From Gold to Friday Night Lights to a New Path

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...