Hi I am Rich a 38yo guy who let himself get way out of shape (369.8lbs). And who is now in the process of changing that and so many other things by continuously pushing myself out of my comfort zone.
Current weight 4/17/12 : 326.2
Current weight 4/27/12 : 325.6
Current weight 5/25/12 : 322.4
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Today has been a pretty good day. It started out with a great lower body workout that ended with a ton of ab work so that’s never a bad thing (not easy, but not bad).
Then I also went and picked up all of the registration packets for myself and my COLOR RUN team - for the big run on Saturday! Can’t wait for that one, been looking forward to a fun run like this for quite a while now.
Finally I received the Harris Corporation 2012 Product and Process Innovation Award for my Project Management work in this past year and I have to be honest when I say I am very proud of this one!
So a pretty darn good day overall!
This Tree Challenge is really starting to take root!
So after seeing my posts (which also upload to facebook) my friend Diana accepted the challenge to incorporate nature into her exercises and she posted these photos today of her and her son planking on a tree at a nearby trail.
So I want to put a call out to all of my friends on tumblr and facebook - to upload a photo of yourself, your friends, your family (come on get them all involved in an active lifestyle and change your family tree!): doing an exercise in a creative way using nature or the landscape/terrain of your choice and post them up here!
I am really looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with!
Push-ups: I love you all except the tricep ones, you are dead to me
After the overload of extra’s during kickboxing yesterday- today we had upper body resistance training with more than usual amount of push-ups (standard and tricep varieties, along with one hand on a medicine ball, then the other etc).
So its safe to say push-ups were the challenge today.
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Time to get limber on the timber !
Ok so Kristine (the driveway chalk artist) posted this photo of herself high up in some tree the other day:
So Jen decided that she was going to issue Kristine a Timber Throw Down, A Tree Off a Wood Chuck if you will.
That means that on a walk several of us took at the local trail - we kept ourselves entertained by Jen who found many ways to use trees as the base for some extra exercises (good morning plank, bend and hold, V situps and upside down tree branch crunches).
I think its safe to say Kristine has her work cutout for her if she wants to climb to new heights in this friendly competition.
When all was said and done we got in 4.09 miles (and this was ontop of the already intense kickboxing workout I had earlier this morning - so it was a good activity day for me).
Sweat, lots and lots of sweat
There are no pictures today - but if there had been they would have been foggy and covered in drips of sweat.
Kickboxing today was intense - not the actual punching and kicking rounds which were a really good mix but rather this in between the rounds:
Reverse Jacks (gloves on)
Push Ups (gloves on)
Crunches
Repeat
——— more kickboxing ——
Reverse jacks
Good morning push up with 10 counts on the holds (I think for a total of 10 rounds)
Bicycle crunches
Plank Rows
Leg Flutters
Dive Bomber Push Ups
———- more kickboxing ———
and thankfully just stretching at the end
There was not a dry spot on that mat after we were done.
I don’t know what it is about our trainer Alison and holiday workouts but she always dials them up a few notches - hard but oh so good!
Happy Memorial Day everyone!
These happened earlier this evening. Can’t wait to take them for a run this week and see how they feel. Wore them walking around after I bought them and they felt really good on - so fingers crossed this might be a good alternative for me with the shoe issues I was having lately when I run!
Wounded Warrior 5k - Plainfield IL
Today was not only a great event but also my best race yet. I PR’d my 5k time by coming in at 37:50.
But better yet it was a smooth run - my breathing was good my heart rate was good - you can see in the data that my heart rate climbed slowly during the race but didn’t do the quick jump like it used to when I was running!
We had over 26 members of TM Martial Arts representing out there today. It is so fun to be able to run with such a large group, and even more so on this course that had sections that would double back and you could get waves and cheers from those faster runners ahead of you - while doing the same for those who were behind you. And yes I actually did have some behind me - which is also an improvement for me!
Another great part of the event was that my parents came out again to show their support and the crew is really enjoying having them around. They have both been so inspired by these events that they are volunteering at the upcoming Theresa Lang Memorial 5k which is being hosted by TM Martials Arts in August.
If you live in the Joliet, IL area and want to sign up for this event for my friend Theresa who we lost in a car accident in December:
https://www.signmeup.com/site/online-event-registration/83605/SMUCalendar
Next I have to share the news about how I was given an XL sized shirt, when I thought I had ordered a XXL. On a whim I tried it on and it FIT!!! Sure it might be a roomy and bigger than standard XL but it is an XL none the less and I am claiming that as a small victory!
Finally I want to take a moment to honor and appreicate those we were there to support today - wounded warriors from all branches of the miliatry who put themselves on the line for our freedom every single day. You are amazing and we can never thank you enough!
Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone!
Flashback Friday - the Sadie edition.
Four years ago on May 25th (Memorial Day that year) my dog Sadie lost her battle with cancer at the young age of 7.
The photos here show her at various ages - including the one with me on the day I brought her home!
She was a good dog, very dominant (especially to Skylar) and shed far more hair in her lifespan than I have (but her’s rapidly grew back in and mine has not)!!!
She is always missed but losing her to cancer has made me stronger for dealing with Skylar’s cancer right now.
I recently read this little story about “A Dog’s Purpose?” (from a 6-year olds perspective)…and think it is fitting so I am sharing the best part right here:
—————
”People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The Six-year-old continued, ”Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you’re not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
Had another Fitness Progress Check today - and am down a few more pounds - weighed in at 322.4
(I started using a calorie counting app to track everything - and my choices were not so bad on a daily basis but the portion size is what I still had out of whack. So this is helping me get that under better control).
Meanwhile my run was on target with the last Progress Check - forgot to stop my Garmin right away but my official time was 16:15 for the 1.5 miles. And it felt like a good run - I could tell I was pusing myself more in the second half, where as in the last progress check I had a faster starting mile but then really struggled to keep that up for the remaining half mile. So I consider this ability to pace and increase a huge WIN for me!!! And again my overall mile time is down in the 11’s so that is what makes me the most happy!!!
I have another 5k race tomorrow - so well see how that one goes (crossing my fingers it wont be as hot as the one I did on Sunday).
Have a great Friday everyone!
Rich
