Shaffer's Place

Balance is Bunk

2010-09-04T18:39:00.001-04:00

Balance is Bunk!

BY: KEITH H. HAMMONDSOctober 1, 2004

It's the central myth of the modern workplace: With a few compromises, you can have it all. But it's all wrong, and it's making us crazy. Here's how to have a life anyway.

It may be that you recently had a week that defied sanity. You faced an impossible deadline at work. You were expected at your daughter's dance recital, at a soccer game, and at a meeting with the kitchen contractor. Then another big project landed in your lap (thanks, boss!). You were exhausted, and your spouse was miffed. And your job? Well, at 11 one night, you finally bailed on that deadline.

And you wondered, What's wrong here? Whatever happened to balance?

The truth is, balance is bunk. It is an unattainable pipe dream, a vain artifice that offers mostly rhetorical solutions to problems of logistics and economics. The quest for balance between work and life, as we've come to think of it, isn't just a losing proposition; it's a hurtful, destructive one.

This is not, of course, what many of us want to believe. In the last generation, balance has won huge cultural resonance. No longer mere cocktail conversation fodder, it has become something like a new inalienable right, creeping into the American ethos if not the Constitution: life, liberty, and the pursuit of balance. Self-actualization and quality time for all!

This hopeful premise, born of the feminist movement, has been promulgated relentlessly since the 1980s by writers like, well, me. (At one point, in the name of balance, I actually diapered my infant daughter on CNN.) The froth fed a sort of industry, as consultants rushed to help businesses help employees balance work and life. That's the point of on-site day care, of breast-feeding rooms, of flextime and telecommuting and take-home dinners from the company cafeteria -- and, more notorious, in days of dotcoms past, of take-your-pet-to-work policies and foosball tables.

But the balance movement is fatally flawed. For those of us trying desperately to keep up with everything that needs doing, it poses two mythical ideals. If we work hard enough at it, one goes, we can have everything. Or if we cut back, we can have just enough to be truly content. The first obliges us to accomplish too much, often at too high a price; the second doesn't let us accomplish enough. Either way, balance is a relic, a fleeting phenomenon of a closed, industrial economy that doesn't apply in a global, knowledge-based world.

There's a better way to think about all this, one that requires us to embrace imbalance. Instead of trying to balance all of our commitments and passions at any one time, let's acknowledge that anything important, and anything done well, demands our full investment. At some times, it may be a demanding child or an unhappy spouse, and the office will suffer. At others, it may be winning the McWhorter account, and child and spouse will have to fend for themselves. Only over time can we really balance a portfolio of diverse experiences.

For now, the balance mania persists: Media mentions have soared in the past five years, and executive coaches say their clients are as consumed by the problem as ever. Employers, meanwhile, are trying desperately to say the right things: Accenture, the big professional-services firm, knows "how important it is for our employees to strike a balance between their work and personal lives." Google offers workers a slew of benefits (On-site dental! Dry cleaning!) billed as "balance enhancers."

But this passion and fury is misspent. All our striving for balance is only making us crazy. Here's how to think about living in a postbalance world.

The Happy Workaholic
Sigmund Freud suggested it first: Imbalance is part of the human condition. The father of psychoanalysis observed that anxiety is a crucial "signal" function, a response to danger -- either external physical danger or internal psychological danger.

That is, anxiety is a central part of our existence. It is a source of creativity and drive; it spurs us to accomplishment. Great leaders, serial innovators, even top sales reps may be driven by a kind of inner demon -- the need to prove themselves, to achieve for fear of being worthless (or, as Freud postulated, for fear of castration).

But it's hard to argue with the result: Such people are incredibly productive. They drive change. And that cuts to the problem with a reductionist view of balance. Simply cutting back on work inevitably fails, because in real life, success in work is predicated on achievement. In a competitive business environment -- which is to say, every business environment -- leadership requires commitment, passion, and, to be blunt, a lot of time.

This isn't a cynical argument in favor of clocking the hours -- though let's face it, in some organizations, that pressure is all too real. Rather, building something great, leading change, truly innovating -- "it's like falling in love. You have to abandon yourself to it," says John Wood. "There's the risk of inherent contradiction between wanting to do something entrepreneurial and wanting to have balance."

Wood is 40 years old. He helped build Microsoft's business in Asia until 1998, when, trekking through Nepal on vacation, he saw villages with few schools and bookless libraries. In response, he started Room to Read, a not-for-profit group that builds schools and libraries and provides books and scholarships to Asian children.

Wood isn't married, though he does date. He loves biking, running, and the annual trek that he takes with friends through Southern Asia. Mostly, though, he loves Room to Read. He'll do 11-hour days in his San Francisco office, have a working dinner, then check email late at night. He works seven days a week, year-round.

"I don't look at balance as an ideal. What I look at is, Am I happy? If the answer is yes, then everything else is inconsequential."

But here's how he thinks about it: "I don't look at balance as an ideal. What I look at is, Am I happy? If the answer is yes, then everything else is inconsequential. If you look at the number of hours I work, it's probably extreme. But those hours talking with an adviser over dinner -- is that work? Well, yeah, but it's also stimulating.

"At Microsoft, my definition of balance was getting a decent number of hours outside the office and off email. Now I don't care about that, because the email I check at midnight may come from a person who says he wants to endow a school in Vietnam. So I can't help but read that email, because it's a chance to change a kid's life."

Most achievers don't work hard just at work. They think about their work a lot of the time outside the office. Even if they acknowledge the value of paying attention to their families or their health, they're consumed -- and thrilled -- by the task at hand. Stewart Friedman, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, and Sharon Lobel of Seattle University have a term for such folks: "happy workaholics."

Friedman, who has long encouraged business leaders to pursue "whole" lives, thinks it's possible for leaders to be "poster children for balance," as he says. But he also agrees that conventional arguments for balance devalue the work half of the equation. "Work is an experience through which much of life's rewards and opportunities for service can be realized," he says. "Creating value for the world, for the next generation, all our high-minded ideals -- much of work has the potential for giving voice to that sort of aspiration. And most executives are passionate about what they do.

"So if people are fulfilled through their work, why do we question that?"

Balance Is for Fat People
Pavan Vishwakarma is a 25-year-old freelance Web and e-commerce software developer. He lives and works in Bhopal, India, but he has done work for companies in Illinois, Nevada, and Canada. And he has, as he advertises, "no working hours limitation. I can work up to any stretch of time."

You want balance? Vishwakarma doesn't, particularly. He wants to work, and he'll work cheap -- a lot cheaper than you will.

The global economy is antibalance. For as much as Accenture and Google say they value an environment that allows workers balance, they're increasingly competing against companies that don't. You're competing against workers with a lot more to gain than you, who will work harder for less money to get the job done. This is the dark side of the "happy workaholic." Someday, all of us will have to become workaholics, happy or not, just to get by.

Tom Patterson has spent the last year setting up a technology operations center in Hyderabad, India, for MarketTools, the Mill Valley, California, marketing-research company where he's senior vice president of technology and operations. And he has been stunned by what he sees there.

"I'm amazed at the work ethic," he says. "People are hungry, entrepreneurial, and willing to do whatever it takes at great sacrifices. These kids are working for a change in economic status. Things that we take for granted like housing, health care, vacations -- this is what they're looking at. And the difference to them between $6,000 a year and $10,000 is huge."

Protest, if you like, against labor exploitation or unfair competition. The reality is, workers in India, China, Brazil, and, inevitably, everywhere else aren't stopping long to worry about it. They make our developed-world notion that workers actually are entitled to balance seem quaintly dated.

For years, work-life advocates have held up as a model the "work to live" ethic of Europeans, who historically have toiled fewer hours than Americans. But those would-be paragons are failing, too. The French government is reconsidering its decision in 2000 to reduce the national workweek to 35 hours. And two of Germany's largest companies, Siemens AG and DaimlerChrysler, have (with popular support) won union concessions that will force longer hours for employees.

If you're competing against Pavan Vishwakarma -- and ultimately, we all are -- you can't have both a big paycheck and reasonable hours. The laws of economics won't allow it. If we want time with our families, time to give back to our communities, time to stay slim, we're going to have to accept a pay cut -- and even then, we'll have to work darned hard. Hungry beats fat, every time.

The Superman Trap
For many, the great fallacy is not that we aspire to accomplishment but that we aspire to everything else, too. Unwilling to prioritize among things that all seem important, we instead invent for ourselves the possibility of having everything.

In part, this is the inevitable result of the rush of women into the workforce and the proliferation of two-income families. Can any couple facing two full-time jobs, kids, aging parents, groceries, the dog, the bills, and telemarketers at dinnertime expect anything but all stress, all the time?

But it's not just demographics; it's also desire. If women's inner voices in 1963 were saying, as feminist writer Betty Friedan surmised then, "I want something more than my husband and my children and my home," then today many (and many men, too) are saying something different: "I want it all."

So it is that Tina Sharkey, AOL's senior vice president of life management and community, finds herself on a plane two or three days a week, taking photos of her meal, the flight attendants, everything, so her two young kids will know what she does.

Sharkey's routine seems, to many who know her, mind-boggling. She and her husband, fully employed entrepreneur Seth Goldstein, live with their kids in New York. But many of her 250 employees are at AOL's Dulles, Virginia, headquarters. So she spends one or two nights a week at a hotel nearby. Even at home, her workday is a whirl; she typically breaks at 6 p.m. to go home but is back online from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. As "chief everything officer" of her family, as she puts it, Sharkey coordinates the children's care and family meals, and participates in what school functions she can.

She is an extraordinary woman who evinces both intensity and empathy. But her regimen poses a trap for the rest of us. If we work hard enough, we imagine, we can do anything -- and, therefore, everything. "Balance is misleading people," says Laura Nash, who with Howard Stevenson surveyed hundreds of professionals for their new book, Just Enough: Tools for Creating Success in Your Work and Life (John Wiley & Sons, 2004). "The problem is, they're looking for a magic bullet, a one-stop solution." It is a peculiarly American quest for perfection, for "a solution in achievements."

You've seen supermen and superwomen: They're the ones at their kids' baseball games, half-watching while tethered to their cell phones (been there). Or they're on the phone at work, sorting out child-care schedules and meal assignments with their nannies and spouses.

The problem, as Nash points out, is that while success at work is largely rooted in achievement, success outside of work mostly isn't. The things most of us say we value in our nonwork lives -- simply caring and being there for others -- aren't a function of accomplishing anything per se. Contentedness in that realm is less a matter of doing more than of cutting back.

Obvious enough, isn't it? Life is about setting priorities and making trade-offs; that's what grown-ups do. But in our all-or-nothing culture, resorting to those sorts of decisions is too often seen as a kind of failure. Seeking balance, we strive for achievement everywhere, all the time -- and we feel guilty and stressed out when, inevitably, we fall short.

The Book of Life
Do we throw up our hands then? We can't do everything, but neither can we retreat from the things that are important. How do we make work and life happen on our terms?

The short answer is, we don't entirely. But there are saner ways to confront the problem. One is rooted in the short term. In their interviews and surveys, Nash and Stevenson learned that successful professionals who were also happy had found ways to "switch and link" -- to switch the focus of their full attention with lightning speed among activities and people in different realms.

David Zelman, a psychotherapist and executive coach, sees this as a crucial skill successful people must learn. "Can you leave the office in the office? Can you give someone outside the office the same attention you gave your CEO? If you can give your children or your spouse 100% of your attention, even for a brief period, it goes way longer than compromising and giving them some time because you think you should."

The other solution is more about structure. It forces us to take a long-term view. Give up on the promise of balance at any point in time. Instead, consider a life and career as a portfolio. In each chapter, we have different responsibilities and priorities: children, home, travel, aging relatives. We face a corresponding variety of roles and opportunities on the job: a big project, moving up the managerial hierarchy, consulting, a startup, a top leadership role.

Balance, for what the word is worth, then becomes a lifelong quest -- balance among chapters rather than within each chapter. "It gets in people's heads that the ultimate goal is a 50-50 split between work and life," says work-life consultant Cali Williams Yost. "But there are times when I've happily devoted 80% of my time to work -- and other times when I couldn't." The tough part is recognizing the chapters for what they are -- just temporary episodes that together make up a coherent and satisfying whole.

"This is just one chapter in my life. I feel I have so much to contribute. I have to leverage myself and contribute in the way I can."

That's why Sharkey finds her current manic lifestyle acceptable -- because, she says, "this is just one chapter in my life." The opportunity to fix and build a business at AOL -- and to create something that brings lasting value to women and families -- is, she believes, worth the frenzy and the compromises. "I feel like I have so much to contribute. I have to leverage myself and contribute in the way I can."

Consider it an exercise in continuous redesign, in adapting to ever-changing circumstances and priorities. For couples, this also requires constant rebalancing of roles and responsibilities: You got the promotion, so I'll telecommute for now -- until my next big opportunity comes up. Those who succeed, says Zelman, are "the people who learn to dance with change, who create and ride the wave." They don't make decisions once or twice, but all the time.

And here's what's crucial: With each decision, these people invest themselves, their passion, and their time in what is most important to them. They also agree to give up something important; a portfolio life doesn't excuse them from the need to make trade-offs. The decision to reject the mirage of balance requires the discipline to continually prioritize and compromise.

Is that balance? Only in the sense that, over time, things more or less balance out. But that doesn't make it perfect, or easy. In some ways, it's counterinstinctual. It forces us to think differently about our careers and about the contributions we make in all realms of our lives. And it gives us a plan that's valid only until the next baby, project deadline, layoff, or illness.

But all things considered, it could prove a lot saner.

Rethink the mission.
Balance per se isn't a goal. "It's an afterthought, a way of describing the outcome," says executive coach David Zelman. Seeking balance is futile because it's an intangible and, so, impossible to measure. Better to set concrete objectives in areas important to you and plan concrete paths to each goal, Zelman advises.

Design a life of chapters.
Take your life for what it is -- a rich and varied story defined by ever-changing circumstances and priorities. Work determines just some of those. The object is to achieve balance not at any one point, but over the long haul. Doing so means deciding what's important, then ordering your work and life accordingly.

Within each chapter, do what you're good at.
A small portion of what you can do at work accounts for most of your value. So focus on that, and cut out the rest. For Bill Shore, founder of Share Our Strength, "the issue is, if someone else can do it, I shouldn't." The corollary: Find capable colleagues who can pick up where you leave off.

Redesign continuously.
Work and life are like a kaleidoscope, with many pieces shifting all the time -- and the chapters aren't always so distinct. "As my priorities change, I have to reevaluate," says Elizabeth Vandeveer, a vice president with the BOC Group, the British gas company. "I have to revisit what I'm doing regularly and justify it to myself."

Switch and link.
Harvard professors Laura Nash and Howard Stevenson say some high-performing executives can switch their focus "with lightning speed" among activities that provide happiness, significance, achievement, and legacy. That can mean taking a break to celebrate a staff win -- or leaving your cell phone behind on your vacation.

Pick your spots.
Not everything goes according to plan. And that's okay. "It's about not sweating the little things," says Tina Sharkey, an AOL senior vice president. "That's the only way I'm able to cope." When caterers came the wrong day for a brunch she was hosting, she didn't blow up; she just ate the extra fee and asked them to come back the next day.

Lower your standards.
Achievers are slaves to their own standards. Relax them, and odds are no one will notice. "Let's define what's negotiable," says executive coach Madeleine Homan. "Maybe there's a report that's expected -- but I'm going to do one that's twice as long and a day early? Really, nobody cares."

Learning By Example

2010-01-10T17:42:00.002-05:00

I know you have heard many times that we need to do things the ''right way''. Look after the client, look after the company, follow the process, do the dishes, mow the grass and so on. How is it that we learn what is that right way? Many times it's from someone telling you what to do or giving you a manual to read or allowing you to mess up and yelling at you.

Our newest intern at the office, Ryan, reminded me today that some of our learning comes from seeing others do things and then repeating what you saw. Today Ryan made a cup of coffee, some strange concoction of coffee, ice, sugar and creamer. He stirred it with a spoon and then laid the spoon in the sink and walked away.

I walked to the sink to wash my plate and fork and chuckled to myself when I saw his dirty spoon lying there. I thought to myself, ahh you silly college kids leaving your dirty dishes for someone else to do. After I washed my dishes and his spoon I went to his desk. I asked him in a joking manner, how he thought that spoon was going to get washed. He said he saw someone else do that (just leave dirty dishes in the sink) and he wasn't sure if we had a dishwasher or if someone else did that. He apologized and said he would get it right away. I thanked him and let him know I had already taken care of it.

That simple answer, "I saw someone else do that" really got me to thinking about how we do things as we go through life. We have rules and regs and procedures and blueprints and such to help us be more efficient and communicate better and not get in trouble with mom or dad. But how many times do we do things because that's the way we saw it done before or that's just the way it's always been done without asking, is this right? Or is this the best way? Or will this confuse someone later?

I would encourage and challenge everyone reading this to not be the one that leads by a bad example, no matter how small. Take the extra step, go the extra mile, follow the procedure completely and not just for the client at the office but for your fellow coworkers and your family members that rely on you each and every day. Leading by a bad example shows a lack of respect to those around you and sets others, if not everyone, up for failure down the road.

Funny how something so small as a spoon in a sink can make you think. Thanks Ryan for that lesson today.

Definition of a workout

2010-01-08T10:43:00.003-05:00

What's your definition of a workout? This person obviously has a different definition than mine. Enjoy!!

The Halloween Candy Workout: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Warm up

STRETCH your upper body and neck by reaching to the top shelf of the pantry for the candy stash you hid from your family.

STRETCH your lower body and hamstrings by bending down to pick up the candy bag you dropped because it is so heavily laden with delicious booty.

Step 2: Strength training

LIFT the candy bag and carry it to the coffee table.

SQUAT and sit down on the couch to sort through mass quantities of candy looking for ~~one~~ ~~ten~~ all of the M&Ms.

FEEL THE BURN when you discover that the little traitor you gave birth to traded with her friends most of the M&Ms for Reese's.

Step 3: Cardio

RUN to the computer to tweet the following message: Why do these candies say "fun size"? The big package should be labeled "fun size" and the small should be labeled "not as fun size."

RUN back to the couch for more candy.

RUN to the trashcan to ~~hide the wrappers inside of an empty yogurt container~~ throw away the wrappers.

RUN back to the couch with an increased heart rate from the ~~sugar and chemical rush~~ cardio portion of your workout.

Step 4: Cool down

RECLINE on the couch.

STRETCH and reach for your iPhone to send a text message to your friend about M&Ms.

STRETCH and reach for your iPhone to read a text message from your friend about Reese’s.

TAKE DEEP BREATHS upon learning that there is such a thing as dark chocolate Reese’s.

Advanced Program: Circuit training

JUMP off of the couch.

RUN to the pantry.

STRETCH while reaching for the candy bag on top shelf.

SQUAT down and sit on the pantry floor.

LIFT the candy bag, sort through its contents, find no dark chocolate Reese’s, and curse.

WALK back to the couch feeling sad.

RECLINE and pout.

http://blogthismom.blogspot.com/2009/11/halloween-candy-workout-step-by-step.html

Time

2009-11-22T20:27:00.003-05:00

When I started on the blog journey at the beginning of the year it was a priority. Now as more time has passed I find that making time to sit here and type is harder. I feel that I have lost myself in the normal day to day with all that is and has gone on this year. So with the holidays approaching I am going to try and make the time to get back to writing things down and getting them out of my head. So many things I start seem to remain unfinished, partly due to me and of course partly due to the day to day of the world around me. Lots of things have gone on this year, some great and some not so great. However since I did not take the time to reflect on them and jot them down I may have missed out on learning something from them. Hopefully this won't be the case in the future or for anyone reading this.

WELLNESS TIPS I LEARNED FROM MY DOG

2009-09-25T09:27:00.003-04:00

--by Mary Monroe

Move over Billy Blanks, Deepak and Radu, there's a new health and fitness guru on the scene. His name is Jasper and with a remarkably short nine months of healthy living under his belt--make that collar--he has managed to create a relaxing and rewarding lifestyle that most of us can only dream of. As my exclusive personal trainer, Jasper has some unusual tactics--sleeping on my bed, for example. (He may have stolen this strategy from Madonna's old trainer.) It's all part of his dogged determination to coach me day and night on how to lead a life worth living. Here are the wellness secrets he's shared with me so far:

1. Kiss First, As Questions Later. What's the point of being stand-offish when there's a world full of people just waiting to love you? Bound up to them in the park, make eyes at them through the car window, jump on their lap when they sit down on the couch. Sure, a few will disapprove of the in-your-face style, but how many people can resist such glorious and completely unfounded affection?
2. Live for Your Daily Walks. Daily activity is the most important thing, no matter what, and never let it be forgotten. Make it clear that you will not tolerate a day without exercise. Pout, if need be. Cast a rueful eye at your companions and skulk pathetically around the house. Hanging your head mournfully on the rug is also effective. When you do get to exercise, let everyone know how happy you are: jump and spin around and lick everybody in sight.
3. Practice Frolic-and-Rest Interval Training. Forget boring repetitive exercise. The only way to work out is by frolicking at top speed for as long as you can and when you're tired, stopping abruptly wherever you are. Repeat. Don't do it because experts say interval training is ideal for improving fitness and managing weight--do it because it feels good.
4. Sleep Whenever and Wherever You Can. As long as you've had your exercise, you can spend the rest of y our time concentrating on the next most important thing: sleeping. It's best to have numerous favorite resting spots wherever you go. Show off your sleeping talents whenever you can.
5. Eat Joyfully. Life is short. As long as it's not poisonous and you're hungry, chow down.
6. When You're Tired of Sleeping, Play. You will probably have to encourage the duds around you to play, too, or they'll just keep right on working and paying bills and other ridiculously dull activities. Use your imagination and you can create fun games with anything--even old socks (especially old socks.)
7. Stretch, Shake and Roll Over Frequently. This is self-explanatory. How else are you going to stay limber and sharp for all that playing and sleeping?
8. Take Time To Smell--Well, Everything. The world is a wonderful place, if you take the time to pay attention. Every tree, every leaf, every breeze--even old laundry and garbage--has a story to tell. Sniff it out, and savor it.
9. Forgive Everything. Even if the people you love most in the world take you to get shots (or worse), forget to feed you or have a tendency to step on you. Assume the best: they probably don't mean it.
10. Never Miss A Massage. This may be the most important of all. Place yourself in rubbing distance of everyone you see, and practice doing cute and cuddly things. If you're playing it right, you can pretty much turn your whole life into one long massage. What could be healthier?

Author's note: if you can't find a dog who will act as your personal trainer, you can enlist the help of a cat. Cats, on the whole, offer a less predictable and more mentally challenging regimen. However, they charge more and are less likely to care about your progress.

http://valleycrossfit.typepad.com/blog/

The Primal Blueprint

2009-08-05T10:40:00.002-04:00

This is a repost of an article you can find over at Mark's Daily Apple.

How to Succeed with the Primal Blueprint

So you’ve decided to join the challenge. You’ve created your own Primal Challenge Journal and have publicly stated your goals for the next month. Now what? First things first. You have to know the basics. If you’re new to the Primal Blueprint the following article will be like gold to you. Revisit it again and again until you’ve committed the concepts to memory. The graphs and charts are visual representations of the principles that are at the core of the Primal health philosophy and give you a taste of what it is in my new book, The Primal Blueprint.

You’ve defined the “what”. If your goal is to lose weight, build muscle, increase energy or just generally look and feel healthier these graphics explain the basics of the “how”.

The Primal Blueprint Carbohydrate Curve

What’ll It Be? The “Sweet Spot” or the “Danger Zone”?

Carbohydrate intake is often the decisive factor in weight loss success and prevention of widespread health problems like Metabolic Syndrome, obesity and type 2 diabetes. These average daily intake levels assume that you are also getting sufficient protein and healthy fats, and are doing some amount of Primal exercise. The ranges in each zone account for individual metabolic differences.

0-50 grams per day: Ketosis and I.F. (Intermittent Fasting) zone. Excellent catalyst for rapid fat loss through I.F. Not recommended for prolonged periods (except in medically supervised programs for obese or Type 2 diabetics) due to unnecessary deprivation of plant foods.
50-100 grams per day: Sweet Spot for Weight Loss. Steadily drop excess body fat by minimizing insulin production. Enables 1-2 pounds per week of fat loss with satisfying, minimally restrictive meals.
100-150 grams per day: Primal Maintenance zone. Once you’ve arrived at your goal or ideal body composition, you can maintain it quite easily here while enjoying abundant vegetables, fruits and other Primal foods.
150-300 grams a day: Insidious Weight Gain zone. Most health conscious eaters and unsuccessful dieters end up here, due to frequent intake of sugar and grain products (breads, pastas, cereals, rice, potatoes – even whole grains). Despite trying to “do the right thing” (minimize fat, cut calories), people can still gain an average of 1.5 pounds of fat every year for decades.
300+ grams a day: Danger Zone of average American diet. All but the most extreme exercisers will tend to produce excessive insulin and store excessive fat over the years at this intake level. Increases risk for obesity, Metabolic Syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

The Primal Blueprint Food Pyramid

For effortless weight loss, vibrant health, and maximum longevity

General Guidelines: 80% of body composition success is determined by diet. Limit processed carb intake (hence, insulin production), and obtain sufficient protein and fat to fuel and rebuild.

Protein: Average .7 – 1 gram per pound of lean body mass/day – depending on activity levels (more at times is fine).
Carbs: 50-100 grams/day (or less) = accelerated fat loss. 100-150 grams/day = effortless weight maintenance. Heavy exercisers can increase carb intake as needed to replace glycogen stores.
Fat: Enjoy freely but sensibly for balance of caloric needs and high dietary satisfaction levels.
Avoid Poisonous Things: Conventional Wisdom’s dietary guidelines promote fat storage, type 2 diabetes, inflammation and obesity!
Eliminate: Sugary foods and beverages, grains (wheat, corn, rice, pasta, breads, cereals, etc.), legumes (soy and other beans), trans and partially hydrogenated fats, high-risk conventional meat and produce, and excess PUFA’s (instead, increase omega-3 oils).
Modern Adjustments: Some modern foods that Grok didn’t eat can still be included in a healthy diet
Moderation: Certain high glycemic fruit, coffee, high-fat dairy products, starchy tuber vegetables, and wild rice.
Supplements: Multivitamin/mineral formula, probiotics, omega-3 fish oil and protein powder.
Herbs, spices and extracts: Offer many health benefits and enhance enjoyment of meals.
Sensible indulgences: Dark chocolate, moderate alcohol, high-fat treats.

The Primal Blueprint Fitness Pyramid

For functional, diverse athletic ability, and a lean, proportioned physique

Exercising according to the three Primal Blueprint laws will optimize gene expression and promote Primal Fitness.

Law #3: Move Frequently at a Slow Pace strengthens the cardiovascular and immune systems, promotes efficient fat metabolism and gives you a strong base to handle more intense workouts.
Law: #4: Lift Heavy Things stimulates lean muscle development, improves organ reserve, accelerates fat loss, and increases energy.
Law #5: Sprint Once in a While stimulates the production of HGH and testosterone, which help improve overall fitness and delay the aging process – without the burnout risk of excessive prolonged workouts.

The Conventional Wisdom approach to fitness is clearly not working! Stress is excessive, weight loss goals are compromised, and many are misguided to pursue narrow fitness goals that are unhealthy.

Avoid Chronic Cardio (frequent medium-to-high intensity sustained workouts)
Avoid Chronic Strength Training (frequent and/or prolonged sub-maximal lifting sessions ending in exhaustion)
Avoid Regimented Schedules (instead, allow for spontaneous, intuitive variation in type, difficulty and frequency of workouts)

All this and much more can be found in my new book, The Primal Blueprint. Order a copy today and start getting Primal!

Do The Hard Stuff

2009-06-30T21:02:00.003-04:00

Well it's been a while since my last post. Mostly due to the fact that I have not had a computer at home and then some of it is that I have not taken the time to do it. Of course just like life, so many things have happened since then. Lots of working out, playing volleyball, family events, solo outings, tons of work and lots of other things. One great thing is that tomorrow July 1st is my daughter's 5th birthday. Amazing how time flies and that I have a daughter who is turning 5 and starting school next fall.

One of the bad things about how time flies is that you get older. Now for some of us that's bad enough in itself. For folks like myself who are competitors at everything we do it is even harder. I have stated before that I have to work so much harder to keep up with the young guns and play volleyball at the level I want to. Now that I have been CrossFitting for almost a year I have come to realize there are some things I am good at and some things I think I will NEVER be good at.

Life is like that too. However if we never tackle the hard stuff then we won't ever grow and change and allow ourselves to experience new and wondrous things. So I encourage you to do the hard stuff. Find that one or two things that you really hate to do, running, jumping, push-ups, pull-ups, laundry, washing the car or the dog, mowing the grass, getting up early, not doing anything personal at work.

Pick one and do it for a week. Day in and day out without fail and here is the hard part, with a good attitude. Find the positive in it and allow yourself to think on that. The more you do it, the better you will become and the more joy and experiences you will open yourself up to. It's hard, for sure. That's why you and I don't do ''it'' now. However we may find that someone else will enjoy the fact that we stepped out and did it. Who knows you may even find that something totally unexpected may come from it too.

Why That Big Meal You Just Ate Made You Hungry

2009-05-01T09:05:00.000-04:00

Why That Big Meal You Just Ate Made You Hungry
· By MELINDA BECK

Every few months, a new study purports to prove that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, and that the only way to lose weight is to burn more than you take in.

But veteran dieters know something that some researchers apparently don’t: Certain foods seem to fuel the appetite like pouring gasoline on a fire. Some people find that once they start eating bread, cookies, chocolate, potato chips — or leftover Easter candy — they lose all sense of fullness and find it difficult to stop.

That’s the concept behind “The Skinny,” a new book by Louis J. Aronne, longtime director of the Comprehensive Weight Loss Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He makes the best case yet why what you eat and when you eat it can make a big difference in appetite, satiety and how much willpower it takes to cut down. “It’s true that a calorie is a calorie,” Dr. Aronne says. “But what that doesn’t take into account is how some calories affect what people eat later on.”

Appetite Stokers

Some foods make it harder to stop eating:

· Bread

· Sweets

· Juice

· Pasta

· Wine or beer before dinner

· Artificial sweeteners

*Source: ”The Skinny” by Louis J. Aronne

After 23 years of treating patients — some of it espousing liquid diets – Dr. Aronne has concluded that refined carbohydrates and foods with high sugar and fat content promote what he calls “fullness resistance.” They interfere with the complex hormonal messages the body usually sends to the brain to signal that it’s time to stop eating. People feel hungrier instead.

This happens in part because refined carbohydrates raise blood-sugar levels, setting up an insulin surge that drives blood sugar down again, causing rebound hunger. That insulin spike also interferes with leptin, the hormone secreted by fat cells that should tell the body to stop eating. Obese people have loads of leptin, but it either doesn’t get to the brain, or the brain becomes resistant to it. “This is not a failure of willpower, it’s a physical mechanism,” Dr. Aronne writes. The body also becomes resistant to insulin, setting the stage for diabetes.

Other researchers have described similar phenomena. An article in this month’s Medical Hypothesis argues that for some people, refined foods with high sugar and carbohydrate content can be just as addictive as tobacco and alcohol.

Eating foods high in protein, vegetables, fiber and water have the opposite effect, Dr. Aronne says. His plan recommends revising what you eat, one meal at a time, to restore your sense of fullness:

Breakfast: Loading up on lean protein — ideally from egg whites or a protein shake — in the morning reduces hunger all day long. Eating muffins, bread, sweetened cereal and juice does the opposite. A study of 30 overweight women at Saint Louis University School of Medicine found that those who ate eggs for breakfast consumed 140 fewer calories at lunch, and ate less for the next 36 hours, compared with women who ate bagels in the morning.

Some people argue that they aren’t hungry in the morning, but Dr. Aronne notes that ghrelin, the hormone that typically signals hunger, adjusts to habitual meal patterns. After a few days of eating breakfast, you should find that you are hungry in the morning, and are eating less the night before, he writes.

Lunch: Some dieters try to cut calories by skipping this meal. But going more than five hours without food causes hunger hormones to rise and fullness hormones to drop, and sends more of the calories consumed at dinner straight to fat cells. Dr. Aronne recommends starting lunch with a salad — at least two cups of lettuce — then more vegetables, and then lean protein. Skip the cheese, croutons, bacon and creamy dressings, he advises. Using vinegar alone will cut your appetite and slow the rise in blood sugar.

Dinner: The end of the day is fraught with temptation. Obese people consume significantly more calories at dinner than slimmer people. Here, too, load up first on salads, clear soups, or high-protein appetizers like shrimp cocktail, then have a lean protein main course. Unlike some other diet plans, Dr. Aronne’s program allows a half-cup of grains or a small dessert at the end of the meal, but only if you’re still hungry.

Eating bread before dinner makes people lose their sense of fullness and eat more, Dr. Aronne warns. Alcohol makes it worse by lowering your resistance and promoting fat storage.

Snacks: Like many other weight-loss experts, Dr. Aronne believes that midmorning and midafternoon snacks can act as mini appetite suppressants, preventing blood sugar from dropping too low. But the same principles apply: high-sugar, high-starch, high-fat snacks — including those little 100-calorie cookie packs — start a vicious cycle of more cravings, whereas fruit, nuts, vegetables and clear soups can halt them.

Beverages: It should go without saying that juice and sweet soda can add hundreds of extra calories a day. A few studies have shown that even artificially sweetened beverages can prompt people to crave real sweets during the day. Cut back on all sources of liquid calories, Dr. Aronne advises; stick with water.

To be sure, if you eat as Dr. Aronne suggests, you’ll consume fewer calories overall. The point is, eating protein early in the day may make it much easier to cut down. “It definitely does make a difference,” says Ned Sadaka, a New York investment manager who consulted Dr. Aronne to drop 30 pounds that had crept up on him in recent years. He’s lost 21 pounds and 5 inches off his waist since January.

Not everyone agrees that consuming more protein cuts appetite. Harvard School of Public Health’s Frank Sacks led a study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine that compared 811 overweight adults on four diets with varying levels of protein, fat and carbohydrate. “We found absolutely no difference in their satiety and hunger levels,” Dr. Sacks says. All the groups lost similar amounts of weight.

Other weight-loss experts say that’s not surprising, since there were only modest differences in their fat, protein and carbohydrate intakes, and many participants didn’t stick to their plans.

Eric Westman, director of the Lifestyle Medical Clinic at Duke University Medical Center , who espouses the same kind of low-carb plan that Robert Atkins made famous, says in his experience, “There is almost complete appetite suppression when you eat protein.”

The debate will doubtless continue — weight loss is an extremely complex area, and not everyone’s metabolism is the same. Dr. Aronne suggests trying his plan yourself: “Have 200 calories of egg white omelet or protein shake for breakfast, and then another day have 200 calories of juice and look at your hunger, hour after hour.”

Sometimes being a clinical trial of one is the best way to do your own research.

Computers

2009-04-29T21:23:00.001-04:00

I really wish some things would last longer. I am writing this on my phone. My video card has gone out on my PC so I have been unable to blog like I want to. Hopefully I will be up and running soon.

Control

2009-04-15T20:43:00.003-04:00

Rain is a wonderful thing. So simple, so pure, so cleansing and so refreshing. It really is just like working out at CrossFit Swift. Nothing more pure and simple than just lifting something heavy or moving quickly. As I sit here and type I can hear and see and smell the rain coming down. I really do like it when it rains. I'll blame that on growing up in Mississippi. We have some of the best thunderstorms there and days like today make me miss them.

On the outside and to the majority of the world I am always in control. Physically, mentally and emotionally. That's the way I live my life. Everything is in it's place and just so. Even when I work out or play with my daughter. It is the rare sight to ever see me out of control. However to those that truly know me, that control allows me to fully commit myself to whatever I am doing and to give my all. I know right where that line is and I push right up to it and give, give, give. I never do anything half way and always try to find a way to help others and put them first.

Today was a very tough day for me. Things happened that some would say were minor. However for me since I give all I have in all that I do, I tend to be more attached to things. (even if I don't show it) Even the small ones have a part of me in them and that means something to me. Especially if my name is associated with it in any way. I take pride in what I do and wish more people would too.

So after some personal struggles today it was time to hit the gym over at CrossFit Swift.
I knew this one today was going to be tough, just because I was so mentally and emotionally drained from the events of the day. So I walked in and on the board was the following:

3 rounds for time.
Each round complete 20 reps at each station of:
Wall Ball 20
SDLHP 75
Box Jumps 24''
Push Press 75
Row (for 20 calories)

To be honest I was not that scared of it. I guess I was so distracted by the events of the day that I did not really think about how much work that was going to be. The usual suspects where there. Mark, Mason, Tim, Kim, Susan, Laura, Dan and Michael. It was a good group. Of course my goal is to keep up with Mark and Mason. Alas it was not to be tonight - again!

I am not sure what happened but all I know was that they kicked my @$$ by 5 minutes tonight. I thought I was doing ok but as I was 5 wall balls in they both said ''time''. That was it, I could not take it. After the day I had and now this I could not control my emotions any longer. So I had a choice to make -
A: Push harder and finish strong and allow my emotions to take over and then come spilling out all over the place
- - - or - - -
B: Stop trying so hard and just finish the workout with my emotions intact.

Well tonight I chose B (shocker). At the point I heard them say they were done, I shut down and went into auto pilot. My eyes glazed over and my effort dropped to nothing. I finished the workout but I did not give it my all after that point. My time was 23 minutes and some change.

Sometimes being in control of things is not always the way to go. Sometimes being in control is what limits your performance and experience. So what if my emotions got out during the workout. What if I cried and screamed and kept on working because I could not hold it in any longer. What if someone saw me outside of the box I have worked so hard to build for them to see. Well tonight would not be the night we find out.

So I finished and walked outside as I normally do to get some fresh air. As I exited the building and felt the nice cool misting rain hit my head and I took in a nice deep breath of crisp, clean air, my emotions came speeding back. There was nothing I could do to control them now. They wanted and needed to be out. So out they came and I had to let it happen. The one and only thing I could control was if someone saw me or not. So I stayed outside until I gained control again.

Then in a quick dash I ran inside, grabbed my bag and left. The ride home was a long one and I don't remember half of it. I was on auto pilot again. Finally my emotions began to become more normal. A nice, long, hot shower helped too. I think a great shower could cure almost anything.

So now I sit here typing away trying to make sense of all that has happened and all that I feel. That may take some time. The good news is that tomorrow is another day and another chance for me to take control and enjoy every minute of it.

LIFE

2009-04-13T19:29:00.004-04:00

No matter what you do or try to do, life somehow always gets in the way.
It's been so long that I am not sure if I remember how to blog.
Since I last posted here there has been lots of working out, lots of working, a visit from my mom and many other random things that just came and went.
However I just never seemed to make the time to sit down and do this.

So let me try this again.
Tonight Mason and I did a quick training session in my yard. We hung the rings on the swing set and pulled out the tire and cones. My neighbor's 14 year old son joined in on the fun. He has done that a couple of times before but then for some reason I don't see him again for a long, long time.

So tonight we did this:

3 rounds

10 tire flips with a jump in and out each time
5 med ball sit ups with a throw and a 60 foot sprint each time
10 med ball squat jumps
5 20lb pullups
5 20lb ring pushups
5 med ball inline cone jumps (8 road cones in a line - 4 are 20'' and 4 are 28'')

We did not time the session. However when we started a round we went as fast as we could until that round was over. Then we had a bout 2 minutes rest in between the rounds. It took us about 20 minutes to do all 3 rounds.

So now I am wiped out and ready to eat, shower and go to bed.

Change

2009-03-11T21:31:00.002-04:00

Well I just got home from another fun night at CrossFit Swift. Today was a good day. I was expecting a workout named Linda tonight. So in preparation for Linda I needed to weigh myself since some of the exercises are a percentage of your body weight. This is the first time I have weighed myself since September of last year.

At that time I was a ''soft'' 185lbs when I started CrossFit last year. When I weighed myself today I found that I am a ''not so soft'' 198lbs. I could not believe it. I have noticed a change in my physique but I was not expecting to weigh almost 200lbs at only 6 feet tall.

So as I walked into the gym tonight and looked at the board I was surprised to see we were not doing Linda. It was a good thing too because there were about 12 people there. It would have taken forever to do that with so many people. However what we did end up doing was a short little met-con. Now I am not normally a fan of met-cons but this one seemed to be ok. It was broken up nicely and the reps were manageable compared to other ones I have done.

Here was the workout:

On the mark for a total of 20 minutes do the following 2 circuits alternating each 2 minutes:

Circuit A:
3 Burpees
5 Wallball 20#
7 Sit-ups
9 KB Swings 24kg
11 Air Squats

Circuit B:
3 Pull-ups
5 Box Jumps 24"
7 Barbell Shoulder Presses 45#
9 Back Extensions
11 Bench Dips

The less time you need to finish each circuit, the more rest time you will have available during each 2 minute interval.

So when the clock started I began to work through circuit A. Then at the end of 2 minutes I switched to circuit B. This was to continue until 20 minutes were up. If I was able to finish the circuit early then I could rest the remaining time left in that 2 minutes. That happened on all the rounds except the last 2. I averaged25 seconds to 15 seconds of rest time during each round. But on the last 2 I had no rest time.

The night before began to take it's toll on me in the last couple of rounds. My legs and shoulders were tired and found it difficult to do the KB swings and the squats. But I did complete them all in the time limit.

So change is good and it helps to be able to adapt and move on with a positive attitude.

Making Time

2009-03-11T21:09:00.002-04:00

Wow it's been what seems like a year since I last posted anything. Between work and snow and working out and life in general all my blogging time seemed to just fade away. I know that if I am going to make this work I have to make the time to do it. Just like anything else that is important to me. If it matters then I make the time.

Last night the workout at CrossFit Swift kicked my tail. It's amazing how much your mental state as well as your diet matter in doing these workouts. I did not eat terribly yesterday but my mental state was not where it needed to be in order to have a great workout. You could see it on my face that my energy level was low. The good and the bad news was that there were only two of us there. Myself and Deborah. The good part was that it was going to be a laid back low energy workout. The bad part was that it was going to be a laid back low energy workout. And this one was not one that needed to be low energy or laid back.

However it was what it was. One thing I have learned so far in this life is that you need to be able to take things as they come and positively accept them and work with what they offer. Just like people, if you try to make a situation something it is not then it probably won't work out too well. But if you take it as it comes and learn from it then you at least take something away that you can use later.

So the workout was this:

5 rounds for time of:

10 "Curtis P Complex" 65#
15 Knees to Elbows
20 KB Swings 55#

Note: Curtis P Complex - With a barbell, execute Hang Squat Clean followed by a Racked Lunge (1 ea leg) (racked meaning the barbell is at shoulder level in a front squat position), followed by a Push Press.

It took me a total of 62minutes to complete all of this. After round 1 I kept looking at the board and the clock and thinking - I have how many of these to do????? But I kept on going. One by one I did them all. The hardest part for me was the knees to elbows. That is so taxing on my shoulders.

All I can say is I am glad that is over. My legs are sore and it takes a lot to get them that way. But as my girl Mai would say - ''It's a good sore''.
Another night gone, another workout done.

SLEEP

2009-03-07T20:13:00.002-05:00

It's been a crazy, busy, stressful week. So today I have had time to catch up on some sleep. Sleep is very important and all of us never get enough. I am actually getting ready to get some more sleep before I lose another hour tonight. Tomorrow will be a busy day since I have my daughter and it will be 80 degrees. So feel free to read up on why sleep is important while I catch some zzzzzzzzz s.

http://www.apa.org/topics/whysleep.html

Everything's Mental

2009-02-24T20:45:00.002-05:00

There is no doubt that CrossFit will test you and find out where you are weakest. It does not matter, you will be tested both mentally and physically. Here lately all my tests have been mental. I am by no means old. I am only 36 - 37 in a couple months, but for some reason I am feeling old. Most of it is my mentality and expectations I set for myself. I want to be the best at everything I do, no matter what.

I guess that is what I really like about CrossFit. No matter what I do I can't ever defeat it. Each workout seems to be just as hard as the last one. Mostly because the stronger and better you get, the more you push yourself, thus making it just as hard as the last time. It also does not help to try and keep up with other athletes that are 10 - 20 years younger than you are.

I know I can keep up with them and I am doing it. They are only beating me by a minute or two depending on the workout. But let me tell you what that is a LONG minute. The thoughts that keep going through my head are ones of doubt and why bother. We start out even and they just slowly pull away and finish just ahead of me. No matter what I do I can't catch them. I try to tell myself that it's because my upper body is not as strong as theirs, which may be true. However it's the negative thoughts that really keep me out of it.

If only for a brief second that negative thought puts me behind and keeps me there. Then I am not just competing with the time or the weights or the other people, but against myself and the negative thoughts. That is the toughest battle of all. But those of you that know me, know I won't give up - no matter what! Some would say that's my downfall but I have to say it's the one reason I am who I am and where I am today. I just don't quit until I master it and am in the front.

In life this may be fine, but in this world of CrossFit it just leads to more and more of the same struggle. The amazing part is that even in the midst of this seemingly endless struggle of the mind I am making huge improvements like never before. My conditioning is the best it's ever been and I am getting stronger and stronger with each week. I am doing things that I looked at a year ago and said no way. Like doing a handstand on an Indo Board. Now that's fun.

The other thing that CrossFit does is pull you out of your comfort zone and makes you confront your weak areas. No one likes to do that, but it is so important that we all do that so that we can grow and become better people. It's so much fun learning new things and looking silly from time to time. Again, I love to be in control and definitely don't like to be silly. However between CrossFit and my daughter, they are helping me with that.

The mental struggle and the workout tonight was this:

500m Row
Push press x 21 reps (115lbs)
500m Row
Push press x 18 reps
500m Row
Push press x 15 reps
500m Row
Push press x 12 reps

I finished with a time of 20.38.

Not bad but when you compare it to the people I am competing against it is SLOW.
Tim finished in 14 minutes. Mason and Mark in 18 minutes.
Like I said one or two minutes is not that long a time, but when you are in the middle of all that, it lasts FOREVER.

I did finish as Rx'd, and I know I will be better for it now that it is all over. I just know I need to work on the mental side of things just as much as the physical.
It's good to be pushed and challenged. When was the last time you were taken outside of your comfort zone and challenged?? I encourage you to try it at least once a week.

Shoulder Work

2009-02-20T09:57:00.004-05:00

I was not very excited to see the WOD on the board when I walked in.
It was:

Shoulder Press 1-1-1-1-1
Push Press 3-3-3-3-3
Push Jerk 5-5-5-5-5

That's right, upper body and lots of shoulder work. Man I do not like that. Mostly because I feel like I am already very weak, in comparison to others (Mason and Mark). That did not mean I was not going to do my best, I just did not like it.

I just kept reminding myself of the CrossFit mindset.

This was all about going heavy and not for time. Of course since Mason and Mark were there I was going to push myself to try and keep up with them. I knew this was out of my reach but what the heck, why not try.

Here are the results from the night.

Shoulder Press
95-115-135-140-145(f)
my old PR was 130

Push Press
115-135-155-165-170(f)
my old PR was 155

Push Jerk
95-105-110-115-120
never done these before

Mason and Mark both beat me easily but they are both incredibly strong in the upper body.
Here is where Mark finished on the night. He was the best on this night. Looks like Mason and I both have a new mark (pun intended) to shoot for.

95-115-135-145-155-160(f)
115-135-155-165-175
125-145-165-185(f)-185

The night ended with me exceeding my previous results. Which means I was making progress. For some reason I was not excited by that. Most of it had to do with the fact I did not have the belief in myself that night to do the impossible. Sometimes I have those days where I am just going through the motions and just want to get through it all. I think this was one of those times. Funny thing is, I wonder what I could have done if my mind had been right and I had felt good about it all.

I have to ask myself what other areas of my life am I shortchanging just because I want to get through it and be done with it. I am sure I can do better in everything I do, mostly just by changing my attitude.

Front Squat

2009-02-18T22:01:00.002-05:00

I am tired so this will be very brief. I can't believe how much tonight took out of me. The good news is that it was one of my favorite nights at CrossFit Swift. It was a heavy night.

Tonight's workout was:

Front Squat
5-5-5-5-5

The goal is to be at your heaviest by round 4 or 5.
Mason and I started out at 115lbs for round 1. Round 2 we went to 135. Round 3 found us at 155. Things were beginning to get heavy for Mason. This is by far his weakest area. I still felt strong.

Round 4 took us to 175lbs. Again I pushed through all 5 reps ok, but it was beginning to get heavy. Mason struggled and barely made it through.

Round 5 - last round found us at 195lbs. Off I went, down, up - down, up until I grunted out the last two reps. Done! All 5 reps at 195lbs. Mason stepped up to the bar. Down he went and slowly he came up. Down he went again and even slower he came up. That was it, he was done at 2 reps. So for tonight I was able to beat him in the front squats.

Now I still felt very good and my energy level was going up quickly. I began to smile and look at the bar. Everyone knew what that meant. I was going to see what my 1 rep max was.

I stepped up to the bar and put 215lbs on it. Picked it up off the rack and took a deep breath. Down I went and up I came. It was tough for sure but I know I can do more. Of course I could not quit with that. I was feeling too good now. The smile on my face was huge now. The endorphins were kicking.

Now I put 225lbs on the bar. Took some deep breaths and off I went. Down and up. I decided to stop there, even though I still felt good. I figure I will save something for the next time I try this.

There you go another night, another personal best. I just love this stuff!!!

Good Reading

2009-02-17T16:50:00.003-05:00

I ran across this at www.againfaster.com and just had to share it. It's simple but as most simple things are - it's great!

A Few Truths

Friday, May 18, 2007 at 01:07PM

The following list stems from my recent successes and failures as an athlete and a coach, and I hope you find it useful. Because it is my list, it is more for me than it is for you, but there is no harm in sharing.

1.) It is always possible to work harder. Not necessarily longer or more often--just harder.

2.) If you try to accomplish everything, you won't accomplish anything. Pick a single goal, and dedicate yourself to achieving that goal.

3.) The further you go from your home gym, the more likely you are to run into someone who is faster, stronger, and more powerful than you. Travel, and bring your humility.

4.) You must surround yourself with those who share and support your goals. If your friends scoff when you leave for the gym at 5 a.m., get new friends.

5.) You cannot coach yourself. "Coaching by mirror" is a great way to know what a movement looks like and a horrible way to know what a movement feels like.

6.) You need to analyze your training, qualitatively and quantitatively. If you don't know why you're doing what you're doing, stop doing it.

7.) On a related note, human beings are capable of rationalizing anything. If you go looking for proof that you're on the right track, you'll find it.

8.) Easy fixes are few and far between. If it's easy, chances are it's incorrect, incomplete, or both.

9.) It is human nature to get where you want to be and immediately stop doing the things that got you there. This is a fantastic way to stay right where you are.

All lessons can't be bright and cheery. Get rid of the crap that's holding you back, and have the courage to realize that a healthy dose of self-criticism can go a long way toward making you a better athlete. We all need a kick in the ass once in a while.

Go faster!

Jon Gilson

Valentine's Day Pain

2009-02-17T09:35:00.004-05:00

Just when I thought that Valentine's Day was supposed to be about love and acceptance, CrossFit Swift taught me otherwise.

I know it's Tuesday and I have not posted in a while, but let me just say that Saturday's workout was a killer! It seemed simple enough on paper, but as we all know that just means it will leave you flat on your back in no time and not in a good way.

Here was the, not so simple workout:

4 Burpees
8 Sit ups
PVC pipe OH squats
For every minute on the minute complete 4 burpees, 8 sit ups and as many pvc oh squats as possible until 150 oh squats are achieved.

The first thing I knew I did not like about this workout was that there were burpees involved. This is NEVER a good thing. The second thing I did not like was that it was pure Met-Con, which is never a good thing.

3..2..1.. Go!
So off I went - 4 burpees down - 8 situps down - 22 overhead squats down. That was the first minute. The second minute was not so kind. Only finished 15 overhead squats. After that it was all downhill from there. 10 here, 5 there, 15 over there and even a couple of rounds where I could only do the burpees and the situps and 0 overhead squats. That's right a big fat 0! That means more time and more burpees.

One thing that I knew was not working in my favor was that I was a bit dehydrated. I played volleyball the night before and felt it then. My mouth was dry and I felt tired. I knew I would be in trouble the next morning working out since less than 12 hours is not enough time to hydrate well enough.

Over and over again, up and down, up and down, minute by minute, round by round, I just kept going. There was no way I was going to quit even though I wanted too. As I looked around more and more people were finished and lying on the ground in that great resting position, on their back with their arms and legs outstreched with their eyes closed. I never lie down after a workout. I normally like to walk around and take in deep breaths. But this time I could think of nothing more than just crashing on the floor. My girl finished in 16 minutes - I'm so proud of her.

Still I had work to do. 100, 120, 143 - only 7 more overhead squats to do. No matter what, I was going to finish this time. 3, 2, 1 - DONE! I immediately crashed to the floor and just layed there with my eyes closed and my mind blank. It was a great feeling to be done. Even though it only took me 18 minutes to complete this, it felt like forever.

Within those 18 minutes I completed - 72 burpees - 144 situps and 150 overhead squats.
Man was I done. It took me a good 45 minutes to recover enough to drive home and even then Mai had to drive.

I was wiped out for the rest of the day. I slept and ate and that was about it. It was a wonderful Valentine's Day but I highly recommend staying hydrated and eating well ALL the time.

Indo Board Fun

2009-02-12T10:34:00.002-05:00

Wednesday night's workout was:

30-20-10
Hang Power Cleans 95#
Pull-ups

My time was 15.44.

I was spent from the week and did not eat very well so my energy level was low. I just knew Mason was going to smoke me tonight. As we started the workout I felt tired, but I just kept looking at Mason and trying to keep pace with him. It was going to be tough since there were pull-ups in tonight's workout.

I just kept going and going and going. Before I knew it I was done and yelled TIME so Jen and Keith could write down my time. Much to my surprise Mason yelled TIME after I did. What??? Did I hear that correctly??? I beat him??? No way that could not be right. That was a really good feeling after having him smoke me the night before.

After we all cooled down we began to play with some of the toys in the gym. The one that I love the most is the Indo Board. This thing is so much fun. I can't get enough of it. Mason and I have gotten fairly good at it on our feet. Of course that's not good enough for me. I have to keep pushing the limits.

I thought to myself why not a handstand??? We all chuckled for a bit and then I went for it. Now this is not a normal handstand - YET. This was like the Yoga pose called the crow. I will be working toward a real handstand but for now I can be happy with the 5 seconds I was able to stay up in the crow pose.

Man this stuff is fun!!

22,000 lbs in 22 minutes

2009-02-12T10:27:00.003-05:00

I keep checking my math and I think it's right. 22,000 lbs in 22 minutes. If my calculations are right, that is how much weight I moved on Tuesday night at CrossFit Swift. It really is amazing when you think of it in those terms.

The workout for the night was:

5 rounds for time of - 10 deadlifts (250#) and 10 ring dips (I weigh 190#).
I was able to finish this in 22 minutes.

So if you look at it this way -
DL - 50 x 250lb = 12,500lb
Ring Dip - 50 x 190lb = 9,500lb
Grand Total of 22,000lbs

That is an amazing amount of work. I was quite slow if you compare me to Mason who did it in 15.50, but I did it and I finished it all with no modifications.

I am definitely getting stronger and this proves it.

BEAR Attack

2009-02-07T14:37:00.002-05:00

Ok, somehow I survived the Bear attack at CrossFit Swift. The Bear is a benchmark CrossFit workout. It is all about strength and mental toughness. I have done this workout 3 times now and I keep getting better and better but it still beats me up. One thing about CrossFit is that it will test you as much mentally as physically. This is one of those workouts that prove it.

Here is what The Bear is:

Complete 7 reps of the following sequence
Power Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Back Squat
Push Press

Complete 5 rounds, increasing the weight each round to find your max. Rest as needed in between rounds.

You may not rest the bar on the ground - not even to regrip.
You may rest the bar on any part of your body.

As the morning began I did not feel very strong. Some days you just don't feel that great. Today was one of those days. I had already pushed myself quite a bit on Wednesday night when I maxed out my thrusters at 170lbs. Nedless to say my shoulders were somewhat tired from that workout.

I began my rounds with 95lbs on the bar. Then I went to 105lbs on round 2. I knew right away that this was going to be a struggle. Round 3 found me going up to 115lbs. This one was tough but I knew I had more in me. Round 4 was here. Time to go up again. 120lbs found it's way onto my bar. Now this was tough. I struggled and fought and sreamed and grunted and did whatever it took to get through all 7 reps without letting go of the bar or let it rest on the ground.

Now that was tough. The hardest part was trying to keep my hands wrapped around the bar. My forearms were burning and my fingers were weak. BUT I MADE IT!!! This was 5lbs more than I was able to do back in December when I did 115lbs on the last round but had to drop the bar on rep 3 of 7.

Now for the last round. The question of the day, do I do 120lbs again or do I go up to 125??? Well if you know me you know the answer to that question. Of course I went up to 125lbs. How else would I know my limits if I don't try to go past them.

Here we go. Rep one of 7. OUCH that is heavy and my hands are useless. Finished that one. Rep 2 of 7. Forearms are on fire and I can't feel my fingers. Finished that one. Rep 3 of 7. Breathing so heavy now, and shoulders are feeling very weak. Deadlift, done. Hang clean, done. Front squat, push press overhead lockout, DONE. Now for the hardest part. Controlling the bar down onto my back. This is where my grip failed me. I had to move out of the way and let the weights come crashing down behind me. That was it, I was done with only 2 full reps of 7 done on my last round.

The good news is that I had already done better than I did last time a few months ago. If I could have only had the hand and forearm strength to hold on to that bar I would have made it.

Mr Bear,
You beat me today, but next time I will be taking you down.

Day Off

2009-02-06T08:42:00.003-05:00

With my schedule Thursday is the one day I don't CrossFit or play volleyball. Usually I just enjoy sitting around the house and doing NOTHING!

However today was a little different. One of my friends TJ, decided that he would give this CrossFit thing (as he calls it) a shot. Since he was heading over to CrossFit Swift I decided to go and be there to support him. The other cool thing was that my girlfriend Mai had decided to go too. She usually only gets to go on Saturdays with me.

I just love working out with her. Better yet I love watching her workout. = )

I was still going to take my day off from working out, but I was going to be there to support my friends and girlfriend as they worked hard.

Tonight's workout was one called ''Cindy''. It is only a 20 minute workout. In those 20 minutes you have to do as many rounds as possible of - 5 pullups - 10 pushups - 15 air squats (= 1 round). This workout is so much fun, tough, but fun. The last time I attempted this a few months ago I could only get 9 rounds. The elite CrossFitters can complete rounds in the upper 20s. My goal is to get to 15.

Since this was TJs first night at CrossFit he was only going to do a 1/2 Cindy. Which means he would only be going for 10 minutes instead of 20. One thing you should know about TJ is that he is about 6'8''. So he has a long way to pullup and to squat. Away he went. Before he knew it, time was up. 10 minutes had gone by and he completed 4 rounds. Now that may not seem like a lot but that means he did - 20 pullups - 40 pushups - 60 squats - in 10 minutes. GREAT JOB!!
He had so much fun that he said he would definitely be back next week.

As TJ was finishing up his 1/2 Cindy, Mai was still going strong. After all was said and done she completed 8 full unassisted rounds. That means in 20 minutes she completed - 40 pullups - 80 pushups - 120 squats. Now that's cool!! No wonder that girl turns my head all the time.

Friday night will be another volleyball night and then I can get back to CrossFitting on Saturday morning.

Thrusters

2009-02-04T20:33:00.003-05:00

Short post tonight.
Tonight was a heavy night at CrossFit Swift.
The workout was thrusters 3-3-3-3-3. So of course Mason and I set up on the same bar. I just have to compete with someone and I prefer it to be someone better than me. That makes Mason the logical choice.
The first couple of rounds were surprisingly easy. We started at 135lbs then 145lbs then 155lbs. It was interesting watching Mason struggle with the front squat and then explode with the push press fairly easily. With me it was the exact opposite. The front squats were a piece of cake. Then I began to struggle with the push press.

On the 4th round we stepped up to 165lbs. I knew I was going to struggle with this one. Again the front squat was easy but then I had to press it overhead. I was able to get out 2 of the 3 reps but that was it. Now came the 5th round. Mason wanted to go up to 175lbs. Of course I had to at least try it. I knew it was a shot in the dark but what the heck. Down I went with the front squat - piece of cake - but there was no way that push press was going anywhere.

I backed it back down to 170lbs just to see if I could get one rep. Yes I did and it felt good and that is where I stopped.

Here are my numbers for the evening.

Thrusters
3-3-3-3-3
135-145-155-165(2)-170(1)

It was a good night and fun to watch everyone put up some big numbers.

Row, Row , Row

2009-02-03T21:21:00.003-05:00

Tonight was fun. Tonight's workout was short and sweet. I was still a bit wiped from Kelly the night before and my abs are sore from all the box jumps.
It was straight and to the point.

1000m Row
21 Deadlift (135#)
15 Pull ups
750m Row
18 Deadlift
12 Pull ups
500m Row
15 Deadlift
9 Pull ups

My time was 21.53.

Not too bad considering the effort I put out the night before.
The good news was that as slow as I felt I was right on Mason's heels. He finished with a time of 20.11. I know I was a bit slower on the rower than he was but man that was a lot of rowing.

I almost had him that time. Look out, I'm right behind you.
Tomorrow is a heavy night so that will be a lot of fun. Ok time to get to my pushups, I only have 30 left for the night.

Kelly - The Beast

2009-02-02T20:59:00.003-05:00

Tonight was my first day back from not CrossFitting for a week. I took a few days off since I was a little under the weather and I had to play a volleyball tournament on Saturday. I am still not at 100% but I could not sit at home one more day.

When I arrived at CrossFit Swift they had put up a workout called ''Kelly''. It was 5 rounds for time of 400m run or row - 30 wall balls - 30 box jumps. . . . . . . Really ???? 5 rounds ???? Wow was my chest beginning to tighten up just thinking about trying to breathe, as I was still congested.

Well ok here goes. And boy did it just keep going and going and going. The funny part was that it truly only seemed like it lasted about 20 minutes. Alas, that was not the case. As usual I had to push myself to do a little more than was required.

The box jumps were supposed to be 24''. However I bumped it up to 32''.

My time was 45.29 with a 400m row - 20lb wall ball and 32'' box jumps.
I was pretty steady with my pace trying to not take more than 30 sec - 1 min break when I needed to stop. It was brutal but I did it and would gladly do it again.

I am now wiped out and can barely type this, but nothing feels as good as completing something hard and being proud about it.

I am also happy to say that a friend of mine called tonight to tell me that he was on day 7 of the 50 day push-up challenge. Way to go Donald. I hope the whole family is doing it with you.

Ok time to crash since that is about all the energy I have left right now.

Not So Good

2009-01-30T08:20:00.002-05:00

Well this week has been a not so good one. My schedule has been taken over by life. Man I hate it when that happens. But in all reality, it's not that bad. After CrossFitting on Monday I was going to go back one more day on Tuesday then take off the rest of the week. I have a volleyball tournament on Saturday and I wanted to be well rested for it.

However the weather on Tuesday kept me from going out as there was ice everywhere. Also my allergies seem to be acting up and now I have ''the junk'' in my chest and am starting to cough up little green monsters.

So this week I have been doing push-ups and pull-ups and squats and sit-ups at home. I hope things are a little better tomorrow when it's time to play. We are only taking 6 people to this tournament instead of our normal 9 or 10, so there will be no down time for about 8 hours.

I can finally get back to my normal schedule next Monday night at CrossFit Swift. I can't wait.
Hopefully I will have some good news the next time I am on here about how well we played.

Ok time to crank out 25 push-ups.

Limits - Everyone Has Them

2009-01-26T21:06:00.003-05:00

Well tonight was a very disappointing night for me. I was feeling good and ready to really go at the workout tonight. So as we all began to arrive I looked at the board and it was an interesting one.
It consisted of 35lb overhead squats - situps - 35lb kettle bell swings - 20lb medicine ball cleans.

It was a total of 6 rounds. I started out feeling great. The overhead bar felt ok and the kettle bell felt really light. So I was ready to kill it tonight. There seemed to be only one problem. My back decided it was tired and did not want to continue. Not my whole back, just one little spot on my lower left side.

In the middle of round 2 I felt this little twinge and I knew I was in trouble. I had felt it before. Once or twice back in high school when I was playing tennis all the time. I had also felt it about a month or two ago during another very similar workout that consisted of overhead squats and KB swings. I had to stop in the middle of that one and could not finish.

I was determined to continue. However in the back of my mind I knew better. Especially since I have to play a volleyball tournament on Saturday at James Madison University. I began to modify my exercises and modify and modify until I could not do them any more.

I was not going to stop. Even if all I could do was a simple air squat and the situps. As long as the other people in the group were still working hard I was going to do something, anything to keep going. When the last person stopped then I would stop but not before.

Finally after 20 minutes the last person was done. So I called it quits. I was nowhere near having completed the workout but I just could not go any longer. They say that CrossFit will show you where you are weak. I always knew my upper body was weaker than my lower body, but evidently I have this one spot on my lower left side that is very weak and does not like the overhead squat and KB swing combo. At least I know what I need to work on.

So now I get to finish my 40 pushups for the evening that I have left to do on my 100 pushup challenge, then I can rest my back while I watch the Australian Open.

40lb Pushups

2009-01-26T09:01:00.002-05:00

Sunday was a great day. How could it be anything else when you get to spend it with your daughter. I mean when is there any other time it would be acceptable for me to play with Polly Pockets or watch Milo and Otis? It was a great day, but I am sure I have said that before.

Since it was so cold out we stayed in most of the day. The day started out with us blowing up balloons and then taping them together and letting them hang from the doorway making two balloon columns. Fit for a princess to walk through.

Then we went on to watch iGor the animated movie. It was a good movie and it was made even better by having Erin sitting with me on the couch just wanting me to hold her. After the movie we started making lunch plans. One thing led to another and before you know it dear old dad was suckered into heading out to Red Robin's for a corn dog and a ''freckled lemonade''.

So after a great time at Red Robin we headed on over to Home Depot. I had to get some things for the office and while we were there we decided to get a flower for Ms Mai. Erin picked out a great little orchid and we took it back to the house. Erin got out her pen and pad and wrote Mai a note. Of course at 4 years old the only thing you could make out was her name. But it was still enough to make you melt.

While we were eating lunch Erin saw a commercial with a guy doing push-ups and pull-ups. So when we returned home Erin was all about doing them like that guy. So we both began to do push-ups. Then Erin decided to ''help'' me out with mine. So she climbed on my back and added 40 more pounds to mine. She got a kick out of that especially when I could not do any more and fell to the ground. Of course that made her laugh and quickly say ''let's do it again''. = )

Then after a great nap we watched Milo and Otis and played more Polly Pockets. The day ended with us making PB&J sandwiches and having a picnic on the blanket in the floor. Of course the day ended way to soon and I can't wait to see what fun we have next time.

So after finishing up my 100 push-ups for the day I watched a little of the Australian Open then went to bed.

What a GREAT day!

23 Minutes of FUN!

2009-01-24T12:42:00.003-05:00

This entry will be a short one. I am totally wiped out from this morning's CrossFit Swift session. I tell you what. It all looks easy on paper but once you are in the middle of it, it stops being so easy. Part of what makes it so tough is that you are trying to push yourself through it as fast as you can.

So again today I was beat by Mason by about 2 minutes. Not too bad but I tell you what 2 minutes today seemed like forever! One day I WILL beat him in something. It might take me 6 months, but I WILL do it.

Today was a simple workout. It was 3 rounds.
30 - 21 - 12
Knees To Elbows
Tuck Jumps
Pushups
20# Wall Ball

My time was 22.53. Not to bad but man was it intense.
So now I am wiped out and am going to pass out on the couch for a while. It's a good feeling to be this tired but it's hard to do anything else for sure.

Tomorrow will be a rest (play) day as I get to spend it with my daughter Erin. I can't wait to see what she comes up with to do.

CFT 705

2009-01-21T21:32:00.002-05:00

Wow tonight was FUN!!!
Now that I am back home I am able to get back into my workout routine. I headed on over to CrossFit Swift tonight. Rumor was that it was going to be a heavy night. I was so happy to see that it was a heavy night. The workout for the day was CrossFit Total (CFT). This is all about how heavy can you go.

So the exercises tonight were - Deadlift - Shoulder Press - Back Squat. After you find your 1 rep max you add up the totals for to get your CFT. All I could think about was this may be my night to finally beat Mason. I knew I could get him on the squat and maybe the deadlift, but would it be enough to overcome the shoulder press?

So after the usual warmup of 2 rounds of 10 reps of squats, pushups, situps, pullups and back extensions I was off. I started with the deadlift. I started slowly but I knew I had to at least beat Mason's 315lbs. So as I approached the 300lb mark I was surprised at how easily I was moving the weight. Now I was up to 315lbs. This is where Mason struggled to finish the lift. I bent down and grabbed the bar and up it went. Wow that wasn't so bad, I thought. So next I put on 325lbs. I grabbed the bar and up it went - SLOWLY - but I did get it up. Now I knew I was close to my max but I thought I could do 5 more pounds. So I put 330lbs on the bar. I bent down and grabbed the bar and up it went - but only about to the middle of my shin. That was it, I maxed out at 325lbs.

Now I was 10lbs ahead of Mason. That was a good start. The only problem was that the shoulder press was next. I knew he was going to beat me on this, I only had to decide by how much. So Mason ended at 145lbs. I knew I could not do that but I knew I had to get close so I could have the possibility of passing him on the squat. So I pushed and pushed and pushed, but I could only manage 130lbs. So now I was only 5lbs behind him. Now it was time for the back squat.

Back and forth we went and the weights kept going up. Finally Mason stopped at 245lbs. I was hot on his heels. I loaded up the bar to 250lbs. This would get me tied with him. So down I went with the bar on my back. Up I came - VERY SLOWLY. I completed the lift at 250lbs. However I was not feeling my usual leg strength tonight. Even though I felt great overall, my legs did not seem to have that usual drive I am used to. So this was it. I needed to do 255lbs in order to beat Mason. So I loaded 5 more pounds on the bar and down I went. I began to drive the weight up but it just would not let me finish the lift.

So there we are Mason and I tied at 705lbs for the night. It was a great night and everyone had a blast but in my mind I still lost. One day I will beat him, I know I will.

Well now it's time for my last 20 pushups for the night. Then I will have done 4 days of the 100 pushup challenge on my way to 50 days. Until next time Mason . . . . .

Back To Normal

2009-01-20T10:53:00.002-05:00

Today is the last day for me to be back in Jackson, MS - my hometown. It was a great visit full of emotional highs and lows. Way more highs than lows, which is always a good thing.
Even though I have had a great time here, visiting with my Mamaw, seeing family I have not seen in 15 years and visiting with old friends and putting on a mini-magic show - I can't wait to get back home to my normal routine.

There is just something comforting about your own ''normal'' life. There is also something comforting about the special hugs I get from my two girls, Erin and Mai. Can't wait to see them both.

So now it's time for me to head to the airport. Hopefully it won't be as much FUN as the flight in. But thanks to CrossFit I know I can handle anything that I might encounter.

I hope everyone is enjoying the 100 pushup challenge. I have 50 more to do today to reach my quota. I believe I have about 15 people so far that are doing it with me. Remember that you can do many types of pushups so you don't get too bored. If you need any ideas just let me know and I can show you some new ways. Some of them include using a plastic plate or a carpet slider or a ball or many other things that can make this challenge fun.

Ok time to push out 25 more before I hit the plane. I think they my frown on me doing them in the isle on the plane.

100 Push Up Challenge

2009-01-18T17:42:00.003-05:00

Today is a bit of a change from my normal schedule. Since I am out of town and back home I had to miss my workout at CrossFit Swift yesterday. So as I was on Facebook I ran across a group that was starting a 100 push up challenge. So I decieded to try it out.

The challenge is that you have to do 100 pushups everyday for 50 days in a row. It does not matter how you break them up just that you have to do them correctly. Very tight core and chest to the deck each time.

Today was my first day. I have done 50 of them so far. Only 50 more to go and 49 days left.
This will be a fun one and the hardest part will be remembering to do them each day. Hopefully others will join in on the fun of this challenge. As of now I have 4 other people that have said the will do it too.
Only have 2 more days here in town then I can get back on my regular eating and workout schedule.

Travelling is so hard on an eating plan or workout schedule. The good news is that you can use the Zone plan in just about any situation and you can do a CrossFit workout anytime and anywhere.

I just can't wait to get back to my normal routine. I love a routine.

RUN (rest) Day

2009-01-16T18:19:00.002-05:00

Well today started out EARLY. I really don't like to get up early, but this was VERY EARLY. I was leaving today to go back home to Jackson, Mississippi. My flight left at 7am. That meant I had to somehow get up at 4am. So after getting up and getting to the airport, I was greeted by a large number of people evidently leaving at the same time. So needless to say the security line was packed and took forever.

So now that I was finally through screening I put in my MP3 player and had a few minutes to relax before getting on the plane. Now that I had found my seat and settled in I just had to wait and see if it was going to be a full flight. Lucky for me it was not full and I could stretch out a little.

That is where the good luck came to an end. The pilot came over the speaker and said that we would be delayed for about 40 minutes. Now that may not seem like that long to some people but to me it was a LONG time. My layover in Atlanta was ONLY 40 minutes!!!!

At this point I was beginning to wonder if I was going to make my connection. Since I could not do anything but sit there, I put in my music and took a nap. So as we got closer to landing I kept checking my watch. I only had a few minutes to make my connection. I just knew that I was going to miss my flight.

Lucky for me my flight landed on concourse E and I only had to make it to concourse D in no time flat. This is where I have to thank CrossFit Swift and the functional training they do. I had to sprint down the concourse, weaving in and out of all the people, down the stairs, down the hallway, up the stairs and to my gate.

As soon as I made it to my gate it was time for me to leave. The funny part is that my flight to Jackson was delayed as well. The real funny part was that it was delayed due to a broken toilet. So I have to thank whoever broke the toilet which allowed me to make my flight home.

Now that I had arrived in Jackson, my mom and I made our way to pick up my 1 piece of luggage. However due to the quick turn in Atlanta my luggage had not arrived. They said it would be on the next flight into town. So mom and I went and had a bite to eat and see my grandmother then made our way back to pick up the luggage.

Now that the saga is over, it's time to have a nice Zone taco salad and relax with mom and pop.
Tomorrow will be a good day to do a CrossFit workout on the road with my mom.

A Bit Of Heavy Lifting

2009-01-14T21:00:00.003-05:00

Tonight is why I truly love to CrossFit. We got a chance to max out on our power cleans. The group was great. We had some new people show up and then the regulars. Tonight I believe we had 10 people. The energy as always was great, lots of chatter and laughter going around.

Of course we all went through the warm-up.
500m row
2 rounds of 10 reps each:
situps
pullups
pushups
squats
back extensions.

Then the fun began. We were doing 5 sets of 3 reps each. Trying to increase each round and find our max at the end. My legs were still feeling Monday and Tuesday so I was sure I could not do as well as normal tonight. Since power cleans use a lot of explosive leg movement, I was going to be a bit off my mark tonight.

So of course I was teamed up with Mason. We started at 95lbs just to get warmed up.
The next round we went up to 115lbs. Again no problem, however I could feel my legs were not 100% there. The next round we went up to 135lbs. Still ok but I knew I was not totally there. The 4th round we went up to 155lbs. I knew I was getting close to my max tonight. So finally on the last round Mason and I looked at each other and said, hey why not. So we jumped up to 175lbs. Now I knew my legs were not there and I think mentally I knew I was going to struggle. So I stepped up to the bar and bent over. Grabbed it and away I went. Up it went and I drove my feet into the ground for all I was worth. Unfortunately I could only get it up to my chest and for some reason did not have enough energy and explosiveness to get under the bar to catch it. So for tonight 175lbs was out of my reach. I dropped the weight to 170lbs and was able to clean it. So that's where my journey led me to tonight. It was the best I had done, but yet 5lbs less than Mason tonight.

So after that we had a short met-con to do.
3 rounds
1 minute at each station
1 minute rest after each round

wood chopper
med ball cleans
ring push-ups

So after all that I was done. It was really good to see everyone working so hard tonight. Especially the newbies.
I just love cheering for everyone pushing so hard.

So that ends my 3 days on now it's time for my 1 day off. I may take 2 days off but I doubt it.
I will be travelling to Mississippi to visit my family and my grandmother on Friday. She is not doing so well and I want to see her while she still remembers who I am. I am sure I will get in a workout or 3 while I am down there just to take my mind off things and relieve some stress.

I also need to visit Deanna and the boys so I can workout with them too. I know they would love that. Especially the pushup queen that Deanna is, or is becomming with the help of her boys.
Now it's time for me to refuel and eat up then crash. Until next time. . . . . .

5 - 7 - 9

2009-01-13T20:37:00.002-05:00

I tell you what, 5 - 7 - 9 does not seem like a lot but tonight it was. Partly because my legs are shot from last nights workout.

Tonight's workout:

As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) in 20 minutes.

5 - 155lb Back Squats
7 - Pullups
9 - Burpees

All I could manage was 7 rounds + 5 squats.

Tonight was tough, but fun for sure. That's about all I have to say. We were in and out in a flash tonight. Of course we did the warm up of 2 rounds of 10 reps each - pushups, situps, squats, back extensions and pullups and a 500m row.

It was a small group of only 5 tonight. But as always everyone was working as hard as they could and cheering each other on, even in the middle of their own personal hell.

Of course my nemesis Mason did almost 9 rounds. So I have to keep working to beat him. Especially in the pullup area.
So now I get to sit down with my turkey meatball spinach salad and veg out.
I am a bit distracted because I just got the message that my grandmother is not doing so well again. Mom says it seems like she has given up. I hope that's not the case. I will be working extra hard tomorrow night at CrossFit Swift with her on my mind.

I hope anyone reading this will take a minute to be thankful for what they have. You just never know . . . . .

Monday Fun

2009-01-12T20:35:00.003-05:00

Today was just another Monday. Nothing fancy, just a PB&J sandwich (all natural peanut butter and low sugar jelly) and an apple for breakfast. Then for lunch I had grilled chicken with peppers and onions with some cheese on pita bread and another apple. I do like those granny smith apples. For my mid morning and mid afternoon snacks I had sunflower seeds, peanuts, bananas, cheese, almonds and lots of water. When I got home I had another PB&J and apple. I did not want too much on my stomach before going to CrossFit Swift tonight.

I was feeling pretty good after my encounter with FRAN on Saturday and then having a rest day yesterday. However it does not seem to matter how you feel when you get to CrossFit, you always seem to find a way to push yourself to the limit. It's great!!! There is no way anyone is going to let you short change yourself during these workouts.

As always we had to warm-up.
2 rounds of 10 reps each - pushups, pullups, squats, situps, back extensions. That's one of the things I love about CrossFit. One of their slogans is - your workout is our warmup. It is so true but I love it.

So tonight was an interesting met-con. It consisted of rowing (really hate-love that machine), brace squats, overhead lunges and seated elevated Russian twists. The brace squats had you holding a weight with straight arms out in front of you while doing a squat. The overhead lunges had you holding a weight over head while you stepped forward or back and squatted in a lunge (each leg). The Russian twists had you sitting down with your legs elevated and holding a medicine ball. You touched the ball on each side of you while keeping your legs in the air.

So here is the workout as it was written up:

500m row at the beginning of each round
21 - 15 - 9
25lb brace squats
45lb overhead lunges
20lb elevated russian twists.

My time for it all was 23.01.
Not to bad but man was it tough. I think tonight the rowing was the hardest part. The first round I started off at a decent 31 stroke pace. By the last round I was down to a pitiful 26 stroke pace. It felt like that would never end.

The group was fun as always and when it was all over we were all wiped out. It is so nice to see others sharing in your pain and working toward the same goal - finishing !!!!

So now I am going to eat some turkey meatballs with marinara sauce and some cheese and lettuce on pita bread. Then I am going to hit the sack. I love going to bed after a nice hard workout. It feels sooo good.

Play (rest) Day

2009-01-11T19:41:00.003-05:00

What a wonderful day. So after my first meeting of FRAN yesterday I had the day off from CrossFitting. Today is one of the days I look forward to the most. It is the Sunday that I get to spend the day with my daughter Erin. After I picked her up we got to enjoy some breakfast. My girlfriend Mai was there and she was cooking some eggs with spinach and sausage. It was great and we topped it off with some Mississippi State Edam cheese. I tell you what that stuff is great. It comes in a nice big red ball and is very sharp. My mom gives it out at Christmas to everyone and it was great on the eggs.

So while we were eating breakfast we were watching a very cool show on the Discovery Channel - Time Warp. This is where they take all kinds of everyday things and slow them down. Today they were popping bubbles and showing martial artists breaking bricks. Erin promptly told me that I can't do that cuz I am not a professional at it. So I might get hurt. We all got a nice chuckle at that one. Then they showed a couple of guys putting Mentos in a Diet Coke bottle. Man did she (and I) enjoy that one. hhhmmmmm . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

So after breakfast we had to hit the road and head to Target. I had to get some mouse traps for the office (Turnkey Promotions). Of course since we were at Target I had to pick up some Diet Coke and Mentos. = )
Now while we were at Target, Erin told me I had to ''stay here'' while her and Miss Mai did something. Turns out that Erin saw the Valentines card display and had to get me a card to tell me how much she loved me. Now the funny part is that she could not find a Valentines card that she liked. So she ended up getting a birthday card with some cool music so we could dance.
''I know it's not your birthday dad, but we can dance to the music''. So how could you not smile and dance after that.

Once we arrived at Turnkey we headed out to the parking lot to have some fun. So Mai and Erin sat a few feet away and I (nervously) prepared to put the Mentos in the 2 liter bottle. For some reason Erin and Mai just kept giggling and saying things like, ''I hope you don't get messy''.
Well here we go, I opened up the bottle and let the Mentos drop. It was kinda cool watching the Diet Coke go flying about 6 feet in the air. I recommend putting the whole tube of Mentos in as it makes for a bigger eruption. Next time we are going to try and make the spout a little smaller so we can have more pressure and make it go even HIGHER!!!

The rest of the afternoon went great as we had a picnic, indoors, with corn dogs and bananas. Then daddy had to make ''the cave'' (blanket on the closet doors) for her to take her nap in. Man I tell you what, nap times are great and I totally recommend them for any and everyone.

Dinner was great too, but of course we had to save the princess world from the Bogs. Erin got a Wii game where she gets to help all the Disney princesses from the mean old Bogs. So after saving the princesses we sat down to a wonderful meal that Mai had been cooking while we were playing Wii. It was a great roasted chicken and potatos and carrots. She made a great salad with fresh peppers and cucumbers and sunflower seeds. Man was it great!!! She sure can cook, even though she thinks she can't. I love her meals (and her).

So now as we wind down from the day. I have taken Erin back to her mom's and in the process of cleaning up and getting ready for another busy week. It is so nice to be able to forget the cares of the world and just do things like, make a cave and have a picnic and dance to the music of a birthday card.

I wonder what CrossFit Swift will have in store tomorrow. . . . . ????

FRAN - tastic

2009-01-10T13:33:00.003-05:00

OUCH !!!

That's all I have to say about today.
The workout of the day (WOD) at CrossFit Swift for today was FRAN. Fran is one of the benchmark workouts that you get to do at CrossFit. It consists of thrusters and pullups. A thruster is a front squat into an overhead press. The pullups can be any type you want. I did a few kipping style along with some dead hangs. But they were all unassisted and that was my goal.

We had a great group of people out today. We even had some newbies come out. Between the 8am and the 9.30am workout we had about 20 people. It was great. The energy as always was fantastic.

So the workout was this:

3 rounds for time.
21 - 15 - 9
95lb thrusters
pullups

My time was 14.52. I am not real happy with that since Mason my nemisis completed this in 10 minutes. However as I have said before his upper body strength is way better than mine and this workout was about 80% upper body.

Just in case you were wondering what it means when you see 21 - 15 - 9 is this. You start by doing 21 thrusters then you go do 21 pullups then you come back and do 15 thrusters and pullups then you do 9 thrusters and pullups. Then you are done.

Again I am amazed at what people can do when they come out and give this a try. CrossFit is way more mental than physical some days. It's great to see people do what they think they could never do just by believeing that they can and have others believe it too.

So I challenge you, what can you do that you think you can't??? Find someone to hold you accountable and go for it. I think you will be amazed at what you can do.
Next time I WILL be under 10 minutes. Look out FRAN, I will be back.
Just let me get my nap in first, cuz that's where I am headed now.

Jumping Good Time

2009-01-08T21:10:00.003-05:00

So for dinner tonight I had a great Zone meal that consisted of grilled chicken, peppers and onions, pita bread and an apple. Then I hit the road for another fun night at CrossFit Swift. We all did a workout called ''Christine''. It consisted of a row and then deadlifts and then box jumps. We had a nice crowd out tonight. The energy was high like always even though there were only 8 people there. Mason and his girlfriend Crystal were there and so was my girl Mai.

So my goal tonight was to beat Mason in time. He is stronger than me in the upper body, but I have him beat in the lower body. Tonight was a good one since the only real upper body part was the row. If you have never seen or been on a C2 rowing machine you should. That thing is brutal, but fun.

So tonight this is what we had to do for 3 rounds:

500 meter row
12 - 195lb deadlift
21 - 36'' box jumps

So when the clock started Mason and I were neck and neck. He finished his row a few strokes ahead of me due to his upper body being able to pull a little bit harder and faster. So he ended up finishing the first round about 5 jumps ahead of me. Then round 2 started. By this time the cardio part of the workout was kicking my tail. That really killed my rowing time. So as I was at 200 meters Mason was done and starting on his deadlifts. I knew I could catch him since he was doing one lift and having to drop the weight. So when I started I cranked out 5 good lifts in a row. As I hit 10 lifts Mason started on his box jumps. I was hot on his heels and felt like I could catch him. He surprisingly cranked out the box jumps faster than I thought. By the time I finished my box jumps Mason was CRANKING through this last 500m row. When I sat down to start he was already at 300 meters. I knew at that point I was done. I could not make up that much time on my last round. So for another night Mason, my nemisis beat me again. However this time he only beat me by 2 minutes. He finished in 16 mintues and I finished in 18 minutes.

Meanwhile Crystal and Mai had their own competition going. However the times and weight for the ladies were a bit different. Crystal finished with a time of 21 minutes but she did 125lb deadlifts and 20'' box jumps. Mai finished with a time of 18 minutes and did 95lb deadlifts and 24'' box jumps. Mason and I were so very proud of our girls for working so hard and doing so well. You can always find some fun pictures of everyone doing all their hard work and everyone's weights and times over at CrossFit Swift.

Now we get to sit down and relax while watching the BCS National Championship game. Go Gators!! Tomorrow will be an easy night where we only have to play 2 hours of volleyball. That will be fun. Then we get to rest up for Saturday's workout which will be a good one. Rumor has it that it will be ''Fran''. It will be brutal but fun as always. I can't wait to see what my time will be and how many people we have come out. I'll let you know how it goes.

Energy In Numbers

2009-01-07T20:24:00.002-05:00

WOW !!! That's about all I can say right now.
I was dreading going to CrossFit Swift tonight. I was in a crabby mood all day today. Partially because I did not eat correctly all day today and partially because I was still tired from Sunday and Monday. I need more sleep!!!
I knew I had to go since that is the only way I am going to get where I want to be. Consistency is the key. So I went. (insert gloomy music here)

Of course when I walked through the door I got my first glimpse of the WOD. And yes it was UGLY, but only half ugly. It was a half strength workout and then half met-con. So I thought maybe it's not so bad.

Then much to my surprise people just kept walking through the door. Usually the class size has been around 3 - 7 people during the week. Tonight we had 16 people show up. The energy in the room was INCREDIBLE. Yes I was tired, but no longer was it bringing me down. There were too many people with positive attitudes to bring me up. When things got difficult there was always someone there to keep pushing me through.

Normally I am the one pushing and pulling people through the workouts (and life in general). However tonight was just the opposite and man did I need it. I am still excited by all the energy that was in the room. I can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store. I am sure it will be a good one. This is yet another reason why I love CrossFit so much.

So tonight here is what I did.

Strength Phase:
Push Press 3-3-3-3-3 (that's 5 sets of 3 reps each)
95lbs - 115lbs - 125lbs - 135lbs - 155lbs

Met-Con Phase:
3 rounds - 45 seconds at each station - 45 second rest at the end of each round.
55lb KB Swings
Ring Dips
20lb Wall Ball
Lunge Walk

So once again I am a little tired and am ready to hit the bed. I have a feeling tomorrow will be a good one. I guess some of the best times are to be had when you least expect them or maybe when you really need them. Maybe someone out there knew I needed a good pick me up and sent a whole bunch of friends my way.

Rest Day

2009-01-06T18:37:00.002-05:00

The weather outside is a chilly 39 degrees. You can see your breath in the night air. There is a light rain coming down and it is making a very soothing sound as it hits the roof and windows. What better time to enjoy some much needed rest.

After the last three intense days of working out tonight will be a welcome one. All that I have on the agenda is cleaning a little house (2 rooms won't take long) and doing some dishes. After that it's watching some college football then playing some MarioKart on the Wii.

The official CrossFit workout schedule is either: 3 days on and 1 day off or 5 days on and 2 days off. Today I am glad to say is my one day off. I will be back at it again tomorrow. I still am not sure how I made it through last night. If nothing else CrossFit will show you what you are made of and it will show you that you can do more than you think. I would never had done that if I were working out on my own at home or at the local gym. The sad thing too is that no one would have cared what I would have done. However another great thing about the great folks over at CrossFit Swift is that they all care and they all want you to do your best.

So with my one day off from CrossFit, I am going to sit back and enjoy taking it easy. I am also going to enjoy the fact that all my family and friends are healthy and alive. We should all be so lucky. My coworker that I mentioned yesterday met with the doctors this morning. They are pulling the plug on his older brother today. If you are reading this now, please take a minute and be thankful for all that you have before you. You just never know when it will vanish.

Living in the moment is one of the reasons I workout. So I can enjoy life and the things I do without my back hurting, or my hip going out, or just plain old feeling like crap. I want to be able to chase my 4 year old daughter around the yard or jump with her on the trampoline or be able to bend over and pick her up and put her on my shoulders at a moments notice or save her from a fall in the blink of an eye. So I work out and I try to make good choices with my diet. Otherwise I might miss out on one of those rare moments that might never come around again.

The rain is still falling outside and the weather is still cold and gloomy, but that does not mean I have to be that way. So on this day of rest I have a smile on my face and a warmth in my heart. I hope you too can look around you and be thankful for what you have and enjoy the same smile and warmth that I do today. Tomorrow is another day and I look forward to meeting it head on no matter what challenges it may bring my way.

What was I thinking?

2009-01-05T20:26:00.003-05:00

So Sunday, yesterday, started out innocently enough. But man did it end with a fury. It started out much the same as the day before with my usual Zone breakfast of eggs, turkey sausage and an apple.
9.30am came and found Mason and I over at CrossFit Swift helping Keith and Tim install the new pull-up bars. Our plan was to get in and out of there quickly because we had to go start playing volleyball at 4.00 that afternoon and I was hoping to get in a nap before we played. (Sundays are good for that) However those of you that have ever tried to ''do-it-yourself'' know that things hardly ever go according to plan. After many expletives from Tim and several broken drill bits, before we knew it lunch time rolled around.
So we push on through and finally rolled out of there by 3.00. That definitely did not leave much time for my nap. (not happy) So I rushed out of there and gathered up my things for what was going to be a long, long night. Mason and I arrived at The Richmond Volleyball Club around 4.30. We played pick up until 6.00. Then our team had a scrimmage from 7.00 - 9.00. After that we had league play from 9.00 - 11.00.

Needless to say (but I am going to say it anyway) I was EXHAUSTED!!! So after finally getting to bed sometime after midnight I was able to get my nap in.
I say that since that is exactly what if felt like. A very, very short nap before the alarm went off yelling at me to get to work. So of course I had to give it a back hand a time or two and hit the snooze.

Now for some reason I was just not satisfied with all of that. So tonight I decided to head on over to CrossFit Swift and get in a quick workout. Now I was really hoping for a strength or ''heavy'' night as we call it. Where you just get to lift heavy weights. Instead I was greeted with a very nasty Met-Con (metabolic conditioning).
Otherwise known as extreme cardio or HOLY ..........!
So needless to say I was still spent from the previous long night of 6 hours of volleyball. But I was already there and was not about to leave. - - - Pride, it's not always a good thing.

So tonight this is what I did in 22 minutes.

400 meter row
5 rounds of
5 - Burpees
5 - 55lb kettlebell swings

400 meter row
5 rounds of
5 - air squats
5 - situps

400 meter row
5 rounds of
5 - 95lb thrusters
5 - pullups

DONE or should I say OVER DONE. Or at least that is what I thought. The funny thing is that now that I have been doing CrossFit for about 3 months now, the recovery time gets better and better. Yes the workouts are tough but the things you can accomplish are incredible. The best part is the more you do them, the better you get and the more you want to do them. So even sitting here tonight I am tired and looking forward to hitting the sack, but I feel good.

Even if you can't do EVEN ONE PUSHUP now, does not mean that you can't do one in a week or in a month if you keep trying. The key is that you have to start somewhere and then you have to keep going. No matter what that means. The beauty about CrossFit is that anyone can do it. Tonight while I was suffering through my 22 minutes of hell there were 5 other people doing it with me. Everyone was doing what they could do, some less some more, but they WERE DOING IT and that is the key.

So now as my night winds down, I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring. Each day brings it's own rewards and challenges. I just have to remind myself that there are others all around that are going through much worse than I am or will ever go through. So just when I think that my 22 minutes of hell are bad, I remember that the person next to me might be going through much worse. Divorce, Death, Sickness, Unemployment, etc, etc, are all around. Smile and be happy that you are who you are and things, no matter how bad, can ALWAYS be worse.

With that being said, please keep my coworker in mind and in your prayers. He and his family have to decide if they want to pull the plug on his brother in the next day or so. He is 50 and had a heart attack over the weekend. So take a minute and hug a family member because you just never know.

Thanks to all those that have welcomed me to this strange world of blogging. And to my friend Deanna - keep working on that pushup. It WILL happen if you want it to. What's that I hear? Oh yeah, its my bed calling my name ever so softly. Yeah right, it's screaming at me to get in there NOW!

Just Another Saturday Morning

2009-01-03T13:13:00.012-05:00

Well today started out just like any other Saturday morning. The alarm goes off and I hit the snooze about 5 times. I think that's the hardest part of my day, actually getting out of bed. The coolness of the air outside the bed and the warmth of the sheets makes you just want to curl up and go back to sleep.
Once I was up I had a great Zone breakfast, with eggs, turkey sausage and an apple, then off to CrossFit Swift for some hard work.

I was excited that my sister was going to be there for her first CrossFit workout. But first I needed to get through my own WOD (workout of the day). It was a good one for sure.

21 - 15 - 9
225# Deadlift
Handstand Pushups

I made it through the deadlifts ok. They were tough, but nothing I couldn't struggle through. Now the handstand pushups were another story. I really need to work on my shoulder and tricep strength in order to get through all of them without modifying them. My time was ok at 22.17.

The good news is that I did this same workout back a couple of months ago and only did 185# deadlifts. So I am making progress.

So after resting about 30 minutes I and a good friend of mine, Mason, went through the workout with my sister. Since this was her first workout it was an nice indroductory one into the world of CrossFit.

3 rounds for time:
350m row
10 air squats
5 KB swings
5 wall ball

She did a great job with a time of 11.43. I love working out and it was nice to see her there doing it with me. I hope she will keep it up.

So now that my morning is over I can relax and enjoy some down time. That's one thing that I think no one gets enough of. But that is a thought for another day.

A New Year

2009-01-02T13:56:00.007-05:00

2009 is here and for some reason I decided to start a blog. I am not a writer, nor do I claim to be one. So for all those that stumble upon this, you have been warned.

Like the title says I am sure that this will be a place for me to let the mindless ramblings out of my head for a bit. If you know me, you know I have a lot of them.

So let the new year begin. (I think I'm ready)