5km chalk that up on this years list of done!

I did my 5 km run today and you know it was better than i figured it would be. They counted down and guess what, I was running ( in the words of forest gump!) I was crusin pretty good then i got a little tired around Richard road, but i kept plugging away. As i got more and more tired i started getting passed, first by people in the same shape as me, then some older 60's dedicated runners, these weren't so bad. At one point when a woman in her 50 -60's with what seemed some sort of limp from a stroke or injury passed me i started feeling just a little ticked. I figured i had better add a little motivation into my run before seniors with walkers start passing me. I pushed pretty hard and was feeling better then i saw a sign coming, this was exciting as i was thinking i had gotten a significant distance by now. I sped up towards the sign and as i was getting closer i see 1km. I almost drooped to my knees i thought we had gone further than that?! I pushed and pushed up hill and down hill thru rain, snow, sleet, thought desert and swamp till i saw the 2km sign then i look over and Chad passes me, oh yea he reached the half way point and was turning back when he passed with with his leisurely stroll. I smiled at Chad and give him a thumbs up but he didn't get it, he thought i was doing good, but i was hitch hiking. I pushed for what seemed another 15 minutes to get to the half way point and was feeling a little better till all these volunteers were smiling and saying " Way to go your half way!" I was thinking to myself oh crap I'm only half way. The nice thing about the second half is i knew where to expend my energy. So i ran for quite a ways until i hit the bottom of the bridge then i walked to ketch my breath. About 50 feet before the crest of the hill i started running knowing that i could make it to the top then flop my way down the other side till i hit flat road surfaces. Before i knew it i was about a half a km from being done! I was getting excited or blacking out from loss of oxygen I'm not sure which but either way i was getting some kind of euphoric high. About a 1/4 of a km from the end i was pushing pretty hard for a fat man and feeling like the kool aid pitcher running down the street ( fat and sloshy ), and i saw Chad, Leslie, and Alan standing there cheering me on. What an awesome feeling, good friends, great support, and thank God the finish line. You know all kidding aside it was a pretty easy run, and my time was not fantastic but it was pretty good for what i have achieved in the last 4 months. I ran the 5k in 46.23 min averaging a speed of 7.2km/h. I have to say thank you to Chad for helping me to accomplish this goal, Leslie for teaching a whole lot about nutrition, Alan for introducing himself to me, clapping and not laughing, and everyone who has taken the time to read my blog. I appreciate you all and am thankful to have great friends and family. Next year ill do this again but I'm going to shoot for being under 30 minutes next time

All things are possible to him who has faith.

And remember these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the best one of these is love.

Sexy and tough, yea thats my wife!!!

Well today didn't quite get off to the start we wanted. Crystal and I both got up later than we wanted, and that got Crystal hurrying me a little. So i wanted to get moving as this was really the first time i would see what Crystal really does. We ran on and off sprinting for 20 min then we went right over to the elliptical for 10 min at level 6, then core. Now core for Crystal today was 20 crunches, then 20 side crunches, oh yea both sides, then 20 reverse crunches. Lastly we did this thing I'm not sure what the machine or exercises is called but you hold yourself up with your shoulders and bring your knees to one side and up then down to the other side and up. So we did that for 10 times each side. We did that core of exercises two times. All i have to say is wow its not a Chad workout but my wife is defiantly a trooper. She has great balance in the areas shes training her body and amazing dedication. I like this morning routine and i look forward to doing this with her till I'm in a wheelchair on the treadmill.

To the love of my life and my best friend keep up the amazing work you will only grow from here on out!

Earlllllllly days!

Wow life is early, well in my beautiful and getting really fit wife's life life is early. I have been working on something called Dare to love, all i have to say is its unbelievable. Anyways this dare to love is to help me reconnect with God and, Crystal on a whole new level. I have been interjecting myself into Crystals life in a way i have never done before. So i have been spending mornings at the gym with Crystal lately and many more to come. I have been learning who my wife is in the morning and how positive she can be at 5 something in the morning. I'm pretty sure she wakes up the sun, but ill tell you i love it when she wakes me up. I love spending some time with her in the morning. When shes done at the gym i drive her to work and i find we get to talk for a while in a good way. Then i head back to the gym and spend some me time before work, I have been running longer and longer at the gym lately without pushing my body to hard. After i run for a while i figured out i like hitting the heavy bag upstairs. I worked over that bag for about 15 min and thought how can i kick this up a notch and i started hitting the bag while kneeling on the ball. That's a cool feeling, balance, strength, and endurance all in one exercise. I think this week i will pull on Crystals strength and have her train me.


I am learning so much everyday get healthy in every way check out dare to love!

Fairly good gym day!

Today was a fairly decent gym day! I walked about 10 km this morning but that was a different story! So i didn't have to do any cardio at the gym today. I decided to work on the 3 most important things in life, squatting, benching, and dead lifting. I squatted 455lb, benched 265lb, and 365lb today. To me that felt good especially after a day of estimating and other crappy things. I'm starting to find that i haven't been at the gym much lately and i need to start going more often. Its great to talk to the people there, they take an interest in helping one another, and its a great stress relief after a long day at work or play! I'm also thinking that if i go to the gym more often ill have more to blog about!

Go figure huh! Get pumped, get ripped, and leave the little plates for the girls!

445 lb Squat!

Well ladies and gentlemen that's 4 plates, i know its not a great picture but its the best my photographer gave me. This is 405 lb i understand, but i did do 445lb today unfortunately that's not the picture i got. I was pretty happy and have decided that next year, after lots of training this year, and working on the technicalities of all 3 lifts, and pushing myself like mad I might consider trying a competition. On the same note i pushed up my goals on the right hand side to substantial goals for June and July! If i keep pushing things to the max maybe ill even get a participation ribbon next year!

On another note I have to learn to use my belt properly. I was squatting today till i got to about 3 1/2 plates then i put on my belt, i know i can do 3 1/2 plates but for some reason i went down and when i went to push back up i found the belt seemed to be stopping me from coming up. Now from what i understand the belt is suppose to help you keep tight and help you come up better. I don't know.................. but i have a feeling I'm using it wrong. I'm looking forward to learning to do it properly.

Take it easy and push like a mad man!

Yea Friday!

Wow today was hard. This cardio stuff can really make you sweat! It over all was a good day 2 hours at the gym doing cardio giving it all i had and then pushing thru for just a tiny bit more. I can tell that I'm getting more flexible and the endurance is building up this week. But tomorrows Friday so i have one more big day of cardio then i can treat myself with a hardcore core workout called squats and dead lifts oh yea then benching on Saturday! I'm feeling like a kid in a candy store! Crystal promised she would take a picture of me and my 4 plate dead lift, so i can amuse you guys in my blogging fan club!

Till then ill call it TTFN till Saturday night!

I got my new powerlifting belt today kick @$$!

I got my new power lifting belt today kick @$$! Normally that would be enough all on its own for the blogging today as all i did was cardio crap, but i got my belt today. I even felt like putting it on during cardio to look like a dork with a new toy, but Crystal would have gave me crap ( frickin women i tell ya ) So of course i didn't. Today was depressing but really hard i did ......yea .........( prepare for lots of run on sentence's )........................ 30 min on the elliptical at level 8 and a min speed of 7 not that i went below 7.3 but 7. I did a 30 core cardio including: 20 crunches on the ball then all the way up the stairs to look at the ladies 3x in a row running, then 20 push ups ( chick style, cause that's the only i can do it on the ball and most women are better than me at it ) with my knees on the ball, and repeat all 3 activities 3 times. The i went to the amazing stretching band and got on the ball grabbed the band with both hands and pulled as far to the left as i could 30 times, and then? Oh yea grabbed the band with my left hand starting from my right shoulder i pulled it as far the the left as i could without bending my elbow, and then? Let us not forget the right arm starting at the pillar stretch it as far to the left as i could without bending my elbow. Next i did something so shocking it freaked me out i changed sides and did the whole thing on the other side of my body. All of these were done 30 times an exercises. And in true fashion i noticed i still had 10 min left in my hour so i thought of something else to do! 10 min at level 10 on the StairMaster oh yea that is a wonderfully toy especially if you listen to Chad and do not let the paddles bottom out or touch the top. Gotta tell you thinking like Chad makes me want to make me workout till i get ill again! ( what?, yea Chad made me ill the one of the first couple time i worked out with him, that's a hell of a mentor! ) I saw Crystal hop on a treadmill and figured if everyone else in the gym has to see me melting like frosty in July and deal with the smell my wife should get the brunt of it, so i took the treadmill beside her. I walked and ran for 30 min and was pooped out. I finished everything off with a stretch for about 15 min and took a shower for everyone's benefit!

Did i mention i got my belt today!