Action 497 – Admit That It Takes Time.

Posted on by
1

Have you seen this going around?

You Have 1,440 Minutes Every Day – Take 20 to Workout.

I call BS. Sure, it may only take twenty minutes to get a quick workout or run a couple of miles, but that’s not all the time required. If you work out at a gym or run somewhere away from your home, there’s travel time there and back. If you work out during the workday, there’s time to change clothes before and then shower and change back after. Saying it only takes twenty minutes seems stupid to me.

Action 497 – Admit That It Takes Time.

Let me be absolutely clear. It IS worth whatever time it takes. I get up at 4:30am to be at the gym by 5am, work out for an hour, get showered, dressed, and make it to the office by 7am. Working out or running first thing in the morning makes my whole day better, so I am happy to give up the time for it.

It takes time. And it isn’t easy. But it’s worth it.

But for those just starting out, understand that the “only 20 minutes” thing isn’t the whole story. Don’t feel bad if you struggle with adding exercise into your routine and find it tough to find the time. It WILL be tough. But it’s worth it. So stick with it, keep experimenting with different times and different workouts. Find what works for you. And soon, it will start to feel automatic.

Action 496 – Make Good Fuel Choices.

Posted on by
Reply

You would think that after nearly two years of this fitness journey and one hundred days of this specific project, my eating habits would be absolutely solid. You would think wrong.

Just this morning… literally, this morning… I found myself standing in a 7-11, pouring coffee, and eyeballing a pack of mini-donuts. I was thinking, “well, I’m running a marathon on Sunday, so I’ll totally burn those calories off.”

And then the light bulb flashed in my head.

“Here’s an idea, John. How about you DON’T eat those donuts and burn off calories you’re already carrying, instead?”

Action 496 – Make Good Fuel Choices.

It really is that simple. Garbage in, garbage out. If I want to run strong and feel good, I need to put good stuff into my system. It’s a basic truth that, apparently, I need to learn over and over again.

I went with this, instead. Is it the very best breakfast I could have? No, and I won’t let myself get that obsessed with it. But it definitely isn’t crap like mini-donuts or some sort of sausage tan food monstrosity off the rollers at the convenience store.

Good choices make good results. So I will make good choices.

Action 495 – Stand At The Edge.

Posted on by
Reply

Today has been quite a day. The newspaper article came out in the Pasadena Weekly, and I’m a little disappointed. I feel like what I said and what was printed are very different, and the article makes me sound like a shell-shocked combat vet using running to numb my pain. I never said anything like that, and I understand that the writer was trying to convey a lot of my story in a few sentences, but still…

On top of that, since I am heading to Pasadena for the Expo tomorrow, I needed to get myself packed and ready to go tonight. I wasn’t quite ready for that, the process of preparing everything for a race. And this is a big race, so my nerves are already a bit raw.

Action 495 – Stand At The Edge. I am a day away from finishing this project and two days away from running the marathon. Right now, my heart knows I am ready but my head continues to analyze.

Soon enough, that edge will be a start line, and I’ll be on my way.

 

Action 494 – Ring The Last Call Bell.

Posted on by
Reply

Last month, I announced that I had reached my fundraising goal of $1,775 for the Semper Fi Fund. But I quickly realized that I was not going to be content with just meeting the goal and posted a new challenge. My counterpart, Don Thieme, has also continued to raise money and has far exceeded the amount I have helped to raise. But the ultimate winner is still Semper Fi Fund, so there is no loser in this contest.

Action 494 – Ring The Last Call Bell. The Pasadena Marathon is Sunday, and this action is my last request to friends and family. For those who have already donated, your generosity is appreciated more than I can say. And for those who have been waiting until the last opportunity, this is it.

The Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund is an amazing organization offering real help to real Marines in need, like Corporal Colin Faust and Major Justin Constantine.

As I have said before, I will continue to talk about this cause anywhere and anytime, to any and all who will listen. The work they do is so important, and the Marines they serve so worthy, that pushing for more donations is the very least I can do. But this is your last chance to donate as part of ProjectOneFive and the Pasadena Marathon.

Click here to reach my donation page. And thank you.

Semper Fi, Marines.

Action 493 – Honor Heroes (Final Distance).

Posted on by
Reply

I am dedicating my run in the Pasadena Marathon to Marine Corps heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice, so that in my own small way, they may be honored, acknowledged, and remembered.

Action 493 – Honor Heroes (Final Distance). I will run the last two-tenths of a mile and cross the finish line in honor of 2nd LT James Blecksmith, born on September 26, 1980, in the city of Pasadena. A member of the famed Third Battalion, Fifth Regiment, Dark Horse 3/5, Blecksmith was killed during Operation Phantom Fury. On Veterans Day, November 11, 2006, two years to the day after Blecksmith’s family heard he’d been killed in action in Iraq, the Marines renamed Pasadena’s Marine Corps Reserve Center in his memory

I will complete my run and finish the marathon in honor of this hometown hero. Semper Fi, Lieutenant.

Marine 2nd Lt. James P. Blecksmith, 24, of San Marino, Calif, died Nov. 11, 2004, as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Blecksmith was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

(Photo and summary courtesy of militarytimes.com.)

Action 492 – Run Lighter.

Posted on by
Reply

There is definitely something to the idea of making a plan and sticking with it.

I’ve dropped thirteen pounds since I started ProjectOneFive. That’s going to make the marathon that much easier for me to run. (Well, not sure a marathon is ever easy. Maybe less difficult is the better description.)

Action 492 – Run Lighter. And I will. Because 185 is lighter than 198!

I love it when I see that my efforts translate into results.

Action 491 – Rev It Up!

Posted on by
Reply

This morning was my last scheduled run before Sunday’s marathon. I wanted to run at least six miles, but I wasn’t sure how much farther than that I would go.

Action 491 – Rev It Up!

I decided to start at 6.0 and work up every mile. The first mile felt awkward, sort of uncomfortable, like I was running on a new pair of legs. For a moment, I thought, “I should bail on this run today and save my energy for Sunday.” And then I thought, “shut up and run.” And that was that.

At mile 1, I kicked up the speed to 6.1. And I continued that way until I got to mile 5. I decided then that I would kick up the speed at quarter-mile intervals.

  • 6.5 mph until mile 5.25
  • 6.6 mph until mile 5.50
  • 6.7 mph until mile 5.75
  • 6.8 mph until mile 6.00

Then I kicked it up to 8 mph and ran like a crazy man until I hit mile 6.34 at 60 minutes.

It felt good. And once I stopped over-thinking everything in the first mile, the rest of the run was comfortable and almost effortless. And yes, I was a complete sweat monster by the end of the hour, but I still managed to look good.

My confidence is high. My training will be enough. I AM ready for this marathon on Sunday.