Yes, you are still on the right blog. I finally put a little time into personalizing it and making it my own. I'm stoked with how it looks now...no more of that obnoxious orange!
The shoes pictured are my trusty Kayano's that have been with me from the start. They were placed in the middle of Greenwood and I took a few shots of them with "my road" in the background. I will be making little updates to the look of the blog here and there and would of course love any ideas and comments. Don't be shy, really, I love the comments and will do my best to answer and feature any ideas you have!
Keep the faith!
January 31, 2009
January 30, 2009
Dream Run - #5 (Dublin, Ireland)
My next Dream Run is also one I've been on but have promised to do again! I will get back to more of places I haven't been but at the moment I'm enjoying going back to the places I've already visited! I'm speaking for "we" not just "me" in this post specifically because I have promised my Father-in-law that we'd go:)
Starting at the hostel I stayed at (which I'd never go back to) we head out to a park. We quickly leave and head up a pedestrian friendly area then head out to the first main thoroughfare we can find. Our sights are set for my first major point of reference. After awhile on this road we head toward the River Liffey just to change it up…Eventually the magic happens. We have arrived at the Guinness Storehouse, the brewery! After the tour they treat you to a free pint of Guinness at the top of their building in a circular bar called the Sky Bar. Gorgeous!
Reluctantly we leave Guinness but am happily reminded of our next stop. The Jameson Distillery for another tour and a taste! Ahh…the smooth, triple distilled Irish Whiskey! You can't beat it! The rest of the trip is just a wandering back to where we are staying. On the way we walk through the Temple Bar, a cobble-stoned cultural center…it's very cool and there are lots of bars but we are beat from a long walk and a few binges so we head back and take a nap.
Go to Dublin. Drink Guinness and try Jameson's. Life is Good!
Click on this link to see the interactive map: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2526435
Starting at the hostel I stayed at (which I'd never go back to) we head out to a park. We quickly leave and head up a pedestrian friendly area then head out to the first main thoroughfare we can find. Our sights are set for my first major point of reference. After awhile on this road we head toward the River Liffey just to change it up…Eventually the magic happens. We have arrived at the Guinness Storehouse, the brewery! After the tour they treat you to a free pint of Guinness at the top of their building in a circular bar called the Sky Bar. Gorgeous!
Reluctantly we leave Guinness but am happily reminded of our next stop. The Jameson Distillery for another tour and a taste! Ahh…the smooth, triple distilled Irish Whiskey! You can't beat it! The rest of the trip is just a wandering back to where we are staying. On the way we walk through the Temple Bar, a cobble-stoned cultural center…it's very cool and there are lots of bars but we are beat from a long walk and a few binges so we head back and take a nap.
Go to Dublin. Drink Guinness and try Jameson's. Life is Good!
Click on this link to see the interactive map: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2526435
Turning Point(s)
Last night when we were getting ready for bed and I was doing my new favorite ab routine, Sally and I talked about turning points. I was asking her when she thought my turning point was. When was that specific moment when I finally felt that my goals were possible and actually believed it!? It's far easier to say things like "I can't do it" or "I'm not good at doing that" or "my body doesn't like that" or "maybe I'm just destined to be big" or "I'm big boned'd" or any other phrases we tell ourselves. What makes this so hard for people (as I'm finding out first hand) is that you believe yourself a lot more than you believe anyone else.
[begin side-track] The best way to explain this is how I came to understand Advice giving and taking. Ever notice how when you get "good" advice it's usually what you wanted to hear? And when you get "bad" advice it's usually what you don't want to hear? I'm not saying this is the only way to understand or interpret advice but it definitely makes sense. Some advice, the tough advice is also "good" advice but you don’t know it until hindsight kicks in. Moving on…[end side-track]
What I'm trying to find out is when did I stop believing all the excuses I was making? When did I finally start to think, "hey, this can happen for me"? The inner dialog shifted and my quest now is to find that point. My guess is, is that it's less of a single solitary point but a series of smaller points. I thought about this as I was finishing up my workout and hadn't come up with anything solid enough to say was it so I went to bed.
I woke today thinking more about it. As I write this I'm still unsure what it was but one of the most noticeable changes I've made is I stopped telling myself I can't and started believing that I could. I know, I know…I said this to Sally and she said "wow Tony Robbins". I'm reminded of how annoyed I used to get by "motivational" quotes and speakers and this and that and blech! When you feel like you can't do it you believe it, it's what you know and it's how it will be. Changing my train of thought into a motivational tone (for myself) has been the turning point(s). My goal is to keep the motivational speaker in my mind going and eventually figure out when the change happened for me. I will inevitably share with you what I find, because that's what I do!
The trick to all this is to change the advice you give yourself, you are going to believe and want whatever it is you tell youself so if it's for the better then you are on your way to seeing your own low number and achieving whatever goal you set for yourself! I believe that now and that's the biggest change in me!!
[begin side-track] The best way to explain this is how I came to understand Advice giving and taking. Ever notice how when you get "good" advice it's usually what you wanted to hear? And when you get "bad" advice it's usually what you don't want to hear? I'm not saying this is the only way to understand or interpret advice but it definitely makes sense. Some advice, the tough advice is also "good" advice but you don’t know it until hindsight kicks in. Moving on…[end side-track]
What I'm trying to find out is when did I stop believing all the excuses I was making? When did I finally start to think, "hey, this can happen for me"? The inner dialog shifted and my quest now is to find that point. My guess is, is that it's less of a single solitary point but a series of smaller points. I thought about this as I was finishing up my workout and hadn't come up with anything solid enough to say was it so I went to bed.
I woke today thinking more about it. As I write this I'm still unsure what it was but one of the most noticeable changes I've made is I stopped telling myself I can't and started believing that I could. I know, I know…I said this to Sally and she said "wow Tony Robbins". I'm reminded of how annoyed I used to get by "motivational" quotes and speakers and this and that and blech! When you feel like you can't do it you believe it, it's what you know and it's how it will be. Changing my train of thought into a motivational tone (for myself) has been the turning point(s). My goal is to keep the motivational speaker in my mind going and eventually figure out when the change happened for me. I will inevitably share with you what I find, because that's what I do!
The trick to all this is to change the advice you give yourself, you are going to believe and want whatever it is you tell youself so if it's for the better then you are on your way to seeing your own low number and achieving whatever goal you set for yourself! I believe that now and that's the biggest change in me!!
January 28, 2009
100 Motivational Fitness Quotes
I've been cruising around looking for other blogs that can inspire me and maybe you. I came across this yesterday and wanted to share. It's from a blog called "Trying Fitness - because you've tried everything else", I've linked to it from my Blogs to See area but can be found easily by clicking here.
Quotes have never really done it for me, I'll be honest. Lately though, I've really started to understand why quotes are so amazing...they can be motivating for one (and a bunch of other wonderful traits that are seemingly very obvious to everyone but me?).
On this blog she links to a pdf (found here) of 100 Motivational Fitness Quotes, check them out and share them with whomever you'd like!
Quotes have never really done it for me, I'll be honest. Lately though, I've really started to understand why quotes are so amazing...they can be motivating for one (and a bunch of other wonderful traits that are seemingly very obvious to everyone but me?).
On this blog she links to a pdf (found here) of 100 Motivational Fitness Quotes, check them out and share them with whomever you'd like!
Side Effects May Include...
A few things have been changing other than just the number on the scale, here are a few others...
I'm a lot colder…I have to wear a sherpa-lined hoodie just to stay warm, at work!
I finally get the whole "metabolism" thing…I don't know how to explain it, it's just very noticeable. I feel like my body is always running and burning, not sluggish like I used to feel.
A new wardrobe from stuff I previously "grew" out of…which now I've almost grown out of, too. *hint to anyone that knows me personally, my birthday is in June:)
Jogging is easier…at least physically! Mentally I still find it very challenging but now I when I go jogging I don't have that unsightly 60 pound fat sack strapped to me. My joints are never sore after a jog either!
I have a jawline…a visible one. I was going to attach a picture of Gaston but I realize the resemblance isn't at all accurate. I don't have a pony-tail nor do I have black hair;) OK, here's one
I'm more motivated in other areas of my life…I'm really focused on this weight loss and fitness thing but it has energized me in other areas such as writing and photography
I appear taller…according to Sally, but I suppose that makes sense!
January 27, 2009
Amendments - 1st Edition
I've had a few comments about how my posts are worded so I thought I'd clear a few things up.
Last post I talked about a bunch of things I do during otherwise boring moments: well, let it be known that although all of these have been done by me at some point, I never do them all on the same day every day. I'm motivated, but I'm not crazy!
For the record...when I'm lazy, I sometimes do nothing too...my body also needs to rest!
My new low weight was hit yesterday...217. However, in all fairness to myself and my readers...I only "count" what I weigh in the morning (precisely 5:50am) not what I weigh after a 5 mile jog. (but it is pretty sweet to hop on the scale to see a low number;)
Finally, let it be known that Sally (my wonderful wife) is only helping me attain my goals. She is mentioned many times in my blog but only because she is such a great support system for me. I will be expanding on the importance of support systems and how they have affected me very soon! As well as explain why I started this and why I'm even more motivated now than ever!
Thanks for reading and following!
Last post I talked about a bunch of things I do during otherwise boring moments: well, let it be known that although all of these have been done by me at some point, I never do them all on the same day every day. I'm motivated, but I'm not crazy!
For the record...when I'm lazy, I sometimes do nothing too...my body also needs to rest!
My new low weight was hit yesterday...217. However, in all fairness to myself and my readers...I only "count" what I weigh in the morning (precisely 5:50am) not what I weigh after a 5 mile jog. (but it is pretty sweet to hop on the scale to see a low number;)
Finally, let it be known that Sally (my wonderful wife) is only helping me attain my goals. She is mentioned many times in my blog but only because she is such a great support system for me. I will be expanding on the importance of support systems and how they have affected me very soon! As well as explain why I started this and why I'm even more motivated now than ever!
Thanks for reading and following!
January 26, 2009
Building in my Workouts
Here are 10 Things I do to take advantage of otherwise boring activities
1. When I need an elevator; I take the stairs (At work I climb 16 flights in 3 minutes.)
2. When I'm brushing my teeth; I do walking lunges or wall sits until my heart is racing or my legs give out
3. When I'm watching TV; I do a set of push-ups during the commercial break (max 4 sets, I'm still working on it!)
4. When I'm waiting for wife to come to bed; I do another set or 3 of push-ups or crunches and get all sweaty right before I hop in bed. Sal loves that.
5. When I'm walking around work; I walk with my abs flexed…builds core stability
6. When I'm carrying groceries; I do curls or hold my arms so they are parallel to the ground
7. When I'm putting on socks; I stand and bend at the waist pulling them on. (amazing core workout if done properly)
8. When I'm about to walk upstairs (at home); I do a set of incline push-ups
9. When I've turned on the TV and there isn't anything on for 8 - 9 minutes; no joke, I do a set of 8-minute abs (an oldie but a goody)
10. When I take the bus; I get off a few stops early and speed walk into work. It's actually comparable to walking normal speed from a closer stop. I've timed and tested it many times!
I'm always searching for new things I can do at the same time as a normal, everyday activities.
1. When I need an elevator; I take the stairs (At work I climb 16 flights in 3 minutes.)
2. When I'm brushing my teeth; I do walking lunges or wall sits until my heart is racing or my legs give out
3. When I'm watching TV; I do a set of push-ups during the commercial break (max 4 sets, I'm still working on it!)
4. When I'm waiting for wife to come to bed; I do another set or 3 of push-ups or crunches and get all sweaty right before I hop in bed. Sal loves that.
5. When I'm walking around work; I walk with my abs flexed…builds core stability
6. When I'm carrying groceries; I do curls or hold my arms so they are parallel to the ground
7. When I'm putting on socks; I stand and bend at the waist pulling them on. (amazing core workout if done properly)
8. When I'm about to walk upstairs (at home); I do a set of incline push-ups
9. When I've turned on the TV and there isn't anything on for 8 - 9 minutes; no joke, I do a set of 8-minute abs (an oldie but a goody)
10. When I take the bus; I get off a few stops early and speed walk into work. It's actually comparable to walking normal speed from a closer stop. I've timed and tested it many times!
I'm always searching for new things I can do at the same time as a normal, everyday activities.
If you have any to share please leave it in the comment field, I'd love to learn some more tricks!!
A Goal – Improve our Image
One morning, like many mornings, Sally and I sat with our second cup of coffee chatting about what we want to accomplish for that day. The conversation (as it often does) moved towards our new Photography Business (shameless plug “check us out at http://www.seastudio.us/”) and what we could do to build our brand. Out came the black notebook which is where it all starts. Another outline of ideas became goals but we touched on one that felt a little funny to talk about.
At the time I had lost about 25 pounds and I was feeling pretty good because I was back to the weight I’ve spent most of my adult life at…right around 255. I convinced myself that 255 was the weight my body “liked” to be, it was easiest to maintain and I felt it was who I was, my identity. (See this previous post to learn how I got over this). The idea of making goals isn’t about dwelling on the current state of affairs so we let our minds wander.
Our business gave me another reason to succeed. I wasn’t letting me down by not trying harder…I’d be letting down my wife (even though she wouldn't agree with that;) and possibly our well-being, our business. I know, I know, it can seem a little vain, almost narcissistic but seemed as valid then as it does now. Building a brand is a huge part of our business and gave me a goal beyond myself. I hit 218 this weekend and as I get closer to the number we wrote down that day the more I think maybe I sold myself short. An interesting, unexpected twist on goal setting!
At the time I had lost about 25 pounds and I was feeling pretty good because I was back to the weight I’ve spent most of my adult life at…right around 255. I convinced myself that 255 was the weight my body “liked” to be, it was easiest to maintain and I felt it was who I was, my identity. (See this previous post to learn how I got over this). The idea of making goals isn’t about dwelling on the current state of affairs so we let our minds wander.
Our business gave me another reason to succeed. I wasn’t letting me down by not trying harder…I’d be letting down my wife (even though she wouldn't agree with that;) and possibly our well-being, our business. I know, I know, it can seem a little vain, almost narcissistic but seemed as valid then as it does now. Building a brand is a huge part of our business and gave me a goal beyond myself. I hit 218 this weekend and as I get closer to the number we wrote down that day the more I think maybe I sold myself short. An interesting, unexpected twist on goal setting!
January 25, 2009
Mental Hurdle - #2
Diet and exercise, diet and exercise...I got so tired of hearing that's all it took. I would do the tricky, day-to-day "balancing" of what I thought was right. It usually included whatever I want whenever I wanted. With the help of Sally we started identifying all of my trouble areas when it came to eating. Slowly we started changing them and I found out that it really was indeed diet and exercise.
One day I was at work and found myself feeling very lethargic after lunch at work. That night I told Sally about it and we thought I should try something else. I took only a half sandwich, a piece of fruit and some crackers. It was crazy...I had been eating way more than I needed. I sit ALL day at work so I don't need a ton of calories to maintain. It was a Eureka moment for me and it made me excited to figure some more things out.
I started making sure I ate breakfast! This is hugely important...I read a quote about how to think of the meals we eat. "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper." Think about it and give it a try.
While I was reigning in the amount of food I was eating I was simultaneously eating better foods. More fruits and vegetables (of course), more organics (everything I could afford), less fried foods, less fatty foods...and as time went on and I got healthier I stopped wanting things like chips, beer and other high calorie foods.
It was difficult letting go of some of these comfort foods but as time went on and my goals became more a part of my daily life the easier it got to stay away from them!
Dream Run - #4 (Dubrovnik, Croatia)
Admittedly this run is actually a walk that I did when I visited Dubrovnik back in 2003. I was curious to see how far I had gone because it felt like miles and miles. I suppose it was not knowing where I was going that made it feel long. Ends up this long walk was only 3.7 miles but the views on the way were so amazing that I would do it all over again!
It starts in the old town (like so many of my DR's do:)...then I climb up some steep, way too narrow stairs to the wall that encloses the old town. For a nominal fee you can walk around the top of it and see all of Dubrovnik from an unbeatable vantage point! I highly recommend visiting this "Jewel of the Adriatic"...I'm sure you all remember the wars that went on in this region...Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Serbs, Montenegrians, the Yugoslav Army and the like (early 1990's)? Well, mortars were basically lobbed down onto this town shelling out a large part of it. Now, after rebuilding you can see a stark contrast from the new and old. I'm attaching some pictures from that trip:)
January 23, 2009
Back to the Basics
It's time to get back to the basics, folks! The good 'ol push-up…doing them is one thing and doing them right is a whole other thing. Today I'm reminded of how important it is to keep them in my daily routine. When I was first getting started last year I would focus on doing sets of 25. At one point I was doing 4 sets totaling 100 per night (quick math;). I have since gone in and out of having push-ups in my routine. I received an email from Dennis today that really got me thinking again.
I thought of reasons why I talk myself out of them…I mean, who really wants to do a push-up?! As I was trudging up the 16 flights to my floor this morning at work it hit me. Push-ups are synonymous with the Army and when I started thinking about the connection (an obvious one at that) my mind wandered to visions of trench warfare. Down in the dirt, muscles grinding, teeth gritting, exhausting…I knew then and there that my focus had to go back to the basics. There's a reason so many people don't do them. They are free, convenient and relatively simple (as far as motions go) but no one likes doing them.
As I was re-reading Dennis' email he was telling me how he eclipsed some of his last push-up goals. Inspired by me at one point, Dennis started keeping track of sets and has reported faithfully back to me on his progress. He's kicking my butt and is twice my age. I started looking up articles about push-ups and found one right away written in a blog named "Well" that is featured on NY Times' website. It's a great look at the push-up and how this basic movement can serve so many purposes and help us age a little safer, perhaps.
Check out the original article and video on the "Well" blog HERE
The Well blog is being added to my "Blogs to See".
I thought of reasons why I talk myself out of them…I mean, who really wants to do a push-up?! As I was trudging up the 16 flights to my floor this morning at work it hit me. Push-ups are synonymous with the Army and when I started thinking about the connection (an obvious one at that) my mind wandered to visions of trench warfare. Down in the dirt, muscles grinding, teeth gritting, exhausting…I knew then and there that my focus had to go back to the basics. There's a reason so many people don't do them. They are free, convenient and relatively simple (as far as motions go) but no one likes doing them.
As I was re-reading Dennis' email he was telling me how he eclipsed some of his last push-up goals. Inspired by me at one point, Dennis started keeping track of sets and has reported faithfully back to me on his progress. He's kicking my butt and is twice my age. I started looking up articles about push-ups and found one right away written in a blog named "Well" that is featured on NY Times' website. It's a great look at the push-up and how this basic movement can serve so many purposes and help us age a little safer, perhaps.
Check out the original article and video on the "Well" blog HERE
The Well blog is being added to my "Blogs to See".
January 21, 2009
My New Favorite Ab Routine
The other day I was telling Dennis (my Father-in-law) about this great article I read in Men's Health. To better explain the situation I got down in the plank (the first move) during a large family party. I got a lot of weird looks but thought I'd post this workout as it truly has made a difference in my "abs". And yes, I'm starting to see them!
There are 3 pages you can click through...the first page is beginner, the next is the intermediate and finally the advanced. They are the same 3 basic movements with slight changes to make them harder. I'm in between beginner and intermediate at the moment.
Try them out, it takes just a few minutes! And let me know what you think:)
To get to the Men's Health article just click HERE!
Size 34, Really?
A few weeks ago I tried on a pair of size 34" waist pants. I was surprised that they'd even go on my legs and even more surprised to find out that I could button them. I looked like a sausage and took them off quick!
Last night we were out shopping around and we popped into Nordstrom Rack to look at some stuff. I meandered back to the men's area and started rifling through the size 36 jeans, grabbed a few pair then went to the 34's...just to humor myself. I held up a pair that looked so incredibly tiny that I thought only a child or a very small man could fit into. I took those with me.
I tried them all on and each one of them I was able to button up. In fact, one pair I considered but on closer inspection it had a very illogical placement of one of the rivets. It was placed in the middle front which instantly made me feel like less of a man. Hard to explain until you see it.
Regardless, I was stoked. Just 1 year ago almost to the day I was wearing size 40" pants. The 36" I tried on last night were big, it's crazy. Some people live by the pants not the scale and after tonight I can see why. One side effect of losing so much weight is that it can be expensive trying to replenish items like jeans when they only fit for a month...my 36's that I bought just a few months ago look big on me these days. It'll be nice to get to where I'm trying to be and settle into a few more options!!! Getting closer:)
Yes, those are Ads
I decided today that getting money from Google can't hurt, right?! Hmmm...we'll see.
When I Feel Lazy...
...I think of how much closer to my goal I can get if I just force myself out the door. Often when this happens I have found if I just come home and put on my running clothes without any emotion involved. 9 times out of 10 (no I haven't counted, this is just a guess) I end up going jogging. Once I'm out there and past mile marker one it's all good.
Yes, I'm having one of those days...thinking about how good it feels to have it behind me doesn't always help...sure I love how it feels, who doesn't. I find that tricking myself out of laziness can work. Wish me luck! My plan (even though at the moment I don't want to) is to jog my 5 mile loop and try to better my time again:)
Yes, I'm having one of those days...thinking about how good it feels to have it behind me doesn't always help...sure I love how it feels, who doesn't. I find that tricking myself out of laziness can work. Wish me luck! My plan (even though at the moment I don't want to) is to jog my 5 mile loop and try to better my time again:)
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