kids

Kids.

I got two..........that I know of ha ha!

Two girls, aged 6 and 2 1/2.

I always knew I wanted kids but in my mind I never pictured two girls. One of each or two boys but not two girls.

All of my preconceived notions about raising kids especially girls have been wiped away. The biggest reality check is that just because they are both my girls and they are sisters does not mean that they have the same interests or likes.

In fact they are very opposite and have been since day one.

I finally swerve around to my point. I look at each of my girls in completely differently.

Thira, shows up way to early, is way to small, but absolutely slays the world.

Lucia, cruises in right on time, nice and plump, and then makes me worry about her a lot.

Did you know that mother hippos will push their baby hippos into a pile of crocodiles. These
crocodiles will move out of that baby hippos way even though they could easily kill it. They respect the hippo even the little ones. This how I feel about Thira, I feel like I could throw her into the most precarious situations and she would walk away unscathed.

Lucia, although a lot more physical than Thira is also a lot more delicate. She's quieter, not as out going and she is needier.Her development is amazing to watch though. She has grown a lot these past 6 months. A stronger, more confident child than she was a year ago. Two kids, two different paths, two different humans.

Two girls, a few years apart and worlds apart regarding who they are. Yet the bonds are incredibly strong. They will both for no reason start running circles around the house, sporadically attack each other etc. etc. yet there are moments that I consider gifts. When ever Lucia looks over at Thira and immediately begins imitating her I get such a joy watching it. Thira helping Lucia do something new. All of us playing the Wii U.

 Lucia is laying next to me, she peed through her diaper and just a few minutes ago she was babbling her way to sleep. Making a lot of noise because she wanted to stay awake and she was deliberately pestering me. I like this, an emerging personality even an annoying one is very important for her development and individuality.

Turning 'em off and tuning in.

 Soooo yesterday was the Cold Feet 10k trail race. I would like to recap my experience of said race for you right here, right now.

 I wasn't even sure If i was going to be able to run the race. 1, I hadn't been running much lately for numerous reasons and secondly I was almost going to be out of town for an important matter but luckily I didn't have to be so it turns out I got to race.

 Felt good when I woke up yesterday, ate, drove to the race, got bib, shirt, said hello easy peasy.

 I did like 1 minute of warm up but I had been preparing all week for the race, leg work, core work, flexibility work through my Ki-Hara training, running, of course, so I knew I was ready.

 Boom the starter pistol goes off.........away we go the fleas and water bugs are immediately way in front as we pass around a bend before hitting the trails. The trails really tighten up in the beginning so I waited before I started to pass anyone. I also knew that the trail was a slight incline here so I powered up but didn't go to crazy. Once I knew we leveled out i picked it up a bit and when we hit the first hill I really started to loosen the legs and move. My plan was simple run fast where the trail was good, run smart through the mud and power up the hills depending on how muddy they were.

 I must say this worked really well. I slowed down at a few really sloppy spots knowing that I would pick it backup onve it cleared up and I did. Climbing to the top of the step hill I felt great i knew a nice downhill was coming but i also felt a pressure. I had to pee. There was a couple of guys ahed of me but no one directly behind me at this time so as i ran i whipped it out and pee'd, all over my legs. I didn't care a bit I was running strong and had no intention of stopping. Pass the aid station and up the hill behind the Nature Center slowly picking up speed and picking off runners.

 Down the long red trail hill Ii was beating back challenger after challenger. The pounding of their feet was a drum beat. A drum beat that i usually let pass me by but those days are over. I kept pushing harder, through the muck, over the fallen trees, onto the relatively flat path all the way back to the last hill. A short but steep incline that leads to back to the finish. My plan was to save mu strength up this hill but the hell hounds were still at my feet so i powered up it like a diesel locomotive unstoppable and I knew that once I made a turn it was down hill or flat all the way home. With each turn I picked it up even more, passing one more runner as i looked for daylight out of the trails. The breath of Hades still on my neck but it was loud and unsteady. This whole time my breathing was strong, consistent, my legs were springy and responsive I began to get that detached feeling I get where my legs don't even touch the ground like Mercury I flew through the course.

 Out of the woods and just a little bit left i hear my shadow trying to pass but there's no way I am letting that happen now. I led the entire way and i am finishing in the ahead of him. I pass a gorilla on the path and KICK. I am pulling away! No, I pulled away now It was about finishing as strong as possible. Hearing the cheers form my fellow runners I rounded the last corner looked at the clock said "FUCK" to myself because i misse my goal  by 2 minutes and collapsed onto Steve Zimmerman's shoulders as he pulled my tab off of my bib.

 I ran as hard as I could the entire time. I never quit, and i didn't listen to the voices that used to tell me to quit. In fact those voices weren't really there. I had beaten them back by being prepared for this race. Sure, recently I hadn't been running much but over the past two months I had. I stayed consistent through the holidays, kept my diet tight, and it paid off.

 I still finished mid pack as always but I placed 2nd in the Clydesdale division for male runners 220lbs. and over. My first time ever placing for a running event so I feel like I broke the ice.

 I did this all with no watch, no music, didn't carry anything with me as far as water or gels. The entire race I was listening to my body. I was in tune to my breathing, how my legs were feeling, Are my shoulders shrugging,  I would periodically check my arm swing. All in all it was a race in which I ran as hard as i could the entire time as long as it was smart to do so.

My own High Rock Challenge

 One of the biggest running events on Staten Island is the High Rock Challenge. It's an 8 mile trail run with mental and physical challenges scattered throughout. The race is a two person team and some of the challenges require cooperation so your partner is a key component. http://www.nyara.org/nyara_races/annual/mn_race_highrock.php

 My High Rock partner for the past 4 runs has retired so I put out the call for a new partner and from City of Brotherly Love my call was answered.  There she is waiving, waiving at all of you fools as we pass you by. My game has to be at 100% because Jamie is fast. I, am not as fast but I have the experience of the High Rock, knowledge of the trails, and luckily for me the longer the race goes the better I perform.

 This brings me to my own challenge. I began right after Christmas as far as upping my workouts and restricting my diet.As of two days ago, monday feb. 11th I have decided to up it even further. Workouts and or runs will occur 7 days a week, unless I feel the need to pull back a day and rest the I will be a 6 day a week guy.
Here is my schedule at optimum availability.

Monday: teaching and participating in 1 hour H.I.I.T. class

Tuesday: Hill repeats while pushing the stroller during the day
                teaching and participating in 1 hour class core conditioning

Wednesday: night time trail run 6 miles approx.

Thursday: Teaching and participating in afternoon and evening classes
                  tempo trail runs approx 5 miles

Friday: Possible trail run or rest day depending on how body feels

Saturday: Longer group trail run Saturday morning with added outdoor bootcamp style training for High Rock.

Sunday: Long road run but also I am leading 1 hour hikes through the Greenbelt.

As far as nutriton goes I am going to reduce calories a bit to force my body to burn more fat for fuel and in doing so I am continuing to increase veggies, protein, and continue with fresh fruits. The carb intake besides veggies will be modified depending on how my body responds. That link is here. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Corona-Wellness-Center

 To keep myself honest I am gong to record my progress daily on my facebook page.

Detox yourself into six pac abs!!!!!!!!!

 I have exciting news, I have been working with this great company that has come up with a FANTASTIC detox product.

 You see, they found this amazing herb called Bullshitta, Bullshitta is only found on the southern facing side of the Mt. Fuqu. Every knows that the residents of mt. Fuqu look great and many live to well into their 90s!!!!

 This great company has gone to great lengths to procure all of the Bullshitta it can to create the best detox products on the market.

 These detox pads are placed on the bottom of your feet. The Bullshitta infused pad seeps into your poors attacking the deadly toxins that are infesting every cell of your body. Making you fat, lethargic, drunk, unable to keep an erection but with Bullshitta all of that goes away.

 To see your desired results you must wear the Bullshitta pads all day every day for a minimum of 6 months. This low cost detox miracle comes to only $3.00 a pad. (You must change the pads every 2 hours for maximum results).

 A double blind study funded by the makers of Bullshitta proves that those who wear the bullshitta pads were 100% more likely to wear them. I know, it sounds crazy but its true.

 Friends, I don't promote much but these Bullshitta pads are great for everyone. They will grab excess toxic fat and pull it away through the bottoms of your feet. Giving you that much desired 6 pack. They will suck out the unwanted toxins from your weekend benders. Aches, pains, all of your stress and strains will be eliminated, through the bottom of your feet.

 Bullshitta, give us your money and we will sell you a big box of Bullshitta!!!

 Does any of this sound familiar? Every product out there that promises to lose weight, detox you, cleanse you, etc. is garbage. A  complete waste of money.

 What does detox even mean? Ask someone what is being eliminated and why isn't my Liver doing its job. Here's another truth bomb if your toxic your liver is in distress and nothing over the counter can fix that.

 Say you get a massage and they tell you to drink water the next day because you need to flush out the toxins that were released................ bullshit, no toxins were released. Your muscles were worked, knots were relaxed and you probably sweated more than you think while you were getting massaged so drinking water is a good idea after a massage to make sure you are hydrated.

 I don't want it to seem like I am against massages. I'm not, they are great it's a stock line used by a lot of massage therapists that toxins are released through a massage. Pure drivel.

 Cleanse products.......worthless don't bother. If you don't feel right increase your fiber intake by taking a meatmucil type product of better yet high fiber foods and viola you'll be cleansed.

 Nothing hangs onto your colon for months, weeks, or years. Nothing.

 The trick is there is no trick. Everything we need to eat healthy is already in front of you. Help you lose weight? Right there in plain sight, Detox and cleanse we got stuff for that as well. What are they you ask? Vegetables, All shapes, colors, sizes, tastes, ans textures. Good old vegetables will help you lose weight, provide plenty of fiber to help cleanse you and surprise surprise you can Detox yourself by whatever standard you use the word detox by increasing your vegetable intake.

 Organic or not, that choice I leave up to you.

doing what you hate so you can you excell at what you love.

 Later today I am going to do one of the things I hate more than just about anything else. I am going to run with the jogging stroller. I can't tell you how much I hate pushing this thing. Its awkward, it pulls to one side, I hate it. BUTTTT this is the only way I can get in the runs I need to run faster on race day.

 I am bored with being a mid pack hack and i have been structuring my diet and exercise routine since around Christmas and I have been slimming down and toning up, the result is longer, stronger, and hopefully faster runs.

 I hate pushing the jogging stroller but i do it anyway.

pick it up, shake it, throw it on the ground

 2012 was a year where I decided to relax. I wanted to enjoy the things that I do and in general I did that.

 2013, will be different. I have stricter goals for the upcoming year as an athlete, in my career, and at home. A year of structure, highly focused on a few main goals.

 1st, change my physical dynamic. I have never worried about carrying some body fat, My goal though is more than a vanity project it's about changing my physical make up overall. My reason is to become a faster runner it's as simple as that. I want to run faster to do that there needs to be less of me.

 2nd, I have running goals the most important for me is to finish under two hours for a half marathon. The last time I trained for a half to achieve this goal was  the 2010 S.I. half, this was also my first ever half marathon and I missed it by 5 minutes. I was happy with my achievement but bummed that I didn't achieve my goal. Looking back though I know what I did right and what I did wrong. I did a lot right but the biggest thing I did wrong was not taper. i did an 11 mile run one week before the half. I should have done that two weeks before.  Big lesson learned.

 Since that time I am a completely different runner, I have done more training runs over the 13.1 mile mark than I can even count. Now it's time to revisit the half marathon as a test of my ability not just a fun thing to do.

 Two main targets for me regarding the half. 1, revisiting the S.I. half and beating the 2:00hr mark.
2,  The 2013 Wine and Dine half at W.D.W. this is my absolute main focus for 2013. The Wine and Dine is a night time half held around Nov. 7th. The only issue is that all Disney runs are crowded so I could get bogged down behind a crowd, no excuses though I want 1:50:00 for the Wine and Dine.

 Lastly at home, getting rid of debt. We have systematically been doing this for a while but suffered a set back this year. My personal goal for next year is to eliminate 75% of our debt by this time next year.

 2012 was great 2013 is going to be better.

Yoga....that's some bullshit

 "You know, I really want to get back into yoga.I was in really great shape when I was doing yoga" "You lose a lot of weight doing yoga."

 Bullshit.

 Here's what was going on. You were younger, had more time, more dedication, and probably less kids. This is why you were able to go to yoga 4 to 5 times a week and why you were happier with the way you looked. Now.... a little older, a lot busier, kids! we all know how overwhelming kids are. Busier job and your a little softer around the edges.

 Yoga once a week ain't gonna cut it.

 You can not smoke, drink, over eat, live a very sedentary lifestyle and then mosey over to a yoga class, half ass your way through it and then reward yourself with a mimosa and eggs benedict at brunch.

 You know those yoga practitioners who are in great shape? They live that lifestyle, not just 1hr. a week but all day everyday. They are the ones who are in great shape from yoga.

 I'm using yoga but it could be anything. Zumba, cardio, weight training,  etc. etc. A part time attitude will get you no where.

 It takes complete dedication to make the change you want to make.

 One hour a week ain't cutting it. You know it, it's an excuse to not really change.