CARTOON: Russian elimination

Russia

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Fit2Fat2FitBlog: Feb. 19, 2014

IMG_9370-595x236Imagine three basketball courts side by side.  Now, lay folded towels on the edge of the far court. Run the width of two courts, bend over and push the towel the width of the third. Turn around and push it back to where you found it. Then get up and run back the width of two courts. When you get to where you started, do either squats, jumping jacks or some other exercise. Then repeat. Over and over and over.  I think I did six reps.  I might have done seven.

That was our first of five stations today.

I used to get ill when I saw towels folded on the court. The first time I ever did them, I hit my knees when I collapsed and hurt my kneecap. Now, I own them.  Flat out own them.

Towels are hard, don’t get me wrong. But a big part of them is mental. I think that’s a pretty good metaphor for many other things in life.

On our 3rd station, we ran at 6.5 mph for eight minutes. Then we did core in the aerobics room. That room was very hot and I started to sweat profusely.  My last station was the weight equipment and I was very conscientious about wiping the equipment off.  I’m sorry I sweat. But I try to be thoughtful about it.  Guess I need to spend some time in a sauna to get acclimated to the sudden hot gym conditions.  Until then, I just have one thing to say:

Sweat happens.

 

 

 

 

 

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Fit2Fat2Fat Blog: Day 25

Fitness_How-to-warm-up_04v5_Inch-Worm_575x250(1)The heat’s on. No, I don’t mean from Paul — although he has been pushing us hard the last few days. No I mean since the temperatures are no longer Arctic-cold outside, the gym is now quite toasty inside.  And if sweat is your fat crying, mine is pitching a hissy fit.

The very first thing I did after warm-ups was Chips & Salsa. Line 1 starts with Leonard’s circuit and I purposefully choose the thing that I think it the hardest.  I have gotten so much better at Chips & Salsa in the past year. With two bad rotator cuffs, I’m quite amazed I can walk down a basketball court only using my hands. But it’s a lesson I’ve learned in life — take on the hardest thing first and get it out of the way.  I did Chips & Salsa twice. The second time, I did to half court and back in the time I had. It was my victory of the day.

I mentioned Line 1.  Paul breaks us up into lines.  You end up working out with the same people (for the most part) based on athletic ability and build a bond of friendship and competition. If you are lucky, you get in with some good athletes who will make you better.  I am lucky.  Line 1 this time is fantastic.  Everyone has their strength and will push you to make you better. They also will support you when you are struggling.  We all struggle.  There are bad days along with the good ones. I am honored to be Line 1. Paul and the coaches push us the hardest because the most is expected from us.  Halfway through the 12-week program, I am better shape than I have been at this point during any PLS training.  I am blessed to get to workout with my friends.  It is what gives me strength when I am about to give in.  And there have been some rough days.  Paul complimented our line and said we had great team spirit. I know we were all proud of that.

Brandon joined us today from Line 2.  He is as good of an athlete as I am and probably better in some ways. It is good to have him aboard.  He will push all of us. He is a great addition to our team.

We did the W-drill, sprints with bear crawls and inch-worms, the Gauntlet with 25-lb weights and the treadmill. By the time I was on the treadmill, I was a sweaty mess.

The heat’s on.  It’s time to make that fat cry.

 

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MRBA Free-For-All

Hello. How are y’all doing?

This guy won't be making an appearance this week!

This guy won’t be making an appearance this week!

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Fit2Fat2Fit Blog Day 24

1781933_10153859621185721_1660543686_nIt’s Monday and we had PLS. We don’t normally do this on Monday — at least in the winter — but today was a make-up day for the rain/ice from last week. Normally, I sleep until 6 on Mondays — but I was up a 3:40 this morning.  The hardest part of PLS is waking up so early.  Fatigue sits on my shoulder like a bull elephant, crushing me for the rest of the day.

So you are thinking, “then why the heck do you do PLS?!?”

Simple.  Not just for the physical training. I could run in the afternoon when I get off work if I wanted to stay in shape. It’s about getting tougher MENTALLY and physically.

PLS Training is about teaching myself to push through fatigue.  When I’m about to drop out on the gym floor, I have to learn to keep pushing. When my legs are burning when I’m pushing a towel, I keep going. When the treadmill is stealing my breath, I keep running.

Why? Well, what are you going to do in real life?  When you want something are you going to quit when things get hard? Are you going to give up when someone doesn’t believe in you? Are you going to sacrifice when you face one of life’s headwinds?

The training I do at 5 a.m. carries me through the rest of the day. It works out the muscle between my ears, too.

I hopped off the treadmill after running 7.2 mph for six minutes and ran two laps of the gauntlet. I was tired but kept pushing.

And I will for the next 23 hours, too.

 

 

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Fit2Fat2FitBlog: Day 23

IMG_9370-595x236Navy SEALS go through a hell week called BUDS training. It’s physically grueling and mentally taxing. And over 70% of  the candidates quit.  They ring the bell three times and are shipped back to the fleet.  Not kicked out — they quit. They don’t have the mental toughness to survive the nearly 24-hour-a-day grief thrown their way. And that’s perfectly OK with the SEALS.  Because in combat, you can’t afford to quit.

It’s about mental toughness.

I guess today’s PLS theme would be mental toughness.  Paul wasn’t happy with the caliber of our workout today and poured it on.  He pushed us hard. Some responded. Some didn’t.  The sprints at the end were tough. Very tough. He read us the riot act at the end of the session.

Of course, Paul had a different motive that the BUDS instructors. He’s not trying to get us to quit. He’s trying to get us to change.  To quit the bad mental and physical habits that got us in bad shape in the first place.  Yes, that change involves pain.

Ripping yourself out of your comfort zone is painful. Very painful. They don’t call the comfort zone for nothing.

I know. I’ve been doing it for three years now.

Today’s workout was hard. I pushed a towel the length of a basketball court six times. I walked at 4 mph at 15% incline and ran at 7.8 mph.  I bear crawled and inch wormed my way across the floor. I felt tired muscles try to cramp. I felt my age.

But I did it. My body told my mind to shut the hell up.

 

 

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Fit2Fat2FitBlog: Day 22

On the way to PLS.

On the way to PLS.

I think this is Day 22 — We missed 20 and 21 due to weather (we will make up the days off starting next Monday). So my days are a bit off.

Right now, I’m looking for the truck that hit me during my workout.  I am whooped.

Today was a freakin’ beast.  Coming back from a layoff usually is.

It’s not that I sat on my butt during our time away from the workouts. I’ve run 27 miles since the last PLS workout (13.1 on Saturday, 4.5 on Monday, 5.05 on Tuesday and 5.06 on Wednesday.). And I did 50 pushups and sit-ups each day.  But that still didn’t prepare me for the intensity of today.

Paul dialed up the workout to a 9.

We started with Coach Leonard’s circuit. I started with Chips ‘n’ Salsa (dragging feet on a salsa tray). I then moved on the shuffle, ladders, jump roping, running with weighted ball over our heads, inch-worms and then back to Chip’s ‘n’ Salsa.

The next station was ladder drills — but we did everything on our hands.  That was tough. Try bunny hopping through a ladder on all fours sometime. It’s harder than it sounds.  Really. On the next station, we did jumping jacks with hand weights, followed by suicides with hand weights and then a gauntlet.  On one of the suicides, I got to push Paul Lacoste down the basketball court.  And I did. Tommy, who is who I try to keep up with, did it twice.

We then ran three laps of the Gauntlett (I don’t know how far a lap is but I figure it is close to a 1/4 of a mile) while carrying a 25-lb. weight and then one without it.  From there we ran on the treadmill at 6.5 mph and 7.0 mph for six minutes.

Then we did the last fun station — we bear crawled four times across the aerobics room floor and THEN did five pushups, 20 mountain climbers and four steps forward bear crawling — which we repeated until we crossed the room and back. By this point, my upper body was pretty tired.  And I was dripping sweat.

I was tired. But I felt alive.

And that’s what I love about PLS training.  It’s a challenge. And beating that challenge sets the right tone for the rest of the day.

Now, to prepare mentally for tomorrow. And take a couple of ibuprofen.

 

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How one degree makes a difference

1610068_10153842825555721_2017052354_nThe sun had set and heavy rain fell from the sky.  I could hear water pouring out of the gutters as I felt my own gut tightening. My town was under a Winter Storm Warning and we were in the grip of a disastrous ice storm. I didn’t know it the two big pine trees in my yard would survive. I expected the power to go out any moment. I knew my wife and boys would be out of school the next day.

At 5:30, my wife’s alarm went off. The pine trees stood tall. We had power and she and the boys still had school.  I turned on the backyard flood lights to find that a miracle had happened.

It was 33 degrees — and there was no ice.

One degree. We were one degree away from  a disaster. It’s amazing how one tiny degree can make such a big difference. If it had been 32 degrees, we would have woken up to an catastrophic ice skating rink. Instead, it was just a gray, sloppy wet mess.

Thanks be to God.

As I was driving in I looked at my car’s thermometer and wondered, “What if I put in one degree more effort every day? How would that change my life for the better?”

Right now, I feel frozen in place.  What if I pushed a little harder? What if I gave one degree more effort? I have a couple of big projects I need to do. What if I put in the extra work to get them done and get them done well? What if I used the energy I use worrying and put it toward my creativity?

One degree. It’s all it takes to make a difference.

 

 

 

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Fit2Fat2Fit Blog: Day 20

CANCELLED

There was a real threat of ice on the predawn bridges this morning, so today’s workout was called off.

I used it as an opportunity to sleep. I needed it — my body and mind are exhausted.

But I am not using it as an opportunity to be lazy.  I will run this afternoon and then do my pushup/situp routine.

Excellence comes from extra work.  My goal is excellence.

UPDATE: I ran 5.05 miles when I got home from work and did 50 pushups and sit-ups. I got a small workout in at least.

 

 

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On February 22, I will receive one of my greatest honors…

62892_10151964454063613_1602902202_nThe phone rang.  Which really wasn’t anything unusual. You see, it had been ringing all day .  It was April 17, 2001 and THAT was the day of the Mississippi Flag vote. And I’d be lying if I said the calls I had been receiving were pleasant. But the call I got at 5:30 was different. While the other calls were angry, this one was truly life threatening.

My doctor was on the other line. “Marshall, I don’t know how to say this other than you have cancer.”

Time slowed to a crawl.  My world changed with three simple worlds.

I had cancer.

It was malignant melanoma, to be exact.  Melanoma is cancer of the melanocytes — and it is a nasty and extremely fatal form of skin cancer.  But thanks to my plastic surgeon’s eagle eye, I had a chance of survival.

I was in surgery within a day. Doctors don’t mess around with melanoma. Once the cells punch through the dermis layer of your skin, it can spread rapidly.  I’ve known people who have died in less than six months from it. So they get you on the table and they remove all the cancerous cells.

I woke up a few hours with a giant scar and a new lease on life.  My melanoma was caught fairly early.  I knew my chances of longterm survival were good.

So my cancer story isn’t one of great struggle. No, mine is a story of early detection.  Melanoma can be 100% cured if caught very early.  And since the majority of melanomas are on our skin, we all can be easily screened.

I urge you to get screened. Find a free screening.  Have your doctor look you over. Have a loved one check you over. Learn what the signs of a melanoma. Take control of your own health.  I want you to have the same chance of survival I had.

On February 22, the Cancer League will be honoring me at their 2014 Cancer Gala at the South Warehouse in Jackson. Proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society. I’m as proud of this honor of any I’ve ever received. Because it means I am alive.  And I am still in the game.

And that is the greatest honor of all.

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