Marshall Ramsey

I lost another 2 lbs. Which considering that I’m putting on muscle, I’ll take.  I’ve been eating cleaner (who wants to pour sugar down the gas tank of a Ferrari — or in my case a 1979 Firebird?). That’s paying off, too.  I’m leaning up. That’s a good thing.

I tweaked my left shoulder today, so I’m glad it is Thursday (which is like Friday). I’ll run over the weekend and try to allow it to heal. I’ve had bad shoulders since some injuries I suffered playing high school football over 25 years ago. Between my knees and shoulders, I really am working out on borrowed time. Ice and ibuprofen are in my future.

It’s been a tough week. But as I was kicking the board’s ass this morning, I felt very good. You look for small victories out on the PLS training field.  That’s an attitude that you HAVE to take into the rest of your life. It’s how you get through any kind of Hell that comes your way.  I tell people that PLS is mental training.

It helps you get to the next level.

Sometimes life requires action not words.  And today’s workout was like that. It was hard. Very hard. And many of you (that I saw) just did the work.  You didn’t complain. You just busted your butt.

I’m proud to workout with you.

Fall has arrived and with it, cooler temperatures. Lying on the dew-covered fake grass was almost a shock this morning.  But thankfully Clark found a way to warm us up.  Speaking of warm-ups, I now run 1/2 mile before we even start to loosen up my legs.  As it gets cooler, my legs are getting tighter.  Stretching is becoming more of a priority. The pre-workout run is actually a zen-like experience where I get to focus on getting my mind ready for the next hour.

Clark’s core exercises were tough this morning. But then again, rain is wet and the sun comes up in the East. You kind of expect it.  I screwed one of them up to the point where I know he was frustrated with me.  Honestly, I was trying to make the exercise harder than it was — I guess I don’t expect anything to be easy with Clark.  Also, I’m as dumb as a sack of hammers at 5 a.m.  That said, my core is as strong as it has ever been.  I can tell by looking at it, but my back has noticed it, too. Back pain after long trips has gone the way of the passenger pigeon (which are extinct if you didn’t know.)

Morgan had a nice tricep burnout lined up for us. I got through it pretty well — once again, I can see my progress.  Half burpees, dips on a chair, bear crawls, plank raises, and jumping jacks for a bit of a rest.

The weight room was good. Mike pushed me again. He’s very strong and usually chooses weight I’d probably avoid. Probably my best exercise today was incline bench press.

We then went and ran the W-drill and with a new twist: With 25-lb. bags.  I told my friend Beth (who is one of the best athletes out there), “We used to weigh this much.”  I’ve lost 50 lbs. She has lost over 100.  It’s little psychological tricks like that that help you through the tough times.

We then finished out with an Indian run.  I could have run all day — which was good because we knocked out a mile and then had to run two 100-yard sprints to finish today out.

It was a good workout today.  Partly because of the cooler weather. But honestly, I heard a speech from a Marine who served in the South Pacific. His name was (he has passed away) Eugene Sledge and wrote an amazing book about his combat experiences. On the island of Peleliu, he was on the island for several weeks. It was grueling duty, with 24-a-day combat and temperatures over 115 degrees.  He said he once heard a football player talking about “how tired he was.” He said, “I then cried a room full of tears.”

It’s about perspective.

Leg cramps suck. The worst case of them I’ve ever had was from mile 20 of the Marine Corps Marathon to the finish line. I hit the ground.  It’s pain I won’t soon forget.

My right calf started to cramp when we were doing 100 calf raises with Clark.  But it didn’t. Of all the crazy-ass things we did today, I’m most proud of that.  No cramp = Big victory.

Beth, Liz and I handled the tire in Morgan’s station. How I didn’t leave my back on the turf is a miracle.  But we survived. One of the times, we pushed/pulled the tire — like the mother of all boards. Then we noticed other groups carrying it.  So we carried it the other.  That went quicker.

I do weird stuff at 5 in the morning. I really do. In fact, I don’t even bother to tell my wife what we do. There is no use trying to explain it unless you are there.

The weight room was leg-centric today. Mike pushed me and I even jumped on a box without busting my butt (and shins). I’m not famous for my vertical leap.  I am gravity-challenged.

I can do a good inchworm. My crab walks still are crappy. My frog leaps are decent. Donkey kicks make me sore.  Today was a solid leg workout.

But I’m don’t have leg cramps.

You take your victories where you can get them

This week was one of my favorite weeks at PLS yet.