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.
The 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.
The Daily Mail, a paper out of England quoted a Men’s Health article that said we are the almost the laziest city in America. Well, I can speak for my friends in PLS, I know a few people who are working their arses off (literally) to make that a lie.
We may be crazy. But we ain’t lazy.
This week was tough. My legs are shot. (although I will run a long-run tomorrow). I am exhausted.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Five weeks of PLS training is now over. Our bodies are changing and our health is improving. Seven more weeks until the end.
Important days in history:
February 6. 1992: I cleaned Pope High School’s gym floor with a dust mop.
February 6, 2014: I cleaned Jackson State University’s gym floor with a folded towel — seven times.
Here’s the deal. Take a towel. Fold it length-wise three or four times. Lay in on a wood floor. Bend over and put your hands on it. Push it the length of a basketball court (84 feet — or 24 yards). Get done and pick it up. Run a lap around the inside of the fitness center. Come back to the court and repeat without stopping.
I did that SEVEN times. And my legs were sore.
From the towels, we did a two-court wide W- drill (running around cones shaped like a W). Then we did wall-sits, wall-runs and sprints carrying a 25 lb. weight. From there we went to the treadmills where we ran seven minutes at 7 mph. We ran the last bit at 9 mph. From the treadmills we went and did core exercises with Clark. We did lots of sit-ups and other core exercises while holding a weighted blue ball. The last station was in the weight room. By that time, I was a sweating pile of goo.
While I was doing the W-drill, I noticed a guy laying flat-out on the floor. He had been pushing towels and just gave out where he was. I mentally cheered him on — because I knew just how he felt. I nearly died the first time I had to push a towel two years ago. There was once a time when towels owned me. But not today. I beat my nemesis. Bad. And I left Jackson State’s gym floor a much cleaner place.
We spend a lot of time obsessing about crap we have no control over. We get worked up about whatever outrage talk radio or cable news spoon feeds us — outrage that seldom makes an iota of difference in our lives. So, that’s why I love speaking at annual chamber banquets. They really mean something in our lives.
Hang on, stay with me for a minute.
Because it’s not about the chicken dinner. It’s not about the political speeches. It’s all about , being giving ordinary people who are in the trenches to make their towns better a moment in the spotlight
They’re the ones who make the difference in our lives. They, not Justin Bieber affect our lives.
It’s fun to see their chests swell with pride. It’s fun to see their families’ big smiles.
They a get a plaque. We get a better quality life.
It’s a good deal for everyone.
I spent a few minutes after my workout looking around the gym for my butt. Because I ran it off today.
Yes, I am buttless.
Of course, I didn’t have to show up at all. I had a speech in Wesson, Mississippi last night and didn’t get home until after 11 p.m. I could have slept until 6 a.m. and Lord knows I needed the sleep. No jury would have convicted me.
But I would have. I would have been mad at myself all day for missing. Personal responsibility is a powerful force when it moves into your life. It nags you. It scolds you. It keeps you on task. So my eyes opened four minutes before my alarm went off and my feet hit the floor.
I don’t know if it is true that 80% of success is just showing up but I do know that 100% of failure comes from not even making the effort. And even though I am buttless, I am glad I went. Because today was an epic workout.
Line One started with the circuit. I started with today’s least favorite exercise: Inch worms. Then it was ladder-drill time. That’s one drill where I need to work on my quickness. We then moved on to step-ups and sprints. I could feel my 4.5 hours of sleep on the sprints. My legs felt like jelly. Step-ups kill my knees — I actually fear them a little bit. We then went to Wayne where we did sit-ups, thrusters, pushups and jumping jacks with sprints in between. I was next to Tommy — who I love working out with. He pushes me to be better. That’s the beauty of working out with Paul Lacoste. Paul’s great — but the true joy of PLS comes from the people you work with. They push you. They make you better.
And then we got to the treadmills.
We ran at 7.5 mph for 8 minutes — with the last minute being a 9-mph sprint. Son of mother trucking biscuit.
Come to think that’s where I ran my butt off. Now if you will excuse me, I’m going to go look there for it.
How will I celebrate World Cancer Day?
1. Well, I woke up before my alarm clock again today. I think it was around 3:40 a.m.
2. I got ready and shaved. The water was cold and the blade drug across my face dully. My eyes popped open from the shock of the cold water.
3. I noted my fading scar on my back as I put on my workout clothes. I sleepily traced my finger down it slowly, remembering what it stands for.
4. I drove in to town and did a really tough workout. I felt my lungs burn and my heart beat rapidly in my chest. I felt alive.
5. I noted the slight hint of a sunrise illuminating the gray blanket of clouds over Jackson. I said thank you for another day.
5. I texted my wife about picking up the kids. Domestic bliss.
6. I wrote a blog about working out. I am writing this one. It feels good to express myself.
7. I went to work.
8. Now that I am here, I will draw a cartoon, go to the bank and pick up some books from the warehouse.
9. Later today, I’ll pick my kids up from school and get them started on homework.
9. Then I’ll drive to Wesson in thunderstorms to speak to their chamber banquet tonight.
10. I’ll come home and my head will hit the pillow after a long, long day.
But as I close my eyes, I’ll be thankful I survived melanoma and will pray for a cure. And I’ll remember my friends and loved one who haven’t been as blessed as I have been. I’ll honor their memories and keep them alive in my heart.
I’m going to celebrate World Cancer Day by just have a plain ol’ average day. And that normalcy is the greatest gift of all.
Good morning! Hope y’all are doing well. I’m celebrating World Cancer Day by just drawing breath.
I left it on the court today — “It” being my sweat. I can’t remember sweating that much since, well, since last summer’s PLS workouts. If sweat is your fat crying, mine threw a hissy fit.
I’ve always been mildly amused (and grossed out) by the saying, “if you have to eat several frogs, eat the biggest one first.” I think that is a folksy way of saying, if you have to do something you dread, tackle the worst first. I did that in Leonard’s station: I attacked chips and salsa first. (and ended up doing it twice, but that is OK.) I tried to lean into the rest of the exercises, too. We then moved to the W drills with Wayne. One of them involved bear crawls. I used to dread bear crawls. Now I attack them, too. We did a box drill with Austin (we were sprinting, shuffling and backpedaling without resting). And then we ran sprints (with a jogging lap in between). I was kind of slow to begin with on the sprints but ended up winning the 8th one (I think we did eight). I finished strong because I was able to recover. (Remember that blog about recovery?) By the time we went into the spin bikes, we were winded.
It was a running-intense day. A good day to build the cardiovascular system.
There was a powerful life lesson in today’s workout (particularly my time with the chips and salsa trays) — if you lean into your workout, you get more out of it. And that goes for life, too. Don’t passively sit around and wait for things to happen. Make life come to you. Attack it. It makes all the difference in the world. Because there’s a big difference between being alive and living. So live.
That’s how you get to the next level.
