Preparing for Spartan Race

Published on April 11, 2012

Image of the Spartan Race LogoThe Military Spartan Sprint in Colorado Springs in fast approaching. I am getting prepared to become a Spartan. I’ve watched countless hours of past Spartan Races to prepare and I get a little more nervous the more I watch. I’m not sure how to approach training for such an event. It seems that being overall fit is better than trying to concentrate on a particular aspect (such as running/endurance, lifting etc). I’ve been running more than I have been doing anything else, but I’m thinking that may not be the best approach.

When it comes down to it, I’m not trying to compete against others. I’m trying to beat myself. To do better than I ever have before. I know that when I cross the finish line, I will have given the course everything I have. I know, its just a silly obstacle course. While it may be that on the surface, I see it as much more. I used to be very overweight and still struggle with eating issues, lack of motivation, lack of action and every other affliction that touches people that want to lose weight. I see this as a chance to prove something to myself. There is a voice inside my head that tells me I can’t do it. It tells me every day that I can’t be my best. Getting in shape and completing an event like the Spartan Race is my opportunity to be great, if only for the amount of time it takes to complete the course. The real greatness comes from the training. Training is where I make myself better. Training is where I lose the weight I want to lose and get into the Victory Mindset.

In my quest to do the best I can at these events, I researched various training programs that specialize in training just for obstacle racing. Crossfit seems to be the foundation of all training plans marketed for obstacle racing. I’ve also been ready the blog/web site of Hobie Call quite a bit lately. Hobie is the worlds greatest obstacle racer winning most of the events he enters including winning the Spartan Race several times. His workouts are also Crossfit in nature, but he has also set up a training course that allows for him to develop the speed, endurance and muscle necessary to do great at these events. Since I began obstacle racing, I’ve kept an eye on Hobie and tried to learn from him. His web site is basically a blueprint on how to get fit and do well in obstacle races. I hope to by like Hobie Call one day; he is incredibly fit, passionate and dedicated to being his best.

Obstacle racing has grown in an incredibly short time with tons of people participating. If you are an obstacle racer, do you train for them or do you just go out and do them for fun? If you train for them, what are some of the things you do to prepare. I would love to hear your tips and learn from you!

 

 
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Getting Back Into The Groove

Published on March 6, 2012

It’s been 8 months since you son was born which means it’s been 8 months since I went to the gym. Before my son was born, I was going to the gym on a regular basis and had a great routine and workout plan. When my son was born, a wrench was thrown into my routine and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Being a dad is awesome. However, I wasn’t able to find a new routine that worked for me and my family. My wife and I tried to figure out a schedule that would allow each of us to go to the gym while the other cared for the lil guy. We tried an assortment of schedules, but nothing seemed to work. As a last resort, we both went to the gym and put the lil guy in the kid’s center at the gym. We really didn’t want to do that, but we gave it a shot and it seemed to work out pretty well. But this post isn’t about that…

This post is about getting back into the workout groove after an 8 month layoff. While I hadn’t been to the gym for 8 months, I still exercised. I took up running, which I enjoy more than I thought I would. I really missed the gym and wanted to get back to strength training, which I love. I was filled with giddiness on my first trip to the gym in 8 months. I setup my workout the night before and was ready to get to work. The workout I prepared was the same one I was using (and loved) before my son’s birth.

As I prepared the equipment for the first exercise (squats), I loaded the bar with the weight I was using 8 months ago. I looked at the bar with a sense of pride and happiness. As I put the bar on my shoulders I realized that there is no way I could perform this exercise with the weight that I loaded on the bar. I took a step back with a sense of shame, disappointment and frustration. How quick my feelings changed! As I stood there staring at the bar, I realized that my expectations of myself were way too high. I can’t expect to take 8 months off and start back up where I left off. As I stood there, I let it sink in that I am insane to think that this was possible.

I took a few minutes to reassess my workout and my expectations. I changed the weight of all my exercises and reset my expectations. If I tried to do the weight of 8 months ago there is no doubt that I would have injured myself and my ego! I understand that I need to ease back into the exercises and enjoy them as I build back up to where I was. No need in being frustrated and disappointed, just enjoy the experience and know that I am making myself better each day no matter how much weight I am pushing. Just being there, being in the moment and enjoying the workout is what counts.

It feels good to get back into the gym and I’m prepared to do what it takes to get back to where I was. I know that I can’t jump back into it, but to re-start slowly and not get injured.

What are your tips for someone that is getting back into it or re-starting after time off?

 
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Being Awesome (Weight Loss & Fitness Edition)

Published on February 22, 2012

Being Awesome (weight loss & fitness edition)  is:

  • Finishing a race/event no matter what your time is
  • Working out regardless of your motivation level
  • Not letting a temptation get the best of your (I’m talking to you Reeses Peanut Butter Cups)
  • Setting a personal best at anything
  • Seeing the scale show you a number you didn’t expect (excludes a larger number than you expected)
  • Being asked to spot someone else at the gym
  • Being a FitFluential Ambassador
  • Waking up early to get a workout in (sucks at first however)
  • Finishing a workout with nothing left in the tank
  • Forming health/fitness related relationships with others (includes Facebook/Twitter/Blogs etc)
  • Learning something new about yourself everyday
  • Not being a health-related risk statistic
  • Knowing you did your best and gave your all

I strive to be Awesome every day. Some days are better than others, but being Awesome feels…well…pretty Awesome!

Let me disclaim that this is my definition of Awesome. I’m sure that everyone has their own ideas what it means to be Awesome or to utilize Awesomeness.

How do you define “Being Awesome”?

 
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What I Learned While Being Injured

Published on February 20, 2012

It’s been a while since I posted. I suffered through a painful bout of Achilles Tendonitis. It started of as general soreness, not really a big deal but quickly escalated into a few days where I couldn’t walk. All-in-all, the injury lasted just over 4 weeks. I am a 100% now, which means I can workout and run again, which means I can get back to weight loss. There are a few valuable things I learned while being injured:

  • I don’t like being injured
  • I get frustrated when I am motivated and ready to workout but can’t due to an injury
  • Diet is more important than ever when I can’t workout
  • Trying to workout before I am healed prolongs the injury
  • It’s hard to get motivated to workout after a layoff due to injury
  • I don’t like being injured

The most important lesson that I learned is that eating right/healthy is key. If I can’t workout, I’m not burning calories and must watch what I eat more diligently than I do when I’m exercising. While this isn’t always easy to do, I’ve found that it’s mandatory for me as I eat when I get bored and its way too easy to cheat and end up in a downward spiral.

Now that I’m back to 100%, I’ve had to ease back into my exercise routine. A few weeks off from a routine disrupts that routine and makes it hard to get back into the flow of things. I’m looking forward to getting back into my routine full swing to see the results I was seeing before I got injured.

What lessons have you learned from being injured?

 
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Fear as Motivation

Published on January 11, 2012

Everyone who is trying to lose weight or be healthy is motivated by something. Each person has a personal motivation; might be children, looking good in a swimsuit, health issues, setting a personal best…etc. The list is endless. I use all sorts of things as my motivation to get up and workout and to stay on track to hit my goal weight. One thing that I have never used (never really thought about) for motivation is fear.

Losing weight is hard, especially since I had so many bad habits that I needed to break and so many new habits I needed to form. Over the course of time, losing weight becomes easier as habits are broken and formed, but fundamentally, losing weight is not easy. To me, maintaining is even more difficult than losing. While I have formed great habits in regards to eating healthy and working out, its just too easy to fall back into the old habits that got me overweight in the first place…and this leads me to being motivated by fear.

I am afraid that I can fall back into overeating, binge eating, emotional eating, skipping workouts and so on. I fear that I can become what I once was. This fear has been the greatest motivating force in my life for the last 3 months. I love the fact that I have something fueling my fire, buts its a terrible way to live. Living in fear of anything adds a tremendous amount of unnecessary stress, which we all know is bad for your health. Its a vicious cycle.

Having this fear makes me believe that, while I have transformed my outward appearance, I still have some work to do to my mentally. It makes me believe that sub-consciously, my brain still acts as if I’m overweight. If I really want to transform my life, I need to work on my brain and form new thinking habits, habits that make me believe that I am healthy and not overweight. I will know that I have accomplished this when I no longer feel the fear looking over my shoulder.

For now, I will harness the motivation that fear gives me and continue on my path to a healthy life, which includes working on my state of mind and having belief in myself that I’m not that same person I once was.

Do you have a sense of fear?  Does it motivate you?

 
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Injuries Happen

Published on January 10, 2012

Woke up this morning with a pretty painful, yet unknown and unspecified, foot/heel injury. I can’t put any pressure on my right foot without severe pain. But I’ve come to understand injuries and know that, unfortunately, its part of the process. If you’re working out in the gym or running, injuries are going to happen. Its part of the game. I hope I don’t get injured, not because of the pain, but because its a setback. It throws a wrench in my workout plans/schedule. This isn’t my first injury due to working out, nor do I expect it to be my last. After my first few minor injuries, I came up with a game plan for dealing with injuries:

Acceptance
The first time I got injured working out, I tried to ignore it. I could deal with it and continued to workout. This turned out to be an awful idea as it made it worse. Since then, when I get injured, I accept that I am injured and give the pain the respect it deserves.

Rest
As mentioned above, taking time off and resting is the best way to handle an injury. Pushing myself and working out with an injury just exacerbates the problem and setting me back even more.

Understanding
Taking time to understand my injury, what my injury is and why I got injured helps to prevent that injury in the future. Did I have bad form performing a particular lift? Did I push myself too hard during a run? Was I using the wrong equipment/gear? Understanding the injury has helped me figure out how to make my workouts better and prevent future injury.

Learn
Going hand-in-hand with understanding, learning from the injury is important. If doing something injuries me, I should take a lesson and not do that again. Learning why I got injured has also helped me push myself and try different things that I probably wouldn’t have.

I love working out and have come to love running. While I hope I never get injured, I know that injuries happen. Its part of the process. I hope that I can learn from my injuries, take necessary steps to prevent it in the future and keep forging on.

*Disclaimer* – I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV. If you have a serious injury, please seek medical attention.
 
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Looking In The Rear View Mirror

Published on January 4, 2012

As I embark on a new year, with a new set of goals and renewed motivation, I take a look back at the past year to see what I can learn from as well as what I can appreciate and be grateful for. 2011 was a great year in many aspects but  I also know that I could have pushed myself harder.

Some Amazing things happened to me in 2011:

  • The birth of my first child. This changed my life in more ways than I ever expected. I am grateful to have such a wonderful addition to my life.
  • Lost about 30 pounds in 2011
  • Ran in my first real fitness events
  • Took up running and now I’m addicted

2011 was also the year of learning for me:

  • Learned that I can push myself to wake up early and get a great workout in
  • Learned that I like love running (even in the cold)
  • Learned that being a father is really something special
  • Learned that I can’t take any breaks if I really want to be healthy…gotta work at it every day

What I need to work on in 2012:

  • I need to be more diligent in my eating. In 2011 I would get on a real nice eating streak and then cave for a week or so. I need to limit the amount of times I fall off the wagon
  • I need to mix up my workout routine. Early 2011 I was all about lifting and didn’t do much else. Late 2011 I was all about running and didn’t do much else. I would like to mix it up and incorporate both
  • I need to push myself harder and further than ever before. I want and need to be the best me

2011 was a great year but I know that 2012 will be even better. I am dedicated, motivated and willing to make it possible.

 

 
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Hiding Behind The Funny Guy

Published on December 16, 2011

Admitting and owning up to my weaknesses is very tough for me. Its tough for a lot of people. Taking ownership of those weaknesses is the very essence and reason this blog exists. One weakness that I had when I was overweight was to hide my emotions and feeling of sadness behind a mask of comedy. I hated being overweight and instead of dealing with the issues of why I was overweight, I dealt with it by taking on a persona of the funny fat friend.

That personification worked for my friends and family. But it really wasn’t working for me. I was able to get by, but I wasn’t improving myself. I knew I wanted more out of life than to be that funny guy that everyone knew was overweight. The more I perpetuated the funny guy, the more ashamed I became of my weight and health. It was difficult to break that mold as everyone loved the funny fat guy….except me.

Fast forward…

I lost 50 pounds and haven’t lost my sense of humor. Looking back, I’ve realized that the funny guy persona was less about being funny and more about deflecting thoughts and discussions about my health. It feels great to just be me and not have to develop and live up to a fabricated persona. The one positive aspect that I have taken away from that time in my life is that my friends and family loved me regardless of my outward appearance. They love me the same and will be able to for many more years. That would have been cut short if I continued down my health destruction path.

I’ve left that persona behind, no longer need it. I’m more focused than ever to be myself, be healthy and created laughs well into the future.

 
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Fall…Get Up…Repeat

Published on December 13, 2011

I’ve learned a lot of things in the last year and a half. I’ve learned that I can overcome many things. I’ve learned what my limitations are. I’ve learned that I can defy those limitations and push past them. I’ve learned that I can be tempted yet not cave in to delicious junk food. I’ve learned what clothes I like to workout in. I’ve learned what time of day is best for me to eat. The list is endless. However, the most important thing I’ve learned is that I’ve failed and fallen many times and that I will continue to do so and that I have the power and will to get up, learn a lesson and keep going.

This was a tough lesson to learn. The first time I failed was my first full weekend after starting my weight loss journey. I ate like I have never eaten before. It felt good at the time, but the scale begged to differ. It would have been easy for me to quit right there and tell myself that I can’t do it. That I can’t eat right and lose weight. It would have been easy for me to shut it down, return to my usual habits and continue to gain weight. But I refused; I picked myself up and forged ahead.

I soon learned that falling down is all part of the experience. It comes with the territory. Once I understood that, I took more risks and pushed myself. I knew that I would fall down. But I also knew that I would get back up and keep going. Failing isn’t a bad thing, in fact I think its necessary. To truly understand my limits, to learn and to grow, I know that I need to push my boundaries. In doing that, failures will happen. When I push those limits and fall down, I take a few moments to understand why, learn from it and keep going.

I think too many people go into weight loss with the idea that it will all go smoothly and the pounds will melt off. When they encounter a bump in the road, they get bummed out and revert to their old ways. I see too many people that do well for 2 weeks, a month and then gain all the weight back plus some. They fell down along the way and didn’t get back up. Getting back up is, for me at least, the key to losing weight and living the life I want to live.

Know that falling down and getting up is within me, I have been able to push my limits even further and experiment with different things. What time of day I eat, what I eat, how much water to drink, when to workout etc. Its been fun to learn my body and how it reacts to different scenarios. Most of the experiments are failures but in failure comes knowledge.

I know that I will fall down and fail dozens of times in the future. But I will also get back up!

 

 
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Social Media Impact on Weight Loss

Published on December 9, 2011

Losing weight is hard. Losing weight has put me through emotional roller coasters, bouts of low motivation, hunger pangs etc. There is so much physical and mental effort that goes into losing weight. Sometimes it becomes overwhelming. Being overwhelmed has led me to binge eating (mostly on desserts…I love ice cream). Trying to lose weight by myself was not successful as there is no avenue for an outlet or to have someone push you. Enter social media/networks.

There are tons of people going through the same things I am going through and they are all willing to sit in my corner and cheer me on. The people that I follow on Twitter (and follow me) has proven to be a valuable resource and tool in my effort to lose weight. The value of the information they share is priceless and I am grateful for each person that takes the time to share what they are doing to fight the good fight. But it goes beyond that. Real relationships are being formed on Twitter than have a positive impact.

If I am having a bad day, I know that I can turn to Twitter, and describe that my motivation for exercising is at an all-time low. I know that in a matter of minutes, I will have several people give me the pep talk I need. There are people in my corner, people that I have never met in person, people who really care and they want to see me succeed. To me, this is amazing and something I don’t take for granted.

I learn so much about health and weight loss everyday from Twitter. More importantly, I learn about people and how powerful it is to have people who care rooting for me. Its hard not to join the cause and help out as much as I can. When I see someone on Twitter who needs a boost, I make sure I reach out to them and let them know that they can do it. That there are people out there who care and want them to achieve their goals. This creates a very positive and powerful relationship between people who have a common goal and share the same struggles.

I urge anyone trying to lose weight to get involved in social networks and form relationships with other people trying to lose weight and get fit. The positive energy is undeniable and amazing.

There are way too many people that I could mention, however, I want to take a moment to mention someone who I met on Twitter that has become a friend. That person is Miller (@retroactiv_). I was in a bad mood one day after a bad experience at the gym and I made a small comment on Twitter. He reached out to me and gave me the positive pep talk I needed to keep going. The amazing part of this story is that I had never met or talked to him before. He reached out cause he saw someone who needed motivation. I am glad to call him a friend and know that by pushing each other we will reach our goals.

The moral of this post is that you don’t have to go at it alone. There are people out there willing to help and be there with you!

 
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