October 3, 2011 - Yesterday you said tomorrow.
So, after a month "off", I'm back to the gym! After 8 days at the beach, 3 days in the mountains, a hellish week of grad school papers full of stress, and 2 days of splitting headache, I feel like I need another vacation! :) I've run across a lot of great motivational quotes lately that have been, well, motivating. One of my favorites says,
"You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good." ~ Jerry West.
Jerry West, in case you were wondering, was a player and coach of the LA Lakers. As such, I feel like he's a pretty good authority on hard work and exercise. Besides that, I'm well aware of the positive effects of exercise, having experienced them throughout August. To lessen my stress and get rid of this constant headache, I need to hit the gym.
So, all that said, I'm back to it! Daily workouts (almost daily) and proper eating. The plan is to get back to a clear mind and body! I regretted not taking any "before" pictures once I lost my love handles, so having put back on a few pounds, I took this opportunity to take some. That way, in a few weeks I'll be able to do a side-by-side comparison, which will make me happy.
"Rather than aiming to be perfect, aim to be better than today."
:-D
Monday, October 3, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Completed the Challenge
August 11, 2011 - 24 Day Challenge, Day 25
It's done! Let's jump right to the results....
Drumroll please....
So what does all this mean? Let's take a look back to the beginning...
Here's the rundown...
Total Weight lost: 12.6 lbs
Body Fat percentage change: -4.6%
Body Muscle percentage change: +2.6%
Gained a half inch in my biceps, lost 1.5 inches through the chest, 2.5 off the waist, 2 off the hips and 2 off each thigh!
Body image up to 7.5 and rising! :)
Now, just because the 24 Day Challenge is over, doesn't mean I'm gonna head back to my pizzas and double cheeseburgers. In fact, other than the pizza I'll be enjoying tonight, I plan to eat pretty much how I have been this past month. I liked it. Making healthier choices isn't that hard or unpalatable. In fact, at Jason's Deli, I used to always order the Ranchero Wrap (mmmm!). I'm not saying I won't enjoy one every now and then, but the Nutty Mixed-Up Salad is fantastic! And healthy. I've heard and read that anything done for 21 days becomes a habit. I think that's probably true now. I feel that my eating healthier has become the norm for me now. Which I like very much.
"Everything in moderation." I will have my pizza tonight. Next week I'll probably get a Bleu Cheese Bacon Burger from Clocked (Ooooh, so mouth watering goodness!!!). But it's not what I'm craving all the time, like it used to be. So I think that's the real goal of the 24 Day Challenge, and the goal that I feel like I accomplished whole heartedly.
I've lost a lot of fat, the next part of the plan is to gain muscle. I'm going to the beach in a month... let's see what we can do in that time. ;)
:-D
It's done! Let's jump right to the results....
Drumroll please....
| Weight (lbs.) | 178.6 |
| Body Fat | 30.2 |
| Body Water | 53.1 |
| Body Muscle | 40.1 |
| Bone Mass | 4.6 |
| Right Arm (in.) | 13.5 |
| Shoulders (in.) | 45 |
| Chest (in.) | 39 |
| Waist (in.) | 36.5 |
| Hips (in.) | 39.5 |
| Right Thigh (in.) | 24 |
| Right Calf (in.) | 14 |
So what does all this mean? Let's take a look back to the beginning...
| Weight (lbs.) | 191.2 |
| Body Fat | 34.8 |
| Body Water | 50.9 |
| Body Muscle | 37.5 |
| Bone Mass | 4.6 |
| Right Arm (in.) | 13 |
| Shoulders (in.) | 45 |
| Chest (in.) | 40.5 |
| Waist (in.) | 39 |
| Hips (in.) | 41.5 |
| Right Thigh (in.) | 26 |
| Right Calf (in.) | 14.5 |
Here's the rundown...
Total Weight lost: 12.6 lbs
Body Fat percentage change: -4.6%
Body Muscle percentage change: +2.6%
Gained a half inch in my biceps, lost 1.5 inches through the chest, 2.5 off the waist, 2 off the hips and 2 off each thigh!
Body image up to 7.5 and rising! :)
Now, just because the 24 Day Challenge is over, doesn't mean I'm gonna head back to my pizzas and double cheeseburgers. In fact, other than the pizza I'll be enjoying tonight, I plan to eat pretty much how I have been this past month. I liked it. Making healthier choices isn't that hard or unpalatable. In fact, at Jason's Deli, I used to always order the Ranchero Wrap (mmmm!). I'm not saying I won't enjoy one every now and then, but the Nutty Mixed-Up Salad is fantastic! And healthy. I've heard and read that anything done for 21 days becomes a habit. I think that's probably true now. I feel that my eating healthier has become the norm for me now. Which I like very much.
"Everything in moderation." I will have my pizza tonight. Next week I'll probably get a Bleu Cheese Bacon Burger from Clocked (Ooooh, so mouth watering goodness!!!). But it's not what I'm craving all the time, like it used to be. So I think that's the real goal of the 24 Day Challenge, and the goal that I feel like I accomplished whole heartedly.
I've lost a lot of fat, the next part of the plan is to gain muscle. I'm going to the beach in a month... let's see what we can do in that time. ;)
:-D
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Almost There
August 4, 2011 - Goals being met.
Here are the starting numbers again:
And here are the new:
An even 10 pounds lost!! And still 7 days left! More than that, take a look at fat and muscle percentages! Fat is decreasing and muscle is increasing! Woo Hoo! According to BMI and Body Fat Percentage charts, I'm still overweight, but well on my way to "normal", not that I care about those charts. In the mirror today I noticed my face seems a bit thinner, and one of the doctors I work with (whom I haven't seen in a while) said to me yesterday, "Hey, you're looking skinnier." Haha, yes he used the word 'skinnier'.
Another increase that I haven't charted yet is my Body Image scale. I'm up to a 7! I had/ have a minor goal of reaching 175lbs. The last time I recall feeling at a healthy weight, I was around 170-175, so that's kind of a goal weight that I was aiming for. Though I say 'minor' because I won't be upset if I don't reach 175. The real goal here is to feel better physically and to improve my body image. So far so good on both counts. One more week!
:-D
Here are the starting numbers again:
| Weight (lbs.) | 191.2 |
| Body Fat | 34.8 |
| Body Water | 50.9 |
| Body Muscle | 37.5 |
| Weight (lbs.) | 181.2 |
| Body Fat | 30.4 |
| Body Water | 53.8 |
| Body Muscle | 39.0 |
Another increase that I haven't charted yet is my Body Image scale. I'm up to a 7! I had/ have a minor goal of reaching 175lbs. The last time I recall feeling at a healthy weight, I was around 170-175, so that's kind of a goal weight that I was aiming for. Though I say 'minor' because I won't be upset if I don't reach 175. The real goal here is to feel better physically and to improve my body image. So far so good on both counts. One more week!
:-D
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Max Phase
July 28, 2011 - Cleanse Complete
So yesterday ended my 10 day Cleanse Phase, and today begins the 14 day Max Phase. Thought I'd wait until today to post an update since it seemed like a good "check-in" point.
So here are the old numbers:
And here are the new:
So, a loss of 7.2 lbs and 1.1% Body Fat, I'm staying more hydrated than I used to, and I haven't lost any muscle (which tends to happen during weight loss). I feel better, my love handles are shrinking, and the other day at the gym I noticed my muscle tone and definition is improving. I woke up about 40 minutes ago, and just before I started typing this, I did 5 Marine Corps style pull-ups before I pulled my legs up to kick. First thing in the morning? Nice! So far, so good!
I'm very excited to see what the next 14 days bring! I'll update you at Day 7.
Until then, if you see me or talk to me, tell me to keep it up! No cheating! Ok, maybe a little cheating. ;)
:-D
So yesterday ended my 10 day Cleanse Phase, and today begins the 14 day Max Phase. Thought I'd wait until today to post an update since it seemed like a good "check-in" point.
So here are the old numbers:
| Weight (lbs.) | 191.2 |
| Body Fat | 34.8 |
| Body Water | 50.9 |
| Body Muscle | 37.5 |
| Bone Mass | 4.6 |
And here are the new:
| Weight (lbs.) | 184.0 |
| Body Fat | 33.7 |
| Body Water | 52.0 |
| Body Muscle | 37.5 |
| Bone Mass | 4.6 |
So, a loss of 7.2 lbs and 1.1% Body Fat, I'm staying more hydrated than I used to, and I haven't lost any muscle (which tends to happen during weight loss). I feel better, my love handles are shrinking, and the other day at the gym I noticed my muscle tone and definition is improving. I woke up about 40 minutes ago, and just before I started typing this, I did 5 Marine Corps style pull-ups before I pulled my legs up to kick. First thing in the morning? Nice! So far, so good!
I'm very excited to see what the next 14 days bring! I'll update you at Day 7.
Until then, if you see me or talk to me, tell me to keep it up! No cheating! Ok, maybe a little cheating. ;)
:-D
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Measurements
July 19, 2011 - The Cleanse Begins
So, a friend of mine introduced me to Advocare, a "premier health and wellness company offering world-class energy, weight-loss, nutrition, and sports performance products." It all sounded a bit too sales-pitchy for my liking, so I decided to do some research. After speaking with a surgeon (who was obviously NOT a salesman) about the science behind the products, I spoke with my trainer, who is also my dietitian (M.S., R.D., L.D., and soon to be Ph.D.) She said she approves and actually takes a few of their products herself. So I decided to give it a try. They have a "24 Day Challenge" which starts with a 10 day cleanse and finishes strong with a 14 day "Max Phase".
I realized this afternoon that I messed up yesterday and today, but the program says that if you adhere to at least 80% of program, you'll see results. I think I should be fine. What are the results like you ask? Of those that I've physically spoken with (not reading internet articles) who have done the 24 Day Challenge, the average weight loss is around 15 lbs lost. If I can lose that in 24 days, I'll be sold on Advocare and will become an advisor, or at least a distributor. But, we'll see. Results first.
So, some starting figures:
The first 5 figures come from my scale. I weighed myself 3 times and the scale returned the same figures all three times, so I will take them as accurate. Accuracy, in this case, is only for my edification since all I really need is a difference. For example, if my scale is off my 5lbs, it doesn't really matter since it will also be off by 5lbs at the end and the amount of weight lost is the same. The next 7 measurements were taken with a piece of paracord and tape measure. Each was taken twice. I was going to measure my biceps both flexed and relaxed, but the difference was negligible. A quarter inch perhaps. And the last is a subjective rating on my body image, 1 being completely dissatisfied and 10 being completely satisfied. I doubt I'll reach '10', but only because I don't think anyone ever actually does. I'm shooting for an 8.
So there we have it! A nutrition plan that just might work! The best part is that everyone I've talked to has kept the weight off, which is very encouraging! I'm hitting the gym EVERY day. Got an incredible leg workout in yesterday with Katie and today I ran 3 miles (was gonna do 5, but I was incredibly sore thanks to Katie).
I'll post updated measurements every 6 days.
:-D
PS. On a whim, I was walking down the hallway and decided to grab the pull up bar. No warm-up, just cold-muscle, dead hang pull ups, Marine Corps style (fully extended arms, chin over the bar, legs remain still throughout, no bouncing). I did 4 before I had to start kicking my legs for assistance!!! FOUR!! I've never in my life pulled more than 2!! Ah, that's a good feeling!
So, a friend of mine introduced me to Advocare, a "premier health and wellness company offering world-class energy, weight-loss, nutrition, and sports performance products." It all sounded a bit too sales-pitchy for my liking, so I decided to do some research. After speaking with a surgeon (who was obviously NOT a salesman) about the science behind the products, I spoke with my trainer, who is also my dietitian (M.S., R.D., L.D., and soon to be Ph.D.) She said she approves and actually takes a few of their products herself. So I decided to give it a try. They have a "24 Day Challenge" which starts with a 10 day cleanse and finishes strong with a 14 day "Max Phase".
I realized this afternoon that I messed up yesterday and today, but the program says that if you adhere to at least 80% of program, you'll see results. I think I should be fine. What are the results like you ask? Of those that I've physically spoken with (not reading internet articles) who have done the 24 Day Challenge, the average weight loss is around 15 lbs lost. If I can lose that in 24 days, I'll be sold on Advocare and will become an advisor, or at least a distributor. But, we'll see. Results first.
So, some starting figures:
| Weight (lbs.) | 191.2 |
| Body Fat | 34.8 |
| Body Water | 50.9 |
| Body Muscle | 37.5 |
| Bone Mass | 4.6 |
| Right Arm (in.) | 13 |
| Shoulders (in.) | 45 |
| Chest (in.) | 40.5 |
| Waist (in.) | 39 |
| Hips (in.) | 41.5 |
| Right Thigh (in.) | 26 |
| Right Calf (in.) | 14.5 |
| Body Image (1-10) | 6 |
The first 5 figures come from my scale. I weighed myself 3 times and the scale returned the same figures all three times, so I will take them as accurate. Accuracy, in this case, is only for my edification since all I really need is a difference. For example, if my scale is off my 5lbs, it doesn't really matter since it will also be off by 5lbs at the end and the amount of weight lost is the same. The next 7 measurements were taken with a piece of paracord and tape measure. Each was taken twice. I was going to measure my biceps both flexed and relaxed, but the difference was negligible. A quarter inch perhaps. And the last is a subjective rating on my body image, 1 being completely dissatisfied and 10 being completely satisfied. I doubt I'll reach '10', but only because I don't think anyone ever actually does. I'm shooting for an 8.
So there we have it! A nutrition plan that just might work! The best part is that everyone I've talked to has kept the weight off, which is very encouraging! I'm hitting the gym EVERY day. Got an incredible leg workout in yesterday with Katie and today I ran 3 miles (was gonna do 5, but I was incredibly sore thanks to Katie).
I'll post updated measurements every 6 days.
:-D
PS. On a whim, I was walking down the hallway and decided to grab the pull up bar. No warm-up, just cold-muscle, dead hang pull ups, Marine Corps style (fully extended arms, chin over the bar, legs remain still throughout, no bouncing). I did 4 before I had to start kicking my legs for assistance!!! FOUR!! I've never in my life pulled more than 2!! Ah, that's a good feeling!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
June Heat!
June 8, 2011 - Up and down.
It's half past midnight, so I actually mean June 7. Oh well.
Going to the gym after work is always a bit of an annoyance. But it's gotta be done! My back's been hurting a bit too much lately to get a good workout in, therefore today was work AND workout day. Yesterday I worked out with Katie and told her my back has been giving me problems, so she showed (say that 5 times fast) me a few exercises I can do that won't hurt me further. She also noted that my problem wasn't my back... it's my abs! I'm not tightening my abs when I should, so all the strain is moving to my back! Oops. I sense more core work in my near future! (Which I'm actually pretty excited about!)
Tonight I ran hill intervals. For a half mile the speed was set to 6.0 and the incline at 0.0. Then the second half of the mile the speed was set to 5.0 and the incline at 3.5. I repeated this mile 3 times, for a total of 4 miles. At one point I wanted to quit and say, "That's good. I'm done. Yay me." Only problem was that I was only half way through! Shame, shame. I knew I'd be mad at myself, so I kept going and completed the 4 miles. NOW I can say "Yay me!" and mean it!
Yeah, it's tough. If it were easy, everyone would be an Ironman (or IronWoman). The difference comes between those who quit too soon and those who keep going to the end. I've always think about the line from Alice in Wonderland, "Begin at the beginning and keep going until you get to the end. Then stop." So simple, yet it applies almost everywhere, don't you think?
Anyway, time to sleep, 6am comes real early!
:-D
It's half past midnight, so I actually mean June 7. Oh well.
Going to the gym after work is always a bit of an annoyance. But it's gotta be done! My back's been hurting a bit too much lately to get a good workout in, therefore today was work AND workout day. Yesterday I worked out with Katie and told her my back has been giving me problems, so she showed (say that 5 times fast) me a few exercises I can do that won't hurt me further. She also noted that my problem wasn't my back... it's my abs! I'm not tightening my abs when I should, so all the strain is moving to my back! Oops. I sense more core work in my near future! (Which I'm actually pretty excited about!)
Tonight I ran hill intervals. For a half mile the speed was set to 6.0 and the incline at 0.0. Then the second half of the mile the speed was set to 5.0 and the incline at 3.5. I repeated this mile 3 times, for a total of 4 miles. At one point I wanted to quit and say, "That's good. I'm done. Yay me." Only problem was that I was only half way through! Shame, shame. I knew I'd be mad at myself, so I kept going and completed the 4 miles. NOW I can say "Yay me!" and mean it!
Yeah, it's tough. If it were easy, everyone would be an Ironman (or IronWoman). The difference comes between those who quit too soon and those who keep going to the end. I've always think about the line from Alice in Wonderland, "Begin at the beginning and keep going until you get to the end. Then stop." So simple, yet it applies almost everywhere, don't you think?
Anyway, time to sleep, 6am comes real early!
:-D
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Crushin' It!
May 26, 2011 - Working smart and hard.
Lately I have been really crushing it at the gym! I've been feeling pumped and ready to go, so I've been going. And going, and going, and going. The other day I did a full upper body workout followed by long run. I've been almost everyday this week and last, looking like "that guy". You know the one, when you're walking into the gym and "that guy" walks out drenched and you think, "He just finished a tough workout!" That was me! It feels great! Tonight, while I was running, my knee started feeling a bit sore. May have been the weather (HUGE storms just rolled through, and yes I still went to the gym), but I decided to hop off the treadmill and jump on the elliptical for the last 15 minutes. Did some abdominal work and stretched. Stretching, I realized tonight, is something that I'm severely lacking and will be incorporating it into all of my workouts from now on. Anyway, feeling a bit sore in my legs, my whole lower body actually. You think it may have something to do with my hardcore leg workout on Tuesday night? And so I'm toning it down just a hair. It takes balance to walk the line between sore and injured, and injured is what I CAN'T be right now.
Someone once said, "Work smart, not hard." But imagine what you could accomplish if you did both. My eating is under control; I'm eating small healthful meals every 3 hours. I'm rotating my exercises so I'm not always working the same muscle groups. And I'm taking one rest day a week, which is all you need. Hopefully by July or August I'll be at the weight I want and close to the physique I'd like. If that happens, I'll post pics. :)
Good night all! I'll try my damnedest to keep this ball rolling!
:-D
Lately I have been really crushing it at the gym! I've been feeling pumped and ready to go, so I've been going. And going, and going, and going. The other day I did a full upper body workout followed by long run. I've been almost everyday this week and last, looking like "that guy". You know the one, when you're walking into the gym and "that guy" walks out drenched and you think, "He just finished a tough workout!" That was me! It feels great! Tonight, while I was running, my knee started feeling a bit sore. May have been the weather (HUGE storms just rolled through, and yes I still went to the gym), but I decided to hop off the treadmill and jump on the elliptical for the last 15 minutes. Did some abdominal work and stretched. Stretching, I realized tonight, is something that I'm severely lacking and will be incorporating it into all of my workouts from now on. Anyway, feeling a bit sore in my legs, my whole lower body actually. You think it may have something to do with my hardcore leg workout on Tuesday night? And so I'm toning it down just a hair. It takes balance to walk the line between sore and injured, and injured is what I CAN'T be right now.
Someone once said, "Work smart, not hard." But imagine what you could accomplish if you did both. My eating is under control; I'm eating small healthful meals every 3 hours. I'm rotating my exercises so I'm not always working the same muscle groups. And I'm taking one rest day a week, which is all you need. Hopefully by July or August I'll be at the weight I want and close to the physique I'd like. If that happens, I'll post pics. :)
Good night all! I'll try my damnedest to keep this ball rolling!
:-D
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Making of a Warrior
May 14, 2011 - Warrior Dash!
Today I crossed an event off of my Bucket List... Warrior Dash! Not only did I complete all obstacles, but completed the entire length (3.02 miles) in 36 minutes! Taking into account the obstacles and traffic jams, when we ran (and we ran almost the whole way) that makes a less than 10-minute mile pace! Yay us! I'm sure I wouldn't have kept that pace without Sarah's support and guidance.
So, the first obstacle was basically wading through shoulder-deep water (sometimes deeper) which made your clothes, socks, and shoes 15 pounds heavier! As soon as we got out of the water, there were cars, vans, and trucks blocking the route which had to be climbed over or through. Between the cars were laid out tires.. very hazardous on the ankles! After navigating the junk yard, we hopped over a wall (about 3.5-4ft high) and immediately under barbed wire. Up and down in that fashion about 8-10 times (I wasn't really counting, I was just getting through it).
Then came the most intimidating obstacle... The Great Warrior Wall. This was a 10ft (?) wall with a dozen ropes dangling from the top. Climb the rope, feet on the wall, get over the top, and climb down. In retrospect not difficult, just daunting. We climbed a large set of tires to get up the next hill and proceeded to run again. A little ways down the route, we climbed a rope net up and over in a similar fashion (and height) as the Wall but with less of an incline (that is, not vertical!!). About a quarter mile past that (uphill through the woods) was another rope net, this time horizontal about 4ft off the ground. Some folks cheated and walked the beams holding the net up, but Sarah and I did it right!
Then came a long stage of running and uphill walking. In the middle was an obstacle called Arachnophobia, which was just lots of bungee cord tied between the trees. Turned out to be a team building activity since we were all working together to not get smacked in the face by bungee that was let go too soon by the person in front of you. I think this obstacle was meant to create a huge traffic jam and space out the racers before the finish. Just my opinion though. Pretty soon we came upon what appeared to be a low-lying hut made of black plastic. I mention low-lying because the point of this obstacle was to navigate, on hands and knees, through near pitch black darkness. After that came more running and then the real fun began!
You haven't seen a slip 'n slide like this before! I can't really describe it too well since Sarah and I both dove right on and down, down, down.. face first! Hooyah!! After crashing at the end (and then being crashed into) we headed straight into the mud! A scramble on knees and elbows through thick thick mud, keeping low due to the barbed wire about 6 inches above the mud. I felt like I was in boot camp. But, I was getting dirty, which is what I had planned from the beginning. After the mud pit came. what I called the Warrior Wash. More water, but this time we had to crawl/climb/hop over logs and barrels that were floating in our path. There goes all the mud. And finally, now that we've been rinsed, time to dry... The Warrior Roast, where we leapt over two flaming piles of wood. (Not dangerous, really, more of a photo op, but still fun!).
So there we have it! Now officially a Warrior! Got into clean dry clothes to feel semi-normal again and went back for beer, turkey legs, and live music. Good times had by all and worth every ounce of energy spent.
Today I crossed an event off of my Bucket List... Warrior Dash! Not only did I complete all obstacles, but completed the entire length (3.02 miles) in 36 minutes! Taking into account the obstacles and traffic jams, when we ran (and we ran almost the whole way) that makes a less than 10-minute mile pace! Yay us! I'm sure I wouldn't have kept that pace without Sarah's support and guidance.
So, the first obstacle was basically wading through shoulder-deep water (sometimes deeper) which made your clothes, socks, and shoes 15 pounds heavier! As soon as we got out of the water, there were cars, vans, and trucks blocking the route which had to be climbed over or through. Between the cars were laid out tires.. very hazardous on the ankles! After navigating the junk yard, we hopped over a wall (about 3.5-4ft high) and immediately under barbed wire. Up and down in that fashion about 8-10 times (I wasn't really counting, I was just getting through it).
Then came the most intimidating obstacle... The Great Warrior Wall. This was a 10ft (?) wall with a dozen ropes dangling from the top. Climb the rope, feet on the wall, get over the top, and climb down. In retrospect not difficult, just daunting. We climbed a large set of tires to get up the next hill and proceeded to run again. A little ways down the route, we climbed a rope net up and over in a similar fashion (and height) as the Wall but with less of an incline (that is, not vertical!!). About a quarter mile past that (uphill through the woods) was another rope net, this time horizontal about 4ft off the ground. Some folks cheated and walked the beams holding the net up, but Sarah and I did it right!
Then came a long stage of running and uphill walking. In the middle was an obstacle called Arachnophobia, which was just lots of bungee cord tied between the trees. Turned out to be a team building activity since we were all working together to not get smacked in the face by bungee that was let go too soon by the person in front of you. I think this obstacle was meant to create a huge traffic jam and space out the racers before the finish. Just my opinion though. Pretty soon we came upon what appeared to be a low-lying hut made of black plastic. I mention low-lying because the point of this obstacle was to navigate, on hands and knees, through near pitch black darkness. After that came more running and then the real fun began!
You haven't seen a slip 'n slide like this before! I can't really describe it too well since Sarah and I both dove right on and down, down, down.. face first! Hooyah!! After crashing at the end (and then being crashed into) we headed straight into the mud! A scramble on knees and elbows through thick thick mud, keeping low due to the barbed wire about 6 inches above the mud. I felt like I was in boot camp. But, I was getting dirty, which is what I had planned from the beginning. After the mud pit came. what I called the Warrior Wash. More water, but this time we had to crawl/climb/hop over logs and barrels that were floating in our path. There goes all the mud. And finally, now that we've been rinsed, time to dry... The Warrior Roast, where we leapt over two flaming piles of wood. (Not dangerous, really, more of a photo op, but still fun!).
So there we have it! Now officially a Warrior! Got into clean dry clothes to feel semi-normal again and went back for beer, turkey legs, and live music. Good times had by all and worth every ounce of energy spent.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Leave it on the field!
May 2, 2011 - Tired, but ready for more!
So, yesterday was interesting. I woke up feeling rather depressed, gave myself a stern talking to followed by a pep talk and went to the gym. This worked extremely well! I was pretty darned happy the rest of the day! I ran 2 miles on the treadmill at a 10 minute pace, kicking it up to a full out sprint for the last 100m on each mile. I then went to a Roller Derby match. Now there's some excitement! I was a standby medic, so I had the best seats in the house. Then I went to work and carried a man down a flight of stairs.
Then, the roller derby after party. I drank a beer (I don't drink beer) and talked with new folks, maybe made some new friends, bowled, and had a great time. Life is good!
Today I met with Katie and she worked my arms so well that I could barely lift them. Good feeling! Tomorrow is lower body. Thursday is gonna suck, I'm sure. Strangely, I'm looking forward to it. I finally feel like I'm getting back into the swing of it!
Sarah is in her last week of grad school. Extraordinarily tough, I can't even imagine. I'm trying not to say things like, "Only one more week!" Because that could be (would be) exaggerating a deadline and only bring more stress. Instead, I try to appeal to her background of track & field, basketball, and frisbee. Sports analogies, at least to me, give more of a sense of "near accomplishment" rather than one of "time's running out". And, while I was giving some advice, I was kind of listening too. "Leave it on the field" is one that I decided to take with me to the gym tonight. I pushed it to exhaustion and it felt... well, I hated it while I was doing it, but when I finished, it felt GREAT! As I'm sure Sarah feels and will feel.
So, feeling good! Going to the gym daily, gonna try and keep that up! And eating, as will probably always be the case, is an ongoing battle! Bygones. Good night!
:-D
So, yesterday was interesting. I woke up feeling rather depressed, gave myself a stern talking to followed by a pep talk and went to the gym. This worked extremely well! I was pretty darned happy the rest of the day! I ran 2 miles on the treadmill at a 10 minute pace, kicking it up to a full out sprint for the last 100m on each mile. I then went to a Roller Derby match. Now there's some excitement! I was a standby medic, so I had the best seats in the house. Then I went to work and carried a man down a flight of stairs.
Then, the roller derby after party. I drank a beer (I don't drink beer) and talked with new folks, maybe made some new friends, bowled, and had a great time. Life is good!
Today I met with Katie and she worked my arms so well that I could barely lift them. Good feeling! Tomorrow is lower body. Thursday is gonna suck, I'm sure. Strangely, I'm looking forward to it. I finally feel like I'm getting back into the swing of it!
Sarah is in her last week of grad school. Extraordinarily tough, I can't even imagine. I'm trying not to say things like, "Only one more week!" Because that could be (would be) exaggerating a deadline and only bring more stress. Instead, I try to appeal to her background of track & field, basketball, and frisbee. Sports analogies, at least to me, give more of a sense of "near accomplishment" rather than one of "time's running out". And, while I was giving some advice, I was kind of listening too. "Leave it on the field" is one that I decided to take with me to the gym tonight. I pushed it to exhaustion and it felt... well, I hated it while I was doing it, but when I finished, it felt GREAT! As I'm sure Sarah feels and will feel.
So, feeling good! Going to the gym daily, gonna try and keep that up! And eating, as will probably always be the case, is an ongoing battle! Bygones. Good night!
:-D
Sunday, April 24, 2011
People make a difference
April 24, 2011 - Thankful for the people in my life.
I know it's been a while, sorry 'bout that! Haven't been in a blogging mood lately, been dealing with school and job junk, very annoying stuff. So anyway, here's what's up...
Thursday Katie worked my chest, back, and abs. I'm equivalently sore to a P90X workout. Ouch. But a good ouch. So then Friday, Sarah and I went for a 5k run, which was great and I only had to walk (for just a moment) twice. Finally, Saturday my dad and I went to a local park and threw the frisbee for about an hour, which included plenty of running and jumping.
Without these wonderful people in my life, my workouts wouldn't be near as much fun. Convincing myself to get up off the couch and go to the gym alone is hard work, but being able to share a cool run with your girlfriend, or a toss of the frisbee on a warm sunny day with your dad... that's just fun.
Of course I still have to go to the gym, but being able to sprinkle in some workouts that don't feel like workouts, is a great thing. Be thankful for the good, fun folks in your life!
:-D
I know it's been a while, sorry 'bout that! Haven't been in a blogging mood lately, been dealing with school and job junk, very annoying stuff. So anyway, here's what's up...
Thursday Katie worked my chest, back, and abs. I'm equivalently sore to a P90X workout. Ouch. But a good ouch. So then Friday, Sarah and I went for a 5k run, which was great and I only had to walk (for just a moment) twice. Finally, Saturday my dad and I went to a local park and threw the frisbee for about an hour, which included plenty of running and jumping.
Without these wonderful people in my life, my workouts wouldn't be near as much fun. Convincing myself to get up off the couch and go to the gym alone is hard work, but being able to share a cool run with your girlfriend, or a toss of the frisbee on a warm sunny day with your dad... that's just fun.
Of course I still have to go to the gym, but being able to sprinkle in some workouts that don't feel like workouts, is a great thing. Be thankful for the good, fun folks in your life!
:-D
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Unclean mind = unclean body
March 29, 2011 - Feeling __________
Back in January I touched on the topic of Mental Health. This topic has not been more prevalent to me than in the last two weeks or so. My mental status has been severely depressed. I get down in the dumps just like everyone else, I'm sure, but I'm usually able to pull myself out of it fairly quickly. A day or two tops. But, for whatever reason, I wasn't seeming to be able to pull out of my spiraling depression. It was like a monster feeding on itself. My thoughts would wander to something negative, which would reiterate itself over and over until I was in such a mood that every little thing would seem insurmountable. I've felt tired, sad, and angry all the time. At work I felt as if I was always on the cusp of just losing it! I even disrespected one of our regular patients, which I really shouldn't have done, and ordinarily wouldn't have done (no matter how much he deserves it). I'm normally driven by logic and reasoning and can talk myself out of angry outbursts, but at that moment, it just wasn't happening.
I still managed to keep my appointment with my trainer, Katie, last Thursday and discussed with her how I have not been eating well, not been sleeping well (which she pointed out just by looking at me), and not exercising in the least. And we determined that the brain, being the control center of everything we do, needs to be functioning properly if you expect your body to function properly. If you're not keeping your mind healthy and focused, your body can't be healthy and focused either. We're kind of like a fire hydrant in that way: if your head's not screwed on tight, your body's gonna let itself go (maybe not so dramatically, but you get the idea).
Rest assured, dear reader, that I am feeling much better now, thanks in no small part to many many discussions with Sarah (we determined that we work much better as a team!), and have renewed focus and energy. Early last week, during a deep slump, I made an appointment to see a shrink. And though I am feeling better, I will still be keeping this appointment. I am viewing it as a personal training session for my mind. Much like Katie, he can give me the tools and exercises to make my brain strong and healthy. So the next time the depression bug comes around, I will be better able to defend myself.
Another point occurs to me as I'm writing this. People don't really want to talk about the fact that they see a shrink, or even think that they may feel a need to. Some folks may read this and think, "Gasp! Why is he telling everyone he's going to see a psychiatrist?! Doesn't he know how personal that is?" I think this is a load of phooey! Understand folks, if you don't feel right physically, you go to the doctor, and if you don't feel right mentally, you go see another doctor. What's so wrong or illogical about that? People aren't afraid to tell others that they've got the flu, why can't we tell others that we're feeling depressed? This isn't (or shouldn't be) a taboo subject.
Life is stressful, even more so nowadays it seems. Take care of yourself.. physically and mentally. And as I've learned in these last couple of weeks, you CAN'T take care of yourself physically if you're not taking care mentally!
:-D
Back in January I touched on the topic of Mental Health. This topic has not been more prevalent to me than in the last two weeks or so. My mental status has been severely depressed. I get down in the dumps just like everyone else, I'm sure, but I'm usually able to pull myself out of it fairly quickly. A day or two tops. But, for whatever reason, I wasn't seeming to be able to pull out of my spiraling depression. It was like a monster feeding on itself. My thoughts would wander to something negative, which would reiterate itself over and over until I was in such a mood that every little thing would seem insurmountable. I've felt tired, sad, and angry all the time. At work I felt as if I was always on the cusp of just losing it! I even disrespected one of our regular patients, which I really shouldn't have done, and ordinarily wouldn't have done (no matter how much he deserves it). I'm normally driven by logic and reasoning and can talk myself out of angry outbursts, but at that moment, it just wasn't happening.
I still managed to keep my appointment with my trainer, Katie, last Thursday and discussed with her how I have not been eating well, not been sleeping well (which she pointed out just by looking at me), and not exercising in the least. And we determined that the brain, being the control center of everything we do, needs to be functioning properly if you expect your body to function properly. If you're not keeping your mind healthy and focused, your body can't be healthy and focused either. We're kind of like a fire hydrant in that way: if your head's not screwed on tight, your body's gonna let itself go (maybe not so dramatically, but you get the idea).
Rest assured, dear reader, that I am feeling much better now, thanks in no small part to many many discussions with Sarah (we determined that we work much better as a team!), and have renewed focus and energy. Early last week, during a deep slump, I made an appointment to see a shrink. And though I am feeling better, I will still be keeping this appointment. I am viewing it as a personal training session for my mind. Much like Katie, he can give me the tools and exercises to make my brain strong and healthy. So the next time the depression bug comes around, I will be better able to defend myself.
Another point occurs to me as I'm writing this. People don't really want to talk about the fact that they see a shrink, or even think that they may feel a need to. Some folks may read this and think, "Gasp! Why is he telling everyone he's going to see a psychiatrist?! Doesn't he know how personal that is?" I think this is a load of phooey! Understand folks, if you don't feel right physically, you go to the doctor, and if you don't feel right mentally, you go see another doctor. What's so wrong or illogical about that? People aren't afraid to tell others that they've got the flu, why can't we tell others that we're feeling depressed? This isn't (or shouldn't be) a taboo subject.
Life is stressful, even more so nowadays it seems. Take care of yourself.. physically and mentally. And as I've learned in these last couple of weeks, you CAN'T take care of yourself physically if you're not taking care mentally!
:-D
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Bleah!!
March 8, 2011 - Feeling gross.
"Bleah" kinda sums up how I'm feeling. I've been extremely busy this week and haven't made it to the gym AT ALL!! I know what you're thinking, "surely you could've found an hour somewhere". No, no I couldn't. Crazy week. AND I've been doing a lot of traveling, which means plenty of junk food and fast food. Hence the bleah feeling.
But, meeting the trainer on Thursday night after work. Maybe I can get back on track.
*Sigh*
:-D
"Bleah" kinda sums up how I'm feeling. I've been extremely busy this week and haven't made it to the gym AT ALL!! I know what you're thinking, "surely you could've found an hour somewhere". No, no I couldn't. Crazy week. AND I've been doing a lot of traveling, which means plenty of junk food and fast food. Hence the bleah feeling.
But, meeting the trainer on Thursday night after work. Maybe I can get back on track.
*Sigh*
:-D
Monday, February 28, 2011
Key #2 - Focus
February 28, 2011 - Gaining perspective.
I know it's been a long while since I've posted. Sorry 'bout that. There have been a few new developments that I'm excited to tell you about!
First, my mother let me use her Body Bugg (www.bodybugg.com) and I'm learning a lot about my calorie burn/intake. Mainly that I'm not eating NEAR enough calories. I need to intake 2500 and burn 3500 each day. I'm only taking in about 1800 each day. So my body is trying to store it for later use, meaning fat. Eating more is not going to be easy. It seems counterintuitive. But mainly I have to eat the Correct calories, I can't just pig out on bacon cheeseburgers. And so far, my eating habits haven't been making my tummy too happy. I just don't know what to do. This will have to be discussed with my trainer/dietitian.
Second, I've realized that I haven't been focused on my Ironman. I think it's too far away. I can't train, diet and exercise, based on that, so thanks to my friend Alicia, I realized that I DO have some goals to shoot for with more immediate deadlines. May 14th is Warrior Dash!! (www.warriordash.com/register2011_georgia.php) And October 23rd is the Athens Half Marathon (www.athensgahalf.com), which I'm planning on completing. It's kind of frightening and nerve wracking thinking that I'm gonna do a half marathon! It's much too far away for me to be nervous about the Ironman, but October isn't all that far away! Exciting!
Which brings me to Key #2... Focus! It's not possible to keep a daily focus on anything beyond the short term. Therefore, it would be ludacris to try to focus daily on something 2 years from now. So, for the short term the focus will remain on getting dietary habits under control and daily exercise. By daily I mean 6 days a week (must have a rest day!). Then in May I can focus on Warrior Dash, then I can focus on Athens Half. One thing at a time is the best and easiest way to maintain focus.
:-D
I know it's been a long while since I've posted. Sorry 'bout that. There have been a few new developments that I'm excited to tell you about!
First, my mother let me use her Body Bugg (www.bodybugg.com) and I'm learning a lot about my calorie burn/intake. Mainly that I'm not eating NEAR enough calories. I need to intake 2500 and burn 3500 each day. I'm only taking in about 1800 each day. So my body is trying to store it for later use, meaning fat. Eating more is not going to be easy. It seems counterintuitive. But mainly I have to eat the Correct calories, I can't just pig out on bacon cheeseburgers. And so far, my eating habits haven't been making my tummy too happy. I just don't know what to do. This will have to be discussed with my trainer/dietitian.
Second, I've realized that I haven't been focused on my Ironman. I think it's too far away. I can't train, diet and exercise, based on that, so thanks to my friend Alicia, I realized that I DO have some goals to shoot for with more immediate deadlines. May 14th is Warrior Dash!! (www.warriordash.com/register2011_georgia.php) And October 23rd is the Athens Half Marathon (www.athensgahalf.com), which I'm planning on completing. It's kind of frightening and nerve wracking thinking that I'm gonna do a half marathon! It's much too far away for me to be nervous about the Ironman, but October isn't all that far away! Exciting!
Which brings me to Key #2... Focus! It's not possible to keep a daily focus on anything beyond the short term. Therefore, it would be ludacris to try to focus daily on something 2 years from now. So, for the short term the focus will remain on getting dietary habits under control and daily exercise. By daily I mean 6 days a week (must have a rest day!). Then in May I can focus on Warrior Dash, then I can focus on Athens Half. One thing at a time is the best and easiest way to maintain focus.
:-D
Thursday, February 10, 2011
A gym rat is born!
February 10, 2011 - Didn't go to the gym.
It's kinda funny how my thoughts have changed in the past week or so. When there's a day that I don't workout (when I know I had time to) I feel really guilty and lazy. Strangely, on days when I know I don't have time, I don't feel it. I suppose it's because I know that there was no way around it. Although, I find myself doing things throughout the day that I didn't used to. I don't look for the closest spot in the parking lot anymore, I walk to work (even when it snows :) ), I take the stairs instead of waiting on an elevator, etc. Little things like that make me happy.
Also, I need some help coming up with some short-term goals. My long term goal is set, but a 2 year time span is tough to keep as daily motivation. Know of any races, or events, or just fun activities that I should be preparing myself for? For example.. the Ultimate Frisbee tourney I played in last weekend left me sore for days! But I loved every minute of it! Leave a comment... I'll check it out!
I'm very tired, so I'm gonna cut it short and hit the sack. Suffice to say, I'm excited about my new outlook and look forward to keeping you updated. Who knows, there may be pictures involved. :)
:-D
It's kinda funny how my thoughts have changed in the past week or so. When there's a day that I don't workout (when I know I had time to) I feel really guilty and lazy. Strangely, on days when I know I don't have time, I don't feel it. I suppose it's because I know that there was no way around it. Although, I find myself doing things throughout the day that I didn't used to. I don't look for the closest spot in the parking lot anymore, I walk to work (even when it snows :) ), I take the stairs instead of waiting on an elevator, etc. Little things like that make me happy.
Also, I need some help coming up with some short-term goals. My long term goal is set, but a 2 year time span is tough to keep as daily motivation. Know of any races, or events, or just fun activities that I should be preparing myself for? For example.. the Ultimate Frisbee tourney I played in last weekend left me sore for days! But I loved every minute of it! Leave a comment... I'll check it out!
I'm very tired, so I'm gonna cut it short and hit the sack. Suffice to say, I'm excited about my new outlook and look forward to keeping you updated. Who knows, there may be pictures involved. :)
:-D
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
When to push, when not to.
February 2, 2011 - Middle of a long week.
Not much to say tonight except that I'm doing pretty well on my dieting habits. I've been eating 6 times per day, small meals or snacks. Seems like it'll be hard to keep it up, but I'm damn sure gonna try!
Worked out with Katie tonight and she kicked my (already near exhausted) butt! But, she gained more of my confidence in her abilities as a trainer tonight by recognizing when to push and when to bring it down. I started feeling a bit lightheaded and she recommended we get some water, breathe, and take a short break. On the BOSU squats with kettlebells, instead of having me do 15, she said to just do 10. When I got to 10, I said, "I think I got 5 more!" She replied, "Great! Let's see 'em! You can do it!" I've got to listen to my body and hold back when I need to, but I also need to listen to her, and trust her view as an outside perspective. It'll be real easy for me to not push myself hard enough, but just as easy to push myself too hard.
I think I finally grasp what a long hard road this is going to be. I need to make some smaller, more quickly attainable goals to keep me motivated. I'll have to do some research and see if there are any Sprint Tri's or even 10k runs coming up.
That's about all on my mind, training wise. I'm doing a long distance trip next week, so the gym time will be shortened. I'll let you know what ends up happening!
'Til next week...
:-D
Not much to say tonight except that I'm doing pretty well on my dieting habits. I've been eating 6 times per day, small meals or snacks. Seems like it'll be hard to keep it up, but I'm damn sure gonna try!
Worked out with Katie tonight and she kicked my (already near exhausted) butt! But, she gained more of my confidence in her abilities as a trainer tonight by recognizing when to push and when to bring it down. I started feeling a bit lightheaded and she recommended we get some water, breathe, and take a short break. On the BOSU squats with kettlebells, instead of having me do 15, she said to just do 10. When I got to 10, I said, "I think I got 5 more!" She replied, "Great! Let's see 'em! You can do it!" I've got to listen to my body and hold back when I need to, but I also need to listen to her, and trust her view as an outside perspective. It'll be real easy for me to not push myself hard enough, but just as easy to push myself too hard.
I think I finally grasp what a long hard road this is going to be. I need to make some smaller, more quickly attainable goals to keep me motivated. I'll have to do some research and see if there are any Sprint Tri's or even 10k runs coming up.
That's about all on my mind, training wise. I'm doing a long distance trip next week, so the gym time will be shortened. I'll let you know what ends up happening!
'Til next week...
:-D
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Doin' it right!
January 29, 2011 - Already?
Where has January gone?! *Sigh*
Great week in training folks!! Kept my food log and shared with the trainer... I eat pretty ok! She wants me to get a serving more of veggies a day and a serving more of fruit. She also scalded me on my snack choice at work one day (4 brownies!). :) I did get to the gym 3 times this week!! First on Tuesday after work, just to make myself go and stop using work as an excuse. I ran a mile then 3 sets of 10 pull ups, 10 dips. Forgot how much I hate dips! But, it was closing time so that was it for Tuesday. Wednesday I met with Katie (my trainer). She kicked my butt again, this time with a full body workout. Lovin' it! Friday I went and repeated the leg intensive workout that we did last week. I upped the weight on 2 exercises (made a note to ask Katie whether or not I'm supposed to do that) and upped the reps on my incline sit-ups with the medicine ball from 3 sets of 10 to 3 sets of 15. Ouch! After headed home for a long hot shower, I loaded up my Kroger card with coupons (pennies add up!) and went shopping. I now have all the tools I need to eat a healthier, more nutritious diet!
Eating right! Exercising properly! This is how we're gonna get this goal accomplished!
I need to read back on previous posts, I felt like I was going somewhere with discussion topics. Hmm. Maybe I need to get back to daily postings. Anyway, if you have anything you'd like to hear more about, or anything you'd like me to discuss, Please don't hesitate to drop me a line or comment with a question. Also, it's shocking and gratifying to learn that anyone reads these. Sometimes I feel weird typing this, it's kinda like talking to yourself. So, any and all comments are welcomed and encouraged! Not to mention that it would be a GREAT motivational tool for me!
Many Thanks!
:-D
Where has January gone?! *Sigh*
Great week in training folks!! Kept my food log and shared with the trainer... I eat pretty ok! She wants me to get a serving more of veggies a day and a serving more of fruit. She also scalded me on my snack choice at work one day (4 brownies!). :) I did get to the gym 3 times this week!! First on Tuesday after work, just to make myself go and stop using work as an excuse. I ran a mile then 3 sets of 10 pull ups, 10 dips. Forgot how much I hate dips! But, it was closing time so that was it for Tuesday. Wednesday I met with Katie (my trainer). She kicked my butt again, this time with a full body workout. Lovin' it! Friday I went and repeated the leg intensive workout that we did last week. I upped the weight on 2 exercises (made a note to ask Katie whether or not I'm supposed to do that) and upped the reps on my incline sit-ups with the medicine ball from 3 sets of 10 to 3 sets of 15. Ouch! After headed home for a long hot shower, I loaded up my Kroger card with coupons (pennies add up!) and went shopping. I now have all the tools I need to eat a healthier, more nutritious diet!
Eating right! Exercising properly! This is how we're gonna get this goal accomplished!
I need to read back on previous posts, I felt like I was going somewhere with discussion topics. Hmm. Maybe I need to get back to daily postings. Anyway, if you have anything you'd like to hear more about, or anything you'd like me to discuss, Please don't hesitate to drop me a line or comment with a question. Also, it's shocking and gratifying to learn that anyone reads these. Sometimes I feel weird typing this, it's kinda like talking to yourself. So, any and all comments are welcomed and encouraged! Not to mention that it would be a GREAT motivational tool for me!
Many Thanks!
:-D
Monday, January 24, 2011
The good with the bad
January 24, 2011 - No more excuses!
I know. It's been a week!! But what a week it was. I seemed to work a lot, and then when I wasn't working... It was my birthday!! So, I sort of gave myself a week off. Although, as I was working today, I realized that I'm really only making excuses. The work isn't going to go away (in fact it's only gonna get worse) and I can't use that as an excuse to not workout anymore! And I remembered today that I've got to be getting in shape for a frisbee tournament the first weekend in February!! Ugh, I'm not ready! This is why I've got to re-motivate! My goal this week (and here on out) is to go to the gym 3 times minimum!
So, what have I done positive this week?
This week I've been keeping a food log on three days: 1) Working at the hospital, 2) Working with the transport company, and 3) A day off. I'll turn this in to my trainer (hopefully Wednesday) and get her feedback. I don't suspect it'll be positive, but it'll be good for me! :) She suspects that I'm not getting enough calories, I suspect I'm getting all the WRONG calories (ice cream calories vs protein shake calories).
And, though it's not positive in a triathlon sense, I got really drunk last weekend! I only seem to do it once a decade, to remind myself why I don't do that. :) I had a more-than-expected turn out from friends and had a fantastic time. There seemed to be a lot of "had a great time last night" around facebook thanks to my b-day, which made me happy. Had a feel-good moment of insight into my girlfriend's thoughts. That was great. :) Then had dinner with a friend and learned that she's found something super positive in her life that makes her happy and is going to pursue that some more. So happy for her!
So, yeah. Though it's been a very poor week for training, it's been an overall good week for me mentally and emotionally. Next week starts the uber-training and frugal living! With both endeavors, it promises to be rough at the beginning, but SO worth it in the end!
I'll keep you updated, as I said, as often as I feel the need, but weekly at the least!
:-D
I know. It's been a week!! But what a week it was. I seemed to work a lot, and then when I wasn't working... It was my birthday!! So, I sort of gave myself a week off. Although, as I was working today, I realized that I'm really only making excuses. The work isn't going to go away (in fact it's only gonna get worse) and I can't use that as an excuse to not workout anymore! And I remembered today that I've got to be getting in shape for a frisbee tournament the first weekend in February!! Ugh, I'm not ready! This is why I've got to re-motivate! My goal this week (and here on out) is to go to the gym 3 times minimum!
So, what have I done positive this week?
This week I've been keeping a food log on three days: 1) Working at the hospital, 2) Working with the transport company, and 3) A day off. I'll turn this in to my trainer (hopefully Wednesday) and get her feedback. I don't suspect it'll be positive, but it'll be good for me! :) She suspects that I'm not getting enough calories, I suspect I'm getting all the WRONG calories (ice cream calories vs protein shake calories).
And, though it's not positive in a triathlon sense, I got really drunk last weekend! I only seem to do it once a decade, to remind myself why I don't do that. :) I had a more-than-expected turn out from friends and had a fantastic time. There seemed to be a lot of "had a great time last night" around facebook thanks to my b-day, which made me happy. Had a feel-good moment of insight into my girlfriend's thoughts. That was great. :) Then had dinner with a friend and learned that she's found something super positive in her life that makes her happy and is going to pursue that some more. So happy for her!
So, yeah. Though it's been a very poor week for training, it's been an overall good week for me mentally and emotionally. Next week starts the uber-training and frugal living! With both endeavors, it promises to be rough at the beginning, but SO worth it in the end!
I'll keep you updated, as I said, as often as I feel the need, but weekly at the least!
:-D
Monday, January 17, 2011
A new trainer
January 17, 2011 - New trainer, renewed enthusiasm!
It was a pretty lazy day for me today. Went to lunch with a friend I haven't seen in a while and turned in an application for another job. That's right.. #3. :) That was about it. Until 1800. I went to the gym and met my new trainer. She seems pretty cool, very knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about her job (which is important, especially in her line of work). She's gonna have me keep a food log, give me homework, and train me up right! Her exercise focus is on marathon training, which I need desperately, and she is a registered dietician working on her doctorate? masters? I don't know, an advanced degree in Nutrition. If anyone is going to be able to help me get my eating habits together, it'll be her.
Another plus.. she knows a few of my former triathlon teammates AND she used to play frisbee with Sarah! Love those "it's a small world" connections!
On to business.. b'fast was a bowl of Raisin Bran with a banana, lunch was chicken fried rice from Rusan's (Sarah and I had sushi from there last night, so I wasn't quite ready for sushi again), and dinner was homemade spaghetti (Sarah cooked.. it was delicious! I might have to start making mine with veggie chunks and turkey). :)
My workout was rough and very leg and core oriented. I'll have to get my workout log to see what all we did, but I know I'll be having trouble walking tomorrow and Wednesday.
Ughhh.. speaking of walking, it's back to work in the morning! I really should start getting up early on my days off too. I used to tell my campers, "If you sleep through the day, you've wasted it." Again, I should heed my own advice. ;)
Good night!
:-D
It was a pretty lazy day for me today. Went to lunch with a friend I haven't seen in a while and turned in an application for another job. That's right.. #3. :) That was about it. Until 1800. I went to the gym and met my new trainer. She seems pretty cool, very knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about her job (which is important, especially in her line of work). She's gonna have me keep a food log, give me homework, and train me up right! Her exercise focus is on marathon training, which I need desperately, and she is a registered dietician working on her doctorate? masters? I don't know, an advanced degree in Nutrition. If anyone is going to be able to help me get my eating habits together, it'll be her.
Another plus.. she knows a few of my former triathlon teammates AND she used to play frisbee with Sarah! Love those "it's a small world" connections!
On to business.. b'fast was a bowl of Raisin Bran with a banana, lunch was chicken fried rice from Rusan's (Sarah and I had sushi from there last night, so I wasn't quite ready for sushi again), and dinner was homemade spaghetti (Sarah cooked.. it was delicious! I might have to start making mine with veggie chunks and turkey). :)
My workout was rough and very leg and core oriented. I'll have to get my workout log to see what all we did, but I know I'll be having trouble walking tomorrow and Wednesday.
Ughhh.. speaking of walking, it's back to work in the morning! I really should start getting up early on my days off too. I used to tell my campers, "If you sleep through the day, you've wasted it." Again, I should heed my own advice. ;)
Good night!
:-D
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Back in the swing!
January 15, 2011 -
So, it's been a while! I know, I know. You're thinking this is the beginning of a slippery slope. I assure you it's not. I've just decided that I don't need to post EVERY day. I think that I'll just post when I have something to say, but at LEAST there will be an update every week.
You'd like to know what's been going on this week? So would I. :) It was crazy hectic it seems. I work 12 hr shifts on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and I usually come home exhausted. I won't be working out on those days... yet. I'll be doing it eventually, I'm sure. But Friday I had a good workout. I rowed 1000m, but after every 15 strokes I did 10 burpees. That was rough, and then I went and ran about 3 miles! I say "about" because I accidentally hit the Stop button and it reset my run. Bummer, but oh well.
We celebrated Sarah's birthday last night. A good time was had by all, but it made working out today... well, non-existent. :( I'll work harder tomorrow! I promise! And, I've got an appointment with a new trainer on Monday at 1800. I have high hopes for this one. She is a Registered Dietitian, working on her PhD in Nutrition and has a focus on marathon training, which will be super helpful!
I somehow skipped lunch today. :( Maybe I had a late breakfast, I didn't really look at the time. Breakfast was a Waffle House bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich with hashbrowns scattered and covered. Mmm. In my opinion, the BEST morning-after b'fast ever! Dinner was chicken fried rice from Rusan's. I like their chicken fried rice because they put in all sorts of vegetables that I don't ordinarily eat (onions, zucchini, etc) but I love it!
Tomorrow starts a new week, and back to the swing of things of eating right and exercising.
Transmission ends.
:-D
So, it's been a while! I know, I know. You're thinking this is the beginning of a slippery slope. I assure you it's not. I've just decided that I don't need to post EVERY day. I think that I'll just post when I have something to say, but at LEAST there will be an update every week.
You'd like to know what's been going on this week? So would I. :) It was crazy hectic it seems. I work 12 hr shifts on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and I usually come home exhausted. I won't be working out on those days... yet. I'll be doing it eventually, I'm sure. But Friday I had a good workout. I rowed 1000m, but after every 15 strokes I did 10 burpees. That was rough, and then I went and ran about 3 miles! I say "about" because I accidentally hit the Stop button and it reset my run. Bummer, but oh well.
We celebrated Sarah's birthday last night. A good time was had by all, but it made working out today... well, non-existent. :( I'll work harder tomorrow! I promise! And, I've got an appointment with a new trainer on Monday at 1800. I have high hopes for this one. She is a Registered Dietitian, working on her PhD in Nutrition and has a focus on marathon training, which will be super helpful!
I somehow skipped lunch today. :( Maybe I had a late breakfast, I didn't really look at the time. Breakfast was a Waffle House bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich with hashbrowns scattered and covered. Mmm. In my opinion, the BEST morning-after b'fast ever! Dinner was chicken fried rice from Rusan's. I like their chicken fried rice because they put in all sorts of vegetables that I don't ordinarily eat (onions, zucchini, etc) but I love it!
Tomorrow starts a new week, and back to the swing of things of eating right and exercising.
Transmission ends.
:-D
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Snow day, still a work day.
January 11, 2011 - Sarah's Birthday!
That's right, it's Sarah's birthday and I had to leave her to go to work at 0620. Yuck. But, I did stop to brush the snow and ice off of her car before I headed to work. One less headache for her. :) Speaking of headaches.. I forgot my glasses at home, so I had to walk BACK home then BACK to work. Worked up a sweat on that one, even ran a little. :)
So, yes, I work in a hospital and see plenty of the effects of (sometimes) temporary stupidity, such as the homemade stunt work as seen on "Jackass". But worse than that, because even that can be explained with enough alcohol on board, is the type of ignorance that causes people to call an ambulance for pain that they've had for 24 years! Or a cold! This is amplified by the fact that the roads are solid ice! Calling an ambulance out of their bay, endangering the lives of the medics and others on the road, is justified and expected when the patient is threatened with loss of life or limb. It's part of the job. But to endanger the lives of the medics and other drivers and pedestrians for something as ridiculous as a cold is outrageous! To have that level of narrow-minded, self-perceived entitlement, is a special level of ignorance.
So, the pt gets to the hospital, is treated and discharged. Now what? How are you gonna get home? Taxi? They're not running! Ambulance? That's (generally speaking, for there are a few rare exceptions) a one-way trip! You're gonna have to sit in the lobby until someone can come to get you, endangering THEIR lives for you. Things to think about before you decide it's enough of an EMERGENCY to call an ambulance!
But, I digress. Anyone who is reading this is already smart enough to know when to and when not to call an ambulance. Just needed to vent for a sec. Whew!
Anyway, I'm not feeling very well in the stomach tonight, so I don't think I'll work out. Probably have a little spaghetti for dinner then hit the sack early.
Good night everyone!
:-D
That's right, it's Sarah's birthday and I had to leave her to go to work at 0620. Yuck. But, I did stop to brush the snow and ice off of her car before I headed to work. One less headache for her. :) Speaking of headaches.. I forgot my glasses at home, so I had to walk BACK home then BACK to work. Worked up a sweat on that one, even ran a little. :)
So, yes, I work in a hospital and see plenty of the effects of (sometimes) temporary stupidity, such as the homemade stunt work as seen on "Jackass". But worse than that, because even that can be explained with enough alcohol on board, is the type of ignorance that causes people to call an ambulance for pain that they've had for 24 years! Or a cold! This is amplified by the fact that the roads are solid ice! Calling an ambulance out of their bay, endangering the lives of the medics and others on the road, is justified and expected when the patient is threatened with loss of life or limb. It's part of the job. But to endanger the lives of the medics and other drivers and pedestrians for something as ridiculous as a cold is outrageous! To have that level of narrow-minded, self-perceived entitlement, is a special level of ignorance.
So, the pt gets to the hospital, is treated and discharged. Now what? How are you gonna get home? Taxi? They're not running! Ambulance? That's (generally speaking, for there are a few rare exceptions) a one-way trip! You're gonna have to sit in the lobby until someone can come to get you, endangering THEIR lives for you. Things to think about before you decide it's enough of an EMERGENCY to call an ambulance!
But, I digress. Anyone who is reading this is already smart enough to know when to and when not to call an ambulance. Just needed to vent for a sec. Whew!
Anyway, I'm not feeling very well in the stomach tonight, so I don't think I'll work out. Probably have a little spaghetti for dinner then hit the sack early.
Good night everyone!
:-D
Better late than never!
January 10, 2011 - Winter storm 2011!
So, the snow fall accumulated to approximately 8.8 inches last night, but that won't stop me! :) I awoke to a phone call from my employer asking if I was adventurous. Of course I am, would I be planning for an Ironman if I wasn't? He needed a pt taken from the hospital in Athens to one in Gainesville. I needed the money, so I took the job. Once all that was taken care of (including walking about a total of a mile in the snow) I got back home and spent the day cooped up in the house. Luckily I had Sarah with me! We watched a movie, played games, and talked. It was nice, but I was procrastinating. "It's time to work out!" Sarah says. :) Gotta love her! Just because we're stuck in the house, doesn't mean I can't exercise. With Sarah's help, I did a set of 1-minute jumping jacks, 1-minute push ups, and 1-minute run-in-place for 10 minutes. Rested for 1 minute, then continued the series, exchanging planks for the push ups. Rested for 1 minute then completed one last set exchanging crunches for the planks (on Sarah's suggestion, seeing that I was struggling with the planks) and squats for the running.
B'fast was cereal, Lunch was PB&J, protein bar for snack, and chicken quesadillas for dinner. Topped it all off with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream (hey, had to finish it off!) ;) Work tomorrow! Don't think I'll be driving just yet, besides, it's not very far and it's good for me. :)
:-D
So, the snow fall accumulated to approximately 8.8 inches last night, but that won't stop me! :) I awoke to a phone call from my employer asking if I was adventurous. Of course I am, would I be planning for an Ironman if I wasn't? He needed a pt taken from the hospital in Athens to one in Gainesville. I needed the money, so I took the job. Once all that was taken care of (including walking about a total of a mile in the snow) I got back home and spent the day cooped up in the house. Luckily I had Sarah with me! We watched a movie, played games, and talked. It was nice, but I was procrastinating. "It's time to work out!" Sarah says. :) Gotta love her! Just because we're stuck in the house, doesn't mean I can't exercise. With Sarah's help, I did a set of 1-minute jumping jacks, 1-minute push ups, and 1-minute run-in-place for 10 minutes. Rested for 1 minute, then continued the series, exchanging planks for the push ups. Rested for 1 minute then completed one last set exchanging crunches for the planks (on Sarah's suggestion, seeing that I was struggling with the planks) and squats for the running.
B'fast was cereal, Lunch was PB&J, protein bar for snack, and chicken quesadillas for dinner. Topped it all off with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream (hey, had to finish it off!) ;) Work tomorrow! Don't think I'll be driving just yet, besides, it's not very far and it's good for me. :)
:-D
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Short and Sweet
January 8, 2011 - Preparation of a different kind.
After a long day at work, on my feet for 12 hours straight, I saw a picture of the forecasted snowfall for our area. I decided that, rather than take a night to prepare for my triathlon two years from now, I'd take a night to prepare to be without power for a week. So, I cooked my chicken, made spaghetti, prepared my firewood, and got out my down comforter. I can walk to work, I've got cold weather clothes and gear, and I've got my camping gear including gas stove. I think I'm ready. :)
They're predicting 4"-6". There are large limbs hanging over every power line running near or to our house. I can almost guarantee that we'll be without power for at least a day, maybe two. I'm counting on a week. And if we don't... at least I'm ready for anything.
Semper Paratus!
:-D
After a long day at work, on my feet for 12 hours straight, I saw a picture of the forecasted snowfall for our area. I decided that, rather than take a night to prepare for my triathlon two years from now, I'd take a night to prepare to be without power for a week. So, I cooked my chicken, made spaghetti, prepared my firewood, and got out my down comforter. I can walk to work, I've got cold weather clothes and gear, and I've got my camping gear including gas stove. I think I'm ready. :)
They're predicting 4"-6". There are large limbs hanging over every power line running near or to our house. I can almost guarantee that we'll be without power for at least a day, maybe two. I'm counting on a week. And if we don't... at least I'm ready for anything.
Semper Paratus!
:-D
Friday, January 7, 2011
No shoes, no problem!
January 7, 2011 - Running.
Today was spent running. Most of the day it was running errands, finally, about 2100, I went to the gym and ran 5 miles. I've decided that treadmill running is NOT outside running. But I realized while I was running that lifting weights is NOT lifting things. Treadmills, like weights, are tools that you can use to train certain aspects of a job. I lift pts all day, which are heavy and awkward and require my whole body to work in unison. When I lift weights, I can focus on one muscle group. Isolate to enhance. On the road/trail I'm focused on where my steps are going to land, my breathing, the distance/elevation covered, etc. On the treadmill I can isolate a certain aspect. Tonight's focus was on my feet. I usually run with hard heels, stomping deep into the dirt. But, as I've come to learn, it's much more efficient, in many ways, to run on the balls of your feet. It's how you would run if you were barefoot and how the Tarahumara became responsible for many scientific studies on running.
The Tarahumara are a tribe in Mexico that is world renown for running barefoot for up to 700km in one session. It only makes sense that they have fewer injuries and can run longer distances faster than some of our track starts... they're running properly: we weren't born with shoes on our feet! "Humans have engaged in endurance running for millions of years, but the modern running shoe was not invented until the 1970s." says Daniel Lieberman, et al.
So, with that in mind, I focused tonight on how my foot was landing and what I needed to do to change it. My calves are sore, but my feet feel better! Success!
B'fast this morning was a bowl of raisin bran. I didn't feel like cooking. :) Lunch was another homemade quesadilla, this time I added some Nature's Season, making it explode with flavor! Mmm. Then for dinner was an impromptu stop On The Border for a burrito with Sarah. We were running more errands together and it smelled sooo goooood! It tasted good too! :) And I didn't say "No tomatoes and onions please." Gotta learn to like the healthy stuff.
More work in the morning! That alarm is gonna go off in about 7 hours, time for bed! Good night all!
:-D
Today was spent running. Most of the day it was running errands, finally, about 2100, I went to the gym and ran 5 miles. I've decided that treadmill running is NOT outside running. But I realized while I was running that lifting weights is NOT lifting things. Treadmills, like weights, are tools that you can use to train certain aspects of a job. I lift pts all day, which are heavy and awkward and require my whole body to work in unison. When I lift weights, I can focus on one muscle group. Isolate to enhance. On the road/trail I'm focused on where my steps are going to land, my breathing, the distance/elevation covered, etc. On the treadmill I can isolate a certain aspect. Tonight's focus was on my feet. I usually run with hard heels, stomping deep into the dirt. But, as I've come to learn, it's much more efficient, in many ways, to run on the balls of your feet. It's how you would run if you were barefoot and how the Tarahumara became responsible for many scientific studies on running.
The Tarahumara are a tribe in Mexico that is world renown for running barefoot for up to 700km in one session. It only makes sense that they have fewer injuries and can run longer distances faster than some of our track starts... they're running properly: we weren't born with shoes on our feet! "Humans have engaged in endurance running for millions of years, but the modern running shoe was not invented until the 1970s." says Daniel Lieberman, et al.
So, with that in mind, I focused tonight on how my foot was landing and what I needed to do to change it. My calves are sore, but my feet feel better! Success!
B'fast this morning was a bowl of raisin bran. I didn't feel like cooking. :) Lunch was another homemade quesadilla, this time I added some Nature's Season, making it explode with flavor! Mmm. Then for dinner was an impromptu stop On The Border for a burrito with Sarah. We were running more errands together and it smelled sooo goooood! It tasted good too! :) And I didn't say "No tomatoes and onions please." Gotta learn to like the healthy stuff.
More work in the morning! That alarm is gonna go off in about 7 hours, time for bed! Good night all!
:-D
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Mental health is important too.
January 5 & 6, 2011 - The yin and yang of employment.
First, let me apologize for missing yesterday. The posting form wasn't working and I was too exhausted to wait for it to resolve itself. In retrospect, I could have typed up the post in a word document and then posted it tonight, which is the plan going forward.
Having said that... Let me tell you about my last two days!!! As you may have read on my profile, I work in Healthcare. That's all I'm prepared to say at this time, but as with most jobs in healthcare, I'm on my feet ALL shift. I work 12hr shifts, 0700-1900, which turns into 0630-1930 when all is said and done. I get one half-hour break, which somehow, through some strange loophole I'm sure, doesn't violate any kind of labor laws. Strange, but that's how it's been for over 6 years. Most days are a big mix of nice pts, annoying pts, really sick pts, and pts who aren't really sick at all. I enjoy most aspects of my job and keep in the forefront of my mind that I HAVE a job! It doesn't pay very well and the benefits are pretty good, but the personal satisfaction is great.
Wednesday, though, was an especially busy and hectic day, rife with very sick pts, and thrice as many pts who could have been easily treated over-the-counter. Not to mention my boss breathing down my neck for 10 out of 12 hours! After work it was all I could do to get dinner before crashing (btw, dinner was a homemade quesadilla with mozz cheese, spinach, and chicken in a whole wheat tortilla. Mmmm.). The day was mentally and physically exhausting. Sadly, I did not make it to the gym. I know it's an excuse, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I felt like I had been beaten already, I didn't need it last night too. Double sadly, I crawled into bed exhausted, and couldn't fall asleep!!!! Grrr, I was so angry! What an incredibly lousy day! :(
So this morning, I woke up (before my alarm!) after 4ish hours of sleep, realized that my hair was a mess (yes, it had gotten that long) and decided that the extra 10 minutes of sleep weren't worth it. So I got up, cut my hair (which made me feel better), showered, and headed off to do it again. Luckily today was actually quite nice. I don't feel beaten and I had a few patients that I really connected with. A completely opposite day. The management that was there is always kind and fair and doesn't micro-manage. The patients were mostly sick or injured and did actually need my help, and as I said, a few needed some special attention that I was in a position to provide. I always feel better when I'm able to help people who actually need help. This is personal satisfaction that I was talking about. And to end the night, I went to dinner with a friend and had good conversation over a good meal (I tried to be healthy!) and came home to find a Christmas present in my mailbox from my cousin! A+ day!
So. What have we learned? Yes, there will be bad days. There will always be bad days. And there will be good days. There will always be good days. Remember that plants need sun AND rain to grow. Both too much and not enough of either can be harmful. Life is all about balance. We need the good in our lives, everyone knows that. But we also need those bad days. It's how we grow, how we recognize and come to appreciate the good days.
I didn't make it to the gym tonight, but rest assured that I'll be hitting it hard tomorrow! It's all about balance! ;)
:-D
First, let me apologize for missing yesterday. The posting form wasn't working and I was too exhausted to wait for it to resolve itself. In retrospect, I could have typed up the post in a word document and then posted it tonight, which is the plan going forward.
Having said that... Let me tell you about my last two days!!! As you may have read on my profile, I work in Healthcare. That's all I'm prepared to say at this time, but as with most jobs in healthcare, I'm on my feet ALL shift. I work 12hr shifts, 0700-1900, which turns into 0630-1930 when all is said and done. I get one half-hour break, which somehow, through some strange loophole I'm sure, doesn't violate any kind of labor laws. Strange, but that's how it's been for over 6 years. Most days are a big mix of nice pts, annoying pts, really sick pts, and pts who aren't really sick at all. I enjoy most aspects of my job and keep in the forefront of my mind that I HAVE a job! It doesn't pay very well and the benefits are pretty good, but the personal satisfaction is great.
Wednesday, though, was an especially busy and hectic day, rife with very sick pts, and thrice as many pts who could have been easily treated over-the-counter. Not to mention my boss breathing down my neck for 10 out of 12 hours! After work it was all I could do to get dinner before crashing (btw, dinner was a homemade quesadilla with mozz cheese, spinach, and chicken in a whole wheat tortilla. Mmmm.). The day was mentally and physically exhausting. Sadly, I did not make it to the gym. I know it's an excuse, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I felt like I had been beaten already, I didn't need it last night too. Double sadly, I crawled into bed exhausted, and couldn't fall asleep!!!! Grrr, I was so angry! What an incredibly lousy day! :(
So this morning, I woke up (before my alarm!) after 4ish hours of sleep, realized that my hair was a mess (yes, it had gotten that long) and decided that the extra 10 minutes of sleep weren't worth it. So I got up, cut my hair (which made me feel better), showered, and headed off to do it again. Luckily today was actually quite nice. I don't feel beaten and I had a few patients that I really connected with. A completely opposite day. The management that was there is always kind and fair and doesn't micro-manage. The patients were mostly sick or injured and did actually need my help, and as I said, a few needed some special attention that I was in a position to provide. I always feel better when I'm able to help people who actually need help. This is personal satisfaction that I was talking about. And to end the night, I went to dinner with a friend and had good conversation over a good meal (I tried to be healthy!) and came home to find a Christmas present in my mailbox from my cousin! A+ day!
So. What have we learned? Yes, there will be bad days. There will always be bad days. And there will be good days. There will always be good days. Remember that plants need sun AND rain to grow. Both too much and not enough of either can be harmful. Life is all about balance. We need the good in our lives, everyone knows that. But we also need those bad days. It's how we grow, how we recognize and come to appreciate the good days.
I didn't make it to the gym tonight, but rest assured that I'll be hitting it hard tomorrow! It's all about balance! ;)
:-D
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Use the days you have!
January 4, 2011 - Not wholly wasted.
Sometimes having blackout curtains isn't a good thing. I woke up at 9am, had some cereal, and stayed in bed until I realized it was 13:20!! I had a feeling of "the day is being wasted!" Got dressed, made a shopping list and went to the grocery store. When I got home I had lunch and started playing a video game. "What time is it? 18:00!!" That's right, a whole day, a whole beautiful sun-shining, fairly warm (for January in Georgia) day! Ugggh. I felt SO lazy! I jumped up, put on my workout clothes and headed for the gym...
A thought popped into my head along the way. I would have completely regretted not working out today. Let this be a lesson... It doesn't matter if you don't want to do it right now, you will have wanted to do it later! :) Sort of the opposite lesson of yesterday. Look to the future enough to know that you'll regret not taking full advantage of today. As I said yesterday, "The future will get here sure as the sunrise, use today to prepare for it!" I used to be (still am in many ways) a huge procrastinator. I'm trying to turn that around and say "what good is having a tomorrow if you're gonna waste today? You'll just end up wasting tomorrow too." Because this is what I've found.. I'll get into a pattern of laziness and if I can easily waste one day, before I know it I've wasted a week!
So, my diet was better today, and will be MUCH better tomorrow! For b'fast I had Raisin Bran, Lunch was a homemade egg mcmuffin (whole wheat English muffin, Turkey bacon, and a poached egg), and for dinner, tuna with ramen noodles (don't knock it 'til you've tried it!). I had two protein shakes today and started taking a multivitamin. My muscles felt better, maybe all the protein I've been trying to feed them to heal, or maybe they needed a day in bed. Who knows, but whichever, it works.
My workout tonight was rough. 2000m row, 50 wall balls, 1000m row, 35 wall balls, 500m row, 20 wall balls. For those who don't know, a wall ball is when you use a medicine ball (15lb in my case) held at chest height, do a full squat, and when you come up, toss the ball to a point on a wall 10ft above you and about a meter in front of you. Catch the ball while squatting again and repeat. After that, I ran a short mile on the treadmill. I wasn't trying to get a running workout in. I realized yesterday that I need to work on my running form, so that was the purpose there.
Anyway, now I'm pretty exhausted and get to return to work tomorrow at 0630. Yay! So I'll end the day with this inspirational quote I found from Michael Jordan...
"I've always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don't do things half heartedly because I know if I do, then I can expect half hearted results."
:-D
Sometimes having blackout curtains isn't a good thing. I woke up at 9am, had some cereal, and stayed in bed until I realized it was 13:20!! I had a feeling of "the day is being wasted!" Got dressed, made a shopping list and went to the grocery store. When I got home I had lunch and started playing a video game. "What time is it? 18:00!!" That's right, a whole day, a whole beautiful sun-shining, fairly warm (for January in Georgia) day! Ugggh. I felt SO lazy! I jumped up, put on my workout clothes and headed for the gym...
A thought popped into my head along the way. I would have completely regretted not working out today. Let this be a lesson... It doesn't matter if you don't want to do it right now, you will have wanted to do it later! :) Sort of the opposite lesson of yesterday. Look to the future enough to know that you'll regret not taking full advantage of today. As I said yesterday, "The future will get here sure as the sunrise, use today to prepare for it!" I used to be (still am in many ways) a huge procrastinator. I'm trying to turn that around and say "what good is having a tomorrow if you're gonna waste today? You'll just end up wasting tomorrow too." Because this is what I've found.. I'll get into a pattern of laziness and if I can easily waste one day, before I know it I've wasted a week!
So, my diet was better today, and will be MUCH better tomorrow! For b'fast I had Raisin Bran, Lunch was a homemade egg mcmuffin (whole wheat English muffin, Turkey bacon, and a poached egg), and for dinner, tuna with ramen noodles (don't knock it 'til you've tried it!). I had two protein shakes today and started taking a multivitamin. My muscles felt better, maybe all the protein I've been trying to feed them to heal, or maybe they needed a day in bed. Who knows, but whichever, it works.
My workout tonight was rough. 2000m row, 50 wall balls, 1000m row, 35 wall balls, 500m row, 20 wall balls. For those who don't know, a wall ball is when you use a medicine ball (15lb in my case) held at chest height, do a full squat, and when you come up, toss the ball to a point on a wall 10ft above you and about a meter in front of you. Catch the ball while squatting again and repeat. After that, I ran a short mile on the treadmill. I wasn't trying to get a running workout in. I realized yesterday that I need to work on my running form, so that was the purpose there.
Anyway, now I'm pretty exhausted and get to return to work tomorrow at 0630. Yay! So I'll end the day with this inspirational quote I found from Michael Jordan...
"I've always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don't do things half heartedly because I know if I do, then I can expect half hearted results."
:-D
Monday, January 3, 2011
Key #1: Patience
January 3, 2011 - Day two of...
Ohh... kinda stiff and sore today. You know how on these movies and TV shows, guys are running (sprinting) loaded with gear, uphill, chasing or being chased by bad guys? 1) It's television, not real. 2) They sure as hell didn't get that way overnight! This was the thought running through my head as I was running through the woods. I wonder how long it takes for Special Forces guys to get into the shape necessary to be able to do the things (television says) they do. I don't know the answer, but it's certainly not overnight.
Patience is the key. Well, one of them. Other keys to be discussed later, for today... patience. Don't just think, KNOW that this won't happen quickly. That's why I've given myself 2 years to train. After the first YEAR I may sign up for a marathon. I should be able to get to that point in that amount of time at least. Also, I looked up how much a bike will be... Yikes! But, I have at least a year to save and prepare. There are spin classes at my gym, my roommate has bikes that he's willing to let me borrow.. I can train, but eventually I'll need my own bike. The key: Eventually! Patience!
When looking too far forward, it's very easy to overwhelm yourself. But how far is too far? For now, next month is too far. I need to focus on the daily workouts, and the weekly meal planning. That's all that matters right now. Later, as I always say, can be dealt with later! What's important is that today I got through another workout with Sarah. She pushes, nicely. :) After running to the track, we completed 4 fartleks (jog the turns, sprint the straights)!! That was hard and Sarah smoked me! I'm so proud of her, she's training for her own tournaments. After that, she said "So, how about some strength training?" Uggh.. "Of course!" I said. We did squats, lunges (front and side), push ups, and some ab work. Then it was time to walk home. "You aren't gonna walk that portion of the Ironman, are ya?" Sarah inquires. It was time to run home. :)
My eating was OK today, could be better. Had oatmeal with turkey sausage and flax for b'fast, the last of the left over sloppy joe for lunch, and Barberitos (my FAV!) for dinner. Except for my post-workout protein shake, I didn't have any snacks. That's something I'll be working on since they say you should eat every 2-3hrs. Gotta head to the grocery in the morning. It's hard to plan meals with an empty fridge!
So, as I'm surfing the net (does anybody say that anymore?), my mind is wandering into the future and I have to stop myself! Patience. The future will get here sure as the sunrise, use today to prepare for it!
Even 140.6 miles begins with a single step.
:-D
Ohh... kinda stiff and sore today. You know how on these movies and TV shows, guys are running (sprinting) loaded with gear, uphill, chasing or being chased by bad guys? 1) It's television, not real. 2) They sure as hell didn't get that way overnight! This was the thought running through my head as I was running through the woods. I wonder how long it takes for Special Forces guys to get into the shape necessary to be able to do the things (television says) they do. I don't know the answer, but it's certainly not overnight.
Patience is the key. Well, one of them. Other keys to be discussed later, for today... patience. Don't just think, KNOW that this won't happen quickly. That's why I've given myself 2 years to train. After the first YEAR I may sign up for a marathon. I should be able to get to that point in that amount of time at least. Also, I looked up how much a bike will be... Yikes! But, I have at least a year to save and prepare. There are spin classes at my gym, my roommate has bikes that he's willing to let me borrow.. I can train, but eventually I'll need my own bike. The key: Eventually! Patience!
When looking too far forward, it's very easy to overwhelm yourself. But how far is too far? For now, next month is too far. I need to focus on the daily workouts, and the weekly meal planning. That's all that matters right now. Later, as I always say, can be dealt with later! What's important is that today I got through another workout with Sarah. She pushes, nicely. :) After running to the track, we completed 4 fartleks (jog the turns, sprint the straights)!! That was hard and Sarah smoked me! I'm so proud of her, she's training for her own tournaments. After that, she said "So, how about some strength training?" Uggh.. "Of course!" I said. We did squats, lunges (front and side), push ups, and some ab work. Then it was time to walk home. "You aren't gonna walk that portion of the Ironman, are ya?" Sarah inquires. It was time to run home. :)
My eating was OK today, could be better. Had oatmeal with turkey sausage and flax for b'fast, the last of the left over sloppy joe for lunch, and Barberitos (my FAV!) for dinner. Except for my post-workout protein shake, I didn't have any snacks. That's something I'll be working on since they say you should eat every 2-3hrs. Gotta head to the grocery in the morning. It's hard to plan meals with an empty fridge!
So, as I'm surfing the net (does anybody say that anymore?), my mind is wandering into the future and I have to stop myself! Patience. The future will get here sure as the sunrise, use today to prepare for it!
Even 140.6 miles begins with a single step.
:-D
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Not just a resolution!
January 2, 2011 - The Beginning!
Hello to anyone reading this! I've never blogged before, so I suppose this will be a journey in a few ways. :) It'll be interesting to see how my writing style will change (for I'm sure it will) and any/all suggestions are welcome with open ears and an open mind!
So, what will I be writing about? A friend and I decided a few months ago that we will sign up for and complete the Beach 2 Battleship Ironman Triathlon in 2012. For those who don't know what an Ironman is, prepare to pick your jaw up off the floor... An Iron-distance triathlon consists of a 2.4 Mile Swim, 112 Mile Bike ride, and ending with a full marathon of 26.2 Miles of running. "You GOT to be kidding me!! You're really thinking about doing this?!?!" I hear that a lot, and honestly, it's very motivational. No, I'm not kidding, and when I'm done, Yes I'll be getting a tattoo to commemorate! :) So, this blog will be about my journey of getting in shape, getting motivated, and hopefully keep me on track with this goal.
Why would I consider such an undertaking? When I was in college I had gotten out of shape and decided that the best way to get back into shape and meet some interesting new people would be to join a club team. I researched (as I do with almost everything I do) and found that the UGA Triathlon Team would be the most accommodating to my schedule, attract some very interesting people, and get me in the best shape possible. So in 2006ish I joined the team and certainly fell in love with triathlon! The team leadership was phenomenal! They accepted iron-capable athletes as well as couch potatoes equally and motivated each as they needed to be. Though we were competing individually, we raced together as a team. Coming into the finish line in my first race, with the team (already finished and on the sidelines) cheering me on, was one of the single most motivating experiences of my life.
Once I graduated from college, my triathlon training took a dive. I found that I lacked the self-motivation. A sobering thought. I'm 30 now, about to turn 31, and am back completely out of shape! So, one of my coworkers decided (much like I had) to get back into shape and the best way to do this was through triathlon. He's caught the bug big time, again - much like I had. Seeing his motivation has rekindled the flame in me, and in our discussions, somehow, we decided that we would both be doing the Beach 2 Battleship Ironman! We also decided that, though we had jumped to this conclusion, we would not rush the process and scheduled our race for November of 2012!
Though Jeremiah (that's my friend and coworker that I've been discussing) has been along this journey, and has signed up for a half marathon (Congrats!), I've decided that along with my resolution to change and manage my eating habits, I would take this "new beginning" to begin my journey. My girlfriend, Sarah, motivated me today to go for a long run, complete with some interval training and core work. I have a feeling she will be a valuable asset. More on her later, I'm sure. :)
So, for now, I've officially started! I consider my run/exercise session with Sarah today to be workout number 1. As far as eating... I had a chocolate milk for b'fast (a habit to be changed) and a glass of water and protein shake post workout. Lunch is yet to be determined.. I'll try to include a food log of the previous day on each post (Again, not sure what I'm doing yet, but we'll get there!).
<Insert catchy sign-off phrase>
:-D
Hello to anyone reading this! I've never blogged before, so I suppose this will be a journey in a few ways. :) It'll be interesting to see how my writing style will change (for I'm sure it will) and any/all suggestions are welcome with open ears and an open mind!
So, what will I be writing about? A friend and I decided a few months ago that we will sign up for and complete the Beach 2 Battleship Ironman Triathlon in 2012. For those who don't know what an Ironman is, prepare to pick your jaw up off the floor... An Iron-distance triathlon consists of a 2.4 Mile Swim, 112 Mile Bike ride, and ending with a full marathon of 26.2 Miles of running. "You GOT to be kidding me!! You're really thinking about doing this?!?!" I hear that a lot, and honestly, it's very motivational. No, I'm not kidding, and when I'm done, Yes I'll be getting a tattoo to commemorate! :) So, this blog will be about my journey of getting in shape, getting motivated, and hopefully keep me on track with this goal.
Why would I consider such an undertaking? When I was in college I had gotten out of shape and decided that the best way to get back into shape and meet some interesting new people would be to join a club team. I researched (as I do with almost everything I do) and found that the UGA Triathlon Team would be the most accommodating to my schedule, attract some very interesting people, and get me in the best shape possible. So in 2006ish I joined the team and certainly fell in love with triathlon! The team leadership was phenomenal! They accepted iron-capable athletes as well as couch potatoes equally and motivated each as they needed to be. Though we were competing individually, we raced together as a team. Coming into the finish line in my first race, with the team (already finished and on the sidelines) cheering me on, was one of the single most motivating experiences of my life.
Once I graduated from college, my triathlon training took a dive. I found that I lacked the self-motivation. A sobering thought. I'm 30 now, about to turn 31, and am back completely out of shape! So, one of my coworkers decided (much like I had) to get back into shape and the best way to do this was through triathlon. He's caught the bug big time, again - much like I had. Seeing his motivation has rekindled the flame in me, and in our discussions, somehow, we decided that we would both be doing the Beach 2 Battleship Ironman! We also decided that, though we had jumped to this conclusion, we would not rush the process and scheduled our race for November of 2012!
Though Jeremiah (that's my friend and coworker that I've been discussing) has been along this journey, and has signed up for a half marathon (Congrats!), I've decided that along with my resolution to change and manage my eating habits, I would take this "new beginning" to begin my journey. My girlfriend, Sarah, motivated me today to go for a long run, complete with some interval training and core work. I have a feeling she will be a valuable asset. More on her later, I'm sure. :)
So, for now, I've officially started! I consider my run/exercise session with Sarah today to be workout number 1. As far as eating... I had a chocolate milk for b'fast (a habit to be changed) and a glass of water and protein shake post workout. Lunch is yet to be determined.. I'll try to include a food log of the previous day on each post (Again, not sure what I'm doing yet, but we'll get there!).
<Insert catchy sign-off phrase>
:-D
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