Updated: 10 March 2020, by Marc Woodard

A former client Sid asked specific questions regarding information I posted on MirrorAthlete’s first web site back in 2007. His questions provided an opportunity to share more of the company’s history with other reader’s and reflect on how we got into publishing our first book.

[Sid wrote] “I can’t seem to locate your MirrorAthlete pain chronicles I read back in the early years. I remember it as a unique informational pain management and personalized chronicles website. Have your memoirs been moved? ‘Where can I find them? And do you still take on clients for fit healthy lifestyle consultation and customized fitness and assessment programming? Im also interested to learn more on how you improved your fitness levels after injuries and chronic pain story.” 

“A friend of mine coincidentally lives in your neck of the woods. She also recalled like I did, you produced and sold nutritional supplements under the name of Dynamic Dimensions in Tigard and surrounding cities, while offering 1:1 services in fitness assessments in the 90’s for a consulting fee.”

“I’m looking to become more fit and increase muscle mass and lose weight naturally. But now feel I’m losing ground because of lower body joint pain. Although I’m working with my doctor and yet another fitness trainer, ‘they don’t have that unique fitness trainer – pain management perspective I understand you’ve mastered. I see you’re on LinkedIn, FaceBook, and Twitter.

“I also hear you walk on average 7-10 miles daily on a regular basis and no longer take on clients.  ‘would you consider taking on a former client?”

Sincerely, Sid.

From the Desk of Marc Woodard,

Sid, so good to hear back from you after all these years. Thank you for reaching out. You and your friends memory of what I was doing years ago is impressive.

Unfortunately I take on few clients these days… however I would make an exception for you. I found it more productive to put that knowledge and energy into a soon to be released ‘Very Unique’ fit healthy lifestyle book – A fitness and health book like no other… now that the book is published, it’s like I’m right there with you. Once you begin reading it the personal touch and consulting logic will be very familiar to you and comfort for others looking for similar lifestyle change support.

I’ve included the personalized fitness and healthy lifestyle programs, processes and practices I used during past client consultations. Some will be familiar to you and a lot of new information I didn’t have at the time, e.g., industry secrets, client cases and stories; and my personal physical adversity challenge.

Once I became my own client’ – I also became forever “Ageless MirrorAthlete” with a renewed life purpose. My job now is to manage personal health and maintain sustainable mobility so I can be there for my family and community for years to come.

To answer your question directly, the pain chronicle link to the old web site contained memoirs throughout 2007-08. I ran that journal for just over a year while I was rehabbing my way back to good health and mobility after disease, injury and surgeries challenged me physically, mentally and spiritually for many years to follow. … Even before this time, and years after working with you, I began to outline a book publication ideal during a 1999 Mexican Rivera cruise. Little did I know, I’d actually published a book in 2019 based on that initial outline. It was larger than any project I’ve ever undertaken… and harder to put into words than ever imaged.  I began chipping away at it in 2010. But really got serious about the ideal of publishing the book in 2012.

In 2018 – I thought, “God willing, it will be published this year. …” [Agless MirrorAthlete “Overweight and Unfit No More,” was published, 1 Jan 2019].

In early 2008 I decided to pull the MirrorAthlete Pain Chronicles from the original site and placed some of that context into the book manuscript. The original manuscript outlined in 1999 read more like a bunch of short stories. At that time I was not well versed on how to integrate factual information, with personal experiences and client stories.

“I wrote many manuscript versions after the first one, but still lacked an interesting story line and crux that would capture the heart, mind and spirit of anyone looking to self-improve themselves physically, mentally and spiritually – And would want to refer back to the content time and time again as lifestyle change programming needs occurred.”

Unfortunately for me I was more or less a skilled technical writer… not a creative story teller. Two very different and distinct writing styles. Learning how to integrate the two, including narration is not an easy ordeal.

So there you have it. It took years of failed manuscripts and grammatically incorrect submissions learning how to piece this thing together.

I look back at those Chronicle posts and early article publications from 2007-2012; my writing style and grammar wasn’t good. I continue to slowly update article archives at this site. I have a lot of updating to do on older articles past 2018. I’ve also begun working on a second Ageless MirrorAthlete book which will be self-published by MirrorAthlete. Stay tuned for the sub-title.

Initially I didn’t plan to start a fitness and health information and articles publication web site based business… And still wasn’t sure I wanted to write a book since I didn’t consider myself a good writer. Even today it’s still a challenge to stay focused on writing well.

Recall, I nearly quit writing after submitting my first manuscript…

I hired a self-publishing review service to critique the chapter contents – they thought the content was great – however, they recommended I make ~550 changes. At that time the book was a 25 chapter manuscript.

Well hell, “I might as well have just thrown it in the garbage.” The whole thing was marked up in red. What an Ego-Defeating blow. Like many new authors, I had to make a decision, “Quit or press on, ‘thankfully I pressed on.”

Once I incorporated the principled fit healthy lifestyle philosophy into the umpteenth revised manuscript… “I don’t know – I lost count,”  Everything began to fall in place. I knew I had something special and different than anything else out there in the marketplace.

“This is when the real work began – polishing and revising and modifying it to perfection before publication.”

I chose a self-publishing and editorial services to help me through minor book editing, styling and grammatical polishing. I was finally ready to submit a new and improved manuscript unlike the one marked up in red. This manuscript had significantly improved from it’s 25 Chapter version, to a lean 18 Chapters, with a whole lot more bang for the buck.

The new and improved manuscript fully incorporated MirrorAthlete’s 18 principled fit healthy lifestyle philosophy based on unique lifetime experiences, client cases, industry knowledge, fitness consulting trade secrets and a lifetime of relative education and experience.

In ending each chapter I’ve also included my Personalized Fitness Challenge Story relative to each chapters content, including programming processes and practices I used for years for clients like you. The chapters contents are also backed by hundreds of professional citations throughout the book.

And to make it even more appealing for visual readers there are ~50 unique satirical cartoons, including useful tables and forms similar to what I used during 1:1 client consults. Our Cartoonist John Fiedler does not disappoint in humor which support the fit healthy lifestyle change context. Please feel free to learn more about John and his lifetime work by clicking on Ole Fuzz Cartoons.

Sid, now you can catch up with the rest of the MirrorAthlete and Pain Management story…

I’ll admit I’ve become a much better writer from those early years. I know the book quality and competitive writing style and consumer value is there. The recent book reviews after publication are better than I could have hoped for… listing the book as a [RECOMMEND]. This is representative of a grade A book.

It seems prior to publishing I read each chapter a hundred times. And to tell you the truth the content became more captivating to a point where I look forward to a reading it again and again… as I know others will. Often as I read, I still can’t believe I’m the author – It’s almost as if someone else wrote it “I have to pinch myself… ‘Yep it’s me.”

I guarantee – The reader will often refer back to it as I have; a lifetime reference to receive timeless customized fit healthy lifestyle change programming advise to sustain a state of mental, physical and spiritual well-being for a lifetime.

If struggling with physical, mental and spiritual adversity… I know the continuing Personal fitness Challenge Stories at the end of each chapter will resonate on a personal level; and be of great comfort. Especially those with mobility challenges, injury and disease.

Now thousands of consumers like you [Sid] will have my 1:1 consulting services without paying a consulting fee and continue to live life to the fullest regardless of fitness or health condition.

By having access to my timeless principled fit healthy lifestyle consumer truths and programming processes, anyone can experience living life to the fullest and without paying hundreds of dollars in learning how to achieve and sustain it.

Sid, thank you so much for the memories and opportunity to share MirrorAthlete history and update our readers on the making of MirrorAthlete and where to find the book.

“Good health to you and your family!” And thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Marc.

Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, ARNG, CPT, RET. 2018-20 Copyright. All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Inc., www.mirrorathlete.org, Sign up for your free monthly newsletter.