software.

DVD Ripper Software - Freeware Options
1. Handbrake: Unfortunately, I haven't had much luck using Handbrake.  I have an HP laptop running Windows 7.  Every time I rip a DVD, the application causes my computer to shut down abruptly, similar to a power surge.  For some reason, it seems to cause the computer to run really hot and the fan is not cooling it fast enough. I read that other users had the same issue, which is unfortunate since alot of people like Handbrake since it's freeware.
2. MakeMKV:  MakeMKV was a pretty good solution for me. It ripped dvds in about 20 minutes and ouput them in MKV format.  I can't play MKV files without a converter.  I couldn't get VLC to work on my system, and I didn't want to have to find another product to convert MKV files or play MKV files.
3. Freemake: This solution did not bode well for me.  I gave up after waiting for almost 45 minutes for it to just analyze one DVD. I do not have that kind of time or patience.

I decided it was time to invest a little in order to get what I needed.  Most fee based ripper applications also convert media into many formats (tablet, phone, tv, general video, etc) and provide the option to extract the audio, which is great for using just my headphones.  I gave myself a price point of $40 or less.  I tried several demo versions of software, but they typically limit the output to 5 minutes.

DVD Ripper & Converter Software  - For Fee Options:
1. Brorsoft DVD Ripper: This product works pretty well. It accomplishes what I need it to do, but it has its pros and cons.   
The Good: It reads and analyzes DVDs quickly. It also has many pre-configured profiles to support most devices.  I also like that it allows me to select or remove individual titles and merge titles into a single output file.  I haven't checked to see if I can add metadata, chapter points, or menus.     
The Frustrating: The conversion process is slow.  It takes about 30-40 minutes to convert a workout of the same length.  Movies can take up to an hour.  It slows down my system performance to a painfully slow pace, and my laptop still runs hot.  Now, I'm not ruling out that my 4-year old laptop could be contributing to the poor performance problems.  I decided that the software is worth keeping, but still not what I'm looking for.  I want some software that will rip and convert in about 5-10 minutes.  With such a huge library, efficiency is important to me.  So, I decided that I would purchase another software package if it seemed worth it.
2. WinX DVD Ripper Platinum:  This software promises that it can rip and convert a DVD in 5 minutes.  Unfortunately, I am running into problems with this software.  I tried the demo version before purchasing it, but it only converts 5 minutes of content.  It did that at lightening speed, and I was pretty happy and thought it was worth the risk.  I tested it using one of my older DVDs (2003ish), and it had no problems getting the job done.  I couldn't speak to the time to convert an entire DVD, since the demo version was limited.  After I purchased the license, I tried to get it to rip one of my brand new, just received P90X3 DVDs and ran into problems.  I was able to convert the same DVD using Brorsoft without any issues other than the time investment.  (I received it last night, and I want to take it with me tomorrow to start using it in my hotel room w/ bands.)  

The Good: It anaylzes the DVD pretty quickly and attempts to find the main title track.  I also like the interface.  Also, customer service has been fantastic!  I submitted a help ticket last night to correct some information on my order, and they resolved it almost immediately.
The To-be-Determined: The program was able to find, analyze, and convert the DVD into MP4 format.  However, the final output file was only 3 minutes.  In addition, I was not able to preview or edit the DVD titles in the tool.  I suspect that the issue may be related to an unclean install or the protection on the DVD.  I have submitted a help desk ticket and am awaiting their feedback.  I found discussions that other folks really like this software and have successfully converted P90X2 and P90X.  I'll post an update once I've had a chance to see if the issues I am experiencing can be resolved.  Until then, I'll continue using Brorsoft to keep building my digital library.

Step 2. Introduce a Media Server Component 
Streaming Media Options: Being able to access my digital media from multiple devices while away from home is very important to me.  I do not want to have to store files locally on various devices, with the exception of a few movies to watch on planes when internet service is unavailable.  Storing media in a central location and streaming to devices as needed is an excellent solution.  Based upon my research, I've found that many folks are happy with either Subsonic or PS3 Media Server; both are free streaming media servers.  I decided to install Subsonic. It was easy to install and setup.  It did take a little bit of time to get the port forwarding configured correctly, but I am able to access my library from the internet by logging into my subsonic server.  I have noticed some performance delays when trying to tap into the server from multiple devices.  I used my phone, ipad, and laptop to see if I could play media files.  It was possible, but alot of hangs (could be my network bandwidth too).  I did not like the response time on the iPad when using Safari.  There are apps for Subsonic, but I couldn't find alot of free options. 

Linux-Based Home Media Server: I hope to start my Linux (Unbuntu) home media server project in mid-to-late February.  I know I could buy one, but I'm actually kind of excited to build and configure my own media server.  I have an old desktop that I plan to use to get the job done.  It should be fine for a this purpose.

FINALLY BETTER!

It is Friday, and I am finally feeling better. My voice came back today as well!  This time off has been a pretty big kink in my already aggressive schedule, but there is time to regroup. 

I have not been eating enough or drinking enough while I've been sick.  I also haven't really pushed myself to workout.  After Monday night's workout in the garage, I actually did have another fever on Tuesday.  I took the day off work and rested.  On Wednesday, I returned to work, and worked remotely (from my bed).  We have a huge project deadline next Friday.  I wound up putting in 14 hours on Wednesday and stayed up until 2AM working.  On Thursday, it was the same thing.  I put in another 14 hours, and lost 3 hours due to a personal appointment.  I went to bed at 3AM and woke up at 7AM.  I had a doctor's appointment, and then had to lead a meeting (which is why I was working so much on the nights prior). 

In all honesty, I started feeling capable of working out again on Thursday, and had planned to do something quick over lunch.  Didn't happen.  Today (Friday) rolled around, and I failed to workout again.  Damn.

Do better tomorrow...