Day 27 - 7 Day Roller Coaster.

I'm sure we have all heard the saying "what goes up, must come down".  This has certainly been the case with me this last 7 days.  One day,  I'm feeling like a million bucks and able to accomplish anything and then I have a week like this last 7 days.

It all started with a blessing from God,  Thomas Judah Roberts was born at 3:47pm 1/13/15.  This 7lbs 2oz  of cuteness inspired Jen and I to drive to Arizona and visit our friends Megan & Spencer.  We took a new route to their house this time around.  Our fun app called Waze, navigated us south from Fallbrook to the I8 freeway which we took virtually the entire way there.  It was an amazing and some what scary drive.  There was high winds and it nearly blew our car off a bridge, but thankfully Jen is a great driver and we didn't end up a flaming pile of rubble at the bottom of a canyon.  Upon arrival,  Spencer warned us both that he had been sick and he was on Antibiotics.   Honestly,  I was pretty careless here and I gave him a hug anyways.  I have not been sick in a long time and a lot of people around me have been sick and I have yet to catch anything.  I figured I was immune to it, and I ignored Spencer's several warnings.   We had an absolute blast with the Roberts.  To boot, his parents were there, whom are just really awesome people and Little Judah was so adorable.  

Now as I've said before,  I'm doing the paleo diet.  This means I have to stay away from things like delicious home made chocolate chip cookies.  The Roberts are great hosts and have amazing hospitality,  and here I log what I now call the "Sugar Incident".  I've been doing paleo for about a week at that point and I had been doing pretty good.  But I cracked and had one of those tasty cookies which ended up being so good that I became the poster boy for Pringles; "Once you pop, you can't stop".  I had so many cookies,  and then I polished it off with a piece of Spenser surprise birthday cake.  I was so happy to be there and see them, that I pretty much ate my feelings.

So the trip was amazing and I was completely off the rails.  I didn't run on Sunday,  but that was good because I needed as much rest for CrossFit on Monday night.  

I hit up CrossFit on Monday and the exercise of the day was called "Karen" which were 150 ball walls.  Honestly, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  Our warm-up consisted of the standard stretching, running, butt kickers, knee highs and a solid lesson on how to jump rope.   After our warm-up,  we got a short training on what a ball wall was, and it didn't seem so bad.  It's a very simple move,  which involved a medicine ball.  I probably picked one that was too heavy for me, I started with a 14 pound ball.   Above each station, there was a bulls eye target about 10 feet high and it was about the size of a dart board.  The objective is to throw the ball and hit the target, then catch the ball and take it into a full squat.  That seemed pretty easy,  but let me tell you it wasn't.  I chose to split up my reps in 10 sets of 15.  This means that I had to throw and catch the ball 15 times to complete one set and then rest.   After two sets,  my heart was racing so fast that I thought it was going to jump right out of my chest.  Just forget anything about my muscles,  I could barely breath.  I remember standing up and I could feel the vein in my neck pulsing in such a bulbous fashion that I thought someone was going to point at me and say,  "someone help that guy, he is going to pop".  That was after two sets!  I kept pressing on and with each set, it became more and more difficult to keep any sort of form.  By the time I got to the 8th set I could barely even throw the ball, let alone breathe.  This was also one of the most embarrassing and Inspiring CrossFit sessions ever, because I quickly realized that I was the only one left doing them.  Everyone else had completed theirs and I became that guy that everyone was cheering on to cross the finish line.   I did it and the crowd went wild!  Ha!  And then, I thought I was going to die of a heart attack.  My heart was pounding in my chest so hard and it took me about 10 minutes to get back to a normal breathing state.   It was completely brutal and I have been seriously wondering if CrossFit is too advanced for me.  I shook that thought out of my head as quick as I could and really tried to focus on my goal, which is to get fit for my party.

Now,  one small detail that I have not said yet, was that Monday morning I woke up with a very minor and slight sore throat and I thought that perhaps it was because of my snoring.  I do snore, very loudly, kind of like a bear in hibernation and sometimes that leads to a sore throat so I really didn't think anything of it.   By Tuesday,  my sore throat turned into a more severe problem, and I called into work and by later that evening I was running a 99+ temperature.   I quickly jumped on to the meds.  I started to take everything we had in the arsenal.  DayQuil,  NyQuil, Advil,  you name it I was trying to gun this thing down before It took me out.   By Wednesday,  I was completely sick, with a 103.8 temperature, a cough that would last forever and I had to make the visit to the doctor.   Apparently, I had caught exactly what Spencer had warned me about and I have been paying the price ever since.  So this is primarily the reason I have not been blogging the last few days.  I've been in my own ICU at home.  Jen is so wonderful and has taken care of me.

Now those that know me, know that I'm a tough cookie.  I can take a beating, and keep on ticking.  But when it comes to being sick, I'm the biggest baby in the world.  I completely revert to a pre-teen 8 year old boy and I can't seem to do anything for myself.  Thankfully I have a loving wife whom tolerates the rare occasion that I get sick and she has nursed me back to heath.


Tomorrow's Goal.

Now that I'm feeling better, I am going to try for a short 1 mile run tomorrow.  Hopefully It is not too bad and I can build back up over the next couple days to get back into CrossFit.  I'm definitely not going to be 100% .  However, I'll do CrossFit if I can hit 2.8 miles by mid week.  One mile is a only running to the end of my street and back.  So it's time to get back on the road,  I have a lot of catching up to do if I'm going to make my goal.


So today, I'm going to continue to get my rest.  I'm still only at about 75% and I have a cough that kills.  The good news is that my muscles are all healed up and I don't have any fever anymore.  So tomorrow should be an interesting run.

Life is sure a roller coaster, and I just took the plummet going 100 miles an hour.  I will not give up and I will be back on track in no time at all!  I still have a month to hit my goal.  I'm down 11 lbs and I definitely feel like I'm getting there.  I just have to stick with it!

Day 19 & 20 - An Adventure and a Bizarre run

Sometimes life has a way of preventing your plans no matter what you do.  Yesterday was a case of just that.  I had originally planned to get up at 5:00 in the morning and do CrossFit, which would have been the first time I had done CrossFit two days in a row.  However, I didn't set my alarm and neither did Jen.  A couple days ago, Jen left her Job and while I support her 100%,  I miss my 5:00 am alarm clock.  "Mister, wake up Mister", best alarm clock ever!   So I didn't get to do CrossFit, and realistically I blame myself more that life for that one.  What comes next is a full day of work at Buzztime.com and that doesn't leave any room for exercise.  I supose I could go run on my lunch, but I didn't prepare for that so I don't have the proper gear.  Maybe something I should do in the future is bring some cloths to work for a short lunch workout.  Never the less, that didn't happen yesterday and I was hoping to make CrossFit the first thing I do right when I get off of work.

My job is not very demanding,  in fact it is by far the best place I've ever worked.  However, when a job needs to get done, you have to suck it up and get it done even if that means ruining your after hours plans.  That was the case yesterday as I had a fairly important project to complete and if I didn't get it done it would have seriously impacted Buzztime's schedule for launching our next game title.  So I had to again modify my plan,  I was going to hit up the 5:00 pm CrossFit session, and now I had to do the 6:00 one.

For several months now, we've promised a couple of our closest friends that we would look after their car for a few months while they were on work contract in New York.  My friend is Brock Boyts and if you just feel like enjoying about 10 minutes of your life, I would highly advise to go check out his website (http://brockoli.com/).  We were expecting Brock and Nellie to drop off the car today at 6:30 pm and so that pretty much ruled out CrossFit for today.  However, I figured that I could run and arguably exercise is exercise.

Life loves to throw curve balls at you at high speeds,  and I'm normally pretty good at knocking them out of the park.  Yesterday not so much,  I could not seem to catch a break.  No matter how much I prioritized what I wanted to do, something else was just more important and sometimes that is just how it is.  Yesterday,  my friends needed my help and they were struggling and that, in my book, is reason enough to put my needs on hold for the rest of the day.  We ended up driving to Orange County and meeting up with them.

Let me tell you right now,  it was so worth it.  I got to meet Layla, Brock and Nellie's newest addition to the family, and she was so adorable.  Children just strike my heart with a spear, and make it ooze love.  She was such a fantastic personality to meet and I was truly thankful and blessed to have had the chance to meet her before Brock and the family headed back east.

So no exercise yesterday, but what an adventure I had!

Today was a much different story, and it all started with Jen telling me that I was virtually impossible to wake up.  Ya see we didn't get home until midnight and I was literally dead tired.  But running was my priority and with solid motivation and Jen's ultimatum "get up or else" I hopped out of bed and got suited up for a run.


Today's Goal.

Today I'm going on my typical run.  I've set my goal to do a 1.6 mile run, but I need to change it up a bit.  So I decided that instead of just doing the same ole jog there and back that I was going to do a light jog there and really press hard to a achieve a full speed run on the way back.  So .8 miles at a full run speed should get my heart pumping pretty good and give me a fantastic workout.






Today's Progress.

Today's run was one of the best run's I have had yet and it was also one of the most bizarre.  Immediately when I stepped out of my house, I could feel that is wasn't cold.  In fact, it kind of felt like I was standing next to a space heater and there was a slight wind that was blowing this warm air upon my face.  This was not very typical and I was expecting a nice chilling 59 degrees to run in.  So I am heading towards the end of my street and as soon as I hit the end and turned onto Dulin Rd, I could feel a temperature drop of what felt about 30 degrees.  This drop was paired with a wind that immediately stunk my face with pins and needles of cold.  The strange thing was that it was completely out of the blue, and it's not like it felt windy out or anything.  The temperature difference was this strange anomaly during my run and by the time I passed the bridge, the next wave of this anomaly happened; bam' warm again.   This hot and cold anomaly lasted my entire run, and it was trippin me out.

I got to the end of Dulin Rd, and took a moment to get a good stretch going.  I have grown to love that after warm-up burn,  and so this has become part of my running routine.  I started to head back and as I was running, I was focusing on running technique.  Thinking back to my Track and Field days from high school, I remembered all the things my coach taught us.  I put the knowledge to good use and started to pick up speed until I was at a full speed run.  I was really working on my stride, so that I could cover more ground with each step and about half way back down the street I could really feel the burn in pretty much every muscle of my legs.  I was pushing pretty hard, but I could totally handle it.

Now being half way down the street it was time to do a systems check.   I don't want to overload, or burn out too fast so making sure I am keeping to solid running techniques is important.  Arms pumping and elbows in, check.  I checked that I was rolling from heel to toe with every jarring step and most importantly that I was managing my breathing properly.

I was 100% and going strong and it wasn't before long that I came across another runner.  I put out my arm and give her a big thumbs up and held it there long enough for her to see.  I know this always was encouraging to me when I saw another runner and I wanted to give her a thumbs up so maybe that was what she might have needed to keep it going strong.   Shortly after, I hit my driveway with pride.  A strong finish, and I was feeling great!  Best run ever and certainly the most bizarre.

Day 17 & 18 - Priorities

Here I lay in my bed, the lights are on but nobody's home.  Jen's soft voice slowly registers, "are you going to get up? or am I going to have to snooze my alarm".   As I lay there, I am having a very serious debate with myself.   If I get up now, and go do CrossFit again then I'll be able to get to work early and get off early.  Why was I getting off early?  That fact escapes me,  so I think of another scenario.  I could fall back asleep and get up in two or three more hours, since it's 4:30 a.m., and then go to work and leave on time.  Hrm,  that is a real tough one, oh wait, then I can do CrossFit at 5 or 6 tonight.  Yeah, that sounds good.  Awh crap, I knew there was a reason I needed to get off early.  I can't do CrossFit at 5 or 6, because I have to be in Orange County by 6:30 pm to meet up with a colleague.   We'll that screws up that plan,  okay, okay,  I'm getting up..

Yesterday, I barely moved a muscle all day long,  I didn't get up.  I called into work sick.  My boss is literally the coolest person in the world, besides me, and I am comfortable telling him that I killed myself doing CrossFit and I'm not feeling like I can make it into work.   And like the awesome boss he is, he laughed at my expense, made fun of me a bit and then said get some rest and see you tomorrow.  Now while this was okay with him,  it's not okay.  I convinced myself that I needed to rest because I couldn't get out of bed.  While the rest was nice,  no really it was amazingly nice,  it really wasn't the right thing to do.  Actually yesterday afternoon when I was feeling a bit better I looked up muscle recovery online and it turns out I did, literally, the worst possible thing I could do for my body in this situation.  I should have been active, and moving my muscles to avoid scar tissue build up.  Lots of stretching, and if I had gone to work and just toughed it out, then I would have healed a lot faster and felt a lot better.   Lesson learned.

The bigger lesson is priorities,  this morning I was reminded of this because I have a lot of things on my plate.  My priorities influenced my decision to get out of bed and and get CrossFit in before my day started, because I kinda have a dousey of a day.   I was reminded laying there, that CrossFit is a priority in my life, and that is why I am making time for it.  I'm sacrificing for what I feel needs to be a priority.  My fitness and health has become a priority in my life, and this helped my decision making process.  I used to make that same excuse over and over again.  "I don't have time ...",  but that excuse doesn't really mean I don't have time to do something, it means this action or task is not a priority to me and I have better things to do with my time, like sit on the cough, eating potato chips and watching my favorite show The Flash.  

So now that I have that sorted out, I kind of feel better that I got off my pair of butt cheeks and made it this morning to CrossFit for Day 2.  It's also made me think, that maybe there are some other things in my life that I need to make more a priority as well so I'll mull that over during my workout.

Today's Goal.

Today's goal is to get a grip on my priorities, and get through CrossFit today.  I really need to suck it up because I'm hurting pretty bad, and just about everywhere.  But I can do it,  No pain, no gain right?  

Today's Progress.

We'll I'm going to keep this part a bit short, since I'm writing this during office hours.  But I wanted to share with you, how wonderful it felt to just show up to CrossFit at 5:30 a.m. and show that it was a priority for me.  Was it hard,  hell yeah it was.  Again it totally kicked my butt!  But I'll spare you the details since I"m a bit short on time.

Now, I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  I'm a pretty religious guy.  I'm a believer.  I pray before I eat, and I used to go to church every Sunday.  Yep, I'm sure you caught that.  I "used to" go to church.  I have been pulling the same, I don't have time excuse every Sunday and since I've had a moment of clarity today I've realized that I just have not been making God a priority in my life.  So that needs to change.  I also have some work stuff that I need to re-prioritize as well,  and all this had come to me while sweat was pouring out of me like a water fountain.  

So today, I got a little exercise in, I did some soul searching and I realized that priorities are what is most important in my life right now.  Not bad for a day's work, and I still have a whole day to go!

Day 14 - 16 - CrossFit: A new beginning.

So I received a text from my Grandpa and he says.  "Are you Ok?".  "I haven't seen a blog post from you since Saturday",  which was my Day 13 post.   The truth of the matter is that a little bit of crazy had taken over my life these past couple days.   First of all, I picked up Micah from LA and he changed his flight from leaving Sunday to leaving this morning at 6:45 am from San Diego International.   It was great to have him here and we had some great laughs and hung out.  So pretty much Sunday became another rest day which worked out perfectly.  Also on Sunday I called CrossFit TOV of San Marcos and scheduled me to come in on Monday (yesterday) at 5:30 am and signup.  So that is why it was good that I rested.  I wanted to be at full health in order to do what most people call the most insanely intense workout they have ever done.  Most that I've talked to about CrossFit have stated that the workout simply "kicks your butt" and to be quite frank that scared me a little.  So I decided that having an extra day to rest was just what I needed.

As usual, Fun-day Monday came around and it was 4:45 am and the only movement that my body was willing to make was a swift motion, and a slight roll to my side, in order to turn my alarm off.  Before long, the "oh S@#!" I am going to be late became the motivation to get out of bed and try to make it to the CrossFit.  I ended up being 30 minutes late and it was too late to join the class.  However, I had a great chat with Jason the lead trainer there and he got me pretty pumped up and I signed up right there and then.  Luckily there was quite a few classes yesterday and I knew that I could go to work and hit CrossFit on my way home. To add to the extreme satisfaction of signing up,  I got in on a great promotion that works perfect with my goals; $99 a month for 3 months.  I'm all in!

I was going to try and make the 5:00 session, and since I was up so early and already close to my work, I had gone in early so that I could get off work a bit early as well.  That plan got trumped by Jen because she wanted to go Grocery shopping at the Trader Joe's near our work at 4:00.  I was okay with this mostly because I knew they had a 6:00 class and Jason had said that I can come at any three of those times( 4, 5 or 6).   So we hit Trader Joe's at 4:15 and I got to CrossFit at 5:30.   I was 30 minutes early and it was kind of refreshing not to be running late for once.

Yesterday's Goal.

I think that it is safe to say that my goal for yesterday was to just not die. Ha!  For real though,  I think my goal was to do the very best I could at CrossFit and commit 110%.  After all I committed to this already and I've paid for it, so I best give it my all.


Yesterday's Progress.

I'm at CrossFit and I don't have to check in or anything, but I quickly notice the current CrossFit session that is being wrapped up.  There are people doing push-up's while doing a handstand.  I couldn't help but to think that there is no way I am going to be able to do that.  I can barely do a regular push-up, and I am up to a whopping 10 push-ups a day from doing them every morning before, and sometimes after, I run.  This is pretty intimidating, and I am hoping they are not going to ask me to do that.  I guess they would all get a pretty good laugh if they saw me attempt one of those.  I couldn't help but to think of what a disaster idea this was and maybe I should bolt out the door now while I had the chance.   That chance quickly fled, because Jason's (wife i think?) struck up a conversation with me and put my mind at ease.  She told me that most likely I wouldn't have to start with that, and that they would show me the proper workout that was right for me.  Few;  I felt like I just dodged a bullet there.

The session ended and a few new people arrived.  Now imagine if you will,  the CrossFit building I'm in is not like an ordinary Gym.  This looked like an old car repair garage, in the back there were two garage doors that were opened up and where normally a repair shop would be, there was what looked like some sort of obstacle course.  There were bars to do pull-up's and from those bars there were ropes and rings attached to ropes.  It kinda reminded me a little bit of a playground when I was a kid.  This isn't a gym, this is somewhere I would go for recess.

Let me tell you right now, I was wrong; ever so wrong!  The first thing we did was warm up by running around the building.  Now, I know I can do this, I've been running up to 2.8 miles for the last two weeks.  So I kept up with the cool kids and had a good run around the building.  Then we did some strange running exercises,  like running and bringing your knees as high as you can.  I'm sure there is a name for it, which I just can't think of right now.  On the way back, we did what they call "butt kickers" where you try to kick your own butt with each step while your running.  This stuff wasn't so hard.  But I knew from what I've already seen that the worst was yet to come.  We finished up the warm-up and dove right into learning how to pickup a dumbbell for doing squats.  While everyone else was doing heavy weight, Jason took some personal time with me to show and train me in the correct form of how to pick it up.  It wasn't a lot of weight, but the 10 lbs + the training bar was more than enough to make my quads burn.   We were doing this over and over again, and just when I thought we were done with it; we weren't.  By the time we were done, I could barely stand on my own two legs.  Like an infomercial;  "but wait there's more"  we now start the real workout.  huh? what?

Next up is Cindy or Mindy,  and those were not the names of two hot chicks in the gym either.  Each name represented a list on a white dry erase board.  Each list had a set of tasks.  Cindy was for beginners and Mindy was for more advanced CrossFit'ers.  On Cindy's list, was 5 pull-up's, 10 push-up's and 15 air squats with arms extended forward.  You might think that doesn't sound too bad,  but I had to repeat this over and over again for 20 minutes.

I choose to use the rings for pull-ups because I tried to do a single pull-up using the bars and I couldn't manage to pull myself up even once.  The rings were far easier to do, so I did that with pride.  Next up was my first set of push-up's, I know I can do 10 because I've done that before.  So down to the floor I went and knocked out 10 perfect push-ups.  The air squats were much easier than I thought considering that my legs were jello at this point and I did 15 with no problem.   Before we started, they gave us some chalk to mark on the floor for each set that we complete and I proudly marked my first set.  I repeated this routine a second time,  but by the time I got to the third time, I could not do anymore push-ups.   Push-up's quickly became my arch-nemesis,  and I would do one and collapse on the floor.  Face plant!  It took every thing I had to not give up, and I kept at it with each attempt being a complete and utter failure.  I just couldn't lift the weight of my body any more.  My muscles were completely fatigued.  So I sat there and rested for a second or two and then had at it again.  Each attempt, I maybe got 1 more closer to the 10 until all 10 were completed.  Then a refreshing air squat which seemed to be the easiest of all three exercises.   But air squats didn't solve my problem and before long I was back to doing push-ups.  I kept waiting for Jason to come tap me on the shoulder and tell me that I can skip the push-ups because what was a perfect push-up became what looked like someone just threw a rag-doll on the floor.  He finally came over and instead of telling me to move on to squats, he said you can modify them and do push-ups from my knees (ya, the girly ones).   The funny thing is that didn't help at all.  I could do like two of those and it wasn't very long before I couldn't do even one more of those either.

Now I'm pretty tough,  and I just stuck it out.  I knocked out those push-up's one by one for twenty minutes and I am proud, and slightly astonished, that I completed 7 sets.   It was a lot of pain, and a little embarrassing, but I did it!  I am a CrossFit'er now!

I have to say, it was literally the best workout of my life.  The people there are so motivating, and everyone that was there would come up to me and tell me that I'm doing good and to keep it up.   I didn't know, or at least I didn't understand, what CrossFit was all about.  Now that I do, I am hooked! I'm going to look damn good in my Green Lantern costume and I am confident that with a combo of running, CrossFit and a solid diet that I will hit my goal with no problem.

As for today,  I'm resting because I hurt in places that I didn't know existed.  My muscles are so tight I feel like the incredible hulk is ready to burst out at any moment.  I don't exactly know what my schedule is going to be, but I am pretty sure that I will be trying to do CrossFit as many days a week as I possibly can.

So as you can see, I didn't give up.  I am doing okay Grandpa!   And I am proud to say that I completed day one of CrossFit.   It is a new beginning!

Day 13 - A moment to remember

Day 10 I had an injury to my calf, Day 11 I pushed on when I shouldn't have and Day 12 I rested and learned some valuable lessons.   Today I got back on the horse and hit the streets and while it feels nice to be back, it has been a really tough morning.   

Yesterday,  a really good friend of mine (Micah) from Jacksonville Florida had flown out to Cali.  He had already been here for a day and had already had his big important meetings.  But he told me he was actually going to be in town for the entire weekend.  I found this to be a really good time to get a chance to hangout out with him so I offered to go pick him up from Los Angles.   Now LA is no small trip.  From where I live in Fallbrook, it is about 2 or slightly more hours away.  It is a shorter drive from where I work, so when I got off work yesterday I made the hike up to get him.  Wow, was that a long drive!  It was virtually bumper to bumper traffic almost the entire way there.  For those that know me well,  you know how much I love to drive in traffic.  For those that don't, let me fill you in.  I hate it with a passion!  No one likes, it,  but as Jack Nicholson says in "As Good As it Gets".   "I'm using the word HATE, to describe how I feel about ..."  Traffic!  Ha!   The way back was no different, and it literally took us about 3 hours and change to get back to Fallbrook.   Driving is just exhausting,  and it totally wipes me out for sure.  When we got back home, we took a little break, but Jen, Micah and myself were starving and since I have not started my meal plan yet, I really have not eaten anything virtually all day.   So we headed over to Pala Casino to get some food from the buffet.  Pala is only 5 minutes away and we chowed down like pigs eating from a trough.   We gobbled down everything we could and decided to play a little bit o black jack while we were there.   

Now I'm a strong believer that no one really wins at Casino's,  and I accept that over the long run the house always wins.  So when I gamble, it's more for the entertainment value and I'm prepared to spend $40 - 60 bucks just having some fun.  Since it was a Friday night and Pala was packed,  there were only $10 tables so my forty bucks lasted a whole 4 hands.  Ha!  Yeah it was very short lived.  Lucky for us we knew of another casino down the road a bit further that had $3 black jack, and we decided to go there.  At least, we could last a bit longer.   This was such a good idea,  because we ended up playing there for about 3 hours and we walked away even!   And that is exactly why I love $3 black jack.   I played, had a tun of fun and didn't loose a cent.

Nothing good goes unpunished, it seemed like, this morning.  We got home about 2:00 am and when I woke up at 10:30 this morning I felt like a truck ran me over.  But that truck driver didn't just run me over, he threw that puppy in reverse and hit me again just for good measure.  So needless to say, my motivation for doing any sort of exercise today was nil.   I would be lucky if I got enough motivation to get out of bed and really the only thing that got me up was that I had guests in the house.

There is just a point at which I recognize that I'm just making excuse after excuse why not to do something.  It is at that point in which I need to just slap myself across the face and suck it up.  So I suited up for my run and remembered what my goal is and that I am committed to getting there.

Today's Goal.

Today's goal is quite simple.  I'm back on the train, but I need to work my way back up to the 2.8 miles I was at before.  I'm all healed up now, so I should be able to start with 1.6 miles and then work my way up to 2.8.  Now I know I could just do the 2.8,  I've done it before.  However, while my calf feels fine right now, I am unsure of how it will hold up against the vicious road.  So I'm playing it safe to avoid re-injury.   

Today's Progress.

By the time I got out onto the street,  the sun was already heating up the world.  I quickly realized that this it going to be very different than my usual.  It's not cold out at all,  it's actually quite warm and I'm not use to running in warm weather.   Never the less,  I hit the pavement running and I quickly made it to Dulin Rd.   Breathing wise, it seems like I'm doing fine, but I can tell I was not healed up as much as I thought.  As I suspected,  there was still a little bit of pain in my calf, but what I was not expecting was the burn that was singeing my quads.  I had only run .8 miles and I was shocked.  I felt like my body regressed during my day of rest.  I had to do something, and I shook my head to get the negativity out.  No pain, no gain is what I tell myself.  Every run is different, and I press on to the end of Dulin Rd where it meets back up with Lake Circle Dr.    

I'm half way there, but I also know I've only won half the battle.  The way back is always the toughest part and I'm hurting.  Even my breathing was hurting quite a bit, and I couldn't help to think that running when it was warmer out was definitely making a big impact on today's run.  

As I turn the corner, and head back toward my home on Lake Circle dr, I saw the most amazing thing.  In fact it was so amazing that it completely distracted me from my struggles.  There was a mother and her son kneeling in the grass just across from each other.  I couldn't help but to examine what they were doing.  And then it happened,  she tossed a softball to him, and started to explain how to throw a ball properly.  Call me sentimental,  but it was such a beautiful thing to see.  A mother teaching her son.  A mother spending time with her boy.  The thought of it all touched my mind as I was running down the street,  and before I knew it, I was on the home stretch.   Life has a way to get you through the tough times and sometimes all it takes is to look at something beautiful to get you through the tough times.   Today a mother teaching her son did that for me, a moment I will not forget.

Day 12 - Eat my pride and rest.

These past 11 days have taught me some invaluable lessons.  I think the first major lesson that I learned is that a solid can-do attitude can help you overcome mental issues that revolve around motivation.  My will power has kept me strong so that I can push forward each day.

The second lesson that I learned is that my pride was doing more damage than good.  I thought that I knew what was best for my body, I thought if I run every day for 60 days that it was the key to being fit and getting in good shape.  Despite all the warning signs,  I pushed forward and I didn't listen to my body, nor my friends and family whom have been telling me for a few days now that I need to have breaks.  I need time for my body to mend so that I can push forward.  My pride got in the way and next thing I know, I have a calf injury.   So even though my calf is feeling quite a bit better today,  I decided to listen to the lessons being taught and give myself a day to recover.

Another lesson that I've learned is that just running, for me, is not going to be enough to reach my goal.   I was at 193 lbs and now I'm at 195 lbs.  I know that weight fluctuates,  but I was 193 a few days ago and I was feeling good about that.  I am going to need not only a solid running plan, but a workout to build upper body strength as well I need a diet that will feed the body the proper nutrients.

My pride has been getting in my own way,  but no more.  I'm putting that all down starting today and I'm going to be smart about my fitness program.

Today's Goal.

I just love this logo I found on Google images.

Today's goal, is to take a break and learn more about the right fitness and diet plans.   There are so many to choose from so today I'm going to power search my way through Google and find what I like and what I think is going to be the best fit for my objective.









Today's Progress.

So the first thing that I did was search Google for "Diet programs that work well with fitness".  As I suspected, there are going to be a million and one "Fastest way to loose weight" dieting plans and I'm going to have to sift though the bologna to find the right one.

One of the first few results on Google, and you might have guessed this is Jillian Michaels.  I'm a fan of hers,  so naturally I like anything that she does.  I've tried a few of her workout videos in the past, and frankly back then I couldn't get past the warm-up.  So I  scoured her site for a little while looking for some sort of Meal plan.  The problem with Jillian Michaels is that it is so commercialized that everything costs money.  If you want to learn how to eat right, then you better get your credit card out.  So I've abandoned her site for now and I'm going to move on.  I'm sure there is a tun of solid information out there that doesn't require my credit card.

So I found something interesting in my search.  Ryan Reynolds workout:  The 6-pack diet plan.  Ha!  Mr. Green Lantern himself is going to show me how to get fit.  This is gunna be good!  So far, I like what I'm reading, and there are a few sub links to go over like  The Paleo Diet for Athletes, so I'm going to check that out.  After a bit of research on the Paleo Diet, it actaully seems pretty cool.  They call it the caveman diet, because it's focused around not eating processed foods.  That can't be bad at all, in fact Jen and I often talk and do try to eat more organic.  Paleo is more than just that,  it's also about doing other fitness activities as well as eating lean meats and veggies.  While I couldn't seem to find any free resources for this,  it might be something I want to invest 24.99 for the book that spells it out for you.   In Ryan's interview article he talks about what he eats and it sounds easy enough.  I really like what the article says here.

Eat More
"I attribute my results mostly to nutrition," Reynolds says. (See "What He Eats," below, for a sample menu.) He ate every 2 to 3 hours to burn more fat. "Your body doesn't need to store fat for energy if you're feeding it all the time," explains Bobby Strom, Reynolds's Los Angeles-based trainer.

WHAT HE EATS

Breakfast
2 eggs, some "good" fat like a spoon of almond butter or slice of avocado, and 1 cup of oatmeal with applesauce

Midmorning Snack
protein bar

Lunch
albacore tuna wrap or chicken and salad

Midafternoon Snack
protein shake (whey and water), protein bar, or apple and almonds

Dinner
broiled fish or chicken, brown rice, vegetables, and salad

Evening
Snack protein shake

I definitely think this is something I could do.  As of right now, I rarely eat breakfast,  I don't eat all day and then I eat a big meal when I get home.  So this is going to take some adjustment for me.

Of all the different diets that I looked at while searching Google, South Beach, Low Carb, No Carb (atkins),  This Paleo Diet seems like the right choice and I'm going to give it a shot.

Jen is doing the "isagenix" diet starting tomorrow.  She got the kit and everything and it looks pretty amazing.  But I'm a caveman at heart and I'm going to give this a try first.

As for the workout routine,  I'm now looking into something called cross fit.  It was mentioned in a video that I watched while researching about Paleo, and I have a few friends that have gone to a crossfit gym.  So I'm definitely interested.   I haven't got the perfect plan,  I love running now so I'm definitely going to stick with that, but I'm going to have to limit that to 3-4 days a week so I can fit in some of these other fitness routines.

Lessons learned, and I'm swallowing my pride and taking the advice that has been given.  Rest is good for the body!

Day 11 - Injured, but I'm not going to cry about it. Get out there and run!

Yesterday, I ran to the Mobile AM/PM again and I made it for the second time.  I've been pushing myself pretty hard for the last 10 days, but I guess I found my limit.  After yesterday's run,  my calves were killing me.  They hurt before the run,  but this was different.  Now I'm not exactly sure what happened,  but as I was walking down my stairs yesterday morning, I felt a really sharp pain on or maybe a half inch below my calf.   As yesterday progressed, so did the pain and I figured that maybe a little bit of ibuprofen would help the issue.   It did a little, but clearly there was something wrong.

This morning I woke up and I thought I should take it a bit easy.  Maybe run and not push myself to the extreme.  My calf was feeling better,  but I knew the pain was still there.   As I got ready,  the pain was slowly starting to return.  It makes sense really,  I'm walking around and I'm putting weight on it.

I don't want to stop running,  but I also don't want to turn this minor injury into something more.  As I proceed to get suited up,  I was thinking that If i can map a route that is a bit more flat that just maybe I can salvage this day and still make the best effort I can.   I'm not giving up and I'm certainly not going to let a little pain in my calf stop me from achieving my goal.

Today's Goal.

I hopped on my phone and started to map our a route on Waze.  Waze is a nifty app similar to Google maps.  I pretty much use it for any of my mapping needs.  So I found a route that takes me around my community and it since I know my area, I know that it is a pretty flat run.  My goal today is to take it easy,  and run half of yesterday's run.   I hate regression,  but I have to do what is right for my body, and my body is screaming at me right now.  So 1.6 miles seems reasonable and hopefully my calf can take it.  Worst case scenario is that I have to walk a little if the pain is unbearable.





Today's Progress.

I know that this is going to be a tough run,  I hit the streets already with a weary mindset and I'm hoping that I'm not going to have any problems.   I head to the end of my street and while there is pain it is not too bad.  I have yet to have the sharp pain that I had yesterday so things are looking pretty good.

As I turned the corner, and I head the opposite direction of where I normally run.  I guess a change in scenery is nice.  As I'm jogging down Dulin Rd,  there are people out on the street.  It was kinda weird and creepy,  but they were probably just waiting for a ride to work or something.  So I just ignore it and press on.

Now I don't know what genius thought up the street names around my community, but his / her creativity or lack there of, is astounding!  In order for me to get back home,  I have to make a right off of Dulin Rd onto  Lake Circle Dr.   As I approach the first street,  I look at the sign and I see Lake Circle,  so naturally I think I'm there.  But when I turn the corner I've noticed that it is a cul de sac.   Huh?  Yeah,  this was Lake Circle Pl,  so I push on to the next street.  Oh look,  Lake Circle again except this one is called Lake Circle Ct. Genius!  You would think that civil engineers would be smarter people.   So as I was running I took note of any street off of Lake Circle Dr and it appears that any street that goes inward from my street is also called  Lake Circle XX (eg.  ln, ct, rd, ave, pl ..).    So confusing.

Anyways,  I made it home okay,  I ran 1.6 miles.  I had a few sharp pain incidents along the way,  but it wasn't anything serious.  I do think that I might have to moderately build up to the 2.8 miles again.  I will use this route to strengthen my leg up and I should hopefully be back to my 2.8 miles by the end of the week.

I feel that the important thing here is that I didn't give up on myself.  My will is strong,  and I'm proud that I made the effort to get out there and try instead of just sitting at home and crying about my injured calf.  

Day 10 - Inspire you? You inspire me!

I love that soft whisper of my wife's voice every morning to get my day started.  Today was no different,  and yet again it took a while for my body to feel lively enough to get out of bed.  The main difference is that I was attacked by a bear.  As I lay in my bed,  I closed my eyes, for what seemed like only seconds, and my next waking moment was being shook, and smothered with hugs and kisses by Jen.  Okay,  okay,  So I wasn't attacked by a bear, it was Jen but it might as well have been a bear because it scared the bejeezus out of me.   I wish I could tell you that her tactics today were enough to get me out of bed,  but it seems like I was crazy glued there and really the only thing that got me up was the time on the alarm clock, which threatened my schedule.   Get up "Marco" or else!

Every morning is a struggle at 5:00 - 5:30 A.M.  I honestly don't know how Jen does it.  It is probably attributed to the fact that she went to sleep at 8:00 PM and I went to sleep at 11:11 PM.   Never the less, I was up and did my usual walk in circles until my brain figured out that I need underpants, sweats, a shirt and some socks.   All suited up now, and ready to run!

Mobile AM/PM just seems so far away at 5:30 in the morning.  To add to the mental struggle, I couldn't think of anything solid to write about this morning.  I already had achieved my goal of making it there, so what's next?   As you can imagine brainstorming with zombie brains is not the easiest thing to do, but then I realized that my goal was not to get to the Mobile AM/PM.  The goal was to get fit enough to look great in my Green Lantern costume.  That is the real goal.   When I look in the mirror,  I still see a fat old man and this means I got some work to do.

Running is great, it is a great way to get the cardiovascular workout that I need.  It also helps with slimming up.  Just doing that for 10 days is not going to be enough, I have to keep going.  For the past few days I've been also doing a little workout after I run.  I get home and I do some push-up's, and sit-ups but I really have not been making that a priority.  So it is time I do.  There also is something to be said about a diet.  Sure I'm running, but I don't think the Islands  Big Wave burger lunch special is going to help me get to my goal.   So it is time to do something about that as well.

I'm ready,  let's do this!

Today's Goal.
Today's goal is to keep the momentum going and build up my endurance.  Run to the Mobile AM/PM.  You've done it once already.  Rinse and repeat!   Along with this goal, I'm also setting a couple other goal tasks for myself.  Today, I need to do some research on a workout plan so I can get a six-pack and build out my upper body. I also need to research the right diet for me so I can eat healthy.  I don't want to be just a skinny Green Lantern.  I want to be a hawt Green Lantern!






Today's Progress.

From the moment I stepped out my door, I knew something about today was different.   Yesterday was pretty brutal on my body,  my calves were killing me.   As an added bonus, it was by far the coldest day I have yet to run.   I shake it off and I hit the streets.   At 5:30 in the morning there is not much action going on.  There are a couple of people leaving for work, but the run this morning is a run of solitude.   As I'm nearing the end of my street,  I realize that I need to start distracting myself or this run is going to get boring pretty quick.  So as the nerdy programmer I am, I started thinking about all the stuff I have to do at work.   I find that distractions make a great way to take my mind off the boxing match that my legs and feet are having against the pavement.  

I made it to Dulin rd, where I took a moment to stretch it out and really feel the burn.  I'm pretty sore today so this felt extra good.  As I turn the corner and head to the bridge,  I got this super creepy feeling.  Like I said before, I don't like the dark, and I'm heading right into what looks like pure darkness.   There is not a person in sight, nor any cars to light up the path.  To make matters worse,  I think I freaked myself out and imagined that someone was waiting to jump me at the bridge that was barely visible.  I have no clue why that thought popped into my head,  but I can say that as I booked it through the darkness heading up to the Mobile AM/PM, I had my fists clinched so tight as if I were ready to punch someone right in the face.  At least I wasn't thinking about the pain in my legs!

Yesterday,  I told you that I didn't realize that there was an incline running up to the Mobile AM/PM,  let me tell you that I realized it today.  It must have been the excitement of seeing my goal and the motivation of getting there that made me ignore it.  That didn't help me today,  running up that little hill is quite brutal and exhausting.   "I can do this!",  that is what I tell myself repeatedly and before long I was at the Mobile AM/PM and ready to head back.

I'm nerdy!

Today's run wasn't too exciting, the run back was nothing but the norm.  I've noticed that every run back is the same.  They all carry the same brutality which is a combination of exhaustion, and jello legs.  What was once a controlled running style becomes limbs flailing about and I'm just happy that I'm able to keep putting my feet forward time and time again.   The end of each run carry's a sense of excitement and accomplishment,  but it is kind of like when you have to pee really bad and the closer you get to a bathroom the more it seems like you can't hold it any longer.   The closer I got to my house, the more I felt like I just need to stop and walk.  The pain is too much, I'm too exhausted to go on!  This morning, I thought of my friend Chris, whom wrote me the other day and told me that I inspire him to keep going!  A few moments of reflecting back,  I've actually gotten quite a few people saying how my blog and my mission of fitness has inspired them, and that gives me the extra will and strength that I need to finish strong each day!

I'm glad that I've inspired others to get out there and run or get back to their exercise routines.  Hearing about your success, is like a reward all of it's own.   It also is the driving force for inspiring me to press on and do better and better each day.  So thanks to all of you whom have posted comments and sent me personal messages and text!  I'm proud of all of you as well!  Today, is not just my victory, it's yours too!  Keep it going, I know you can do it!

Day 9 - Today is a good day!

It is Christmas morning and I'm sitting on an unfamiliar couch.  I look to my right and my best friend Sara is sitting next to me.  She puts her hand on my knee and says "I'm so glad you and Jen are here." and I smile.   She got up and walked around the couch and shortly after, I hear Rick, Sara's father, hollering from the dining room table.  "Mister, get up" he says.  "Mister, it's time for your run".   Errrr.. what?  My eyes open, and in a blurry light I see Jen getting ready for work.  It was all a dream. Woah! That was a weird one.   As I lay there in my bed, I can't seem to move.  Now my brain was definitely giving my body explicit instructions to get up.  But my body just wasn't having it.  Again, I issue the command "Get up Marco" and my body quickly rejects me and all I could hear was my body saying "Oh no you didn't" with two snaps in a Z formation.  So I lay there for a little bit until my body decided that it was ready.   It is now almost 5:30 and I know that if I don't get up now, then there is a good chance that I will fall back asleep.  So with a quick burst of energy, I thrust myself out of bed and stumble my way to the bathroom.

Today seemed like it was going to be rough, and I couldn't help but to think about what I had said in yesterday's blog.  OMG, was I really going to try and run to the Mobile AM/PM today?  I murmured to Jen, I don't think that I am going to make it to the AM/PM today.  I don't even feel like running.  Now my memory is not that great so I don't remember the exact words of encouragement that Jen said.  But it went something like;  Be positive, don't throw in the towel before you even start.   This was so true, that was exactly what I was doing and I knew at that moment that I needed to get my mind right if I was going to succeed.

It is now almost 6:00 in the morning and I feel like I'm all out of wack.  I'm running late, my mindset is not in the right place,  but I am all suited up and ready to get started.  I honestly can't say if I'm going to make it today.  But we shall see.

Today's Goal.

Today's goal is to run to the Mobile AM/PM?  The impossible task that has been plaguing my mind all morning, is now my goal.  So I better get my mind right if I'm going to be able to pull this one off.  First thing is first,  take a deep breath and reassure yourself that you can do this!  Now reflect on your success.  Look,  I've run 2 miles already and I kicked butt doing it.  I've got this!






Today's Progress.

Okay,  I'm not exactly psyched about this run today.  But I've convinced myself that I can do it and that seemed to be half the battle.   I hit the streets this morning with a lot of doubt in my mind,  and I spent the first half of the run down my street just reiterating and reinforcing.  I'm a bit over half way down my street when I see a nice lady walking her dog.  As I lift my hand to say hello and good morning; my phone pop's out of my hoodie pocket and crashes on the ground.   Oh no!  I stopped running and I turn back to pick up my phone.  Few, no damage!  Thanks life proof case!

The really bad news is that I stopped running, and I lost quite a bit of momentum.  The good news is that was a complete distraction and when I started running again, I couldn't even remember that I had any doubt in my mind in the first place.  I was running and I was so thankful that my phone was okay, that nothing else seemed relevant.  The next thing I knew,  I was passing the first bridge and I was right as rain.

Now I know this is a little bit off topic here,  but seriously people get your car smogged.  I'm running here!  I have to breath that stuff,  and I have just cause of saying something about it because I got smogged by some Bro master thinking he is cool with his big noisy and nasty smelling truck.  Err.. that was so annoying because for another .3 miles I ran in the same direction as that punk and I was basically filling my lungs with smog with every breath.

As I was running, I couldn't help to think about how proud I was that I own an EV (All Electric Vehicle).  Zero emissions, and that means clean air for runners!  Ha!

Oh hey look,  I'm already over half way to the Mobile AM/PM!  I have my goal in sight.  I'm so close that I can actually see it's bright and shinny sign towering high above so that drivers on the freeway can see it.   I think seeing my goal was so motivating, because I picked up the pace quite a bit.  I wanted to get there, I wanted to do it!

Within several minutes,  I was finally at the Mobile AM/PM and I couldn't help but to feel so proud.  I am just a man with a dream,  and I turned that dream into a reality.  Feeling very proud, I head back.  This victory is not a victory at all unless I can make it back home without calling for a 911 rescue.   I don't think that I realized this on the way there, but there must have been a slight incline heading up to the Mobile AM/PM because I was clearly running down a hill.  That was kind of refreshing and shortly after I was already at Dulin Rd.   It must have been getting pretty late in the morning because the street was getting pretty busy and I had to cross the street like playing a game of Frogger.

One thing you may have noticed is that I have yet to say anything about pain, or my breathing.  We'll that is because it wasn't even an issue today.  I think I can honestly say that I'm feeling much better about the condition of my body.  I'm not going to say I'm in the best shape after only a week of running.  However, it sure is fantastic that I'm able to run like this and feel good doing it.   I'm now about .2 miles from my house, an easy run, and I was so excited that I decided that I wanted a strong finish.  I started to move my legs faster and faster.  I'm still not sprinting,  I'm exhausted!  But I want to get there faster and I want to be proud that I gave it my all.  2.8 Miles,  I'm home!  I threw my arms in the air like a champion winning the Olympics and I jump in the air and plant both feet on my driveway just as you do when you've hit a home run.

Today I am a champion,  today I hit my overall goal in just over a week.  I feel great,  I feel like I can overcome anything in my way.  I'm living life, and I'm loving it.  Today is a good day!

Day 8 - Slayed with a two handed broadsword

"Wake up Mister" she says in a gentle voice from across the room.  "If you get up now and run, you can come back and sleep".  I couldn't help thinking that was a great idea, but I outright knew that would never happen.  Once I'm up,  suited and have run, sleep becomes the furthest thing from my mind.  Regardless,  the soothing sound of my wife's voice is motivation enough for me to drag my sleepy behind out of bed.  I looked at the clock,  5:10 A.M.  ugh.   I was extra sleepy today mostly because I took a sleeping supplement last night.  I have trouble sleeping sometimes and I need a little extra something to help me knock out.  The downside is that when I wake up,  I become the equivalent of dragging a tun of bricks.  Even wiping the sleep from my eyes becomes a vigorous task.  Luckily for me, the side effect (TunOfBrick Syndrome) wore off and I got suited up and ready to run.

Last week was pretty fantastic,  I felt so accomplished and I sure hope that I can replicate that success.  Like I said before, I'm addicted to success.   Some time ago I realized that everything that I do has a success or failure clause.  It really doesn't matter how big or small the success is,  what matters is the importance of the goal.  Getting out of bed and getting suited up to go run, is routine and doesn't have great importance in the grand scheme of things, but it still is a success.  It could have failed if I put my head back on the pillow and said screw it.   However, I didn't and now I'm up and ready to run.  I find that being addicted to success is very motivating.  Now I can see how much I really win over life struggles and I really appreciate a win over some big goal much more.  Maybe I'm a bit OCD about it, but it's my thing.

Yesterday, I made a decision about what Green Lantern costume version I wanted to wear.  I chose the Movie Green Lantern style as that is what I feel in love with.  Thanks to my wife for really helping me to sway my decision. She told me, that she felt that I should go with the one I fell in love with. We, my wife and I, are often on the same page with these sort of things and all she had to do was back me up and the decision was made.   I did a little bit of research last night after we got back from seeing the movie "In to the Woods".  If you've seen the movie, did you just sing that in your head? Ha!  I did as I was typing it.    Anyways,  I did some research and I think that I want to, at the very least, make an attempt at creating the costume myself.   All of the pre-made costumes in my opinion are pretty lame and I want something that looks uber (yes that's a word).

Figure 1

Figure 2

This is what my plan is,  I'm going to go buy a wetsuit.  They are made out of foamed neoprene and with a little research, I found out that you can paint on them.  Some people have even said that you can spray paint it, and heck I'm only going to be wearing it for one night so spray paint should due just fine.   I'm going to spray paint it black on all the parts that are not black yet.  Then I'm going to create a foam mold of the Green Lantern logo.  I'm going to have to cut up the wetsuit a little and sew in the foam logo mold into the chest.  I sure hope that holds up.  Then I'm going to use white lights behind the logo to make the chest light up.  the green lights are going to go horizontally across the chest and I will cut slits and use clear pegs to create openings so the light can shine through.  I just hope I don't end up looking like a Christmas tree.  If all goes well, I should be able to achieve this type of look (figure 2).  The last part is going to be kinda of tough to do.  I'm going to have to paint the muscle texture all over the suite.  I have not figured out exactly how I'm going to pull of that part.  But If I can get it to look right, I think I'll have a pretty sick looking costume.

Today's Goal.

Yesterday, I ran my 1.6 miles and it was the third time in a row that I was able to do that.  So it is definitely time to press on.  As Jen and I were on our way to the movies,  I got a good look at where I wanted to run to.  As you turn right off of Dulin Rd and head up the Old Hwy 395 there is a another bridge that goes over what use to be a river, I think.   So my goal for today was to make it over that bridge.


Today's Progress.

I found myself hitting the street today refreshed from the weekend.  This week poised a whole new set of challenges.   Will I be able to get to the Mobile AM/PM this week?   Running is starting to become second nature to me.  I'm no longer thinking about how hard it is and I'm no longer thinking about pain.  Now it's just me, managing my breathing and the road.

It was a brisk morning today.  The cold was a bit of a shock, but as soon as I got to the end of my street I was nice and cozy in my hoodie.   Once again I turn off of my street putting no importance on it, and head to the end of Dulin Rd.   Even the old bridge that towered over me was no longer an important obstacle in my path.  It had become just a part of the scenery.   Dulin Rd however had great importance.  The end of Dulin Rd means that I will be starting my new journey toward the Mobile AM/PM and it definitely uncharted running territory for me.

Stopping was not even a thought as I run past the Dulin Rd Stop sign.   I'm headed for my goal and I know I can make it there with ease.  I've been managing my breathing pretty well.  Breath in through my nose and then two breaths through my mouth.   I do this in a rhythm which formed a breathing pattern.

Old Hwy 395 is a dark run.  There are no lights to light up the road and it is quite creepy.  I've never been a fan of the dark.  In fact I've always been afraid of it.  So running over this creepy bridge, and only having a glimmer of light from the moon that is battling it's way though the rainy cloud cover was kind of scary for me.   I think I was actually running a bit faster just to get it over with.

I hit my goal and headed back and I can't help but to be proud that the worst part of my run was being scared of the dark.  Ha!   I'm no longer struggling with pain.  Sure the run back is tough.  It always is, but it is no match for my will.   I'm starting to find that I have a lot of time to think, and I've found a new habit that I can take up while I run.  Like I said in a previous post,  I'm pretty religious and I am a believer.   So I took a solid 5 minutes of my run to pray and be thankful for all that is given.  This was nice distraction from any struggles on the way back, and I found that I was nearly home.

Today I slayed my goal with a two handed broadsword.  I killed it and it didn't even feel like I had to try that hard.  I kind of feel that I undershot my capability and I think I could have run a bit further. So tomorrow, I'm going for the Gold!  Mobile AM/PM  here I come!

Day 7 - Feeling Accomplished!

Today I rewarded myself with sleep.  I intentionally set my alarm for 7:00 am and well, I slept until 9.  I guess I felt that if my Grandpa says that I can get up whenever I want on the weekends; that was the only thing the only thing that was running through my mind as the buzzing alarm was outright annoying my ear drum.  I got up, and I feel fantastic.  Not only do I have a great sense of accomplishment,  but my body has not felt this good since I was in high school.  Yes,  it really has been that long since I've gotten any consistent and quality exercise.  Honestly, I'm pretty ashamed of myself for not treating my body better for 22 years.   But that is all behind me now, and I'm on my way to a better lifestyle.

I want to take a good look at what I've accomplished in the last week.  I received a major win for being able to run 1.6 miles and achieved my goal every day.  I've stuck out though the pain.   I've created a nice routine of running, stretching and writing my blog every day.  I also receive a win for taking control of my will, and finding strength when the going got tough.   All of my hard work has not been without reward.   For one,  I feel great.  For those that know me well, they know that I use to drink Rockstar's or RedBull every day.  I have not needed one of those this entire week.  Funny thing, was that my motivation for going to the Mobile AM/PM on Day 1 was to get a Rockstar because I was out of energy drink.  Now, I don't even need them.  I've had more energy every day than I know what to do with.  Another reward, is just the feeling of success.  Personally, I'm addicted to success.  It is what drives me every day at work.  It is the driving force as a programmer and a game developer to set your sights on something and make it happen.  Last, but definitely not least,  I started running at 202 lbs.  I wrote that I am a fat old man,  and while others do not think that I am fat or obese, I feel fat and obese.  When I was in high school, I weighed 135 lbs and I am almost 6 feet tall.  I was super skinny.   The older I got,  the more I started to look like a potato.   Today I weighed myself,  and I am proud to say that I weigh in at 193.1 lbs.   That is 8.9 pounds in 1 week.   I feel amazing!

I also wanted to take a second and talk about my costume.  My birthday is coming fast, and I have not even started on it yet.  I have not quite made the decision as to which version of the Green Lantern I want to be.  Should I be the Green Lantern from the movie that made me fall in love with the Hero.  Or should I be the traditional Green Lantern.   What do you think? Post your comments below.  I'm leaning more toward the traditional Green Lantern and I think that costume might be a little easier to pull off as well.



Today's Goal.

Today's goal was to to run my 1.6 miles.  I've done it for two days in a row, and after a third day I think I can press on starting next week.  Plus, what a great way to start off the week by breaking a barrier.  So today, I will run my 1.6 and hopefully I will not have too much of a struggle.


Today's Progress.

I'm feeling fantastic as I hit the street today and as an added bonus it is rainy outside.  I love the rain, and there was a light sprinkle which felt very refreshing as I made my way down, my street, Lake Circle drive.   I was rockin' my Enya, and before I knew it I was at the bridge.  The only problem I've had up until this point is that my feet are a bit sore, but that is small potatoes compared to what I've been though this week.  Now, I have yet to get what they call the "runners high" and I am not sure exactly why that is.  So I thought maybe I wasn't running fast enough, or pushing hard enough during my run.  So I begun to pick up the pace a little and see if I could get it.  Runners high is merely adrenaline that is released naturally by your body.   Next thing I know, I am at Dulin Rd.  I don't think I got the rush, but it sure felt good getting to Dulin Rd with so little trouble.   Like yesterday, I did a nice stretch there before heading back.  I am definitely going to make a habit of that.  It feel so good and according to my sister, it is the right thing to do.  She said doing a nice stretch after a warm up is proper and thus I am going to keep it up.

As I head back, and for the first time, I felt like running wasn't so bad.  I was out of breath, and sure I wanted to stop and walk.  But my previous trials have shown me that if I just keep going, I'll be home before I know it and I know that I can do it.  So I press on proudly!

Day 6 - False Start, but I scored the touchdown.

False Start, 5 yard penalty,  still 1st down.   I woke up at 5:30 am, and gently put my head back on my pillow with the intention of getting up in just 5 more minutes.  Then I really woke up at 7:00.   It looks like weekends are going to be an uphill battle, and I can honestly see why.  No commitments!  I don't have to go into the office and neither does Jen, whom is my alarm most days.   A nice shove, or sometimes she is super nice and whispers "mister, time to wake up" in my ear.   However,  it is fend for yourself on the weekends. 

No one likes to get up late, it is a yucky feeling and depending on the circumstance of your commitment, you might feel rushed or even panicking.   My commitment today is mostly for myself and a little bit of you, the reader.   I had some added pressure because I had promised Jen that I would take our car in for service. 

I'll have to admit,  that this blog and those that read it are a big part of what motivates me every day.  I was actually having a discussion with my friend Danny at work about this.  That if I had never started writing about it, that just maybe I might have given up when it got really tough.  But, having a sense of commitment to you the reader has really saved me from myself a couple times.  So I want to thank each of you for reading my blog each day.  It means a lot, and helps with my motivation and will to continue.

Now that I am leaving later this morning,  the sun is already up.  I'm trying to get my run in and just maybe I'll have enough time to blog before my appointment with Kia (I didn't, I'm actually writing this from the dealer ship).  So I rushed out of the house, almost got attacked by my neighbors dog, whom apparently doesn't like men in hoodies!  

False start, 5 yard penalty, still 1st down ... Again!  Dang,  I'm on a roll.  I had forgotten to stretch, which is something I always do before I run.  I'm a mess and really I did not want to stop,  It would just kill my already dismal motivation.   So I went on without the stretch and my mind is filled with regret each time my feet pounded the pavement. 

The good news is that, through all the trials  I am running and I didn't give up.  Doesn't matter how bad my morning starts, it doesn't matter if I have lack of motivation,  I press on as if it were a bullet that bounced off of Superman's chest.

Today's Goal.

Today's goal was to run to Dulin Road and back.  I'm not pushing forward until I can make sure that I can do that 1.6 mile run without any problems.   The run back yesterday, was pretty tough.  At least I know I can do it.   It was definitely hard and my victory dance in my driveway was not without huffing and puffing.   I figure if I can do this run at least two to three times in a row then I'm  good to get at least half way up the Old Hwy 395. 






Today's Progress.

So I'm a total wreck by the time I hit the street this morning.  I didn't want to get out of bed, I almost forgot my headphones which meant no music, and I forgot to stretch before running (which I feel is kinda a bad thing).  I'm not sure why I stretch every morning, but I remember my track coach from my high school days telling us it was important.  So I've been doing that each morning before I run.  Today I forgot, and I was beating myself up about it as I made it half way up my street. 

I'm still doing pretty good tho,  I am almost to the end and breathing wise I'm handling it like a champ.  I think today was the first time I didn't even really think that the end of my street was any kind of marker.   I blew right past it not even acknowledging it's existence as if it had no importance to me anymore.   By the time I past the bridge,  I kinda had a smirk on my face as that mere fact dawned on me.   Awh yes, great news, that was motivation and I pushed hard to reach Dulin Road.  

Usually when I hit a one way goal, in this case Dulin Road,  I stop to catch my breath.  This time, I took some time to stretch since I didn't before I ran, and let me tell you I could feel everything!  It was kinda good,  but as I stretched those muscles I could feel what they call "the burn" and it was so nice.  I don't know if I'll make a habit of that or not, but it was good and now it's time to head back.

There was definitely a struggle as I was running back.  I made it back to my street with virtually no problem.  But after that I was having a hard time.  I really felt that I wanted to just stop and walk the rest of the way.  I didn't even want any motivation to keep running, but let me tell you here it comes!  Remember a couple days ago, there was another runner.  What a coincidence that he was running at the same time as me again, even when I got up late.   And as we pass paths, the will and motivation to press on was futile to resist.   I ran harder in that last .5 miles than in all the last 5 days put together and to boot my favorite enya song was rocking to the beat of every running step.

Today, I have gone through trials of failure to start,  but no matter what gets in my path weather it be myself or an angry dog mad at my hoodie,  I will prevail like the Green Lantern!

Day 5 - A great end to a week of hard work!

Yesterday turned out to be a pretty good day,  but it was very exhausting.  I made a trip to San Diego in my EV (Electric Vehicle).  The car had some problems charging the night before, so I had to go on quite a mission to find a charge station once I got into the San Diego area.  It became quite an adventure really, and it was slightly stressful as my remaining charge was at 16%; which equates to about 9.5 miles.   Luckily, a nice lady helped me out and got me close enough to a charge station where I could charge up Eve, which is the nickname that Jen has given my car. Shortly after, I found the DC Fast Charger and was able to get my car charged up to 83% in 30 minutes and I was free to start the rest of my day.   I spent the day in San Diego, picked up a friend from the airport,  had dinner and it was back home.   When I got home, at about 8:00, I was drained and with that being said I pretty much passed out as soon as I hit the bed.  The nice thing about this is that I got plenty of sleep and waking up this morning, wasn't too bad.  I shuffled around the house getting ready, my basic routine for the morning, and one thing that I noticed is that I was actually feeling pretty good.  The pain in my legs was pretty much gone and my ankle felt fine.   I was excited about today's run and before I knew it I was suited up and ready to hit the street.

Today's Goal.

Now I'm feeling pretty good about myself and the condition of my body,  so I'm going to take a stab at possibly pushing myself a little further today.  However, I was really afraid to commit to anything. I'm not in pain, but does that mean I can go further than I've already been going?  Today's goal is definitely to make it past the bridge, I just wasn't sure how far past the bridge I could go.  There was definitely some uncertainty but never the less,  I am going to push myself.







Today's Progress.

It was really nice to be hitting the pavement so refreshed.  I feel like a million bucks, as the saying goes, and about half way down the street I realize that I'm not even breathing hard yet.   This was definitely a good sign, and just from that I felt a sense of reward.  Now I'm approaching the end of my street, and I'm still not breathing hard.  What is going on here?  For the past four days, I've been severely out of breath by now and today I am feeling great and I feel like I can really do some damage to my overall goal of reaching the Mobile AM/PM.   So I blow right past the end of my street and hit the bridge,  and I all I have to say is "wow" what .1 of a mile can do to you.  Ha!  I got to the bridge and I started to loose breath, but it still wasn't too bad.   I felt I could really push further and it was only then that I was able to adjust my goal for today, which was to continue past the bridge and get to the end of Dulin Road where it meets Old Hwy 395.    Pushing on,  one of my favorite songs comes on my Pandora.  Now, don't judge me, but I run to the Enya station on Pandora.  It is relaxing, and gives me a sense of calm as my feet hit the pavement time and time again.  So as I'm listing to one of my favorites I'm highly motivated and I made it!  I hit my goal with no problem and no pain.  I'm definitely out of breath and I could tell if I ran much further, I don't know if I'll be able to make it all the way back home.  So I head back.   The run back was a little bit of a struggle but I totally pulled it off.  

I don't really know if this is normal, or if I was just having a good day.  But as I hit my driveway I had the greatest sense of accomplishment.   Today I ran 1.6 miles,  which is over half way to my overall goal!   Today I felt exalted, and that type of reward is what keeps me going from day to day.  Needless to say,  I did a victory dance right there in my driveway.