Beat upon me, but i won't break?

Seriously folks, I've had just about enough. I really think I'm spinning my wheels here but going nowhere. I mean i work - a lot, but still it seems I'm running on a hamster wheel and getting nowhere. Own my own business, work a full time day job, work any kinda side work i can get for cash, but still it feels like things are conspiring against me these days. I know it sounds like I'm whining but i just can't help it today. My vehicle has been broken into at least 5 times in the last two months, and the total loss at this point has got to be well over $1000 worth of items and damage - and aside from one or two times that I've been forgetful, I've taken everything worth value out of the vehicle at night. And when there is nothing to steal, they still find some way of screwing me. Last time it was break my fuel restricter and siphon my gas instead! And the best part, I live in a town house complex! There is like 50 windows in every direction, and at least 10 street lights  but still they bugger me. Lets add to it by saying my dryer packed it in, my built in vacuum died, and my business bank just recently seems to feel that I'm not worth the paper my account number is written on... I'm just fed up. I really am ready for the zombie apocalypse - I could go for some time just shooting people in the head instead of dealing with them... 

Ok enough... I'm done - things aren't horrible. I have a roof over my head (although that's another $7000 come January), my health is ok, at least nothing to complain about that every other 40 year old isn't already complaining about. My kids are well behaved, and by business is still in business. I've got a girl friend that pampers me and my hockey game is getting better. What more could a guy really want? I guess all the rant is just that, blowing off steam. Truthfully i'd like a job where i only had to work it and still be comfortable. Zero stress aside from the one job, with enough pay to at least cover my overhead and save a little. Nothing crazy to hope for right? Again kids, one more reason to stay in school. All this above bitching aside life isn't horrible... So why am I? What the hell is it going to take to make me happy? I feel like im in a big giant hole of despair right now and its starting to be a real bummer. It could always be worse people say, and I agree. But seriously very few people apply themselves as much as i do and have so little to show for it. Again with the bitching and whining - sorry. Argh.

di-di-dit-de-de-dit-de-de this just in; Man loses motivation and couldn't find it under  the couch! Again it seems my motivation to see the gym and the track are waning. I want to go, I know I'll enjoy it when i get there or do it, but i just can't seem to justify the time vs payoff right now. There is a 100 other things i could be, should be, and aren't doing, never mind taking care of myself. So, i guess i have to go back to the basics and remember - the only thing someone can't take from me, is me. So i might as well be the best me i can. If i don't respect myself enough to take care of myself, why would someone else respect me right?

Anyway, the purpose of this blog was to rant - and that i've done. A bit of a whiny sucky, pissy post today, but hey - i posted!!

C

Sell me your wares gypsy!!

It's like the entire world is conspiring against me! Well actually it's not like that at all, it just seems like it. First of all, i haven't done any running, and haven't had a hint of the gym since before the Tough Mudder. Now, some of that was laziness. I trained for 4 months for the half marathon, then another month for the Mudder, so i figured what would 2 weeks off do... Well they let me hurt my back, which perpetuated into over 2 months off!! So now, I'm still nursing a back injury, as well as my Achilles tendon is bothering me, but i will not let this dissuade me from getting back at it... Just slower and more cautiously than before. Otherwise i can see this running away from me and turning months into years! So again i will giver a go - hopefully with a bit of caution this should be a slow but smooth transition back into in shape, at the right end of the scale, and happier all around for it.

On a happier note - sorta, i have ordered my Nike+ Fuelband!! It will help me with some greatly needed motivation I think, so i had to have it. But purchasing it was, well, a hell of an experience... First off  there isn't a reseller of Nike+ Fuelbands ANYWHERE in Canada. No where. Really. WTF, right? So i figure, heck lets order one on line... Great except wouldn't you know it, when you click on the box that says, "order now", it links you back to a Canadian only site, where suddenly the Nike Fuelband doesn't exist and is not for sale!! So i figure, I'm smarter than an f'n website, I'll just change the region. Haha! Nope, it automatically detects my "area" i guess through my IP address, and sends me back to the Canadian site EVERY TIME! Argh!! So again, i AM smarter than this website!! I download a great program (lets you surf the web anonymously - random IP generation world wide). Launch my new browser and bam!! Ha ha i am on the US site! Go to "purchase now" and wammo - I'm suddenly redirected to the Great Britain site! Ha, so i renew my IP, and zing! I'm suddenly on the Dutch site! ARGH... Clearly i cannot choose the IP country of origin with this new browser, so now what... Ahah! I will go to the Help option on the US site, and see if i can get me some customer service help. Zap, back to Canada it sends me - so what i say! I still contact help, and send them a message... SELL ME YOUR WARES GIPSY!! Which generates an automated response email... We're f'n busy over here at Nike NOT SELLING our products, so expect a 48-72 hour delay in response, but don't worry we'll get to you, you're business is important to us. Right... What happened to their motto? Just Do It? Well... JUST SELL ME YOUR SHITTY PIECE OF EXERCISE GEAR I WANT! How about that!? ... ... ... Just breath Cory, just breath... ... ... Ok so, after more than 40 minutes of key punching, desk striking, screaming at a no good for nothing useless to me website, i decide to call the customer service helpline. Yep, good old 1-800 number - which the screen says is closed 4:40 eastern time, which is well past the time i am calling, but hey, what the hell right? It's not like I was doing anything anyway and who knows, maybe someone will answer, or a voice mail might get there quicker than my help email request. Then without any sort of warning, fanfare, or trumpets or anything, like a miracle from the heavens a customer service representative just up and answers the call!!! 2 minutes of conversation and he tells me this is a minor problem on their web site, and they are working towards repairing it... Minor problem? Minor? How the hell do you sell a product that no one can buy, and call that minor?! Anyway, not his deal, he just works there... SO - he takes all my info, logs on to the Nike site that I am a registered member with, and has all my information, including the stuff i typed in an hour ago for the purchase of the band... It's all there - waiting - like it did it already and i just needed a human to see it... I felt so relieved and immediately angry at the same time!! But, none the less i held my temper, and waited for my sales representative to finish with me... 5 minutes later i am congratulated on my new purchase, and can expect it at my US mailing address in 3-12 days... What? 3-12 days? That is some spread don't you think? I mean, 4-7 days, ok. 7-10 days, makes sense... But what kind of multinational conglomerate like Nike has a random shipping department that can't narrow delivery times down to within a week? I mean seriously - how do  you sell ANYTHING with that kind of schedule?! "Thank-you for your order sir, is there anything else i can do for you?" ... No no, im good thanks. Goodbye.

And there you have it! I am a proud soon to be owner of one very special - custom ordered Nike+ Fuelband. Soon to be in stores no doubt...

Cory

 

The truth, as i see it!

Lets talk gym, supplements and the truth. It has to be done, i cannot stand back and listen and watch the the BS any longer. Read all the Muscle and Fitness you'd like, Mens Health - giver. Any other "fitness" magazine you'd like - read it all. Understand this; Each and every magazine is paid for by the advertising in it, no exceptions. Your purchase price is their profit, nothing more. They could print each and every magazine for free from here to eternity with the money they receive in advertising. That's how it works - but you knew that. So why is it that my friends, friends of friends, your friends and probably even you, have run out to the supplement store and stocked up at the first hint of being in a scheduled work out scenario? You know what I'm talking about, we all have the same type of friend. 3 days in a row in the gym, and next thing you know they are pro's. They have protein powders, pre and post work out drinks. vitamin packs, gloves, belts, wraps, gear galore. Then there is the clothing. I know - advertising works but - it takes hard work, time and discipline to achieve goals in the gym, period. Not wacks of protein and carb loading and energy drinks, EVER! Understand that stuff exists for the elite - and i mean elite! Let me explain...

I have been going to the gym (off and on) for nearly 25 years. Now it has not been year after year without fail - cause if it had i would look AWESOME. But it has been consistent enough that i am much more that your average or even above average casual goer. In fact I'm pretty sure i qualify for "gym rat" status. 9 of 12 months i am without fail in the gym at least 4 days a week, and in my "hard core" days I'd say 6 days a week, usually twice a day! So i think that when i speak about it, its not just hot air - there is serious experience here, at least enough to know that what i say is based on experience, not some magazine add. And let me qualify my experience one more level; If you go to the art museum every day for 25 years you'd be very knowledgeable about art - but it doesn't make you a painter. You may work out every day - but if you do it wrong, cheat, or just plain go through the motions, it doesn't qualify as being a gym pro - just saying. 

Like everyone else, I've fallen into the "buy all the supplements i can get" situation at least once or twice. And this is what I've learned. The stuff works - really it does... IF YOU NEED IT! That's right, if you need it. Everyone thinks they need to take their pre workout drink, then a post workout drink, then some protein afterwords. Don't forget the Creatine, the NO2, the fat burner, carb loader before bed, and the Animal Pack at the start of each morning!! NO NO NO. This stuff is designed to fuel the most extreme body builder or athlete, not the casual goer. Its all about intensity! Now this is the insulting part - so i will apologize in advance - you do not work out nearly has hard as you think you do! Not even close. As i said i have some experience here - and i have had the fortunate (or unfortunate) chance to work out with world strong men, professional body builders, world class wrestlers, and some just plain crazy intense people. And in 25 years i can think of perhaps 4 occasions where my work outs were so intense, that without some supplements i wouldn't have been able to finish the work out - never mind survive the crash after. Ask ANYONE who has EVER worked out with me on a moderately intense day and they will all tell you the same thing... I kick ass! I drive, i push, i drag, i even insult. I do EVERYTHING i can to motivate and drive me and my training partner to complete our set, workout, rep, whatever. Aside from 2-3 training partners I've had, very few EVER say we could have maybe pushed harder today. And i gauge a day like that as MODERATE! And on those days, I'd say maybe just maybe some protein powder should be included in your diet - as it is the building blocks for recovery and growth... That's it, nothing else. Seriously... Now i am not bragging about my workouts here, honestly. But what i am saying is this - each and every person works out to their own level of intensity - their failure point, breaking point, whatever. Maybe once out of 20 work outs, yes some days are more intense then others, but regardless of pump or feel or fatigue, it really isn't to the outer limits of your own human abilities - its just hard.  Now to become a pro athlete, a world class body builder, or fitness model, it takes more than what we do. More than most of you could imagine. Seriously, work out with me once or twice, really work - and then tell me it was lax or easy, or anything... Then multiply that by 10 - because that is what the professional or aspiring professional has to do to get there. These people are the ones that need all the supplements, not us. The only thing all these extra supplements are doing for us is lightening our wallets, adding excess calories and giving us a really big placebo effect. Now if you require a feeling of "sketchy" to get the energy you need to work out - then enjoy those extra calories, the glucose charge, the possible fast track to diabetes - go right ahead. But understand the only person benefiting from you taking that crap is the company that made them. Unless you are truly an elite athlete - you're wasting your money and hurting your body.

Now I'm not saying don't supplement, I'm just saying be realistic. Protein is a good choice if you're trying to tone or gain muscle mass - IF you are training correctly. So use some, but read the label first. Low or no calories is best - unless you have a vein covered six pack, you have no need to carb load or calorie boost. If you're hungry just eat more. Stay away from EVERYTHING else short of regular vitamins, and perhaps some supplements designed for joint care, etc. You'll save tons of cash, and be healthier for it. Drink ridiculous amounts of water and eat healthy - with proper portion control and IN TIME the changes will be there. 

Unless of course you've discovered this amazing supplement that drops body fat, increases muscle mass and you only have to work out 3 times a week for 2o minutes, in that case make sure you give me a heads up.

:P

I don't know

No idea, nada, zilch. Something is wrong, somewhere, somehow, but like fuck i can put my finger on it. Its pissing me off to no end. Is it me? Is it my social life? Is it my station in life?Is it work? Am i tired of eating a shit sandwich... See right off the bat its BS. I don't eat a shit sandwich at work, its just work. just because I'm in a funk doesn't make it shit. Its an ok job, we've been through this. So what the fuck? Why o why is everything so shitty for me right now? Its like i can't find whatever it is i need to satiate my need for something more, different, something... I haven't seen the gym in over 3 weeks now, and haven't run in almost two, I'm eating because I'm bored, and can't sleep because something is picking at me. I'm tired all day from not sleeping, eating too much, and not exercising, and the whole fucking mess exists because there is something under my skin that is creating this whole shit show... But what?
I get pissed at the slightest little things right now, and the big things that i should be upset about, well i blow those so fucking out of proportion its ridiculous.  Maybe its just worse today than most days, but for some reason today seems to be the boiling point. Why should BS comments of Facebook set me off? Why is it that when i see particular people post stuff it makes me want to reach through the screen and smash them in the face? They didn't say anything to me or about me, but still there it is. Im fucking mad, frustrated, bored, pent up and just plain fucky.
Its been this way for awhile - actually longer then i'd like to admit. It hasn't been bad or really "front and centre", until this week, and truly today is the worst. Why can't i sort it out? Life isn't bad! I have a beautiful girlfriend, great kids, a business that isn't closing anytime soon, and a job that pays my mortgage. My friends are incredible and my health has been good (mental condition excluded). So what the fuck?
I know some of you will definitely think my OCD is running away here, but there is a billion little things in my world that i want to do - that i just haven't  done, and maybe that's the problem. there's just too much "stuff" left undone, that its surmounting in my head.  I want to clean my BBQ, i want to fix some dents in my walls. I want to paint my place, and i need to have my carpets re-kicked in (Ya that's right - new carpets 2 years ago and now they're getting "lumpy"), new light fixtures i bought 3 years ago still not installed, re-calking the shower, fixing the bathroom screen, or the burnt out bulb in the garage and outside the garage. The list just seems endless and getting bigger every day, but still i do my thing day in day out - and never get to any of it. Fuck! Never mind cleaning - i mean i keep my place clean, but i haven't washed walls, or polished fixtures or dusted in what feels like forever. I know its everyone's bitch - we all have the same problems, i guess i just can't handle mine. I feel kind of overwhelmed by having so much to do and never getting any of it done. And to be truthful i think my Ex's are haunting me way to hard these past months. NO its not what you think. My ex wife is apparently rolling in cash - no doubt growing pot - and it pisses me off. Not that i don't wish her well, or that i want her to have financial hardship - because i don't. I just don't think she deserves the easy ride. Its been her whole life - and well, i guess im jealous. And then there's the past girl friends - and NO again, im not crying at night and listening to Roy Orbison thinking of them. It's more like i find myself thinking about the "design" aspect of my past relationships. What was it that brought us together, what the fuck did i do to tear us apart? Will i continue being a fucking idiot? Was it me, both of us, or was it her? All the same regret BS that people think about. Why? Is there unfinished issues there as well? Are there things left undone that i need to do to let it rest in my head? Is it one more thing around my life i've been meaning to get to, that just never gets done?

Well thats that. I just spend the past 13 minutes pissing and moaning about so much trivial bullshit that i think i might just go kick myself in the ass and take a "harden the fuck up" pill. I don't know why i even blogged this BS, aside from the fact that now its out and i feel like i can breath. Just reading it over makes me want to retype the whole thing in "frustrated" font. I feel stupid and ashamed. 
Seriously, WTF is my problem?

Post Haste er, I mean Post Race

OK, so i did it. One race down, one to go. That's right, not sure if i mentioned it in previous posts, but I've decided two is all I'm going to do this  year. All this training just doesn't make Summer look like fun, so after the Tough Mudder in June, its all about beach Frisbee and fun. I'll still run, but not 15km a day kinda crap, and the gym will continue, but i really don't need the 5 day a week running schedule with gym work, kids, friends etc... Just all to much.

SO YA finished my first 1/2 Marathon with a time of 1:50:37!! Ya under 2 hours - which was my goal, and i set a personal best for the 10km mark - 48:22. All very exciting to me. 

Other things... I work too much. ya, i know we all do, but seriously i feel like its all i do these days. And when i get some time off, i try and do everything - because i don't do anything while im working, so when im done with time off im even more tired then when i needed the time off... Definitely a dilemma. When i will the lottery, im going to spend weeks sitting still - or at least try. :) FOOD! Food is killing me, or rather im using it to kill what could be the best chance at a flat stomach ever! I was in the locker room after hockey, and a team member says to me "dude, with all the running, sports, and gym time, how are you not in crazy awesome shape?" My response? Because i like food too much... But as i reflect on his words it definitely pointed things out to me. I burned 2200 calories in less than two hours during my marathon, and burn almost a 1000 playing hockey for two hours, how can i be eating more calories than im burning? Clearly its a food quality issue. As always, i will endeavor to improve that area, and most likely fail horribly at it. But at least some thought before i eat might help somewhere... Or not. Ruts... I hate them. Complacency is killing me. Bored, so fucking bored. I realize now that one of the reasons i do so many things is because i can't do one thing for too long. Jobs, i get good at them fast, perfect them (in my opinion), build procedures and guidelines so that whoever comes along can do relatively well in my absence - all because subconsciously i am planning my absence. I love my company, and want it to succeed. But after a few years i get lazy, i allow it to just "flow" and by the time i look back, i realize i left it to waffle in the wind. So now i double my efforts and without even noticing, im once again working more and more (see above). So anyway, now i look at my day job... Been there a year, like it, its ok money... And im losing my mind. I hate the same thing day in and day out. I feel like the second i get there in the morning im looking for a reason to leave. Maybe thats why i made a good outside salesman? When a job is challenging, when its difficult, stressful, demanding, plain frustrating and even miserable - i thrive! Its like all the extra crap keeps me engaged! But take away all the difficult stuff and put me on easy street - and i get complacent, lazy and downright bored. And one other thing about jobs/work... I don't need a pat on the back to say "good job". I don't really even want the recognition of being the "go to guy", or the favorite employee. As a matter of fact, i like being the guy in the shadows, who just gets it done, no stops, full goose no guvnor. But what i do need - what is the best way to keep me out of a rut? Pay me! Thats right, just like most people i really think i should be paid what i am worth. And i can say with some semblance of self pride - im worth a fuck of a lot! There is no more loyal employee than me. Give to me and I give back. I can't be swayed, i can't be shaken, i will defend my employer and do their bidding to almost every level. And  yet still, i find that my current employer knows it, takes advantage of that loyalty, knowing all the while they are getting a great deal on the financial end of the partnership.  Where am i going with this? No idea - maybe im thinking about getting a new job? Well im not looking, but if something fell on my lap, well... One thing i know for sure. I do not "negotiate" with employers. When i get an offer, and if its a good offer, i give my notice. I don't go and say  hey, i got offered a job, would you consider matching their offer? That door was closed long ago. If an employer feels that im worth the money, and just was being cheap, well good for them. Why is it that all of a sudden im worth more now, but when i wasn't offered a job, it was a fair wage? I have NEVER been offered a job, and used it as leverage to just get a better wage in my current job. If i have taken the time to discuss a new position, and actually considered leaving the job im in, its done. There is no going back and saying hey, sorry but my current employer matched your offer, so i can't go. As a matter of fact, i've actually turned down offers for more money from a current employer purely on principal. You had the opportunity to pay me well ,and you saved some cash - good for you... I hope you can replace me for even less money - good hunting!

Anyway, got a little lost on that tangent, just feeling kinda down and warn out and under appreciated, under paid, and tired... Maybe its time for a "staycation". Anyway, back to work, Later

Religious, running

And hello again! Sorry for the gap of time between blogs (have you noticed I'm always apologizing for not writing often?) I just realized every time i post its like I'm sorry i kept you waiting... Well damn it, too bad I'm busy you know?!
 With what you ask? I know you didn't ask, but if you did, this is what I'd say. I'm busy running, in the gym, playing hockey, and football. Never mind working the two jobs, 6 days a week, as well as trying to just have some time to myself. Oh right, and the kids - not like i can forget them or anything. Although, both boys and i have alternate plans for each others bedrooms if something "horrible" was to befall one of us... One boys room would be a gym room, the others the "media" room... I'm not quite sure what they'll do with my room if i were to have an "accident", but I'm almost certain i wouldn't like it. Sorry lost track for a sec... Ya pretty busy these first months of the year, and although its almost to much, i must say i really am enjoying myself. Three more weeks then the first race is in. The run for water should be a great warm up to the Tough Mudder and im actually a tad excited to run it. Lots of training, i can't wait to see how it works out.

So yes i know what you're thinking... The title of this blog should read "Running Religiously", not "Religious, Running". But hold on a second, this title is two topics, not one. Yep im running, upwards of almost 40km a week, and some runs over 18km a go! Nuff said, running running and more running.
 Now to the religious part. Recently, well in the past few months or so, a friend of mine (god i hope she wont be pissed in me mentioning this, no pun intended), read a great article on compartmentalization and how it relates to religion and non religious people. It is well written and really does do an excellent job at describing how the human mind can pick and choose its own reality, as well as how an argument going one direction or another is really never going to get any results. I will include the link now, but be warned - if you are at all intelligent there is a GOOD chance this might change your views on things. Its a longish read, but i highly suggest that it is time well spent.

 http://freethought.mbdojo.com/rationalthinkingmadeeasy.html

Anyway, after reading this article my friend "again, please don't be pissed", put some serious inward thinking in place, and decided to forgo religion. Now i know what all the religious people are saying right now... "Oh your friend doesn't have strong faith", or "clearly they were not believers to begin with", or any such other drivel that could be spewed at first thought... BUT i ask you this, maybe its none of those things? Maybe its actually common fucking sense. Maybe, just maybe, there is actually intelligence taking over where ignorance has ruled this planet for centuries? Just a thought... Maybe this video might explain things?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o&sns=fb

Right? He's got a point, or 4! OK so by now if you're religious you hate me, and believe me to be ignorant, damned, or a tool of the devil, or some other bs crap. The reality of this is clear - read the first link i posted in this blog. You cannot, and will never, ever convince me until you can provide proof. NOT "I just know", or " you have to believe", or "open your heart", etc etc etc... Seriously, READ the article again...
Why am i bringing this up now? Well I'll tell you... For the past few months i have been running, and running... And running. Sundays i run the farthest - and every Sunday i am tripping over "god folk" all day. They are door to door, they are parking all over the f'n streets. They think its ok to actually block off sections of public roads for their own necessities. They pull in and out of parking lots filled with GODS WORD, but can't remember the words of their driving teachers! I've almost been run over 5 times running past the driveway of a church! Then while im stretching, cooling down or just trying to relax after my Sunday run, they come to my door, and try and help me with some pamphlets, and magazines, that surely will change my mind if i just consider the written words...AHHHHHHH...   So ya, i guess they really have gotten under my skin. 

So there you have it - im done. Not a great lesson in the end, not some awe inspiring point of view from any of this. If you can take anything from this blog post its this... If one devout Christian can read one article - use their intellect and decide to walk away from religion, then perhaps if ALL of my massive reading followers shared this same link, then maybe perhaps we could sway a few others into intelligent rational thinking, and then they would, and so on and so on... Not quite door to door method like my religious counterparts do, but still spreading the word. Right?

Cory

Half way there

Well, its been 8 weeks (almost 2 months) of training and i must say, i am tired. I am doing my absolute best to keep on track (lol - get it? On track? Ahhh ya...) Anyway, running is going good, and is about to hit an all time milestone for me. As of this next upcoming Sunday i am about to run further than i have ever run before. My weekly "long run" will exceed 10km and move up to 12km, and its a big deal! I mean i have run more i suppose while in the service, i guess, but we never tracked it and counted it like i am now, so i can't be certain. And this is just the tip of the iceberg! From this point forward it goes up by 2km increments until i get 20km!!! That's right people, by week 16 i will be running 20km at one go, and apparently conditioned enough to survive it! Crazy right? Ya im at a bit of a loss as well; who in the hell does this sort of thing? Why ever would i be ok with the idea that a 20km run was a good thing, never mind look forward to it. Although i must say it does scare me a bit, but ya, 20km runs... Just mind boggling.
Ya, so tired... Really tired. Then there is my crazy Sunday's - they are not helping. Run a long run Sunday morning - all good. But then go play football for an hour and a half? Then off to hockey for 2 hours? Stupid stupid stupid... Every Monday (well for the last 2 anyway), i have been sore, crippled, tired, beaten up, and just all and all a mess. BUT - i can say i feel great for accomplishing so much in one day. But as i look forward i must admit my days of doing 3 sports in one day are coming to an end. There is no way i can survive this later in my training schedule especially when im working up to 20km runs. So hockey will have to remain on Wednesday nights only, and running and football will have to co-exist with each other on Sundays. That's going to be the best i can do i think. Don't even get me started with my not so regular gym workout schedule. Lets just say that what was once 6 days a week is a real success if i see 4 days a week now. So depressing... Now to address my last blog closing statement:
DIET - the other 4 letter word.  Not to be confused with starving myself, or following some crazy points system or any other kind of junk, but diet as in the food choices i have been making. I swear the more i do the hungrier i get, and damn if could just say no to food at 9pm! I love chips, i love chocolate, and sour candy is a definite "must have" for junk food movie night with the boys. I would probably be down 20lbs by now if i could just steer clear of that crap, but with the boys home all the time, its a real tough one to leave out of the house. I eat TONS of vegetables, lots of lean meats, smart carbs galore, but there is no denying my desire for bad carbs and sweets. Don't get me wrong, my weight is definitely not going up, but its not necessarily going down either. And it's not like im doing this as a weight loss plan, but it should be a nice side effect. Instead i have seen the scale slowly, and i mean very slowly, drop a pound or two at best. There is a VERY good chance i've lost more body fat than a pound or two, and my weight loss is slowed by muscle gain, but since i didn't take per-measurements like i usually would have its impossible for me to tell really. Clothes still fit, if not even a little better (looser where they should be, and tighter where i want them to be), but it would be nice to know for sure what my body is doing and where. Oh well, not something i can dwell on now. But as of this week things are changing, i intend to start making better food choices, skip the evening snacks and see what i can accomplish to close of the month of March. It has become painfully evident to me that if i do not drop some excess weight before the Tough Mudder, the tougher it will be to pull it off! When running and maneuvering obstacles there are 3 major enemies; Fatigue, yourself, and your body. You must have the endurance to complete - that is what the training is for, you must have the mind set you can do it - mind over matter, and finally you have to fight the physical you. You are at a constant struggle with gravity and your resistance to it. The less you weigh and the stronger you are make it that much easier to complete an obstacle or finish the race. So, with some tighter rules and better food choices, it should really make a difference (im hoping). 
Anyway thats about it today. Working hard, playing hard, and eating poor - at least until today. Hopefully my next post will highlight my success with the fork. 
 

Seriously, WTF am i thinking?

Salutations!!! Yet again its time to blog. I have so much on my mind i think its time i get a bit out before a serious pinata style headache takes hold. 
 First off, little dogs... Yep, that's right I'm throwing down here. I have friends with little dogs, i have friends who have friends with little dogs, my point being - i am not biased. I like Brock-Lee, I really do. BUT... Why do small dog owners feel its OK to bring their dog with them into stores, work, and even friends houses without some sort of prior consent? I mean seriously, if i took a Great Dane to Starbucks with me, or into the mall, or hell, over to a friends house, people would lose their shit! But because your dog is the size of a rodent, it's OK? Well then, how about people with pet rats, gerbils, ferrets, and the like? Is it ok that they have a rat in their purse at the grocery store or in the mall? I ask you, small dog owner, would you be ok with your friend coming over for coffee, and just letting his pet rat run freely through your home? Probably not. Now lets also consider the man with small dogs... Great, you feel comfortable enough with your masculinity that owning a small dog has no effect on you. Good, all men should be comfortable with themselves, in any environment - even if it's less than masculine. BUT, why is there so many male senior citizens with small dogs? I'll tell you why - years of being pussy whipped by their wives. It's not their dog, it's their wives dog. But like any human, the more you spend time with ANY animal, the more you grow to love it. SO you end up with old guy, with two teacup poodles walking them and picking up their shit, while the real boss sits in the truck and waits for the work to be done. SERIOUSLY - take the wife out of the picture, and those dogs would never have made it through the front door - and you all know it! Ok I'm done with this topic.
Moving along... I'm busy, and i mean really busy. I shared my schedule with my employer yesterday, and she quite honestly looked at me like i grew an extra limb while we were talking. So, when i got to the gym last night, i took a few minutes between sets to write down all the things i have to do today, and every day, and took real stock of my life... I will share with you now my day(s). Oh and i know, we are all very busy, so don't think this is a "my life is way busier than yours" thing, ok? It's just stupid on what i am fitting into days lately. Ok, so... Get up, get out the door - we can all understand what we do in the morning to get out of the house so no need for details here. If it weren't for my girlfriend lately i would add get two kids ready and out the door as well. Then work all day - same as you, each of us has different work loads, but a job is a job. And yes i know, shoveling gravel all day or roofing is harder on the body than sitting in an office, but lets just call a job a job, ok? (And for the record my day job is VERY physical 7 out of 10 days). Days over, go home, make dinner, then to the gym, go for a run, come home. Make lunches (again easier lately as my girlfriend has been a tremendous help), clean up. Somewhere in there i get about 2 hours downtime to hang with the kids - awesome right? ya i know, but its all i can spare them these days. And repeat - 6 days a week. Yep, 40+ out of 52 weeks a year i work 6 days a week. NOW this is where the WTF am i thinking portion of this blog comes from. My typical schedule, plus stuff i didn't list like grocery shopping, house cleaning, book keeping for my business and business association, etc etc etc, i sign up for a Sunday football league as well. Not a big deal right? Well with my current training schedule, that means i have to do my long run - which will be in excess of 12km before the end of March, then play football for an afternoon... OK, totally doable, if not a bit exhausting. So what genius thing do i do next? I sign up for a mens roller hockey league on Wednesday nights!! So ya, i run 5 days a week, work out 6 days a week, play football, now hockey, and i haven't even touched on things i should be doing... My boys and i ride every summer motor-cross. Then there is sports - as in my boys will also be in something this year. And how about home improvement?! I seriously need to paint my new place (2 years old now), and have so much organizing and cleaning to do i just might have to take a day or two off of my job just to get it done before spring cleanup is finished. And finally lets not forget my friends... I love them. They are all of my life - without them i would be lost, broken, and have no family. I could not go through life without there support, laughs, and friendship... WHEN DO I GET TO SEE THEM! So ya, WTF is wrong with me? Why do i feel the need to do all of this, all at once??


Anyway, clearly i have a few spare moments here and there - otherwise i wouldn't have time to blog. Truthfully, i wrote most of this last night around 3am - did i mention I'm not a good sleeper? Anyway, a quick 15 minutes at work and i was able finish and publish this. Clearly some proof reading is in order, but maybe i will edit this another time - time permitting of course. 


And now to the training portion of my blog... I ran yesterday, gonna run today. Prolly run tomorrow too. Still no fuel band - not available yet. New shoes are good (had them a year now, just started using them Sunday). that is all. Oh totally forgot - remind me next blog to discuss my "menu"...


C

Week 4 - gagets galore!

Ok so as i promised here is some news from the world of "run more, then run some more, then workout and run some more" training schedule.

 It has been exactly 3 weeks completed to the day as of yesterday, and i must say my cardio is improving as well as my endurance. I must admit i am slowly but surely becoming more and more addicted to running, AND all the gadgets that come with it.

Yes that's right, if you're a techno-geek like i am, the more flashing lights, LED's, bells, buzzers, whistles and GPS's you can get your hands on the better, especially if they can all be on you while you run!! So far in my quest to run a half marathon (or 3), i have utilized my already well used IPOD and IPhone 4. First new addition was the Nike+ GPS watch... Ok so this thing does EVERYTHING you might need to track if you run... Distance, GPS route mapping, speed, pace, average pace, lap counter, split time, calories burned, wireless connection to a heart rate monitor, running motivators and reminders, and believe it or not - tells the time! That's right it does it all! What more can a guy want?? I am so glad you asked :) Nike has come out with a new gadget that is simply a must have for ANYONE who would like to know how many calories they burn daily. Now i am not talking a simple "free in the box of Special K cereal" type of pedometer here, I'm talking a wrist band that has built in a 3 axis accelerometer with live calorie count (converted into some weird Nike+ points thingy), that you wear on your wrist. It has built in USB that you connect to, program and report to the Nike+ website daily. You set goals, etc, etc, etc... Damn just look yourself k?



http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/?l=shop,fuelband&sitesrc=glfl_fuelband

COOL RIGHT?!?!?!

OK so why do i need one after getting the watch? Not to mention the absolute need now for a heart rate monitor to that connects via blue tooth to said watch ;) Well here's the deal. You ever do the whole BMI thing to figure out your daily caloric needs? Well the BMI is BS! It's based on some weird non muscly body type thing, where if you've ever worked out in your life, and are not an absolute cubicle working, couch potato living, not athletic type person EVER, then their comparison chart says you are grotesquely over weight regardless of muscle mass... SO this clever little bugger will track your every move (except for bike riding, flying and sleeping), and tell you your caloric base - EVERY DAY you wear it! So if you're like me, where you track your food, your workouts, your runs, your calories, your EVERYTHING, then this sucker is the thing you need...

So why does Nike have to sell it for $150?! Damn the watch was $200, the phone was stupid priced, the ipod wasn't cheap. Add water belt $53, good running shoes $150, running clothes $250 (I'm not talking multiple sets either - I'm talking ONE shirt, short, jacket combo), and other odds and sods, and I'm going to need a sponsor just to run comfortably!! Add to this BS i will need triathlon shorts, shirt, kayak gloves, and a good pair of cross country runners - just to pull off the Tough Mudder in June! Seriously not going to be able to afford half of this - even if the paintball season is spectacular.

Anyway, i digress... The basics still exist - i walk out the door and i run, and run, and run some more. I also workout - which is suffering truthfully, because i just don't have the juice to get a good quality workout in with all the running. I am hoping as this progresses i get more energy to ramp up the gym aspect of this training regime.

That's it for now, maybe i'll see you on the track. And hey, if you feel like sponsoring a nobody - i am very interested in spending other peoples money ;)

In the beginning...

Well here i am. Almost two whole weeks into my training schedule and things are as they should be. I seem to be doing ok for finding time to get my runs in, if not a bit rushed in the back half of the week - definitely work schedule conflicts, but between me and my business partner it seems to be working out for now. A little later in the training schedule and it might get more difficult given the length of the runs - we will see. So far no issues what so ever - my usual runs are as long if not longer than the beginning of this training regime so its not much of a challenge - so far.  I can say i usually do not run this many times in a week though - so clearly my endurance is going to improve as this schedule continues.

Changes - things i've done, noticed and am experiencing early on. Firstly my diet is improving. Its not that im really heavily watching what im eating - although i do and always have recorded my daily intake of food. I've just noticed my preferred  foods aren't what they usually are. I really am enjoying more fruits and yogurts than before, maybe because they don't mess with my stomach so much when im running, and im so damn hungry all the time they make seriously quick snacks. I've also noticed that im most hungry in the mornings, and by the time the evening comes i've eaten my fill from grazing all day. It doesn't necessarily help with the late night snacking - bad habits are habits for a reason, but it does help with my portion control around dinner time. I've also changed my workouts in the gym. Its not that i train any less hard, but rather i've just changed what my workouts entail. Usually i would train two body parts to excess - completely tearing down the tissue and overloading them so i could get  them to grow and become bigger. Now i train my entire body each night. I choose one exercise per body part and do 4 sets per exercise. Its not as exhausting to each body part, but as a whole it completely exhausts me. I can honestly say i am more sore the next day from this style of work out then i was when i was doing 2 body parts at a time before. I don't believe this new method will promote any kind of muscle growth - i am not expecting to add inches to my arms or my chest and back. I am expecting to be more balanced, completely fit, and ready for the obstacle portion of the Tough Mudder. Size will have to wait for the fall i figure - when looking good on the beach is less important, and im not expecting to run for 3 hours at a time. As per usual, the increase in activity has granted me more energy which i believe is becoming an issue when it comes time to sleep. Its not that i don't feel tired - hell i feel exhausted, its more that when i am sleeping i feel restless. I get aches from the days training, and my mind doesn't seem to switch off for any serious length of time. No sooner do i fall asleep and i wake up for no reason, or with something on my mind that i forgot about during the day.  The lack of sleep will catch up with me im sure, and with exhaustion comes sickness, so i better figure out something quick before it damages my training regime. 

Speaking of my schedule - here's a photo - probably hard to read, but its just the days i run, what i run, and how. Add to it i try and work out in the gym at least 4 days a week - if not 6... So far i've averaged 4 but it is early on. Anyway here it is:

I know probably really hard to read, but if you can zoom in you'll see what its all about. I have been crossing off the days as i complete them, and using a different method of crossing them off if i miss a day. And i know its not up to date - its an older photo - but you get the idea. Last week i had to swap Thursday with Friday, as i just couldn't get it together in time. Still added up to the right amount of KM at the end of the week so it was ok. Finally i must say i am spending WAY more time stretching after a run  than i used to. From what i've read its seriously more important in the later stages of the training schedule, so i better get on it now. Well thats it for now, hopefully i can update again soon. 

Oh one last note - completely unrelated to this thread... If you ever want something from someone you aren't exactly on good terms with, being polite, humble and easy going will get you far more than being a bitch - even if you're mad. Just saying...

... And go!

So again i've let this blog of mine lapse - too long since i've posted... Well i can say i've been pretty busy and just haven't found the time, but that's BS because everyone can find time, so im going to go with lazy and distracted. Anyway, time fly's by and and next thing you know it been like months instead of days or weeks. Sorry.

So topic of the day - racing. And not car racing, bike racing, motocross racing, drag racing or any other high speed attempt at death. Foot racing - as in i am running, er planning on running not one, not 2, but 3 half marathons this year. I know right - go big or  go home. Seriously, i don't know what the idea was, but it all started with the Warrior Dash. A short 5km race through Whistler mountain, with an obstacles and beer! Then i saw the Tough Mudder, and it looked as cool but longer and a bit tougher obstacles - but fun. Then i saw it was 21km long! Thus this begins my saga of running 3 half marathons. Here's the plan... I have to train for a half marathon (21km) because that is the distance of the race, but here's where my thinking takes a bit of an odd turn. How well will i do? How can i train for the one race, go all the way to Whistler, get there and discover im no where near ready to race 21km of obstacles in the mountains. I think i would rather die than give up and quit before the finish line. So what do i do? Well, how about run one half marathon first - exactly one month before, on flat ground, and see what happens. If i can do that, then i know i can cover the distance in Whistler, and then its just training for the hills and obstacles. So thats two half marathons... On in preparation for the other. Should be good right? Well after talking about running these two races, someone asked if i would run the "Run for a Cure" on their behalf. They can't cover the distance do to illness, but want someone to "represent", so... thats it - 3 half marathons, one year... More than a bit daunting to me to say the least. BUT i have a plan!! I've purchased a book from the running room on specific instructions for training, preparing and surviving half and full marathons - read it cover to cover - and now i have an 18 week training schedule. By the 3rd month i will be running an average of 45km weekly, and be up to runs as long as 18km once a week! Crazy if i can do it - but sounds absolutely ludicrous! So with all this running i still have to cross train in the gym, otherwise these obstacles won't be easily navigated. What does all this mean? It means i am going to be in the best shape ever! So as another form of accountability, to make sure i don't wander from my training schedule or meal plans, i've decided to post my weight, runs and training info here - as often as possible - at least weekly im hoping, and see exactly what transformation takes place. So if you want to see me succeed, or perhaps fail horribly, continue to follow and see where this takes me.

Oh ya, the Tough Mudder is a fund raising thing, designed to raise money for wounded soldiers, so this is the plug section of my blog. If you want to come up to Whistler and watch the shenanigans,  register on line at https://register.toughmudder.com/register/default.aspx?event=8330 and come watch (it is a $20 fee to watch the race, and it will cost more if you don't buy tickets in advance). You can also donate here http://www.raceit.com/fundraising/donate.aspx?event=6581&fundraiser=r2630840 (if you donate $50 you get a $15coupon off your spectator fee). The donations will help me reach my goal so i don't have to pay more to race (it already cost $125). Anyway, watch me suffer, help a soldier, enjoy the after party!

Ok, so the stats... Weight 215lbs
                           Last run pace 6.04/km (easy steady run)
                           Best 10km time - 51:43
                           


So thats it for now, check in and see whats what from time to time. Week one of 18 is almost done. When i get some more time i will discuss my trip to Cuba, the awesomeness of it and my friends, and all other things interesting and mundane.