It's time to start running

I am doing it. Its funny. Running. Where am I going? It hurts so much I can't think. Follow the road. Call 311 to patch up the road where I'm running. Cracks. Pants won't stay up unless they are right out of the dryer. Once I finally coughed it all up and my lungs were no longer raw feeling from the cold wet air, I felt okay. Knees. Not bad. I was worried. I can run. A quarter of a mile. I stopped twice. It wasn't record time, but it was my time. Well spent. If I'm going to do this I need to run everyday. I need to run and jump and do sit-ups and pushups. I'm not as weak as I thought.

i hurted it

Yeah, I guess this is my first real "sports" injury.  Perhaps I have been a little overzealous with the weights.  I hurt my AC joint and the pain has slowed me down for about two weeks now.  It's not separated, but I guess I have a touch of arthritis there.  I had gotten to 130+ pounds with the shoulder press and I was doing 2 sets of 25 reps.  After the pain started, I haven't been able to do the shoulder presses; they are too painful.  Even with 30 pounds of weight, I could only do 8-12 reps of the shoulder press, bench press, military press or whatever.  Since the injury, I have been doing 30 to 40 pounds with 100 reps with fly, pull down and rowing.  I have not stopped with the ab, leg and cardio work.  I found out that the ymca I am going to has "battling ropes" but with the shoulder injury, it may be some time before I can actually use them.  Stretching it seems to help so I will do that.  I sleep sitting up since I tend to roll over on my right side while sleeping on the bed (probably why I have arthritis).  I can't afford this kind of a setback, so if there is anyone out there that happens to read this, let me know if there is any kind of stretch or anything at all that helps.  Particularly if you have had a similar type of injury or arthritis in the AC joint.  Thanks for reading!

Sacrifice

I've been to the gym nearly every day for 3 weeks now. I started running some. I'm still fat, but I can tell that I am losing. My shoulders are more defined than they have ever been. Readers of my blog may be privy to some bathroom mirror cellphone pics-i'll spare you the duck face.  I would like to mention that my wife is very supportive of me even though she says she worries about if I make it. I worry too. It would mean more money for us, but I don't know about 24 hour shifts. I don't know how much of a strain it would be on our marriage. I can't imagine anything worse than money problems and we have made it through them and are stronger for it. My father is also very encouraging and I couldn't be more thankful. If you are out there reading this, thank you!

Haven't given up...

Just letting you know I'm slimming down and bulking up. Next step is more cardio!

Better luck next time

Yeah, the wall.  The wall.  It might as well have been 4.5 miles high.  I couldn't get over it.  The other stuff was tough, but I had practiced it all enough.  The wall was simply too high for me to get my fat butt over it.  I tried, and I tried.  I didn't give up.  I kept on and kept on trying until they told me to stop.  I was really much more angry and frustrated than embarrassed.  Actually, for the first time in my life, my level of embarrassment was COMPLETELY dwarfed by my anger and frustration.  I kept my cool, though.  I didn't cry, whimper or even act like I was upset.  I stayed with the crew though, even though I was disqualified or whatever.  I didn't want to just leave and I wanted to see how well they would do.  I also felt like my being there was somehow showing that I wanted to be a part and I wasn't ashamed.  I was, though.  I watched the other guys perform and was blown away at some of these guys level of fitness.  One guy ran the 440 meters in a minute and 54 seconds.  They were doing situps so fast that they were nearly taking flight and pushups like they were weightless.  I took it all in.  One of the training officers there, Bernie, gave me the name of a trainer at the local city fitness center.  Pay a dollar to get in (no membership fees).  This trainer works with the fire department-trains the cadets or something like that.  Well, now.  Encouragement.  In fact all these guys, the test takers, the Proctors, the Training Officers, everyone.  Encouraging.  Even though these guys were leaps and bounds (literally) ahead of me physically, I knew then and I know now that I can do it.  Or die trying.  I sure feel like it now.  About a week after the test, I woke up in a puddle of blood.  The mattress was screwed.  The sheets.  I ruptured a vein (again) while I was sleeping!  I threw the covers off and got up and the damn thing shot blood across the room.  I managed to keep it off the floor mostly, but I don't have any idea how much blood I lost.  I could have bled to death.  My guess is that I messed it up during the physical test, probably trying to get over the wall.  The wall that the other guys flew over.  The other guys flew over.  I am better now, and my attitude is better.  Thanks for reading!

Getting back up

Well, it has been a little while.  Failing the physical test was harder on my ego than I thought it would be, even with the positive self-talk I had done prior to and even with all the encouragement from friends and loved ones afterwards.  I have not given up and I will not give up.

I am an enraged bull.

After the test, I suffered a major setback to my fitness when I ruptured a vein in my leg.  In an awkward place on the inside of my knee.  My physician said I need to keep it elevated for 3 days and then no cardio for a few weeks.  I couldn't keep it elevated like she said because [duh] I have to work, but no cardio, no problem.  Something I am totally used to.  Well 2 weeks went on into more than 2 weeks and I don't know how long exactly because I am not comfortable knowing.  The point is that that period is over and I am now active again.  Today, I went to see an instructor at my local city-funded fitness center.  The instructor's name was given to me by one of the firefighters at the test site.  He told me that this guy instructs/trains the firefighters.  I was expecting it to be rough.  I mentioned his name to some of the firefighters that I work with and they shuddered.  The guy is notorious for being hard on the cadets apparently.  Well, I went this morning at 9:30am.  I was really nervous after hearing that the guy was an ex-navy seal too.  Great.  Might as well prepare to throw up.  I didn't eat breakfast.

There was maybe 10 or 15 people there, I don't know.  Who is counting.  There were already starting when I got there.  I was immediately comfortable.  I like that place.  Well, anyway I started with kettle bell weights 18 lbs each and, looking pretty funny, I was sweatin' to "I'm sexy and I know it".  Then I went to the aerobic stairs with the ropes.  Looked easy enough step up and down alternating left, then right foot while flopping the rope like a jump-rope.  Quite the workout.  I puked.  I'm alright, though.  Just the dry-heaves.  A voice told me to leave, but I ignored it and stayed.  I am glad I did.  Met some guys that encouraged me.  I can do this...

I couldn't get out of the car when I got home without a tremendous amount of effort and teeth-clenching.  Steps were hard too.  My arms feel like jello and my legs are on fire.  I can't wait for the next workout!

Liberal or Conservative?

I have always wondered which side I really am on since I don't usually agree with anyone 100%.

I had to do some serious thinking about this one so as to figure out for myself

and to let you know where I stand politically.  I don't agree with the following

political groups 100%, but the parts I don't agree with are pretty obvious when

you consider all of the other groups ideals.

~ Conservative Liberal
~ Liberal-Left
~ Left-Libertarian
~ Libertarian Democrat
~ Democratic Socialist
~ Social Capitalist

So I guess I am a

Conservative-Liberal-Left-Libertarian-Democratic-Social-Capitalist

...or something like that. I don't really know if it matters, though.

Arthur Boorman

A few months ago I saw this video. Arthur Boorman's story did the job of motivating me then. I knew then that I will make it over the 4.5 foot wall, run 440 meters in 2 minutes, etc.



I woke up this morning and a voice in my head said to me

"what on earth are you doing? You can't get up and run! It is cold, it rained 2 days straight, your heel is hurting, come to think of it you are hurting all over! Besides you don't want to get sick again!  You can't afford to be sick!  You are getting close to 40! Go back to bed! You know you can't do this every morning! You can't get up, go run and then go rescue people from burning buildings! You need to just be content with being old, fat, ashamed, sickly, weak and poor and eventually die in the streets having done nothing of any importance for anyone."

How is that for self motivation? Anyway, I don't know who's voice that is, but I have listened to it most of my life and I am beginning to think that I shouldn't listen anymore.  I have a few days before the test.  It sure seemed like a long way off before...  I am beginning to take the attitude "well, if I don't pass the test, it isn't the end of the world" and all that.  Before I was so positive and sure of myself, but the fact of the matter is that if I fail the test this Friday, it is not my fault.  It is whoever's voice that is in my head every morning! ;)

[Edit 1/15/13 1:56 pm]
I ran again.  Well, I say ran.  It was a fast walk with 3 brief runs.  Distance @440 meters.  I didn't count how long it took me.  I need suspenders!
I realize now that when you hit a brick wall, you have to climb over it, knock it down or build stairs.  This is especially true for when you hit the mental and/or emotional wall.  That voice may never go away, but if it is me against it, I don't have to say "oh... ok."  I can and will fight for my right to get what I want and achieve my goals.  I need to believe that I deserve them just as much as anyone else if not more.  Some other scattered thoughts I have in my head right now: Life hurts, but prevent pain for yourself and others as much as possible.  Don't expect things to be easy and painless.  We all have pain and die eventually.  A day above ground is a good day.  Life is hard, so don't make it harder for yourself or others.  Reevaluate what you want out of life and adjust your actions accordingly.  Don't set anything in stone except that we all hurt and we all die.  Live like today is your day.

another brick in the wall

Plantar fasciitis (PF) is a painful inflammatory process of the plantar fascia, the connective tissue on the sole of the foot.  It is commonly associated with long periods of weight bearing. Among non-athletic populations, it is associated with a high body mass index.
The pain is usually felt on the underside of the heel and is often most intense with the first steps of the day.  It is often caused by overuse of the plantar fascia or arch tendon of the foot. It is a very common condition and can be difficult to treat if not looked after properly.

image source: http://www.myfootdocs.com/heelpain.html
copy source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis

4.5 feet might as well be 440 meters

I ran today. Not a lot, but enough for me. I did 440 m in about 4.5 minutes and I was just trying out my pedometer not trying to run. I might just get this. I ran after a pep talk from my amazing spouse. She is my best friend. I needed the pep talk because of the wall. I hit the wall and it hurt. It is 4 feet tall and at the moment I am not capable of getting over it. It makes me angry. It makes me feel weak. It makes me feel ashamed. I can get over the 3.5 foot wall with relative ease, though. There are so many hurtles that I began to feel sorry for myself. My friend made me feel better about things and that us when I went on the run. I will die trying, but I will not quit.

321.33 Sausage Boss

3 cups Bisquick

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 lb Sausage

1/3 cup water

It is my opinion that this is the best sausage ball recipe out there.  For the longest time, my recipe was simply 321 sausage balls, but my wife mentioned that most recipes for sausage balls have water, so we tried it.  The water made all the ingredients incorporate better and the dough was easier to form.  They took longer to cook than before, but ended up crispier on the outside and didn't get chewy like they do without water.

With your hands, mix the sausage and cheese first, then add in the Bisquick and water slowly.  Mix together until it forms a dough, but do not over-mix.  Roll the dough into 3/4 to 1 inch balls, place on nonstick cookie sheet 1 inch apart and place in 375° preheated oven for 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy.  Thank me later!

Destroy Your Ego

Yeah, well I have been busy working on my fitness as much as possible, but thanks to Google drive, I have been able to work on DYE a lot more frequently while on the go-not just at home in the wee hours of the morning.  So here is a link to the Google document DYE SYSTEM.  The great thing is that it will always be here in it's most updated form, so I can work on it and it automatically updates for us all!  This document will have everything you need when it is done.  DYE used to be called MAYA, but I changed the name because of the whole 2012 thing.  People thought it was a 2012 post-apocalyptic rpg or something.  Just wanted to give an update for all you rabid fans out there.  Thanks for reading!

Could it really be this hard?

Since I worked at T-immobile for like 5 years, all I did was work my fingers and my jaws.  I wasn't in good shape anyway, but that caused some health problems to start blooming.  I nipped them in the bud, though.  After starting work for the blood bank as a courier, I found myself having to work a little harder sometimes.  Carrying packages, supplies, coolers and bio-hazard containers.  When I realized that I wanted to become a [you know], I used this to my advantage as much as I could.  Even with my amp'd up supply delivering and bio-bucket slinging performance, I am still finding that these tasks are not easy.

To prepare for the candidate physical ability test, I have purchased 100' of rope, leather gloves and 50 lb bag of sand, plus I have borrowed an 8 lb maul and a tire and I have constructed a tunnel out of cardboard boxes (the ones we moved our possessions to the new abode in).  All that I need now are:
air tank ( I should be wearing one during each task)
4-1/2' wall to practice climbing over (I do have a 4' wall at home)
145 lb dummy to practice dragging
20' ladder to practice raising
10' ladder to climb

Today marks the first day that I have gotten myself psyched up enough to really practice.  I have intentionally made things harder than they will be during the test, but I know I can do it and I am not timing myself right now, just going through the motions of each task and getting comfortable with the weights of the gear.  I know that I will be ready within 2 weeks.  Presently, though, I cannot get over the wall.

Firefighting is going to be hard work.  That is okay.  I ain't afraid of hard work.