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.