RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR

New year resolutions; Cliche? Good idea? Bad idea? Waste of time? 

Did you know that you're 10 times more likely to achieve a goal that you make a "resolution" than those you don't? I didn't either until Google told me, so it must be true.

No matter what you think of New Year's resolutions, the start of a new year is the perfect time to take a look back at the previous year on what went right, what went wrong and what you want to accomplish in the year to come.

Devante and I recently sat down at Merlin's Rest, my current favorite low-lit dive bar, ordered burgers, appetizers, drinks, and got down to business with setting our goals and resolutions for PILLLAR Skate, Forum and Fit. 

Although we can't share all the details yet (there's got to be some surprises, right?), I do want to shed a little light on what's to come for PILLLAR in 2023. 

 -Corey

BOARDS. VIDEO. TRAVEL.

Boards. I couldn't be more excited about the designers we have lined up for 2023 graphics. Along with adding some new shaped boards, I expect another great lineup this year. 

Video. Yes, we're going to actually do a PILLLAR skate video in 2023. We're doing a PILLLAR skate video in 2023. There, I said it twice, so I'm committed. This has been on my radar since starting PILLLAR in 2020, but the time and commitment just hasn't been there, especially to do it right. But rest assured, there will be a team video coming out this year.

Travel. We took our first team trip to Des Moines last summer and now we've got the travel bug. We currently have a trip planned to San Diego in February, and are planning one to Arizona for Phoenix Am in March. We're also looking a NYC trip early summer to meet up with some of our team on the East Coast (Jeremiah Gray, Bryant Boddy and hopefully Gianni Giarrizzio). We'll keep you notified on all of our plans so if you're in the area, let's skate!

MUSIC. COFFEE. COLLABS. 

Music. As I mentioned in our last newsletter, the thing that surprised me the most since opening the doors to PILLLAR Forum, was the popularity of doing music shows. We recently purchased a brand new P.A. system and are looking to increase our music events in 2023. We're currently booked through March, but may look to increasing the number of shows each month. Also, if you or someone you know, knows anything about running sound, and making coffee, put them in touch with us, as we look to expand our Events Team.

Coffee. As we continue to solidify our menu and our beverage offerings, we'll be adding some new items to our menu. We're so stoked to have been connected with our friends at Silverbird Roasting Co. and want to bring you some of the best coffee/espresso beverages in the Twin Cities.

Collaborations. I'm going to stay pretty quiet on this one, for now, but just know we've got some big collabs in the works that I'm really excited to tell you about.

One more thing. As we continue the push to run our shop as environmentally friendly as we can, we will continue our partnership with MNimize to ensure we're doing everything we can to reduce waste and our impact on the environment. Thank you to everyone who has joined our Reuse Program. It's one step of many to not only transition our shop, but hopefully be an example to other shops as to how they can make the transition as well.

One metal plate, 4 screws, couple wires and some stitches...

and I am back up and out living life again. Surgery was quite different for me this time, and how I am handling my recovery is different this time around as well. The crazy part is, the tips I am about to share with you that I have been utilizing have NOTHING to do with what I am doing with training, they are actually on the other end of the spectrum of fitness and health.

First things first, I can’t recover well and do any of the following steps if I don’t first:

1. Check my mental state daily
   I do this by doing check in’s with myself regularly. This was much for frequent for me as I was directly coming out of surgery now, but is still a daily practice of mine. See if I am checking in on myself I can then give myself credit where credit is due with what I can do and what matters most for me to be doing. These checks in’s can be something just like closing my eyes and taking a moment, or when I do my journaling at night.
2. How is my sleep?
   See I have always struggled with sleep, no matter how locked in everything else was in my life. Sleep is honestly if not one of the best, the best thing for you to focus on first if you need to be recovering as fast as possible. This is because when we sleep, we can truly rest, and that is where cells, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and more are restored so we can keep kicking ass.
3. What is my nutrition looking like?
   Ohhhh let me tell you, I am one of the worst pity eaters. When I am sick, get hurt, or am sad, I just want to eat all the junk I can. That being said, the first week after surgery was when I started to feel the effects of increased inflammation and pain. I knew I needed to make a difference but didn’t need it too complex. All I am doing as of now for my diet is:Eating 3 meals a day (each meal consists of minimally processed foods & whole foods)
   Getting my water up to 89-128oz each day (this is a number that I feel best in)
   Making sure I eat around 30-40g of protein with each meal (including 1 snack)

Well, here are some of the main things I am focusing on the most at the moment when it comes to my own “training” or diet as of right now. Training won’t always be the same, you may get injured, you may have to travel, and you just may not feel good. Don’t let that stop you from taking charge of your journey, health, and life. 
Happy New Year PILLLAR family!

Coach Devante