From Gold to Friday Night Lights to a New Path

I like to think I'm a pretty good mentor and coach.  For all the days I feel pretty good about, I suppose there are at least the same number of inconclusive results. There are platitudes to help with this, spun by famous coaches and motivators. I'm not sure if the real reason we are drawn to them is because we, ourselves, are discouraged but I suspect that was part of the reason this morning:  “Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do.  Your attitude determines how well you do it." - Vince Lombardi Of course, that's not to say that I don't completely love this quote, or believe it, but it's hard to keep grinding when you have no focus.  I'm focused on the 2012 Get-in-Shape-by-Physical-Torture-Routine. I suppose I could go work out only three or four days each week and "orchestrate" some sort of "other" routine, but I know I won't. This is the reason I keep ta...

Buddy Chad sent the man-group ( context  a group of 3-5 man friends + me who enjoy telling bad jokes and mostly not talking about work) this image in an e-mail this morning: Me at 70? I probably should be offended - except this is what we do to each other - and if at any age, I can attempt to powerclean or deadlift 405 pounds, I'll be beyond excited.

When I think about the number 20, I think about presidential Andrew Jackson beaming down from his curled wig. I think about Cookie Monster speaking the elementary Spanish phrases I've managed to remember after 10 years of advanced language classes  ("veinte! ah ah ah!"). I think of this sympathy birthday card I got from friend Julie: I guess the long and short of this blog post is that I reminisce about 20 because it's such a great number. This morning's workout was, however, not full of this Jackson bliss. Twenty for Tuesday: 20 reps of each of the following AND 20 step-ups between each exercise including:  Wall Ball + Overhead Squats (with 10 pounds) + Ball Slams + Jacks + Pushups + Crunches + Rope slams + Tire flip + Burpees The good news? It wasn't 35, which I am not really looking forward to either in age or in number of reps,   ever.  Especially reps involving the torture of squats/lunges. Als...

After two days of the tightest hamstrings I've had for two years, I went back to work ... 10 clean, squat, press + 10 bicep curls + 20 tire step-ups (better tire) + 10 pull downs (x) + 10 rows +  30 jacks + 10 DB press + 20 squats + Every two rounds, 10 sprints. I ran faster today and it felt good to just go get it done. I asked if six rounds was enough. They laughed.  Tuesday's challenge should be harder.

Friday's recipe: 40 jacks + 5 reverse pullups + 15 pulldowns + 10 alt db press (15/20 lbs) + 20 tire step-ups + 20 (each leg) lunges + run to light = 1. I did five, modifying the last set of lunges to sideways lunges. I ran very slow. The benefits of early workouts are great, including this short list:  I don't have to think about a workout, I just have to get there. I know they are expecting me, so I am committed. There is some social pressure, but not 200 mirrors to examine the flaws you already know exist. I don't have to work out like hamster, and the other people there are there to work, not to talk. I get to see the sunrise every day. We save money on water, because I now shower at work. There's not much traffic. As of 7 a.m., I'm done for the day. Muscle soreness = hard work. My favorite quotes from the week: Today, another exerciser commenting on my step-up style (as fast as possible on a tractor tire): "Seriously?" I wish I would...

So besides this morning's  torture workout, fiancee J and I agreed to do our own competition. We're doing a 9-week wellness challenge that includes nine physical or skill challenges as following: 1. Run a 5K 2. Swim a mile 3. Play 9 holes of golf 4. Play 3 sets of tennis 5. Bowling (we were reaching for other ideas at this point...) 6. Miniature golf (which replaces Josh's first suggestion of "arm wrestling" - yeah, like that's fair!) 7. 5-mile bike race 8. Free-throw shooting contest 9. (tiebreaker) Rock-paper-scissors My plan is to win. We are also going to do a body composition challenge - I think it'll be fun, and allow for us to have some fun with it ...  all I can think about is friends K&W who got married and had their groom's cake as a scoreboard. The work wellness challenge starts soon, and the winner can get $150. That's three months or so of training = good investment. This morning's workout went pretty well - much...

The workout today a bit started later this morning ... I had to drag myself out of my warm bed at 5:30. I am, however, contemplating going to the car for a Diet Coke. Right. Now. I've only been working for 35 minutes. The evil empire has me in its clutches, chemicals and all. I did seven rounds today of this lovely creature: 10 pushups + 2 long driveway sprints + 35 (decreasing by 5 each set until I got to 5) squats + 10 DB rows with 20 / 15 lbs (Rt & Lt) + 15 reverse crunches Stacy laughed at me the first round when I sat down and realizing how sore my hidden ab-lets were today. When I took a shower, I realized my arms are probably more sore. I guess you don't need biceps for typing. Hurrah.

This morning I struggled to get out sprung out of bed at 5:05 a.m. As an adult, I have enough self-awareness to know that I need to shut off the evil buzz at least once. So that was 5 a.m. I've had a good off-season and now with the shoulder season (usually filled by me playing football), my mission is to find a hobby. I've thought about raising chickens, but my good friend Dana made a few good points difficult to ignore so I have a ton of crazy research yet to do. Trip to local organic farm scheduled. There's always gardening, which terrifies excites me - on the one hand you have fresh veggies, on the other you have a giant weed patch sucking money investment which requires constant care. Travel is on hold for the moment - hopefully we can rebound for beach season and summer. I'd like to go to Charleston, visit friends Debbie & Willie in Virginia and maybe take a mission trip to Kenya. I think we'll go whitewater rafting and maybe even buy a kayak f...