Thursday, May 31, 2012

"Barefoot" Day 2 Week 7 (1000th mile)

This morning it was thundering and raining when the alarm went off. We both just wanted to sleep in and skip our workout but there was one thing driving me. Reaching my 1000th mile since I started running in September 2010 (20-21 months ago). Ellen agreed to do my last mile with me when I asked her last week. We headed to the gym and there was lightning all around in every direction but no rain. I decided that since I had 4.25mi to run I would use the treadmill to be safe. Ellen got on the elliptical behind me and I decided to run a 5k then have her join me for the last 1-1.15mi. I felt really good this morning and started out at 7.0 mph but soon after increased the speed. I finished the first mile under 8 minutes so I bumped the treadmill up to a 7:30 pace. I felt like I could maintain the pace fairly easy and could even go faster. After mile 2 I increased to 8.2 mph then 8.4 and when I got to 2.75mi I just to to 8.6 mph (7:00 pace). I ramped up the speed to 9.0 finishing the 5k in 23:54. I signaled Ellen to join me and slowed down for 0.15mi while she got setup. We did 0.25mi together and she said she hates the treadmill so we went outside to finish the last 0.75mi.. The rain had stopped and it was windy and cool in the 60s. We ran at a 13-15 min pace for 0.38mi and when we turned around Ellen sped up to a 10mi pace. It felt amazing to be moving at that speed with her in an electrical storm and she stayed strong and kept running for 20 feet after we reached 0.75mi and I stopped. That has to be the most enjoyable 0.37 miles I have ran. I love running with my wife, she fuels my spirit and I feel alive.
My passion for running is back after a 5-6 week motivational slump. 
I am all numbers, stats, and charts this morning. 

I want to run as close to a 21 minute 5k as possible at the Rahr Oktoberfest 5k this September. We already signed up back in February.

I kept my motivation alive with the marathon training but the injury set me back so I set my goal to be at 10% body fat by my high school reunion but now I can't go so this gives me something out in the near distant future to strive for again. 

Between the graduation parties and my five day weekend I lost 5 week of fat loss leaning out progress. Now it is time to cut out all the junk and focus on speed while I am running less than 6 miles a run for the next 15 weeks. 

The Flash (comic book character) was struck by lightning which gave him the power of speed. Today I feel the spark of motivation I needed. The scale tipped above 170 for the first time in 6 weeks and I am NOT ok with that (unless it is from muscle gain of course). 


Tuesday, May 29, 2012

"Barefoot" Day 1 Week 7

I decided to take today off and make my 4 day weekend 5 days long. I slept in until 10am and started my run around 11am. It was hot and I did 4 miles in 36:46. My friend Nick honked as he passed by and I waved back.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

"Barefoot" Day 3 Week 6

This morning we had plans to meet our friend at the Denton Community Market at 9am. I woke up around 8am and planned to leave at 8:30 and run 3.75mi to the Market while Ellen drove the car. Things did not go according to plan and I left the house at 9:15am. It was warm and I was very happy there was free water
when I finished. I did 3.75mi in 34:08.
 

Friday, May 25, 2012

Bicep/Back

I am off work today and slept in until Ellen left for work. Like going to the gym during non-peak hours on weekdays. I was able to do all my sets without waiting or being crowded by jerks.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Body Fat Visual

"Barefoot" Day 2 Week 6

After having such a crappy week last week things are back in full swing. Ellen is re-motivated to workout and we are working on getting back to an early morning workout schedule. Actually I agreed that if I do not workout in the morning I do not get to workout. We got a little later than ideal start this morning. We got to the gym at 5:25am and Ellen went in to use the Elliptical while I ran outside with our dog Winston. He had not run with me for 14 days and his longest so far was 2.5mi. My training plan called for 3.5mi and since Ellen is not running outside with me anymore I could not hand him over when he gets tired. We headed out on Spencer rd in the same route I did Tuesday. We finished 1 mile in 9:22 we were both feeling fresh as we got on to Shady Oaks Dr "the Road to Nowhere". We finished mile 2 in 9:24 and we were both going strong and keeping our pace. As we came up to Loop 288 the light was green so we sped up to a sub 8min pace but the light changed right as we got to the corner. Instead of being able to run down the east side of the road we took a right and went down the west side. At 2.6mi Winston started slowing down to an 11 min pace and I coaxed him as we went down the narrow strip of grass with cars zooming past us on our left. We got back to the gym parking lot just as we hit 3.1mi in 29:57. I jogged over the the car and dropped off Winston and finished out the last 0.25 miles alone. I did 3.52 miles in 33:58.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Mini Legs & Core

Last night we stayed up too late so this morning I did not wake up until 5:30am. Keeping with our agreement I got ready as was out the door by 6:10am and got to work right at 7am. Ellen has agreed to have dinner ready at 6:30pm and I left work and got home almost on time. We ate her delicious Paleo-ish soup and then I went out to the garage. Our garage has been a mess since my old roommate moved out and left all his junk and Ellen moved in and we put more stuff out there. I am looking forward to getting his stuff out when he gets married in September. We plan to have a garage sale in August when all the college kids move into town. My barbell was lying there with two 25 pound weights on it and I figured that was a good starting place. I did 6 front squats followed by 6 dead lifts for two sets. For the third set I added 20 pounds and the 4th I added another 10 lbs. After that I helped Ellen clean out the chicken coop. I went inside and did two sets of 6 lying twists with two 10 lb plates on my chest. Then I loaded about 40 pounds on a dumbbell and did 2 sets of 12 standing side bends in each hands. I did not workout my calves because they were sore from yesterdays run.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

"Barefoot" Day 1 Week 6

In order to reset my sleep schedule I left a 5-hour energy next to my alarm clock with the seal already peeled. When it went off some time around 4:45am I just unscrewed the top and put it down the hatch. Ellen and I were at the gym parking lot by 5:15am. She headed inside to use the elliptical and I ran outside in a loop in the dark. I finished my first mile in 8:44 and I did not even feel labored. I turned onto Shady Oaks drive (aka The Road to Nowhere)and I just felt alive. There are no street lamps so the only light was the early blue sky at dawn before the sunrise. I was breathing heavy and going up hill but I felt like I could just keep going. It was a cool 65ish degrees which is a nice contrast to the upper 80s I have been running in the evenings. I finished mile 2 in 7:53 and I did not feel like I pushed any harder than mile 1, I was just in the zone. When it came time to cross 288 I did not have to wait for traffic and ran south along the east side of the road. The sidewalk ended so I was careful and aware of each step as I headed off-road in the dark between street lights. The watch beeped 3 miles and I sped up a little finishing 5k in 26:39 and my 3.25mi run in 25:52. Only 8 seconds slower than my 3 mile run on Thursday and my fastest/longest run in my Vibram fivefingers so far. I only ran twice last week missing my run on Tuesday and Saturday so I felt fresh today. I am only in week 6 of "barefoot" running and I am almost back to my 5k PR I set in traditional

running shoes.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Chest/Triceps & Shoulders

I had planned to get up at 4:45am this morning but we did not get in bed early last night. I woke up around 7:30am and was at work by 8:45am. Ellen asked me to get home at 6:30pm so I decided to leave work at 4:45pm (8 hours instead of 10) and go to the gym halfway home instead of the one by my house. I have not been there in a LONG time because last time the kid at the front reminded me my membership is for Denton only. Well sure enough the same kid was there but this time he gave me a new option. Pay a $5 fee inter-gym fee.

Chest Press (Smith Machine) 4 Sets 6 Reps
Close Grip Press (Smith Machine) 4 Sets 6 Reps

Barbell Incline Press 4 Sets 6 Reps
Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks 4 Sets 6 Reps

Side Raises 4 Sets 6 Reps
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 Sets 6 Reps

Cable Chest Press/Fly 4 Sets 6 Reps

Friday, May 18, 2012

Toes

It took almost exactly 6 months but my big toenails have grown back.
Picture 1: 10/30/11 Blisters from my 10 mile trail run
Picture 2: 11/6/11 Bruised and bend toenails right after my first Half marathon
Picture 3: 12/15/11 After my left toenail fell off
Picture 4 Today I am fully healed

Back/Biceps

Just like yesterday I got up at 5am. It feels good to get back into an earlier sleeping routine. I was at the gym by 5:20am and ready to lift.

First superset combo - 4 sets 6 reps

Reverse Preacher Curl
Standing Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
Set 1: 50/90
Set 2: 60/100
Set 3: 70/110
Set 4: 80/130

Second superset combo - 4 sets 6 reps
Lever Seated Low Row (Plate Loaded)
Dumbbell Hammer Curl

Set 1: 240/50
Set 2: 260/60
Set 3: 280/70
Set 4: 290/90


Third superset combo - 4 sets 6 reps
Barbell Curl
Barbell Bent-Over Row

Set 1: 50/110
Set 2: 60/110
Set 3: 70/110
Set 4: 80/110




Thursday, May 17, 2012

"Barefoot" Day 2 Week 5

It was a nice cool 59 degrees this morning but I decided a home cooked breakfast sounded better than running. After I got off work I went to my parents house to borrow their truck for the weekend. I got there at 6pm and I knew my mother would not be home for 20 minutes so I decided to get in the 3 miles I had planned to do on Tuesday. It was my first 90+ degree run of the year and I believe a level orange air pollution warning. I felt great and did the first mile in 8:35 and the next two around 9min. I finished the three miles in 26:44 and it took me a while to cool down.

In Control

Today I got to work early. I feel back in control. The scale is only up 2.6 pounds from last Thusday so only a minor setback. I fell on my face but now I am dusting myself off and I am going to keep going. This is a 12 month challenge and I am only 4 months into it!

4 months of progress pictures.
I got to put them all together today. 
I think I was really leaning out in the first 3 pictures and I have noticeably more chest muscle mass in the 4th and 5th (Due to less cardio/carbs and more lifting). I am happy with Pictures 3 and 5
Picture 1    1-9-12:      176.8 lbs 16.9% body fat
Picture 2.   2-9-12:      172.0 lbs 15.9% body fat (Right before gave up bread for lent)
Picture 3    3-9-12:      169.4 lbs 14.8% body fat  (During recovery from sore knee, less cardio)
Picture 4    4-6-12:      170.6 lbs 14.1% body fat  (Gained weight/fat after Tough Mudder, Increased Cardio)
Pictures 5  5-11-12:    166.0 lbs 12.9% Body fat  (End of 4 week Primal Challenge)



Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Legs & Core

I have had a terrible week when it comes to motivation and willpower. I feel like for 4 weeks I was running full speed and this past weakend knocked my feet out from under me. Why does my yin always follow with a yang?

I battled an intense craving for Beef & Cheddar and Curly fries fromArby's and beer during my traffic filled 1.5 hour drive home. 



Ellen was hanging out with a friend so I had the evening free and I called a few old friends but nobody answered. Something that was said to me on Tuesday really had me questioning if I am have been too focused on health and fitness and neglecting other responsibilities in my life. I was feel very down. When I was about 10 minutes from home I remembered my new mirrorfor my car arrived today. I decided to go home and install it and if I was still craving shitty fast food I would do get it. Something about fixing my mirror that has been broken since August 2010 made my car feel more completed.Right then I knew that missing my workout would cause more distress than missing out on a craving so I suited up, ate a handful of almonds, and headed to the gym.


I worked on form and changed the way I did my squats. When I attempted a straight leg deadlift with a barbell I felt a pain on the right side of my right thigh so I attempted a lunge and it hurt my right knee. Later when I was doing the seating leg press machine I heard my right knee crunch/pop and it worried me. It did not hurt afterward and I made it thru the rest of my workout with no pain. My knees always hurt when I was a catcher in little league baseball so I am very cautious about hurting them and even more so now that I am a runner. I finished out my workout pretty much the same as last Wednesday except I added more weights, skipped the weighted incline crunch (it was taken), and added a third set of lying twists. 

Feeling like I cheated myself by missing my 3 mile run Tuesday and having a dozen wings and beer instead I decided to shoot to break my 1 mile PR. I know 8.6mph = 6:58min/mi so I just jumped on. I didn't feel like I was dying like I did the last time I attemped a 7 min/mi
and ended in 7:07 back in January.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Buffalo Wild Wings

I did not run this evening. Instead I went to Buffalo Wild Wings and ordered 2 dozen wings (to-go) and drank a 22oz Newcastle. Oh Well. Fitness can't be my top priority anymore. I have other responsibilities now.

Compulsive Overeating


Signs and symptoms

  • Binge eating, or eating uncontrollably even when not physically hungry
  • Eating much more rapidly than normal
  • Eating alone due to shame and embarrassment
  • Feelings of guilt due to overeating
  • Preoccupation with body weight
  • Depression or mood swings
  • Awareness that eating patterns are abnormal
  • Rapid weight gain or sudden onset of obesity
  • Significantly decreased mobility due to weight gain
  • History of weight fluctuations
  • Withdrawal from activities because of embarrassment about weight
  • History of many different unsuccessful diets
  • Eating little in public, but maintaining a high body weight
  • Very low self esteem and feeling need to eat greater and greater amounts.
  • Is easily irritated.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Saturday, May 12, 2012

"Barefoot" Day 3 Week 4

It is 46 degrees this morning and I got to run with my Father-in-Law for the first time since the Tough Mudder. We did 2.75 miles in 28:18 .
"

Thursday, May 10, 2012

"Barefoot" Day 2 Week 4

I had a nice run with Winston. I had planned on running this morning because it was a nice cool 59 degrees but I ended up running in 82 and cloudy after work. It was Winston's longest run so far, 2.5mi in 24:19.

Quotes of the Day

"Compassion is great, but not at the expense of common sense." 


"Know this, my beloved brother: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word. which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."  James 1:19-22


"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Primal Challenge Day 25


Sunday is the end of our 4 week Primal Challenge. We plan to continue doing it using the 80% rule. 
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/remember-the-80-20-principle/#axzz1uTbUXxfB 
I am down to 12.9% body fat (my lowest ever since March 2010 13.3% BFL C1) and have burned of all the fat I gained at Easter plus 1.6 lbs extra. This is right at the point where the old me would go on a binge and mess up my progress but I plan to stay strong and keep going. I am not at a plateau so my motivation levels are still high. Plus right now I am staying strong for myself and for Ellen. Life is sooo much better now that we live together! (Cue Jack Johnson - Better Together)
       I am loving doing 3 days of lifting and 3 days of cardio under 20 minutes. It feels like BFL minus the pyramid and HIIT. Doing 4 days of running and 2 days of lifting for 6-7 months way not workings towards my overall long term fitness goal. I have become very aware that endurance training is not ideal for getting lean and building muscle but it is still a fun goal/world to live in when the weather isn't too hot. So I guess August to Feb/March I am an endurance runner and March to July I am a Bodybuilder/Sprinter.
         This week I decided to cut back on my coffee. I usually drink two 16oz travel mugs before 10am on work days. This week I am drinking one 16oz and one 8oz and next week I am just going to drink two 8 oz cups and then get down to one cup. I am debating giving up coffee again. I figure at the rate I am tapering off I can just quite over my 4 days weekend at the end of the month. I didn't have coffee from August to October last year and I was waking up before my alarm at 4:30-4:45am every day. Right now I am late to work every day and lucky to be up by 6am.



Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Legs & Core

First off I did a squat/deadlift combo:

Dumbbell Squat - 6 reps 4 sets
Dumbbell Straight-back Straight-leg Deadlift - 6 reps 4 sets
Set 1: 95
Set 2: 115
Set 3: 125
Set 4: 135

Seated Leg Press Machine - 8 reps 4 sets
Set 1: 240
Set 2: 260
Set 3: 280
Set 4: 305

Weighted 45-degree Hyperextension - 8 reps 4 sets
Set 1: 25
Set 2: 25
Set 3: 25
Set 4: 45

Calves:

Lever Seated Calf Raise (plate loaded) - 10 reps 4 sets
Set 1: 115
Set 2: 125
Set 3: 135
Set 4: 160

Lever Seated Calf Extension - 10 reps 4 sets
Set 1: 260
Set 2: 280
Set 3: 300
Set 4: 320

Core:

Lever Seated Leg Raise Crunch - 12 reps 4 sets
Set 1: 70
Set 2: 75
Set 3: 80
Set 4: 85

Weighted Incline Crunch - 12 reps 2 sets
Set 1: 25
Set 2: 25
Set 3: 25
Set 4: 50

Lying Twist - 6 reps 2 sets
Set 1: 25
Set 2: 25

Standing Side Bend (holding plate) - 12 reps 2 sets
Set 1: 25
Set 2: 45

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

"Barefoot" Day 1 Week 4

Winston and I had a fun run this morning. It was 67 degrees with a nice breeze. He stopped twice to poo but he kept up my pace for over 2 miles. 2.25mi in 19:51

Monday, May 7, 2012

Chest/Triceps & Shoulders


Decline Press (Smith Machine) 4 Sets 6 reps
90
140
180
190

Close Grip Press (Smith Machine)4 Sets 6 reps
140
140
140
140

Dumbbell Bench Press 4 Sets 6 reps
Dumbbell Tricep Kickback 4 Sets 6 reps
90/45
100/45
110/50
120/55

Iso-lateral Shoulder Press 4 Sets 6 reps
90
110
140
160

Side Raise 4 Sets 6 reps
Arnold Press 4 Sets 6 reps
60/60
60/60
70/50
70/50 (Last 4 reps shoulder press only)

Chest Press (Cable)Drop Set
130
100
70
40

Why You Might Not Lose Weight While Running


Why You Might Not Lose Weight While Running


While training for optimal performance on race day is the main focus for our coaches here at RunnersConnect, many of the athletes we coach set secondary goals to lose weight and generally desire to be healthier overall. Certainly, sometimes these two goals – setting a new pr and losing weight – go hand-in-hand, but as coaches we tend to focus on letting weight loss come naturally as the body adapts to training and new levels of fitness.
However, we can appreciate that runners might want to speedup the weight loss aspect of training, which is why I wrote this earlier post on losing weight while running. Unfortunately, sometimes when a runner first begins serious training, the needle on the scale doesn’t immediately go down, and sometimes it can even head in the wrong direction. This trend can be frustrating and demoralizing to many runners. However, if you understand the science behind initial weight loss and the practical reasons for why this occurs, you can temper yourself from getting discouraged and make positive and long-term gains both to your overall fitness and to your race times. So, here are some reasons why you might actually gain weight when training hard.

The Scale is a Trickster

If the scale were a human, he/she would be considered a deceptive trickster. A scale only provides one number, your absolute weight, which isn’t always an accurate measurement of what is happening in your body. Drink a gallon of water and you’ve instantly gained 8.3 pounds. Remove a kidney and you’ve lost 2 pounds. Extreme examples, I know, but I think it proves that your absolute weight on a scale isn’t always a truthful assessment of changes in your weight, or more importantly your fitness. Here are just a few reasons the numbers on the scale will lie to you:

You will store extra water

When you increase your training to gear up for your goal race, your body begins to store more water to repair damaged muscle fibers and to deliver glycogen to the working muscles. Likewise, you may even be drinking more water to supplement the miles and ensure your hydrated. All this water adds pounds to the scale, but isn’t indicative of your actually weight loss.

Muscle weighs more than fat

While you’re not going to turn into a body builder after just a few days of running, your body will slowly begin to build muscle and burn fat. While this is great news for your overall fitness and race times, you’re actually gaining weight by supplementing low density fat tissue for high density muscle tissue. While it may not look great on the scale, it’s much healthier and will help you to continue to get faster and fitter.

Looking for short-term results

It takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose one pound. Ideally, you should target a 300-600 a day calorie deficit if you want to lose weight safely and be healthy. This means, you can expect to lose about 1-2 pounds per week. Checking the scale every morning is going to revel very little about your long-term progress or the actual state of your weight loss. If you weigh yourself everyday, you’re simply measuring day-to-day fluctuations in your hydration levels  and other non-essential weight metrics. Just like you wouldn’t expect a 1 minute drop in your 5k PR after a week of training, don’t expect a 5 pound weight loss after your first week of running.

Eating Too Much to Compensate

You burn more calories while running than almost any other activity you can do. Unfortunately, while the energy demands of running are high, this does not mean that you can eat a big mac and a donut guilt-free and still lose weight.  I often hear runners rationalize their dessert intake by saying, “hey, I ran 5 miles today, I deserve it”. Likewise, I see many running groups meet-up at Starbucks or the local coffee shop after a weekend run. Unfortunately, an iced latté and a small scone will quickly eliminate any caloric deficit from the run and negate possible weight loss. While running does burn calories, you have to be careful not to quickly or inadvertently eat them back with non nutrient dense foods.
Likewise, as mentioned in my article on how to lose weight and still run well, you should be providing your muscles with the necessary carbohydrates and protein to recover. This is a delicate balance, and probably the most difficult element to losing weight while running. As a coach, I think it is more important to focus on recovery and ensure that your muscles have the nutrients they need to rebuild. The harder you train, the more often you will get hungry and the real secret is to refuel with nutrient dense and high quality foods. Sacrificing recovery for a few less calories is not a good long-term plan. The numbers on the scale are arbitrary and focusing on them can be detrimental to your long-term progression. If you can continue to build your fitness and training levels, you’ll be running farther, faster, and be much healthier overall.

Calculating how may calories you burn while running

On average, a runner will burn 100 calories per mile. You can determine how many calories you burn while running with our running calorie calculator. This is a great resource and will help give you a better picture of how many calories you’ve burned so you can adequately refuel, but not overcompensate.

Hidden Calories

Many marathon runners automatically assume they are going shed pounds with all the extra mileage they are putting in. However, not only should you ensure that you’re recovering properly after your hard workouts and long runs by eating the right foods, you also need to account for what I call “hidden calories”. Primarily, hidden calories come in the form of sports drinks and energy gels, which have a high caloric content.
It’s critical that you practice your fueling strategy during your long runs and hard workouts for optimal performance on race day. Likewise, to sustain high levels of training and to complete long and arduous marathon workouts, you need to fuel during your training sessions with sports drinks and energy gels.
However, this also means that the total number of calories you will burn from these long runs and hard workouts will be less than you might realize. Again, for optimal performance and training progression, you need these extra calories. Unfortunately, they can also be the reason you might not see the weight loss on a scale.

Focus On The Right Metrics

The bottom line is this: running will not automatically result in an immediate weight loss. Yes, running burns more calories than any other form of exercise, but the scale should not be the primary metric by which you gauge your fitness level and training progression.
While I understand weight loss is an important goal for many runners, don’t become a slave to the numbers on the scale. Pay attention to how you feel – do you have more energy, feel stronger, starting to fit into your clothes better? While not absolute measurements, these emotions are a much more accurate measurement of your progression.
If you have questions about weight loss and running, post them in the comments section and we’ll be sure to help you out.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

"Barefoot" Day 3 Week 3

Ellen was feeling tired so Winston and I ran together. It was in the upper 80s when we started before 7pm. We kept a good pace for the first mile. About half a mile in I stubbed my right heel on a rock. Winston slowed down after 1mi turn around. I had to coax him along at a 10 min pace. I shortened his leash and he ran at my side a little faster. I could tell he could not finish without walking so with 0.1 to go I let go of his leash to see how much he would follow. He just slowly walked and I finished and waited for him. I was shooting for 18 minutes and finished 2.0mi in 18:26.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Quote of the Day

"Body weight is like temperature and body fat percent is like humidity.  What combination feels most comfortable to you and which makes you sweat the most?" - me

Friday, May 4, 2012

Chest/Triceps, Biceps, and Shoulders

Monday I skipped my chest, triceps, and shoulders routine due to my 3 year first date anniversary with Ellen. Looking at my workout calendar I had not worked out my biceps in 14 days. I missed my arm workout last week because of the Denton Arts & Jazz Fest.

Decline Press (Plate Loaded) 4 sets 6-8 reps
230
260
280
290

Dumbbell One Arm Triceps Extension 4 sets 6-8 reps
45
35
35
45

Lever Triceps Dip (plate loaded) 4 sets 6-8 reps
200
230
250
255

Lever Preacher Curl (plate loaded)
60
70
80
90

Shoulder/Biceps Supersets 4 sets 18 reps (6 reps x 3)
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Dumbbell Hammer Curl
30
35
35
40

Morning weight: 165.8 lbs

R.I.P. Adam "MCA" Yauch 1964-2012

I wrote this October 2002 for ENGL 1310 at UNT


In a day and age where Rock and R&B were the dominating the charts a few boys from New York emerged into the scene with a whole new genre of music. The year was 1986 and Rap was still considered an underground style of music. These three wealthy middle-class Jewish boys from NYC infused the sounds of punk rock and rap into a hardcore breed of music. They exposed the world of pop to an unaccustomed variety of sound. The Beastie Boys were famous, but why? Did they serve as an act of rebellion? Was it the need to party, or was it much deeper?
Rap: a rhythmic speaking of usually rhymed couplets to a musical accompaniment. Rock: popular music usually played on electric instruments and characterized by a strong beat and much repetition. Combining these two was a very original concept -- a revolutionary step in the music industry. There is a want and search for something that is original; to be different from the numerous amounts of everyday rock bands that had evolved over the past few decades. The Beastie Boys weren’t the first rappers, just the first to blend it with the already establish sound of rock.
Original: not copied from something else, something from which a copy, reproduction, or translation is made. We all have the drive to be the first to invent. To discover or unveil a new way of doing or thinking. Originality is a characteristic that is lost in a world of conformity and repetition. The need to break free and stand out is a pushing force inside us. It is the reason there is Coors Original ®, Coca-Cola Original ®, and the slogan “tastes like the original,” is used by Diet Dr. Pepper ©. It is all marketed to our inner search for the original product. Who wants the copy when we can have the first or real thing? Other words associated with original are first, fresh, and inventive.
To be original is a concept that exists in all aspects of life. It helps us identify ourselves. Each individual has their own ideas and goal that make them unique, but sometimes that is not enough. We want our personality and views to show on the outside. To display “this is who I am” to the general public. I identify with the Beastie Boys’ trend setting style and demeanor. To boldly state, “this is what I stand for and I will back it up.”

One reason Beastie Boys have not faded away after the cliché “15 minutes of fame” is because they continually reinvent themselves. They are one band who I find it hard to label into a category. Their music has included some country, blues, jazz, hip-hop, techno, and even rapping to a flute. They use a very diverse assortment of instruments. If variety is the spice of life, then what is originality? Is it the dressing?

We have views that originality is a goal or standard by which we are judged. Even my professor states in the guidelines to “strive for original insights and an original (not obvious) thesis.” This shows originality to be a standard or a level of validity. I say when things change that, “it isn’t as good as the original.”
Rap was not known in the general public in the mid-eighties. There were plenty of rappers at the time; they just had not been able to receive the national exposure needed to be famous. The Beastie Boys provided an image constructed to appeal to white suburban kids. Using the format of rock and rap, they easily climbed the charts with their debut in 1987. After they arrived into the pop world other rap artists such as Run DMC and many others began to become very popular.
Initially the Beastie Boys stood out in a culture full of rock. They were pioneers in and helped integrate the worlds of rock and rap, and introducing rap in general to the mainstream music scene. Many have benefited from what started as a few punk kids from NYC. Much credit is due to these “boys.” They fought the “beast” and won their right to party.  

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Primal Challenge Day 18

Primal/Paleo seems to be the way to go for me. My blood pressure is back to a normal range. I am not intensely hungry very often. I haves lot of energy and focus. The Thursday before the Challenge I logged 171.2 into my spreasheet and this morning I logged 166.2. Back in December/January I set a goal (based off a book) to get to 165 by 4/15 for my marathon. Well that goal kinda lost steam when I got injured. Right now I am running only 3 days a week ("Barefoot" transition) and under 2 miles a run and other than a 5k on May 19th I have no running/race plan until the end of the summer.

You can see from the chart above my weekly weigh in for the past 3.5ish years. I have gotten just under 175 three times only to gain back 10-15 pounds after a short time of maintaining it. My last gain was back in November while recovering from a knee injury, overloaded with work stress, and my Uncle passed away from Parkinson's pretty much all within a week. I put on 9 pounds in 2 weeks thanks to my awesome genetics. I struggled through the holiday season and started my Marathon training the week before Christmas. On January 9th of this year I set out to end the cycle of fluxing from 172-190. You can see it has been a steady downward trend for the past 20 weeks minus pigging out on junk the week after Easter.

"Barefoot: Day 2 Week 3

She keep surprising me. After a long slow wake up we got out the door at 5:30am. Winston, Ellen, and I started out at a 13-14min pace. At half a mile I asked Ellen is she wants to keep going and she did as we approached the big hill. She stayed with me as kept her pace to the top 0.75mi. She took the dog and I kept going to 1.0 mi then turned around. We met back up at 1.34mi and she kept up with me for a while then we slowed down. We sped back up the last 0.1mi finishing 1.75mi (Ellen 1.16mi jogging with me) in 20:31.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Lower Body & Core


I got to the gym at 7:20 because I worked late, got stuck in traffic, and had to stop to get gas.


First off I did a squat/deadlift combo:
Dumbbell Squat - 6 reps 4 sets
Dumbbell Straight-back Straight-leg Deadlift - 6 reps 4 sets
Set 1: 100
Set 2: 110
Set 3: 130
Set 4: 140


Next superset combo:
Seated Leg Press Machine - 8 reps 4 sets
Weighted 45-degree Hyperextension - 8 reps 4 sets
Set 1: 225/10
Set 2: 255/25 (the 45 degree stand was taken so I just lifted a 45lb plate on my upper back/shoulders and did deadlifts the last 3 sets)
Set 3: 270/45
Set 4: 295/45 


Calves:
Lever Seated Calf Raise (plate loaded) - 10 reps 4 sets
Set 1: 100
Set 2: 115
Set 3: 130
Set 4: 155 (I took a video of this set and posted it on YouTube)


Lever Seated Calf Extension - 10 reps 4 sets
Set 1: 255
Set 2: 275
Set 3: 295
Set 4: 310


Core:
Lever Seated Leg Raise Crunch - 12 reps 4 sets
Set 1: 65
Set 2: 70
Set 3: 75
Set 4: 80


Weighted Incline Crunch - 12 reps 2 sets
Set 1: 10
Set 2: 25
Set 3: 25
Set 4: 45

Lying Twist - 6 reps 2 sets
Set 1: 25
Set 2: 25


45° Side Bend (holding plate)- 12 reps 2 sets
Set 1: 25 (the 45 degree stand was taken so I just did standing side bends)
Set 2: 45

Weekend Funfest


I took the weekend off of training and have fun with family and friends. We had lots of sun, fun, music, and booze. Ellen and I still stuck to our Primal diet (with an exception for grain brewed beer). There was even a Wild Game food tent at the festival and we had wild boar sausage. From Friday night to Sunday night was one long fun time. I took a half day Monday to sleep in. Monday night I did not workout since it was our 3 year anniversary of our first date. I did a quick 1.5mi run last night after 3 days off.

I stepped on the RNG this morning thinking oh crap... Then it read out 167.0.(Down 1.4 lbs)  I figured it was wrong and tried again, 166.8...

It just hit me a few minutes ago. I am 2 pounds away from 90 total pounds lost. Starting out I thought I had 50 pounds to lose.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

"Barefoot" Day 1 Week 3

I took Winston with me for my run. Monday I had a blister from wearing my vibrams all weekend and dirt getting inside. Friday night I walked/jogged 3.5mi from my house to Jazzfest. Sunday I ran around alot with my Brother. I wore socks and my hiking boots to work Monday and my toe socks with my VFF today. We ran on a gravel/dirt trail along Mayhill road. 1.5 miles in 13:40