and so it begins again

so I'm posting again... it's been awhile... but 2 things triggered me to post

1. Jay calling me yesterday. This reminded me about rugby and how soon it will be upon me. Last weekend we had our 2008 banquet where I won Most Improved Player. I felt this was a great honor. It means that my dedication last year showed. It means I improved upon myself and therefore improved the team. Rugby is a team sport filled with individuals. It is much more brutal than football, we don't wear pads, we don't have blockers, we just hit each other. Oddly enough, there are fewer major injuries in rugby than in football. Sure there are sprained ankles, or the occasional arm twist, but as far as broken bones go... it's much safer. I think that this is due to the fitness and finesse that rugby is. I'm excited as hell that Jay is going to come out this spring for Chicago Riot Rugby. Rugby is a great team sport that gets you in shape as well, increases your natural competitiveness and makes a lot of good friends. One thing is for sure: this season is going to be awesome.

2. Today, I began training for the Shamrock Shuffle. This is an 8K (5 miles) ran on March 29th. I'm using Hal Higdon's intermediate training program. This involved me running 3 miles today, as well as some strength and stretching. I ran 2 miles, and then had to take a couple, short, walking breaks. I did finish 3 miles, and I finished it running. It took me just under 29 minutes. I'm proud that I finished the 3 miles, but I do see the room and need for improvement. I have 8 weeks in which to train and complete the 8K. Last year I finished in 47:19...


With that in mind. I set forth my goals for 2009 (I may be a month late, but honestly, it's better late than never)

1. Shamrock Shuffle in under 45 minutes
2. Multiple 5K's throughout the summer (end goal of one under 26.30)
3. Success during Rugby
4. Look Good

I know that Goals 3 and 4 are not definite, but I see them as definite. Look Good means I do not have a definite weight goal, I do not feel I need one because, although I would like to lose 20 or 30 pounds, I would like to gain 10 to 15 pounds in muscle. Look Good means to take my shirt off at the beach without a second thought. Look Good means I will no longer have that "pouch", "spare tire", "gut" or whatever else you call it... I define it as there's no "hang-over" the waist of my pants....


ok, that's a lot for the first post in a while, but it's needed to revive this.

Let me know where you are and where you would like to be and most importantly, how WE can get there.

JW

Minor Update from Quitomzilla

There is a nice add-on for your Firefox browser to help you quit smoking. It's a nice little app that will tell you how much you've saved and how long it's been since you quit.

Here are my stats: I haven't smoked for 1 week, 2 days and 18 hours, saving 195.39 cigarettes and $48.84 .

Here is the link: Quitomzilla

Uhm, just a sec. I need to go throw up.

My first full workout with Ben the trainer was today. Needless to say he kicked my ass, and I deserved it for being a lazy piece of crap for the last oh... 7 years.

He strapped me up with a heart monitor and it was time to go! We started out with a little cardio, that was cool, no major complaints. Then the torture started. We hit the arm bike, 30 forward then 30 backward then fast to the stationary bike for a minute then fast back to the arm bike, 4x. I got up after the last set and when I saw myself in the mirror, I honestly couldn't remember the last time I was that sweaty. Then pull ups and push ups and step things and some ball on the ground and leg ups and swinging a giant metal ball then...

Me: Uhm Ben I need a sec.
Ben: Come on keep moving your doing fine.
Me: Uhm, just a sec. I need to go throw up.

5 minutes later...

Ben: Did you throw up?
Me: Yeah, I feel better now.
Ben: *High Five* Yes! That's my second this year!
Me: This is gonna fun.
Ben: Yes!

Well, now it was time to cycle through all the exercises again. I made it through to the end and it was time to throw up again. Man I am amazingly out of shape. This time though I couldn't keep going I was getting dizzy and my workout was pretty much done anyway. I threw up one more time for the trifecta and went to talk it out with Ben. He took my heart monitor and got really excited because, well first because he made me puke three times, but second because I burned 834 calories. I got excited because this weeks torture session was over.

I Can Only Speak for Myself

I don't know how everyone else's past 2 and a half months went but mine sucked. I failed miserably in any attempt to stay or become healthy. It's time to start again.

I got myself a personal trainer to help me get to where I want to be. One day a week I will be meeting with "Ben," who will be kicking my ass and making sure the rest of the week I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. You should see the print out they gave me. If I stick to the program I'm gonna look like an effing beast.

I went grocery shopping to to buy the necessary food stuffs. BORING! But I'm pretty good at the cooking thing so I hope to make it easy. Oh and Aldi's makes it really easy to eat really good for really cheap. I got 6 pork chops, 4 pieces of salmon, 8 flavored tuna packs, 12 cans of chicken, 2 bags of almonds, a whole bunch of frozen fruit, jello cups, vitamins, a big tub of yogurt and some other crap for like 60 bucks. Try doing that anywhere else. All the old food and crap around the house, yeah that's been removed. Out with the old in with the new.

I am going to stop being a sissy and not smoke another cigarette. I need to have self control if I am going to stick with this. If I can't not smoke, I can't do any of this.

I am motivated. I am ready. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I guess you can call it progress

Well just like jay i have gone way south on the running portion of the plan. I havn't run in about two weeks but i still feel pretty damn good about myself. Its not that i am totally lazy i have been pretty busy lately and havnt had much time for running. But i willget back to the gym if not for our group goal then for my own new goal of being in shape so when i finally get a call from a Fire dept. then i wont have to kill myself training and can just go and do it. I have let good career opportunities pass me by before due to my poor fitness and i will not let it happen again.

As far as the smoking goes i am doing better. I am not longer a "full time" smoker and have only been having smokes on occasion. so if i can beat those urges on occasion then i will have this monster beat.

And to the diet or lack there of. I am not one of those people who can diet easily. I LOVE FOOD. but i also am not to worried about it because with fittness comes weightloss and im not too upset with myself and my body it could be worse but it caould also be alot better.

Anyway i am going for my written test for the Milwaukee Fire Dept on tues and we will see what comes of that and then i am off the the wis dell for thurs to sun. and then after that i have no more major plans and maybe i can get myself back on track..

Peace out,
Nick

One Step Foward, Two Steps Back

I've been trying to keep with good habits, but it seems that everything I set to do I just can't keep with it. I haven't ran for over a week now. I have been walking stairs at work but that's not going to cut it.

The smoking has gone horriably off course, and it's time I admit that I can't do it on my own. I have a doctor's appointment set for this Thursday... well actually that's today, to get a perscription for Chantix, a stop smoking aid. Hopefully that will help me on this dirty little journey.

I did take a step foward and joined a gym, so as long as I use it that will be a great asset to me. I hope that this turns out different than all those other times. It seems like it's taking the same downturn but I am determined to not let it.

Rethinking the Hancock

So yesterday I ran a 8.45 mile (close to a personal best in my post college world) and so I was feeling pretty good. I though I would attempt to begin training for the Hustle up the Hancock... which now seems a very stupid and pointless thing. I went for about 10 minutes on the stairmaster and was dripping sweat from every pore on my body and was beyond tired, and that was at level 7... I am beginning to rethink this Hustle thing, not that I do not think I can do it, but that I wonder if i want to do it. It seems a lot of work and I may just stick to running.

I am also revising my goals set forth earlier. On Monday I ran 3 miles in about 27.45. This makes me think I can do a 5K (3.1 miles) in under 28 to begin with, so my revised goal is by year end a 5K under 26.30 and at least 1 under 27 min.

Just remember guys, consistency is the hardest part, but the most rewarding... better to run a mile every day for a week than to run 7 miles in one day and not run at all the next week...

There is the Lung Run in September, to benefit lung cancer research, I think this would be a good run for us considering we have stopped smoking and will be in MUCH better help when this comes around... let me know what you think.

J

Jon's Goals

My goals, even if they don't make sense to you, they make sense to me.

target weight - 220... this takes into account muscle gained by working out, ideal weight is 200; but realistically i don't think i can reach that and still have the muscle i do

goal: quit smoking permanently; with the money i will save; i will be able to pay cash for a new flat-panel tv around x.mas time when all the sales are going on

running goals - complete 3-5 5k this calendar year with times progressively lower; last 5k was 29.30, which honestly could have been better. first one: under 29.15. next under 29, next 28.30 and by year end run a 5k in under 28. i don't think these are too unreasonable, i know i can do them, i think i am just lacking the personal drive to do so.

long term fitness goals - Shamrock Shuffle 8k 2009 in under 45 min. 2008 time was 47.19. Secondly i would like to attempt the hustle up the hancock in february 2009... this is something completely diffent that just running; so i'll have to see how that goes.... i have no idea what exactly it will be like, but looking online, my goal is under 40... that may be adjusted once training begins.

J

Jay's Goals

I am feeling great about this. So many times have I tried to quit smoking and keep a healthy lifestyle and so many times I have quit. To have these two guys backing me up is really going to help.

Like Nick I've smoked for a long time, about 14 years or so, and have tried many times but never really could keep the motivation.

My goal weight is about 260. I have a long way to go but I'm hungry.

I have a lofty set of goals for myself. I more than anything want to cross the finish line at the Chicago Marathon. Other than that I want to complete the Hustle and Go Vertical, swim across Lake Geneva and eventually the Chicago Triathlon. Now for a guy who is not fit for much and to big for most that's gonna be tough. Another small goal is to be able to fit on all the adult rides at Great America again, something I haven't been able to do for quite some time. Last but not least I want to make my girl proud and not disgusted when she walks down the isle and looks at me.

Well that's me and that's how a player's gotta be.

Nicks goals

Well lets see here..... today is the first day of our journey and i feel pretty good about this. I am starting out at 255 lbs. I have been a smoker for about 6 years and am just recently trying to quit for good. i had my last smoke on sunday afternoon and i feel great. Now it should be alot easier to quit because all or most of my friends are quiting as well. i am also starting my workout routine as well as going back on my weight watchers diet. My goal is to get down to at least 200 lbs by next summer. I also have a lot of fitness goals that i would like to be able to accomplish within the next 5 years. I want to do a 5k swim , i want to do the hustle up the hancock , i want to complete the chicago marathon and last but not least i want to complete the chicago triathlon. these are the ultimate goals but i am starting off slow. the first challenge on our list of event will be the cougar 5k run in october hosted by St.Xavier university. well that is it for now , wish me luck........