The Last Man to Run

I haven't written in a while. It has gotten harder to get out and run. I'm still doing it. It just seems that since I started improving and getting compliments from most people who know me, I have become complaisant. A word and attitude I hate but something that is very much a part of me. Yes, I became somewhat happy with where I am and I haven't been working as hard as I should or as hard as I know I can. I am not making progress towards my goals. It's time to take it to the next stage. I mean it's time to up the running and time to get where I originally intended, which is to sculpt my body and become strong enough to do a hardcore obstacle race such as the Tough Mudder. Today I hit the gym hard. 100 push ups, 100 sit ups, 100 squats with 25lbs in cowbells. I did sets of 20s in order to ease my way into it and make sure I could finish the sets. This is where I stand as of this picture (6-23-13). I want to see how much progress I can make in 1 month, even 1...

When I went on my first run ever, it was a lowly 2 mile run on some lower class barefoot style  running shoes. All I wanted to find out was how hard it would be for me. I figured I could at least finish, I wasn't in that bad a shape. It was more of an assessment for me and a test to see if running was something humans really were born to do, if so, I should be able to do it. And if anyone wanted to disprove it, it was me. It's very interesting to see how sometimes one simple action can lead to major changes. My change started with running those 2 miles, and here I am 9 months later and my life looks and feels quite different than it did in May of last year. What started with running is slowly turning into a life style change that is going farther and farther into actually caring, really caring, about what I do with my body. I am researching and learning all kinds of things about how to live healthier more naturally. It's crazy. Purple Beauty 1/2 a pomegranate 1 Ban...

TRY THESE AND FEEL BETTER I dare you to try eating any of these meals and not feel better. I also dare you to try them and tell me they are completely horrid and inedible. These are pretty healthy meals and they are easy to make. They are simple, which your body loves , and they are tasty enough for you to enjoy them. If you are looking to eat something that will leave you full, energized, fueled and feeling light, then these meals are for you. They are easy to digest because they have high contents of enzymes (digestive aids naturally found in plants) and because unlike animal proteins, it doesn't sit in our stomach for hours before being broken down. They have plenty of nutrients which fuel your body without the extra calories and high sugars or fats in other foods. Getting good fuel in our system allows us to function better, clearer and avoid feeling tired or druggy (which I actually like to call it draggy). We don't have to give up taste, we just have to retrain...

2012 brought with it one of the biggest surprises of my life. Against all my previous beliefs I started running, just running. I always swore I'd never do this thing, this boring activity, this... running... thing. "Know Thyself" This is probably one of the most under-appreciated worthy goals in life and one of the last things I thought I'd get from running. The goal of knowing ourselves should be up there with winning a noble prize. When I first started running, I still was a bit discriminating against it. My perception was still that it was a mind-numbing boring activity, so I'd take my audiobook with me and listen to it as I ran. However, after some problems with my smart phone I saw myself forced to run without it. This left me alone with my thoughts and it would allow my mind to be aware of what was going on in the moment. This is much harder because you are aware of every twitch, every discomfort, your heavy breathing, etc. It is in these moments that...

You look at those pictures and you'd think I failed, right? November 2012. 165 lbs May 2012. 170 lbs                        You look at those pictures and you'd think I failed, right? The biggest farce, scam, misconception - or whatever you want to call it - in the wellness world is the "losing weight" concept. "Oh, I need to lose 10 pounds", or "I need to lose some weight", "I need to lose a lot of weight, though" blah blah blah blah blah... It's the most ridiculous way of thinking when it comes to your health. Really? Is that what you really need? Even further, is that what you really want? Probably not. Let me explain. (By the way, please pardon my ultra sexy and stylish superman pants, I obviously didn't remember I had them on when I got the picture taken.) If I was taking "weight" only into account when evaluating my physical state, I would have an argument that the 6 months I spent trying to change ...

Some people will say that running is crazy. I think running is mental. That's right, in any way you wanna look at it. We put ourselves to this intense amounts of pain, unnecessary pain. Running is mental, and here is what I mean: Running is Mental. A lot of us know we'll never win a marathon and that we'll be glad just to participate and finish one. We train so we can get all of the pain without necessarily any of the glory. Who does that? It's a little normal that some people run with a purpose, i.e. losing weight, heart health, but others simply just... run. Marathons are 26.2 miles of constant running. Have you ever measured that with your car? It's far. Running that much is mental. Ultra-runners must be crazy. Who gets up before dawn to run 50+ miles in one sitting? The bad water ultramarathon is some 135 miles in the freaking Death Valley desert. Who does that? That's crazy, right? It's gotta be. It's definitely not normal. "Normal...

Ever wanted to do a Ragnar? Here are a few "soundbites" if you will, if you want a bit of insight about it. A Ragnar can be torture or a lot of fun. It just depends on who you ask. Really! There are some people here who look like they can't wait to hit the next Ragnar. And then there's people like me - probably not many - who are just thinking "ok, been there, done that, mark it off, don't need to do it again". LOL Aside from that, it has been a good test and exercise of will over mind. Oh yes, and the elements. It was freaking cold here in Las Vegas, I think the only thing I did right in preparing for this was bring 2 sweaters, 2 long sleeve shirts and flannel pajama bottoms. Without those items I would have not been able to survive. It was that cold. There are a couple of things that could have made this a great experience, not that I didn't have fun; it's just that it could have been so much better. I think the problem here with me was t...