Honorable Employment

In 1993 I was working as a "Tape Ape" in a data center tape library for General Electric in Brookpark, Ohio. Even though I was working for GE, I really didn't make a lot of money in that position (Benefits were good though). To supplement my income however, I'd leave my second shift position at GE and work for a cleaning company cleaning office buildings. When I got out of there I would go deliver newspapers ( I had two different stints doing this. One was WSJ home delivery and the other was restocking USA Today boxes downtown). I'd be able to get to sleep by between 08:00 & 09:00 to get up at 15:00 and make it to work again by 16:00. This was nothing new to me. My father worked two jobs as long as I can remember. I've had literally dozens and dozens of jobs since I’d graduated from high school. From my generally blue collar background, working two and three jobs in order to make ends meet were pretty much the norm. Out of all the jobs I've had, I'd managed to be pretty good at most of them. I can't remember ever being fired from a job. I can remember however, one that I screwed up so bad, that I left at the end of the day. I didn't even give them a chance to fire me! (I never even went back to collect my paycheck!). But that was a rare experience with something that I was obviously not suited for.


It was right around this time that my Son, who was about to enter first grade, was diagnosed with ADHD. The Internet was pretty much a new thing but I was successful in finding some information regarding ADD & ADHD in the alt.support branch of usenet newsgroups. Something that became a huge surprise for me was how much regarding the symptoms of this affliction was applicable to ME!? At 45 years of age, I decided to see a psychologist and was diagnosed with severe ADD. Life was about to change drastically for me.

We immediately started experimenting with medications and it didn’t take log to discover that “Dexedrine” (a rather powerful amphetamine often prescribed for weight loss) was a perfect fit for me.

The biggest difference I’d noticed while taking my medication was in my ability to learn. While working in an IT environment at GE, I had soon discovered that I had an affinity with the Unix operating system. Everything involving Unix suddenly made sense. I was now able to easily read and digest computer manuals and books and digest I did! It was not unusual to hear my peers comment on my insatiable appetite to learn and stay current amid this seemingly endless stream of information technology. I was indeed very proud of the fact that some called me the “Human Man Page” ( a man page is the integrated Manual Pages that document each of the commands associated with the Unix operating system) and I very much enjoyed being a key go to person when it came to my job.

Needless to say, my income quickly doubled, tripled and eventually quadrupled from the days when I had to work two and three jobs to eke out a reasonable living. I’d found my niche’. I finally found something in which I had a natural talent to build upon. I really tried to make the most of it. My wife, at one point, rightly appeared concerned that I had been reading NOTHING but computer manuals for years on end.

All went well until the end of 2004. I’d gained considerable weight and my blood pressure was at dangerous levels. I had had an episode with chest pain that resulted in at trip to the ER and two coronary stents implanted in my heart. My doctor could no longer prescribe the Dexedrine. My new goal was to lose the weight ASAP and get back on the medication, also ASAP. At this point, I could maintain my job at a reasonable level for some time, as long as things didn’t change too drastically.

In the process of losing the weight, I discovered an amazing phenomenon; A combination of a lean body, a regimen of hard cardio for about 1.5 to 2 hrs. per day, and a diet of properly timed 5 or 6 small balanced meals a day would perfectly mimic the effects of Dexedrine without the side affects. This discovery was made at the end of 2005 and it managed to work perfectly until I ran into problems with my knee in the spring of 2009.

My usual routine was to get up before 4am to get into the pool by 4:30. I would then move onto about 40 to 50 minutes of cardio with another 30 to 40 minutes of cardio at lunch. The swimming was something I felt I needed to learn and was not really considered part of the hard cardio I was trying to perform. The daily cardio consisted of biking, running, stairmaster and running regular stairs. The years of this grueling schedule were made possible by the thought of returning to near minimum wage jobs and the changes that such a change would make for my family.

When my knee developed problems, I was reduced to trying to use the little swimming I had learned, rowing and this “UBE” hand crank machine to try and reach an 85%+ heart rate for prolonged periods of time. While the rowing proved to be a valuable tool, it wasn’t enough and I started to fall behind in my job. A perfect storm was starting to brew. I was unable to continue the high level of performance I’d grown to expect from myself and at the same time, the environment I was working in started changing drastically to where I needed to learn the new technologies.

I’d managed to get back to running and biking but the handwriting was on the wall. With a recent injury limiting my continued “cardio therapy”, I’d determined that I have some choices to make.

Through all the jobs I've had, I've always been inclined to give my all to quality work. With every job, I'd always been surprised at the skill & "tricks of the trade" that could be utilized to perform a level of quality the uninitiated could never attain. Whether it was washing dishes, floor maintenance, laundry, stock room work or food preparation, there were skills and tricks that were often a challenge for me to perfect but I usually got it and I usually learned to excel. To this day, I often walk into a buildings lobby and can recognize a superior wax job on the floor and I'll stop and appreciate the skill and pride that must have gone into producing a quality piece of work. Martin Luther King Jr. once said "If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”

I’ve come to grips with the prospect of returning to having to work multiple lower paying jobs and to change my standard of living accordingly. I’m still not about to “quit my day job’ as it were, but I need to prepare for a new phase in my life. I refuse to be continually mediocre in my job and my body is simply unable to take the continued stress of extended periods of hard cardio. I have a newly developed passion for diet and fitness and believe I’m uniquely gifted in encouraging others. I intend to talk to the Weight Watchers organization to see what it takes to become a leader since it was with WW that I lost over 90lbs. I’m 100% in favor of their methodologies ( I KNOW that it pays almost nothing, but it’s a start). I’ll probably try for some type of NSCA certification and see if I can find a fit somewhere coaching older adults. If none of this works, I can return to physical jobs that I know I can be good at even if I have to work 80 or 90 hours a week. I intend to continue to make myself valuable to my current employer in any way possible and intend to try my new endeavors on a part time basis until I’m ready to switch.

I’d recently had a dialogue with a friend regarding the meaning of professionalism. It is my contention that a professional is one who “professes to be” a certain individual whose life embodies a particular skill set. A doctor is a doctor at work or at home, (if he is a professional) he’s a doctor if he’s alone or with a group. His entire life reflects that of a doctor. I was once an IT professional and IT is now just a job for me. I intend to rectify this status and hopefully I’ll soon be able to return to the realm of professionalism. If not, I can always return to waxing and buffing floors. It may not be a profession, but at least I’ll be damn good at it.

What I’ve done this week:

*** Hip problem made swimming & biking the main stay… running turned out good as well.

Versa 1 Mile *** First time in almost 2 years… sub 30 minute… 29:30…
Swimming 5,800 Meters
Running 14 Miles
Rowing 0 – Still too painful on the hip.
Bike 130 min.
Stairclimbing 0

No official Crossfit… Although I did put together a crossfit type WOD

5 rounds of:

10 Pull Ups

30 Push Ups

21 minutes.

My Current Weight is 161lbs.

22,828 kcal Consumed

6,704 kcal Burned During Exercise

16,124 kcal Net (Consumed - Burned)

Daily Goal 2,088 (maintenance)

Weekly Goal 14,616

Surplus of 1,588 kcal ( 1/2 lb gained)

Details can be perused at:

http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/diary/who/Stairclimber_D/

Ego at the Door

What an interesting week for me...

This weeks post therefore, will be going in a different direction. Less "preaching", more status.... ( ironic because much of the volume of activity and detailed accuracy will be less!). While this will not be quite as interesting to read, I will end the post with a cliffhanger of a personal announcement that will guarantee your return next week. (damn,... do I watch too much TV or what?!)

In any event... The big news in my life at the moment is how everyone did yesterday at the "Tackle the Tower"... Talk about reinforcing the thoughts of last week!

Our small training group had 3 1st place age group finishers and EVERYONE did fantastic. Personally, I overcame some minor injury pain to best the course record for my age group (which I previously held) by 9 seconds... I'm pleased & VERY proud of the accomplishment. btw - MB... Yep, I felt like puking at the top!

One of the things I appreciate about Crossfit is the concept that you "leave your ego at the door". I believe there are MANY upsides to this approach. The primary reason of course, is to avoid injury. The workouts in Crossfit are no joke. You have to know your abilities and limits and those individuals who are new to Crossfit NEED to scale it down. A person who lets his/her ego to determine the weights and repetitions to be used in a workout is setting themselves up for injury. For me, there are numerous other advantages to being totally objective and without ego. To engage my ego during a Crossfit workout would be to risk  an ego resembling nothing more than a bloody stump! I am regularly humbled by how I lack basic strength in many movements. If my ego were to be engaged, I would refuse to engage in that particular activity and that activity would remain my weakness. With my ego at the door... I will continue to better my last without fear of what others think (no matter how pathetic) and I will eventually turn these weaknesses into strengths. I've often seen the effect of ego result in absolute refusal to try things that "I know I would be terrible at" or "I wouldn't be as good as the rest of you". We ALL have our strengths and weaknesses. As weak as I am on certain movements, I know I can do other things better than most. Pride in your abilities is good but when training... The only critic who matters is you and the only competition that matters is against yourself. This is why, I believe, during crossfit type competitions, you'll often see those competitors cheering each other on. When ego is set aside we all win and we all become champions.

On to my status: 

My intention for the week was to take it easy with my usual schedule through Wednesday (No hard PR type of efforts) and to taper from Wed. for the race on Saturday. Wednesday, during my crossfit workout I attempted a 285 pound deadlift that hurt my hip. I've had problems with the hip before and was diagnosed with osteo arthritis. I'm pretty sure I hadn't pulled a muscle but, due to the lack of cartilage, moved in such a way that ground bone against bone. The pain I feel is similar to the arthritis in my knee and has the markings of an aggravated state of inflammation as opposed to a pulled muscle. Bottom line... most activities hurt and I've got to stay away from things that aggravate it until the inflammation is eased. I'll be swimming with a pull bouy  a lot this week. 

This type of injury plays absolute havoc to me and my schedule... For one, I burn, via exercise 6000+ calories a week that I'm used being able to EAT!.... my diet needs to change big time. Since I was tapering this week for  the race on Sat. , it is more manageable. Still, it will take a week or so of adjustment. I'm not posting my usual activities and calories this week because they are only about 70% accurate.  Feel free to check out my food diary.. I still log.. just not as accurately. I know I've burned about 2,000 calories more this week than what is recorded on the livestrong myplate app. ( you drink 4 Olde 21 IPA beers (10%abv) and 3 or four Steel Reserve beers and record what you ate and I'll be impressed). This is also a good opportunity to demonstrate that I'm really NOT OCD!  It doesn't really bother me to skip some entries... it is a tool to be used and I try to use it accurately. This week was very different and I'll be back on track next week.

My plan for the week therefore is to reduce my caloric intake. I need to limit my activities to those that do not aggravate my hip and I need to modify my diet to include as many anti inflammatory agents as possible ( salmon, raw pineapple and extra fish oil). It should be a challenge.

I've been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a professional. In my eyes, a professional is one who "professes" to be something as an integral part of his identity. For 15 years now I've been an IT professional. 24x7 I've lived as a systems administrator and I've lived and breathed IT. For reasons I'll explain next week, it's over. I've experienced professionalism and have experienced being outstanding in a field. I've decided to officially declare my intention to seek a new career.  I'm still not sure what field I want to pursue (I have some ideas). It's funny, I'm 56 years old and it's still like i don't know what I want to do when I  "grow up". Whatever it is, I know I don't want to be mediocre at whatever I do. So... I'm hoping to try something part-time to see if I can succeed with it and will then tender my resignation. 

In this economy, I know, I'm nuts to do what I'm proposing... Yep, I'm nuts... I'm scared, I'm excited and I know that God has a plan for me and I'm here to fulfill it.

Misery LOVES Company

Funny how when you’re new to something, the people who are there to show you the ropes will leave a lasting impression on you. In particular, I’m thinking of a spin instructor who introduced herself to me as “MB”. MB however, isn’t your run of the mill spin instructor. MB has, without a doubt, a gift when it comes to giving others encouragement. I myself, new to athletics and 50+ years old needed all the encouragement I could get. MB knew everyone’s name and she had the unique ability to get people to push themselves HARD.

MBs’ forte’ was stairclimbing. Even though she hasn’t competed in years, she still holds age group records for the “big three” stairclimbs; Sears Tower, US Bank Bldg in LA, and the Empire State Building. Several “nuggets” of wisdom from MB; “If you get to the top and you don’t feel like you have to puke…you didn’t go hard enough!” or once, after watching me do a mile on the Versa climber; “Daryll, you’ll do well… you KNOW how to suffer!”. The quote that I’d like to elaborate on however is one that I’d originally scoffed at; “You’re only as good as the people you train with”. She said it often.

I regularly think about that statement and am amazed about how true it is. More about MB later… Right now I need to go WAY out on a limb here and potentially embarrass two of my favorite people on this planet.

First, I’d like to talk about my friend Dan. Outside of being an impressive athlete who is always willing to give his all, Dan actually DOES what he says he’s going to do. One day a couple of years ago, (when I was just discovering the sport of stairclimbing), I told Dan about the competitive stairclimb at the Sears Tower. I half jokingly asked him… hey you want to go race up the tallest building in North America? Dan stopped and thought for a second and shortly thereafter replied that he WOULD indeed like to see what it would be like to climb (for time).. the Sears Tower. Several months later, in Chicago, after the climb, I had to toast Dan (over a now established tradition of beer & pizza after a stair race) for actually DOING what he said he would do. Yesterday morning, Dan & I had scheduled a training session downtown with the aim of running 190 floors of stairs. I wanted to bail but I knew Dan would be there and it would be wrong to stand him up. Without question, Dan’s reliability as a training partner has over and over again helped me to follow through on a training plan that I very easily could have ditched and has helped me to grow as an athlete.... btw - Something also to think about is the amount of discouragement created during times when others DON’T follow through with their commitments.

Next in line is Melissa. The unlikely attribute that I’d like to Melissa is “Bad Ass Toughness”…. Yep, a very attractive, petite blond young lady around 5’5, maybe 110lbs. You’d only have to see her climbing 62 flights of stairs… non stop wearing a 14lb weight vest. Melissa will roof her house and perform construction projects that I wouldn’t think of tackling. Melissa plays hockey… In the men’s league.

Last fall I had the privilege to participate in a fund raising workout called “Fight Gone Bad”. The evening of the event, I arrive at the gym, ready to go and I look around to see that I’m doing this grueling workout with a group of young men that are not only half my age, but are generally amazing athletes to boot! Needless to say, there was a certain ambivalence associated with the status of this “Old Fart” among these guys. All I had to do was think of the diminutive Melissa playing hockey with the men. Knowing her and her toughness has, without question, helped me to become a better athlete.

Yesterday morning Dan & I ran stairs. My back was hurting from a large set of back squats that I’d performed with poor form. My hamstrings were also screaming and I’d had a VERY long week. We cut is short to 19x5 instead of our usual 19x10 (Dan was also feeling under the weather). Afterwards I decided to go for breakfast and as I sat there licking my wounds, having already decided to skip my 10:30 crossfit workout (I’d also already read that the workout was the aforementioned grueling “Fight Gone Bad”). Killing time waiting for my meal, I checked my mobile facebook to see a status from Vincent R, one of our Crossfit practitioners… It read “Pain is temporary. Glory is forever.”

Need I say more… Thanks Vinnie.. I PR’d that Fight Gone Bad.

Every morning, on the bus, I try to have some quiet time between God and myself. I read some Bible passage & pray about the day. I can’t remember the details but last Tues. MB came to my thoughts (perhaps because of the upcoming "Tackle the Tower") and I specifically prayed for her not knowing exactly what her situation is. Later that day, I ran into an acquaintance of hers and I found out what a hard time she had been presented with in her life. I know she needs to take her time getting back to a regular routine and she should take all the time she needs. I also think it’s important that she KNOWS what an influence she has made on others. I do hope she is also aware of the healing power of exercising the gifts that God has uniquely equipped her with. Where ever she goes, it is also my prayer that others can return the encouragements. When all is said and done, “You’re only as good as the people you train with” and we’ve not been at our best since she’s had to leave.

As usual, I look at things from a perspective of balance… It is not simply a matter of how Dan, Melissa and MB can affect me as an athlete… I wonder, am I giving back all that I can? For sure, being reliable & tough are traits that I can demonstrate to help those I workout with be all that they can be. In future posts, I’ll continue to give examples of how others have helped me and how we, in turn, can emulate those traits to encourage those around us.

So, TJ, Blondie, Nick, Cheryl, etc, etc… I already have great examples and you’re all fair game… Thank you all… I am indeed a lucky guy…

What I’ve done this week:
Run 8 Miles
Swim 3,000 meters
Stairclimbing 307 Floors
Rowing 44,461 ** Including 10k PR of 40:23 (Avg 201.1/500)
          Concept2 Virtual Challenge Month of Jan. I was captian of "Crew Omni Fitness" - We rowed
          1.25 MILLION meters and came in 52nd out of 193 teams!
Crossfit #1
Reps - 21,15,9 of OH Squat (small bar), Abmat Situp, Sumo Deadlift High Pull (95#)
Crossfit #2
Back Squat 1,10,1,20,1,30 - 135,95,125,75,125,65 ( I think... was to discouraged to look at total!)
Crossfit #3
Fight Gone Bad:
3rds. 1 minute at each of 5 stations w 1 minute rest between rounds for # of reps
Rowing for calories
20lb Wall Balls
Box Jumps
Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (75lbs)
Push Presses (75lbs)
 - (no details) 232PR rx'd except 16lb wall ball for 20lb wall ball.

My Current Weight is 159.5
Consumed Calories 22,685
Calories Burned 6,886
Calorie Goal 14,616
Net Calories 15,799
Calorie EXCESS = 1,183 (1/3 lb)
Details can be perused at:
http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/diary/who/Stairclimber_D/


***** This post was posted on Jan 30, 2010....   On  Feb. 6th, a group of us raced the Erieview Tower. Dan, Melissa and I ALL placed first in our age group.... It seems that success loves company as well!

The "Suck Factor"

Several months ago I had the opportunity to attend a seminar to hear Crossfit founder Greg Glassman speak. One of the terms he used relating to the efficacy of any particular fitness tool was its “Suck Factor”. I believe he used the Concept2 rowing machine as prime example. Activities with a high “Suck Factor” are usually very painful and there is generally a direct correlation between their ability to cause discomfort and their value to create in us an increased level of fitness. When I think about it, I’m truly surprised by the number of activities I engage in that can fall into this category. Crossfit in general, rowing, stair climbing, running, biking and Versa Climber are all activities that I know have, each quite literally, inspired the proclamation of the qualifying phrase “THIS SUCKS” from me on more than one occasion.

While it is obvious that a major part of my motivation to seek out these more extreme methods of training is simply an increased level of fitness, there is also a broader, deeper, more meaningful approach to life that I’m attempting to apply to my time on this planet.

Some time ago I read this quote that has had a huge impact on my views relating to physical discipline:

“There are two doors in life: pleasure and pain. And, through whatever door you enter, you are sure to leave through the other."

Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom (1637)

It amazes me how simple and effective this sentiment is and yet how profound and universal its’ application can be. After considerable thought, I cannot think of another single concept that could have a greater impact on our troubled world today. Be it health and fitness, diet and obesity, economics or diplomacy, if we were to simply grasp and apply this simple truth, our lives as a whole would be very different.

In relation to fitness and longevity however, I believe there is special relevance. The particular relevance that fascinates me most involves the tactical advantage to life that can be garnered over the inescapable pain that we are each going to face throughout our lives. Simply put, by willingly and purposely choosing that door of pain, our choice of pain is therefore at our own discretion. We can therefore choose the type of pain we feel we can deal with the easiest. If our first choice is pleasure though, we’ll never know until it’s time to exit, the manner of pain that will inevitably be thrust upon us. This tactical advantage of one “tempo” or first move has huge implications.

I usually like to workout on my lunch break. During the spring and summer months there is a route I like to run that takes me down the Detroit-Superior Bridge. Everyone I run with knows I like a particular downhill section of the bridge. I’m not sure why, but the particular grade of descent feels perfect and I feel like I’m running at a 4 minute mile pace (probably closer to 6 min. mile pace in reality). Make no mistake, it hurts like hell, but if I’d have to choose, I’d say that it would be my pain of choice… Yep, music blaring, wind blowing in my face and a downhill momentum that gives me an unbeatable high even through the pain.

Make no mistake, I have no illusions of perfect health & guaranteed fitness into my senior years. On more than one occasion, people who have heard of my exercise regime have pointed out that I could go through all this and end up getting hit by a bus! In fact, just the week before last I heard the story of legendary Coney Island strongman Joe Rollino who was probably, pound for pound, one of the strongest men who ever lived (he was said to be able to lift over 600lbs with 1 finger!). Mr Rollino was in the middle of his daily 5mile walk at the age of 104 and literally got hit by a minivan and was killed.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10024/1030522-122.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml

There we have it:

The choice of hard work, discipline, self denial and the willful acceptance of the pain of our choice that will eventually be rewarded with pleasure.
    or
The life of instant gratification, general ease and lack of discipline that leads to an indiscriminate pain that is beyond our control.

The choice is ours. I will, nonetheless, continue for as long as I can, to make the choices that will benefit my future as best as possible.

What I’ve done this week:
Versa 1 Mile
Swimming 2,400 Meters
Running 10 Miles
Rowing 30,858 Meters - Includes 30 min. PR of 7,321 (PR by 72 meters!)
Bike 90 min.
Stairclimbing 438 Floors (248 Stairmaster,190 Real)

Crossfit #1
With a continuously running clock, squat for 60 seconds. Subtract the number of squats completed from 60, and do that many pull-ups in minute two. In minute three, squat again, subtracting the number completed from 60. Do that number of push-ups in minute four. Minute five is squatting again, and minute six pull-ups.
The pattern is squats, pull-ups, squats, push-ups, squats, pull-ups, etc. The goal is to stay within the workout's formula for as long as possible. Don't do more than 60 squats in any round. In any case, stay moving for at least 12 minutes.
Competed 1st round squat/pull up/squat/push up. - 45Squat/15Pullup, 40Squat/20Pushup
2nd round squat/pull up (3 short) on pullups - 40Squat/17Pullup, 40Squat/20Pushup
3rd round squat/pull up (21 short) on pullups - 30Squat/9Pullup, 38Squat/22Pushup
Cool down: 5 sandbag turkish get ups on each side (10 total), 20 situps
Crossfit #2
Team - John B. & Myself
2000M Row
60 Box jumps
50 SDHP
40 Burpees
30 Sandbag getups
20 Overhead squats
400M Run
23:05

My Current Weight is 160.5lbs.
22,100 kcal Consumed
8,028 kcal Burned During Exercise
14,072 kcal Net (Consumed - Burned)
Daily Goal 2,088 (maintenance)
Weekly Goal 14,616
Deficit 544 kcal (about > .25 lb)
**** F.Y.I. – I estimate my accuracy to be approximately +/- 15%. I do NOT track condiments, coffee cream or my nightly “hershey’s kiss” I grab on the way out of the office in the evening. Whenever possible, I over estimate my calories consumed and I under estimate my calories burned. This will account for the ½lb à 1lb weight discrepancy.

Details can be perused at:
http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/diary/who/Stairclimber_D/

Failure is not an option, but a real possibility!

I have a confession. Look at my picture above this text. What do you see….? Look closely. Notice the bit of a smirk around the edge of my mouth. Can you recognize the slight squint of my eyes and the slightly furrowed brow? Yep, you probably are recognizing that this is not exactly a victory photo. The picture was taken after I’d failed to successfully complete my first triathlon.

You see, one day around the time I had first discovered that running was an option for me, I was inspired watching coverage of the Ironman World Championships from Kona and decided I wanted to try a triathlon. One problem… I couldn’t swim. So I determined to learn to swim. My first time in the pool, I couldn’t make it 10 meters without panicking. I slowly worked my way up to being able to swim the full length of the pool & then a complete lap. I briefly tried a tutor but she was more used to training children than adults. My ego could only handle one scene where after working on the sidestroke, the tutor in her very best “Miss Barbra” voice loudly and excitedly proclaimed, “You’re doing it… You’re doing it!”. I immediately looked around the pool area and discovered that I was VERY fortunate there were no friends or acquaintances nearby. That was most definitely one of my last private lessons.

My problem with the unsuccessful triathlon was pretty simple. Open water was just WAY to different from my warm pool with the line along the bottom of the lane. While I knew it would be a HUGE difference, the breaking point was when one of the support kayaks approached me because I was going off course. When the lifeguard tried to correct my course by pointing me towards the buoy, I realized that I’d actually have to be able to SEE the buoy without my glasses. I still regret pulling out ( I should have just kept swimming in that general direction until I could see it). My point here though is that while failure is never something to be accepted casually, as an athlete, the possibility of failure should regularly be present. While disappointed, I don’t regret the effort.

Because I am relatively new to Crossfit, I have yet to need to bail on a heavy back squat. I’m pretty sure however, that I’ll soon be reaching my absolute limit and my need to fail & bail (safely) is also imminent. I do think also however that this is an appropriate example of a healthy attitude towards failure. Failure that comes as a result of pushing your limits is honorable. Success as a result of choosing limited challenges due to fear of failure is not.

I really enjoy what Randy Pausch taught about failure in his “Last Lecture”: He taught that it was better to fail spectacularly than do something mediocre. He also gave out a First Penguin Award each year when he was teaching to the student that was the biggest failure in trying something big and new. Randy thought that huge failures resulting from grand attempts should be celebrated. (First Penguins are the ones that risk that the water might be too cold). If you’re unfamiliar with Randy’s last lecture, you would without doubt benefit from his wisdom and story at: http://www.cmu.edu/randyslecture. I highly recommend viewing it or getting the book.

I think we often take our selves too seriously as amateur athletes. Our struggles in the arena are not truly life or death. I am also convinced and truly believe that by actually pushing yourself to failure in an athletic perspective where its importance is limited will help us as individuals, to push ourselves through to hard fought successes in real life where it really counts.

I’m currently training for a monumental stair climb race that involves 4 buildings and over 180 floors. Although I am an experienced climber, I expect this to be a major challenge (Sears tower was only 103 floors). I’m training with a team of over 12 people. The greater majority of my teammates are new climbers who have never done a single stair race. I have to say that the way that they are jumping in with both feet and are determined to tackle all four towers no matter how difficult is a major inspiration to me… This is what I’m talking about and I salute their spirit.

The only person that ever really fails is the person who quits trying and totally gives up (Thus "not an option). My swimming is still my weak point but I’ve been working on my form and I do intend to complete my first triathlon in 2010 (along with the help of prescription swim goggles!).

So, in a nutshell, I’d encourage everyone to quit “shooting fish in a barrel” and attempt big things without the fear of failure.

What I’ve done this week:
Versa 1 Mile
Swimming 4k Meters
Running 14 Miles
Rowing 23,535 Meters - Includes 30 min. PR of 7,249 (PR by 4 meters)
Bike 75 min.
Stairclimbing 190 Floors
Crossfit #1
5Rounds - 30squats/10 pull ups/5 clean press 95lb.
Crossfit #2
WU - 3rds 10 Push Ups/10 Squats/20 Jump Jacks - WOD - 5rds. 12 DeadLifts/9 HangCleans/6 Push Jerk - CD Tapata Squats x 4

My Current Weight is 161.5lbs.
20,535 kcal Consumed
8,021 kcal Burned During Exercise
12,514 kcal Net (Consumed - Burned)
Daily Goal 2,088 (maintenance)
Weekly Goal 14,616
Deficit 2102 kcal (about .75 lb)
Details can be perused at:
http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/diary/who/Stairclimber_D/

The Inner Athlete

I’ve never been involved in athletics of any kind. I grew up in the 60’s & 70’s and I was always more closely associated with the “anti-jock” groups in school. I think the only activity that I’ve participated in that even resembles sport is bowling.

So imagine my surprise when, at the age of 50+, I’d been referred to as an athlete. In fact I distinctly remember attending a spin class and as an instructor commented on my abilities as an “athlete”, I started contemplating what it meant to be an athlete. I wondered if I really did fall into that category. I’m still surprised, but I do proudly and wholeheartedly embrace the moniker.

In the process of losing that 90+ pounds in 2005, I spent a large number of hours on the elliptical and the Stairmaster step machines. I was particularly fond of the Stairmaster because I believed it burnt the most calories and it would therefore get me to my goal that much faster. Many days I’d spend 60 to 90 minutes (and occasionally more) grinding out floor after floor. One thing I remember that had piqued my interest after my rather grueling workouts was the amazingly satisfying feeling I got at the end when the Stairmaster would spit out my workout statistics and finish the entire event with the large red flashing LED message: “GOAL COMPLETED”. I do believe that the regular victories associated with regular workouts are the beginning of embracing an athletic lifestyle.

It didn’t take long however until I started keeping score. 170 floors for 30min. , 220 for 45, etc. etc. I started keeping track and would find myself pushing for new records (I believe my best record was like 230 floors in 30 min.). My very first encounter with my inner athlete (I believe) was when I met the guy inside my head who would push up the Stairmaster level and make it harder even when I didn’t want to just so I could better my number of floors in 30 min!

After I reached my goal weight the last week of 2005, I was getting bored with the same grind on the elliptical and Stairmaster. I remember trying to run my first mile around my neighborhood. I was pleased that I could do it in less than10 minutes. My first organized race was the inaugural “Smile with Me 5k” in Strongsville. What happened there was a major encouragement to keep on running… I actually won my age group. Little did I know then that the time of 26:19 was really pretty average, but it did make it considerably more rewarding. I have to say that I have yet to see a weaker age group showing in any race since!

 No matter what the circumstances of that race were, I do still greatly enjoy drinking out my first place trophy mug that I won that day.

The reason I’d picked this topic today is because of my more recent experiences with finding this ‘inner athlete” and more importantly, what this discovery has meant in my life. I am convinced that every person has their own athletic persona that can make its discovery within ones self, in a manner of speaking, a matter of life and death. In making this bold statement, I’d first ask you to consider these two things I’ve discovered about life.

1. You can NEVER escape change.
2. Your change will ALWAYS involve only one of two possible directions. You’re either growing or you’re dying.

So, what I’m saying is that through the challenges brought about by a athletic perspective on life, you’re giving yourself an opportunity to continually GROW. Every time you achieve a new PR (Personal Record) in any particular endeavor, you are getting better in body, mind and spirit. So, when I commit myself to adhering to an athletic lifestyle, I’m talking about growth as a person. I’m talking about mental growth, physical growth, emotional growth and spiritual growth.

A living hero of mine and a perfect example of what I'm proposing is a Nun from Washington State. Her name is Sister Madonna Buder and she is an Ironman Triathlete. What makes her special to me is the fact that she only started running when she was 49 years old. It wasn’t long after that she started triathlons. She has HUNDREDS of various distance triathlons completed and has finished more than 20 Ironman distance events. Last year, at the age of 79 she became the oldest person to finish the Ironman distance triathlon.. That is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile (Cleveland to Columbus+) bike ride, and a full 26.2 mile marathon, all in less than 17 hours from start to finish. I’m sure that Madonna would recognize the value that I attribute to the “inner athlete”.

In order to discover your inner athlete I can give the following suggestions:
1. Get out and MOVE
2. It doesn’t matter your times or distances… what matters is that you better you time/distance the NEXT time you go out.
3. You’re always competing against YOURSELF. The PR is the evidence that you’re actually improving. If you concentrate on competing with yourself, the numbers will ultimately show a respectable placement when you compete against others.
4. Track your times and PR’s and look back often. You’ll be amazed at your progress.
5. Always try new things. Learn to swim, ride a bike, play soccer, climb stairs, row, run, a 5k or attempt a triathlon. You’re NEVER too old to try a new sport or activity. Find a fitness regimen like Crossfit or the PX90. The goal is to keep growing… when you reach a plateau or a wall in one endeavor, move on to another and return to your jettisoned sport at a later date (you might be surprised where you’ll end up).
6. Never fear failure of defeat. My athletic failures and defeats are many. Each time I try a new endeavor, I KNOW with out a doubt that I’ll be better off than I was before my attempt. The only people who never fail are those that never do ANYTHING.

This has been an interesting “beerless week”. I’ve pretty much stayed on course with my fitness goals and have accomplished the following:

Versa Climber - 1 mile
Running - 11 miles
Swimming - 4,000 meters
Rowing - 27,093 meters
Biking - 70 minutes
Stairs 100 floors
Crossfit
WOD #1 - 3 Rds. 21/15/9 Body Weight Dead Lifts/Burpees - Cool down Grace x 2
WOD #2 - 4 Rounds 40 Wall Ball/20 Pullups (Kicked My A$$)
WOD #3 - 5 Rnds 10 Box Jumps, 15 Situps, 10 KB Swings each arm (alt. every 10)
Cool Down 500m row/rest 1m /500m row
My Current Weight is 162.5lbs.
16,882 kcal Consumed
7,256 kcal Burned During Exercise
9,626 kcal Net (Consumed - Burned)
Daily Goal 2,088 (maintenance)
Weekly Goal 14,616
Deficit 4,990kcal (about 1.5 lb of fat)

We're ALL on a diet!

I'm immediately finding some personal benefits to this blogging thing.... First, sometimes when you write things down or say things out loud, even though they're things you are already very cognitive of, they take on a whole new perspective. A perfect example of this comes from the last comment of last week's blog. "I know 30%+ calories on beer is way too much!". I knew that to be true but it didn't really mentally resonate as an actual problem until after I wrote it. I'll mention the second major benefit a little later on.

I therefore NEED to adjust my diet accordingly. But while I'm thinking of the whole diet thing, I'd like to step onto the obligatory "Bloggers Soap Box" for one minute regarding the whole topic of diet and dieting. When did the term "diet" ever become a verb? Whenever people tell me they're "dieting", I want to put on my smart -ass cap and reply; I've got news for you, you've been dieting all your life... It's been a really crappy diet, and your performance in attending to your "diet" has been really negligent!

The whole concept that a diet is something that you only temporarily adhere to in order to fix your previous neglect of diet (noun) is a major red flag that indicates you will not solve your problem. You will only (at best) remedy its symptoms only to return to your previous habits and weight problems. It seems like the very acknowledgement that a temporary fix as valid nullifies the concept of treating diet with a fundimental, inherent, ongoing strategy or philosophy. Whether we like it or not, we have a diet to maintain.... How's it going to look is the real question.

A diet needs to be something that describes our over all continual strategy towards food and fitness. It requires some thought, some experimentation and it is by nature, nothing less than the way we continually look at the food we eat. It doesn't really matter to me if a persons diet is "The South Beach" diet, the "Atkins Diet", the "Clean Foods" diet, the "Zone Diet" or the "Paleo Diet", etc, etc; As long as it works for you. It is my belief that our physical makeups are so varied individually that what works for me would not necessarily work for someone who responds well to a low carb diet. My personal diet is primarily one where I try and balance my macronutrient levels to 40% Carb, 30% Fat & 30% Protein. I try to eat only whole grains with a medium glycemic index, organic when possible. I also try and split my meals into smaller "mini meals" 6+ times per day.

Regarding my personal need to work out as much as I do; I know little about my ancestors on either my mothers or fathers side but, I've determined that at least on one side, I must come from a family of n'th generation miners, loggers, military or any family oriented occupation where there was long hard work. You can't even imagine what would happen if you were to take someone with such a family background, where his genetic code is programmed to burn 5,000+ calories a day, and set him in a position where his entire daily activity levels were minimal. The result in my individual case resembles what I can only describe as two different Darylls. This is one clue to my extreme propensity towards exercise.

Stepping off soap box....

The second major personal benefit to blogging is accountability. I'm now publicly stating that there will be no brewskis' for me this coming week and I'm now going to HAVE to follow through.

My overall plan in getting super lean (160lbs) is so that I can increase my strength training and my participation in crossfit. This should then enable me to put on some extra muscle mass. Knowing my body as I do, I'm aware that I can only either lose weight or gain muscle at any one time... so it's time to ratchet back on my weight so I can replace it and end up at my ideal "fighting weight" of 162lbs.

This week:
I've run 140 floors of stairs
Rowed 22,157 meters
Ran 13 miles
Biked 90 minutes
Swam 2,600 meters

Performed 4 Crossfit workouts:

1. Poopy Diaper - AMRAP (as many rounds as poss.) 20min. 5 Thrusters, 7 Hang Cleans, 10 Sumo- Deadlift High Pull (PR'd I think at 14 rounds.)
2. Clean & Jerk 5,000 lbs., Team workout for two people to do 10,000lbs combined. 
3. The "Filthy Fifty" Fifty Each - Box Jumps, Jumping Pullups, Burpees, Push Press (45lbs), Wall Balls, Knees to Elbows, Lunges, Double Unders.
4. Back Squats 3x5. (125lbs Yeah "buttercup" I know... It'll get better!)

My Current Weight is 164lbs.
18,534 kcal Consumed
7,262 kcal Burned During Exercise
112,72 kcal Net (Consumed - Burned)
Daily Goal 2,088 (maintenance)
Weekly Goal 14,616
Deficit 3,344 (about 1 lb of fat)