Train-up Day 17

Start Weight: 222 lbs This morning: 218.4 lbs For now... I should be blogging about my nightly study sessions for the General Structures Portion of the ARE. I did no PT (still trying to get over a couple of injuries) and my head hasn't been buried in FM 7-8. It's been stuck in the Kaplan study materials for the ARE.

Train-up Day 16

Start Weight: 222 lbs This morning: 218.4 lbs Well, it's day 16 and I just got up, so I'll report on my PT from yesterday. I did hit the gym at lunchtime. Since my feet were hurting and my shoulder was hurting, I rode the stationary bike for 40 minutes while reading General Structures flashcards. After that I hit the squat rack and did 3 sets.

Train-up Day 15

Start Weight: 222 lbs This morning: 219.2 lbs Well... I was expecting to be around 217 lbs at this point, but considering that the Thanksgiving food was working against me, I'll take the 2-week total 2.8 lb loss and keep going. I haven't really done any PT since the Half-Marathon. My feet still hurt and for some reason my shoulder is hurting just as bad as id did while I was playing indoor soccer (I played keeper) with M. Advil is not really working. I suppose the run could have had something to do with it, but it doesn't seem like it would. Anyway... I'm going to pack a bag for a lunchtime workout at the gym. I have got to keep moving forward.

Train-up Day 14

Start Weight: 222 lbs This morning: 219.8 lbs Nothing to report.

Train-up Day 12, and 13

Day 12: It was one giant nap fest. Seriously, I napped for most of the day... and ate pizza. I was pretty sore from the 13.1 miles Day 13: I studied for the ARE and went to see Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan . It was one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. One part that was extra funny for me, that I'm pretty sure most people did not catch, was that his sidekick was speaking Armenian the whole time.

Train-up Day 11... Part 2

Well, I did the Atlanta Half-Marathon in 2:25. Not my best time, but way better than last year. I ran the first 9 miles at about a 10 min pace, and then I started to walk a little here and there. I'm coughing and hacking pretty good right now, but I felt like a million bucks while I was running. I can't wait to get over this cold. I'm ready to train hard.

Free Information

1. A gimpy but determined dog, can catch a fat cat if the cat can't scoot under the fence. 2. The fact that a cat is corpulent(she would prefer rubenesque) will save a cat from death. The fat forms a protective layer that a determined dog with a limp can not get through. This information cost me $650 to obtain... you get it for free!

Train-up Day 10 and 11

Start Weight: 222 lbs Yesterday morning: 217.4 lbs This Morning: ?? Nothing really to report for yesterday (Day 10) other than the fact that I am still sick. This morning (Day 11) I am about to head out the door to meet up with a fellow Engineer El-Tee for the Atlanta Half-Marathon. This will be my 4th time, but my first time with a cold.

Train-up Day 9

Start Weight: 222 lbs This morning: 217.4 lbs Well, today was no better than yesterday. I'm still sick. So no PT for me today. I have been really good about my caloric intake though. Yesterday there was another birthday celebrated with cake. I had none. Today there was free BBQ and I chose to eat what I had brought. Right now, I'm going downtown to pick up my race packet for the Atlanta-Half Marathon. Hopefully, I'll be feeling a little better by Thanksgiving morning... that's when it's run. I'm going to do it no matter what. I don't expect to set a personal record, but I'll get out there and do my best... with a cold. At the very least it'll be a preemptive strike on the Thanksgiving Feast.

Train-up Day 8

Start Weight: 222 lbs This morning: 220 lbs Well, the cold has now moved into my chest. I've been using the ZICAM® swabs. As I'm typing this I am trying to decide if I should go into the office, or climb back into bed. Working out today isn't going to happen. I have planned my meals for today, so I should do better today on my calorie control. I've been as low as 217 lbs, but 220 lbs is my weight after eating a lot this weekend. I say that's 2 lbs lost in one week. Now if I can just make it through Thanksgiving. I hate being sick! this is the 3rd or 4th (maybe the 5th) time I've caught a cold since Penelope was born. I have been sick more in 2006 than any year I can remember. I think I am going to stay home. TV... Couch... Blankets... yes. Change of plans. I just can't see staying home today. I'm sick, but I need to work.

Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart in Marietta, GA on a Sunday evening... Pure Hell.

Train-up Day 7

No weigh-in again... Today has been a bit of a bust. I woke up this morning with a really stuffy nose. Anne went to the store and should be coming back with some ZICAM® which is supposed to lessen the symptoms and shorten the duration of a cold if you take it within the first 24 hours. So, I thought that I'd try it. I want this cold to be gone by thanksgiving morning. 13.1 miles will be hard enough, since I didn't build up my mileage the way I intended. A cold would just make it suck even more.

Train-up Day 6

No weigh-in this morning. I rucked 4 miles with a 40 lb rucksack this morning. I went with DT and CH. We had the 15 min/mile pace going for a while, then I had to start shuffling to make up for the slowing that happens. We ended up doing 4 in 57:53. Not too shabby for an out of shape "combat heavy" type. After DT took off for the "Go Blue" fest... CH and I did a set of pushups w/ruck and a set of squats w/ruck. My legs are fairly smoked right now. I'm psyched about it. I can't wait for Monday. I'm going to hit the squat rack. Then I'm not doing anything with my legs till after the Atlanta Half-Marathon on Thanksgiving.

Greatest Quote

This is the kind of stuff that keeps me going. To the Man in the Arena It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. Theodore Roosevelt, 1910

Train-up Day 5

Start Weight: 222 lbs This morning: 217 lbs So far so good. Today I got up before 0400 (I have to have my coffee time) and met up with NR for a run at 0445. We drove out to the square and ran about 2.5 miles before the group PT thing started. Then we did a modified APFT on the group. I trailed behind to encourage people to keep running and so no one got mugged. So, I got another mile in, albeit a slower one. For breakfast, I cooked up some bacon and eggs and toast for me and Anne. I had two eggs, 2 strips of bacon and two slices of toast. Yes, there was some butter involved and it wasn't low fat, but I didn't overeat and that seems to be the key. I just went to lunch today instead of the gym. At lunch I ordered a 10" cheese pizza and only ate half. Tomorrow I'll be rucking. It will be a short distance and with a light ruck (only 40 lbs). I haven't been rucking in a while and the boots I'm trying out are broken in, but I haven't rucked in them yet, so we'll see how it goes Day-4 I did a "core" workout on Train-up Day 4. It was a Pilates thing that the group does on Thursdays. It's not really my thing, but I participate anyway. That was all I did as far as PT goes. I couldn't hit the gym at lunch because I had a meeting. I also, studied for 2.5 hours for my upcoming General Structures exam.

Oil prices up on OPEC warning...or is it Republican retaliation?

Oil prices rose today after the US government reported that gasoline inventories had fallen for the fifth straight week and OPEC's president warned that the group may decide to further reduce output. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries last month announced its intention to cut production by 1.2 million barrels a day - 4 percent of its output - to shore up falling oil prices. Gee, and I thought it was George Bush's fault.

Train-up Day 3

Start Weight: 222 lbs This morning: 218.2 lbs (I think I may need a new scale) No PT today. I slept in and then had stuff to do today that prevented me from working out during lunch. So far today, I've eaten about 1300 calories. I'm going out to eat tonight. I'll probably get a salad or something kind of "light". Oh, I am now scheduled to take the General Structures part of the ARE on December 11th. So that gives me about 3 weeks to study.

Train-up Day 2

Start Weight: 222 lbs This morning: 218.2 lbs Morning PT (Arms... sort of): 1/2 mile run, 105 pushups, ran a little more and then some more for a total of maybe 1.5 miles. I was mainly operating a stop watch this morning for the group. I called cadence which is always fun. Breakfast: Protein Shake - 550 calories Afternoon PT (Chest and Tri's): Bench Press: 12 x 135 lbs, 12 x 185 lbs, 8 x 205 lbs Cable Flys: 3 sets of 12 x 50 lbs each side Incline Bench (hammer strength) 3 set of 12 x 45 lbs each side Dips (we won't talk about that today) Cable Pushdowns: 3 sets of 12 x 90 lbs Pullups: 6 just for fun Lunch: 2 Turkey Sandwiches - 900 calories Snack: a few pistachio nuts - 100 calories Dinner: 2 cups of Total Raisin Bran and skim milk - 500 calories As predicted, my legs are quite sore today.

Train-up Day 1

Weight: 222 lbs Morning PT (Legs): 1/2 mile run, step ups, ran up a 7 story parking garage, calf raises on a curb, lunges, squats (this was all body weight calisthenics, done with a group) Breakfast: Protein Shake - 450 calories Afternoon PT (Legs, neck, biceps): Squats 12 x bar, 12 x 95 lbs , 12 x 135 lbs, 10 x 155 lbs (just starting back up with the legs, I'll be sore just from that piddley weight) Leg Extensions – 2 sets x 75 lbs Leg Curls 10 x 80 lbs, 12 x 60 lbs Calf Raises 18 x 200 lbs, 16 x 200 lbs Pull-ups: 10, 8, 6, 2, 3 Neck – 12 x 25 lbs back and sides, 12 x 35 lbs back and sides Hammer Curls – 3 sets of 10 x 20 lbs Lunch: Ultra Lean Pockets - 400 calories It was someone's birthday at work today... I didn't eat any of the cake and ice cream. I stood my ground. Dinner: 2 cups of total rasin bran and skim milk - 500 calories I know I should have eaten a little more today, but it's day one. I was not in the mood to snack... or overeat at dinner time.

Trying for Sapper Leader Course... Again

Here's the deal folks... Once again, I'm trying to get the powers that be to send me to the US Army's Sapper Leader Course (SLC) at Fort Leonard Wood, MO (FLW) MO. Those of you who were visiting the P'Report back in 2004/2005 know that I was training up for this while at Engineer Officer Basic Course (EOBC) at FLW, but I never got to go. Well, It's looking like I may get an opportunity to go sometime in the summer of 2007. There are several problems though... 1. I am now about 220 lbs and too heavy to run fast or climb a rope. I was 192 lbs when I was at EOBC and I still needed to drop a little more weight back then. (What else is new... He's talking about his weight again.) 2. I'm starting to experience a good deal of arthritis type pain in my feet. This is likely made worse by my extra weight. My shoulder isn't doing to good either. 3. I'm very rusty on demolitions and FM 7-8 stuff. I've been doing the Combat Heavy stuff for 2 years now. It's good stuff and I love it, but we don't do a lot of Sapper stuff. We build stuff. If we have to demo something we do it with heavy equipment. It's cool, but it's not kept me up to speed on what I'll need to do at SLC. 4. I need to spend a lot of time studying for the Architectural Registration Exam (ARE) and not on so much time on learning to tie middle of the rope prusiks . So... what am I going to do about it? I'm going to use this blog to try to motivate myself to keep it together... train hard and train smart. I'm going to post my daily weight and workout starting on Monday.

Get Out There and Vote!

Dumbass Soldier Reporting!

Just to be sure that maybe we can reach one person out there who thinks Drew or Jim Carrey insulted the troops, I just had to post this article by By Ed Morrow from National Review Online. You know... just to be clear. Hey, Stupid If you’re reading this in Iraq and wearing an American uniform, John Kerry is smarter than you. By Ed Morrow “You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq.” That was what Sen. John Kerry inarticulately said to a bunch of college kids, skipping classes to attend a Democrat rally at Pasadena City College in California. And then Kerry gave a small, smug smile. With American troops on the battlefield, fighting and dying, he had exhibited his superior intellect by insulting their character and intelligence. If only they had applied themselves in school, instead of lazily failing to make “an effort,” they wouldn’t have to dodge bullets in Baghdad. (As it happens, the men and women who serve in the American military are better educated than the general populace.) More here

VOTE: Don't Take it for Granted

Next Tuesday is the general election. It isn't a presidential election, and so turnout around the country will probably be dismal. This fact is embarrassing to me, and I think people should be ashamed as well. Soldiers have died and are dying every day to protect our rights to cast a ballot. Please fulfill your duty as a citizen in this country and learn what will be on your ballot next Tuesday. Most counties provide a copy of their ballot on thier website, so you can preview it, learn about the candidates, their positions, and decide in advance for whom you will vote. Please don't drop the ball. Our future is important. M

GOOF

I know it was just a botched joke, but Kerry is just so much fun to make fun of. M