Head-dibs

I don't know about you, but I like things that are free. Which means you don't need a gym membership to do fitness. It's free. It doesn't cost a dime: to go for a walk, jog or run.  to do squats, push-ups, sit-ups, burpees, or squat thrusts to do yoga to play hard Why spend money when you can do it for free? This is one reason why I would like to close this month's series by providing you with resources to help you keep moving. I've used each of these and each one is outstanding in their own right. SparkPeople (easy to difficult) is a comprehensive site that includes a massive library of resources, training material, nutritional information as well as a fun tracker for all the above. The site contains a Facebook-like community where you can set up your own blog and be encouraged by others who are doing the same as you--changing at your own pace, in your own way. Training programs can be individualized. App available. There is no cost to use ...

Today is another long day, a hot day working at the Fairgrounds and Williams-Brice Stadium for the USC vs. Tennessee football game. Long hours of walking, moving, standing among thousands of people, many of whom don't care a lick in the world about things that really matter. But that's getting my foot onto another soap-box. Sorry. This a small reason why one trains--to do hard things. We don't train to do easy things. We train to do hard things. And when hard things get easy, we train for harder things. There's always going to be one more thing that just a little bit harder than before. Commitment to training affects you perform in real life: working at high levels of output for extended periods of time physically, mentally and/or emotionally; prepares for responding (not reacting) to both the known and the unknown; finding a way to make things work, with or without resources; thrive, because you don't always win; be strong without the n...

Sometimes, no matter what you feel, you gotta do it anyway. That's why it's called "training". Life comes at us with more surprises than what's expected, so we must be ready. No matter how we feel, something's gonna happen. Be ready. So train. Get yourself prepared to respond. That's how we stay ahead of the game. That's what fitness is all about--being ready. So dig. Dig deep. Today, I really don't feel "it" but I'm gonna do it. Still achy, still moving a little slow, but gonna do it. It's gonna be tough. It's gonna be hard. It's gonna hurt. But I'm gonna do it. I don't like the idea of it. Might rather prefer to be doing something else, but I'm gonna do it. Because that's how one gets stronger. Dig deep. Reach down in there, find it, pull it out and give it all you got.

Because some days, you just need it. After yesterday's WOD, I'm feelin' it. But pain is not bad. Pain tells me I've done something and I'm getting stronger. You know the old saying: "pain is weakness leaving the body." I know a guy who comes to the gym and, I admit, he's moving, but he will not allow himself to break a sweat. If he starts to sweat, he stops. I'm sure he has his reasons, but I'm not one to judge. At least he's there regularly and he's moving. Me? I'm all for faster, harder. I'm not ashamed to push my limits now and look for pain relief later. It's ok to hurt! Today, I did the Freeletics WOD called "Ares" which was 5 rounds of: 7 Pull-ups 7 Sit-ups 100 meter run (modified up from 80 m)

Back in the saddle, that is. However you fell off, get back on. That's how you train. You get on until you stay on. Today, I'm back in full swing.  Completed 150 each of burpees, squats and sit-ups. Gonna feel that later.

Sometimes you gotta lighten the mood.

It's true. Ask my wife.

The "Challenge" for me this month centered around what just transpired over the last 12 days. My entire world was transformed by an opportunity to do something I've never done before: run away with the circus...well, almost. The State Fair was here and I took time off from my real job to work security at the Fair. Had a great time doing it, and I'd do it again--shoot, I will do it again next year! Anyway, the "Challenge" for me was that, as my schedule changed, I had to find time to maintain my fitness. Truth be told, working 12 hours or so per day with barely enough time to eat, I was too exhausted for a regular fitness routine. On my feet all day, by the time I got to the house, I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. Everything hurt, like I'd been in heavy training. As of this morning, I lost 3 pounds over the 12 days...which is awesome because I've not been able to get the scale to move for months, so I'm excited about three pounds....

What not to eat to keep fit

The Rolling Stones sang, "You Can't Always Get What You Want" but I don't believe that. There are ways to get what you want and if your goal is to FINISH, then don't stop. That's all. Just don't stop. One way to get something done is to chip away at it until it's done. CrossFit demonstrates this by stacking a few workout maneuvers, doing all prescribed reps to completion before moving on to the next. That's why they are called "Chippers." But that's how thing get done. One step, one movement, one rep, one set, one at a time. Sometimes, one needs to get creative. Presently my entire routine is impossible--I can't do my normal fitness activities, but that does not mean I can't get creative. Like when driving cross country--allow yourself a kind of a rest stop and while resting, do a few push ups, a few squats. Sit on a bench, extend your legs out and lift them straight out a few times. You can do it. Find a playground a...

Dig deep. Because some days, it's all you can do to finish strong. Make your goal simple: finish. Play Hard!

Today is my first day of doing something completely different. 100% out of my comfort zone. Since I don't know what my day will be like (except that I'll be standing outside for 10-12 hours) and I'm fairly sore from training over the past few days, I'm not doing anything with high impact. The next 12 days will be like this, so . . . adventure! Knocking off the cobwebs this morning with a 15 minute SEALFit Recovery workout (including yoga)--and coffee. Lots of coffee. Be encouraged to try something different. Be adventurous. Cross boundaries. Push limits. Life is too short to keep doing the same old thing. There are places to go, things to see, people to meet. You might find yourself smitten in the adventure! Be like Gomer Pyle and get take a "gollll-y" look around.  Play hard!

Thanks for sticking with me this month as we cover various aspects of conquering our challenges, especially when it comes to fitness. I have to admit something: I'm embarrassed that so much has been said about fitness so far, but I've not really defined the word. What is "fitness"? My simple definition is this: fitness is the ability to thrive. Fitness is more than a condition of health or the ability to do, to accomplish. It's the progression of moving from where you are to another place. Fitness brings flourishing, the production results. Fitness is functional. When I train, I am not merely defining my body, but I am also shaping my mind, my emotions and my spirit. What good does having a well defined body (like a body-builder) if everything else is out of shape? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate body-building, but what is functional about it? Sculpting the body is nice, but what good does it do if it's for show? Since I've been doing SEALFit...